jkrowling.harrypotterandgf-第43章

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eds　of　owls　of　every　breed　imaginable　were　nestled　here　on　perches　that　rose　right　up　to　the　top　of　the　tower；　nearly　all　of　them　asleep；　though　here　and　there　a　round　amber　eye　glared　at　Harry。　He　spotted　Hedwig　nestled　between　a　barn　owl　and　a　tawny；　and　hurried　over　to　her；　sliding　a　little　on　the　dropping…strewn　floor。
　　　It　took　him　a　while　to　persuade　her　to　wake　up　and　then　to　look　at　him；　as　she　kept　shuffling　around　on　her　perch；　showing　him　her　tail。　She　was　evidently　still　furious　about　his　lack　of　gratitude　the　previous　night。　In　the　end；　it　was　Harry　suggesting　she　might　be　too　tired；　and　that　perhaps　he　would　ask　Ron　to　borrow　Pigwidgeon；　that　made　her　stick　out　her　leg　and　allow　him　to　tie　the　letter　to　it。
　　　〃Just　find　him；　all　right？〃　Harry　said；　stroking　her　back　as　he　carried　her　on　his　arm　to　one　of　the　holes　in　the　wall。　〃Before　the　dementors　do。〃
　　　She　nipped　his　finger；　perhaps　rather　harder　than　she　would　ordinarily　have　done；　but　hooted　softly　in　a　reassuring　sort　of　way　all　the　same。　Then　she　spread　her　wings　and　took　off　into　the　sunrise。　Harry　watched　her　fly　out　of　sight　with　the　familiar　feeling　of　unease　back　in　his　stomach。　He　had　been　so　sure　that　Sirius's　reply　would　alleviate　his　worries　rather　than　increasing　them。
　　　〃That　was　a　lie；　Harry；〃　said　Hermione　sharply　over　breakfast；　when　he　told　her　and　Ron　what　he　had　done。　〃You　didn't　imagine　your　scar　hurting　and　you　know　it。〃
　　　〃So　what？〃　said　Harry。　〃He's　not　going　back　to　Azkaban　because　of　me。〃
　　　〃Drop　it；〃　said　Ron　sharply　to　Hermione　as　she　opened　her　mouth　to　argue　some　more；　and　for　once；　Hermione　heeded　him；　and　fell　silent。
　　　Harry　did　his　best　not　to　worry　about　Sirius　over　the　next　couple　of　weeks。　True；　he　could　not　stop　himself　from　looking　anxiously　around　every　morning　when　the　post　owls　arrived；　nor；　late　at　night　before　he　went　to　sleep；　prevent　himself　from　seeing　horrible　visions　of　Sirius；　cornered　by　dementors　down　some　dark　London　street；　but　betweentimes　he　tried　to　keep　his　mind　off　his　godfather。　He　wished　he　still　had　Quidditch　to　distract　him；　nothing　worked　so　well　on　a　troubled　mind　as　a　good；　hard　training　session。　On　the　other　hand；　their　lessons　were　being　more　difficult　and　demanding　than　ever　before；　particularly　Moody's　Defense　Against　the　Dark　Arts。
　　　To　their　surprise；　Professor　Moody　had　announced　that　he　would　be　putting　the　Imperius　Curse　on　each　of　them　in　turn；　to　demonstrate　its　power　and　to　see　whether　they　could　resist　its　effects。
　　　〃But…but　you　said　it's　illegal；　Professor；〃　said　Hermione　uncertainly　as　Moody　cleared　away　the　desks　with　a　sweep　of　his　wand；　leaving　a　large　clear　space　in　the　middle　of　the　room。　〃You　said…to　use　it　against　another　human　was…〃
　　　〃Dumbledore　wants　you　taught　what　it　feels　like；〃　said　Moody；　his　magical　eye　swiveling　onto　Hermione　and　fixing　her　with　an　eerie；　unblinking　stare。　〃If　you'd　rather　learn　the　hard　way…when　someone's　putting　it　on　you　so　they　can　control　you　pletely…fine　by　me。　You're　excused。　Off　you　go。〃
　　　He　pointed　one　gnarled　finger　toward　the　door。　Hermione　went　very　pink　and　muttered　something　about　not　meaning　that　she　wanted　to　leave。　Harry　and　Ron　grinned　at　each　other。　They　knew　Hermione　would　rather　eat　bubotuber　pus　than　miss　such　an　important　lesson。
　　　Moody　began　to　beckon　students　forward　in　turn　and　put　the　Imperius　Curse　upon　them。　Harry　watched　as；　one　by　one；　his　classmates　did　the　most　extraordinary　things　under　its　influence。　Dean　Thomas　hopped　three　times　around　the　room；　singing　the　national　anthem。　Lavender　Brown　imitated　a　squirrel。　Neville　performed　a　series　of　quite　astonishing　gymnastics　he　would　certainly　not　have　been　capable　of　in　his　normal　state。　Not　one　of　them　seemed　to　be　able　to　fight　off　the　curse；　and　each　of　them　recovered　only　when　Moody　had　removed　it。
　　　〃Potter；〃　Moody　growled；　〃you　next。〃
　　　Harry　moved　forward　into　the　middle　of　the　classroom；　into　the　space　that　Moody　had　cleared　of　desks。　Moody　raised　his　wand；　pointed　it　at　Harry；　and　said；　'1mperio！〃
　　　It　was　the　most　wonderful　feeling。　Harry　felt　a　floating　sensation　as　every　thought　and　worry　in　his　head　was　wiped　gently　away；　leaving　nothing　but　a　vague；　untraceable　happiness。　He　stood　there　feeling　immensely　relaxed；　only　dimly　aware　of　everyone　watching　him。
　　　And　then　he　heard　Mad…Eye　Moody's　voice；　echoing　in　some　distant　chamber　of　his　empty　brain：　Jump　onto　the　desk。。。　jump　onto　the　desk。。。
　　　Harry　bent　his　knees　obediently；　preparing　to　spring。
　　　Jump　onto　the　desk。。。
　　　Why；　though？　Another　voice　had　awoken　in　the　back　of　his　brain。
　　　Stupid　thing　to　do；　really；　said　the　voice。
　　　Jump　onto　the　desk。。。
　　　No；　I　don't　think　I　will；　thanks；　said　the　other　voice；　a　little　more　firmly。。。　no；　I　don't　really　want　to。
　　　Jump！　NOW！
　　　The　next　thing　Harry　felt　was　considerable　pain。　He　had　both　jumped　and　tried　to　prevent　himself　from　jumping…the　result　was　that　he'd　smashed　headlong　into　the　desk　knocking　it　over；　and；　by　the　feeling　in　his　legs；　fractured　both　his　kneecaps。
　　　〃Now；　that's　more　like　it！〃　growled　Moody's　voice；　and　suddenly；　Harry　felt　the　empty；　echoing　feeling　in　his　head　disappear。　He　remembered　exactly　what　was　happening；　and　the　pain　in　his　knees　seemed　to　double。
　　　〃Look　at　that；　you　lot。。。　Potter　fought！　He　fought　it；　and　he　damn　near　beat　it！　We'll　try　that　again；　Potter；　and　the　rest　of　you；　pay　attention…watch　his　eyes；　that's　where　you　see　it…very　good；　Potter；　very　good　indeed！　They'll　have　trouble　controlling　you！〃
　　　
　　　〃The　way　he　talks；〃　Harry　muttered　as　he　hobbled　out　of　the　Defense　Against　the　Dark　Arts　class　an　hour　later　（Moody　had　insisted　on　putting　Harry　through　his　paces　four　times　in　a　row；　until　Harry　could　throw　off　the　curse　entirely）；　〃you'd　think　we　were　all　going　to　be　attacked　any　second。〃
　　　〃Yeah；　I　know；〃　said　Ron；　who　was　skipping　on　every　alternate　step。　He　had　had　much　more　difficulty　with　the　curse　than　Harry；　though　Moody　assured　him　the　effects　would　wear　off　by　lunchtime。　〃Talk　about　paranoid。。。〃　Ron　glanced　nervously　over　his　shoulder　to　check　that　Moody　was　definitely　out　of　earshot　and　went　on。　〃No　wonder　they　were　glad　to　get　shot　of　him　at　the　Ministry。　Did　you　hear　him　telling　Seamus　what　he　did　to　that　witch　who　shouted　'Boo'　behind　him　on　April　Fools'　Day？　And　when　are　we　supposed　to　read　up　on　resisting　the　Imperius　Curse　with　everything　else　we've　got　to　do？〃
　　　All　the　fourth　years　had　noticed　a　definite　increase　in　the　amount　of　work　they　were　required　to　do　this　term。　Professor　McGonagall　explained　why；　when　the　class　gave　a　particularly　loud　groan　at　the　amount　of　Transfiguration　homework　she　had　assigned。
　　　〃You　are　now　entering　a　most　important　phase　of　your　magical　education！〃　she　told　them；　her　eyes　glinting　dangerously　behind　her　square　spectacles。　〃Your　Ordinary　Wizarding　Levels　are　drawing　closer…〃
　　　〃We　don't　take　O。　W。　L。　s　till　fifth　year！〃　s　aid　Dean　Thomas　indignantly。
　　　〃Maybe　not；　Thomas；　but　believe　me；　you　need　all　the　preparation　you　can　get！　Miss　Granger　remains　the　only　person　in　this　class　who　has　managed　to　turn　a　hedgehog　into　a　satisfactory　pincushion。　I　might　remind　you　that　your　pincushion；　Thomas；　still　curls　up　in　fright　if　anyone　approaches　it　with　a　pin！〃
　　　Hermione；　who　had　turned　rather　pink　again；　seemed　to　be　trying　not　to　look　too　pleased　with　herself。
　　　Harry　and　Ron　were　deeply　amused　when　Professor　Trelawney　told　them　that　they　had　received　top　marks　for　their　homework　in　their　next　Divination　class。　She　read　out　large　portions　of　their　predictions；　mending　them　for　their　unflinching　acceptance　of　the　horrors　in　store　for　them…but　they　were　less　amused　when　she　asked　them　to　do　the　same　thing　for　the　month　after　next；　both　of　them　were　running　out　of　ideas　for　catastrophes。
　　　Meanwhile　Professor　Binns；　the　ghost　who　taught　History　of　Magic；　had　them　writing　weekly　essays　on　the　goblin　rebellions　of　the　eighteenth　century。　Professor　Snape　was　forcing　them　to　research　antidotes。　They　took　this　one　seriously；　as　he　had　hinted　that　he　might　be　poisoning　one　of　them　before　Christmas　to　see　if　their　antidote　worked。　Professor　Flitwick　had　asked　them　to　read　three　extra　books　in　preparation　for　th