jkrowling.harrypotterandgf-第63章

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dragons　do　their　stuff。〃
　　　〃Right…these　dragons；〃　said　Sirius；　speaking　very　quickly　now。　〃There's　a　way；　Harry。　Don't　be　tempted　to　try　a　Stunning　Spell…dragons　are　strong　and　too　powerfully　magical　to　be　knocked　out　by　a　single　Stunner；　you　need　about　half　a　dozen　wizards　at　a　time　to　overe　a　dragon…〃
　　　〃Yeah；　I　know；　I　just　saw；〃　said　Harry。
　　　〃But　you　can　do　it　alone；〃　said　Sirius。　〃There　is　away；　and　a　simple　spell's　all　you　need。　Just…〃
　　　But　Harry　held　up　a　hand　to　silence　him；　his　heart　suddenly　pounding　as　though　it　would　burst。　He　could　hear　footsteps　ing　down　the　spiral　staircase　behind　him。
　　　〃Go！〃　he　hissed　at　Sirius。　〃　Go！　There's　someone　ing！〃
　　　Harry　scrambled　to　his　feet；　hiding　the　fire…if　someone　saw　Sirius's　face　within　the　walls　of　Hogwarts；　they　would　raise　an　almighty　uproar…the　Ministry　would　get　dragged　in…he；　Harry；　would　be　questioned　about　Sirius's　whereabouts…
　　　Harry　heard　a　tiny　pop！　in　the　fire　behind　him　and　knew　Sirius　had　gone。　He　watched　the　bottom　of　the　spiral　staircase。　Who　had　decided　to　go　for　a　stroll　at　one　o'clock　in　the　morning；　and　stopped　Sirius　from　telling　him　how　to　get　past　a　dragon？
　　　It　was　Ron。　Dressed　in　his　maroon　paisley　pajamas；　Ron　stopped　dead　facing　Harry　across　the　room；　and　looked　around。
　　　〃Who　were　you　talking　to？〃　he　said。
　　　〃What's　that　got　to　do　with　you？〃　Harry　snarled。　〃What　are　you　doing　down　here　at　this　time　of　night？〃
　　　〃I　just　wondered　where　you…〃　Ron　broke　off；　shrugging。　〃Nothing。　I'm　going　back　to　bed。〃
　　　〃Just　thought　you'd　e　nosing　around；　did　you？〃　Harry　shouted。　He　knew　that　Ron　had　no　idea　what　he'd　walked　in　on；　knew　he　hadn't　done　it　on　purpose；　but　he　didn't　care…at　this　moment　he　hated　everything　about　Ron；　right　down　to　the　several　inches　of　bare　ankle　showing　beneath　his　pajama　trousers。
　　　〃Sorry　about　that；〃　said　Ron；　his　face　reddening　with　anger。　〃Should've　realized　you　didn't　want　to　be　disturbed。　I'll　let　you　get　on　with　practicing　for　your　next　interview　in　peace。〃
　　　Harry　seized　one　of　the　POTTER　REALLY　STINKS　badges　off　the　table　and　chucked　it；　as　hard　as　he　could；　across　the　room。　It　hit　Ron　on　the　forehead　and　bounced　off。
　　　〃There　you　go；〃　Harry　said。　〃Something　for　you　to　wear　on　Tuesday。　You　might　even　have　a　scar　now；　if　yon're　lucky。。。　That's　what　you　want；　isn't　it？〃
　　　He　strode　across　the　room　toward　the　stairs；　he　half　expected　Ron　to　stop　him；　he　would　even　have　liked　Ron　to　throw　a　punch　at　him；　but　Ron　just　stood　there　in　his　too…small　pajamas；　and　Harry；　having　stormed　upstairs；　lay　awake　in　bed　fuming　for　a　long　time　afterward　and　didn't　hear　him　e　up　to　bed。
　　　
　　　
　　　CHAPTER　TWENTY
　　　THE　FIRST　TASK
　　　
　　　Harry　got　up　on　Sunday　morning　and　dressed　so　inattentively　that　it　was　a　while　before　he　realized　he　was　trying　to　pull　his　hat　onto　his　foot　instead　of　his　sock。　When　he'd　finally　got　all　his　clothes　on　the　right　parts　of　his　body；　he　hurried　off　to　find　Hermione；　locating　her　at　the　Gryffindor　table　in　the　Great　Hall；　where　she　was　eating　breakfast　with　Ginny。　Feeling　too　queasy　to　eat；　Harry　waited　until　Hermione　had　swallowed　her　last　spoonful　of　porridge；　then　dragged　her　out　onto　the　grounds。　There；　he　told　her　all　about　the　dragons；　and　about　everything　Sirius　had　said；　while　they　took　another　long　walk　around　the　lake。
　　　Alarmed　as　she　was　by　Sirius's　warnings　about　Karkaroff；　Hermione　still　thought　that　the　dragons　were　the　more　pressing　problem。
　　　〃Let's　just　try　and　keep　you　alive　until　Tuesday　evening；〃　she　said　desperately；　〃and　then　we　can　worry　about　Karkaroff。〃
　　　They　walked　three　times　around　the　lake；　trying　all　the　way　to　think　of　a　simple　spell　that　would　subdue　a　dragon。　Nothing　whatsoever　occurred　to　them；　so　they　retired　to　the　library　instead。　Here；　Harry　pulled　down　every　book　he　could　find　on　dragons；　and　both　of　them　set　to　work　searching　through　the　large　pile。
　　　〃Talon…clipping　by　charms。。。　treating　scale…rot。。。　'　This　is　no　good；　this　is　for　nutters　like　Hagrid　who　want　to　keep　them　healthy。。。
　　　〃Dragons　are　extremely　difficult　to　slay；　owing　to　the　ancient　magic　that　imbues　their　thick　hides；　which　none　but　the　most　powerful　spells　can　penetrate。。。　'　But　Sirius　said　a　simple　one　would　do　it。。。
　　　〃Let's　try　some　simple　spellbooks；　then；〃　said　Harry；　throwing　aside　Men　Who　Love　Dragons　Too　Much。
　　　He　returned　to　the　table　with　a　pile　of　spellbooks；　set　them　down；　and　began　to　flick　through　each　in　turn；　Hermione　whispering　nonstop　at　his　elbow。
　　　〃Well；　there　are　Switching　Spells。。。　but　what's　the　point　of　Switching　it？　Unless　you　swapped　its　fangs　for　wine…gums　or　something　that　would　make　it　less　dangerous。。。　The　trouble　is；　like　that　book　said；　not　much　is　going　to　get　through　a　dragon's　hide。。。　I'd　say　Transfigure　it；　but　something　that　big；　you　really　haven't　got　a　hope；　I　doubt　even　Professor　McGonagall。。。　unless　you're　supposed　to　put　the　spell　on　yourself？　Maybe　to　give　yourself　extra　powers？　But　they're　not　simple　spells；　I　mean；　we　haven't　done　any　of　those　in　class；　I　only　know　about　them　because　I've　been　doing　O。　W。　L。　practice　papers。。。〃
　　　〃Hermione；〃　Harry　said；　through　gritted　teeth；　〃will　you　shut　up　for　a　bit；　please？　I　m　trying　to　concentrate。〃
　　　But　all　that　happened；　when　Hermione　fell　silent；　was　that　Harry's　brain　filled　with　a　sort　of　blank　buzzing；　which　didn't　seem　to　allow　room　for　concentration。　He　stared　hopelessly　down　the　index　of　Basic　Hexes　for　the　Busy　and　Vexed。　Instant　scalping。。。　but　dragons　had　no　hair。。。　pepper　breath。。。　that　would　probably　increase　a　dragon's　firepower。。。　horn　tongue。。。　just　what　he　needed；　to　give　it　an　extra　weapon。。。
　　　〃Oh　no；　he's　back　again；　why　can't　he　read　on　his　stupid　ship？〃　said　Hermione　irritably　as　Viktor　Krum　slouched　in；　cast　a　surly　look　over　at　the　pair　of　them；　and　settled　himself　in　a　distant　corner　with　a　pile　of　books。　〃e　on；　Harry；　we'll　go　back　to　the　mon　room。。。　his　fan　club'll　be　here　in　a　moment；　twittering　away。。。〃
　　　And　sure　enough；　as　they　left　the　library；　a　gang　of　girls　tiptoed　past　them；　one　of　them　wearing　a　Bulgaria　scarf　tied　around　her　waist。
　　　
　　　Harry　barely　slept　that　night。　When　he　awoke　on　Monday　morning；　he　seriously　considered　for　the　first　time　ever　just　running　away　from　Hogwarts。　But　as　he　looked　around　the　Great　Hall　at　breakfast　time；　and　thought　about　what　leaving　the　castle　would　mean；　he　knew　he　couldn't　do　it。　It　was　the　only　place　he　had　ever　been　happy。。。　well；　he　supposed　he　must　have　been　happy　with　his　parents　too；　but　he　couldn't　remember　that。
　　　Somehow；　the　knowledge　that　he　would　rather　be　here　and　facing　a　dragon　than　back　on　Privet　Drive　with　Dudley　was　good　to　know；　it　made　him　feel　slightly　calmer。　He　finished　his　bacon　with　difficulty　（his　throat　wasn't　working　too　well）；　and　as　he　and　Hermione　got　up；　he　saw　Cedric　Diggory　leaving　the　Hufflepuff　table。
　　　Cedric　still　didn't　know　about　the　dragons。。。　the　only　champion　who　didn't；　if　Harry　was　right　in　thinking　that　Maxime　and　Karkaroff　would　have　told　Fleur　and　Krum。。。
　　　〃Hermione；　I'll　see　you　in　the　greenhouses；〃　Harry　said；　ing　to　his　decision　as　he　watched　Cedric　leaving　the　Hall。　〃Go　on；　I'll　catch　you　up。〃
　　　〃Harry；　you'll　be　late；　the　bell's　about　to　ring…〃
　　　〃I'll　catch　you　up；　okay？〃
　　　By　the　time　Harry　reached　the　bottom　of　the　marble　staircase；　Cedric　was　at　the　top。　He　was　with　a　load　of　sixth…year　friends。　Harry　didn't　want　to　talk　to　Cedric　in　front　of　them；　they　were　among　those　who　had　been　quoting　Rita　Skeeter's　article　at　him　every　time　he　went　near　them。　He　followed　Cedric　at　a　distance　and　saw　that　he　was　heading　toward　the　Charms　corridor。　This　gave　Harry　an　idea。　Pausing　at　a　distance　from　them；　he　pulled　out　his　wand；　and　took　careful　aim。
　　　〃Diffindo！〃
　　　Cedric's　bag　split。　Parchment；　quills；　and　books　spilled　out　of　it　onto　the　floor。　Several　bottles　of　ink　smashed。
　　　〃Don't　bother；〃　said　Cedric　in　an　exasperated　voice　as　his　friends　bent　down　to　help　him。　〃Tell　Flitwick　I'm　ing；　go　on。。。
　　　This　was　exactly　what　Harry　had　been　hoping　for。　He　slipped　his　wand　back　into　his　robes；　waited　until　Cedric's　friends　had　disappeared　into　their　classroom；　and　hurried　up　the　corridor；　which　was　now　empty　of　everyone　but