Whenever I read the scene in Order of the Phoenix that takes place at St. Mungo’s with Neville and his parents, I start crying. I can be going along, la-ti-da, everything’s normal, but then suddenly I’ll just burst into tears. It’s happened every time I’ve read the book, and it’s because of the gum wrapper.
It’s one of the most brilliant scenes I’ve ever read in any book, with an image that is as powerful as it is simple.