.Again?..said.Mrs.Longbottom,.sounding.slightly.weary...Very.well,.Alice.dear,
.very.well.‐.Neville,.take.it,.whatever.it.is...
But.Neville.had.already.stretched.out.his.hand,.into.which.his.mother.dropped.an.empty.Drooble.s.Best.Blowing.Gum.wrapper..
.Very.nice,.dear,..said.Neville.s.grandmother.in.a.falsely.cheery.voice,.patting.his.mother.on.the.shoulder..
But.Neville.said.quietly,.Thanks,.Mum...
His.mother.tottered.away,.back.up.the.ward,.humming.to.herself..Neville.looked.around.at.the.others,.his.expression.defiant,.as.though.daring.them.to.laugh,.but.Harry.did.not.think.he.d.ever.found.anything.less.funny.in.his.life..
.Well,.we.d.better.get.back,..sighed.Mrs.Longbottom,.drawing.on.long.green.gloves...Very.nice.to.have.met.you.all..Neville,.put.that.wrapper.in.the.bin,.she.must.have.given.you.enough.of.them.to.paper.your.bedroom.by.now...
But.as.they.left,.Harry.was.sure.he.saw.Neville.slip.the.sweet.wrapper.into.his.pocket..
The.door.closed.behind.them..
.I.never.knew,..said.Hermione,.who.looked.tearful..
.Nor.did.I,..said.Ron.rather.hoarsely..
.Nor.me,..whispered.Ginny..
They.all.looked.at.Harry..
.I.did,..he.said.glumly...Dumbledore.told.me.but.I.promised.I.wouldn.t.tell.anyone….that.s.what.Bellatrix.Lestrange.got.sent.to.Azkaban.for,.using.the.Cruciatus.Curse.on.Neville.s.parents.until.they.lost.their.minds...
.Bellatrix.Lestrange.did.that?..whispered.Hermione,.horrified..That.woman.Kreacher.s.got.a.photo.of.in.his.den?..
There.was.a.long.silence,.broken.by.Lockharts.angry.voice..
.Look,.I.didn.t.learn.joined‐up.writing.for.nothing,.you.know!..
—.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….
A.truly.terrible.thought.then.occurred.to.him,.a.memory.bobbing.to.the.surface.of.his.mind,.one.that.made.his.insides.writhe.and.squirm.like.serpents..
What.s.he.after,.apart.from.followers?
Stuff.he.can.only.get.by.stealth….like.a.weapon..Something.he.didn.t.have.last.time.
I.m.the.weapon,.Harry.thought,.and.it.was.as.though.poison.were.pumping.through.his.veins,.chilling.him,.bringing.him.out.in.a.sweat.as.he.swayed.with.the.train.through.the.dark.tunnel..I.m.the.one.Voldemorts.trying.to.use,.that.s.why.they.ve.got.guards.around.me.everywhere.I.go,.it.s.not.for.my.protection,