es； 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 a150a150… we thought we heard a150a150〃 began Mr。 Weasley； looking thoroughly alarmed at the sight of Harry and the Minister virtually nose to nose。
〃a151raised 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 a133 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 iI must not tell liesi 。 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 iThe Tales of Beedle the Bardi and lamented the fact that Scrimgeour had refused to pass on the sword； but none of them could offer any suggestion as to why Dumbledore would have left Harry an old Snitch。 As Mr。 Weasley examined the Deluminator for the third of fourth time； Mrs。 Weasley said tentatively； 〃Harry； dear； everyone's awfully hungry we didn't like to start without youa133 Shall I serve dinner now？〃
They all ate rather hurriedly and then after a hasty chorus of 〃Happy Birthday〃 and much gulping of cake； the party broke up。 Hagrid； who was invited to the wedding the following day； but was far too bulky to sleep in the overstretched Burrow； left to set up a tent for himself in a neighboring field。
〃Meet us upstairs；〃 Harry whispered to Hermione； while they helped Mrs。 Weasley restore the garden to its normal state。 〃After everyone's gone to bed。〃
Up in the attic room； Ron examined his Deluminator； and Harry filled Hagrid's mokeskin purse； not with gold； but with those items he most prized； apparently worthless though some of them were the Marauder's Map； the shard of Sirius's enchanted mirror； and R。A。B。's locket。 He pulled the string tight and slipped the purse around his neck； then sat holding the old Snitch and watching its wings flutter feebly。 At last； Hermione tapped on the door and tiptoed inside。
〃Muffiato；〃 she whispered； waving her wand in the direction of the stairs。
〃Thought you didn't approve of that spell？〃 said Ron。
〃Times change；〃 said Hermione。 〃Now； show us that Deluminator。〃
Ron obliged at once。 Holding I up in front of him； he clicked it。 The solitary lamp they had lit went out at once。
〃The thing is；〃 whispered Hermione through the dark； 〃we could have achieved that with Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder。〃
There was a small iclicki； and the ball of light from the lamp flew back to the ceiling and illuminated them all once more。
〃Still； it's cool；〃 said Ron； a little defensively。 〃And from what they said； Dumbledore invented it himself！〃
〃I know but； surely he wouldn't have singled you out in his will just to help us turn out the lights！〃
〃D'you think he knew the Ministry would confiscate his will and examine everything he'd left us？〃 asked Harry。
〃Definitely；〃 said Hermione。 〃He couldn't tell us in the will why he was leaving us these things； but that will doesn't explaina133〃
〃a133 why he couldn't have given us a hint when he was alive？〃 asked Ron。
〃Well； exactly；〃 said Hermione； now flicking through iThe Tales of Beedle the Bardi。 〃If these things are important enough to pass on right under the nose of the Ministry； you'd think he'd have left us know whya133 unless he thought it was obvious？〃
〃Thought wrong； then； didn't he？〃 said Ron。 〃I always said he was mental。 Brilliant and everything； but cracked。 Leaving Harry an old Snitch … what the hell was that about？〃
〃I've no idea；〃 said Hermione。 〃When Scrimgeour made you take it； Harry； I was so sure that something was going to happen！〃
〃Yeah； well；〃 said Harry； his pulse quickened as he raised the Snitch in his fingers。 〃I wasn't going to try too hard in front of Scrimgeour was I？〃
〃What do you mean？〃 asked Hermione。
〃The Snitch I caught in my first ever Quidditch match？〃 said Harry。 〃Don't you remember？〃
Hermione looked simply bemused。 Ron； however； gasped； pointing frantically from Harry to the Snitch and back again until he found his voice。
〃That was the one you nearly swallowed！〃
〃Exactly；〃 said Harry； and with his heart beating fast； he pressed his mouth to the Snitch。
It did not open。 Frustration and bitter disappointment welled up inside him： He lowered the golden sphere； but then Hermione cried out。
〃Writing！ There's writing on it； quick； look！〃 He nearly dropped the Snitch in surprise and excitement。 Hermione was quite right。 Engraved upon the smooth golden surface； where seconds before there had been nothing； were five words written in the thin； slanted handwriting that Harry recognized as Dumbledore's
iI open at the close。i
He had barely read them when the words vanished again。
〃I open at the closea133。〃 What's that supposed to mean？〃
Hermione and Ron shook their heads； looking blank。
〃I open at the closea133 at the closea133 I open at the closea133〃
But no matter how often they repeated the words； with many different inflections； they were unable to wring any more meaning from them。
〃And the sword；〃 said Ron finally； when they had at last abandoned their attempts to divine meaning in the Snitch's inscription。
〃Why did he want Harry to have the sword？〃
〃And why couldn't he just have told me？〃 Harry said quietly。 〃I was itherei； it was right there on the wall of his office during all our talks last year！ If he wanted me to have it； why didn't he just give it to me then？〃
He felt as thought he wer