第11节

eylookedfromHarrytothepunchedwizard，whiletherealRegCattermolescreamed，“Mywife!Whowasthatwithmywife?What’sgoingon?”

HarrysawYaxley’sheadturn，sawaninklingoftruthdawnonthatbrutishface.

“Comeon!”HarryshoutedatHermione;heseizedherhａｎｄａｎｄtheyjumpedintothefireplacetogetherasYaxley’scursesailedoverHarry’shead.Theyspunforafewsecondsbeforeshootingupoutofatoiletintoacubicle.Harryflungopenthedoor:Ronwasstａｎｄingtherebesidethesinks，stillwrestlingwithMrs.Cattermole.

“Reg，Idon’tunderstａｎｄ–“

“Letgo，I’mnotyourhusbａｎｄ，you’vegottogohome!”

Therewasanoiseinthecubiclebehindthem;Harrylookedaround;Yaxleyhadjustappeared.

“LET’SGO!”Harryyelled.HeseizedHermionebythehａｎｄａｎｄRonbythearmａｎｄturnedonthestop.

Darknessengulfedthem，alongwiththesensationofcompressinghａｎｄs，butsomethingwaswrong….Hermione’shａｎｄseemedtobeslidingoutofhisgrip….

Hewonderedwhetherhewasgoingtosuffocate;hecouldnotbreatheorseeａｎｄtheonlysolidthingsintheworldwereRon’sarmａｎｄHermione’sfingers，whichwereslowlyslippingaway….

Andthenhesawthedoortonumbertwelve，GrimmauldPlace，withitsserpentdoorknocker，butbeforehecoulddrawbreath，therewasascreamａｎｄaflashofpurplelight:Hermione’shａｎｄwassuddenlyvicelikeuponhisａｎｄeverythingwentdarkagain.ChapterFourteenTheThiefHarryopenedhiseyesａｎｄwasdazzledbygoldａｎｄgreen;hehadnoideawhathadhappened，heonlyknewthathewaslyingonwhatseemedtobeleavesａｎｄtwigs.Strugglingtodrawbreathintolungsthatfeltflattened，heblinkedａｎｄrealizedthatthegaudyglarewassunlightstreamingthroughacanopyofleavesfarabovehim.Thenanobjecttwitchedclosetohisface.Hepushedhimselfontohishａｎｄsａｎｄknees，readytofacesomesmall，fiercecreature，butsawthattheobjectwasRon’sfoot.Lookingaround，HarrysawthattheyａｎｄHermionewerelyingonaforestfloor，apparentlyalone.

Harry’sfirstthoughtwasoftheForbiddenForest，ａｎｄforamoment，eventhoughheknewhowfoolishａｎｄdangerousitwouldbeforthemtoappearinthegroundsofHogwarts，hisheartleaptatthethoughtofsneakingthroughthetreestoHagrid’shut.However，inthefewmomentsittookforRontogivealowgroanａｎｄHarrytostartcrawlingtowardhim，herealizedthatthiswasnottheForbiddenForest;Thetreeslookedyounger，theyweremorewidelyspaced，thegroundclearer.

HemetHermione，alsoonherhａｎｄsａｎｄknees，atRon’shead.ThemomenthiseyesfelluponRon，allotherconcernsfledHarry’smind，forblooddrenchedthewholeofRon’sleftsideａｎｄhisfacestoodout，grayish-white，againsttheleaf-strewnearth.ThePolyjuicePotionwaswearingoffnow:RonwashalfwaybetweenCattermoleａｎｄhimselfinappearance，hishairturningredderａｎｄredderashisfacedrainedofthelittlecolorithadleft.

“What’shappenedtohim?”

“Splinched，”saidHermione，herfingersalreadybusyatRon’ssleeve，wherethebloodwaswettestａｎｄdarkest.

Harrywatched，horrified，asshetoreopenRon’sshort.HehadalwaysthoughtofSplinchingassomethingcomical，butthisHisinsidescrawledunpleasantlyasHermionelaidbareRon’supperarm，whereagreatchunkoffleshwasmissing，scoopedcleanlyawayasthoughbyaknife.

“Harry，quickly，inmybag，there’sasmallbottlelabeled‘EssenceofDittany’–“

“Bag–right–“

HarryspedtotheplacewhereHermionehadlａｎｄed，seizedthetinybeadedbag，ａｎｄthrusthishａｎｄinsideit.Atonce，objectafterobjectbeganpresentingitselftohistouch:Hefelttheleatherspinesofbooks，woollysleevesofjumpers，heelsofshoes–

“Quickly!”

Hegrabbedhiswａｎｄfromthegroundａｎｄpointeditintothedepthsofthemagicalbag.

“AccioDittany!”

Asmallbrownbottlezoomedoutofthebag;hecaughtitａｎｄhastenedbacktoHermioneａｎｄRon，whoseeyeswerenowhalf-closed，stripsofwhiteeyeballallthatwerevisiblebetweenhislids.

“He’sfainted，”saidHermione，whowasalsoratherpale;shenolongerlookedlikeMafalda，thoughherhairwasstillgrayinplaces.“Unstopperitforme，Harry，myhａｎｄsareshaking.”

Harrywrenchedthestopperoffthelittlebottle，Hermionetookitａｎｄpouredthreedropsofthepotionontothebleedingwound.Greenishsmokebillowedupwardａｎｄwhenithadcleared，Harrysawthatthebleedinghadstopped.Thewoundnowlookedseveraldaysold;newskinstretchedoverwhathadjustbeenopenflesh.

“Wow，”saidHarry.

“It’sallIfeelsafedoing，”saidHermioneshakily.“Therearespellsthatwouldputhimcompletelyright，butIdaren’ttryincaseIdothemwrongａｎｄcausemoredamageHe’slostsomuchbloodalready”

“Howdidhegethurt?Imean”–Harryshookhishead，tryingtoclearit，tomakesenseofwhateverhadjusttakenplace–“whyarewehere?IthoughtweweregoingbacktoGrimmauldPlace?”

Hermionetookadeepbreath.Shelookedclosetotears.

“Harry，Idon’tthinkwe’regoingtobeabletogobackthere.”

“Whatd’you–?”

“AsweDisapparated，YaxleycaughtholdofmeａｎｄIcouldn’tgetridofhim，hewastoostrong，ａｎｄhewasstillholdingonwhenwearrivedatGrimmauldPlace，ａｎｄthen–well，Ithinkhemusthaveseenthedoor，ａｎｄthoughtwewerestoppingthere，soheslackenedhisgripａｎｄImanagedtosakehimoffａｎｄIbroughtushereinstead!”