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To have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection for ever.

‘Harry, relax, Hermione’s right, the Stone’s safe as long as Dumbledore’s around. Anyway, we’ve never had any proof Snape found out how to get past Fluffy. He nearly had his leg ripped off once, he’s not going to try it again in a hurry. And Neville will play Quidditch for England before Hagrid lets Dumbledore down.’

It was a bit late to repair the damage, but Harry swore to himself not to meddle in things that weren’t his business from now on. He’d had it with sneaking around and spying.

‘Wonder what it’s like to have a peaceful life,’Ron sighed,

Harry told the other two about Snape’s sudden, sinister desire to be a Quidditch referee.
‘Don’t play,’ said Hermione at once.
‘Say you’re ill,’ said Ron.
‘Pretend to break your leg,’ Hermione suggested.
‘Really break your leg,’ said Ron.

It was true that Harry wasn’t going back to Privet Drive for Christmas. Professor McGonagall had come round the week before, making a list of students who would be staying for the holidays, and Harry had signed up at once. He didn’t feel sorry for himself at all; this would probably be the best Christmas he’d ever had.

Ron and Hermione joined Neville, Seamus and Dean the West Ham fan up in the top row. As a surprise for Harry, they had painted a large banner on one of the sheets Scabbers had ruined. It said Potter for President and Dean, who was good at drawing, had done a large Gryffindor lion underneath. Then Hermione had performed a tricky little charm so that the paint flashed different colours.

But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can’t share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.

Harry had never believed he would meet a boy he hated more than Dudley, but that was before he met Draco Malfoy.

At the start-of-term banquet, Harry had got the idea that Professor Snape disliked him. By the end of the first Potions lesson, he knew he’d been wrong. Snape didn’t dislike Harry – he hated him.

Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand, and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest. ‘Ah, music,’ he said, wiping his eyes. ‘A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!’

Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it’s no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I’ve got Bill’s old robes, Charlie’s old wand and Percy’s old rat.’

‘It was a dream,’ he told himself firmly. ‘I dreamed a giant called Hagrid came to tell me I was going to a school for wizards. When I open my eyes I’ll be at home in my cupboard.’ There was suddenly a loud tapping noise. ‘And there’s Aunt Petunia knocking on the door,’ Harry thought, his heart sinking. But he still didn’t open his eyes. It had been such a good dream.

Hagrid grunted. ‘I’d like ter see a great Muggle like you stop him,’ he said.
‘A what?’ said Harry, interested.
‘A Muggle,’ said Hagrid. ‘It’s what we call non-magic folk like them. An’ it’s your bad luck you grew up in a family o’ the biggest Muggles I ever laid eyes on.’

Monday. This reminded Harry of something. If it was Monday – and you could usually count on Dudley to know the days of the week, because of television – then tomorrow, Tuesday, was Harry’s eleventh birthday. Of course, his birthdays were never exactly fun – last year, the Dursleys had given him a coat-hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon’s old socks. Still, you weren’t eleven every day.

Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel – Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.

‘But you’re different. Everyone knows you’re the only one You-Know – oh, all right, Voldemort – was frightened of.’
‘You flatter me,’ said Dumbledore calmly. ‘Voldemort had powers I will never have.’
‘Only because you’re too – well – noble to use them.’

ذهبوا إلى امتحان مادة الوصفات بعد الظهر الذي كان كارثة تامة، فرغم كل محاولات هاري، لم ينجح في جعل وصفة الإرباك الخاصة به تصل للتخثر والسماكة المطلوبة، ووقف سنايب يراقبه باستمتاع حاقد، ثم خطّ شيئًا مثيرًا للريبة يشبه الصفر في دفتر ملاحظاته قبل أن يبتعد.

وشعر هاري باحمرار وجهه. ألم يكن الأمر سيئًا بما يكفي بأن يفقد وعيه، أو مهما كان ما حدث معه، دون أن يصنع الجميع كل هذا الضجيج القلق. وقال: «أنا بخير، ولا أحتاج إلى أي شيء». واقتربت مدام بومفري متجاهلة ما قاله، وقالت وهي تنحني لتحدق إليه عن قرب: «أوه، إنه أنت. افترض أنك كنت تقوم بشيء خطير مجددًا؟».

لا تدع العامة يهزمونك!