‘Well, they didn't tell us much we couldn't have guessed, did they?’

‘Well, they didn't tell us much we couldn't have guessed, did they?’ he said, thinking of all that had been said downstairs. ‘I mean, all they've really said is that the Order's trying to stop people joining Vol—’

There was a sharp intake of breath from Ron.

—demort,’ said Harry firmly. ‘When are you going to start using his name? Sirius and Lupin do.’

Ron ignored this last comment.

‘Yeah, you're right,’ he said, ‘we already knew nearly everything they told us, from using the Extendable Ears. The only new bit was—’

Crack.

‘OUCH!’

‘Keep your voice down, Ron, or Mum'll be back up here.’

‘You two just Apparated on my knees!’

‘Yeah, well, it's harder in the dark—’

Harry saw the blurred outlines of Fred and George leaping down from Ron's bed. There was a groan of bedsprings and Harry's mattress descended a few inches as George sat down near his feet.

‘So, got there yet?’ said George eagerly.

‘The weapon Sirius mentioned?’ said Harry.

‘Let slip, more like,’ said Fred with relish, now sitting next to Ron. ‘We didn't hear about that on the old Extendables, did we?’

‘What d'you reckon it is?’ said Harry.

‘Could be anything,’ said Fred.

‘But there can't be anything worse than the Avada Kedavra curse, can there?’ said Ron. ‘What's worse than death?’

‘Maybe it's something that can kill loads of people at once,’ suggested George.

‘Maybe it's some particularly painful way of killing people,’ said Ron learfully.

‘He's got the Cruciatus Curse for causing pain,’ said Harry, ‘he doesn't need anything more efficient than that.’

There was a pause and Harry knew that the others, like him, were wondering what horrors this weapon could perpetrate.

‘So who d'you think's got it now?’ asked George.

‘I hope it's our side,’ said Ron, sounding slightly nervous.

‘If it is, Dumbledore's probably keeping it,’ said Fred.

‘Where?’ said Ron quickly. ‘Hogwarts?’

‘Bet it is!’ said George. That's where he hid the Philosopher's Stone.’

‘A weapon's going to be a lot bigger than the Stone, though!’ said Ron.

‘Not necessarily,’ said Fred.

‘Yeah, size is no guarantee of power,’ said George. ‘Look at Ginny.’

‘What d'you mean?’ said Harry.