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J.K.Rîwling >> Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (page 80)“Exploding Snap, anyone?” said Fred, pulling out a pack of cards. They were halfway through their fifth game when Harry decided to ask them. “You going to tell us, then?” he said to George. “Who you were blackmailing?” “Oh,” said George darkly. “That.” “It doesn't matter,” said Fred, shaking his head impatiently. “It wasn't anything important. Not now, anyway.” “We've given up,” said George, shrugging. But Harry, Ron, and Hermione kept on asking, and finally, Fred said, “All right, all right, if you really want to know ...it was Ludo Bagman.” “Bagman?” said Harry sharply. “Are you saying he was involved in—” “Nah,” said George gloomily. “Nothing like that. Stupid git. He wouldn't have the brains.” “Well, what, then?” said Ron. Fred hesitated, then said, “You remember that bet we had with him at the Quidditch World Cup? About how Ireland would win, but Krum would get the Snitch?” “Yeah,” said Harry and Ron slowly. “Well, the git paid us in leprechaun gold he'd caught from the Irish mascots.” “So?” “So,” said Fred impatiently, “it vanished, didn't it? By next morning, it had gone!” “But—it must've been an accident, mustn't it?” said Hermione. George laughed very bitterly. “Yeah, that's what we thought, at first. We thought if we just wrote to him, and told him he'd made a mistake, he'd cough up. But nothing doing. Ignored our letter. We kept trying to talk to him about it at Hogwarts, but he was always making some excuse to get away from us.” “In the end, he turned pretty nasty,” said Fred. “Told us we were too young to gamble, and he wasn't giving us anything.” “So we asked for our money back,” said George glowering. “He didn't refuse!” gasped Hermione. “Right in one,” said Fred. “But that was all your savings!” said Ron. “Tell me about it,” said George. “'Course, we found out what was going on in the end. Lee Jordan's dad had had a bit of trouble getting money off Bagman as well. Turns out he's in big trouble with the goblins. Borrowed loads of gold off them. A gang of them cornered him in the woods after the World Cup and took all the gold he had, and it still wasn't enough to cover all his debts. They followed him all the way to Hogwarts to keep an eye on him. He's lost everything gambling. Hasn't got two Galleons to rub together. And you know how the idiot tried to pay the goblins back?” “How?” said Harry. “He put a bet on you, mate,” said Fred. “Put a big bet on you to win the tournament. Bet against the goblins.” “So that's why he kept trying to help me win!” said Harry. “Well—I did win, didn't I? So he can pay you your gold!” “Nope,” said George, shaking his head. “The goblins play as dirty as him. They say you drew with Diggory, and Bagman was betting you'd win outright. So Bagman had to run for it. He did run for it right after the third task.” George sighed deeply and started dealing out the cards again. The rest of the journey passed pleasantly enough; Harry wished it could have gone on all summer, in fact, and that he would never arrive at King's Cross... but as he had learned the hard way that year, time will not slow down when something unpleasant lies ahead, and all too soon, the Hogwarts Express was pulling in at platform nine and three-quarters. The usual confusion and noise filled the corridors as the students began to disembark. Ron and Hermione struggled out past Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, carrying their trunks. Harry, however, stayed put. “Fred—George—wait a moment.” The twins turned. Harry pulled open his trunk and drew out his Triwizard winnings. “Take it,” he said, and he thrust the sack into George's hands. “What?” said Fred, looking flabbergasted. “Take it,” Harry repeated firmly. “I don't want it.” “You're mental,” said George, trying to push it back at Harry. “No, I'm not,” said Harry. “You take it, and get inventing. It's for the joke shop.” “He is mental,” Fred said in an almost awed voice. “Listen,” said Harry firmly. “If you don't take it, I'm throwing it down the drain. I don't want it and I don't need it. But I could do with a few laughs. We could all do with a few laughs. I've got a feeling we're going to need them more than usual before long.” “Harry,” said George weakly, weighing the money bag in his hands, “there's got to be a thousand Galleons in here.” “Yeah,” said Harry, grinning. “Think how many Canary Creams that is.” The twins stared at him. “Just don't tell your mum where you got it... although she might not be so keen for you to join the Ministry anymore, come to think of it...” “Harry,” Fred began, but Harry pulled out his wand. “Look,” he said flatly, “take it, or I'll hex you. I know some good ones now. Just do me one favor, okay? Buy Ron some different dress robes and say they're from you.” He left the compartment before they could say another word, stepping over Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were still lying on the floor, covered in hex marks. Uncle Vernon was waiting beyond the barrier. Mrs. Weasley was close by him. She hugged Harry very tightly when she saw him and whispered in his ear, “I think Dumbledore will let you come to us later in the summer. Keep in touch, Harry.” “See you. Harry,” said Ron, clapping him on the back. “'Bye, Harry!” said Hermione, and she did something she had never done before, and kissed him on the cheek. “Harry—thanks,” George muttered, while Fred nodded fervently at his side. Harry winked at them, turned to Uncle Vernon, and followed him silently from the station. There was no point worrying yet, he told himself, as he got into the back of the Dursleys' car. As Hagrid had said, what would come, would come ...and he would have to meet it when it did. |
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