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WANTEDFORQUESTIONINGABOUT

THEDEATHOFALBUSDUMBLEDORERonａｎｄHermionegaveroarsofoutrage，butHarrysaidnothing.Hepushedthenewspaperaway;hedidnotwanttoreadanymore:Heknewwhatitwouldsay.NobodybutthosewhohadbeenontopofthetowerwhenDumbledorediedknewwhohadreallykilledhimａｎｄ，asRitaSkeeterhadalreadytoldtheWizardingworld，Harryhadbeenseenrunningfromtheplacemome

ntsafterDumbledorehadfallen.“I’msorry，Harry，”Lupinsaid.“SoDeathEatershavetakenovertheDailyProphettoo?”askedHermionefuriously.Lupinnodded.“Butsurelypeoplerealizewhat’sgoingon?”“Thecouphasbeensmoothａｎｄvirtuallysilent，”saidLupin.“TheofficialversionofScrimgeour’

smurderisthatheresigned;hehasbeenreplacedbyPiusThicknesse，whoisundertheImperiusCurse.”“Whydidn’tVoldemortdeclarehimselfMinisterofMagic?”askedRon.Lupinlaughed.“Hedoesn’

tneedto，Ron.Effectively，heistheMinister，butwhyshouldhesitbehindadeskattheMinistry?Hispuppet，Thicknesse，istakingcareofeverydaybusiness，leavingVoldemortfreetoextendhispowerbeyondtheMinistry.“Naturallymanypeoplehavededucedwhathashappened:TherehasbeensuchadramaticchangeinMinistrypolicyinthelastfewdays，ａｎｄmanyarewhisperingt

hatVoldemortmustbebehindit.However，thatisthepoint:Theywhisper.Theydaren’tconfideineachother，notknowingwhomtotrust;theyarescaredtospeakout，incasetheirsuspicionsaretrueａｎｄtheirfamiliesaretargeted.Yes，Voldemortisplayingaveryclevergame.Declaringhimselfmighthaveprovokedopenrebellion:Remainingmaskedhascreatedconfusion，uncert

ainty，ａｎｄfear.”“AndthisdramaticchangeinMinistrypolicy，”saidHarry，“involveswarningtheWizardingworldagainstmeinsteadofVoldemort?”“That’scertainlyapartofit，”

saidLupin，“ａｎｄitisamasterstroke.NowthatDumbledoreisdead，you–theBoyWhoLived–weresuretobethesymbolａｎｄrallyingpointforanyresistancetoVoldemort.Butbysuggestingthatyouhadahａｎｄintheoldhat’

sdeath，Voldemorthasnotonlysetapriceuponyourhead，butsowndoubtａｎｄfearamongstmanywhowouldhavedefendedyou.“Meanwhile，theMinistryhasstartedmovingagainstMuggle-borns.”LupinpointedattheDailyProphet.“Lookatpagetwo.”

HermioneturnedthepageswithmuchthesameexpressionofdistasteshehadwhenhａｎｄlingSecretsoftheDarkestArt.“Muggle-bornRegister!”shereadaloud.“‘TheMinistryofMagicisundertakingasurveyofso-called“Muggle-borns”

thebettertounderstａｎｄhowtheycametopossessmagicalsecrets.“‘RecentresearchundertakenbytheDepartmentofMysteriesrevealsthatmagiccanonlybepassedfrompersontopersonwhenWizardsreproduce.WherenoprovenWizardingancestryexists，therefore，theso-calledMuggle-bornislikelytohaveobtainedmagicalpowerbytheftorforce.“‘TheMinistryisdetermin

edtorootoutsuchusurpersofmagicalpower，ａｎｄtothisendhasissuedaninvitationtoeveryso-calledMuggle-borntopresentthemselvesforinterviewbythenewlyappointedMuggle-bornRegistrationCommission.’”“Peoplewon’tletthishappen，”saidRon.“Itishappening，Ron，”saidLupin.“Muggle-bornsarebeingroundedupaswespeak.”

“Buthowaretheysupposedtohave‘stolen’magic?”saidRon.“It’smental，ifyoucouldstealmagictherewouldn’tbeanySquibs，wouldthere?”“Iknow，”saidLupin.“Nevertheless，unlessyoucanprovethatyouhaveatleastonecloseWizardingrelative，youarenowdeemedtohaveobtainedyourmagicalpowerillegallyａｎｄmustsufferthepunishment.”

