第6节

"’ToMissHermioneJeanGranger，IleavemycopyofTheTalesofBeedletheBard，inthehopethatshewillfinditentertainingａｎｄinstructive.’"ScrimgeournowpulledoutofthebagasmallbookthatlookedasancientasthecopyofSecretsoftheDarkestArtupstairs.Itsbindingwasstainedａｎｄpeelinginplaces.HermionetookitfromScrimgeourwithoutaword.Sheheldthebookinherlapａｎｄgazedatit.Harrysawthatthetitlewasinrunes;hehadneverlearnedtoreadthem.Ashelooked，atearsplashedontotheembossedsymbols."WhydoyouthinkDumbledoreleftyouthatbook，MissGranger?"askedScrimgeour."HeheknewIlikedbooks，"saidHermioneinathickvoice，moppinghereyeswithhersleeve."Butwhythatparticularbook?""Idon’tknow.HemusthavethoughtI’denjoyit.""Didyoueverdiscusscodes，oranymeansofpassingsecretmessages，withDumbledore?""No，Ididn’t，"saidHermione，stillwipinghereyesonhersleeve."AndiftheMinistryhasn’tfoundanyhiddencodesinthisbookinthirty-onedays，IdoubtthatIwill."Shesuppressedasob.TheywerewedgedtogethersotightlythatRonhaddifficultyextractinghisarmtoputitaroundHermione’sshoulders.Scrimgeourturnedbacktothewill."’ToHarryJamesPotter，’"heread，ａｎｄHarry’sinsidescontractedwithasuddenexcitement，"’IleavetheSnitchhecaughtinhisfirstQuidditchmatchatHogwarts，asareminderoftherewardsofperseveranceａｎｄskill.’"AsScrimgeourpulledoutthetiny，walnut-sizedgoldenball，itssilverwingsflutteredratherfeebly，ａｎｄHarrycouldnothelpfeelingadefinitesenseofanticlimax."WhydidDumbledoreleaveyouthisSnitch?"askedScrimgeour."Noidea，"saidHarry."Forthereasonsyoujustreadout，Isupposetoremindmewhatyoucangetifyoupersevereａｎｄwhateveritwas.""Youthinkthisameresymbolickeepsake，then?""Isupposeso，"saidHarry."Whatelsecoulditbe?""I’maskingthequestions，"saidScrimgeour，shiftinghischairalittleclosertothesofa.Duskwasreallyfallingoutsidenow;themarqueebeyondthewindowstoweredghostlywhiteoverthehedge."InoticethatyourbirthdaycakeisintheshapeofaSnitch，"ScrimgeoursaidtoHarry."Whyisthat?"Hermionelaughedderisively."Oh，itcan’tbeareferencetothefactHarry’sagreatSeeker，that’swaytooobvious，"shesaid."TheremustbeasecretmessagefromDumbledorehiddenintheicing!""Idon’tthinkthere’sanythinghiddenintheicing，"saidScrimgeour，"butaSnitchwouldbeaverygoodhidingplaceforasmallobject.Youknowwhy，I’msure?"Harryshrugged，Hermione，however，answered:Harrythoughtthatansweringquestionscorrectlywassuchadeeplyingrainedhabitshecouldnotsuppresstheurge."BecauseSnitcheshavefleshmemories，"shesaid."What?"saidHarryａｎｄRontogether;bothconsideredHermione’sQuidditchknowledgenegligible."Correct，"saidScrimgeour."ASnitchisnottouchedbybareskinbeforeitisreleased，notevenbythemaker，whowearsgloves.Itcarriesanenchantmentbywhichitcanidentifythefirsthumantolayhａｎｄsuponit，incaseofadisputedcapture.ThisSnitch"——heheldupthetinygoldenball——"willrememberyourtouch，Potter.ItoccurstomethatDumbledore，whohadprodigiousmagicalskill，whateverhisotherfaults，mighthaveenchantedthisSnitchsothatitwillopenonlyforyou."Harry’sheartwasbeatingratherfast.HewassurethatScrimgeourwasright.HowcouldheavoidtakingtheSnitchwithhisbarehａｎｄinfrontoftheMinister?"Youdon’tsayanything，"saidScrimgeour."PerhapsyoualreadyknowwhattheSnitchcontains?""No，"saidHarry，stillwonderinghowhecouldappeartotouchtheSnitchwithoutreallydoingso.IfonlyheknewLegilimency，reallyknewit，ａｎｄcouldreadHermione’smind;hecouldpracticallyhearherbrainwhizzingbesidehim.

"Takeit，"saidScrimgeourquietly.HarrymettheMinister’syelloweyesａｎｄknewhehadnooptionbuttoobey.Heheldouthishａｎｄ，ａｎｄScrimgeourleanedforwardagainａｎｄplacetheSnitch，slowlyａｎｄdeliberately，intoHarry’spalm.Nothinghappened.AsHarry’sfingersclosedaroundtheSnitch，itstiredwingsflutteredａｎｄwerestill.Scrimgeour，Ron，ａｎｄHermionecontinuedtogazeavidlyatthenowpartiallyconcealedball，asifstillhopingitmighttransforminsomeway."Thatwasdramatic，"saidHarrycoolly.BothRonａｎｄHermionelaughed."That’sall，then，isit?"askedHermione，makingtoraiseherselfoffthesofa."Notquite，"saidScrimgeour，wholookedbadtemperednow."Dumbledoreleftyouasecondbequest，Potter.""Whatisit?"askedHarry，excitementrekindling.Scrimgeourdidnotbothertoreadfromthewillthistime."TheswordofGodricGryffindor，"hesaid.HermioneａｎｄRonbothstiffened.Harrylookedaroundforasignoftheruby-encrustedhilt，butScrimgeourdidnotpulltheswordfromtheleatherpouch，whichinanycaselookedmuchtoosmalltocontainit."Sowhereisit?"Harryaskedsuspiciously."Unfortunately，"saidScrimgeour，"thatswordwasnotDumbledore’stogiveaway.TheswordofGodricGryffindorisanimportanthistoricalartifact，ａｎｄassuch，belongs——""ItbelongstoHarry!"saidHermionehotly."Itchosehim，hewastheonewhofoundit，itcametohimoutoftheSortingHat——""Accordingtoreliablehistoricalsources，theswordmaypresentitselftoanyworthyGryffindor，"saidScrimgeour."ThatdoesnotmakeittheexclusivepropertyofMr.Potter，whateverDumbledoremayhavedecided."Scrimgeourscratchedhisbadlyshavencheek，scrutinizingHarry."Whydoyouthink——?""——Dumbledorewantedtogivemethesword?"saidHarry，strugglingtokeephistemper."Maybehethoughtitwouldlookniceonmywall."