Chapter 249
After Harry started eating breakfast, he remembered that he had woken up early today at five-thirty, suddenly, as if someone had shouted in his ear.
Tonks walked into the breakfast area, yawning, and said, "G—good morning, Harry." Her hair was blonde and curly that morning. She added, "Did you sleep well?" He replied, "Yes."
Yawning again, she said, ".... I didn't sleep... Come and sit down..." She pulled out a chair, accidentally knocking over the one next to it.
Mrs. Weasley said, "What do you want, Harry? Porridge? Crumpets? Kippers? Eggs and bacon? Toast?"
Harry said, "J—just toast, please."
Lupin looked at Harry, then said to Tonks, "What were you saying about Kingsley Shacklebolt?"
Harry felt a pang of gratitude that he wasn't asked to join the discussion. His stomach was churning. Mrs. Weasley placed two pieces of toast and marmalade in front of him. He tried to eat, but it felt like chewing an old carpet.
Mrs. Weasley sat on his other side and busied herself with the shirt he was wearing, adjusting it and smoothing out the creases at the shoulders. He wished she would stop.
Tonks continued, ".... and I'll have to tell Dumbledore that I can't take the watch shift tomorrow.. I'm so.. so exhausted." She yawned heavily.
Mr. Weasley was not wearing ordinary wizard robes, but rather pinstriped trousers and an old overcoat. He turned to Tonks and Harry, asking, "How are you feeling?" Harry shook his head.
Mr. Weasley said gently, "It will be over quickly.. In a few hours, you will be cleared." Harry said nothing.
He added, "The hearing will be on the floor where I work, in Amelia Bones's office. She is the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and she is the one who will question you."
Tonks said, "Bones is alright, Harry. She's fair, and she will listen to you." Harry nodded his head, unable to think about anything that was being said.
Tonks yawned again and said, "Well, I don't see Albert here. Where did he go?!"
Lupin spoke this time, saying, "I saw him heading out this morning. I didn't ask him where he was going, but from his clothes, I think he was going somewhere important."
Sirius said quickly, "Don't lose your temper, Harry... Keep your polite manners and be honest." Harry nodded his head again.
Lupin said quietly, "The law is on your side.. Even underage wizards are allowed to use magic in self-defense when facing mortal danger." Something freezing cold trickled down the back of Harry's neck, and for a moment he thought someone was casting a Disillusionment Charm on him, but he realized that Mrs. Weasley had attacked him with a wet comb, pressing it hard against the crown of his head.
She said in frustration, "Does this hair of yours never lie flat?!" Harry shook his head.
Mr. Weasley looked at his watch, then at Harry, and said, "It's time to go.. We are a bit early, but it's better to go to the Ministry instead of hanging around here." Harry threw his toast onto the table and stood up, saying, "Alright!"
Tonks patted his arm and said, "You'll be fine, Harry."
Lupin said, "Good luck.. I'm sure you'll be fine."
Sirius said grimly, "And if your day doesn't go well, Bones will see dark days ahead....." Harry smiled weakly as Mrs. Weasley hugged him and said, "Our hearts are with you, Harry." Harry replied, "Ah.. okay.. See you later."
He followed Mr. Weasley into the hall. He heard the portrait of Sirius's mother snoring in her sleep.
Mr. Weasley opened the front door and stepped out into the cold, gray, newborn dawn.
"Do you usually walk to work?" Harry asked as they walked quickly around the square.
"No," Mr. Weasley said, "I usually Apparate. But obviously, you can't do that, and it's better to arrive by non-magical means to make a good impression....." Mr. Weasley kept his hand inside his coat pocket as they walked; Harry knew it was wrapped carefully around his wand.
The streets were empty, but when they reached an underground tube station, they found it packed with early morning commuters. As always when he found himself close to Muggles going about their daily business, Mr. Weasley could not hide his enthusiasm.
"What a magnificent machine.. Genius," he whispered, pointing to an automated ticket machine. Harry pointed to the sign hanging on it and said, "It's out of order."
Mr. Weasley smiled at him fondly and said, "Indeed.. but even when out of order....." They bought their tickets from a sleepy guard. Harry handled the money because Mr. Weasley was not skilled at calculating Muggle currency. Five minutes later, they were on a train heading towards central London. Mr. Weasley kept looking anxiously at the tube map displayed opposite the windows, repeatedly saying:
"Four stations left, Harry.. Three stations left, Harry.. Two stations left, Harry... "
They got off the train at a station in the heart of London, pushed out of the carriage by a tidal wave of men and women carrying briefcases and wearing formal suits.
They went up the escalator and through the ticket barrier; Mr. Weasley was delighted by the way the machine swallowed the ticket. They emerged onto a wide street lined with majestic-looking buildings and filled with traffic.
"Where are we?" Mr. Weasley said with a distracted mind. For a moment, Harry's heart stopped beating, thinking they had come out of the wrong station despite Mr. Weasley's frequent references to the map. But a moment later, Mr. Weasley said, "Ah.... yes.. This way, Harry," and led him down a side street.
