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〃Dress robes！〃 repeated Mrs。 Weasley。 〃It says on your school list that you're supposed to have dress robes this year。。。 robes for formal occasions。〃
〃You've got to be kidding；〃 said Ron in disbelief。 〃I'm not wearing that； no way。〃
〃Everyone wears them； Ron！〃 said Mrs。 Weasley crossly。 〃They're all like that！ Your father's got some for smart parties！〃
〃I'll go starkers before I put that on；〃 said Ron stubbornly。
〃Don't be so silly；〃 said Mrs。 Weasley。 〃You've got to have dress robes； they're on your list！ I got some for Harry too。。。 show him； Harry。。。〃
In some trepidation； Harry opened the last parcel on his camp bed。 It wasn't as bad as he had expected； however； his dress robes didn't have any lace on them at all…in fact； they were more or less the same as his school ones； except that they were bottle green instead of black。
〃I thought they'd bring out the color of your eyes； dear；〃 said Mrs。 Weasley fondly。
〃Well； they're okay！〃 said Ron angrily； looking at Harry's robes。 〃Why couldn't I have some like that？〃
〃Because。。。 well； I had to get yours secondhand； and there wasn't a lot of choice！〃 said Mrs。 Weasley； flushing。
Harry looked away。 He would willingly have split all the money in his Gringotts vault with the Weasleys； but he knew they would never take it。
〃I'm never wearing them；〃 Ron was saying stubbornly。 〃Never。〃
〃Fine；〃 snapped Mrs。 Weasley。 〃Go naked。 And； Harry； make sure you get a picture of him。 Goodness knows I could do with a laugh。〃
She left the room； slamming the door behind her。 There was a funny spluttering noise from behind them。 Pigwidgeon was choking on an overlarge Owl Treat。
〃Why is everything I own rubbish？〃 said Ron furiously； striding across the room to unstick Pigwidgeon's beak。
CHAPTER ELEVEN
ABOARD THE HOGWART EXPRESS
There was a definite end…of…the…holidays gloom in the air when Harry awoke next morning。 Heavy rain was still splattering against the window as he got dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt； they would change into their school robes on the Hogwarts Express。
He； Ron； Fred； and George had just reached the first…floor landing on their way down to breakfast； when Mrs。 Weasley appeared at the foot of the stairs； looking harassed。
〃Arthur！〃 she called up the staircase。 〃Arthur！ Urgent message from the Ministry！〃
Harry flattened himself against the wall as Mr。 Weasley came clattering past with his robes on back…to…front and hurtled out of sight。 When Harry and the others entered the kitchen； they saw Mrs。 Weasley rummaging anxiously in the drawers…〃I've got a quill here somewhere！〃…and Mr。 Weasley bending over the fire； talking to…
Harry shut his eyes hard and opened them again to make sure that they were working properly。
Amos Diggory's head was sitting in the middle of the flames like a large； bearded egg。 It was talking very fast； pletely unperturbed by the sparks flying around it and the flames licking its ears。
〃。。。 Muggle neighbors heard bangs and shouting； so they went and called those what…d'you…call…'ems…please…men。 Arthur； you've got to get over there…〃
〃Here！〃 said Mrs。 Weasley breathlessly； pushing a piece of parchment； a bottle of ink； and a crumpled quill into Mr。 Weasley's hands。
〃it's a real stroke of luck I heard about it；〃 said Mr。 Diggory's head。 〃I had to e into the office early to send a couple of owls； and I found the Improper Use of Magic lot all setting off…if Rita Skeeter gets hold of this one； Arthur…〃
〃What does Mad…Eye say happened？〃 asked Mr。 Weasley； unscrewing the ink bottle； loading up his quill； and preparing to take notes。
Mr。 Diggory's head rolled its eyes。 〃Says he heard an intruder in his yard。 Says he was creeping toward the house； but was ambushed by his dustbins。〃
〃What did the dustbins do？〃 asked Mr。 Weasley； scribbling frantically。
〃Made one hell of a noise and fired rubbish everywhere； as far as I can tell；〃 said Mr。 Diggory。 〃Apparently one of them was still rocketing around when the please…men turned up…〃
Mr。 Weasley groaned。
〃And what about the intruder？〃
〃Arthur； you know Mad…Eye；〃 said Mr。 Diggory's head； rolling its eyes again。 〃Someone creeping into his yard in the dead of night？ More likely there's a very shell…shocked cat wandering around somewhere； covered in potato peelings。 But if the Improper Use of Magic lot get their hands on Mad…Eye； he's had it…think of his record…we've got to get him off on a minor charge； something in your department…what are exploding dustbins worth？〃
〃Might be a caution；〃 said Mr。 Weasley； still writing very fast； his brow furrowed。 〃Mad…Eye didn't use his wand？ He didn't actually attack anyone？〃
〃I'll bet he leapt out of bed and started jinxing everything he could reach through the window；〃 said Mr。 Diggory； 〃but they'll have a job proving it； there aren't any casualties。〃
〃All right； I'm off；〃 Mr。 Weasley said； and he stuffed the parchment with his notes on it into his pocket and dashed out of the kitchen again。
Mr。 Diggory's head looked around at Mrs。 Weasley。
〃Sorry about this； Molly；〃 it said； more calmly； 〃bothering you so early and everything。。。 but Arthur's the only one who can get Mad…Eye off； and Mad…Eye's supposed to be starting his new job today。 Why he had to choose last night。。〃
〃Never mind； Amos；〃 said Mrs。 Weasley。 〃Sure you won't have a bit of toast or anything before you go？〃
〃Oh go on； then；〃 said Mr。 Diggory。
Mrs。 Weasley took a piece of buttered toast from a stack on the kitchen table； put it into the fire tongs； and transferred it into Mr。 Diggory's mouth。
〃Fanks；〃 he said in a muffled voice； and then； with a small pop； vanished。
Harry could hear Mr。 Weasley calling hurried good…byes to Bill； Charlie； Percy； and the girls。 Within five minutes； he was back in the kitchen； his robes on the right way now； dragging a b through his hair。
〃I'd better hurry…you have a good term； boys； said Mr。 Weasley to Harry； Ron； and the twins； fastening a cloak over his shoulders and preparing to Disapparate。 〃Molly； are you going to be all right taking the kids to King's Cross？〃
〃Of course I will；〃 she said。 〃You just look after Mad…Eye； we'll be fine。〃
As Mr。 Weasley vanished； Bill and Charlie entered the kitchen。
〃Did someone say Mad…Eye？〃 Bill asked。 〃What's he been up to now。〃
〃He says someone tried to break into his house last night；〃 said Mrs。 Weasley。
〃Mad…Eye Moody？〃 said George thoughtfully； spreading marmalade on his toast。 〃Isn't he that nutter…〃
〃Your father thinks very highly of Mad…Eye Moody；〃 said Mrs。 Weasley sternly。
〃Yeah； well； Dad collects plugs； doesn't he？〃 said Fred quietly as Mrs。 Weasley left the room。 〃Birds of a feather。。。〃
〃Moody was a great wizard in his time；〃 said Bill。
〃He's an old friend of Dumbledore's； isn't he？〃 said Charlie。
〃Dumbledore's not what you'd call normal； though； is he？〃 said Fred。 〃I mean； I know he's a genius and everything。。。〃
〃Who is Mad…Eye？〃 asked Harry。
〃He's retired； used to work at the Ministry；〃 said Charlie。 〃I met him once when Dad took me into work with him。 He was an Auror…one of the best。。。 a Dark wizard catcher；〃 he added