CHAPTER 6
They entered the kitchen to find Mr Weasley, Mundungus, and Kingsley Shakklebolt sitting at the kitchen table. "Ah, hello there Harry, do sit down." Said Mr Weasley. Harry did so, looking over at the two men sitting either side of Mr Weasley. "This," said Mr Weasley, following Harry's gaze, is Kingsley-"
"Yeah I know." Said Harry. Both other men were members of the Order of the Phoenix. Mundungus now had his head resting on his hand looking very bored.
"Now, we just wanted to ask you if you had any, well any peculiar experiences over the summer." Said Mr Weasley.
"Er... Harry began. What do you mean?"
Kingsley sat up suddenly, "Arthur, you don't mean to tell me he doesn't know?"
"Well, I think Molly's right in not telling him," Said Arthur he only turned sixteen a few weeks..."
"Oh, that's quite old enough. True, he's not a member of the Order, but he is Harry Potter you know, well Harry," Kingsley said turning to Harry, "Let me explain. For the past fifteen years, Dumbledore's known a certain piece of information."
"What's the information?" Said Harry eagerly.
"Please, Harry, let me finish!" Said Kingsley staring across at Mr Weasley who was watching the pair of them, then to Mundungus, who had his head on the table and was snoring loudly.
"Sorry," said Harry, "carry on."
"Anyway," Kingsley continued, "no-one but Dumbledore knew what this piece of information was. He couldn't tell anyone because if he did so, he wouldn't remember what it was and the person he told it to would have this piece of information stored safely in his head. Now, nobody except one person in the entire wizarding world holds this information. For the last fifteen years the ministry were very sure they knew who it was who had it. But last week, Dumbledore told someone. Of course, Dumbledore can't remember who it was or what the information was. All we hope is that it was someone on our side. You see, we cannot let Lord Voldermort get hold of this information. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I think so," said Harry. "So who had the information before Dumbledore?"
"Ah, I'm glad you asked." Said Kingsley smiling, "You-know-who himself did. But once he let it slip to Dumbledore, he at once forgot. So only the person who holds this information can defeat him. They will, of course, need to pass it on to Dumbledore for it to work though."
"Could anyone have it?" Asked Harry stunned, "Would they know if it was them?"
"You know," said Kingsley looking thoughtful, "I'm not sure, I've never held the information myself, you'd want to talk to Dumbledore."
"Anyway," said Mr Weasley loudly, "I think Harry's heard enough, if Molly knew..."
"Yes, you're probably right Arthur." Said Kingsley with a sigh. "Well Harry, the ministry have been filtering through the people who could possibly hold this information. And, well have you ever heard anything, anything important?"
"Er, I'm not sure." Said Harry, "I don't think..." At that moment however, Mrs Weasley came into the kitchen
"Oh, Hello, Kingsley, Mundungus," Mundungus let out a great snore and turned over. Harry had known Mrs Weasley to be less fond of Mundungus, than she was off her pesky garden gnomes. "Ah, Molly," Said Mr Weasley getting to his feet. "We were just, just having a chat with Harry here,"
Mrs Weasley fixed him with an icy stare. "Arthur," she said, "I told you not to go telling Harry things that..."
"Well we needed to find out if he held the information." Grinned Kingsley.
"Oh!" Said Mrs Weasley looking very taken aback, "oh, I'm very sure it wouldn't be Harry, who would've told him, he's been at those... his aunt and uncles." She said smiling at Harry.
"Yes, you're right, Molly," said Arthur. "Kingsley, this really was a waste of time. You and Mundungus had better be off.
"Oh, alright." Said Kingsley unwillingly. "Come on Dung." He prodded Mundungus who opened a weary eye and mumbled something about a Heliopath attack.
The days flashed past and before they knew it, it was the day before their return to Hogwarts. "Do you know who'll be the new Defence against the Dark arts teacher?" Asked Ginny at breakfast as she munched her way through a second piece of toast.
"No," said Ron, "It's not been in the papers. Maybe Dumbledore couldn't get anyone."
"Oh, he will have done." Said Harry as he poured himself a glass of orange juice.
"Mind you," said Ron, "The job is jinxed."
