jkrowlingharrypotterandpa-第44章

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　　　〃I　wrote　them　down！〃　Neville　was　saying　tearfully。　〃But　I　must've　dropped　them　somewhere！〃
　　　〃A　likely　tale！〃　roared　Sir　Cadogan。　Then；　spotting　Harry　and　Ron：　〃Good　even；　my　fine　young　yeomen！　e　clap　this　loon　in　irons。　He　is　trying　to　force　entry　to　the　chambers　within！〃
　　　〃Oh；　shut　up；〃　said　Ron　as　he　and　Harry　drew　level　with　Neville。
　　　〃I've　lost　the　passwords！〃　Neville　told　them　miserably。　〃I　made　him　tell　me　what　passwords　he　was　going　to　use　this　week；　because　he　keeps　changing　them；　and　now　I　don't　know　what　I've　done　with　them！〃
　　　〃Oddsbodikins；〃　said　Harry　to　Sir　Cadogan；　who　looked　extremely　disappointed　and　reluctantly　swung　forward　to　let　them　into　the　mon　room。　There　was　a　sudden；　excited　murmur　as　every　head　turned　and　the　next　moment；　Harry　was　surrounded　by　people　exclaiming　over　his　Firebolt。
　　　〃Where'd　you　get　it；　Harry？〃
　　　〃Will　you　let　me　have　a　go？〃　〃Have　you　ridden　it　yet；　Harry？〃
　　　〃Ravenclaw'll　have　no　chance；　they're　all　on　Cleansweep　Sevens！〃
　　　〃Can　I　just　hold　it；　Harry？〃
　　　After　ten　minutes　or　so；　during　which　the　Firebolt　was　Passed　around　and　admired　from　every　angle；　the　crowd　dispersed　and　Harry　and　Ron　had　a　clear　view　of　Hermione；　the　only　person　who　hadn't　rushed　over　to　them；　bent　over　her　work　and　carefully　avoiding　their　eyes。　Harry　and　Ron　approached　her　table　and　at　last；　she　looked　up。
　　　
　　　〃I　got　it　back；〃　said　Harry；　grinning　at　her　and　holding　up　the　Firebolt。
　　　〃See；　Hermione？　There　wasn't　anything　wrong　with　it！〃　said　Ron。
　　　〃Well…there　might　have　been！〃　said　Hermione。　〃I　mean；　at　least　you　know　now　that　it's　safe！〃
　　　〃Yeah；　I　suppose　so；〃　said　Harry。　〃Id　better　put　it　upstairs。〃
　　　〃I'll　take　it！〃　said　Ron　eagerly。　〃I've　got　to　give　Scabbers　his　rat　tonic。〃
　　　He　took　the　Firebolt　and；　holding　it　as　if　it　were　made　of　glass；　carried　it　away　up　the　boys'　staircase。
　　　〃Can　I　sit　down；　then？〃　Harry　asked　Hermione。
　　　〃I　suppose　so；〃　said　Hermione；　moving　a　great　stack　of　parchment　off　a　chair。
　　　Harry　looked　around　at　the　cluttered　table；　at　the　long　Arithmancy　essay　on　which　the　ink　was　still　glistening；　at　the　even　longer　Muggle　Studies　essay　（〃Explain　Why　Muggles　Need　Electricity〃　and　at　the　rune　translation　Hermione　was　now　poring　over。
　　　〃How　are　you　getting　through　all　this　stuff？〃　Harry　asked　her。
　　　〃Oh；　well…you　know…working　hard；〃　said　Hermione。　Close…up；　Harry　saw　that　she　looked　almost　as　tired　as　Lupin。
　　　〃Why　don't　you　just　drop　a　couple　of　subjects？〃　Harry　asked；　watching　her　lifting　books　as　she　searched　for　her　rune　dictionary。
　　　〃I　couldn't　do　that！〃　said　Hermione；　looking　scandalized。
　　　〃Arithmancy　looks　terrible；〃　said　Harry；　picking　up　a　very　plicated…looking　number　chart。
