jkrowling.harrypotterandgf-第81章

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　　　〃Hey…Harry！〃
　　　It　was　Cedric　Diggory。　Harry　could　see　Cho　waiting　for　him　in　the　entrance　hall　below。
　　　〃Yeah？〃　said　Harry　coldly　as　Cedric　ran　up　the　stairs　toward　him。
　　　Cedric　looked　as　though　he　didn't　want　to　say　whatever　it　was　in　front　of　Ron；　who　shrugged；　looking　bad…tempered；　and　continued　to　climb　the　stairs。
　　　〃Listen　。。。〃　Cedric　lowered　his　voice　as　Ron　disappeared。　〃I　owe　you　one　for　telling　me　about　the　dragons。　You　know　that　golden　egg？　Does　yours　wail　when　you　open　it？〃
　　　〃Yeah；〃　said　Harry。
　　　〃Well。。。　take　a　bath；　okay？〃
　　　〃What？〃
　　　〃Take　a　bath；　and…er…take　the　egg　with　you；　and…er…just　mull　things　over　in　the　hot　water。　It'll　help　you　think。。。　Trust　me。〃
　　　Harry　stared　at　him。
　　　〃Tell　you　what；〃　Cedric　said；　〃use　the　prefects'　bathroom。　Fourth　door　to　the　left　of　that　statue　of　Boris　the　Bewildered　on　the　fifth　floor。　Password's　'pine　fresh。　'　Gotta　go　。。。want　to　say　good　night…〃
　　　He　grinned　at　Harry　again　and　hurried　back　down　the　stairs　to　Cho。
　　　Harry　walked　back　to　Gryffindor　Tower　alone。　That　had　been　extremely　strange　advice。　Why　would　a　bath　help　him　to　work　out　what　the　wailing　egg　meant？　Was　Cedric　pulling　his　leg？　Was　he　trying　to　make　Harry　look　like　a　fool；　so　Cho　would　like　him　even　more　by　parison？
　　　The　Fat　Lady　and　her　friend　Vi　were　snoozing　in　the　picture　over　the　portrait　hole。　Harry　had　to　yell　〃Fairy　lights！〃　before　he　woke　them　up；　and　when　he　did；　they　were　extremely　irritated。　He　climbed　into　the　mon　room　and　found　Ron　and　Hermione　having　a　blazing　row。　Standing　ten　feet　apart；　they　were　bellowing　at　each　other；　each　scarlet　in　the　face。
　　　〃Well；　if　you　don't　like　it；　you　know　what　the　solution　is；　don't　you？〃　yelled　Hermione；　her　hair　was　ing　down　out　of　its　elegant　bun　now；　and　her　face　was　screwed　up　in　anger。
　　　〃Oh　yeah？〃　Ron　yelled　back。　〃What's　that？〃
　　　〃Next　time　there's　a　ball；　ask　me　before　someone　else　does；　and　not　as　a　last　resort！〃
　　　Ron　mouthed　soundlessly　like　a　goldfish　out　of　water　as　Hermione　turned　on　her　heel　and　stormed　up　the　girls'　staircase　to　bed。　Ron　turned　to　look　at　Harry。
　　　〃Well；〃　he　sputtered；　looking　thunderstruck；　〃well…that　just　proves…pletely　missed　the　point…〃
　　　Harry　didn't　say　anything。　He　liked　being　back　on　speaking　terms　with　Ron　too　much　to　speak　his　mind　right　now…but　he　somehow　thought　that　Hermione　had　gotten　the　point　much　better　than　Ron　had。
　　　
　　　
　　　CHAPTER　TWENTY…FOUR
　　　RITA　SKEETER'S　SCOOP
　　　
　　　Everybody　got　up　late　on　Boxing　Day。　The　Gryffindor　mon　room　was　much　quieter　than　it　had　been　lately；　many　yawns　punctuating　the　lazy　conversations。　Hermione's　hair　was　bushy　again；　she　confessed　to　Harry　that　she　had　used　liberal　amounts　of　Sleekeazy's　Hair　Potion　on　it　for　the　ball；　〃but　it's　way　too　much　bother　to　do　every　day；〃　she　said　matter…of…factly；　scratching　a　purring　Crookshanks　behind　the　ears。
　　　Ron　and　Hermione　seemed　to　have　reached　an　unspoken　agreement　not　to　discuss　their　argument。　They　were　being　quite　friendly　to　each　other；　though　oddly　formal。　Ron　and　Harry　wasted　no　time　in　telling　Hermione　about　the　conversation　they　had　overheard　between　Madame　Maxime　and　Hagrid；　but　Hermione　didn't　seem　to　find　the　news　that　Hagrid　was　a　half…giant　nearly　as　shocking　as　Ron　did。
　　　〃Well；　I　thought　he　must　be；〃　she　said；　shrugging。　〃I　knew　he　couldn't　be　pure　giant　because　they're　about　twenty　feet　tall。　But　honestly；　all　this　hysteria　about　giants。　They　can't　all　be　horrible。。。　It's　the　same　sort　of　prejudice　that　people　have　toward　werewolves。。。　It's　just　bigotry；　isn't　it？〃
　　　Ron　looked　as　though　he　would　have　liked　to　reply　scathingly；　but　perhaps　he　didn't　want　another　row；　because　he　contented　himself　with　shaking　his　head　disbelievingly　while　Hermione　wasn't　looking。
　　　It　was　time　now　to　think　of　the　homework　they　had　neglected　during　the　first　week　of　the　holidays。　Everybody　seemed　to　be　feeling　rather　flat　now　that　Christmas　was　over…everybody　except　Harry；　that　is；　who　was　starting　（once　again）　to　feel　slightly　nervous。
