第7节

"Thisisnotajoke，Potter!"growledScrimgeour."WasitbecauseDumbledorebelievedthatonlytheswordofGodricGryffindorcoulddefeattheHeirofSlytherin?Didhewishtogiveyouthatsword，Potter，becausehebelieved，asdomany，thatyouaretheonedestinedtodestroyHe-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

第5章"Interestingtheory，"saidHarry."HasanyoneevertriedstickingaswordinVoldemort?MaybetheMinistryshouldputsomepeopleontothat，insteadofwastingtheirtimestrippingdownDeluminatorsorcoveringupbreakoutsfromAzkaban.Sothisiswhatyou’vebeendoing，Minister，shutupinyouroffice，tryingtobreakopenaSnitch?Peoplearedying–Iwasnearlyoneofthem–Voldemortchasedmeacrossthreecountries，hekilledMad-EyeMoody，butthere’snowordaboutanyofthatfromtheMinistry，hasthere?Andyoustillexpectustocooperatewithyou!""Yougotoofar!"shoutedScrimgeour，stａｎｄingup:Harryjumpedtohisfeettoo.ScrimgeourlimpedtowardHarryａｎｄjabbedhimhardinthechestwiththepointofhiswａｎｄ;ItsingedaholeinHarry’sT-shirtlikealitcigarette."Oi!"saidRon，jumpingupａｎｄraisinghisownwａｎｄ，butHarrysaid，"No!D’youwanttogivehimanexcusetoarrestus?""Rememberedyou’renotatschool，haveyou?"saidScrimgeourbreathinghardintoHarry’sface."RememberedthatIamnotDumbledore，whoforgaveyourinsolenceａｎｄinsubordination?Youmaywearthatscarlikeacrown，Potter，butitisnotuptoaseventeen-year-oldboytotellmehowtodomyjob!It’stimeyoulearnedsomerespect!""It’stimeyouearnedit."saidHarry.Thefloortrembled;therewasasoundofrunningfootsteps，thenthedoortothesittingroomburstopenａｎｄMr.ａｎｄMrs.Weasleyranin."We——wethoughtweheard——"beganMr.Weasley，lookingthoroughlyalarmedatthesightofHarryａｎｄtheMinistervirtuallynosetonose.

"—raisedvoices，"pantedMrs.Weasley.ScrimgeourtookacoupleofstepsbackfromHarry，glancingattheholehehadmadeinHarry’sT-shirt.Heseemedtoregrethislossoftemper."It–itwasnothing，"hegrowled."I…regretyourattitude，"hesaid，lookingHarryfullinthefaceoncemore."YouseemtothinkthattheMinistrydoesnotdesirewhatyou–whatDumbledore–desired.Weoughttoworktogether.""Idon’tlikeyourmethods，Minister，"saidHarry."Remember?"Forthesecondtime，heraisedhisrightfistａｎｄdisplayedtoScrimgeourthescarthatstillshowedwhiteonthebackofit，spellingImustnottelllies.Scrimgeour’sexpressionhardened.Heturnedawaywithoutanotherwordａｎｄlimpedfromtheroom.Mrs.Weasleyhurriedafterhim;Harryheardherstopatthebackdoor.Afteraminuteorsoshecalled，"He’sgone!"Whatdidhewant?"Mr.Weasleyasked，lookingaroundatHarry，Ron，ａｎｄHermioneasMrs.Weasleycamehurryingbacktothem."TogiveuswhatDumbledoreleftus，"saidHarry."They’veonlyjustreleasedthecontentofhiswill."Outsideinthegarden，overthedinnertables，thethreeobjectsScrimgeourhadgiventhemwerepassedfromhａｎｄtohａｎｄ.EveryoneexclaimedovertheDeluminatorａｎｄTheTalesofBeedletheBardａｎｄlamentedthefactthatScrimgeourhadrefusedtopassonthesword，butnoneofthemcouldofferanysuggestionastowhyDumbledorewouldhaveleftHarryanoldSnitch.AsMr.WeasleyexaminedtheDeluminatorforthethirdoffourthtime，Mrs.Weasleysaidtentatively，"Harry，dear，everyone’sawfullyhungrywedidn’tliketostartwithoutyou…ShallIservedinnernow?"Theyallateratherhurriedlyａｎｄthenafterahastychorusof"HappyBirthday"ａｎｄmuchgulpingofcake，thepartybrokeup.Hagrid，whowasinvitedtotheweddingthefollowingday，butwasfartoobulkytosleepintheoverstretchedBurrow，lefttosetupatentforhimselfinaneighboringfield."Meetusupstairs，"HarrywhisperedtoHermione，whiletheyhelpedMrs.Weasleyrestorethegardentoitsnormalstate."Aftereveryone’sgonetobed."Upintheatticroom，RonexaminedhisDeluminator，ａｎｄHarryfilledHagrid’smokeskinpurse，notwithgold，butwiththoseitemshemostprized，apparentlyworthlessthoughsomeofthemweretheMarauder’sMap，theshardofSirius’senchantedmirror，ａｎｄR.A.B.’slocket.Hepulledthestringtightａｎｄslippedthepursearoundhisneck，thensatholdingtheoldSnitchａｎｄwatchingitswingsflutterfeebly.Atlast，Hermionetappedonthedoorａｎｄtiptoedinside."Muffiato，"shewhispered，wavingherwａｎｄinthedirectionofthestairs."Thoughtyoudidn’tapproveofthatspell?"saidRon."Timeschange，"saidHermione."Now，showusthatDeluminator."Ronobligedatonce.HoldingIupinfrontofhim，heclickedit.Thesolitarylamptheyhadlitwentoutatonce."Thethingis，"whisperedHermionethroughthedark，"wecouldhaveachievedthatwithPeruvianInstantDarknessPowder."Therewasasmallclick，ａｎｄtheballoflightfromthelampflewbacktotheceilingａｎｄilluminatedthemalloncemore."Still，it’scool，"saidRon，alittledefensively."Andfromwhattheysaid，Dumbledoreinventedithimself!""Iknowbut，surelyhewouldn’thavesingledyououtinhiswilljusttohelpusturnoutthelights!""D’youthinkheknewtheMinistrywouldconfiscatehiswillａｎｄexamineeverythinghe’dleftus?"askedHarry."Definitely，"saidHermione."Hecouldn’ttellusinthewillwhyhewasleavingusthesethings，butthatwilldoesn’texplain…""…whyhecouldn’thavegivenusahintwhenhewasalive?"askedRon."Well，exactly，"saidHermione，nowflickingthroughTheTalesofBeedletheBard."IfthesethingsareimportantenoughtopassonrightunderthenoseoftheMinistry，you’dthinkhe’dhaveleftusknowwhy…unlesshethoughtitwasobvious?""Thoughtwrong，then，didn’the?"saidRon."Ialwayssaidhewasmental.Brilliantａｎｄeverything，butcracked.LeavingHarryanoldSnitch–whatthehellwasthatabout?""I’venoidea，"saidHermione."WhenScrimgeourmadeyoutakeit，Harry，Iwassosurethatsomethingwasgoingtohappen!""Yeah，well，"saidHarry，hispulsequickenedasheraisedtheSnitchinhisfingers."Iwasn’tgoingtotrytoohardinfrontofScrimgeourwasI?""Whatdoyoumean?"askedHermione."TheSnitchIcaughtinmyfirsteverQuidditchmatch?"saidHarry."Don’tyouremember?"Hermionelookedsimplybemused.Ron，however，gasped，pointingfranticallyfromHarrytotheSnitchａｎｄbackagainuntilhefoundhisvoice."Thatwastheoneyounearlyswallowed!""Exactly，"saidHarry，ａｎｄwithhisheartbeatingfast，hepressedhismouthtotheSnitch.Itdidnotopen.Frustrationａｎｄbitterdisappointmentwelledupinsidehim:Heloweredthegoldensphere，butthenHermionecriedout."Writing!There’swritingonit，quick，look!"HenearlydroppedtheSnitchinsurpriseａｎｄexcitement.Hermionewasquiteright.Engraveduponthesmoothgoldensurface，wheresecondsbeforetherehadbeennothing，werefivewordswritteninthethin，slantedhａｎｄwritingthatHarryrecognizedasDumbledore’sIopenattheclose.Hehadbarelyreadthemwhenthewordsvanishedagain."Iopenattheclose…."What’sthatsupposedtomean?"HermioneａｎｄRonshooktheirheads，lookingblank."Iopenattheclose…attheclose…Iopenattheclose…"Butnomatterhowoftentheyrepeatedthewords，withmanydifferentinflections，theywereunabletowringanymoremeaningfromthem."Andthesword，"saidRonfinally，whentheyhadatlastabａｎｄonedtheirattemptstodivinemeaningintheSnitch’sinscription."WhydidhewantHarrytohavethesword?""Andwhycouldn’thejusthavetoldme?"Harrysaidquietly."Iwasthere，itwasrightthereonthewallofhisofficeduringallourtalkslastyear!Ifhewantedmetohaveit，whydidn’thejustgiveittomethen?"Hefeltasthoughtheweresittinginanexaminationwithaquestionheoughttohavebeenabletoanswerinfrontofhim，hisbrainslowａｎｄunresponsive.WastheresomethinghehadmissedinthelongtalkswithDumbledorelastyear?Oughthetoknowwhatitallmeant?HadDumbledoreexpectedhimtounderstａｎｄ?"Andasforthisbook."SaidHermione，"TheTalesofBeedletheBard…I’veneverevenheardofthem!""You’veneverheardofTheTalesofBeedletheBard?"saidRonincredulously."You’rekidding，right?""No，I’mnot，"saidHermioneinsurprise."Doyouknowthemthen?""Well，ofcourseIdo!"Harrylookedup，diverted.ThecircumstanceofRonhavingreadabookthatHermionehadnotwasunprecedented.Ron，however，lookedbemusedbytheirsurprise."Ohcomeon!Alltheoldkids’storiesaresupposedtobeBeedle’saren’tthey?’TheFountainofFairFortune’…’TheWizardａｎｄtheHoppingPot’…’BabbittyRabbittyａｎｄherCacklingStump’…""Excuseme?"saidHermionegiggling."Whatwasthelastone?""Comeoffit!"saidRon，lookingindisbelieffromHarrytoHermione."Youmust’veheardofBabbittyRabbitty–""Ron，youknowfullwellHarryａｎｄIwerebroughtupbyMuggles!"saidHermione."Wedidn’thearstorieslikethatwhenwewerelittle，weheard’SnowWhiteａｎｄtheSevenDwarves’ａｎｄ’Cinderella’–""What’sthat，anillness?"askedRon."Sothesearechildren’sstories?"askedHermione，bendingagainstovertherunes."Yeah."SaidRonuncertainly."Imean，justwhatyouhear，youknow，thatalltheseoldstoriescamefromBeedle.Idunnowhatthey’relikeintheoriginalversions.""ButIwonderwhyDumbledorethoughtIshouldreadthem?"Somethingcrackeddownstairs."ProbablyjustCharlie，nowMum’sasleep，sneakingofftoregrowhishair，"saidRonnervously."Allthesame，weshouldgettobed，"whisperedHermione."Itwouldn’tdotooversleeptomorrow.""No，"agreedRon."Abrutaltriplemurderbythebridegroom’smothermightputabitofdamperonthewedding.I’llgetthelight."AndheclickedtheDeluminatoroncemoreasHermionelefttheroom.ChapterEightTheWeddingThreeo’clockonthefollowingafternoonfoundHarry，Ron，FredａｎｄGeorgestａｎｄingoutsidethegreatwhitemarqueeintheorchard，awaitingthearrivaloftheweddingguests.HarryhadtakenalargedoseofPolyjuicePotionａｎｄwasnowthedoubleofaredheadedMuggleboyfromthelocalvillage，OtterySt.Catchpole，fromwhomFredhadstolenhairsusingaSummoningCharm.TheplanwastointroduceHarryas“CousinBarny”ａｎｄtrusttothegreatnumberofWeasleyrelativestocamouflagehim.