'And this is Kingsley Shacklebolt.' He indicated the tall black wizard, who bowed. 'Elphias Doge.' The wheezy-voiced wizard nodded. 'Dedalus Diggle -'
'We've met before,' squeaked the excitable Diggle, dropping his violet-coloured top hat.
'Emmeline Vance.' A stately-looking witch in an emerald green shawl inclined her head. 'Sturgis Podmore.' A square-jawed wizard with thick straw-coloured hair winked. 'And Hestia Jones.' A pink-cheeked, black-haired witch waved from next to the toaster.
Harry inclined his head awkwardly at each of them as they were introduced. He wished they would look at something other than him; it was as though he had suddenly been ushered on-stage. He also wondered why so many of them were there.
'A surprising number of people volunteered to come and get you,' said Lupin, as though he had read Harry's mind; the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
'Yeah, well, the more the better,' said Moody darkly. 'We're your guard, Potter.'
Harry was now so chilled he thought longingly of the snug, dry interiors
of the cars streaming along below, then, even more longingly, of travelling
by Floo powder; it might be uncomfortable to spin around in fireplaces but
it was at least warm in the flames… Kingsley Shacklebolt swooped around
him, bald pate and earring gleaming slightly in the moonlight… now
Emmeline Vance was on his right, her wand out, her head turning left and
right… then she, too, swooped over him, to be replaced by Sturgis Podmore…
Harrys stomach, already uncomfortable, clenched as he looked at Alice Longbottom;
he knew her round, friendly face very well, even though he had never met
her, because she was the image of her son, Neville.
'- poor devils,' growled Moody. 'Better dead than what happened to them… and that's Emmeline Vance, you've met her, and that there's Lupin, obviously… Benjy Fenwick, he copped it too, we only ever found bits of him… shift aside there,' he added, poking the picture, and the little photographic people edged sideways, so that those who were partially obscured could move to the front.