Healer.Miriam.Strout,.who.was.in.charge.of.Mr.Bodes.ward.at.the.time.of.the.incident,
.has.been.suspended.on.full.pay.and.was.unavailable.for.comment.yesterday,.but.a.spokeswizard.for.the.hospital.said.in.a.statement:.
.St.Mungo.s.deeply.regrets.the.death.of.Mr.Bode,.whose.health.was.improving.steadily.prior.to.this.tragic.accident.
.We.have.strict.guidelines.on.the.decorations.permitted.on.our.wards.but.it.appears.that.Healer.Strout,.busy.over.the.Christmas.period,.overlooked.the.dangers.of.the.plant.on.Mr.Bode.s.bedside.table..As.his.speech.and.mobility.improved,.Healer.Strout.encouraged.Mr.Bode.to.look.after.the.plant.himself,.unaware.that.it.was.not.an.innocent.Flitterbloom,
.but.a.cutting.of.Devil.s.Snare.which,.when.touched.by.the.convalescent.Mr.Bode,
.throttled.him.instantly.
.St.Mungo.s.is.as.yet.unable.to.account.for.the.presence.of.the.plant.on.the.ward.and.asks.any.witch.or.wizard.with.information.to.come.frward..
.Bode…..said.Ron...Bode..It.rings.a.bell…..
.We.saw.him,..Hermione.whispered...In.St.Mungo.s,.remember?.He.was.in.the.bed.opposite.Lockhart.s,.just.lying.there,.staring.at.the.ceiling..And.we.saw.the.Devil.s.Snare.arrive..She.‐.the.Healer.‐.said.it.was.a.Christmas.present...
Harry.looked.back.at.the.story..A.feeling.of.horror.was.rising.like.bile.in.his.throat..
.How.come.we.didn.t.recognise.Devils.Snare?.We.ve.seen.it.before….we.could.ve.stopped.this.from.happening...
.Who.expects.Devils.Snare.to.turn.up.in.a.hospital.disguised.as.a.pot.plant?..said.Ron.sharply...It.s.not.our.fault,.whoever.sent.it.to.the.bloke.is.to.blame!.They.must.be.a.real.prat,.why.didn.t.they.check.what.they.were.buying?..
.Oh,.come.on,.Ron!..said.Hermione.shakily...I.don.t.think.anyone.could.put.Devils.Snare.in.a.pot.and.not.realise.it.tries.to.kill.whoever.touches.it?.This.‐.this.was.murder….a.clever.murder,.as.well….if.the.plant.was.sent.anonymously,
.how.s.anyone.ever.going.to.find.out.who.did.it?..
Harry.was.not.thinking.about.Devil.s.Snare..He.was.remembering.taking.the.lift.down.to.the.ninth.level.of.the.Ministry.on.the.day.of.his.hearing.and.the.sallow‐
faced.man.who.had.got.in.on.the..Atrium.level.....
.I.met.Bode,..he.said.slowly...I.saw.him.at.the.Ministry.with.your=.dad...:..
Rons.mouth.fell.open..
.I.ve.heard.Dad.talk.about.him.at.home!.He.was.an.Unspeakable.
‐.he.worked.in.the.Department.of.Mysteries!..
They.looked.at.each.other.for.a.moment,.then.Hermione.pulled.the.newspaper.back.towards.her,.closed.it,.glared.for.a.moment.at.the.pictures.of.the.ten.escaped.Death.Eaters.on.the.front,.then.leapt.to.her.feet..
.Where.are.you.going?..said.Ron,.startled..
To.send.a.letter,..said.Hermione,.swinging.her.bag.on.to.her.shoulder...It….well,.I.don.t.know.whether….but.it.s.worth.trying….and.I.m.the.only.one.who.can...
.I.hate.it.when.she.does.that,..grumbled.Ron,.as.he.and.Harry.got.up.from.the.table.and.made.their.own,.slower.way.out.of.the.Great.Hall...Would.it.kill.her.to.tell.us.what.she.s.up.to.for.once?.It.d.take.her.about.ten.more.seconds.‐.hey,