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nt is to have Dumbledore locked up。 While You…Know…Who knows Dumbledore's out there and wise to what he's up to he's going to go cautiously。 If Dumbledore's out of the way … well； You…Know…Who will have a clear field。'
'But if Voldemort's trying to recruit more Death Eaters it's bound to get out that he's e back； isn't it？' asked Harry desperately。
'Voldemort doesn't march up to people's houses and bang on their front doors； Harry；' said Sirius。 'He tricks； jinxes and blackmails them。 He's well practised at operating in secret。 In any case； gathering followers is only one thing he's interested in。 He's got other plans too； plans he can put into operation very quietly indeed； and he's concentrating on those for the moment。'
'What's he after apart from followers？' Harry asked swiftly。 He thought he saw Sirius and Lupin exchange the most fleeting of looks before Sirius answered。
'Stuff he can only get by stealth。'
When Harry continued to look puzzled； Sirius said； 'Like a weapon。 Something he didn't have last time。'
'When he was powerful before？'
'Yes。'
'Like what kind of weapon？' said Harry。 'Something worse than the Avada Kedavra …？'
'That's enough！'
Mrs Weasley spoke from the shadows beside the door。 Harry hadn't noticed her return from taking Ginny upstairs。 Her arms were crossed and she looked furious。
'I want you in bed； now。 All of you；' she added； looking around at Fred； George； Ron and Hermione。
'You can't boss us …' Fred began。
'Watch me；' snarled Mrs Weasley。 She was trembling slightly as she looked at Sirius。 'You've given Harry plenty of information。 Any more and you might just as well induct him into the Order straightaway。'
'Why not？' said Harry quickly。 I'll join； I want to join； I want to fight。'
'No。'
It was not Mrs Weasley who spoke this time； but Lupin。
The Order is prised only of overage wizards；' he said。 'Wizards who have left school；' he added； as Fred and George opened their mouths。 There are dangers involved of which you can have no idea； any of you： I think Molly's right； Sirius。 We've said enough。'
Sirius half…shrugged but did not argue。 Mrs Weasley beckoned imperiously to her sons and Hermione。 One by one they stood up and Harry； recognising defeat； followed suit。
… CHAPTER SIX
The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black
Mrs Weasley followed them upstairs looking grim。
'I want you all to go straight to bed； no talking；' she said as they reached the first landing； 'we've got a busy day tomorrow。 I expect Ginny's asleep；' she added to Hermione； 'so try not to wake her up。'
'Asleep； yeah； right；' said Fred in an undertone； after Hermione bade them goodnight and they were climbing to the next floor。 'If Ginny's not lying awake waiting for Hermione to tell her everything they said downstairs then I'm a Flobberworm'。
'All right； Ron； Harry；' said Mrs Weasley on the second landing； pointing them into their bedroom。 'Off to bed with you。'
'Night；' Harry and Ron said to the twins。
'Sleep tight；' said Fred； winking。
Mrs Weasley closed the door behind Harry with a sharp snap。 The bedroom looked； if anything； even danker and gloomier than it had on first sight。 The blank picture on the wall was now breathing very slowly and deeply； as though its invisible occupant was asleep。 Harry put on his pyjamas； took off his glasses and climbed into his chilly bed while Ron threw Owl Treats up on top of the wardrobe to pacify Hedwig and Pigwidgeon； who were clattering around and rustling their wings restlessly。
'We can't let them out to hunt every night；' Ron explained as he pulled on his maroon pyjamas。 'Dumbledore doesn't want too many owls swooping around the square； thinks it'll look suspicious。 Oh yeah： I forgot：'
He crossed to the door and bolted it。
'What're you doing that for？'
'Kreacher；' said Ron as he turned off the light。 'First night I was here he came wandering in at three in the morning。 Trust me； you don't want to wake up and find him prowling around your room。 Anyway：' he got into his bed； settled down under the covers then turned to look at Harry in the darkness； Harry could see his outline by the moonlight filtering in through the grimy window； 'what d'you reckon？'
Harry didn't need to ask what Ron meant。
'Well； they didn't tell us much we couldn't have guessed； did they？' he said； thinking of all that had been said downstairs。 'I mean； all they've really said is that the Order's trying to stop people joining Vol…'
