“Harry did not really listen. A warmth was spreading through him that had nothing to do with the sunlight; a tight obstruction in his chest seemed to be dissolving. He knew that Ron and Hermione were more shocked than they were letting on, but the mere fact that they were still there on either side of him, speaking words of comfort . . .”

In the middle of Chapter 4, immediately after Harry tells Ron and Hermione about the contents of the prophecy revealed to him after the fight at the Ministry last year, Harry begins to feel enormous relief. Before Dumbledore left Harry at the Burrow, he suggested that Harry fill his friends in on the prophecy Professor Trelawney created, which states that Harry must destroy Voldemort, as neither can live while the other survives. Even though Harry knows that his friends must be shocked by his revelation, he is delighted that they are sticking by him and dedicating themselves to solving the problem. Harry has had to spend most of his life without the care and confidence of a real family, and now, at sixteen, Ron and Hermione effectively function as his family, supporting him unconditionally and constantly looking out for his best interests. Harry is finally able to stop keeping things inside and start sharing the burden of his birthright. Dumbledore knows that telling Ron and Hermione the contents of the prophecy will not only be extraordinarily cathartic for Harry, it will also give his friends the opportunity to help him sort out his newfound responsibilities. Ron and Hermione try to convince Harry that Dumbledore wouldn’t be offering him private lessons if he didn’t think Harry had a solid chance of defeating Voldemort. Harry’s relief at his friends’ reactions is priceless.