　　　〃Oh　no；　it's　wonderful！〃　said　Hermione　earnestly。　〃It's　my　favorite　subject！　It's　…〃
　　　But　exactly　what　was　wonderful　about　Arithmancy；　Harry　never　found　out。　At　that　precise　moment；　a　strangled　yell　echoed　down　the　boys'　staircase。　The　whole　mon　room　fell　silent；　staring；　petrified；　at　the　entrance。　Then　came　hurried　footsteps；　growing　louder　and　louder…and　then　Ron　came　leaping　into　view；　dragging　with　him　a　bedsheet。
　　　〃LOOK！〃　he　bellowed；　striding　over　to　Hermione's　table。
　　　〃LOOK！〃　he　yelled；　shaking　the　sheets　in　her　face。
　　　〃Ron；　what　…？〃
　　　〃SCABBERS！　LOOK！　SCABBERS！〃
　　　Hermione　was　leaning　away　from　Ron；　looking　utterly　bewildered。　Harry　looked　down　at　the　sheet　Ron　was　holding。　There　was　something　red　on　it。　Something　that　looked　horribly　like　…
　　　〃BLOOD！〃　Ron　yelled　into　the　stunned　silence。　〃HE'S　GONE！　AND　YOU　KNOW　WHAT　WAS　ON　THE　FLOOR？〃
　　　〃N…no；〃　said　Hermione　in　a　trembling　voice。
　　　Ron　threw　something　down　onto　Hermione's　rune　translation。　Hermione　and　Harry　leaned　forward。　Lying　on　top　of　the　weird；　spiky　shapes　were　several　long；　ginger　cat　hairs。
　　　
　　　
　　　CHAPTER　THIRTEEN
　　　GRYFFINDOR　VERSUS　RAVENCLAW
　　　
　　　It　looked　like　the　end　of　Ron　and　Hermione's　friendship。　Each　was　so　angry　with　the　other　that　Harry　couldn't　see　how　they'd　ever　make　up。
　　　Ron　was　enraged　that　Hermione　had　never　taken　Crookshanks's　attempts　to　eat　Scabbers　seriously；　hadn't　bothered　to　keep　a　close　enough　watch　on　him；　and　was　still　trying　to　pretend　that　Crookshanks　was　innocent　by　suggesting　that　Ron　look　for　Scabbers　under　all　the　boys'　beds。　Hermione；　meanwhile；　maintained　fiercely　that　Ron　had　no　proof　that　Crookshanks　had　eaten　Scabbers；　that　the　ginger　hairs　might　have　been　there　since　Christmas；　and　that　Ron　had　been　prejudiced　against　her　cat　ever　since　Crookshanks　had　landed　on　Ron's　head　in　the　Magical　Menagerie。
　　　Personally；　Harry　was　sure　that　Crookshanks　had　eaten　Scabbers；　and　when　he　tried　to　point　out　to　Hermione　that　the　evidence　all　pointed　that　way；　she　lost　her　temper　with　Harry　too。
　　　〃Okay；　side　with　Ron；　I　knew　you　would！〃　she　said　shrilly。　〃First　the　Firebolt；　now　Scabbers；　everything's　my　fault；　isn't　it！　just　leave　me　alone；　Harry；　I've　got　a　lot　of　work　to　do！〃
　　　Ron　had　taken　the　loss　of　his　rat　very　hard　indeed。
　　　〃e　on；　Ron；　you　were　always　saying　how　boring　Scabbers　was；〃　said　Fred　bracingly。　〃And　he's　been　off…color　for　ages；　he　was　wasting　away。　It　was　probably　better　for　him　to　snuff　it　quickly…one　swallow…he　probably　didn't　feel　a　thing。〃
　　　〃Fred！〃　said　Ginny　indignantly。
　　　〃All　he　did　was　eat　and　sleep；　Ron；　you　said　it　yourself；〃　said　George。
　　　〃He　bit　Goyle　for　us　once！〃　Ron　said　miserably。　〃Remember；　Harry？〃
　　　〃Yeah；　that's　true；〃　said　Harry。
