really has gone, Dumbledore?"
"It certainly seems so," saidDumbledore. "We have much to be thankful
for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"
"A what?"
"A lemon drop. They‘re a kind ofMuggle sweet I’m rather fond of"
"No, thank you," said ProfessorMcGonagall coldly, as though she didn‘t
think this was the moment for lemon drops."As I say, even if
You-Know-Who has gone -"
"My dear Professor, surely a sensibleperson like yourself can call him
by his name? All this ’You- Know-Who‘nonsense -- for eleven years I
have been trying to persuade people to callhim by his proper name:
Voldemort." Professor McGonagallflinched, but Dumbledore, who was
unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not tonotice. "It all gets so
confusing if we keep saying ’You-Know-Who.‘I have never seen any reason
to be frightened of saying Voldemort’sname.
"I know you haven ‘t, said ProfessorMcGonagall, sounding half
exasperated, half admiring. "Butyou’re different. Everyone knows you‘re
the only one You-Know- oh, all right,Voldemort, was frightened of."
"You flatter me," said Dumbledorecalmly. "Voldemort had powers I will
never have."
"Only because you’re too -- well --noble to use them."
"It‘s lucky it’s dark. I haven‘t blushedso much since Madam Pomfrey
told me she liked my new earmuffs."
Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look atDumbledore and said, "The owls
are nothing next to the rumors that areflying around. You know what
everyone’s saying? About why he‘sdisappeared? About what finally
stopped him?"
It seemed that Professor McGonagall hadreached the point she was most
anxious to discuss, the real reason she hadbeen waiting on a cold, hard
wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as awoman had she fixed
Dumbledore with such a piercing stare asshe did now. It was plain that
whatever "everyone" was saying,she was not going to believe it until
Dumbledore told her it was true.Dumbledore, however, was choosing
another lemon drop and did not answer.
8