RonglancedatHermione，thensaid，“WhatifpurebloodsａｎｄhalfbloodsswearaMuggle-born’spartoftheirfamily?I’lltelleveryoneHermione’smycousin–”HermionecoveredRon’shａｎｄwithhersａｎｄsqueezedit.“Thankyou，Ron，butIcouldn’tletyou–”“Youwon’thaveachoice，”saidRonfiercely，grippingherhａｎｄback.“I’

llteachyoumyfamilytreesoyoucananswerquestionsonit.”Hermionegaveashakylaugh.“Ron，aswe’reontherunwithHarryPotter，themostwantedpersoninthecountry，Idon’tthinkitmatters.IfIwasgoingbacktoschoolitwouldbedifferent.What’sVoldemortplanningforHogwarts?”sheaskedLupin.“Attendanceisnowcompulsoryforeveryyoungwitchａｎｄwizard，”

hereplied.“Thatwasannouncedyesterday.It’sachange，becauseitwasneverobligatorybefore.Ofcourse，nearlyeverywitchａｎｄwizardinBritainhasbeeneducatedatHogwarts，buttheirparentshadtherighttoteachthemathomeorsendthemabroadiftheypreferred.Thisway，VoldemortwillhavethewholeWizardingpopulationunderhiseyefromayoungage.Andit’

salsoanotherwayofweedingoutMuggle-borns，becausestudentsmustbegivenBloodStatus–meaningthattheyhaveproventotheMinistrythattheyareofWizarddescent–beforetheyareallowedtoattend.”

Harryfeltsickenedａｎｄangry:Atthismoment，excitedeleven-year-oldswouldbeporingoverstacksofnewlypurchasedspell-books，unawarethattheywouldneverseeHogwarts，perhapsneverseetheirfamiliesagaineither.“It’sit’s”hemuttered，strugglingtofindwordsthatdidjusticetothehorrorofhisthoughts，butLupinsaidquietly，“Iknow.”Lupinhesitated.I’

llunderstａｎｄifyoucan’tconfirmthis，Harry，buttheOrderisundertheimpressionthatDumbledoreleftyouamission.”“Hedid，”Harryreplied，“ａｎｄRonａｎｄHermioneareinonitａｎｄthey’recomingwithme.”“Canyouconfideinmewhatthemissionis?”

Harrylookedintotheprematurelylinedface，framedinthickbutgrayinghair，ａｎｄwishedthathecouldreturnadifferentanswer.“Ican’t，Remus，I’msorry.IfDumbledoredidn’ttellyouIdon’tthinkIcan.”“Ithoughtyou’dsaythat，”

saidLupin，lookingdisappointed.“ButImightstillbeofsomeusetoyou.YouknowwhatIamａｎｄwhatIcando.Icouldcomewithyoutoprovideprotection.Therewouldbenoneedtotellmeexactlywhatyouwereupto.”

Harryhesitated.Itwasaverytemptingoffer，thoughhowtheywouldbeabletokeeptheirmissionsecretfromLupinifhewerewiththemallthetimehecouldnotimagine.Hermione，however，lookedpuzzled.“ButwhataboutTonks?”sheasked.“Whatabouther?”saidLupin.“Well，”saidHermione，frowning，“you’remarried!Howdoesshefeelaboutyougoingawaywithus?”

“Tonkswillbeperfectlysafe，”saidLupin，“She’llbeatherparents’house.”TherewassomethingstrangeinLupin’stone，itwasalmostcold.TherewasalsosomethingoddintheideaofTonksremaininghiddenatherparents’house;shewas，afterall，amemberoftheOrderａｎｄ，asfarasHarryknew，waslikelytowanttobeinthethickoftheaction.“Remus，”

saidHermionetentatively，“iseverythingallrightyouknowbetweenyouａｎｄ–”“Everythingisfine，thankyou，”saidLupinpointedly.Hermioneturnedpink.Therewasanotherpause，anawkwardａｎｄembarrassedone，ａｎｄthenLupinsaid，withanairofforcinghimselftoadmitsomethingunpleasant，“Tonksisgoingtohaveababy.”

第2章“Oh，howwonderful!”squealedHermione.“Excellent!”saidRonenthusiastically.“Congratulations，”saidHarry.Lupingaveanartificialsmilethatwasmorelikeagrimace，thensaid，“Sodoyouacceptmyoffer?Willthreebecomefour?IcannotbelievethatDumbledorewouldhavedisapproved，heappointedmeyourDefenseAgainsttheDarkArtsteacher，afterall.AndImustt

ellyouthatIbelievewearefacingmagicmanyofushaveneverencounteredorimagined.”RonａｎｄHermionebothlookedatHarry.“Just–justtobeclear，”hesaid.“YouwanttoleaveTonksatherparents’houseａｎｄcomeawaywithus?”“She’llbeperfectlysafethere，they’lllookafterher，”saidLupin.Hespokewithafinalityborderingonindifference:“Harry，I’

msureJameswouldhavewantedmetostickwithyou.”“Well，”saidHarryslowly，“I’mnot.I’mprettysuremyfatherwouldhavewantedtoknowwhyyouaren’tstickingwithyourownkid，actually.”Lupin’sfacedrainedofcolor.Thetemperatureinthekitchenmighthavedroppedtendegrees.Ronstaredaroundtheroomasthoughhehadbeenbiddentomemorizeit，whileHermione’

seyesswiveledbackwardａｎｄforwardfromHarrytoLupin.“Youdon’tunderstａｎｄ，”saidLupinatlast.“Explain，then，”saidHarry.Lupinswallowed.“I–ImadeagravemistakeinmarryingTonks.Ididitagainstmybetterjudgmentａｎｄhaveregretteditverymucheverysince.”“Isee，”saidHarry，“soyou’rejustgoingtodumpherａｎｄthekidａｎｄrunoffwithus?”

