Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
“No,” said Harry at once, “he can stay with Hagrid. I think Buckbeak
would prefer that.”
“Hagrid will be delighted,” said Dumbledore, smiling. “He was thrilled
to see Buckbeak again. Incidentally, we have decided, in the interests of
Buckbeak’s safety, to rechristen him ‘Witherwings’ for the time being,
though I doubt that the Ministry would ever guess he is the hippogriff they
once sentenced to death. Now, Harry, is your trunk packed?”
“Erm...”
“Doubtful that I would turn up?” Dumbledore suggested shrewdly.
“I’ll just go and — er — finish off,” said Harry hastily, hurrying to pick
up his fallen telescope and trainers.
It took him a little over ten minutes to track down everything he needed;
at last he had managed to extract his Invisibility Cloak from under the bed,
screwed the top back on his jar of color-change ink, and forced the lid of his
trunk shut on his cauldron. Then, heaving his trunk in one hand and holding
Hedwig’s cage in the other, he made his way back downstairs.
He was disappointed to discover that Dumbledore was not waiting in the
hall, which meant that he had to return to the living room.
Nobody was talking. Dumbledore was humming quietly, apparently quite
at his ease, but the atmosphere was thicker than cold custard, and Harry did
not dare look at the Dursleys as he said, “Professor — I’m ready now.”
“Good,” said Dumbledore. “Just one last thing, then.” And he turned to
speak to the Dursleys once more.
“As you will no doubt be aware, Harry comes of age in a year’s time—”
“No,” said Aunt Petunia, speaking for the first time since Dumbledore’s
arrival.
“I’m sorry?” said Dumbledore politely.
“No, he doesn’t. He’s a month younger than Dudley, and Dudders doesn’t
turn eighteen until the year after next.”
“Ah,” said Dumbledore pleasantly, “but in the Wizarding world, we come
of age at seventeen.”
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