3.harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban-第47部分

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　　〃Well；　honestly。。。　'the　fates　have　informed　her'　who　sets　the　exam？　She　does！　What　an　amazing　prediction！〃　she　said；　not　troubling　to　keep　her　voice　low。　Harry　and　Ron　choked　back　laughs。
　　It　was　hard　to　tell　whether　Professor　Trelawney　had　heard　them　as　her　face　was　hidden　in　shadow。　She　continued；　however；　as　though　she　had　not。
　　〃Crystal　gazing　is　a　particularly　refined　art；〃　she　said　dreamily。　〃I　do　not　expect　any　of　you　to　See　when　first　you　peer　into　the　Orb's　infinite　depths。　We　shall　start　by　practicing　relaxing　the　conscious　mind　and　external　eyes〃　　Ron　began　to　snigger　uncontrollably　and　had　to　stuff　his　fist　in　his　mouth　to　stifle　the　noise　　〃so　as　to　clear　the　Inner　Eye　and　the　superconscious。　Perhaps；　if　we　are　lucky；　some　of　you　will　see　before　the　end　of　the　class。〃
　　And　so　they　began。　Harry；　at　least；　felt　extremely　foolish；　staring　blankly　at　the　crystal　ball；　trying　to　keep　his　mind　empty　when　thoughts　such　as　〃this　is　stupid〃　kept　drifting　across　it。　It　didn't　help　that　Ron　kept　breaking　into　silent　giggles　and　Hermione　kept　tutting。
　　〃Seen　anything　yet？〃　Harry　asked　them　after　a　quarter　of　an　hour's　quiet　crystal　gazing。
　　〃Yeah；　there's　a　burn　on　this　table；〃　said　Ron；　pointing。　〃Someone's　spilled　their　candle。〃
　　〃This　is　such　a　waste　of　time；〃　Hermione　hissed。　〃I　could　be　practicing　something　useful。　I　could　be　catching　up　on　Cheering　Charms　〃
　　Professor　Trelawney　rustled　past。
　　〃Would　anyone　like　me　to　help　them　interpret　the　shadowy　portents　within　their　Orb？〃　she　murmured　over　the　clinking　of　her　bangles。
　　I　don't　need　help；〃　Ron　whispered。　〃It's　obvious　what　this　means。　There's　going　to　be　loads　of　fog　tonight。〃
　　Both　Harry　and　Hermione　burst　out　laughing。
　　〃Now；　really！〃　said　Professor　Trelawney　as　everyone's　heads　turned　in　their　direction。　Parvati　and　Lavender　were　looking　scandalized。　〃You　are　disturbing　the　clairvoyant　vibrations！〃　She　approached　their　table　and　peered　into　their　crystal　ball。　Harry　felt　his　heart　sinking。　He　was　sure　he　knew　what　was　ing　
　　〃There　is　something　here！〃　Professor　Trelawney　whispered；　lowerng　her　face　to　the　ball；　so　that　it　was　reflected　twice　in　her　huge　glasses。　〃Something　moving。。。　but　what　is　it？〃
　　Harry　was　prepared　to　bet　everything　he　owned；　Including　his　Firebolt；　that　it　wasn't　good　news；　whatever　it　was。　And　sure　enough　
　　〃My　dear　Professor　Trelawney　breathed；　gazing　up　at　Harry。　〃It　is　here；　plainer　than　ever　before。。。　my　dear；　stalking　toward　you；　growing　ever　closer。。。　the　Gr　〃
　　〃Oh；　for　goodness'　sake！〃　said　Hermione　loudly。　〃Not　that　ridiculous　Grim　again！〃
　　Professor　Trelawney　raised　her　enormous　eyes　to　Hermione's　face。　Parvati　whispered　something　to　Lavender；　and　they　both　glared　at　Hermione　too。　Professor　Trelawney　stood　up；　surveying　Hermione　with　unmistakable　anger。
　　〃I　am　sorry　to　say　that　from　the　moment　you　have　arrived　in　this　class　my　dear；　it　has　been　apparent　that　you　do　not　have　what　the　noble　art　of　Divination　requires。　Indeed；　I　don't　remember　ever　meeting　a　student　whose　mind　was　so　hopelessly　mundane。〃
　　There　was　a　moment's　silence。　Then　
　　〃Fine！〃　said　Hermione　suddenly；　getting　up　and　cramming　Unfogging　the　Future　back　into　her　bag。　〃Fine！〃　she　repeated；　swinging　the　bag　over　her　shoulder　and　almost　knocking　Ron　off　his　chair。　〃I　give　up！　I'm　leaving！〃
　　And　to　the　whole　class's　amazement；　Hermione　strode　over　to　the　trapdoor；　kicked　it　open；　and　climbed　down　the　ladder　out　of　sight。
　　It　took　a　few　minutes　for　the　class　to　settle　down　again。　Professor　Trelawney　seemed　to　have　forgotten　all　about　the　Grim。　She　turned　abruptly　from　Harry　and　Ron's　table；　breathing　rather　heavily　as　she　tugged　her　gauzy　shawl　more　closely　to　her。
　　〃Ooooo！〃　said　Lavender　suddenly；　making　everyone　start。　〃Ooooo；　Professor　Trelawney；　I've　just　remembered！　You　saw　her　leaving；　didn't　you？　Didn't　you；　Professor？　'Around　Easter；　one　of　our　number　will　leave　us　forever！'　You　said　it　ages　ago；　Professor！〃
　　Professor　Trelawney　gave　her　a　dewy　smile。
　　〃Yes；　my　dear；　I　did　indeed　know　that　Miss　Granger　would　be　leaving　us。　One　hopes；　however；　that　one　might　have　mistaken　the　Signs。。。。　The　Inner　Eye　can　be　a　burden；　you　know。。。〃
　　Lavender　and　Parvati　looked　deeply　impressed；　and　moved　over　so　that　Professor　Trelawney　could　join　their　table　instead。
　　〃Some　day　Hermione's　having；　eh？〃　Ron　muttered　to　Harry；　looking　awed。
　　〃Yeah。。。〃
　　Harry　glanced　into　the　crystal　ball　but　saw　nothing　but　swirling　white　mist。　Had　Professor　Trelawney　really　seen　the　Grim　again？　Would　he？　The　last　thing　he　needed　was　another　near…fatal　accident；　with　the　Quidditch　final　drawing　ever　nearer。
　　The　Easter　holidays　were　not　exactly　relaxing。　The　third　years　had　never　had　so　much　homework。　Neville　Longbottom　seemed　close　to　a　nervous　collapse；　and　he　wasn't　the　only　one。
　　〃Call　this　a　holiday！〃　Seamus　Finnigan　roared　at　the　mon　room　one　afternoon。　〃The　exams　are　ages　away；　what're　they　playing　at？〃
　　But　nobody　had　as　much　to　do　as　Hermione。　Even　without　Divination；　she　was　taking　more　subjects　than　anybody　else。　She　was　usually　last　to　leave　the　mon　room　at　night；　first　to　arrive　at　the　library　the　next　morning；　she　had　shadows　like　Lupin's　under　her　eyes；　and　seemed　constantly　close　to　tears。
　　Ron　had　taken　over　responsibility　for　Buckbeak's　appeal。　When　he　wasn't　doing　his　own　work；　he　was　poring　over　enormously　thick　volumes　with　names　like　The　Handbook　of　Hippogriff　Psychology　and　Fowl　or　Foul？　A　Study　of　Hippogriff　Brutality。　He　was　so　absorbed；　he　even　forgot　to　be　horrible　to　Crookshanks。
　　Harry；　meanwhile；　had　to　fit　in　his　homework　around　Quidditch　practice　every　day；　not　to　mention　endless　discussions　of　tactics　with　Wood。　The　Gryffindor…Slytherin　match　would　take　place　on　the　first　Saturday　after　the　Easter　holidays。　Slytherin　was　leading　the　tournament　by　exactly　two　hundred　points。　This　meant　（as　Wood　constantly　reminded　his　team）　that　they　needed　to　win　the　match　by　more　than　that　amount　to　win　the　Cup。　It　also　meant　that　the　burden　of　winning　fell　largely　on　Harry；　because　capturing　the　Snitch　was　worth　one　hundred　and　fifty　points。
