.Fine,..he.said.coolly,.rummaging.in.his.pockets,..be.like.that..Don.t.tell.us.anything...
.Looking.for.these?..said.George,.holding.out.what.looked.like.a.tangle.of.flesh‐
coloured.string..
.You.read.my.mind,..said.Fred,.grinning...Let.s.see.if.St.Mungo.s.puts.Imperturbable.Charms.on.its.ward.doors,.shall.we?..
He.and.George.disentangled.the.string.and.separated.five.Extendable.Ears.from.each.other..Fred.and.George.handed.them.around..Harry.hesitated.to.take.one..
.Go.on,.Harry,.take.it!.You.saved.Dad.s.life..If.anyone.s.got.the.right.to.eavesdrop.on.him,.it.s.you...
Grinning.in.spite.of.himself,.Harry.took.the.end.of.the.string.and.inserted.it.into.his.ear.as.the.twins.had.done..
.OK,.go!..Fred.whispered..
The.flesh‐coloured.strings.wriggled.like.long.skinny.worms.and.snaked.under.the.door..At.first,.Harry.could.hear.nothing,.then.he.jumped.as.he.heard.Tonks.whispering.as.clearly.as.though.she.were.standing.right.beside.him..
.….they.searched.the.whole.area.but.couldn.t.find.the.snake.anywhere..It.just.seems.to.have.vanished.after.it.attacked.you,.Arthur….but.You‐Know‐Who.can.t.have.expected.a.snake.to.get.in,.can.he?..
.I.reckon.he.sent.it.as.a.lookout,..growled.Moody,..cause.he.s.not.had.any.luck.so.far,.has.he?.No,.I.reckon.he.s.trying.to.get.a.clearer.picture.of.what.he.s.facing.
and.if.Arthur.hadn.t.been.there.the.beast.would.ve.had.a.lot.more.time.to.look.around..So,.Potter.says.he.saw.it.all.happen?..
.Yes,..said.Mrs.Weasley..She.sounded.rather.uneasy...You.know,.Dumbledore.seems.almost.to.have.been.waiting.for.Harry.to.see.something.like.this...
.Yeah,.well,..said.Moody,..there.s.something.funny.about.the.Potter.kid,.we.all.know.that...
.Dumbledore.seemed.worried.about.Harry.when.I.spoke.to.him.this.morning,.
.whispered.Mrs.Weasley..
.Course.he.s.worried,..growled.Moody...The.boy.s.seeing.things.from.inside.You‐
Know‐Who.s.snake..Obviously,.Potter.doesn.t.realise.what.that.means,.but.if.You‐Know‐Who.s.possessing.him.—..
Harry.pulled.the.Extendable.Ear.out.of.his.own,.his.heart.hammering.very.fast.and.heat.rushing.up.his.face..He.looked.around.at.the.others..They.were.all.staring.at.him,.the.strings.still.trailing.from.their.ears,.looking.suddenly.fearful..
—.CHAPTER.TWENTY‐THREE.—.
Christmas.on.the.Closed.Ward
Was.this.why.Dumbledore.would.no.longer.meet.Harry.s.eyes?.Did.he.expect.to.see.Voldemort.staring.out.of.them,.afraid,.perhaps,.that.their.vivid.green.might.turn.suddenly.to.scarlet,.with.catlike.slits.for.pupils?.Harry.remembered.how.the.snakelike.face.of.Voldemort.had.once.forced.itself.out.of.the.back.of.Professor.Quirrell.s.head.and.ran.his.hand.over.the.back.of.his.own,.wondering.what.it.would.feel.like.if.Voldemort.burst.out.of.his.skull..
He.felt.dirty,.contaminated,.as.though.he.were.carrying.some.deadly.germ,
.unworthy.to.sit.on.the.Underground.train.back.from.the.hospital.with.innocent,
.clean.people.whose.minds.and.bodies.were.free.of.the.taint.of.Voldemort….he.had.not.merely.seen.the.snake,.he.had.been.the.snake,.he.knew.it.now….