Christmas on the Closed Ward (OP)
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Christmas on the Closed Ward is the twenty-third chapter of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Contents |
Conclusions
Harry wonders whether Dumbledore does not wish to meet his gaze because he is afraid to see Voldemort's scarlet eyes behind the boy's green ones. He now realises that he did not see the snake; he was the snake (OP21).
Harry believes himself to be the weapon referred to by the Order earlier that year (OP5). He dreads concluding that he is a danger to those surrounding him, that Voldemort controls him and that the Dark Lord is the reason that he's constantly been followed.
Molly asks him whether he is all right in the Underground. He as good as shrugs her off, but she orders him to sleep a bit before dinner. Grateful for the excuse, Harry hurries up to his room; there, he paces between the two beds and the frame of Phineas Nigellus Black and thinks hard.
Harry ponders the possibility: was either he or Voldemort an Animagus? Could he have gone to London and back to Hogwarts so fast? If the Dark Lord could see through Harry's eyes, the only logical thing to do would be to leave number twelve, Grimmauld Place; but then the people at Hogwarts would not be safe.
Harry's stomach sinks: he has to return to number four, Privet Drive. He packs his things, remembering that Hedwig is still at the school, and is suddenly surprised by the voice of Phineas himself.
"I thought that to belong in Gryffindor house you were supposed to be brave? It looks to me as though you would have been better off in my own house. We Slytherins are brave, yes, but not stupid. For instance, given he choice, we will always choose to save our own necks."
When Harry points out that he is not trying to save himself, Phineas acknowledges that "this is no cowardly flight — you are being noble."
The boy ignores him, and is about to leave when Phineas delivers a message from Dumbledore: "Stay where you are."
Harry's temper flares, and he is furious with Dumbledore for disappearing. He starts ranting, much to Black's impatience.
"You know, this is precisely why I loathed being a teacher! Young people are so infernally convinced that they are absolutely right about every¬thing. Has it not occurred to you, my poor puffed-up popinjay, that there might be an excellent reason why the Headmaster of Hogwarts is not confiding every tiny detail of his plans to you? Have you never paused, while feeling hard-done-by, to note that following Dumbledore's orders has never yet led you into harm? No. No, like all young people, you are quite sure that you alone feel and think, you alone recognise danger, you alone are the only one clever enough to realise what the Dark Lord may be planning — "
Harry at once demands confirmation that Voldemort has plans to do with him. Phineas says no more, and bids him goodbye ("If you will excuse me, I have better things to do than listen to adolescent agonising."); the boy moodily returns his truck to the foot of his bed.
The dream
Harry falls into a deep slumber, and dreams of a flight of stone steps, and a black door to where it leads. His scar prickles, and he is suddenly desperate to see what is behind the door.
Ron's distant voice calls Harry to dinner, and the boy feels that his best friend wishes to avoid him. He therefore decides not to eat, and wakes up in the early hours in the morning. Harry's very hungry. He notices that Phineas is once more in the portrait beside the bed.
Isolation
Everyone spends the following morning putting up Christmas decorations. Sirius is in a particularly cheerful mood, glad that he would have company for the holidays—he even sings carols around the house. Harry, on the other hand, isolates himself from everyone, and hides in the drawing room to allow the others to keep talking about him (or so he assumes). He ignores Molly's invitation to lunch, and hides in Buckbeak's room instead, feeding rats to the Hippogriff.
The doorbell rings at six in the evening; Walburga's portrait starts screaming, and Harry ignores both events. Moments later, Hermione knocks at the door of the room he's in, and the boy opens it. She announces that skiing is not really her thing—but that Harry is not to tell this to Ron ("I told him skiing's really good because he kept laughing so much. Mum and Dad are a bit disappointed, but I've told them that everyone who is serious about the exams is staying at Hogwarts to study. They want me to do well, they'll understand."). She took the Knight Bus to come to Grimmauld Place, but had to wait until term ended officially before leaving Hogwarts, since Umbridge is already furious at Albus' allowing several students to leave to St. Mungo's right under her nose..
Hermione then calls Harry to his bedroom, where Molly's lit a fire and left sandwiches. Ron and Ginny are there waiting for him. Ginny indignantly complains that they've been trying to talk to Harry since when they overheard Moody with the help of Extendable Ears.
When Harry points out that he wishes to talk to no one, Ginny retorts that it is a stupid attitude: she is the only person he knows who was possessed by Voldemort (CS17). He acknowledges his mistake. She makes Harry feel significantly better by assuring him that, had he been possessed, he would forget what he'd been doing for long periods of time.
Harry expresses his concerns that he felt as though he were inside the snake that attacked Arthur; what if Voldemort transported him to London? Hermione reminds him for the umpteenth time that no one can Apparate or Disapparates from the Hogwarts grounds, according to Hogwarts: A History. Ron also mentions that he saw Harry thrashing around in his sleep for at least a minute before the other Gryffindors could wake him up.
