Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

11

Chapter 11—The Bribe

Summary

Kreacher does not return with Mundungus as quickly as Harry anticipates, and he begins to get restless and nervous. Two cloaked men appear outside the house, standing watch, clearly Death Eaters. Hermione says they can’t know that they’re in there, or they would have sent Snape in after them. The three of them start getting restless, and a quarrel breaks out between Ron and Hermione as he keeps unconsciously using the Deluminator while she’s trying to read The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Harry leaves the room to get away from them, and on his way down to the kitchen notes that someone is at the front door. They get through the jinxes on the door, but Harry trains his wand on the intruder, shouting, which starts Mrs. Black’s portrait up again. Ron and Hermione rush downstairs and they find that it’s Lupin; Harry won’t let him in until he’s proved to be himself, which Lupin praises.

He tells them that he Apparated onto the top step at the door to prevent the Death Eaters from spotting him, not wanting to tip them off—Death Eaters are staking out every location with any relation to Harry in hopes of catching him. They head down to the kitchen and Lupin asks them if they came here right after the wedding. Harry explains what happens and Lupin is disturbed by the Death Eaters’ ability to find him after the Trace had been cut off. Harry asks what happened after the wedding, and Lupin explains that most people were able to Disapparate in time due to Kingsley’s warning. It was a mixture of Death Eaters and Ministry worker who showed up, but he points out that they’re basically the same thing now. Word has it that they tortured Scrimgeour for Harry’s location, but he clearly didn’t give him up, as the wedding raiders didn’t know Harry was there. They found Ron’s ghoul but stayed away from it, then interrogated anyone who was left at the wedding for hours. Only the Order knew Harry had been there at all, so no one gave him away. While they worked at the Burrow, more Death Eaters invaded every Order-connected house. Everyone survived, but Dedalus Diggle’s house was burned down and they used the Cruciatus Curse on Tonks’s family. Lupin tells them that the Death Eaters now have the ability to operate without impunity, with the might of the Ministry to back them up.

Hermione asks if they’re even bothering to give an excuse as to why they’re torturing people for information on Harry. Lupin produces a paper with Harry’s picture, making it clear that they’re suggesting that Harry killed Dumbledore. They have control over the Daily Prophet and the official word is that Scrimgeour retired, putting Pius Thicknesse in charge and leaving Voldemort free to work however he sees fit. Many have guessed that Voldemort has taken over due to the sudden change in Ministry policies, but no one knows who to trust, so no one is speaking out about it. The Ministry has also created a Muggle-born Register, suggesting that Muggle-borns could have only obtained magical abilities by “theft or force,” and inviting them to the Ministry for questioning. Ron can’t believe that people would allow this to happen, but Lupin points out that it’s already underway. Ron suggests that he could school Hermione on his family tree and claim that she’s his cousin—but Hermione points out that as they’re currently on the run with Harry Potter, it can’t matter much. Attendance for young witches and wizards at Hogwarts is now required, and another way of weeding out Muggle-borns.

Lupin asks Harry if Dumbledore did indeed leave him a mission and if he can confide what it is—Harry affirms the former, but can’t chance the latter. Lupin still offers his protection, even if they can’t tell him what they’re up to. Harry considers, but Hermione asks about Tonks. Lupin insists that she’s safe and will be with her parents. His tone is oddly cold, and Harry can’t figure out why Tonks wouldn’t be doing work for the Order. When Hermione gingerly tries to ask if anything wrong, Lupin admits that Tonks is pregnant. While the trio try to congratulate them, Lupin presses on in asking if he can accompany them. When he indicates that James would have wanted him with Harry, Harry disagrees, thinking that his father would want to know why Remus was abandoning his child. Lupin tells him that he made a mistake marrying Tonks. Harry calls him on it all the same, prompting an angry outburst from Lupin who insists that he’s made his wife an outcast, that her family doesn’t approve their marriage, that his child will be like him and would be better off without a father it would be ashamed of. Hermione insists that no child would be ashamed of Lupin, but Harry disagrees. He accuses Remus of stepping into Siruis’s shoes, feeling like a daredevil, being a coward. Lupin is furious, drawing his wand on Harry and knocking him back into the wall before storming out.