　　　The　trouble　was　that　February　the　twenty…fourth　looked　a　lot　closer　from　this　side　of　Christmas；　and　he　still　hadn't　done　anything　about　working　out　the　clue　inside　the　golden　egg。　He　therefore　started　taking　the　egg　out　of　his　trunk　every　time　he　went　up　to　the　dormitory；　opening　it；　and　listening　intently；　hoping　that　this　time　it　would　make　some　sense。　He　strained　to　think　what　the　sound　reminded　him　of；　apart　from　thirty　musical　saws；　but　he　had　never　heard　anything　else　like　it。　He　closed　the　egg；　shook　it　vigorously；　and　opened　it　again　to　see　if　the　sound　had　changed；　but　it　hadn't。　He　tried　asking　the　egg　questions；　shouting　over　all　the　wailing；　but　nothing　happened。　He　even　threw　the　egg　across　the　room…though　he　hadn't　really　expected　that　to　help。
　　　Harry　had　not　forgotten　the　hint　that　Cedric　had　given　him；　but　his　less…than…friendly　feelings　toward　Cedric　just　now　meant　that　he　was　keen　not　to　take　his　help　if　he　could　avoid　it。　In　any　case；　it　seemed　to　him　that　if　Cedric　had　really　wanted　to　give　Harry　a　hand；　he　would　have　been　a　lot　more　explicit。　He；　Harry；　had　told　Cedric　exactly　what　was　ing　in　the　first　task…and　Cedric's　idea　of　a　fair　exchange　had　been　to　tell　Harry　to　take　a　bath。　Well；　he　didn't　need　that　sort　of　rubbishy　help…not　from　someone　who　kept　walking　down　corridors　hand　in　hand　with　Cho；　anyway。　And　so　the　first　day　of　the　new　term　arrived；　and　Harry　set　off　to　lessons；　weighed　down　with　books；　parchment；　and　quills　as　usual；　but　also　with　the　lurking　worry　of　the　egg　heavy　in　his　stomach；　as　though　he　were　carrying　that　around　with　him　too。
　　　Snow　was　still　thick　upon　the　grounds；　and　the　greenhouse　windows　were　covered　in　condensation　so　thick　that　they　couldn't　see　out　of　them　in　Herbology。　Nobody　was　looking　forward　to　Care　of　Magical　Creatures　much　in　this　weather；　though　as　Ron　said；　the　skrewts　would　probably　warm　them　up　nicely；　either　by　chasing　them；　or　blasting　off　so　forcefully　that　Hagrid's　cabin　would　catch　fire。
　　　When　they　arrived　at　Hagrid　's　cabin；　however；　they　found　an　elderly　witch　with　closely　cropped　gray　hair　and　a　very　prominent　chin　standing　before　his　front　door。
　　　〃Hurry　up；　now；　the　bell　rang　five　minutes　ago；〃　she　barked　at　them　as　they　struggled　toward　her　through　the　snow。
　　　〃Who're　you？〃　said　Ron；　staring　at　her。　〃Wheres　Hagrid？〃
　　　〃My　name　is　Professor　Grubbly…Plank；〃　she　said　briskly。　〃I　am　your　temporary　Care　of　Magical　Creatures　teacher。〃
　　　〃Where's　Hagrid？〃　Harry　repeated　loudly。
　　　〃He　is　indisposed；〃　said　Professor　Grubbly…Plank　shortly。
　　　Soft　and　unpleasant　laughter　reached　Harrys　ears。　He　turned；　Draco　Malfoy　and　the　rest　of　the　Slytherins　were　joining　the　class。　All　of　them　looked　gleeful；　and　none　of　them　looked　surprised　to　see　Professor　Grubbly…Plank。
　　　〃This　way；　please；〃　said　Professor　Grubbly…Plank；　and　she　strode　off　around　the　paddock　where　the　Beauxbatons　horses　were　shivering。　Harry；　Ron；　and　Hermione　followed　her；　looking　back　over　their　shoulders　at　Hagrid's　cabin。　All　the　curtains　were　closed。　Was　Hagrid　in　there；　alone　and　ill？
　　　〃What's　wrong　with　Hagrid？〃　Harry　said；　hurrying　to　catch　up　with　Professor　Grubbly…Plank。
　　　〃Never　you　mind；〃　she　said　as　though　she　thought　he　was　being　nosy。
　　　〃I　do　mind；　though；〃　said　Harry　hotly。　〃What's　up　with　him？〃
　　　Professor　Grubbly…Plank　acted　as　though　she　couldn't　hear　him。　She　led　them　past　the　paddock　where　the　huge　Beauxbatons　horses　were　standing；　huddled　against　the　cold；　and　toward　a　tree　on　the　edge　of　the　forest；　where　a　large　and　beautiful　unicorn　was　tethered。
　　　Many　of　the　girls　〃ooooohed！〃　at　the　sight　of　the　unicorn。
　　　〃Oh　it's　so　beautiful！〃　whispered　Lavender　Brown。　〃How　did　she　get　it？　They're　supposed　to　be　really　hard　to　catch！〃
　　　The　unicorn　was　so　brightly　white　it　made　the　snow　all　around　look　gray。　It　was　pawing　the　ground　nervously　with　its　golden　hooves　and　throwing　back　its　horned　head。
　　　〃Boys　keep　back！〃　barked　Professor　Grubbly…Plank；　throwing　out　an　arm　and　catching　Harry　hard　in　the　chest。　〃They　prefer　the　woman's　touch；　unicorns。　Girls　to　the　front；　and　approach　with　care；　e　on；　easy　does　it。。。〃
　　　She　and　the　girls　walked　slowly　forward　toward　the　unicorn