“Ron!” she said furiously.

“Ron!” she said furiously. “Don't you ever let me see you throwing knives again!”

“I won't,” said Ron, “let you see,” he added under his breath, as he turned back to the sprout mountain.

“Fred, George, I'm sorry, dears, but Remus is arriving tonight, so Bill will have to squeeze in with you two.”

“No problem,” said George.

“Then, as Charlie isn't coming home, that just leaves Harry and Ron in the attic, and if Fleur shares with Ginny—”

“—that'll make Ginny's Christmas—” muttered Fred.

“—everyone should be comfortable. Well, they'll have a bed, anyway,” said Mrs. Weasley, sounding slightly harassed.

“Percy definitely not showing his ugly face, then?” asked Fred.

Mrs. Weasley turned away before she answered.

“No, he's busy, I expect, at the Ministry.”

“Or he's the world's biggest prat,” said Fred, as Mrs. Weasley left the kitchen. “One of the two. Well, let's get going, then, George.”

“What are you two up to?” asked Ron. “Cant you help us with these sprouts? You could just use your wand and then we'll be free too!”

“No, I don't think we can do that,” said Fred seriously. “It's very character-building stuff, learning to peel sprouts without magic, makes you appreciate how

difficult it is for Muggles and Squibs—”

“—and if you want people to help you, Ron,” added George, throwing the paper airplane at him, “I wouldn't chuck knives at them. Just a little hint. We're off to the

village, there's a very pretty girl working in the paper shop who thinks my card tricks are something marvelous... almost like real magic...”

“Gits,” said Ron darkly, watching Fred and George setting off across the snowy yard. “Would've only taken them ten seconds and then we could've gone too.”

“I couldn't,” said Harry. “I promised Dumbledore I wouldn't wander off while I'm staying here.”

“Oh yeah,” said Ron. He peeled a few more sprouts and then said, “Are you going to tell Dumbledore what you heard Snape and Malfoy saying to each other?”

“Yep,” said Harry. “I'm going to tell anyone who can put a stop to it, and Dumbledore's top of the list. I might have another word with your dad, too.”

“Pity you didn't hear what Malfoy's actually doing, though.”

“I couldn't have done, could I? That was the whole point, he was refusing to tell Snape.”

There was silence for a moment or two, then Ron said, “Course, you know what they'll all say? Dad and Dumbledore and all of them? They'll say Snape isn't really trying

to help Malfoy, he was just trying to find out what Malfoy's up to.”

“They didn't hear him,” said Harry flatly. “No one's that good an actor, not even Snape.”

“Yeah... I'm just saying, though,” said Ron.

Harry turned to face him, frowning.

“You think I'm right, though?”

“Yeah, I do!” said Ron hastily. “Seriously, I do! But they're all convinced Snape's in the Order, aren't they?”

Harry said nothing. It had already occurred to him that this would be the most likely objection to his new evidence; he could hear Hermione now: