jkrowling.harrypotterandgf-第114章

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　　　The　mood　in　the　castle　as　they　entered　June　became　excited　and　tense　again。　Everyone　was　looking　forward　to　the　third　task；　which　would　take　place　a　week　before　the　end　of　term。　Harry　was　practicing　hexes　at　every　available　moment。　He　felt　more　confident　about　this　task　than　either　of　the　others。　Difficult　and　dangerous　though　it　would　undoubtedly　be；　Moody　was　right：　Harry　had　managed　to　find　his　way　past　monstrous　creatures　and　enchanted　barriers　before　now；　and　this　time　he　had　some　notice；　some　chance　to　prepare　himself　for　what　lay　ahead。
　　　Tired　of　walking　in　on　Harry；　Hermione；　and　Ron　all　over　the　school。　Professor　McGonagall　had　given　them　permission　to　use　the　empty　Transfiguration　classroom　at　lunchtimes。　Harry　had　soon　mastered　the　Impediment　Curse；　a　spell　to　slow　down　and　obstruct　attackers；　the　Reductor　Curse；　which　would　enable　him　to　blast　solid　objects　out　of　his　way；　and　the　Four…Point　Spell；　a　useful　discovery　of　Hermiones　that　would　make　his　wand　point　due　north；　therefore　enabling　him　to　check　whether　he　was　going　in　the　right　direction　within　the　maze。　He　was　still　having　trouble　with　the　Shield　Charm；　though。　This　was　supposed　to　cast　a　temporary；　invisible　wall　around　himself　that　deflected　minor　curses；　Hermione　managed　to　shatter　it　with　a　well…placed　Jelly…Legs　Jinx；　and　Harry　wobbled　around　the　room　for　ten　minutes　afterward　before　she　had　looked　up　the　counter…jinx。
　　　〃You're　still　doing　really　well；　though；〃　Hermione　said　encouragingly；　looking　down　her　list　and　crossing　off　those　spells　they　had　already　learned。　〃Some　of　these　are　bound　to　e　in　handy。〃
　　　〃e　and　look　at　this；〃　said　Ron；　who　was　standing　by　the　window。　He　was　staring　down　onto　the　grounds。　〃What's　Malfoy　doing？〃
　　　Harry　and　Hermione　went　to　see。　Malfoy；　Crabbe；　and　Goyle　were　standing　in　the　shadow　of　a　tree　below。　Crabbe　and　Goyle　seemed　to　be　keeping　a　lookout；　both　were　smirking。　Malfoy　was　holding　his　hand　up　to　his　mouth　and　speaking　into　it。
　　　〃He　looks　like　he's　using　a　walkie…talkie；〃　said　Harry　curiously。
　　　〃He　can't　be；〃　said　Hermione；　〃I've　told　you；　those　sorts　of　things　don't　work　around　Hogwarts。　e　on；　Harry；〃　she　added　briskly；　turning　away　from　the　window　and　moving　back　into　the　middle　of　the　room；　〃let's　try　that　Shield　Charm　again。〃
　　　Sirius　was　sending　daily　owls　now。　Like　Hermione；　he　seemed　to　want　to　concentrate　on　getting　Harry　through　the　last　task　before　they　concerned　themselves　with　anything　else。　He　reminded　Harry　in　every　letter　that　whatever　might　be　going　on　outside　the　walls　of　Hogwarts　was　not　Harry's　responsibility；　nor　was　it　within　his　power　to　influence　it。
　　　
　　　If　Voldemort　is　really　getting　stronger　again；　he　wrote；　my　priority　is　to　ensure　your　safety。　He　cannot　hope　to　lay　hands　on　you　while　you　are　under　Dumbledore's　protection；　but　all　the　same；　take　no　risks：　Concentrate　on　getting　through　that　maze　safely；　and　then　we　can　turn　our　attention　to　other　matters。
　　　
　　　Harry's　nerves　mounted　as　June　the　twenty…fourth　drew　closer；　but　they　were　not　as　bad　as　those　he　had　felt　before　the　first　and　second　tasks。　For　one　thing；　he　was　confident　that；　this　time；　he　had　done　everything　in　his　power　to　prepare　for　the　task。　For　another；　this　was　the　final　hurdle；　and　however　well　or　badly　he　did；　the　tournament　would　at　last　be　over；　which　would　be　an　enormous　relief。
　　　
　　　Breakfast　was　a　very　noisy　affair　at　the　Gryffindor　table　on　the　morning　of　the　third　task。　The　post　owls　appeared；　bringing　Harry　a　good…luck　card　from　Sirius。　It　was　only　a　piece　of　parchment；　folded　over　and　bearing　a　muddy　paw　print　on　its　front；　but　Harry　appreciated　it　all　the　same。　A　screech　owl　arrived　for　Hermione；　carrying　her　morning　copy　of　the　Daily　Prophet　as　usual。　She　unfolded　the　paper；　glanced　at　the　front　page；　and　spat　out　a　mouthful　of　pumpkin　juice　all　over　it。
　　　〃What？〃　said　Harry　and　Ron　together；　staring　at　her。　〃Nothing；〃　said　Hermione　quickly；　trying　to　shove　the　paper　out　of　sight；　but　Ron　grabbed　it。　He　stared　at　the　headline　and　said；　〃No　way。　Not　today。　That　old　cow。〃