Lupinsprangtohisfeet:Hischairtoppledoverbackward，ａｎｄheglaredatthemsofiercelythatHarrysaw，forthefirsttimeever，sheshadowofthewolfuponhishumanface.“Don’tyouunderstａｎｄwhatI’vedonetomywifeａｎｄmyunbornchild?Ishouldneverhavemarriedher，I’vemadeheranoutcast!”

Lupinkickedasidethechairhehadoverturned.“YouhaveonlyeverseenmeamongsttheOrder，orunderDumbledore’sprotectionatHogwarts!Youdon’tknowhowmostoftheWizardingworldseescreatureslikeme!Whentheyknowofmyaffliction，theycanbarelytalktome!Don’tyouseewhatI’

vedone?Evenherownfamilyisdisgustedbyourmarriage，whatparentswanttheironlydaughtertomarryawerewolf?Andthechild–thechild–”Lupinactuallyseizedhａｎｄfulsofhisownhair;helookedquitederanged.“Mykinddon’

tusuallybreed!Itwillbelikeme，Iamconvincedofit–howcanIforgivemyself，whenIknowinglyriskedpassingonmyownconditiontoaninnocentchild?Andif，bysomemiracle，itisnotlikeme，thenitwillbebetteroff，ahundredtimesso，withoutafatherofwhomitmustalwaysbeashamed!”“Remus!”whisperedHermione，tearsinhereyes.“Don’

tsaythat–howcouldanychildbeashamedofyou?”“Oh，Idon’tknow，Hermione，”saidHarry.“I’dbeprettyashamedofhim.”Harrydidnotknowwherehisragewascomingfrom，butithadpropelledhimtohisfeettoo.LupinlookedasthoughHarryhadhithim.“IfthenewregimethinksMuggle-bornsarebad，”Harrysaid，“whatwilltheydotoahalf-werewolfwhosefather’

sintheOrder?Myfatherdiedtryingtoprotectmymotherａｎｄme，ａｎｄyoureckonhe’dtellyoutoabａｎｄonyourkidtogoonanadventurewithus?”DUMBLEDORE“How–howdareyou?”saidLupin.“Thisisnotaboutadesirefor–fordangerorpersonalglory–howdareyousuggestsucha–”“Ithinkyou’refeelingabitofadaredevil，”Harrysaid，“YoufancysteppingintoSirius’sshoes–”

“Harry，no!”Hermionebeggedhim，buthecontinuedtoglareintoLupin’slividface.“I’dneverhavebelievedthis，”Harrysaid.“Themanwhotaughtmetofightdementors–acoward.”

LupindrewhiswａｎｄsofastthatHarryhadbarelyreachedforhisown;therewasaloudbangａｎｄhefelthimselfflyingbackwardasifpunched;asheslammedintothekitchenwallａｎｄslidtothefloor，heglimpsedthetailofLupin’scloakdisappearingaroundthedoor.“Remus，Remus，comeback!”

Hermionecried，butLupindidnotrespond.Amomentlatertheyheardthefrontdoorslam.“Harry!”wailedHermione.“Howcouldyou?”“Itwaseasy，”saidHarry.Hestoodup，hecouldfeelalumpswellingwherehisheadhadhitthewall.Hewasstillsofullofangerhewasshaking.“Don’tlookatmelikethat!”hesnappedatHermione.“Don’tyoustartonher!”snarledRon.“No–no–wemustn’

tfight!”saidHermione，launchingherselfbetweenthem.“Youshouldn’thavesaidthatstufftoLupin，”RontoldHarry.“Hehaditcomingtohim，”saidHarry.Brokenimageswereracingeachotherthroughhismind:Siriusfallingthroughtheveil;Dumbledoresuspended，broken，inmidair;aflashofgreenlightａｎｄhismother’svoice，beggingformercy“Parents，”

saidHarry，“shouldn’tleavetheirkidsunless–unlessthey’vegotto.”“Harry–“saidHermione，stretchingoutaconsolinghａｎｄ，butheshruggeditoffａｎｄwalkedaway，hiseyesonthefireHermionehadconjured.HehadoncespokentoLupinoutofthatfireplace，seekingreassuranceaboutJames，ａｎｄLupinhadconsoledhim.NowLupin’

storturedwhitefaceseemedtoswimintheairbeforehim.Hefeltasickeningsurgeofremorse.NeitherRonnorHermionespoke，butHarryfeltsurethattheywerelookingateachotherbehindhisback，communicatingsilently.Heturnedaroundａｎｄcaughtthemturninghurriedlyawayformeachother.“IknowIshouldn’thavecalledhimacoward.”“No，youshouldn’t，”

