前言
Theyewhedgesmuffledthesoundofthemen’sfootsteps.Therewasarustlesomewheretotheirright:Yaxleydrewhiswａｎｄagainpointingitoverhiscompanion’shead，butthesourceofthenoiseprovedtobenothingmorethanapure-whitepeacock，struttingmajesticallyalongthetopofthehedge.
“Healwaysdidhimselfwell，Lucius.Peacocks…”Yaxleythrusthiswａｎｄbackunderhiscloakwithasnort.
Ahａｎｄsomemanorhousegrewoutofthedarknessattheendofthestraightdrive，lightsglintinginthediamondpaneddownstairswindows.Somewhereinthedarkgardenbeyondthehedgeafountainwasplaying.GravelcrackledbeneaththeirfeetasSnapeａｎｄYaxleyspedtowardthefrontdoor，whichswunginwardattheirapproach，houghnobodyhadvisiblyopenedit.
Thehallwaywaslarge，dimlylit，ａｎｄsumptuouslydecorated，withamagnificentcarpetcoveringmostofthestonefloor.Theeyesofthepale-facedportraitsonthewallfollowedSnapeａｎｄYaxleyastheystrodepast.Thetwomenhaltedataheavywoodendoorleadingintothenextroom，hesitatedforthespaceofaheartbeat，thenSnapeturnedthebronzehａｎｄle.
Thedrawingroomwasfullofsilentpeople，sittingatalongａｎｄornatetable.Theroom’susualfurniturehadbeenpushedcarelesslyupagainstthewalls.Illuminationcamefromaroaringfirebeneathahａｎｄsomemarblemantelpiecesurmountedbyagildedmirror.SnapeａｎｄYaxleylingeredforamomentonthethreshold.Astheireyesgrewaccustomedtothelackoflight，theyweredra
wnupwardtothestrangestfeatureofthescene:anapparentlyunconscioushumanfigurehangingupsidedownoverthetable，revolvingslowlyasifsuspendedbyaninvisiblerope，ａｎｄreflectedinthemirrorａｎｄinthebare，polishedsurfaceofthetablebelow.Noneofthepeopleseatedunderneaththissingularsightwerelookingatitexceptforapaleyoungmansittingalmostdirec
tlybelowit.Heseemedunabletopreventhimselffromglancingupwardeveryminuteorso.
“Yaxley.Snape，”saidahigh，clearvoicefromtheheadofthetable.“Youareverynearlylate.”
Thespeakerwasseateddirectlyinfrontofthefireplace，sothatitwasdifficult，atfirst，forthenewarrivalstomakeoutmorethanhissilhouette.Astheydrewnearer，however，hisfaceshonethroughthegloom，hairless，snakelike，withslitsfornostrilsａｎｄgleamingredeyeswhosepupilswerevertical.Hewassopalethatheseemedtoemitapearlyglow.
“Severus，here，”saidVoldemort，indicatingtheseatonhisimmediateright.“Yaxley–besideDolohov.”
Thetwomentooktheirallottedplaces.MostoftheeyesaroundthetablefollowedSnape，ａｎｄitwastohimthatVoldemortspokefirst.
“So?”
“MyLord，theOrderofthePhoenixintendstomoveHarryPotterfromhiscurrentplaceofsafetyonSaturdaynext，atnightfall.”
Theinterestaroundthetablesharpenedpalpably:Somestiffened，othersfidgeted，allgazingatSnapeａｎｄVoldemort.
“Saturday…atnightfall，”repeatedVoldemort.HisredeyesfasteneduponSnape’sblackoneswithsuchintensitythatsomeofthewatcherslookedaway，apparentlyfearfulthattheythemselveswouldbescorchedbytheferocityofthegaze.Snape，however，lookedcalmlybackintoVoldemort’sfaceａｎｄ，afteramomentortwo，Voldemort’sliplessmouthcurvedintosomethinglikeasmile.
“Good.Verygood.Andthisinformationcomes–“
“–fromthesourcewediscussed，”saidSnape.
“MyLord.”
YaxleyhadleanedforwardtolookdownthelongtableatVoldemortａｎｄSnape.Allfacesturnedtohim.
“MyLord，Ihavehearddifferently.”
Yaxleywaited，butVoldemortdidnotspeak，sohewenton，“Dawlish，theAuror，letslipthatPotterwillnotbemoveduntilthethirtieth，thenightbeforetheboyturnsseventeen.”
Snapewassmiling.
“Mysourcetoldmethatthereareplanstolayafalsetrail;thismustbeit.NodoubtaConfundusCharmhasbeenplaceduponDawlish.Itwouldnotbethefirsttime;heisknowntobesusceptible.”
“Iassureyou，myLord，Dawlishseemedquitecertain，”saidYaxley.
“IfhehasbeenConfunded，naturallyheiscertain，”saidSnape.“Iassureyou，Yaxley，theAurorOfficewillplaynofurtherpartintheprotectionofHarryPotter.TheOrderbelievesthatwehaveinfiltratedtheMinistry.”
“TheOrder’sgotonethingright，then，eh?”saidasquatmansittingashortdistancefromYaxley;hegaveawheezygigglethatwasechoedhereａｎｄtherealongthetable.
Voldemortdidnotlaugh.Hisgazehadwａｎｄeredupwardtothebodyrevolvingslowlyoverhead，ａｎｄheseemedtobelostinthought.
“MyLord，”Yaxleywenton，“DawlishbelievesanentirepartyofAurorswillbeusedtotransfertheboy–“
Voldemortheldupalargewhitehａｎｄ，ａｎｄYaxleysubsidedatonce，watchingresentfullyasVoldemortturnedbacktoSnape.
“Wherearetheygoingtohidetheboynext?”
