Harry Potter 05 - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

sorry. What must you think of me?’ she said shakily. ‘Not even able to get rid of a Boggart …’
    ‘Don’t be stupid,’ said Harry, trying to smile.
    ‘I’m just s – s – so worried,’ she said, tears spilling out of her eyes again. ‘Half the f – f – family’s in the Order, it’ll b – b – be a miracle if we all come through this … and P – P – Percy’s not talking to us … what if something d – d – dreadful happens and we’ve never m – m – made it up with him? And what’s going to happen if Arthur and I get killed, who’s g – g – going to look after Ron and Ginny?’
    ‘Molly, that’s enough,’ said Lupin firmly. ‘This isn’t like last time. The Order is better prepared, we’ve got a head start, we know what Voldemort’s up to –’
    Mrs Weasley gave a little squeak of fright at the sound of the name.
    ‘Oh, Molly, come on, it’s about time you got used to hearing his name – look, I can’t promise no one’s going to get hurt, nobody can promise that, but we’re much better off than we were last time. You weren’t in the Order then, you don’t understand. Last time we were outnumbered twenty to one by the Death Eaters and they were picking us off one by one …’
    Harry thought of the photograph again, of his parents’ beaming faces. He knew Moody was still watching him.
    ‘Don’t worry about Percy,’ said Sirius abruptly. ‘He’ll come round. It’s only a matter of time before Voldemort moves into the open; once he does, the whole Ministry’s going to be begging us to forgive them. And I’m not sure I’ll be accepting their apology,’ he added bitterly.
    ‘And as for who’s going to look after Ron and Ginny if you and Arthur died,’ said Lupin, smiling slightly, ‘what do you think we’d do, let them starve?’
    Mrs Weasley smiled tremulously.
    ‘Being silly,’ she muttered again, mopping her eyes.
    But Harry, closing his bedroom door behind him some ten minutes later, could not think Mrs Weasley silly. He could still see his parents beaming up at him from the tattered old photograph, unaware that their lives, like so many of those around them, were drawing to a close. The image of the Boggart posing as the corpse of each member of Mrs Weasley’s family in turn kept flashing before his eyes.
    Without warning, the scar on his forehead seared with pain again and his stomach churned horribly.
    ‘Cut it out,’ he said firmly, rubbing the scar as the pain receded.
    ‘First sign of madness, talking to your own head,’ said a sly voice from the empty picture on the wall.
    Harry ignored it. He felt older than he had ever felt in his life and it seemed extraordinary to him that barely an hour ago he had been worried about a joke shop and who had got a prefect’s badge.

 
     
— CHAPTER TEN —
     
Luna Lovegood
    Harry had a troubled night’s sleep. His parents wove in and out of his dreams, never speaking; Mrs Weasley sobbed over Kreacher’s dead body, watched by Ron and Hermione who were wearing crowns, and yet again Harry found himself walking down a corridor ending in a locked door. He awoke abruptly with his scar prickling to find Ron already dressed and talking to him.
    ‘… better hurry up, Mum’s going ballistic, she says we’re going to miss the train …’
    There was a lot of commotion in the house. From what he heard as he dressed at top speed, Harry gathered that Fred and George had bewitched their trunks to fly downstairs to save the bother of carrying them, with the result that they had hurtled straight into Ginny and knocked her down two flights of stairs into the hall; Mrs Black and Mrs Weasley were both screaming at the top of their voices.
    ‘– COULD HAVE DONE HER A SERIOUS INJURY, YOU IDIOTS –’
    ‘– FILTHY HALF-BREEDS, BESMIRCHING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS –’
    Hermione came hurrying into the room looking flustered, just as Harry was putting on his trainers. Hedwig was swaying on her shoulder, and she was carrying a squirming Crookshanks in her arms.
    ‘Mum and Dad just sent Hedwig back.’ The owl fluttered obligingly over and perched on top of her cage. ‘Are you ready yet?’
    ‘Nearly. Is Ginny all right?’ Harry asked, shoving on his glasses.
    ‘Mrs Weasley’s patched her up,’ said Hermione. ‘But now Mad-Eye’s complaining that we can’t leave unless Sturgis Podmore’s here, otherwise the guard will be one short.’
    ‘Guard?’ said Harry. ‘We have to go to King’s Cross