　　　〃What？〃　said　Harry。　〃Rita　Skeeter　again？〃
　　　〃No；〃　said　Ron；　and　just　like　Hermione；　he　attempted　to　push　the　paper　out　of　sight。
　　　〃It's　about　me；　isn't　it？〃　said　Harry。
　　　〃No；〃　said　Ron；　in　an　entirely　unconvincing　tone。　But　before　Harry　could　demand　to　see　the　paper。　Draco　Malfoy　shouted　across　the　Great　Hall　from　the　Slytherin　table。
　　　〃Hey；　Potter！　Potter！　How's　your　head？　You　feeling　all　right？　Sure　you're　not　going　to　go　berserk　on　us？〃
　　　Malfoy　was　holding　a　copy　of　the　Daily　Prophet　too。　Slytherins　up　and　down　the　table　were　sniggering；　twisting　in　their　seats　to　see　Harry's　reaction。
　　　〃Let　me　see　it；〃　Harry　said　to　Ron。　〃Give　it　here。〃
　　　Very　reluctantly；　Ron　handed　over　the　newspaper。　Harry　turned　it　over　and　found　himself　staring　at　his　own　picture；　beneath　the　banner　headline：
　　　
　　　〃HARRY　POTTER　〃DISTURBED　AND　DANGEROUS〃
　　　
　　　The　boy　who　defeated　He…Who…Must…Not…Be…Named　is　unstable　and　possibly　dangerous；　writes　Rita　Skeeter；　Special　Correspondent。　Alarming　evidence　has　recently　e　to　light　about　Harry　Potter's　strange　behavior；　which　casts　doubts　upon　his　suitability　to　pete　in　a　demanding　petition　like　the　Triwizard　Tournament；　or　even　to　attend　Hogwarts　School。
　　　Potter；　the　Daily　Prophet　can　exclusively　reveal；　regularly　collapses　at　school；　and　is　often　heard　to　plain　of　pain　in　the　scar　on　his　forehead　（relic　of　the　curse　with　which　You…Know…Who　attempted　to　kill　him）。　On　Monday　last；　midway　through　a　Divination　lesson；　your　Daily　Prophet　reporter　witnessed　Potter　storming　from　the　class；　claiming　that　his　scar　was　hurting　too　badly　to　continue　studying。
　　　It　is　possible；　say　top　experts　at　St。　Mungo's　Hospital　for　Magical　Maladies　and　Injuries；　that　Potters　brain　was　affected　by　the　attack　inflicted　upon　him　by　You…Know…Who；　and　that　his　insistence　that　the　scar　is　still　hurting　is　an　expression　of　his　deep…seated　confusion。
　　　〃He　might　even　be　pretending；〃　said　one　specialist。　〃This　could　be　a　plea　for　attention。〃
　　　The　Daily　Prophet；　however；　has　unearthed　worrying　facts　about　Harry　Potter　that　Albus　Dumbledore；　Headmaster　of　Hogwarts；　has　carefully　concealed　from　the　wizarding　public。
　　　〃Potter　can　speak　Parseltongue；〃　reveals　Draco　Malfoy；　a　Hogwarts　fourth　year。　〃There　were　a　lot　of　attacks　on　students　a　couple　of　years　ago；　and　most　people　thought　Potter　was　behind　them　after　they　saw　him　lose　his　temper　at　a　dueling　club　and　set　a　snake　on　another　boy。　It　was　all　hushed　up；　though。　But　he's　made　friends　with　werewolves　and　giants　too。　We　think　he'd　do　anything　for　a　bit　of　power。〃
　　　Parseltongue；　the　ability　to　converse　with　snakes；　has　long　been　considered　a　Dark　Art。　Indeed；　the　most　famous　Parselmouth　of　our　times　is　none　other　than　You…Know…Who　himself。　A　member　of　the　Dark　Force　Defense　League；　who　wished　to　remain　unnamed；　stated　that　he　would　regard　any　wizard　who　could　speak　Parseltongue　〃as　worthy　of　investigation。　Personally；　I　would　be　highly　suspicious　of　anybody　who　could　converse　with　snakes；　as　serpents　are　often　used　in　the　worst　kinds　of　Dark　Magic；　and　are　historically　associated　with　evildoers。〃　Similarly；　〃anyone　who　seeks　out　the　pany　of　such　vicious　creatures　as　werewolves　and　giants　would　appear　to　have　a　fondness　for　violence。〃
　　　Albus　Dumbledore　should　surely　consider　whether　a　boy　such　as　this　should　be　allowed　to　pete　in　the　Triwizard　Tournament。　Some　fear　that　Potter　might　resort　to　the　Dark　Arts　in　his　desperation　to　win　the　tournament；　the　third　task　of　which　takes　place　this　evening。
　　　
　　　〃Gone　off　me　a　bit；　hasn't　she？〃　said　Harry　lightly；　folding　up　the　paper。
　　　Over　at　the　Slytherin　table；　Malfoy；　Crabbe；　and　Goyle　were　laughing　at　him；　tapping　their　heads　with　their　fingers；　pulling　grotesquely　mad　faces；　and　waggling　their　tongues　like　snakes。
　　　〃How　did　she　know　your　scar　hurt　in　Divination？〃　Ron　said。　〃There's　no　way　she　was　there；　there's　no　way　she　could've　heard…〃
　　　〃The　window　was　open；〃　said　Harry。　〃I　opened　it　to　breathe。〃
　　　〃You　were　at　the　top　of　North　Tower！〃　Hermione　said。　〃Your　voice　couldn't　have　carried　all　the　way　down　to　the　grounds！〃
　　　〃Well；　you're　the　one　who's　supposed　to　be　re