Draco Malfoy and the Deathly Hallows (BOOK 7 of 7)

Chapter 7-Dumbledore's Will

The morning of the wedding, the Golden Trio had a visitor from the Ministry: the new Minister of Magic. Hermione, Harry, and Ron gathered in a row on a couch with Rufus Scrimgeour on a chair across from them. Hermione was quite irritated that the Ministry distrusted Dumbledore and the trio so much that they withheld the items stated in his will for a thirty-one day inspection!

"'To Ronald Bilius Weasley,'" Scrimgeour began to read, "'I leave my Deluminator, in the hope that he will remember me when he uses it.' That is a rather valuable object, uniquely of Dumbledore's own design. Why would he have left you an item so rare? Dumbledore must have taught thousands of students, yet the only ones he remembered in his will are you three. Why is that? To what use did he think you would put the Deluminator, Mr Weasley?"

"You don't think..." Hermione trailed off. She looked at the others. "You don't think Dumbledore meant him to..."

"Meant him to what, Miss Granger?"

"To turn off some lights?"

Although Harry and Ron snorted, Scrimgeour was not amused. He reluctantly handed the device to Ron and waited for him to try it out.

Click.

All the lights in the room had been captured in the small box. With another click, they returned to their sources.

"That's bloody brilliant," Ron remarked.

Scrimgeour gave him a blank look before turning back to the will.

"'To Miss Hermione Jean Granger, I leave my copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, in the hope that she will find it entertaining and instructive.' Why do you think Dumbledore left you that book, Miss Granger?"

"Perhaps because I like books?"

"But why this particular book? Did you ever discuss codes or methods for passing hidden messages with Dumbledore?"

Were he not Rufus Scrimgeour, Hermione might have had trouble believing he was serious.

"Of course," Hermione said nonchalantly. "When he set up Dumbledore's Army to take over the Ministry, he occasionally taught us some secret codes he devised so we could carry on his plans after he was gone."

Scrimgeour's eyes went wide for a second before he realized Hermione was just making things difficult. He handed her the book.

"She's only joking," Harry assured him. He turned to her with a confused look. What could possibly have brought about this immense sarcasm?

The Minister shook his head and read on, "'To Harry James Potter, I leave the Snitch he caught in his first successful Quidditch match at Hogwarts, as a reminder of the rewards of perseverance and skill.' I noticed that your birthday cake is in the shape of a snitch. Why is that?"

Before Harry could respond, Hermione replied, "Oh, it can't be a reference to the fact Harry's a great Seeker, that's way too obvious. There must be a secret message from Dumbledore hidden in the icing! What great magic, to be able to leave a message in a cake a month after dying!"

"Miss Granger, I am simply doing my job."

"Not really," Harry told him. "As far as I'm concerned, the Ministry's supposed to be stopping a certain dark wizard instead of making baseless speculations. His name's Voldemort, by the way, if you haven't heard yet." The name made Scrimgeour flinch.

"Here, take it, then." Scrimgeour gave Harry the Snitch and waited as Harry wrapped his fingers around the golden ball. Nothing happened.

"Ahem, very well. Finally, Dumbledore has left you all the Sword of Gryffindor. According to reliable historical sources, the sword may present itself to any worthy. That does not make it the exclusive property of any one of you. Why did he promise to you an object that was not his to give?"