Him, looked simply radiant.

"Happy birthday, Harry," she said, hugging him tightly.

"Seventeen, eh!" said Hagrid as he accepted a bucket-sized glass of wine from

Fred. "Six years ter the day since we met, Harry, d'yeh remember it?"

"Vaguely," said Harry, grinning up at him. "Didn't you smash down the front door,

give Dudley a pig's tail, and tell me I was a wizard?"

"I forge' the details," Hagrid chortled. "All righ', Ron, Hermione?"

"We're fine," said Hermione. "How are you?"

"Ar, not bad. Bin busy, we got some newborn unicorns. I'll show yeh when yeh

get back--" Harry avoided Ron's and Hermione's gazes as Hagrid rummaged in his pocket.

"Here. Harry -- couldn't think what ter get teh, but then I remembered this." He pulled out

A small, slightly furry drawstring pouch with a long string, evidently intended to be worn

around the neck. "Mokeskin. Hide anythin' in there an' no one but the owner can get it out.

They're rare, them."

"Hagrid, thanks!"

"'S'nothin'," said Hagrid with a wave of a dustbin-lid-sized hand. "An' there's

Charlie! Always liked him -- hey! Charlie!"

Charlie approached, running his hand slightly ruefully over his new, brutally short

Haircut. He was shorter than Ron, thickset, with a number of burns and scratches up his

Muscley arms.

"Hi, Hagrid, how's it going?"

"Bin meanin' ter write fer ages. How's Norbert doin'?"

"Norbert?" Charlie laughed. "The Norwegian Ridgeback? We call her Norberta

now."

"Wha -- Norbert's a girl?"

"Oh yeah," said Charlie.

"How can you tell?" asked Hermione.

"They're a lot more vicious," said Charlie. He looked over his shoulder and

dropped his voice. "Wish Dad would hurry up and get here. Mum's getting edgy."

They all looked over at Mrs. Weasley. She was trying to talk to Madame Delacour

While glancing repeatedly at the gate.

"I think we'd better start without Arthur," she called to the garden at large after a

moment or two. "He must have been held up at -- oh!"

They all saw it at the same time: a streak of light that came flying across the yard

And onto the table, where it resolved itself into a bright silver weasel, which stood on its

hind legs and spoke with Mr. Weasley's voice.

"Minister of Magic coming with me."

The Patronus dissolved into thin air, leaving Fleur's family peering in

Astonishment at the place where it had vanished.

"We shouldn't be here," said Lupin at once. "Harry -- I'm sorry -- I'll explain some

other time--"

He seized Tonks’s wrist and pulled her away; they reached the fence, climbed

Over it, and vanished from sight. Mrs. Weasley looked bewildered.

"The Minister -- but why--? I don't understand--"

But there was no time to discuss the matter; a second later, Mr. Weasley had

Appeared out of thin air at the gate, accompanied by Rufus Scrimgeour, instantly

Recognizable by his mane of grizzled hair.

The two newcomers marched across the yard toward the garden and the lantern-lit

Table, where everybody sat in silence, watching them draw closer. As Scrimgeour came

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 773