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uch worse cases than mine； and in the meantime I just have to keep taking a Blood…Replenishing Potion every hour。 But that fellow over there；' he said； dropping his voice and nodding towards the bed opposite in which a man lay looking green and sickly and staring at the ceiling。 'Bitten by a werewolf； poor chap。 No cure at all。'
'A werewolf？' whispered Mrs Weasley； looking alarmed。 'Is he safe in a public ward？ Shouldn't he be in a private room？'
'It's two weeks till full moon；' Mr Weasley reminded her quietly。 They've been talking to him this morning； the Healers； you know； trying to persuade him he'll be able to lead an almost normal life。 I said to him … didn't mention names； of course … but I said I knew a werewolf personally； very nice man； who finds the condition quite easy to manage。'
'What did he say？' asked George。
'Said he'd give me another bite if I didn't shut up；' said Mr Weasley sadly。 'And that woman over there；' he indicated the only other occupied bed； which was right beside the door； 'won't tell the Healers what bit her； which makes us all think it must have been something she was handling illegally。 Whatever it was took a real chunk out of her leg； very nasty smell when they take off the dressings。'
'So； you going to tell us what happened； Dad？' asked Fred； pulling his chair closer to the bed。
'Well； you already know； don't you？' said Mr Weasley； with a significant smile at Harry。 'It's very simple … I'd had a very long day； dozed off； got sneaked up on and bitten。'
'Is it in the Prophet； you being attacked？' asked Fred； indicating the newspaper Mr Weasley had cast aside。
'No； of course not；' said Mr Weasley； with a slightly bitter smile； 'the Ministry wouldn't want everyone to know a dirty great serpent got …'
'Arthur！' Mrs Weasley warned him。
'… got … er … me；' Mr Weasley said hastily； though Harry was quite sure that was not what he had meant to say。
'So where were you when it happened； Dad？' asked George。
That's my business；' said Mr Weasley； though with a small smile。 He snatched up the Daily Prophet； shook it open again and said； 'I was just reading about Willy Widdershins's arrest when you arrived。 You know Willy turned out to be behind those regurgitating toilets back in the summer？ One of his jinxes backfired； the toilet exploded and they found him lying unconscious in the wreckage covered from head to foot in …'
'When you say you were 〃on duty〃；' Fred interrupted in a low voice； 'what were you doing？'
'You heard your father；' whispered Mrs Weasley； 'we are not discussing this here！ Go on about Willy Widdershins； Arthur。'
'Well； don't ask me how； but he actually got off the toilet charge；' said Mr Weasley grimly。 'I can only suppose gold changed hands …'
'You were guarding it； weren't you？' said George quietly。 The weapon？ The thing You…Know…Who's after？'
'George； be quiet！' snapped Mrs Weasley。
'Anyway；' said Mr Weasley； in a raised voice； 'this time Willy's been caught selling biting doorknobs to Muggles and I don't think he'll be able to worm his way out of it because； according to this article； two Muggles have lost fingers and are now in St Mungo's for emergency bone re…growth and memory modification。 Just think of it； Muggles in St Mungo's！ I wonder which ward they're in？'
And he looked eagerly around as though hoping to see a signpost。
'Didn't you say You…Know…Who's got a snake； Harry？' asked Fred； looking at his father for a reaction。 'A massive one？ You saw it the night he returned； didn't you？'
That's enough；' said Mrs Weasley crossly。 'Mad…Eye and Tonks are outside； Arthur； they want to e and see you。 And you lot can wait outside；' she added to her children and Harry。 'You can e and say goodbye afterwards。 Go on。'
They trooped back into the corridor。 Mad…Eye and Tonks went in and closed the door of the ward behind them。 Fred raised his eyebrows。
'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：
A truly terrible thought then occurred to him； a memory bobbing to the surface of his mind； one that made his insides writ