　　　〃His　finest　hour；〃　said　Fred；　unable　to　keep　a　straight　face。　〃Let　the　scar　on　Goyle's　finger　stand　as　a　lasting　tribute　to　his　memory。　Oh；　e　on；　Ron；　get　yourself　down　to　Hogsmeade　and　buy　a　new　rat；　what's　the　point　of　moaning？〃
　　　In　a　last…ditch　attempt　to　cheer　Ron　up；　Harry　persuaded　him　to　e　along　to　the　Gryffindor　team's　final　practice　before　the　Ravenclaw　match；　so　that　he　could　have　a　ride　on　the　Firebolt　after　they'd　finished。　This　did　seem　to　take　Ron's　mind　off　Scabbers　for　a　moment　（〃Great！　Can　I　try　and　shoot　a　few　goals　on　it？〃）　so　they　set　off　for　the　Quidditch　field　together。
　　　Madam　Hooch；　who　was　still　overseeing　Gryffindor　practices　to　keep　an　eye　on　Harry；　was　just　as　impressed　with　the　Firebolt　as　everyone　else　had　been。　She　took　it　in　her　hands　before　takeoff　and　gave　them　the　benefit　of　her　professional　opinion。
　　　〃Look　at　the　balance　on　it！　If　the　Nimbus　series　has　a　fault；　it's　a　slight　list　to　the　tail　end…you　often　find　they　develop　a　drag　after　a　few　years。　They've　updated　the　handle　too；　a　bit　slimmer　than　the　Cleansweeps；　reminds　me　of　the　old　Silver　Arrows…a　Pity　they've　stopped　making　them。　I　learned　to　fly　on　one；　and　a　very　fine　old　broom　it　was　too。。。〃
　　　She　continued　in　this　vein　for　some　time；　until　Wood　said；　〃Er…Madam　Hooch？　Is　it　okay　if　Harry　has　the　Firebolt　back？　We　need　to　practice。。。〃
　　　〃Oh…right…here　you　are；　then；　Potter；〃　said　Madam　Hooch。　〃I'll　sit　over　here　with　Weasley。。。〃
　　　She　and　Ron　left　the　field　to　sit　in　the　stadium；　and　the　Gryffindor　team　gathered　around　Wood　for　his　final　instructions　for　tomorrow's　match。
　　　〃Harry；　I've　just　found　out　who　Ravenclaw　is　playing　as　Seeker。　It's　Cho　Chang。　She's　a　fourth　year；　and　she's　pretty　good。。。　I　really　hoped　she　wouldn't　be　fit；　she's　had　some　problems　with　injuries。。。〃　Wood　scowled　his　displeasure　that　Cho　Chang　had　made　a　full　recovery；　then　said；　〃On　the　other　hand；　she　rides　a　et　Two　Sixty；　which　is　going　to　look　like　a　joke　next　to　the　Firebolt。〃　He　gave　Harry's　broom　a　look　of　fervent　admiration；　then　said；　〃Okay；　everyone；　let's　go…〃
　　　And　at　long　last；　Harry　mounted　his　Firebolt；　and　kicked　off　from　the　ground。
　　　It　was　better　than　he'd　ever　dreamed。　The　Firebolt　turned　with　the　lightest　touch；　it　seemed　to　obey　his　thoughts　rather　than　his　grip；　it　sped　across　the　field　at　such　speed　that　the　stadium　turned　into　a　green…and…gray　blur；　Harry　turned　it　so　sharply　that　Alicia　Spinnet　screamed；　then　he　went　into　a　perfectly　controlled　dive；　brushing　the　grassy　field　with　his　toes　before　rising　thirty；　forty；　fifty　feet　into　the　air　again。
　　　〃Harry；　I'm　letting　the　Snitch　out！〃　Wood　called。
　　　Harry　turned　and　raced　a　Bludger　toward　the　goal　posts；　he　outstripped　it　easily；　saw　the　Snitch　dart　out　from　behind