The boy is relieved, and convinced that he is not the weapon. He eats a sandwich as Sirius passes by the hallway, singing God Rest Ye, Merry Hippogriffs at the top of his lungs.
Yuletide season
Harry regrets having considered leaving number twelve. Sirius' Yuletide cheer is infectious, and he works full-time to make sure everyone will enjoy Christmas. The house is unrecognisable by December 24: the chandeliers are all decorated with holly, gold and silver; Mundungus obtains a large Christmas tree, which is decorated with live fairies and happens to block the Black family tree from view; the elf-heads on the wall wear Father Christmas hats and beards.
Christmas
Harry wakes to find a pile of presents by his bed; Ron's pile, much larger, is already halfway done. Harry's given Ron a Broom Compass; Hermione's got the same thing for both boys: homework planners (a diary-like book that says "encouraging sentences" out loud whenever opened, such as "Do it today or later you'll pay!" and "If you've dotted the "i"s and crossed the "t"s then you may do whatever you please!").
In addition to that, Harry's received:
- From Sirius and Remus, a set of superb books called Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts, with colour illustrations of all the jinxes and counter-spells it shows. Harry excitedly trusts that it will be useful for his work with the D.A..
- From Hagrid, a furry brown wallet with fangs, supposedly anti-theft, but that also prevented Harry from getting any money from he inside.
- From Tonks, a small, working model of a Firebolt, which Harry longingly watches flying around the room.
- From Ron, a huge box of Every-Flavour Beans.
- From Arthur and Molly, the usual hand-knitted jumper and some mince pies.
- From Dobby, a dreadful painting.
Fred and George Apparate to the room, cautioning the two boys not to go downstairs: Molly is crying because Percy sent back his jumper, without even a note, and Remus is consoling her (the twins tried, stating that "Percy's nothing more than a humungous pile of rat droppings.").
George gets a Chocolate Frog. Fred guesses that Dobby's painting is a gibbon with two black eyes, but his brother points out that no—it's Harry, according to the words in the back of the frame.
The boys meet Hermione on their way down, who thanks them for the presents (Harry gave her a book entitled New Theory of Numerology, which she's wanted for ages, and Ron gave her an "unusual" perfume). They notice that she's carrying a present for Kreacher: a patchwork quilt to brighten up his den, located under the boiler in a cupboard off the kitchen.
Molly is in the basement when they arrive; she's clearly crying, and wishes them Merry Christmas.
Kreacher?
The Trio knocks on the door; when the house-elf doesn't answer, they enter anyway. Kreacher made a nest of sorts under the boiler, with smelly, dirty cloths that form a makeshift bed. In a corner lay several objects the elf has rescued from Sirius' purge, including silver-framed family photographs showing several haughty-looking people, including a familiar dark, heavy-lidded woman (GF30): Bellatrix Lestrange. It seems that Kreacher is fond of her—her picture is in front of all the rest.
Hermione leaves her gift there. On their way out, they run into Sirius carrying a turkey; the man remembers to ask them whether they've seen Kreacher lately. Harry notes that no—not since Sirius ordered him out of the kitchen (OP22)—, and his godfather assumes that the elf is hiding upstairs.
"He couldn't have left, could he? I mean, when you said 'out', maybe he thought you meant get out of the house?" Harry asks.
"No, no, house-elves can't leave unless they're given clothes. They're tied to their family's house," Sirius replies.
Harry remembers meeting Dobby in the summer before his second year, and mentions that to Sirius, who looks disconcerted and promises to look for Kreacher later that day.
Christmas lunch
The Weasleys, Harry and Hermione have lunch; Mundungus shows up in time for Christmas pudding and trifle, having "borrowed" a magically enlarged car for the occasion (probably without the consent of its owner). Ten people comfortably fit inside.
The journey to St. Mungo's is fast. The reception area looks festive, with lights, holly and several white Christmas trees. There are less visitors this time: one witch with a satsuma up her nostril pushes Harry aside ("Family argument, eh?" asked the blond witch behind the desk. "You're the third I've seen today ... Spell Damage, fourth floor.").
They find Mr. Weasley in bed, with the remains of his dinner on a tray, looking suspiciously sheepish.
This chapter summary is not done yet. Please be patient.
Neville's parents
Hermione tearfully says that she has no idea; Ron and Ginny reply the same thing. Harry is forced to acknowledge that he did know, but that he'd promised Dumbledore that he would tell no one. He also mentions that Bellatrix Lestrange is to blame for using the Cruciatus Curse on the Longbottoms until they lost their minds.
Hermione remembers that Kreacher has a picture of Bellatrix in his den, and is horrified.
Trivia
- Ginny calls Voldemort "You-Know-Who".
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| St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries | Christmas on the Closed Ward | Occlumency |
