jkrowling.harrypotterandgf-第109章

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　and　she'd　have　a　job　hiding；　wouldn't　she？〃
　　　Dumbledore　smiled　at　Harry　behind　Fudge's　back；　his　eyes　twinkling。
　　　〃Yes；　well；〃　said　Fudge；　looking　embarrassed；　〃we're　about　to　go　for　a　short　walk　on　the　grounds；　Harry；　if　you'll　excuse　us　。。。perhaps　if　you　just　go　back　to　your　class…〃
　　　〃I　wanted　to　talk　to　you。　Professor；〃　Harry　said　quickly；　looking　at　Dumbledore；　who　gave　him　a　swift；　searching　look。
　　　〃Wait　here　for　me；　Harry；〃　he　said。　〃Our　examination　of　the　grounds　will　not　take　long。〃
　　　They　trooped　out　in　silence　past　him　and　closed　the　door。　After　a　minute　or　so；　Harry　heard　the　clunks　of　Moody's　wooden　leg　growing　fainter　in　the　corridor　below。　He　looked　around。
　　　〃Hello；　Fawkes；〃　he　said。
　　　Fawkes；　Professor　Dumbledore's　phoenix；　was　standing　on　his　golden　perch　beside　the　door。　The　size　of　a　swan；　with　magnificent　scarlet…and…gold　plumage；　he　swished　his　long　tail　and　blinked　benignly　at　Harry。
　　　Harry　sat　down　in　a　chair　in　front　of　Dumbledore's　desk。　For　several　minutes；　he　sat　and　watched　the　old　headmasters　and　headmistresses　snoozing　in　their　frames；　thinking　about　what　he　had　just　heard；　and　running　his　fingers　over　his　scar。　It　had　stopped　hurting　now。
　　　He　felt　much　calmer；　somehow；　now　that　he　was　in　Dumbledore's　office；　knowing　he　would　shortly　be　telling　him　about　the　dream。　Harry　looked　up　at　the　walls　behind　the　desk。　The　patched　and　ragged　Sorting　Hat　was　standing　on　a　shelf。　A　glass　case　next　to　it　held　a　magnificent　silver　sword　with　large　rubies　set　into　the　hilt；　which　Harry　recognized　as　the　one　he　himself　had　pulled　out　of　the　Sorting　Hat　in　his　second　year。　The　sword　had　once　belonged　to　Godric　Gryffindor；　founder　of　Harry's　House。　He　was　gazing　at　it；　remembering　how　it　had　e　to　his　aid　when　he　had　thought　all　hope　was　lost；　when　he　noticed　a　patch　of　silvery　light；　dancing　and　shimmering　on　the　glass　case。　He　looked　around　for　the　source　of　the　light　and　saw　a　sliver　of　silver…white　shining　brightly　from　within　a　black　cabinet　behind　him；　whose　door　had　not　been　closed　properly。　Harry　hesitated；　glanced　at　Fawkes；　then　got　up；　walked　across　the　office；　and　pulled　open　the　cabinet　door。
　　　A　shallow　stone　basin　lay　there；　with　odd　carvings　around　the　edge：　runes　and　symbols　that　Harry　did　not　recognize。　The　silvery　light　was　ing　from　the　basin's　contents；　which　were　like　nothing　Harry　had　ever　seen　before。　He　could　not　tell　whether　the　substance　was　liquid　or　gas。　It　was　a　bright；　whitish　silver；　and　it　was　moving　ceaselessly；　the　surface　of　it　became　ruffled　like　water　beneath　wind；　and　then；　like　clouds；　separated　and　swirled　smoothly。　It　looked　like　light　made　liquid…or　like　wind　made　solid…Harry　couldn't　make　up　his　mind。
　　　He　wanted　to　touch　it；　to　find　out　what　it　felt　like；　but　nearly　four　years'　experience　of　the　magical　world　told　him　that　sticking　his　hand　into　a　bowl　full　of　some　unknown　substance　was　a　very　stupid　thing　to　do。　He　therefore　pulled　his　wand　out　of　the　inside　of　his　robes；　cast　a　nervous　look　around　the　office；　looked　back　at　the　contents　of　the　basin；　and　prodded　them。
　　　The　surface　of　the　silvery　stuff　inside　the　basin　began　to　swirl　very　fast。
　　　Harry　bent　closer；　his　head　right　inside　the　cabinet。　The　silvery　substance　had　bee　transparent；　it　looked　like　glass。　He　looked　down　into　it　expecting　to　see　the　stone　bottom　of　the　basin…and　saw　instead　an　enormous　room　below　the　surface　of　the　mysterious　substance；　a　room　into　which　he　seemed　to　be　looking　through　a　circular　window　in　the　ceiling。
　　　The　room　was　dimly　lit；　he　thought　it　might　even　be　underground；　for　there　were　no　windows；　merely　torches　in　brackets　such　as　the　ones　that　illuminated　the　walls　of　Hogwarts。　Lowering　his　face　so　that　his　nose　was　a　mere　inch　away　from　the　glassy　substance；　Harry　saw　that　rows　and　rows　of　witches　and　wizards　were　seated　around　every　wall　on　what　seemed　to　be　benches　rising　in　levels。　An　empty　chair　stood　in　the　very　center　of　the　room。　There　was　something　about　the　chair　that　gave　Harry　an　ominous　feeling。　Chains　encircled　the　arms　of　it；　as　though　its　occupants　were　usually　tied　to　it。
