第21节

Harrybentdown，pickedupafewofthepiecesofpaper，ａｎｄexaminedthem.HerecognizedoneasapartofanoldeditionofAHistoryofMagic，byBathildaBagshot，ａｎｄanotherasbelongingtoamotorcyclemaintenancemanual.Thethirdwashａｎｄwrittenａｎｄcrumpled.Hesmootheditout.

DearPadfoot，

Thankyou，thankyou，forHarry’sbirthdaypresent!Itwashisfavoritebyfar.Oneyearoldａｎｄalreadyzoomingalongonatoybroomstick，helookedsopleasedwithhimself.I’menclosingapicturesoyoucansee.YouknowitonlyrisesabouttwofeetoffthegroundbuthenearlykilledthecatａｎｄhesmashedahorriblevasePetuniasentmeforChristmas(nocomplaintsthere).OfcourseJamesthoughtitwassofunny，sayshe’sgoingtobeagreatQuidditchplayerbutwe’vehadtopackawayalltheornamentsａｎｄmakesurewedon’ttakeoureyesoffhimwhenhegetsgoing.

Wehadaveryquietbirthdaytea，justusａｎｄoldBathildawhohasalwaysbeensweettousａｎｄwhodotesonGarry.Weweresosorryyoucouldn’tcome，buttheOrder’sgottocomefirst，ａｎｄHarry’snotoldenoughtoknowit’shisbirthdayanyway!Jamesisgettingabitfrustratedshutuphere，hetriesnottoshowitbutIcantell–alsoDumbledore’sstillgothisInvisibilityCloak，sonochanceoflittleexcursions.Ifyoucouldvisit，itwouldcheerhimupsomuch.Wormywasherelastweekend.Ithoughtheseemeddown，butthatwasprobablythenextabouttheMcKinnons;IcriedalleveningwhenIheard.

Bathildadropsinmostdays，she’safascinatingoldthingwiththemostamazingstoriesaboutDumbledore.I’mnotsurehe’dbepleasedifheknew!Idon’tknowhowmuchtobelieve，actuallybecauseitseemsincrediblethatDumbledore

Harry’sextremitiesseemedtohavegonenumb.Hestoodquitestill，holdingthemiraculouspaperinhisnervelessfingerswhileinsidehimakindofquieteruptionssentjoyａｎｄgriefthunderingitsequalmeasurethroughhisveins.Lurchingtothebed，hesatdown.

Hereadtheletteragain，butcouldnottakeinanymoremeaningthanhehaddonethefirsttime，ａｎｄwasreducedtostaringatthehａｎｄwritingitself.Shehadmadeher“g”sthesamewayhedid.Hesearchedthroughtheletterforeveryoneofthem，ａｎｄeachfeltlikeafriendlylittlewaveglimpsedfrombehindaveil.Theletterwasanincredibletreasure，proofthatLilyPotterhadlived，reallylived，thatherwarmhａｎｄhadoncemovedacrossthisparchment，tracinginkintotheseletters，thesewords，wordsabouthim，Harry，herson.

Impatientlybrushingawaythewetnessinhiseyes，herereadtheletter，thistimeconcentratingonthemeaning.Itwaslikelisteningtoahalf-rememberedvoice.

Theyhadacat…perhapsithadperished，likehisparentsatGodric’sHollow…orelsefledwhentherewasnobodylefttofeedit…Siriushadboughthimhisfirstbroomstick…HisparentshadknownBathildaBagshot;hadDumbledoreintroducedthem?Dumbledore’sstillgothisInvisibilityCloak…therewassomethingfunnythere…

Harrypaused，ponderinghismother’swords.WhyhadDumbledoretakenJames’sInvisibilityCloak?Harrydistinctlyrememberedhisheadmastertellinghimyearsbefore，“Idon’tneedacloaktobecomeinvisible”PerhapssomelessgiftedOrdermemberhadneededitsassistance，ａｎｄDumbledorehadactedasacarrier?Harrypassedon…

Wormywashere…Pettigrew，thetraitor，hadseemed“down”hadhe?WasheawarethathewasseeingJamesａｎｄLilyaliveforthelasttime?

AndfinallyBathildaagain，whotoldincrediblestoriesaboutDumbledore.ItseemsincrediblethatDumbledore——

ThatDumbledorewhat?ButtherewereanynumberofthingsthatwouldseemincredibleaboutDumbledore;thathehadoncereceivedbottommarksinaTransfigurationtest，forinstanceorhadtakenupgoatcharminglikeAberforth…

Harrygottohisfeetａｎｄscannedthefloor:Perhapstherestoftheletterwasheresomewhere.Heseizedpapers，treatingtheminhiseagerness，withaslittleconsiderationastheoriginalsearcher，hepulledopendrawers，shookoutbooks，stoodonachairtorunhishａｎｄoverthetopofthewardrobe，ａｎｄcrawledunderthebedａｎｄarmchair.

Atlast，lyingfacedownonthefloor，hespottedwhatlookedlikeatornpieceofpaperunderthechestofdrawers.Whenhepulleditout，itprovedtobemostofthephotographthatLilyhaddescribedinherletter.Ablack-hairedbabywaszoominginａｎｄoutofthepictureonatinybroom，roaringwithlaughter，ａｎｄapairoflegsthatmusthavebelongedtoJameswaschasingafterhim.HarrytuckedthephotographintohispocketwithLily’sletterａｎｄcontinuedtolookforthesecondsheet.

“I’mnotupset，”helied，“I’djustliketoknowwhetherornotit’strueor–“

“Harrydoyoureallythinkyou’llgetthetruthfromamaliciousoldwomanlikeMuriel，orfromRitaSkeeter?Howcanyoubelievethem?YouknewDumbledore!”