"You don't know that." Said Ginny indignantly. "It could just be a coincidence." Ron snorted but Ginny continued, "Well, Professor Quirrell only left because of all that, you-know-who business and Lockhart because he was a fake, Lupin, Ron was now having a fit of laughter, Harry was also grinning, Ginny glared at them. "Lupin because he was a werewolf, Mad eye Moody because he was taking polyjuice potion and Umbridge- Ron!" Ron was now rocking on his chair he was laughing so much.
"Come on Ginny!" He said, still laughing, "It's not just a coincidence."
"Yes it is!" Argued Ginny looking very angry and going red in the face.
"No-" Said Ron but he was stopped in mid sentence, Ginny had pulled out her wand and yelled "IMPEDIMENTA!" Ron froze and fell off his chair. Ginny gasped. "Oops." She said putting her wand quickly away. Harry hurried over to where Ron was lying motionless on the floor. Ginny dashed across as well. "Oh Harry!" She moaned. "Put him right!"
"I..." Said Harry, "I'm not sure how. That was an amazing curse Ginny!" He said. "You got him right-"
"Is he ok?" Asked Ginny sounding nervous. "Will he go back to normal by himself?"
"I think he's ok," Said Harry. Ron was still lying on the floor eyes glazed. "Let's go check in a spell book." So Harry and Ginny raced upstairs to Ron's room where Harry pulled out his trunk and took several books from it. He was in the process of scanning the index when they heard a scream from downstairs.
"Oh no!" Said Ginny and she and Harry hurried back to down the old, unstable stairs, Harry still clutching the books. They entered the kitchen to find Mrs Weasley standing chalk white next to Ron.
"What happened?" She asked Harry and Ginny as they entered the kitchen.
"I..." Said Ginny, but Harry finding the right spell pulled out his wand, yelled the counter one and watched Ron immediately recover and sit up looking puzzled.
"What?" Said Ron seeing that they were all staring at him. His lip was bleeding and a bruise was beginning to appear above his eye.
Mrs Weasley recovered first from the shock. "Ginny what were you thinking of?" She said crossly still examining Ron looking worried. "You must learn to keep your temper under control. And Harry, now you're both in trouble, you used magic outside school." Harry and Ginny looked at each other.
"Oops." Said Ginny, "I forgot about that."
They entered the kitchen to find Mr Weasley, Mundungus, and Kingsley Shakklebolt sitting at the kitchen table. "Ah, hello there Harry, do sit down." Said Mr Weasley. Harry did so, looking over at the two men sitting either side of Mr Weasley. "This," said Mr Weasley, following Harry's gaze, is Kingsley-"
"Yeah I know." Said Harry. Both other men were members of the Order of the Phoenix. Mundungus now had his head resting on his hand looking very bored.
"Now, we just wanted to ask you if you had any, well any peculiar experiences over the summer." Said Mr Weasley.
"Er... Harry began. What do you mean?"
Kingsley sat up suddenly, "Arthur, you don't mean to tell me he doesn't know?"
"Well, I think Molly's right in not telling him," Said Arthur he only turned sixteen a few weeks..."
"Oh, that's quite old enough. True, he's not a member of the Order, but he is Harry Potter you know, well Harry," Kingsley said turning to Harry, "Let me explain. For the past fifteen years, Dumbledore's known a certain piece of information."
"What's the information?" Said Harry eagerly.
"Please, Harry, let me finish!" Said Kingsley staring across at Mr Weasley who was watching the pair of them, then to Mundungus, who had his head on the table and was snoring loudly.
"Sorry," said Harry, "carry on."
"Anyway," Kingsley continued, "no-one but Dumbledore knew what this piece of information was. He couldn't tell anyone because if he did so, he wouldn't remember what it was and the person he told it to would have this piece of information stored safely in his head. Now, nobody except one person in the entire wizarding world holds this information. For the last fifteen years the ministry were very sure they knew who it was who had it. But last week, Dumbledore told someone. Of course, Dumbledore can't remember who it was or what the information was. All we hope is that it was someone on our side. You see, we cannot let Lord Voldermort get hold of this information. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I think so," said Harry. "So who had the information before Dumbledore?"
"Ah, I'm glad you asked." Said Kingsley smiling, "You-know-who himself did. But once he let it slip to Dumbledore, he at once forgot. So only the person who holds this information can defeat him. They will, of course, need to pass it on to Dumbledore for it to work though."
