第12节
Harrydidnotanswer.Hepretendedtowatchthedancers，likeKrum，buthewasthinkinghard.SoVoldemortwaslookingforacelebratedwａｎｄmakerａｎｄHarrydidnothavetosearchfarforareason.ItwassurelybecauseofwhatHarry’wａｎｄhaddoneonthenightthatVoldemortpursuedhimacrosstheskies.Thehollyａｎｄphoenixfeatherwａｎｄhadconqueredtheborrowedwａｎｄ，somethingthatOllivａｎｄerhadnotanticipatedorunderstood.WouldGregorowitchknowbetter?WashetrulymoreskilledthanOllivａｎｄer，didheknowsecretsofwａｎｄsthatOllivａｎｄerdidnot?
“Thisgirlisverynice-looking，”Krumsaid，recallingHarrytohissurroundings.KrumwaspointingatGinny，whohadjustjoinedLuna.“Sheisalsoarelativeofyours?”
“Yeah，”saidHarry，suddenlyirritated，“ａｎｄshe’sseeingsomeone.Jealoustype.Bigbloke.Youwouldn’twanttocrosshim.”
Krumgrunted.
“Vot，”hesaid，draininghisgobletａｎｄgettingtohisfeetagain，“isthepointofbeinganinternationalQuidditchplayerifallthegood-lookinggirlsaretaken?”
AndhestrodeoffleavingHarrytotakeasａｎｄwichfromapassingwaiterａｎｄmakehiswayaroundtheedgeofthecrowdeddancefloor.HewantedtofindRon，totellhimaboutGregorovitch，buthewasdancingwithHermioneoutinthemiddleofthefloor.HarryleanedupagainstoneofthegoldenpillarsａｎｄwatchedGinny，whowasnowdancingwithFredａｎｄGeorge’sfriendLeeJordan，tryingnottofeelresentfulaboutthepromisehehadgivenRon.
Hehadneverbeentoaweddingbefore，sohecouldnotjudgehowWizardingcelebrationsdifferedfromMuggleones，thoughhewasprettysurethatthelatterwouldnotinvolveaweddingcaketoppedwithtwomodelphoenixesthattookflightwhenthecakewascut，orbottlesofchampagnethatfloatedunsupportedthroughthecrowd.Astheeveningdrewin，ａｎｄmothsbegantoswoopunderthecanopy，nowlitwithfloatinggoldenlanterns，therevelrybecamemoreａｎｄmoreuncontained.FredａｎｄGeorgehadlongsincedisappearedintothedarknesswithapairofFleur’scousins;Charlie，Hagrid，ａｎｄasquatwizardinapurpleporkpiehatweresinging“OdotheHero”inthecorner.
WａｎｄeringthroughthecrowdsoastoescapeadrunkenuncleofRon’swhoseemedunsurewhetherornotHarrywashisson，Harryspottedanoldwizardsittingaloneatatable.Hiscloudofwhitehairmadehimlookratherlikeanageddａｎｄelionclockａｎｄwastoppedbyamoth-eatenfez.Hewasvaguelyfamiliar:Rackinghisbrains，HarrysuddenlyrealizedthatthiswasElphiasDoge，memberoftheOrderofthePhoenixａｎｄthewriterofDumbledore’sobituary.
Harryapproachedhim.
“MayIsitdown?”
“Ofcourse，ofcourse，”saidDoge;hehadaratherhigh-pitched，wheezyvoice.
Harryleanedin.
“Mr.Doge，I’mHarryPotter.”
Dogegasped.
“Mydearboy!Arthurtoldmeyouwerehere，disguised….Iamsoglad，sohonored!”
InaflutterofnervouspleasureDogepouredHarryagobletofchampagne.
“Ithoughtofwritingtoyou，”hewhispered，“afterDumbledore…theshock…ａｎｄforyou，Iamsure…”
Doge’stinyeyesfilledwithsuddentears.
“IsawtheobituaryyouwrotefortheDailyProphet，”saidHarry.“Ididn’trealizeyouknewProfessorDumbledoresowell.”
“Aswellasanyone，”saidDoge，dabbinghiseyeswithanapkin.“CertainlyIknewhimlongest，ifyoudon’tcountAberforth–ａｎｄsomehow，peopleneverdoseemtocountAberforth.”
“SpeakingoftheDailyProphet…Idon’tknowwhetheryousaw，Mr.Doge-?”
“Oh，pleasecallmeElphias，dearboy.”
“Elphias，Idon’tknowwhetheryousawtheinterviewRitaSkeetergaveaboutDumbledore?”
Doge’sfacefloodedwithangrycolor.
“Ohyes，Harry，Isawit.Thatwoman，orvulturemightbeamoreaccurateterm，positivelypesteredmetotalktoher，IamashamedtosaythatIbecameratherrude，calledheraninterferingtrout，whichresulted，asyoumyhaveseen，inaspersionscastuponmysanity.”
“Well，inthatinterview，”Harrywenton，“RitaSkeeterhintedthatProfessorDumbledorewasinvolvedintheDarkArtswhenhewasyoung.”
“Don’tbelieveawordofit!”saidDogeatonce.“Notaword，Harry!LetnothingtarnishyourmemoriesofAlbusDumbledore!”
HarrylookedintoDoge’searnest，painedface，ａｎｄfelt，notreassured，butfrustrated.DidDogereallythinkitwasthateasy，thatHarrycouldsimplychoosenottobelieve?Didn’tDogeunderstａｎｄHarry’sneedtobesure，toknoweverything?”
PerhapsDogesuspectedHarry’sfeelings，forhelookedconcernedａｎｄhurriedon，“Harry，RitaSkeeterisadreadful–“
Buthewasinterruptedbyashrillcackle.
“RitaSkeeter?Oh，Iloveher，alwaysreadher!”
HarryａｎｄDogelookeduptoseeAuntieMurielstａｎｄingthere，theplumesdancingonherhair，agobletofchampagneinherhａｎｄ.“She’swrittenabookaboutDumbledore，youknow!”“Hello，Muriel，”saidDoge，“Yes，wewerejustdiscussing–“