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and she'd have a job hiding； wouldn't she？〃
Dumbledore smiled at Harry behind Fudge's back； his eyes twinkling。
〃Yes； well；〃 said Fudge； looking embarrassed； 〃we're about to go for a short walk on the grounds； Harry； if you'll excuse us 。。。perhaps if you just go back to your class…〃
〃I wanted to talk to you。 Professor；〃 Harry said quickly； looking at Dumbledore； who gave him a swift； searching look。
〃Wait here for me； Harry；〃 he said。 〃Our examination of the grounds will not take long。〃
They trooped out in silence past him and closed the door。 After a minute or so； Harry heard the clunks of Moody's wooden leg growing fainter in the corridor below。 He looked around。
〃Hello； Fawkes；〃 he said。
Fawkes； Professor Dumbledore's phoenix； was standing on his golden perch beside the door。 The size of a swan； with magnificent scarlet…and…gold plumage； he swished his long tail and blinked benignly at Harry。
Harry sat down in a chair in front of Dumbledore's desk。 For several minutes； he sat and watched the old headmasters and headmistresses snoozing in their frames； thinking about what he had just heard； and running his fingers over his scar。 It had stopped hurting now。
He felt much calmer； somehow； now that he was in Dumbledore's office； knowing he would shortly be telling him about the dream。 Harry looked up at the walls behind the desk。 The patched and ragged Sorting Hat was standing on a shelf。 A glass case next to it held a magnificent silver sword with large rubies set into the hilt； which Harry recognized as the one he himself had pulled out of the Sorting Hat in his second year。 The sword had once belonged to Godric Gryffindor； founder of Harry's House。 He was gazing at it； remembering how it had e to his aid when he had thought all hope was lost； when he noticed a patch of silvery light； dancing and shimmering on the glass case。 He looked around for the source of the light and saw a sliver of silver…white shining brightly from within a black cabinet behind him； whose door had not been closed properly。 Harry hesitated； glanced at Fawkes； then got up； walked across the office； and pulled open the cabinet door。
A shallow stone basin lay there； with odd carvings around the edge： runes and symbols that Harry did not recognize。 The silvery light was ing from the basin's contents； which were like nothing Harry had ever seen before。 He could not tell whether the substance was liquid or gas。 It was a bright； whitish silver； and it was moving ceaselessly； the surface of it became ruffled like water beneath wind； and then； like clouds； separated and swirled smoothly。 It looked like light made liquid…or like wind made solid…Harry couldn't make up his mind。
He wanted to touch it； to find out what it felt like； but nearly four years' experience of the magical world told him that sticking his hand into a bowl full of some unknown substance was a very stupid thing to do。 He therefore pulled his wand out of the inside of his robes； cast a nervous look around the office； looked back at the contents of the basin； and prodded them。
The surface of the silvery stuff inside the basin began to swirl very fast。
Harry bent closer； his head right inside the cabinet。 The silvery substance had bee transparent； it looked like glass。 He looked down into it expecting to see the stone bottom of the basin…and saw instead an enormous room below the surface of the mysterious substance； a room into which he seemed to be looking through a circular window in the ceiling。
The room was dimly lit； he thought it might even be underground； for there were no windows； merely torches in brackets such as the ones that illuminated the walls of Hogwarts。 Lowering his face so that his nose was a mere inch away from the glassy substance； Harry saw that rows and rows of witches and wizards were seated around every wall on what seemed to be benches rising in levels。 An empty chair stood in the very center of the room。 There was something about the chair that gave Harry an ominous feeling。 Chains encircled the arms of it； as though its occupants were usually tied to it。
Where was this place？ It surely wasn't Hogwarts； he had never seen a room like that here in the castle。 Moreover； the crowd in the mysterious room at the bottom of the basin was prised of adults； and Harry knew there were not nearly that many teachers at Hogwarts。 They seemed； he thought； to be waiting for something； even though he could only see the tops of their hats； all of their faces seemed to be pointing in one direction； and none of them were talking to one another。
The basin being circular； and the room he was observing square； Harry could not make out what was going on in the corners of it。 He leaned even closer； tilting his head； trying to see。。。
The tip of his nose touched the strange substance into which he was staring。
Dumbledore's office gave an almighty lurch…Harry was thrown forward and pitched headfirst into the substance inside the basin…
But his head did not hit the stone bottom。 He was falling through something icy…cold and black； it was like being sucked into a dark whirlpool…
And suddenly； Harry found himself sitting on a bench at the end of the room inside the basin； a bench raised high above the others。 He looked up at the high stone ceiling； expecting to see the circular window through which he had just been staring； but there was nothing there but dark； solid stone。
Breathing hard and fast。 Harry looked around him。 Not one of the witches and wizards in the room （and there were at least two hundred of them） was looking at him。 Not one of them seemed to have noticed that a fourteen…year…old boy had just dropped from the ceiling into their midst。 Harry turned to the wizard next to him on the bench and uttered a loud cry of surprise that reverberated around the silent room。
He was sitting right next to Albus Dumbledore。
〃Professor！〃 Harry said in a kind of strangled whisper。 〃I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…I was just looking at that basin in your cabinet…I…where are we？〃
But Dumbledore didn't move or speak。 He ignored Harry pletely。 Like every other wizard on the benches； he was staring into the far corner of the room； where there was a door。
Harry gazed； nonplussed； at Dumbledore； then around at the silently watchful crowd； then back at Dumbledore。 And then it dawned on him。。。
Once before。 Harry had found himself somewhere that nobody could see or hear him。 That time； he had fallen through a page in an enchanted diary； right into somebody else's memory。。。 and unless he was very much mistaken； something of the sort had happened again。。。
Harry raised his right hand； hesitated； and then waved it energetically in from of Dumbledore's face。 Dumbledore did not blink； look around at Harry； or indeed move at all。 And that； in Harry's opinion； settled the matter。 Dumbledore wouldn't ignore him like that。 He was inside a memory； and this was not the present…day Dumbledore。 Yet it couldn't be that long ago。。。 the Dumbledore sitting next to him now was silver…haired； just like the present…day Dumbledore。 But what was this place？ What were all these wizards waiting for？
Harry looked around more carefully。 The room； as he had suspected when observing it from above； was almost certainly underground…more of a dungeon than a room； he thought。 There was a bleak and forbidding air about the place； there were no pictures on the walls； no decorations at all； just these serried rows of benches； rising in levels all around the room； all positioned so that they had a clear view of that chair with the chains on its arms。
Before Harry could reach any conclusions about the place in which they were； he heard footsteps。 The door in the corner of the dungeon opened and three people entered…or at least one man； flanked by two dementors。
Harry's insides went cold。 The dementors…tall； hooded creatures whose faces were concealed…were gliding slowly toward the chair in the center of the room； each grasping one of the man's arms with their dead and rotten…looking hands。 The man between them looked as though he was about to faint； and Harry couldn't blame him 。。。he knew the dementors could not touch him inside a memory； but