therightthing.beausetrustme,itgetsawholelotharderaftershe’sbeenthreatenedbygreybak.”

hewasspitting,that’showmadhewas,atuallytrembling.wesaidwewerefriends,harrythought,wathingdrao’sfingerstrembleagainstthetable.butwearen’t,really.maybeit’snotpossible,aftereverythingwe’vebeenthrough.

draowasthefirsttomoveaway,standingupsofasthishairfallstothefloorwithabang,leavingharryaloneinthekithenwithkreaher,feelingsikeninglylikehehadbeentheodosomethingwrong.

drao

hehadbeenmyfriend.

thatwasthetruth,aboutdobby.inahousewherehismotherwasalwaysouteainingandhisfatherhadlittlepatieneforhim,dobbywastheonewhohadpyedwithhimwhenhewaslittle,wastheonewhotaughthimtotiehisshoesandrideabroom,thehatdraowenttowhenhehadnightmaresandheknewhisfatherwouldn’tapproveofhisrying.butthenonedayheamehomeanddobbywasn’tthere,leavingdraoevenmorealhanhehadbeen,andtheonlyexpnationhehadbeengivenwasthathehosepotteroverthem.

itwasonlyanotherreasontohateharry.

butmaybetheobetweenthemwasn’taoatall,whenharrytreateddobbywithkindness,whendobbynolongerhadluiustellinghimtoshuthisearsintheoven.itdidn’tmatter,then,thatdobbyhadonearedfordrao.atsomepoint,harry,wealllookoutforourselvesandourselvesalone,nomatterwhatwetellourselves.