He said, "Sorry.. but I've never gone to work by tube before, and the way looks very different from a Muggle perspective. In fact, I've never entered through the visitors' entrance before." As they advanced, the buildings grew smaller until they reached a street with a number of modest offices, a pub, and a fire station. Harry had expected the Ministry of Magic to be in a grander location than this.
"Here we are," Mr. Weasley said cheerfully, pointing to a red, old telephone box with several panes of glass missing, set flat against the wall. He added, "Go on in, I'm right behind you, Harry," and opened the telephone box door.
Harry stepped inside, wondering what Mr. Weasley intended to do. The latter stood next to Harry and closed the door behind him. The space was tight; Harry's body was pressed against the telephone hanging crookedly on the box wall, as Mr. Weasley reached his hand past Harry to grab the receiver.
Harry said, "Mr. Weasley.. it seems this receiver doesn't work either."
"No.. no, I'm sure it's in perfect condition," Mr. Weasley said, clutching the receiver above his head. Then, staring at the dial, he said, "Let's see.. yes... six... dialing the number," then: "two.. four... another four.. then two again....."
As the dial whirred smoothly back into place, a female voice came from inside the telephone box.. not from the receiver in Mr. Weasley's hand... The voice was loud and clear, as if an invisible woman were standing right next to them.
"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and the purpose of your visit."
Mr. Weasley, not knowing whether he should speak into the receiver or not, said, "Ah...." He chose a compromise, holding the receiver to his ear: "Arthur Weasley, employee at the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, and with me is Harry Potter, required to attend a hearing..."
The female voice said, "Thank you. Please take your badge and pin it to the front of your robes."
They heard a metallic clink, and then Harry saw something slide out of the metal slot meant for returned change. He picked it up. It was a square silver badge that read *Harry Potter, Disciplinary Hearing*. He pinned it to his chest as the female voice spoke again:
"Visitor to the Ministry, please cooperate during your inspection and present your wand for examination at the security desk, which is at the far end of the Atrium."
The floor of the telephone box shuddered. It began to sink slowly into the ground. Harry watched apprehensively as the pavement seemed to rise past the glass windows of the telephone box until darkness closed over their heads.. then he could no longer see anything.. He heard nothing but mechanical sounds as the box sliced downwards through the earth. After about a minute, though it felt longer to Harry, a golden light came from beneath his feet. The patch of light widened and spread over his body until it hit his face, forcing him to blink to keep his eyes from watering.
The woman's voice said, "The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day."
The door opened and Mr. Weasley stepped out, with Harry behind him, his mouth agape in astonishment.
They stood at the end of a long, magnificent reception hall with a dark, polished wooden floor. The peacock-blue ceiling was inlaid with golden symbols that kept moving and changing shapes. The walls on both sides were covered with dark, polished wood paneling, housing numerous fireplaces. Every few seconds, a wizard or witch would emerge from one of the fireplaces on the left side. At the fireplaces on the right side, wizards and witches formed short queues waiting to depart.
In the middle of the hall, there was a fountain consisting of a group of golden statues, larger than life-size, erected in the middle of a circular pool.
The tallest among them was a noble-looking wizard with his wand pointed straight up into the air. Around him were a beautiful witch, a centaur, a goblin, and a house-elf. The last three statues were looking up adoringly at the witch and wizard. Streams of water glinted from the tips of their wands, from the tip of the centaur's arrow, from the tip of the goblin's hat, and from each of the house-elf's ears, adding the sound of spraying water to the ambient noise of people appearing and disappearing magically, and the clicking heels of hundreds of witches and wizards, most of whom carried the usual sour morning expressions as they hurried toward a set of golden gates at the far end of the hall.
Mr. Weasley said, "Come this way."
They joined the crowd of walkers, some carrying rolls of parchment, others carrying leather briefcases, and some still reading the *Daily Prophet* as they walked. By the fountain, Harry saw silver coins and bronze Knuts gleaming from the bottom of the pool, with a small sign beside it that read:
*All proceeds from the Fountain of Magical Brethren are donated to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.*
Harry thought desperately, *If I'm not expelled from Hogwarts, I'll dump ten Galleons in here.*
"This way, Harry," Mr. Weasley said as they stepped out of the stream of Ministry employees heading toward the golden gates. To the left, at a desk, there was a sign that read *Security*. Sitting at the desk was a wizard with a dreadful hairstyle, wearing peacock-blue robes. He looked up at them as they approached, lowering his copy of the *Daily Prophet* from his eyes.
Mr. Weasley said, pointing to Harry, "I am accompanying a visitor."
The wizard said in a bored voice, "Step over here."
Harry walked forward toward him. In the wizard's hand was a long, thin, flexible golden rod, much like a car antenna, which he passed up and down the front and back of Harry's body.
To be continued ...