第8节

ner.Halfwayalongthenextcorridorheemergedintoawide，openspacewhereadozenwitchesａｎｄwizardssatinrowsatsmalldesksnotunlikeschooldesks，thoughmuchmorehighlypolishedａｎｄfreefromgraffiti.Harrypausedtowatchthem，fortheeffectwasquitemesmerizing.Theywereallwavingａｎｄtwiddlingtheirwａｎｄsinunison，ａｎｄsquaresofcoloredpaperwereflyingineverydirectionlikelittlepinkkites.Afterafewseconds，Harryrealizedthattherewasarhythmtotheproceedings，thatthepapersallformedthesamepatternａｎｄafterafewmoresecondsherealizedwhathewaswatchingwasthecreationofpamphlets–thatthepapersquareswerepages，which，whenassembled，foldedａｎｄmagickedintoplace，fellintoneatstacksbesideeachwitchorwizard.

Harrycreptcloser，althoughtheworkersweresointentonwhattheyweredoingthathedoubtedtheywouldnoticeacarpet-muffledfootstep，ａｎｄheslidacompletedpamphletfromthepilebesideayoungwitch.HeexamineditbeneaththeInvisibilityCloak.Itspinkcoverwasemblazonedwithagoldentitle:MudbloodsａｎｄtheDangersTheyPosetoaPeacefulPure-BloodSociety

Beneaththetitlewasapictureofaredrosewithasimperingfaceinthemiddleofitspetals，beingstrangledbyagreenweedwithfangsａｎｄascowl.Therewasnoauthor’snameuponthepamphlet，butagain，thescarsonthebackofhisrighthａｎｄseemedtotingleasheexaminedit.Thentheyoungwitchbesidehimconfirmedhissuspicionasshesaid，stillwavingａｎｄtwirlingherwａｎｄ，“WilltheoldhagbeinterrogatingMudbloodsallday，doesanyoneknow?”

“Careful，”saidthewizardbesideher，glancingaroundnervously;oneofhispagesslippedａｎｄfelltothefloor.

“What，hasshegotmagicearsaswellasaneye，now?”

Thewitchglancedtowardtheshiningmahoganydoorfacingthespacefullofpamphlet-makers;Harrylookedtoo，ａｎｄtheragerearedinhimlikeasnake.WheretheremighthavebeenapeepholeonaMugglefrontdoor，alarge，roundeyewithabrightblueirishadbeensetintothewood–aneyethatwasshockinglyfamiliartoanybodywhohadknownAlastorMoody.

ForasplitsecondHarryforgotwherehewasａｎｄwhathewasdoingthere:Heevenforgotthathewasinvisible.Hestrodestraightovertothedoortoexaminetheeye.Itwasnotmoving.Itgazedblindlyupward，frozen.Theplaquebeneathitread:DoloresUmbridgeSeniorUndersecretarytotheMinister

Belowthataslightlyshiniernewplaqueread:HeadoftheMuggle-BornRegistrationCommission

Harrylookedbackatthedozenpamphlet-makers:Thoughtheywereintentupontheirwork，hecouldhardlysupposethattheywouldnotnoticeifthedoorofanemptyofficeopenedinfrontofthem.Hethereforewithdrewfromaninnerpocketanoddobjectwithlittlewavinglegsａｎｄarubber-bulbedhornforabody.CrouchingdownbeneaththeCloak，heplacedtheDecoyDetonatorontheground.

Itscuttledawayatoncethroughthelegsofthewitchesａｎｄwizardsinfrontofhim.Afewmomentslater，duringwhichHarrywaitedwithhishａｎｄuponthedoorknob，therecamealoudbangａｎｄagreatdealofacridsmokebillowedfromacorner.Theyoungwitchinthefrontrowshrieked:Pinkpagesfleweverywhereassheａｎｄherfellowsjumpedup，lookingaroundforthesourceofthecommotion.Harryturnedthedoorknob，steppedintoUmbridge’soffice，ａｎｄclosedthedoorbehindhim.

Hefelthehadsteppedbackintime.TheroomwasexactlylikeUmbridge’sofficeatHogwarts:Lacedraperies，doiliesａｎｄdriedflowerscoveredeverysurface.Thewallsborethesameornamentalplates，eachfeaturingahighlycolored，beribbonedkitten，gambolingａｎｄfriskingwithsickeningcuteness.Thedeskwascoveredwithaflouncy，floweredcloth.BehindMad-eye’seye，atelescopicattachmentenabledUmbridgetospyontheworkersontheothersideofthedoor.HarrytookalookthroughitａｎｄsawthattheywereallstillgatheredaroundtheDecoyDetonator.Hewrenchedthetelescopeoutofthedoor，leavingaholebehind，pulledthemagicaleyeballoutofit，ａｎｄplaceditinhispocket.Theheturnedtofacetheroomagain，raisedhiswａｎｄ，ａｎｄmurmured，“AccioLocker.”

Nothinghappened，buthehadnotexpecteditto;nodoubtUmbridgeknewallaboutprotectivecharmsａｎｄspells.Hethereforehurriedbehindherdeskａｎｄbeganpullingopenallthedrawers.HesawquillsａｎｄnotebooksａｎｄSpellotape;enchantedpaperclipsthatcoiledsnakelikefromtheirdrawerａｎｄhadbebeatenback;afussylittlelaceboxfullofsparehairbowsａｎｄclips;butnosignofalocket.

Therewasafilingcabinetbehindthedesk:Harrysettosearchingit.LikeFilch’sfilingcabinetatHogwarts，itwasfulloffolders，eachlabeledwithaname.ItwasnotuntilHarryreachedthebottommostdrawerthathesawsomethingtodistracthimfromthesearch:Mr.Weasley’sfile.

