======The Attack on Arthur Weasley======
=====Summary=====
A significant event during the [[Second Wizarding War]], the attack on [[Arthur Weasley]] was a venomous assault carried out by [[Lord Voldemort]]'s snake, [[Nagini]], at the [[Ministry of Magic]] in December 1995. [[Arthur Weasley]] was on guard duty for the [[Order of the Phoenix]], protecting the Hall of [[Prophecy]]. The attack was inadvertently witnessed by [[Harry Potter]] through a vision, a result of his mental connection to [[Voldemort]]. [[Harry]]'s ability to see the event from the snake's perspective allowed him to raise the alarm, which led to [[Arthur]]'s timely rescue and ultimately saved his life. The incident served as definitive proof of the dangerous link between [[Harry]]'s mind and [[Voldemort]]'s, prompting [[Albus Dumbledore]] to arrange for [[Harry]] to study [[Occlumency]].
=====Background=====
Following [[Lord Voldemort]]'s return, the reconstituted [[Order of the Phoenix]] began operating in secrecy to counter his plans. One of their primary duties was to guard a specific weapon [[Voldemort]] sought from the [[Department of Mysteries]]. This "weapon" was later revealed to be the [[prophecy]] concerning [[Harry Potter]] and [[Voldemort]]. Members of the [[Order]], including [[Arthur Weasley]], took shifts standing guard in the corridor leading to the Hall of [[Prophecy]] inside the [[Ministry of Magic]].
Simultaneously, [[Harry Potter]] had been experiencing increasingly disturbing dreams and visions connected to [[Voldemort]]. A recurring dream involved a dark corridor with a locked door at the end, the very same corridor [[Arthur]] was assigned to guard. [[Harry]]'s scar would often burn during these episodes, indicating a strong connection to [[Voldemort]]'s thoughts and emotions.
=====The Attack=====
On the night before the final day of the autumn term at [[Hogwarts]], [[Harry Potter]] fell asleep while finishing homework in the [[Gryffindor Tower]] common room. He was plunged into an extraordinarily vivid vision where his perspective was that of a large snake. As the snake, he slithered down the familiar dark corridor of the [[Ministry of Magic]] and encountered [[Arthur Weasley]], who was dozing in a chair by the door to the [[Department of Mysteries]].
From this first-person viewpoint, [[Harry]] experienced himself, as the snake, lunging at [[Arthur]]. He felt his fangs sink into the man's flesh multiple times as [[Arthur]] fought back weakly. The vision was so powerful and real that [[Harry]] awoke with a scream, his entire body trembling and his scar searing with pain. He immediately alerted [[Ron Weasley]], and they rushed to find [[Professor McGonagall]], who escorted them to [[Professor Dumbledore]]'s office.
Upon hearing [[Harry]]'s frantic account, [[Dumbledore]] acted without hesitation. Understanding the vision's reality, he used portraits in his office, including that of [[Phineas Nigellus Black]], to raise the alarm and dispatch help to the [[Ministry]]. He swiftly confirmed that [[Arthur]] had been found and was being taken to [[St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries]].
=====Aftermath=====
  * **Rescue and Recovery:** Thanks to [[Harry]]'s warning, [[Arthur Weasley]] was rescued before he could bleed to death. He was admitted to the Dai Llewellyn ward for Serious Bites at [[St. Mungo's]]. His recovery was complicated by the unusual, magically-potent venom of [[Nagini]], which was designed to prevent wounds from closing. While recovering, he expressed great fascination when a trainee [[Healer]] attempted to use Muggle stitches on his wounds. He eventually made a full recovery after an antidote was administered.
  * **[[Harry]]'s Guilt and Isolation:** The attack had a profound psychological effect on [[Harry]]. He was terrified that he had been possessed by [[Voldemort]] and had been the one to attack [[Arthur]]. This fear caused him to isolate himself from the [[Weasley]] family and [[Sirius Black]] upon his arrival at [[12 Grimmauld Place]] for the Christmas holidays. It was [[Ginny Weasley]], drawing from her own experience of being possessed by [[Tom Riddle's Diary]], who comforted [[Harry]] and helped him understand the distinction between being possessed and having a window into [[Voldemort]]'s mind.
  * **[[Occlumency]] Lessons:** The event forced [[Dumbledore]] to acknowledge the severity of the mental link between [[Harry]] and [[Voldemort]]. Fearing [[Voldemort]] could exploit this connection not just to harm others but to infiltrate [[Harry]]'s mind, [[Dumbledore]] arranged for [[Severus Snape]] to teach [[Harry]] the magical art of [[Occlumency]] in an effort to close his mind to the [[Dark Lord]]'s influence.
=====Significance in the Second Wizarding War=====
  * **Confirmation of the Mental Link:** The attack was the first time [[Harry]]'s connection to [[Voldemort]] was used to actively influence the war, saving the life of an [[Order of the Phoenix]] member. It proved the link was not just a source of pain and random visions but a tangible connection that could be a double-edged sword.
  * **Revealing [[Voldemort]]'s Goal:** It confirmed [[Voldemort]]'s intense focus on retrieving the [[prophecy]] from the [[Department of Mysteries]]. The fact that he used [[Nagini]], a priceless [[Horcrux]], for the task underscored its immense importance to his plans.
  * **Catalyst for Future Events:** The subsequent [[Occlumency]] lessons were a failure, creating further animosity between [[Harry]] and [[Snape]]. This failure left [[Harry]]'s mind vulnerable, which [[Voldemort]] later exploited by planting a false vision of [[Sirius Black]] being tortured, luring [[Harry]] and his friends into the [[Battle of the Department of Mysteries]].
=====Behind the Scenes=====
In the film adaptation, //Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix//, the attack is depicted more cinematically. The film cuts between [[Harry]]'s vision from the snake's perspective and an external, third-person view of [[Nagini]] physically attacking [[Arthur Weasley]] in the corridor. The book's narrative strictly maintains the first-person perspective of the snake until [[Harry]] awakens. (film)