"Could anyone have it?" Asked Harry stunned, "Would they know if it was them?"
"You know," said Kingsley looking thoughtful, "I'm not sure, I've never held the information myself, you'd want to talk to Dumbledore."
"Anyway," said Mr Weasley loudly, "I think Harry's heard enough, if Molly knew..."
"Yes, you're probably right Arthur." Said Kingsley with a sigh. "Well Harry, the ministry have been filtering through the people who could possibly hold this information. And, well have you ever heard anything, anything important?"
"Er, I'm not sure." Said Harry, "I don't think..." At that moment however, Mrs Weasley came into the kitchen
"Oh, Hello, Kingsley, Mundungus," Mundungus let out a great snore and turned over. Harry had known Mrs Weasley to be less fond of Mundungus, than she was off her pesky garden gnomes. "Ah, Molly," Said Mr Weasley getting to his feet. "We were just, just having a chat with Harry here,"
Mrs Weasley fixed him with an icy stare. "Arthur," she said, "I told you not to go telling Harry things that..."
"Well we needed to find out if he held the information." Grinned Kingsley.
"Oh!" Said Mrs Weasley looking very taken aback, "oh, I'm very sure it wouldn't be Harry, who would've told him, he's been at those... his aunt and uncles." She said smiling at Harry.
"Yes, you're right, Molly," said Arthur. "Kingsley, this really was a waste of time. You and Mundungus had better be off.
"Oh, alright." Said Kingsley unwillingly. "Come on Dung." He prodded Mundungus who opened a weary eye and mumbled something about a Heliopath attack.
The days flashed past and before they knew it, it was the day before their return to Hogwarts. "Do you know who'll be the new Defence against the Dark arts teacher?" Asked Ginny at breakfast as she munched her way through a second piece of toast.
"No," said Ron, "It's not been in the papers. Maybe Dumbledore couldn't get anyone."
"Oh, he will have done." Said Harry as he poured himself a glass of orange juice.
"Mind you," said Ron, "The job is jinxed."
"You don't know that." Said Ginny indignantly. "It could just be a coincidence." Ron snorted but Ginny continued, "Well, Professor Quirrell only left because of all that, you-know-who business and Lockhart because he was a fake, Lupin, Ron was now having a fit of laughter, Harry was also grinning, Ginny glared at them. "Lupin because he was a werewolf, Mad eye Moody because he was taking polyjuice potion and Umbridge- Ron!" Ron was now rocking on his chair he was laughing so much.
"Come on Ginny!" He said, still laughing, "It's not just a coincidence."
"Yes it is!" Argued Ginny looking very angry and going red in the face.
"No-" Said Ron but he was stopped in mid sentence, Ginny had pulled out her wand and yelled "IMPEDIMENTA!" Ron froze and fell off his chair. Ginny gasped. "Oops." She said putting her wand quickly away. Harry hurried over to where Ron was lying motionless on the floor. Ginny dashed across as well. "Oh Harry!" She moaned. "Put him right!"
"I..." Said Harry, "I'm not sure how. That was an amazing curse Ginny!" He said. "You got him right-"
"Is he ok?" Asked Ginny sounding nervous. "Will he go back to normal by himself?"
"I think he's ok," Said Harry. Ron was still lying on the floor eyes glazed. "Let's go check in a spell book." So Harry and Ginny raced upstairs to Ron's room where Harry pulled out his trunk and took several books from it. He was in the process of scanning the index when they heard a scream from downstairs.
"Oh no!" Said Ginny and she and Harry hurried back to down the old, unstable stairs, Harry still clutching the books. They entered the kitchen to find Mrs Weasley standing chalk white next to Ron.
"What happened?" She asked Harry and Ginny as they entered the kitchen.
"I..." Said Ginny, but Harry finding the right spell pulled out his wand, yelled the counter one and watched Ron immediately recover and sit up looking puzzled.
"What?" Said Ron seeing that they were all staring at him. His lip was bleeding and a bruise was beginning to appear above his eye.
Mrs Weasley recovered first from the shock. "Ginny what were you thinking of?" She said crossly still examining Ron looking worried. "You must learn to keep your temper under control. And Harry, now you're both in trouble, you used magic outside school." Harry and Ginny looked at each other.
"Oops." Said Ginny, "I forgot about that."