　　〃So　you　must　catch　it　only　if　we're　more　than　fifty　points　up；〃　Wood　told　Harry　constantly。　〃Only　if　we're　more　than　fifty　points　up；　Harry；　or　we　win　the　match　but　lose　the　Cup。　You've　got　that；　Haven't　you？　You　must　catch　the　Snitch　only　if　we're　〃
　　〃I　KNOW；　OLIVER！〃　Harry　yelled。
　　The　whole　of　Gryffindor　House　was　obsessed　with　the　ing　match。　Gryffindor　hadn't　won　the　Quidditch　Cup　since　the　legendary　Charlie　Weasley　（Ron's　second　oldest　brother）　had　been　seeker。　But　Harry　doubted　whether　any　of　them；　even　Wood；　wanted　to　win　as　much　as　he　did。　The　enmity　between　Harry　and　Malfoy　was　at　its　highest　point　ever。　Malfoy　was　still　smarting　；bout　the　mud…throwing　incident　in　Hogsmeade　and　was　even　more　furious　that　Harry　had　somehow　wormed　his　way　out　of　punishment。　Harry　hadn't　forgotten　Malfoy's　attempt　to　sabotage　him　in　the　match　against　Ravenclaw；　but　it　was　the　matter　of　Buckbeak　that　made　him　most　determined　to　beat　Malfoy　in　front　of　the　entire　school。
　　Never；　in　anyone's　memory；　had　a　match　approached　in　such　a　highly　charged　atmosphere。　By　the　time　the　holidays　were　over；　tension　between　the　two　teams　and　their　Houses　was　at　the　breaking　point。　A　number　of　small　scuffles　broke　out　in　the　corridors；　culminating　in　a　nasty　incident　in　which　a　Gryffindor　fourth　year　and　a　Slytherin　sixth　year　ended　up　in　the　hospital　wing　with　leeks　sprouting　out　of　their　ears。
　　Harry　was　having　a　particularly　bad　time　of　it。　He　couldn't　walk　to　class　without　Slytherins　sticking　out　their　legs　and　trying　to　trip　him　up；　Crabbe　and　Goyle　kept　popping　up　wherever　he　went；　and　slouching　away　looking　disappointed　when　they　saw　him　surrounded　by　people。　Wood　had　given　instructions　that　Harry　should　be　acpanied　everywhere　he　went；　in　case　the　Slytherins　tried　to　put　him　out　of　action。　The　whole　of　Gryffindor　House　took　up　the　challenge　enthusiastically；　so　that　it　was　impossible　for　Harry　to　get　to　classes　on　time　because　he　was　surrounded　by　a　vast；　chattering　crowd。　Harry　was　more　concerned　for　his　Firebolt's　safety　than　his　own。　When　he　wasn't　flying　it；　he　locked　it　securely　in　his　trunk　and　frequently　dashed　back　up　to　Gryffindor　Tower　at　break　times　to　check　that　it　was　still　there。
　　All　usual　pursuits　were　abandoned　in　the　Gryffindor　mon　room　the　night　before　the　match。　Even　Hermione　had　Put　down　her　books。
　　〃I　can't　work；　I　can't　concentrate；〃　she　said　nervously。
　　There　was　a　great　deal　of　noise。　Fred　and　George　Weasley　were　dealing　with　the　pressure　by　being　louder　and　more　exuberant　than　ever。　Oliver　Wood　was　crouched　over　a　model　of　a　Quidditch　field　in　the　corner；　prodding　little　figures　across　it　with　his　wand　and　muttering　to　himself　Angelina；　Alicia；　and　Katie　were　laughing　at　Fred's　and　George's　jokes。　Harry　was　sitting　with　Ron　and　Hermione；　removed　from　the　center　of　things；　trying　not　to　think　about　the　next　day；　because　every　time　he　did；　he　had　the　horrible　sensation　that　something　very　large　was　fighting　to　get　out　of　his　stomach。
　　〃You're　going　to　be　fine；〃　Hermione　told　him；　though　she