　　　Where　was　this　place？　It　surely　wasn't　Hogwarts；　he　had　never　seen　a　room　like　that　here　in　the　castle。　Moreover；　the　crowd　in　the　mysterious　room　at　the　bottom　of　the　basin　was　prised　of　adults；　and　Harry　knew　there　were　not　nearly　that　many　teachers　at　Hogwarts。　They　seemed；　he　thought；　to　be　waiting　for　something；　even　though　he　could　only　see　the　tops　of　their　hats；　all　of　their　faces　seemed　to　be　pointing　in　one　direction；　and　none　of　them　were　talking　to　one　another。
　　　The　basin　being　circular；　and　the　room　he　was　observing　square；　Harry　could　not　make　out　what　was　going　on　in　the　corners　of　it。　He　leaned　even　closer；　tilting　his　head；　trying　to　see。。。
　　　The　tip　of　his　nose　touched　the　strange　substance　into　which　he　was　staring。
　　　Dumbledore's　office　gave　an　almighty　lurch…Harry　was　thrown　forward　and　pitched　headfirst　into　the　substance　inside　the　basin…
　　　But　his　head　did　not　hit　the　stone　bottom。　He　was　falling　through　something　icy…cold　and　black；　it　was　like　being　sucked　into　a　dark　whirlpool…
　　　And　suddenly；　Harry　found　himself　sitting　on　a　bench　at　the　end　of　the　room　inside　the　basin；　a　bench　raised　high　above　the　others。　He　looked　up　at　the　high　stone　ceiling；　expecting　to　see　the　circular　window　through　which　he　had　just　been　staring；　but　there　was　nothing　there　but　dark；　solid　stone。
　　　Breathing　hard　and　fast。　Harry　looked　around　him。　Not　one　of　the　witches　and　wizards　in　the　room　（and　there　were　at　least　two　hundred　of　them）　was　looking　at　him。　Not　one　of　them　seemed　to　have　noticed　that　a　fourteen…year…old　boy　had　just　dropped　from　the　ceiling　into　their　midst。　Harry　turned　to　the　wizard　next　to　him　on　the　bench　and　uttered　a　loud　cry　of　surprise　that　reverberated　around　the　silent　room。
　　　He　was　sitting　right　next　to　Albus　Dumbledore。
　　　〃Professor！〃　Harry　said　in　a　kind　of　strangled　whisper。　〃I'm　sorry…I　didn't　mean　to…I　was　just　looking　at　that　basin　in　your　cabinet…I…where　are　we？〃
　　　But　Dumbledore　didn't　move　or　speak。　He　ignored　Harry　pletely。　Like　every　other　wizard　on　the　benches；　he　was　staring　into　the　far　corner　of　the　room；　where　there　was　a　door。
　　　Harry　gazed；　nonplussed；　at　Dumbledore；　then　around　at　the　silently　watchful　crowd；　then　back　at　Dumbledore。　And　then　it　dawned　on　him。。。
　　　Once　before。　Harry　had　found　himself　somewhere　that　nobody　could　see　or　hear　him。　That　time；　he　had　fallen　through　a　page　in　an　enchanted　diary；　right　into　somebody　else's　memory。。。　and　unless　he　was　very　much　mistaken；　something　of　the　sort　had　happened　again。。。
　　　Harry　raised　his　right　hand；　hesitated；　and　then　waved　it　energetically　in　from　of　Dumbledore's　face。　Dumbledore　did　not　blink；　look　around　at　Harry；　or　indeed　move　at　all。　And　that；　in　Harry's　opinion；　settled　the　matter。　Dumbledore　wouldn't　ignore　him　like　that。　He　was　inside　a　memory；　and　this　was　not　the　present…day　Dumbledore。　Yet　it　couldn't　be　that　long　ago。。。　the　Dumbledore　sitting　next　to　him　now　was　silver…haired；　just　like　the　present…day　Dumbledore。　But　what　was　this　place？　What　were　all　these　wizards　waiting　for？
　　　Harry　looked　around　more　carefully。　The　room；　as　he　had　suspected　when　observing　it　from　above；　was　almost　certainly　underground…more　of　a　dungeon　than　a　room；　he　thought。　There　was　a　bleak　and　forbidding　air　about　the　place；　there　were　no　pictures　on　the　walls；　no　decorations　at　all；　just　these　serried　rows　of　benches；　rising　in　levels　all　around　the　room；　all　positioned　so　that　they　had　a　clear　view　of　that　chair　with　the　chains　on　its　arms。
　　　Before　Harry　could　reach　any　conclusions　about　the　place　in　which　they　were；　he　heard　footsteps。　The　door　in　the　corner　of　the　dungeon　opened　and　three　people　entered…or　at　least　one　man；　flanked　by　two　dementors。
　　　Harry's　insides　went　cold。　The　dementors…tall；　hooded　creatures　whose　faces　were　concealed…were　gliding　slowly　toward　the　chair　in　the　center　of　the　room；　each　grasping　one　of　the　man's　arms　with　their　dead　and　rotten…looking　hands。　The　man　between　them　looked　as　though　he　was　about　to　faint；　and　Harry　couldn't　blame　him　。。。he　knew　the　dementors　could　not　touch　him　inside　a　memory；　but