was.called.The.Quibbler..She.did.not.seem.to.need.to.blink.as.much.as.normal.humans..She.stared.and.stared.at.Harry,.who.had.taken.the.seat.opposite.her.and.now.wished.he.hadn.t..
.Had.a.good.summer,.Luna?..Ginny.asked..
.Yes,..said.Luna.dreamily,.without.taking.her.eyes.off.Harry...Yes,.it.was.quite.enjoyable,.you.know..You.re.Harry.Potter,..she.added..
.1.know.I.am,..said.Harry..
Neville.chuckled..Luna.turned.her.pale.eyes.on.him.instead..
.And.I.don.t.know.who.you.are...
.I.m.nobody,..said.Neville.hurriedly..
.No.you.re.not,..said.Ginny.sharply...Neville.Longbottom.‐.Luna.Love.good.
.Luna.s.in.my.year,.but.in.Ravenclaw...
.Wit.beyond.measure.is.man.s.greatest.treasure,..said.Luna.in.a.singsong.voice..
She.raised.her.upside‐down.magazine.high.enough.to.hide.her.face.and.fell.silent..Harry.and.Neville.looked.at.each.other.with.their.eyebrows.raised..Ginny.suppressed.a.giggle..
The.train.rattled.onwards,.speeding.them.out.into.open.country..It.was.an.odd,
.unsettled.sort.of.day;.one.moment.the.carriage.was.full.of.sunlight.and.the.next.they.were.passing.beneath.ominously.grey.clouds..
.Guess.what.I.got.for.my.birthday?..said.Neville..
.Another.Remembrall?..said.Harry,.remembering.the.marble‐like.device.Neville.s.grandmother.had.sent.him.in.an.effort.to.improve.his.abysmal.memory..
.No,..said.Neville...I.could.do.with.one,.though,.1.lost.the.old.one.ages.ago….no,
.look.at.this…..
He.dug.the.hand.that.was.not.keeping.a.firm.grip.on.Trevor.into.his.schoolbag.and.after.a.little.bit.of.rummaging.pulled.out.wht.appeared.to.be.a.small.grey.
cactus.in.a.pot,.except.that.it.was.covered.with.what.looked.like.boils.rather.than.spines..
.Mimbulus.mimbletonia,..he.said.proudly..
Harry.stared.at.the.thing..It.was.pulsating.slightly,.giving.it.the.rather.sinister.look.of.some.diseased.internal.organ..
.It.s.really,.really.rare,..said.Neville,.beaming...I.don.t.know.it.there.s.one.in.the.greenhouse.at.Hogwarts,.even..1.can.t.wait.to.show.it.to.Professor.Sprout..My.Great.Uncle.Algie.got.it.for.me.in.Assyria..I.m.going.to.see.if.I.can.breed.from.it...
Harry.knew.that.Neville.s.favourite.subject.was.Herbology.but.for.the.life.of.him.he.could.not.see.what.he.would.want.with.this.stunted.little.plant..
.Does.it.‐.er.‐.do.anything?..he.asked..
.Loads.of.stuff!..said.Neville.proudly...It.s.got.an.amazing.defensive.mechanism.
.Here,.hold.Trevor.for.me…..
He.dumped.the.toad.into.Harry.s.lap.and.took.a.quill.from.his.schoolbag..Luna.Lovegood.s.popping.eyes.appeared.over.the.top.of.her.upside‐down.magazine.again,.to.watch.what.Neville.was.doing..Neville.held.the.Mimbulus.mimbletonia.up.to.his.eyes,.his.tongue.between.his.teeth,.chose.his.spot,.and.gave.the.plant.a.sharp.prod.with.the.tip.of.his.quill..
Liquid.squirted.from.every.boil.on.the.plant;.thick,.stinking,.dark.green.jets.of.it.
.They.hit.the.ceiling,.the.windows,.and.spattered.Luna.Lovegood.s.magazine;
.Ginny,.who.had.flung.her.arms.up.in.front.of.her.face.just.in.time,.merely.looked.as.though.she.was.wearing.a.slimy.green.hat,.but.Harry,.whose.hands.had.been.busy.preventing.Trevor.s.escape,.received.a.faceful..It.smelled.like.rancid.manure..