"J .K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rowling J. K)

but we can't find the giant тАФ it's been a disaster."
"You don't say!" said the Prime Minister furiously.
"I won't deny that morale is pretty low at the Ministry," said Fudge. "What with
all that, and then losing Amelia Bones."
"Losing who?"
"Amelia Bones. Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. We think
He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named may have murdered her in person, because she
was a very gifted witch and тАФ and all the evidence was that she put up a real
fight."
Fudge cleared his throat and, with an effort, it seemed, stopped spinning his
bowler hat.
"But that murder was in the newspapers," said the Prime Minister, momentarily
diverted from his anger. "Our newspapers. Amelia Bones... it just said she was
a middle-aged woman who lived alone. It was a тАФ a nasty killing, wasn't it? It's
had rather a lot of publicity. The police are baffled, you see."
Fudge sighed. "Well, of course they are," he said. "Killed in a room that was

9
locked from the inside, wasn't she? We, on the other hand, know exactly who
did it, not that that gets us any further toward catching him. And then there
was Emmeline Vance, maybe you didn't hear about that one тАФ "
"Oh yes I did!" said the Prime Minister. "It happened just around the corner
from here, as a matter of fact. The papers had a field day with it, 'breakdown of
law and order in the Prime Minister's backyard тАФ '"
"And as if all that wasn't enough," said Fudge, barely listening to the Prime Min-
ister, "we've got dementors swarming all over the place, attacking people left,
right, and center..."
Once upon a happier time this sentence would have been unintelligible to the
Prime Minister, but he was wiser now.
"I thought dementors guard the prisoners in Azkaban," he said cautiously.
"They did," said Fudge wearily. "But not anymore. They've deserted the prison
and joined He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. I won't pretend that wasn't a blow."
"But," said the Prime Minister, with a sense of dawning horror, "didn't you tell
me they're the creatures that drain hope and happiness out of people?"
"That's right. And they're breeding. That's what's causing all this mist."
The Prime Minister sank, weak-kneed, into the nearest chair. The idea of invisi-
ble creatures swooping through the towns and countryside, spreading despair
and hopelessness in his voters, made him feel quite faint.
"Now see here, Fudge тАФ you've got to do something! It's your responsibility as
Minister of Magic!"
"My dear Prime Minister, you can't honestly think I'm still Minister of Magic after
all this? I was sacked three days ago! The whole Wizarding community has
been screaming for my resignation for a fortnight. I've never known them so
united in my whole term of office!" said Fudge, with a brave attempt at a smile.
The Prime Minister was momentarily lost for words. Despite his indignation at
the position into which he had been placed, he still rather felt for the shrunken-
looking man sitting opposite him.
"I'm very sorry," he said finally. "If there's anything I can do?"
"It's very kind of you, Prime Minister, but there is nothing. I was sent here to-
night to bring you up to date on recent events and to introduce you to my suc-