Harry dried his hands, impervious to the beauty of the scene outside the window

And to the murmuring of the others in the sitting room. He looked out over the ocean and

Felt closer, this dawn, than ever before, closer to the heart of it all.

And still his scar prickled, and he knew that Voldemort was getting there too.

Harry understood and yet did not understand. His instinct was telling him one thing, his

brain quite another. The Dumbledore in Harry’s head smiled, surveying Harry over the

Tips of his fingers, pressed together as if in prayer.

You gave Ron the Deluminator…You understood him…You gave him a way

back…

And you understood Wormtail too…You knew there was a bit of regret there,

somewhere…

And if you knew them…What did you know about me, Dumbledore?

Am I meant to know but not to seek? Did you know how hard I’d feel that? Is

that why you made it this difficult? So I’d have time to work that out?

Harry stood quite still, eyes glazed, watching the place where a bright gold ray of

Dazzling sun was rising over the horizon. Then he looked down at his clean hands and

Was momentarily surprised to see the cloth he was holding in them. He set it down and

Returned to the hall, and as he did so, he felt his scar pulse angrily, and then flashed

Across his mind, swift as the reflection of a dragonfly over water, the outline of a building

He knew extremely well.

Bill and Fleur were standing at the foot of the stairs.

“I need to speak to Griphook and Ollivander,” Harry said.

“No,” said Fleur. “You will ‘ave to wait, ‘Arry. Zey are both too tired –”

“I’m sorry,” he said without heat, “but it can’t wait. I need to talk to them now.

Privately – and separately. It’s urgent.”

“Harry, what the hell’s going on?” asked Bill. “You turn up here with a dead

house-elf and a half-conscious goblin, Hermione looks as though she’s been tortured, and

Ron’s just refused to tell me anything –”

“We can’t tell you what we’re doing,” said Harry flatly. “You’re in the Order, Bill,

you know Dumbledore left us a mission. We’re not supposed to talk about it to anyone

else.”

Fleur made an impatient noise, but Bill did not look at her; he was staring at

Harry. His deeply scarred face was hard to read. Finally, Bill said, “All right. Who do

you want to talk to first?”

Harry hesitated. He knew what hung on his decision. There was hardly any time

left; now was the moment to decide: Horcruxes or Hallows?

“Griphook,” Harry said. “I’ll speak to Griphook first.”

His heart was racing as if he had been sprinting and had just cleared an enormous

Obstacle.

“Up here, then,” said Bill, leading the way.

Harry had walked up several steps before stopping and looking back.

“I need you two as well!” he called to Ron and Hermione, who had been skulking,

Half concealed, in the doorway of the sitting room.

They both moved into the light, looking oddly relieved.

“How are you?” Harry asked Hermione. “You were amazing – coming up with

that story when she was hurting you like that –”

Hermione gave a weak smile as Ron gave her a one-armed squeeze.

“What are we doing now, Harry?” he asked.

“You’ll see. Come on.”

Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed Bill up the steep stairs onto a small landing.

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 777