〃We are holding your brother's wedding here in a few days' time； young man …〃
〃And are they getting married in my bedroom？〃 asked Ron furiously。 〃No！ So why in the name of Merlin's saggy left …〃
〃Don't talk to your mother like that；〃 said Mr。 Weasley firmly。 〃And do as you're told。〃
Ron scowled at both his parents； then picked up his spoon and attacked the last few mouthfuls of his apple tart。
〃I can help； some of it's my mess。〃 Harry told Ron； but Mrs。 Weasley cut across him。
〃No； Harry； dear； I'd much rather you helped Arthur much out the chickens； and Hermione； I'd be ever so grateful if you'd change the sheets for Monsieur and Madame Delacour； you know they're arriving at eleven tomorrow morning。〃
But as it turned out； there was very little to do for the chickens。 〃There's no need to； er； mention it to Molly；〃 Mr。 Weasley told Harry； blocking his access to the coop； 〃but； er； Ted Tonks sent me most of what was left of Sirius's bike and； er； I'm hiding … that's to say； keeping … it in here。 Fantastic stuff： There's an exhaust gaskin； as I believe it's called； the most magnificent battery； and it'll be a great opportunity to find out how brakes work。 I'm going to try and put it all back together again when Molly's not … I mean； when I've got time。〃
When they returned to the house； Mrs。 Weasley was nowhere to be seen； so Harry slipped upstairs to Ron's attic bedroom。
〃I'm doing it； I'm doing … ！ Oh； it's you；〃 said Ron in relief； as Harry entered the room。 Ron lay back down on the bed； which he had evidently just vacated。 The room was just as messy as it had been all week； the only chance was that Hermione was now sitting in the far corner； her fluffy ginger cat； Crookshanks； at her feet； sorting books； some of which Harry recognized as his own； into two enormous piles。
〃Hi； Harry；〃 she said； as he sat down on his camp bed。
〃And how did you manage to get away？〃
〃Oh； Ron's mum forgot that she asked Ginny and me to change the sheets yesterday；〃 said Hermione。 She threw iNumerology and Grammaticai onto one pile and iThe Rise and Fall of the Dark Artsi onto the other。
〃We were just talking about Mad…Eye；〃 Ron told Harry。 〃I reckon he might have survived。〃
〃But Bill saw him hit by the Killing Curse；〃 said Harry。
〃Yeah； but Bill was under attack too；〃 said Ron。 〃How can he be sure what he saw？〃
〃Even if the Killing Curse missed； Mad…Eye still fell about a thousand feet；〃 said Hermione； now weight iQuidditch Teams of Britain and Irelandi in her hand。
〃He could have used a Shield Charm …〃
〃Fleur said his wand was blasted out of his hand；〃 said Harry。
〃Well； all right； if you want him to be dead；〃 said Ron grumpily； punching his pillow into a more fortable shape。
〃Of course we don't want him to be dead！〃 said Hermione； looking shocked。 〃It's dreadful that he's dead！ But we're being realistic！〃
For the first time； Harry imagined Mad…Eye's body； broken as Dumbledore's had been； yet with that one eye still whizzing in its socket。 He felt a stab of revulsion mixed with a bizarre desire to laugh。
〃The Death Eaters probably tidied up after themselves； that's why no one's found him；〃 said Ron wisely。
〃Yeah；〃 said Harry。 〃Like Barty Crouch； turned into a bone and buried in Hagrid's front garden。 They probably transfigured Moody and stuffed him …〃
〃Don't！〃 squealed Hermione。 Startled； Harry looked over just in time to see her burst into tears over her copy of iSpellman's Syllabaryi。
〃Oh no；〃 said Harry； struggling to get up from the old camp bed。 〃Hermione； I wasn't trying to upset …〃
But with a great creaking of rusty bedsprings； Ron bounded off the bed and got there first。 One arm around Hermione； he fished in his jeans pocket and withdrew a revolting…looking handkerchief that he had used to clean out the oven earlier。 Hastily pulling out his wand； he pointed it at the rag and said； 〃iTergeo。i〃
The wand siphoned off most of the grease。 Looking rather pleased with himself； Ron handed the slightly smoking handkerchief to Hermione。
〃Oh 。 。 。 thanks； Ron。 。 。 。 I'm sorry。 。 。 。〃 She blew her nose and hiccupped。 〃It's just so awf…ful； isn't it？ R…right after Dumbledore 。 。 。 I j…just n…never imagined Mad…Eye dying； somehow； he seemed so tough！〃
〃Yeah； I know；〃 said Ron； giving her a squeeze。 〃But you know what he'd say to us if he was here？〃
〃'C…constant vigilance；'〃 said Hermione； mopping her eyes。
〃That's right；〃 said Ron； nodding。 〃He'd tell us to learn from what happened to him。 And what I've learned is not to trust that cowardly little squit； Mundungus。〃
Hermione gave a shaky laugh and leaned forward to pick up two more books。 A second later； Ron had snatched his arm back from around her shoulders； she had dropped iThe Monster of Monstersi on his foot。 The book had broken free from its restraining belt and snapped viciously at Ron's ankle。
〃I'm sorry； I'm sorry！〃 Hermione cried as Harry wrenched the book from Ron's leg and retied it shit。
〃What are you doing with all those books anyway？〃 Ron asked； limping back to his bed。
〃Just trying to decide which ones to take with us；〃 said Hermione； 〃When we're looking for the Horcruxes。〃
〃Oh； of course；〃 said Ron； clapping a hand to his forehead。 〃I forgot we'll be hunting down Voldemort in a mobile library。〃
〃Ha ha；〃 said Hermione； looking down at iSpellman's Syllabaryi。 〃I wonder 。 。 。 will we need to translate runes？ It's possible。 。 。 。 I think we'd better take it； to be safe。〃
She dropped the syllabary onto the larger of the two piles and picked up iHogwarts； A History。i
〃Listen；〃 said Harry。
He had sat up straight。 Ron and Hermione looked at him with similar mixtures of resignation and defiance。
〃I know you said after Dumbledore's funeral that you wanted to e with me；〃 Harry began。
〃Here he goes；〃 Ron said to Hermione； rolling his eyes。
〃As we knew he would；〃 he sighed； turning back to the books。 〃You know； I think I iwilli take iHogwarts； A History。i Even if we're not going back there； I don't think I'd feel right if I didn't have it with …〃
〃Listen！〃 said Harry again。
〃No； Harry； iyoui listen；〃 said Hermione。 〃We're ing with you。 That was decided months ago … years； really。〃
〃But …〃
〃Shut up；〃 Ron advised him。
〃… are you sure you've thought this through？〃 Harry persisted。
〃Let's see；〃 said Hermione； slamming iTravels with Trollsi onto the discarded pile with a rather fierce look。 〃I've been packing for days； so we're ready to leave at a moment's notice； which for your information has included doing some pretty difficult magic； not to mention smuggling Mad…Eye's whole stock of Polyjuice Potion right under Ron's mum's nose。
〃I've also modified my parents' memories so that they're convinced they're really called Wendell and Monica Wilkins； and that their life's ambition is to move to Australia； which they have now done。 That's to make it more difficult for Voldemort to track them down and interrogate them about me … or you； because unfortunately； I've told them quite a bit about you。
〃Assuming I survive our hunt for the Horcruxes； I'll find Mum and Dad and lift the enchantment。 If I don't … well； I think I've cast a good enough charm to keep them
safe and happy。 Wendell and Monica Wilkins don't know that they've got a daughter