“AtthehomeofoneoftheOrder，”saidSnape.“Theplace，accordingtothesource，hasbeengiveneveryprotectionthattheOrderａｎｄMinistrytogethercouldprovide.Ithinkthatthereislittlechanceoftakinghimonceheisthere，myLord，unless，ofcourse，theMinistryhasfallenbeforenextSaturday，whichmightgiveustheopportunitytodiscoverａｎｄundoenoughoftheenchantmentstobreakthroughtherest.”
“Well，Yaxley?”Voldemortcalleddownthetable，thefirelightglintingstrangelyinhisredeyes.“WilltheMinistryhavefallenbynextSaturday?”
Onceagain，allheadsturned.Yaxleysquaredhisshoulders.
“MyLord，Ihavegoodnewsonthatscore.Ihave–withdifficulty，ａｎｄaftergreateffort–succeededinplacinganImperiusCurseuponPiusThicknesse.”
ManyofthosesittingaroundYaxleylookedimpressed;hisneighbor，Dolohov，amanwithalong，twistedface，clappedhimontheback.
“Itisastart，”saidVoldemort.“ButThicknesseisonlyoneman.ScrimgeourmustbesurroundedbyourpeoplebeforeIact.OnefailedattemptontheMinister’slifewillsetmebackalongway.”
“Yes–myLord，thatistrue–butyouknow，asHeadoftheDepartmentofMagicalLawEnforcement，ThicknessehasregularcontactnotonlywiththeMinisterhimself，butalsowiththeHeadsofalltheotherMinistrydepartments.Itwill，Ithink，beeasynowthatwehavesuchahigh-rankingofficialunderourcontrol，tosubjugatetheothers，ａｎｄthentheycanallworktogethertobringScrimgeourdown.”
“AslongasourfriendThicknesseisnotdiscoveredbeforehehasconvertedtherest，”saidVoldemort.“Atanyrate，itremainsunlikelythattheMinistrywillbeminebeforenextSaturday.Ifwecannottouchtheboyathisdestination，thenitmustbedonewhilehetravels.”
“Weareatanadvantagethere，myLord，”saidYaxley，whoseemeddeterminedtoreceivesomeportionofapproval.“WenowhaveseveralpeopleplantedwithintheDepartmentofMagicalTransport.IfPotterApparatesorusestheFlooNetwork，weshallknowimmediately.”
“Hewillnotdoeither，”saidSnape.“TheOrderiseschewinganyformoftransportthatiscontrolledorregulatedbytheMinistry;theymistrusteverythingtodowiththeplace.”
“Allthebetter，”saidVoldemort.“Hewillhavetomoveintheopen.Easiertotake，byfar.”
Again，Voldemortlookedupattheslowlyrevolvingbodyashewenton，“Ishallattendtotheboyinperson.TherehavebeentoomanymistakeswhereHarryPotterisconcerned.Someofthemhavebeenmyown.ThatPotterlivesisduemoretomyerrorsthantohistriumphs.”
ThecompanyaroundthetablewatchedVoldemortapprehensively，eachofthem，byhisorherexpression，afraidthattheymightbeblamedforHarryPotter’scontinuedexistence.Voldemort，however，seemedtobespeakingmoretohimselfthantoanyofthem，stilladdressingtheunconsciousbodyabovehim.
“Ihavebeencareless，ａｎｄsohavebeenthwartedbyluckａｎｄchance，thosewreckersofallbutthebest-laidplans.ButIknowbetternow.IunderstａｎｄthosethingsthatIdidnotunderstａｎｄbefore.ImustbetheonetokillHarryPotter，ａｎｄIshallbe.”
Atthesewords，seeminglyinresponsetothem，asuddenwailsounded，aterrible，drawn-outcryofmiseryａｎｄpain.Manyofthoseatthetablelookeddownward，startled，forthesoundhadseemedtoissuefrombelowtheirfeet.
“Wormtail，”saidVoldemort，withnochangeinhisquiet，thoughtfultone，ａｎｄwithoutremovinghiseyesfromtherevolvingbodyabove，“haveInotspokentoyouaboutkeepingourprisonerquiet?”
“Yes，m-myLord，”gaspedasmallmanhalfwaydownthetable，whohadbeensittingsolowinhischairthatitappeared，atfirstglance，tobeunoccupied.Nowhescrambledfromhisseatａｎｄscurriedfromtheroom，leavingnothingbehindhimbutacuriousgleamofsilver.
“AsIwassaying，”continuedVoldemort，lookingagainatthetensefacesofhisfollowers，“Iunderstａｎｄbetternow.Ishallneed，forinstance，toborrowawａｎｄfromoneofyoubeforeIgotokillPotter.”
Thefacesaroundhimdisplayednothingbutshock;hemighthaveannouncedthathewantedtoborrowoneoftheirarms.
“Novolunteers?”saidVoldemort.“Let’ssee…Lucius，Iseenoreasonforyoutohaveawａｎｄanymore.”
LuciusMalfoylookedup.Hisskinappearedyellowishａｎｄwaxyinthefirelight，ａｎｄhiseyesweresunkenａｎｄshadowed.Whenhespoke，hisvoicewashoarse.
“MyLord?”
“Yourwａｎｄ，Lucius.Irequireyourwａｎｄ.”
“I…”
Malfoyglancedsidewaysathiswife.Shewasstaringstraightahead，quiteaspaleashewas，herlongblondehairhangingdownherback，butbeneaththetableherslimfingersclosedbrieflyonhiswrist.Athertouch，Malfoyputhishａｎｄintohisrobes，withdrewawａｎｄ，ａｎｄpasseditalongtoVoldemort，whohelditupinfrontofhisredeyes，examiningitclosely.
“Whatisit?”
“Elm，myLord，”whisperedMalfoy.
“Andthecore?”