He wish to give you that sword, Potter, because he believed, as do many, that you are the

one destined to destroy He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

"Interesting theory," said Harry. "Has anyone ever tried sticking a sword in

Voldemort? Maybe the Ministry should put some people onto that, instead of wasting

Their time stripping down Deluminators or covering up breakouts from Azkaban. So this

is what you've been doing, Minister, shut up in your office, trying to break open a Snitch?

People are dying – I was nearly one of them – Voldemort chased me across three

countries, he killed Mad-Eye Moody, but there's no word about any of that from the

Ministry, has there? And you still expect us to cooperate with you!"

"You go too far!" shouted Scrimgeour, standing up: Harry jumped to his feet too.

Scrimgeour limped toward Harry and jabbed him hard in the chest with the point of his

wand; It singed a hole in Harry's T-shirt like a lit cigarette.

"Oi!" said Ron, jumping up and raising his own wand, but Harry said,

"No! D'you want to give him an excuse to arrest us?"

"Remembered you're not at school, have you?" said Scrimgeour breathing hard

into Harry's face. "Remembered that I am not Dumbledore, who forgave your insolence

and insubordination? You may wear that scar like a crown, Potter, but it is not up to a

seventeen-year-old boy to tell me how to do my job! It's time you learned some respect!"

"It's time you earned it." said Harry.

The floor trembled; there was a sound of running footsteps, then the door to the

Sitting room burst open and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley ran in.

"We --- we thought we heard --" began Mr. Weasley, looking thoroughly alarmed

At the sight of Harry and the Minister virtually nose to nose.

"—raised voices," panted Mrs. Weasley.

Scrimgeour took a couple of steps back from Harry, glancing at the hole he had

made in Harry's T-shirt. He seemed to regret his loss of temper.

"It – it was nothing," he growled. "I … regret your attitude," he said, looking

Harry full in the face once more. "You seem to think that the Ministry does not desire

what you – what Dumbledore – desired. We ought to work together."

"I don't like your methods, Minister," said Harry. "Remember?"

For the second time, he raised his right fist and displayed to Scrimgeour the scar

that still showed white on the back of it, spelling I must not tell lies . Scrimgeour's

Expression hardened. He turned away without another word and limped from the room.

Mrs. Weasley hurried after him; Harry heard her stop at the back door. After a minute or

so she called, "He's gone!"

What did he want?" Mr. Weasley asked, looking around at Harry, Ron, and

Hermione as Mrs. Weasley came hurrying back to them.

"To give us what Dumbledore left us," said Harry. "They've only just released the

content of his will."

Outside in the garden, over the dinner tables, the three objects Scrimgeour had

Given them were passed from hand to hand. Everyone exclaimed over the Deluminator

And The Tales of Beedle the Bard and lamented the fact that Scrimgeour had refused to

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 709