saidRonatonce.“Buthe’sactinglikeone.”“Allthesame”saidHermione.“Iknow，”saidHarry.“ButifitmakeshimgobacktoTonks，it’llbeworthit，won’tit?”Hecouldnotkeepthepleaoutofhisvoice.Hermionelookedsympathetic，Ronuncertain.Harrylookeddownathisfeet，thinkingofhisfather.WouldJameshavebackedHarryinwhathehadsaidtoLupin，orwouldhehavebeenan

gryathowhissonhadtreatedhisoldfriend?ThesilentkitchenseemedtohumwiththeshockoftherecentsceneａｎｄwithRonａｎｄHermione’sunspokenreproaches.TheDailyProphetLupinhadbroughtwasstilllyingonthetable，Harry’

sownfacestaringupattheceilingfromthefrontpage.Hewalkedovertoitａｎｄsatdown，openedthepaperatrａｎｄom，ａｎｄpretendedtoread.Hecouldnottakeinthewords;hismindwasstilltoofulloftheencounterwithLupin.HewassurethatRonａｎｄHermionehadresumedtheirsilentcommunicationsontheothersideoftheProphet.Heturnedapageloudly，ａｎｄDumbledore’

snameleaptoutathim.Itwasamomentortwobeforehetookinthemeaningofthephotograph，whichshowedafamilygroup.Beneaththephotographwerethewords:TheDumbledorefamily，lefttoright:Albus;Percival，holdingnewbornAriana;Kendra，ａｎｄAberforth.Hisattentioncaught，Harryexaminedthepicturemorecarefully.Dumbledore’

sfather，Percival，wasagood-lookingmanwitheyesthatseemedtotwinkleeveninthisfadedoldphotograph.Thebaby，Ariana，wasalittlelongerthanaloafofbreadａｎｄnomoredistinctive-looking.Themother，Kendra，hadjetblackhairpulledintoahighbun.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.Nobodynowaliveremembe

rsArianaeverdemonstratingeventheslightestsignofmagicalability.Itseemsclear，therefore，thatKendramadeadecisiontohideherdaughter’sexistenceratherthansuffertheshameofadmittingthatshehadproducedaSquib.MovingawayfromthefriendsａｎｄneighborswhoknewArianawould，ofcourse，makeimprisoningheralltheeasier.Thetinynumberofpeoplewhohence

forthknewofAriana’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.

“Siriusnevercaredaboutanyofthejunk–”

Therewasthesoundofpatteringfee，ablazeofshiningcopper，anechoingclang，ａｎｄashriekofagony;KreacherhadtakenarunatMundungusａｎｄhithimovertheheadwithasaucepan.

“Call‘imoff，call‘imoff，‘eshouldbelockedup!”screamedMundungus，coweringasKreacherraisedtheheavy-bottomedpanagain.

“Kreacher，no!”shoutedHarry.

Kreacher’sthinarmstrembledwiththeweightofthepan，stillheldaloft.

“Perhapsjustonemore，MasterHarry，forluck?”

Ronlaughed.

“Weneedhimconscious，Kreacher，butifheneedspersuading，youcandothehonors，”saidHarry.

“Thankyouverymuch，Master，”saidKreacherwithabow，ａｎｄheretreatedashortdistance，hisgreatpaleeyesstillfixeduponMundunguswithloathing.

第3章“Whenyoustrippedthishouseofallthevaluablesyoucouldfind，”Harrybeganagain，“youtookabunchofstufffromthekitchencupboard.Therewasalocketthere.”Harry’smouthwassuddenlydry:HecouldsenseRonａｎｄHermione’stensionａｎｄexcitementtoo.“Whatdidyoudowithit?”

“Why?”askedMundungus.“Isitvaluable?”

“You’vestillgotit!”criedHermione.

“No，hehasn’t，”saidRonshrewdly.“He’swonderingwhetherheshouldhaveaskedmoremoneyforit.”

“More?”saidMundungus.“Thatwouldn’thavebeeneffingdifficultbleedin’gaveitaway，di’n’I?Nochoice.”

“Whatdoyoumean?”

“IwassellinginDiagonAlleyａｎｄshecomeuptomeａｎｄasksifI’vegotalicensefortradinginmagicalartifacts.Bleedin’snoop.Shewasgonnafineme，butshetookafancytothelocketan’toldmeshe’dtakeitａｎｄletmeoffthattime，ａｎｄtofinkmeselflucky.”

“Whowasthiswoman?”askedHarry.

“Idunno，someMinistryhag.”

Mundungusconsideredforamoment，browwrinkled.

“Littlewoman.Bowontopof‘erhead.”

Hefrownedａｎｄthenadded，“Lookedlikeatoad.”

Harrydroppedhiswａｎｄ:IthitMundungusonthenoseａｎｄshotredsparksintohiseyebrows，whichignited.

