LXXVIII ; infinity

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            ELARA REMAINED WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE BURROW'S GARDEN OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. she spent most of her days playing watching two-a-side quidditch games in the weasleys' orchard (harry and hermione against ron and ginny; hermione was dreadful and ginny good, so they were reasonably well matched) as elara still wasn't over her fear of heights. her evenings were spent eating triple helpings of everything mrs. weasley put in front of her and napping with harry.

            it would have been a happy, peaceful holiday had it not been for the stories of disappearances, odd accidents, even of deaths now appearing almost daily in the prophet. sometimes bill and mr. weasley brought home news before it even reached the paper. to mrs. weasley's displeasure, harry's sixteenth birthday celebrations were marred by grisly tidings brought to the party by remus lupin, who was looking gaunt and grim, his brown hair streaked liberally with gray, his clothes more ragged and patched than ever.

            "there have been another couple of dementor attacks," he announced, as mrs. weasley passed him a large slice of birthday cake. "and they've found igor karkaroff's body in a shack up north. the dark mark had been set over it — well, frankly, i'm surprised he stayed alive for even a year after deserting the death eaters; sirius's brother, regulus, only managed a few days as far as i can remember."

            "yes, well," said mrs. weasley, frowning, "perhaps we should talk about something diff —"

            "did you hear about florean fortescue, remus?" asked bill, who was being plied with wine by fleur. "the man who ran —"

            "— the ice-cream place in diagon alley?" harry interrupted, with an unpleasant, hollow tone in his voice. "he used to give me free ice creams. what's happened to him?"

            "dragged off, by the look of his place."

            "why?" asked ron, while mrs. weasley pointedly glared at bill. 

            "who knows? he must've upset them somehow. he was a good man, florean."

            "talking of diagon alley," said mr. weasley, "looks like ollivander's gone too."

            "the wandmaker?" said ginny, looking startled.

            "that's the one. shop's empty. no sign of a struggle. no one knows whether he left voluntarily or was kidnapped."

            "but wands — what'll people do for wands?"

            "they'll make do with other makers," said lupin. "but ollivander was the best, and if the other side have got him it's not so good for us."

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