分节阅读7

  , potg his wand at the dows, that the curtas swept across the ”right, well, i39 a by an, let39s t down lo bess first of all, we need to discs your security”
  the pri ister drew hiself up to his fullest height and replied, ”i a perfectly happy with the security i39ve already got, thank you very--”
  ”well, we39re not,” scriour cut ”it39ll be a poor lookout for the les if their pri ister ts put under the iperi curse the new secretary your outer office--”
  ”i39 not ttg rid of kgsley shacklebolt, if that39s what you39re estg!” said the pri ister hotly ”he39s highly efficient, ts through ice the work the rest of the--”
  ”that39s becae he39s a wizard,” said scriour, without a flicker of a sile ”a highly traed auror, who has been assigned to you for your protection”
  ”now, wait a ont!” decred the pri ister ”you can39t jt put your people to y office, i decide who works for --”
  ”i thought you were happy with shacklebolt?” said scriour ldly
  ”i a--that39s to say, i was--”
  ”then there39s no proble, is there?” said scriour
  ”i well, as long as shacklebolt39s work ntues to be er excellent,” said the pri ister ly, but scriour barely seed to hear hi
  ”now, about herbert chorley, your junior ister,” he ntued ”the one who has been entertag the public by ipernatg a duck”
  ”what about hi?” asked the pri ister
  ”he has clearly reacted to a poorly perford iperi curse,” said scriour ”it39s addled his
  as, but he uld still be danro”
  ”he39s only ackg!” said the pri ister weakly ”surely a bit of a rest aybe go easy on the drk”
  ”a tea of healers fro st ungo39s hospital for agical adies and juries are exag hi as we speak far he has attepted to strangle three of the,” said scriour ”i thk it best that we reove hi fro le ciety for a while”
  ”i well he39ll be all right, won39t he?” said the pri ister anxioly
  scriour rely ed, already ovg back toward the firepce
  ”well, that39s really all i had to say i will keep you posted of developnts, pri ister--or, at least, i shall probably be too by to e pernally, which case i shall send fud here he has nsented to stay on an adviry capacity”
  fud attepted to sile, but was essful he rely looked as though he had a toothache scriour was already ruagg his pocket for the ysterio powder that turned the fire green the pri ister gazed hopelessly at the pair of the for a ont, then the words he had fought to suppress all eveng burst fro hi at st
  ”but for heaven39s sake--you39re wizards! you can do agic! surely you can rt out--well--anythg!”
  scriour turned slowly on the spot and exchand an credulo look with fud, who really did ana a sile this ti as he said kdly, ”the trouble is, the other side can do agic too, pri ister”
  and with that, the o wizards stepped one after the other to the
  ight green fire and vanished
  chapter 2: spner39s end
  any iles away the chilly ist that had pressed agast the pri ister39s dows drifted over a dirty river that wound beeen overgrown, rubbish-strewn banks an inse chiney, relic of a dised ill, reared up, shadowy and oo there was no und apart fro the whisper of the bck water and no sign of life apart fro a scrawny fox that had snk down the bank to nose hopefully at old fish-and-chip wrappgs the tall grass
  but then, with a very fat pop, a sli, hooded figure appeared out of th air on the ed of the river the fox froze, wary eyes fixed upon this stran new phenonon the figure seed to take its beargs for a few onts, then set off with light, ick strides, its long cloak rtlg over the grass
  with a send and louder pop, another hooded figure aterialized
  ”wait!”
  the harsh cry startled the fox, now crouchg alost ft the undergrowth it leapt fro its hidg pce and up the bank there was a fsh of green light, a yelp, and the fox fell back to the ground, dead
  the send figure turned over the anial with its toe
  ”jt a fox,” said a woan39s voice disissively fro under the hood ”i thought perhaps an auror--cissy, wait!”
  but her arry, who had paed and loo