“Aquamenti!”screamedHermione，ａｎｄajetofwaterstreamedfromherwａｎｄ，engulfingasplutteringａｎｄchokingMundungus.

HarrylookedupａｎｄsawhisownshockreflectedinRon’sａｎｄHermione’sfaces.Thescarsonthebackofhisrighthａｎｄseemedtobetinglingagain.ChapterTwelveMagicisMight

AsAugustworeon，thesquareofunkemptgrassinthemiddleofGrimmauldPlaceshriveledinthesununtilitwasbrittleａｎｄbrown.Theinhabitantsofnumbertwelvewereneverseenbyanyoneinthesurroundinghouses，ａｎｄnorwasnumbertwelveitself.ThemuggleswholivedinGrimmauldPlacehadlongsinceacceptedtheamusingmistakeinthenumberingthathadcausednumbereleventositbesidenumberthirteen.

Andyetthesquarewasnowattractingatrickleofvisitorswhoseemedtofindtheanomalymostintriguing.BarelyadaypassedwithoutoneortwopeoplearrivinginGrimmauldPlacewithnootherpurpose，orsoitseemed，thantoleanagainsttherailingsfacingnumberselevenａｎｄthirteen，watchingthejoinbetweenthetwohouses.Thelurkerswereneverthesametwodaysrunning，althoughtheyallseemedtoshareadislikefornormalclothing.MostoftheLondonerswhopassedthemwereusedtoeccentricdressersａｎｄtooklittlenotice，thoughoccasionallyoneofthemmightglanceback，wonderingwhyanyonewouldwearcloaksinthisheat.

Thewatchersseemedtobegleaninglittlesatisfactionfromtheirvigil.Occasionallyoneofthemstartedforwardexcitedly，asiftheyhadseensomethinginterestingatlast，onlytofallbacklookingdisappointed.

OnthefirstdayofSeptemberthereweremorepeoplelurkinginthesquarethaneverbefore.Halfadozenmeninlongcloaksstoodsilentａｎｄwatchful，gazingaseverathouseselevenａｎｄthirteen，butthethingforwhichtheywerewaitingstillappearedelusive.Aseveningdrewin，bringingwithitanunexpectedgustofchillyrainforthefirsttimeinweeks，thereoccurredoneofthoseinexplicablemomentswhentheyappearedtohaveseensomethinginteresting.Themanwiththetwistedfacepointedａｎｄhisclosestcompanion，apodgy，pallidman，startedforward，butamomentlatertheyhadrelaxedintotheirpreviousstateofinactivity，lookingfrustratedａｎｄdisappointed.

Meanwhile，insidenumbertwelve，Harryhadjustenteredthehall.HehadnearlylosthisbalanceasheApparatedontothetopstepjustoutsidethefrontdoor，ａｎｄthoughtthattheDeathEatersmighthavecaughtaglimpseofhismomentarilyexposedelbow.Shuttingthefrontdoorcarefullybehindhim，hepulledofftheInvisibilityCloak，drapeditoverhisarm，ａｎｄhurriedalongthegloomyhallwaytowardthedoorthatledtothebasement，astolencopyoftheDailyProphetclutchedinhishａｎｄ.

Theusuallowwhisperof“SeverusSnape”greetedhim，thechillwindswepthim，ａｎｄhistonguerolledupforamoment.

“Ididn’tkillyou，”hesaid，onceithadunrolled，thenheldhisbreathasthedustyjinx-figureexploded.Hewaiteduntilhewashalfwaydownthestairstothekitchen，outofearshotofMrs.Blackａｎｄclearofthedustcloud，beforecalling，“I’vegotnews，ａｎｄyouwon’tlikeit.”

Thekitchenwasalmostunrecognizable.Everysurfacenowshone;Copperpotsａｎｄpanshadbeenburnishedtoarosyglow;thewoodentabletopgleamed;thegobletsａｎｄplatesalreadylaidfordinnerglintedinthelightfromamerrilyblazingfire，onwhichacauldronwassimmering.Nothingintheroom，however，wasmoredramaticallydifferentthanthehouse-elfwhonowcamehurryingtowardHarry，dressedinasnowy-whitetowel，hisearhairascleanａｎｄfluffyascottonwool，Regulus’slocketbouncingonhisthinchest.

“Shoesoff，ifyouplease，MasterHarry，ａｎｄhａｎｄswashedbeforedinner，”croakedKreacher，seizingtheInvisibilityCloakａｎｄslouchingofftohangitonahookonthewall，besideanumberofold-fashionedrobesthathadbeenfreshlylaundered.

“What’shappened?”Ronaskedapprehensively.HeareHermionehadbeenpouringoverasheafofscribblednotesａｎｄhａｎｄdrawnmapsthatlitteredtheendofthelongkitchentable，butnowtheywatchedHarryashestrodetowardthemａｎｄthrewdownthenewspaperontopoftheirscatteredparchment.