Hepulleditoutａｎｄopenedit.ArthurWeasleyBloodStatus:Pureblood，butwithunacceptablepro-Muggleleanings.KnownmemberoftheOrderofthePhoenix.Family:Wife(pureblood)，sevenchildren，twoyoungestatHogwarts.NB:Youngestsoncurrentlyathome，seriouslyill，Ministryinspectorshaveconfirmed.SecurityStatus:TRACKED.Allmovementsarebeingmonitored.StronglikelihoodUndesirableNo.1willcontact(hasstayedwithWeasleyfamilypreviously)

“UndesirableNumberOne，”HarrymutteredunderhisbreathashereplacedMr.Weasley’sfolderａｎｄshutthedrawer.Hehadanideaheknewwhothatwas，ａｎｄsureenough，ashestraightenedupａｎｄglancedaroundtheofficeforfreshhidingplaceshesawaposterofhimselfonthewall，withthewordsUNDESIRABLENO.1emblazonedacrosshischest.Alittlepinknotewasstucktoitwithapictureofakitteninthecorner.HarrymovedacrosstoreaditａｎｄsawthatUmbridgehadwritten，“Tobepunished.”

Angrierthanever，heproceededtogropeinthebottomsofthevasesａｎｄbasketsofdriedflowers，butwasnotatallsurprisedthatthelocketwasnotthere.Hegavetheofficeonelastsweepinglook，ａｎｄhisheartskippedabeat.Dumbledorewasstaringathimfromasmallrectangularmirror，proppeduponabookcasebesidethedesk.

Harrycrossedtheroomatarunａｎｄsnatcheditup，butrealizedthatthemomenthetoucheditthatitwasnotamirroratall.Dumbledorewassmilingwistfullyoutofthefrontcoverofaglossybook.Harryhadnotimmediatelynoticedthecurlygreenwritingacrosshishat–TheLifeａｎｄLiesofAlbusDumbledore–northeslightlysmallerwritingacrosshischest:“byRitaSkeeter，bestsellingauthorofArmａｎｄoDippet:MasterorMoron?”

Harryopenedthebookatrａｎｄomａｎｄsawafull-pagephotographoftwoteenageboys，bothlaughingimmoderatelywiththeirarmsaroundeachother’sshoulders.Dumbledore，nowwithelbow-lengthhair，hadgrownatinywispybeardthatrecalledtheoneonKrum’schinthathadsoannoyedRon.TheboywhoroaredinsilentamusementbesideDumbledorehadagleeful，wildlookabouthim.Hisgoldenhairfellincurlstohisshoulders.HarrywonderedwhetheritwasayoungDoge，butbeforehecouldcheckthecaption，thedooroftheofficeopened.

IfThicknessehadnotbeenlookingoverhisshoulderasheentered，HarrywouldnothavehadtimetopulltheInvisibilityCloakoverhimself.Asitwas，hethoughtThicknessemighthavecaughtaglimpseofmovement，becauseforamomentortwoheremainedquitestill，staringcuriouslyattheplacewhereHarryhadjustvanished.PerhapsdecidingthatthatallhehadseenwasDumbledorescratchinghisnoseonthefrontofthebook，forHarryhadhastilyreplaceditupontheshelf.Thicknessefinallywalkedtothedeskａｎｄpointedhiswａｎｄatthequillstａｎｄingreadyintheinkpot.ItsprangoutａｎｄbeganscribblinganotetoUmbridge.Veryslowly，hardlydaringtobreathe，Harrybackedoutoftheofficeintotheopenareabeyond.

Thepamphlet-makerswerestillclusteredaroundtheremainsoftheDecoyDetonator，whichcontinuedtohootfeeblyasitsmoked.Harryhurriedoffupthecorridorastheyoungwitchsaid，“IbetitsneakedupherefromExperimentalCharms，they’resocareless，rememberthatpoisonousduck?”

Speedingbacktowardthelifts，Harryreviewedhisoptions.IthadneverbeenlikelythatthelocketwashereattheMinistry，ａｎｄtherewasnohopeofbewitchingitswhereaboutsoutofUmbridgewhileshewassittinginacrowdedcourt.TheirprioritynowhadtobetoleavetheMinistrybeforetheywereexposed，ａｎｄtryagainanotherday.ThefirstthingtodowastofindRon，ａｎｄthentheycouldworkoutawayofextractingHermionefromthecourtroom.

Theliftwasemptywhenitarrived.HarryjumpedinａｎｄpulledofftheInvisibilityCloakasitstarteditsdescent.Tohisenormousrelief，whenitrattledtoahaltatleveltwo，asoaking-wetａｎｄwild-eyedRongotin.

“M-morning，”hestammeredtoHarryastheliftsetoffagain.

“Ron，it’sme，Harry!”

“Harry!Blimey，Iforgotwhatyoulookedlike–whyisn’tHermionewithyou?”

“ShehadtogodowntothecourtroomswithUmbridge，shecouldn’trefuse，ａｎｄ–“

ButbeforeHarrycouldfinishthelifthadstoppedagain.ThedoorsopenedａｎｄMr.Weasleywalkedinside，talkingtoanelderlywitchwhoseblondehairwasteasedsohighitresembledananthill.

“…Iquiteunderstａｎｄwhatyou’resaying，Wakａｎｄa，butI’mafraidIcannotbepartyto–“

Mr.Weasleybrokeoff;hehadnoticedHarry.ItwasverystrangetohaveMr.Weasleyglareathimwiththatmuchdislike.Theliftdoorsclosedａｎｄthefourofthemtrundleddownwardoncemore.

“Ohhello，Reg，”saidMr