Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

12

Chapter 12—Magic Is Might

Summary

Grimmauld Place continues to get visitors who seem fascinated by the lack of number 12 on the street, continuing to stare between numbers 11 and 13. The citizens around find it odd on occassion, but largely don’t notice. August passes by without incident. On the first of September, there are quite a few people there, waiting and watching. They seem to perceive something exciting before going back to their usual disappointment. Harry appears inside Grimmauld Place—he has just Apparated to the front step and lost his balance, giving the Death Eaters a look at his elbow. He has a copy of the Daily Prophet, and takes it to the kitchen, a place that is now beautifully scrubbed and cared for by Kreacher. The house-elf advises Harry to takes off his shoes and wash up before dinner. Harry shows Ron and Hermione the front page of the newspaper, which confirms that Snape has been made Headmaster of Hogwarts. the article also reveals that Alecto Carrow will take up a position as Muggle Studies teacher, while her brother takes on DADA. Hermione leaves the room in a rage, while Ron insists that the other professors won’t stand for it. Harry figures they’ll stay to try and protect the students.

Ron points out the large number of Death Eaters in front of the house, thinking how absurd it is that they seem to expect the trio to leave the with their trunks packed for school. The Hogwarts Express already left six hours ago. Hermione comes back with a painting, which she proceeds to shove into her bag—Phineas’s portrait, which she notes that Snape could use to spy on the house. Harry watched the front of the Ministry for seven hours, but did not spot Umbridge, though he saw Ron’s dad. Ron insists that Umbridge probably doesn’t use the entrance, but the Floo Network, since she’s too important to just walk in. Hermione makes mention of certain wizards in navy blue robes, and Ron tells her that they’re Magical Maintenance, because they always wear those colors. Hermione tells Ron off for not letting her know that earlier, since they need every detail possible if they’re ever going to break in. Harry suggests that they do it tomorrow, shocking Ron and Hermione. He insists that they’re not going to be much better prepared than they are now, and they shouldn’t risk that locket getting farther away. They’ve done their due reconnaissance, and they have a plan. Ron wants just he and Harry to go, to which Hermione insists that Ron shouldn’t go either and that it’s really most dangerous for Harry to go. Harry makes a joke about staying behind, then feels pain in his scar.

He ducks to the bathroom and has another vision, Voldemort approaching a house, still searching for Gregorovitch. The woman in the house tells him that he doesn’t live there, and he kills her. Harry comes back to himself while Hermione pounds on the bathroom door. He lets she and Ron in, and they inform him that he was yelling. Harry explains what he saw and Hermione once again scolds Harry for not trying to shut the connection. He tells her that he’s lousy at Occlumency and thinks perhaps that it’s better to know what Voldemort is up to. Hermione wonders aloud if Harry likes having that connection, which Harry shuts down right quick. He tells her that he wants to know why Voldemort is after Gregorovitch and tells them both what he knows about the man, that perhaps Voldemort is seeking him out to find out why Harry’s wand did what it did. Hermione insists that Harry is the one who acted, but Harry is sure she’s wrong and that Voldemort clearly thinks so too. Ron tells Hermione to drop the subject, suggesting that they go over tomorrow’s plan. They get it down, and Harry barely sleeps that night.

Hermione has all the necessary items at hand (including many Weasley products), and after breakfast they Apparate to an alley near the Ministry. They wait under the Invisibility Cloak until a gray-haired witch appears, and Hermione quickly stuns her. They tuck the witch—Mafalda Hopkirk, assistant at the Improper Use of Magic Office—into a dark passage that leads to a theater’s backstage area, and Hermione takes some of her hairs for Polyjuice Potion, transforming into her. A Magical Maintenance worker appears, and Hermione foists a bag of sweets on him, even though he insists that he doesn’t feel well. As soon as he tries a pastille, he proceeds to vomit. Hermione plucks a few of his hairs and insists he can’t go into work. The man seems determined, but eventually is forced to concede and Disapparates. Hermione points out that it would have been less messy to stun him too, but Ron is adamant that too many unconscious people would seem fishy. He transforms in the maintenance worker. He notes that it’s strange that guy wasn’t wearing his blue robes, seeing how keen he was to get to work. Hermione tells Harry to wait while they get his hairs, and they reappear ten minutes later. They don’t know who they got the hair from, but he went home with a horrible nosebleed.