Alargepictureofafamiliar，hook-nosed，black-hairedmanstaredupatthemall，beneathaheadlinethatread:

SEVERUSSNAPECONFIRMEDASHOGWARTSHEADMASTER

“No!”saidRonａｎｄHermioneloudly.

Hermionewasquickest;shesnatchedupthenewspaperａｎｄbegantoreadtheaccompanyingstoryoutloud.

“SeverusSnape，long-stａｎｄingPotionsmasteratHogwartsSchoolofWitchcraftａｎｄwizardry，wastodayappointedheadmasterinthemostimportantofseveralstaffingchangesattheancientschool.FollowingtheresignationofthepreviousMuggleStudiesteacher，AlectoCarrowwilltakeoverthepostwhileherbrother，Amycus，fillsthepositionofDefenseAgainsttheDarkArtsprofessor.”

“‘IwelcometheopportunitytoupholdourfinestWizardingtraditionsａｎｄvalues–‘Likecommittingmurderａｎｄcuttingoffpeople’sears，Isuppose!Snape，headmaster!SnapeinDumbledore’sstudy–Merlin’spants!”sheshrieked，makingbothHarryａｎｄRonjump.Sheleaptupfromthetableａｎｄhurtledfromtheroom，shoutingasshewent，“I’llbebackinaminute!”

“’Merlin’spants’?”repeatedRon，lookingamused.“Shemustbeupset.”HepulledthenewspapertowardhimａｎｄperusedthearticleaboutSnape.

“Theotherteacherswon’tstａｎｄforthis，McGonagallａｎｄFlitwickａｎｄSproutallknowthetruth，theyknowhowDumbledoredied.Theywon’tacceptSnapeasheadmaster.AndwhoaretheseCarrows?”

“DeathEaters，”saidHarry.“Therearepicturesoftheminside.TheywereatthetopofthetowerwhenSnapekilledDumbledore，soit’sallfriendstogether.And，”Harrywentonbitterly，drawingupachair，“Ican’tseethattheotherteachershavegotanychoicebuttostay.IftheMinistryａｎｄVoldemortarebehindSnapeit’llbeachoicebetweenstayingａｎｄteaching，oranicefewyearsinAzkaban–ａｎｄthat’sifthey’relucky.Ireckonthey’llstaytotryａｎｄprotectthestudents.”

Kreachercamebustlingtothetablewithalargecurceninhishａｎｄs，ａｎｄladledoutsoupintopristinebowls，whistlingbetweenhisteethashedidso.

“Thanks，Kreacher，”saidHarry，flippingovertheProphetsoasnottohavetolookatSnape’sface.“Well，atleastweknowexactlywhereSnapeisnow.”

Hebegantospoonsoupintohismouth.ThequalityofKreacher’scookinghadimproveddramaticallyeversincehehadbeengivenRegulus’slocket:Today’sFrenchonionwasasgoodasHarryhadevertasted.

“TherearestillaloadofDeathEaterswatchingthishouse，”hetoldRonasheate，“morethanusual.It’slikethey’rehopingwe’llmarchoutcarryingourschooltrunksａｎｄheadofffortheHogwartsExpress.”

Ronglancedathiswatch.

“I’vebeenthinkingaboutthatallday.Itleftnearlysixhoursago.Weird，notbeingonit，isn’tit?”

Inhismind’seyeHarryseemedtoseethescarletsteamengineasheａｎｄRonhadoncefolloweditbyair，shimmeringbetweenfieldsａｎｄhills，aripplingscarletcaterpillar.HewassureGinny，Neville，ａｎｄLunaweresittingtogetheratthismoment，perhapswonderingwherehe，Ron，ａｎｄHermionewere，ordebatinghowbesttoundermineSnape’snewregime.

“Theynearlysawmecomingbackinjustnow，”Harrysaid，“Ilａｎｄedbadlyonthetopstep，ａｎｄtheCloakslipped.”

“Idothateverytime.Oh，heresheis，”Ronadded，craningaroundinhisseattowatchHermionereenteringthekitchen.“AndwhatinthenameofMerlin’smostbaggyYFrontswasthatabout?”

“Irememberedthis，”Hermionepanted.

Shewascarryingalarge，framedpicture，whichshenowloweredtothefloorbeforeseizinghersmall，beadedbagfromthekitchensideboard.Openingit，sheproceededtoforcethepaintinginsideａｎｄdespitethefactthatitwaspatentlytoolargetofitinsidethetinybag，withinafewsecondsithadvanished，likesomuchease，intothebag’scapaciousdepths.

“PhineasNigellus，”Hermioneexplainedasshethrewthebagontothekitchentablewiththeusualsonorous，clankingcrash.

“Sorry?”saidRon，butHarryunderstood.ThepaintedimageofPhineasNigellusBlackwasabletotravelbetweenhisportraitinGrimmauldPlaceａｎｄtheonethathungintheheadmaster’sofficeatHogwarts:thecircularcower-toproomwhereSnapewasnodoubtsittingrightnow，intriumphantpossessionofDumbledore’scollectionofdelicate，silvermagicalinstruments，thestonePensieve，theSortingHatａｎｄ，unlessitadbeenmovedelsewhere，theswordofGryffindor.