There was a sharp intake of breath from Ron。
'…demort；' said Harry firmly。 'When are you going to start using his name？ Sirius and Lupin do。'
Ron ignored this last ment。
'Yeah； you're right；' he said； 'we already knew nearly everything they told us； from using the Extendable Ears。 The only new bit was …'
Crack。
'OUCH！'
'Keep your voice down； Ron； or Mum'll be back up here。'
'You two just Apparated on my knees！'
'Yeah； well； it's harder in the dark。'
Harry saw the blurred outlines of Fred and George leaping down from Ron's bed。 There was a groan of bedsprings and Harry's mattress descended a few inches as George sat down near his feet。
'So； got there yet？' said George eagerly。
The weapon Sirius mentioned？' said Harry。
'Let slip； more like；' said Fred with relish； now sitting next to Ron。 'We didn't hear about that on the old Extendables； did we？'
'What d'you reckon it is？' said Harry。
'Could be anything；' said Fred。
'But there can't be anything worse than the Avada Kedavra Curse； can there？' said Ron。 What's worse than death？'
'Maybe it's something that can kill loads of people at once；' suggested George。
'Maybe it's some particularly painful way of killing people；' said Ron fearfully。
'He's got the Cruciatus Curse for causing pain；' said Harry； 'he doesn't need anything more efficient than that。'
There was a pause and Harry knew that the others； like him； were wondering what horrors this weapon could perpetrate。
'So who d'you think's got it now？' asked George。
'I hope it's our side；' said Ron； sounding slightly nervous。
'If it is； Dumbledore's probably keeping it；' said Fred。 *！
'Where？' said Ron quickly。 'Hogwarts？'
'
'Bet it is！' said George。 That's where he hid the Philosopher's Stone。'
'A weapons going to be a lot bigger than the Stone； though！' said Ron。
'Not necessarily' said Fred。
'Yeah； size is no guarantee of power；' said George。 'Look at Ginny。'
'What d'you mean？' said Harry。
'You've never been on the receiving end of one of her Bat…Bogey Hexes； have you？'
'Shhh！' said Fred； half…rising from the bed。 'Listen！'
They fell silent。 Footsteps were ing up the stairs。
'Mum；' said George and without further ado there was a loud crack and Harry felt the weight vanish from the end of his bed。 A few seconds later； they heard the floorboard creak outside their door； Mrs Weasley was plainly listening to check whether or not they were talking。
Hedwig and Pigwidgeon hooted dolefully。 The floorboard creaked again and they heard her heading upstairs to check on Fred and George。
'She doesn't trust us at all； you know；' said Ron regretfully。
Harry was sure he would not be able to fall asleep； the evening had been so packed with things to think about that he fully expected to lie awake for hours mulling it all over。 He wanted to continue talking to Ron； but Mrs Weasley was now creaking back downstairs again； and once she had gone he distinctly heard others making their way upstairs： in fact； many…legged creatures were cantering softly up and down outside the bedroom door； and Hagrid the Care of Magical Creatures teacher was saying； 'Beauties； arm they； eh； Harry？ We'll be studyin' weapons this term：〃 and Harry saw that the creatures had cannons for heads and were wheeling to face him： he ducked：
The next thing he knew； he was curled into a warm ball under his bedclothes and George's loud voice was filling the room。
'Mum says get up； your breakfast is in the kitchen and then she needs you in the drawing room； there are loads more Doxys than she thought and she's found a nest of dead Puffskeins under the sofa。'
Half an hour later Harry and Ron； who had dressed and breakfasted quickly； entered the drawing room； a long； high…ceilinged room on the first floor with olive green walls covered in dirty tapestries。 The carpet exhaled little clouds of dust every time someone put their foot on it and the long； moss green velvet curtains were buzzing as though swarming with invisible bees。 It was around these that Mrs Weasley； Hermione； Ginny； Fred and George were grouped； all looking rather peculiar as they had each tied a cloth over their nose and mouth。 Each of them was also holding a large bottle of black liquid with a nozzle at the end。
'Cover your faces and take a spray；' Mrs Weasley said to Harry and Ron the moment she saw them； pointing to two more bottles of black liquid standing on a spindle…legged table。 'It's Doxycide。 I've never seen an in