jkrowling.hp&theorderofphenix-第60章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
'Harry; I'm sure Dumbledore would want to be bothered by this …'
'Yeah;' said Harry; before he could stop himself; 'that's the only bit of me Dumbledore cares about; isn't it; my scar?'
'Don't say that; it's not true!'
'I think I'll write and tell Sirius about it; see what he thinks …'
'Harry; you can't put something like that in a letter!' said Hermione; looking alarmed。 'Don't you remember; Moody told us to be careful what we put in writing! We just can't guarantee owls aren't being intercepted any more!'
'All right; all right; I won't tell him; then!' said Harry irritably。 He got to his feet。 'I'm going to bed。 Tell Ron for me; will you?'
'Oh no;' said Hermione; looking relieved; 'if you're going that means I can go too; without being rude。 I'm absolutely exhausted and I want to make some more hats tomorrow。 Listen; you can help me if you like; it's quite fun; I'm getting better; I can do patterns and bobbles and all sorts of things now。'
Harry looked into her face; which was shining with glee; and tried to look as though he was vaguely tempted by this offer。
'Er: no; I don't think I will; thanks;' he said。 'Er… not tomorrow。 I've got loads of homework to do:'
And he traipsed off to the boys' stairs; leaving her looking slightly disappointed。
… CHAPTER FOURTEEN …
Percy and Padfoot
Harry was first to wake up in his dormitory next morning。 He lay for a moment watching dust swirl in the ray of sunlight ing through the gap in his four…posters hangings; and savoured the thought that it was Saturday。 The first week of term seemed to have dragged on for ever; like one gigantic History of Magic lesson。
Judging by the sleepy silence and the freshly minted look of that beam of sunlight; it was just after daybreak。 He pulled open the curtains around his bed; got up and started to dress。 The only sound apart from the distant twittering of birds was the slow; deep breathing of his fellow Gryffindors。 He opened his schoolbag carefully; pulled out parchment and quill and headed out of the dormitory for the mon room。
Making straight for his favourite squashy old armchair beside the now extinct fire; Harry settled himself down fortably and unrolled his parchment while looking around the room。 The detritus of crumpled…up bits of parchment; old Gobstones; empty ingredient jars and sweet wrappers that usually covered the mon room at the end of each day was gone; as were all Hermione's elf hats。 Wondering vaguely how many elves had now been set free whether they wanted to be or not; Harry uncorked his ink bottle; dipped his quill into it; then held it suspended an inch above the smooth yellowish surface of his parchment; thinking hard: but after a minute or so he found himself staring into the empty grate; at a plete loss for what to say。
He could now appreciate how hard it had been for Ron and Hermione to write him letters over the summer。 How was he supposed to tell Sirius everything that had happened over the past week and pose all the questions he was burning to ask without giving potential letter…thieves a lot of information he did not want them to have?
He sat quite motionless for a while; gazing into the fireplace;: then; finally ing to a decision; he dipped his quill into the ink bottle once more and set it resolutely on the parchment。
Dear Snuffles;
Hope you're OK; the first week back here's been terrible; I'm really glad it's the weekend。
We've got a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher; Professor Umbridge。 She's nearly as nice as your mum。 I'm writing because that thing I wrote to you about last summer happened again last night when I was doing a detention with Umbridge。
We're all missing our biggest friend; we hope he'll be back soon。
Please write back quickly。
Best;
Harry
Harry reread the letter several times; trying to see it from the point of view of an outsider。 He could not see how they would know what he was talking about … or who he was talking to … just from reading this letter。 He did hope Sirius would pick up the hint about Hagrid and tell them when he might be back。 Harry did not want to ask directly in case it drew too much attention to what Hagrid might be up to while he was not at Hogwarts。
Considering it was a very short letter; it had taken a long time to write; sunlight had crept halfway across the room while he had been working on it and he could now hear distant sounds of movement from the dormitories above。 Sealing the parchment carefully; he climbed through the portrait hole and headed off for the Owlery。
'I would not go that way if I were you;' said Nearly Headless Nick; drifting disconcertingly through a wall just ahead of Harry as he walked down the passage。 'Peeves is planning an amusing joke on the next person to pass the bust of Paracelsus halfway down the corridor。'
'Does it involve Paracelsus falling on top of the persons head?' asked Harry。
'Funnily enough; it does;' said Nearly Headless Nick in a bored voice。 'Subtlety has never been Peeves's strong point。 I'm off to try and find the Bloody Baron: he might be able to put a stop to it: see you; Harry'。
'Yeah; bye;' said Harry and instead of turning right; he turned left; taking a longer but safer route up to the Owlery。 His spirits rose as he walked past window after window showing brilliantly blue sky; he had training later; he would be back on the Quidditch pitch at last。
Something brushed his ankles。 He looked down and saw the caretaker's skeletal grey cat; Mrs Norns; slinking past him。 She turned lamplike yellow eyes on him for a moment before disappearing behind a statue of Wilfred the Wistful。
'I'm not doing anything wrong;' Harry called after her。 She had the unmistakeable air of a cat that was off to report to her boss; yet Harry could not see why; he was perfectly entitled to walk up to the Owlery on a Saturday morning。
The sun was high in the sky now and when Harry entered the Owlery the glassless windows dazzled his eyes; thick silvery beams of sunlight crisscrossed the circular room in which hundreds of owls nestled on rafters; a little restless in the early…morning light; some clearly just returned from hunting。 The straw…covered floor crunched a little as he stepped across tiny animal bones; craning his neck for a sight of Hedwig。
There you are;' he said; spotting her somewhere near the very top of the vaulted ceiling。 'Get down here; I've got a letter for you。〃
With a low hoot she stretched her great white wings and soared down on to his shoulder。
'Right; I know this says Snuffles on the outside;' he told her; giving her the letter to clasp in her beak and; without knowing exactly why; whispering; 'but it's for Sirius; OK?'
She blinked her amber eyes once and he took that to mean that she understood。
'Safe flight; then;' said Harry and he carried her to one of the windows; with a moment's pressure on his arm; Hedwig took off into the blindingly bright sky。 He watched her until she became a tiny black speck and vanished; then switched his gaze to Hagrid's hut; clearly visible from this window; and just as clearly uninhabited; the chimney smokeless; the curtains drawn。
The treetops of the Forbidden Forest swayed in a light breeze。 Harry watched them; savouring the fresh air on his face; thinking about Quidditch later: then he saw it。 A great; reptilian winged horse; just like the ones pulling the Hogwarts carriages; with leathery black wings spread wide like a pterodactyl's; rose up out of the trees like a grotesque; giant bird。 It soared in a great circle; then plunged back into the trees。 The whole thing had happened so quickly; Harry could hardly believe what he had seen; except that his heart was hammering madly。
The Owlery door opened behind him。 He leapt in shock and; turning quickly; saw Cho Chang holding a letter and a parcel in her hands。
'Hi;' said Harry automatically。
'Oh: hi;' she said breathlessly。 'I didn't think anyone would be up here this early: I only remembered five minutes ago; it's my mum's birthday。'
She held up the parcel。
'Right;' said Harry。 H