“SnapecouldsendPhineasNigellustolookinsidethishouseforhim，”HermioneexplainedtoRonassheresumedherseat.“Butlethimtryitnow，allPhineasNigelluswillbeabletoseeistheinsideofmyhａｎｄbag.”

“Goodthinking!”saidRon，lookingimpressed.

“Thankyou，”smiledHermione，pullinghersouptowardher.“So，Harry，whatelsehappenedtoday?”

“Nothing，”saidHarry.“WatchedtheMinistryentranceforsevenhours.Nosignofher.Sawyourdadthough，Ron.Helooksfine.”

Ronnoddedhisappreciationofthisnews.ThehadagreedthatitwasfartoodangeroustotryａｎｄcommunicatewithMr.WeasleywhilehewalkedinａｎｄoutoftheMinistry，becausehewasalwayssurroundedbyotherMinistryworkers.Itwas，however，reassuringtocatchtheseglimpsesofhim，evenifhedidlookverystrainedａｎｄanxious.

“DadalwaystoldusmostMinistrypeopleusetheFlooNetworktogettowork，”Ronsaid.“That’swhywehaven’tseenUmbridge，she’dneverwalk，she’dthinkshe’stooimportant.”

“Andwhataboutthatfunnyoldwitchａｎｄthatlittlewizardinthenavyrobes?”Hermioneasked.

“Ohyeah，theblokefromMagicalMaintenance，”saidRon.

“HowdoyouknowheworksforMagicalMaintenance?”Hermioneasked，hersoupspoonsuspendedinmidair.

“DadsaideveryonefromMagicalMaintenancewearsnavybluerobes.”

“Butyounevertoldusthat!”

HermionedroppedherspoonａｎｄpulledtowardherthesheafofnotesａｎｄmapsthatsheａｎｄRonhadbeenexaminingwhenHarryhadenteredthekitchen.

“There’snothinginhereaboutnavybluerobes，nothing!”shesaid，flippingfeverishlythroughthepages.

“Well，diesitreallymatter?”

“Ron，itallmatters!Ifwe’regoingtogetintotheMinistryａｎｄnotgiveourselvesawaywhenthey’reboundtobeonthelookoutforintruders，everylittledetailmatters!We’vebeenoverａｎｄoverthis，Imean，what’sthepointofallthesereconnaissancetripsifyouaren’tevenbotheringtotellus–“

“Blimey，Hermione，Iforgetonelittlething–“

“Youdorealize，don’tyou，thatthere’sprobablynomoredangerousplaceinthewholeworldforustoberightnowthantheMinistryof–“

“Ithinkweshoulddoittomorrow，”saidHarry.

Hermionestoppeddead，herjawhanging;Ronchokedalittleoverhissoup.

“Tomorrow?”repeatedHermione.“Youaren’tserious，Harry?”

“Iam，”saidHarry.“Idon’tthinkwe’regoingtobemuchbetterpreparedthanwearenowevenifweskulkaroundtheMinistryentranceforanothermonth.Thelongerweputitoff，thefartherawaythatlocketcouldbe.There’salreadyagoodchanceUmbridgehaschuckeditaway;thethingdoesn’topen.”

第4章“Unless，”saidRon，“she’sfoundawayofopeningitａｎｄshe’snowpossessed.”

“Wouldn’tmakeanydifferencetoher，shewassoevilinthefirstplace，”Harryshrugged.

Hermionewasbitingherlip，deepinthought.

“Weknoweverythingimportant，”Harrywenton，addressingHermione.“Weknowthey’vestoppedApparitioninａｎｄoutoftheMinistry;WeknowonlythemostseniorMinistrymembersareallowedtoconnecttheirhomestotheFlooNetworknow，becauseRonheardthosetwoUnspeakablescomplainingaboutit.AndweknowroughlywhereUmbridge’sofficeis，becauseofwhatyouheardthebeardedblokesayingtohismate–“

“’I’llbeuponlevelone，Doloreswantstoseeme，’”Hermionerecitedimmediately.

“Exactly，”saidHarry.“Andweknowyougetinusingthosefunnycoins，ortokens，orwhatevertheyare，becauseIsawthatwitchborrowingonefromherfriend–“

“Butwehaven’tgotany!”

“Iftheplanworks，wewillhave，”Harrycontinuedcalmly.

“Idon’tknow，Harry，Idon’tknow…Thereareanawfullotofthingsthatcouldgowrong，somuchreliesonchance…“

That’llbetrueevenifwespendanotherthreemonthspreparing，”saidHarry.“It’stimetoact.”

HecouldtellfromRon’sａｎｄHermione’sfacesthattheywerescared;hewasnotparticularlyconfidenthimself，ａｎｄyethewassurethetimehadcometoputtheirplanintooperation.

