第3节

adjetblackhairpulledintoahighbun.Herfacehadacarvedqualityaboutit.HarrythoughtofphotosofNativeAmericanshe’dseenashestudiedherdarkeyes，highcheekbones，ａｎｄstraightnose，formallycomposedaboveahigh-neckedsilkgown.AlbusａｎｄAberforthworematchinglacycollaredjacketsａｎｄhadidentical，shoulder-lengthhairstyles.Albuslookedseveralyearsolder，butotherwisethetwoboyslookedveryalike，forthiswasbeforeAlbus’snosehadbeenbrokenａｎｄbeforehestartedwearingglasses.Thefamilylookedquitehappyａｎｄnormal，smilingserenelyupoutofthenewspaper.BabyAriana’sarmwavedvaguelyoutofhershawl.Harrylookedabovethepictureａｎｄsawtheheadline:

EXCLUSIVEEXTRACTFROMUPCOMING

BIOGRAPHYOFALBUS

byRitaSkeeterThinkingitcouldhardlymakehimfeelanyworsethanhealreadydid，Harrybegantoread:Proudａｎｄhaughty，KendraDumbledorecouldnotbeartoremaininMould-on-the-WoldafterherhusbａｎｄPercival’swell-publicizedarrestａｎｄimprisonmentinAzkaban.ShethereforedecidedtouprootthefamilyａｎｄrelocatetoGodric’sHollow，thevillagethatwaslatertogainfameasthesceneofHarryPotter’sstrangeescapefromYou-Know-Who.

LikeMould-on-the-Wold，Godric’sHollowwashometoanumberofWizardingfamilies，butasKendraknewnoneofthem，shewouldbesparedthecuriosityaboutherhusbａｎｄ’scrimeshehadfacedinherformervillage.ByrepeatedlyrebuffingthefriendlyadvancesofhernewWizardingneighbors，shesoonensuredthatherfamilywasleftwellalone.

“SlammedthedoorinmyfacewhenIwentaroundtowelcomeherwithabatchofhomemadeCauldronCakes，”saysBathildaBagshot.“ThefirstyeartheywerethereIonlyeversawthetwoboys.Wouldn’thaveknowntherewasadaughterifIhadn’tbeenpickingPlangentinesbymoonlightthewinteraftertheymovedin，ａｎｄsawKendraleadingArianaoutintothebackgarden.Walkedherroundthelawnonce，keepingafirmgriponher，thentookherbackinside.Didn’tknowwhattomakeofit.”

ItseemsthatKendrathoughtthemovetoGodric’sHollowwastheperfectopportunitytohideArianaonceａｎｄforall，somethingshehadprobablybeenplanningforyears.Thetimingwassignificant.Arianawasbarelysevenyearsoldwhenshevanishedfromsight，ａｎｄsevenistheagebywhichmostexpertsagreethatmagicwillhaverevealeditself，ifpresent.NobodynowaliveremembersArianaeverdemonstratingeventheslightestsignofmagicalability.Itseemsclear，therefore，thatKendramadeadecisiontohideherdaughter’sexistenceratherthansuffertheshameofadmittingthatshehadproducedaSquib.MovingawayfromthefriendsａｎｄneighborswhoknewArianawould，ofcourse，makeimprisoningheralltheeasier.ThetinynumberofpeoplewhohenceforthknewofAriana’sexistencecouldbecountedupontokeepthesecret，includinghertwobrothers，whohaddeflectedawkwardquestionswiththeanswertheirmotherhadtaughtthem.“Mysisteristoofrailforschool.”

Nextweek:AlbusDumbledoreatHogwarts–thePrizesａｎｄthePretense.

Harryhadbeenwrong:Whathehadreadhadindeedmadehimfeelworse.Helookedbackatthephotographoftheapparentlyhappyfamily.Wasittrue?Howcouldhefindout?HewantedtogotoGodric’sHollow，evenifBathildawasinnofitstatetotalktohim:hewantedtovisittheplacewhereheａｎｄDumbledorehadbothlostlovedones.Hewasintheprocessofloweringthenewspaper，toaskRon’sａｎｄHermione’sopinions，whenadeafeningcrackechoedaroundthekitchen.

ForthefirsttimeinthreedaysHarryhadforgottenallaboutKreacher.HisimmediatethoughtwasthatLupinhadburstbackintotheroom，ａｎｄforasplitsecond，hedidnottakeinthemassofstrugglinglimbsthathadappearedoutofthinairrightbesidehischair.HehurriedtohisfeetasKreacherdisentangledhimselfａｎｄ，bowinglowtoHarry，croaked，“KreacherhasreturnedwiththethiefMundungusFletcher，Master.”

Mundungusscrambledupａｎｄpulledouthiswａｎｄ;Hermione，however，wastooquickforhim.

“Expelliarmus!”

Mundungus’swａｎｄsoaredintotheair，ａｎｄHermionecaughtit.Wild-eyed，Mundungusdivedforthestairs.Ronrugby-tackledhimａｎｄMundungushitthestonefloorwithamuffledcrunch.

“What?”hebellowed，writhinginhisattemptstofreehimselffromRon’sgrip.“Wha’veIdone?Settingableedin’‘house-elfonme，whatareyouplayingat，wha’veIdone，lemmego，lemmego，of–”

“You’renotinmuchofapositiontomakethreats，”saidHarry.Hethrewasidethenewspaper，crossedthekitcheninafewstrides，ａｎｄdroppedtohiskneesbesideMundungus，whostoppedstrugglingａｎｄlookedterrified.Rongotup，panting，ａｎｄwatchedasHarrypointedhiswａｎｄdeliberatelyatMundungus’snose.Mundungusstankofstalesweatａｎｄtobaccosmoke.Hishairwasmattedａｎｄhisrobesstained.

“Kreacherapologizesforthedelayinbringingthethief，Master，”croakedtheelf.“Fletcherknowshowtoavoidcapture，hasmanyhidey-holesａｎｄaccomplices.Nevertheless，Kreachercorneredthethiefintheend.”

“You’vedonereallywell，Kreacher，”saidHarry，ａｎｄtheelfbowedlow.

“Right，we’vegotafewquestionsforyou，”HarrytoldMundungus，whoshoutedatonce.

“Ipanicked，okay?Ineverwantedtocomealong，nooffense，mate，butInevervolunteeredtodieforyou，an’thatwasbleedin’You-Know-Whocomeflyingatme，anyonewouldagotouttathere.IsaidallalongIdidn’twannadoit–”

“Foryourinformation，noneoftherestofusDisapparated，”saidHermione.

“Well，you’reabunchofbleedin’‘eroesthen，aren’tyou，butIneverpretendedIwasupforkillingmeself–”

“We’renotinterestedinwhyyouranoutonMad-Eye，”saidHarry，movinghiswａｎｄalittleclosertoMundungus’sbaggy，bloodshoteyes.“Wealreadyknewyouwereanunreliablebitofscum.”

“Wellthen，whythe‘ellamIbeing‘unteddownby‘ouse-elves?Oristhisaboutthemgobletsagain?Iain’tgotnoneof‘emleft，oryoucould‘ave‘em–”

“It’snotaboutthegobletseither，althoughyou’regettingwarmer，”saidHarry.“Shutupａｎｄlisten.”

Itfeltwonderfultohavesomethingtodo，someoneofwhomhecoulddemａｎｄsomesmallportionoftruth.Harry’swａｎｄwasnowsoclosetothebridgeofMundungus’snosethatMundungushadgonecross-eyedtryingtokeepitinview.

“Whenyoucleanedoutthishouseofanythingvaluable，”Harrybegan，butMundungusinterruptedhimagain.