.it.s.for.other.people.s,.only.it.s.not.working,.they.can.t.have.someone.on.me.all.the.time.at.Hogwarts….I.did.attack.Mr.Weasley.last.night,.it.was.me..Voldemort.made.me.do.it.and.he.could.be.inside.me,.listening.to.my.thoughts.right.now.‐.
.Are.you.all.right,.Harry,.dear?..whispered.Mrs.Weasley.leaning.across.Ginny.to.speak.to.him.as.the.train.rattled.along.through.its.dark.tunnel...You.don.t.look.very.well..Are.you.feeling.sick?..
They.were.all.watching.him..He.shook.his.head.violently.and.stared.up.at.an.advertisement.for.home.insurance..
.Harry,.dear,.are.you.sure.you.re.all.right?..said.Mrs.Weasley.in.a.worried.voice,
.as.they.walked.around.the.unkempt.patch.of.grass.in.the.middle.of.Grimmauld.Place...You.look.ever.so.pale….are.you.sure.you.slept.this.morning?.You.go.upstairs.to.bed.right.now.and.you.can.have.a.couple.of.hours.of.sleep.before.dinner,.all.right?..
He.nodded;.here.was.a.ready‐made.excuse.not.to.talk.to.any.of.the.others,.which.was.precisely.what.he.wanted,.so.when.she.opened.the.front.door.he.hurried.straight.past.the.troll.s‐leg.umbrella.stand,.up.the.stairs.and.into.his.and.Ron.s.bedroom..
Here,.he.began.to.pace.up.and.down,.past.the.two.beds.and.Phineas.Nigellus.s.empty.picture.frame,.his.brain.teeming.and.seething.with.questions.and.ever.more.dreadful.ideas..
How.had.he.become.a.snake?.Perhaps.he.was.an.Animagus….no,.he.couldn.t.be,
.he.would.know….perhaps.Voldemort.was.an.Animagus….yes,.thought.Harry,
.that.would.fit,.he.would.turn.into.a.snake.of.course….and.when.he.s.possessing.me,.then.we.both.transform….that.still.doesn.t.explain.how.I.got.to.London.and.back.to.my.bed.in.the.space.of.about.five.minutes….but.then.Voldemort.s.about.the.most.powerful.wizard.in.the.world,.apart.from.Dumbledore,.it.s.probably.no.problem.at.all.to.him.to.transport.people.like.that..
And.then,.with.a.terrible.stab.of.panic,.he.thought,.but.this.is.insane.‐.if.Voldemort.s.possessing.me,.I.m.giving.him.a.dear.view.into.the.Headquarters.of.the.Order.of.the.Phoenix.right.now!.He.ll.know.who.s.in.the.Order.and.where.Sirius.is…
.and.I.ve.heard.loads.of.stuff.I.shouldn.t.have,.everything.Sirius.told.me.the.first.night.I.was.here….
There.was.only.one.thing.for.it:.he.would.have.to.leave.Grimmauld.Place.straightaway..He.would.spend.Christmas.at.
Hogwarts.without.the.others,.which.would.keep.them.safe.over.the.holidays.at.least….but.no,.that.wouldn.t.do,.there.were.still.plenty.of.people.at.Hogwarts.to.maim.and.injure..What.if.it.was.Seamus,.Dean.or.Neville.next.time?.He.stopped.his.pacing.and.stood.staring.at.Phineas.Nigellus.s.empty.frame..A.leaden.sensation.was.settling.in.the.pit.of.his.stomach..He.had.no.alternative:.he.was.going.to.have.to.return.to.Privet.Drive,.cut.himself.off.from.other.wizards.entirely..
Well,.if.he.had.to.do.it,.he.thought,.there.was.no.point.hanging.around..Trying.with.all.his.might.not.to.think.how.the.Dursleys.were.going.to.react.when.they.found.him.on.their.doorstep.six.months.erlier.than.they.had.expected,.he.strode.over.to.his.trunk,.slammed.the.lid.shut.and.locked.it,.then.glanced.around.automatically.for.Hedwig.before.remembering.that.she.was.still.at.Hogwarts.‐