TheyhadspentthepreviousfourweekstakingitinturnstodontheInvisibilityCloakａｎｄspyontheofficialentrancetotheMinistry，whichRon，thankstoMr.Weasley，hadknownsincechildhood.TheyhadtailedMinistryworkersontheirwayin，eavesdroppedontheirconversations，ａｎｄlearnedbycarefulobservationwhichofthemcouldbereliedupontoappear，alone，atthesametimeeveryday.OccasionallytherehadbeenachancetosneakaDailyProphetoutofsomebody’sbriefcase.SlowlytheyhadbuiltupthesketchymapsａｎｄnotesnowstackedinfrontofHermione.

“Allright，”saidRonslowly，“let’ssaywegoforittomorrow…IthinkitshouldjustbemeａｎｄHarry.”

“Oh，don’tstartthatagain!”sighedHermione.“Ithoughtwe’dsettledthis.”

“It’sonethinghangingaroundtheentrancesundertheCloak，butthisisdifferent.Hermione，”RonjabbedafingeratacopyoftheDailyProphetdatedtendayspreviously.“You’reonthelistofMuggle-bornswhodidn’tpresentthemselvesforinterrogation!”

“Andyou’resupposedtobedyingofspattergroitattheBurrow!Ifanyoneshouldn’tgo，it’sHarry，he’sgotaten-thousａｎｄ-Galleonpriceonhishead–“

“Fine，I’llstayhere，”saidHarry.“LetmeknowifyoueverdefeatVoldemort，won’tyou?”

AsRonａｎｄHermionelaughed，painshotthroughthescaronHarry’sforehead.Hishａｎｄjumpedtoit.HesawHermione’seyesnarrow，ａｎｄhetriedtopassoffthemovementbybrushinghishairoutofhiseyes.

“Well，ifallthreeofusgowe’llhavetoDisapparateseparately，”Ronwassaying.“Wecan’tallfitundertheCloakanymore.”

Harry’sscarwasbecomingmoreａｎｄmorepainful.Hestoodup.Atonce，Kreacherhurriedforward.

“Masterhasnotfinishedhissoup，wouldmasterpreferthesavorystew，orelsethetreacletarttowhichMasterissopartial?”

“Thanks，Kreacher，butI’llbebackinaminute–er–bathroom.”

AwarethatHermionewaswatchinghimsuspiciously，Harryhurriedupthestairstothehallａｎｄthentothefirstlａｎｄing，wherehedashedintothebathroomａｎｄboltedthedooragain.Gruntingwithpain，heslumpedovertheblackbasinwithitstapsintheformofopen-mouthedserpentsａｎｄclosedhiseyes….

Hewasglidingalongatwilitstreet.Thebuildingsoneithersideofhimhadhigh，timberedgables;theylookedlikegingerbreadhouses.Heapproachedoneofthem，thensawthewhitenessofhisownlong-fingeredhａｎｄagainstthedoor.Heknocked.Hefeltamountingexcitement…

Thedooropened:Alaughingwomanstoodthere.HerfacefellasshelookedintoHarry’sface:humorgone，terrorreplacingit….

“Gregorovitch?”saidahigh，coldvoice.

Sheshookherhead:Shewastryingtoclosethedoor.Awhitehａｎｄhelditsteady，preventedhershuttinghimout…

“IwantGregorovitch.”

“Erwohnthiernichtmehr!”shecried，shakingherhead.“Henolivehere!Henolivehere!Iknowhimnot!”

Abａｎｄoningtheattempttoclosethedoor，shebegantobackawaydownthedarkhall，ａｎｄHarryfollowed，glidingtowardher，ａｎｄhislong-fingeredhａｎｄhaddrawnhiswａｎｄ.

“whereishe?”

“Dasweiffichnicht!Hemove!Iknownot，Iknownot!”

Heraisedhishａｎｄ.Shescreamed.Twoyoungchildrencamerunningintothehall.Shetriedtoshieldthemwithherarms.Therewasaflashofgreenlight–

“Harry!HARRY!”

Heopenedhiseyes;hehadsunktothefloor.Hermionewaspoundingonthedooragain.

“Harry，openup!”

Hehadshoutedout，heknewit.Hegotupａｎｄunboltedthedoor;Hermionetoppledinsideatonce，regainedherbalance，ａｎｄlookedaroundsuspiciously.Ronwasrightbehindher，lookingunnervedashepointedhiswａｎｄintothecornersofthechillybathroom.

“Whatwereyoudoing?”askedHermionesternly.

“Whatd’youthinkIwasdoing?”askedHarrywithfeeblebravado.

“Youwereyellingyourheadoff!”saidRon.

“Ohyeah…Imust’vedozedoffor–“

“Harry，pleasedon’tinsultourintelligence，”saidHermione，takingdeepbreaths.“Weknowyourscarhurtdownstairs，ａｎｄyou’rewhiteasasheet.”