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第108部分

jkrowling.harrypotterandgf-第108部分

小说: jkrowling.harrypotterandgf 字数: 每页4000字

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ou。 Wormtail here has paid some of his debt already; have you not; Wormtail?〃
   He looked down at Wormtail; who continued to sob。
   〃You returned to me; not out of loyalty; but out of fear of your old friends。 You deserve this pain; Wormtail。 You know that; don't you?〃
   〃Yes; Master;〃 moaned Wormtail; 〃please。 Master。。。 please 。。。〃
   〃Yet you helped return me to my body;〃 said Voldemort coolly; watching Wormtail sob on the ground。 〃Worthless and traitorous as you are; you helped me 。。。and Lord Voldemort rewards his helpers。。。〃
   Voldemort raised his wand again and whirled it through the air。 A streak of what looked like molten silver hung shining in the wand's wake。 Momentarily shapeless; it writhed and then formed itself into a gleaming replica of a human hand; bright as moonlight; which soared downward and fixed itself upon Wormtails bleeding wrist。
   Wormtail's sobbing stopped abruptly。 His breathing harsh and ragged; he raised his head and stared in disbelief at the silver hand; now attached seamlessly to his arm; as though he were wearing a dazzling glove。 He flexed the shining fingers; then; trembling; picked up a small twig on the ground and crushed it into powder。
   〃My Lord;〃 he whispered。 〃Master 。。。it is beautiful。。。 thank you。。。 thank you。。。〃
   He scrambled forward on his knees and kissed the hem of Voldemort's robes。
   〃May your loyalty never waver again; Wormtail;〃 said Voldemort。
   〃No; my Lord。。。 never; my Lord。。。〃
   Wormtail stood up and took his place in the circle; staring at his powerful new hand; his face still shining with tears。 Voldemort now approached the man on Wormtail's right。
   〃Lucius; my slippery friend;〃 he whispered; halting before him。 〃I am told that you have not renounced the old ways; though to the world you present a respectable face。 You are still ready to take the lead in a spot of Muggle…torture; I believe? Yet you never tried to find me; Lucius。。。 Your exploits at the Quidditch World Cup were fun; I daresay。。。 but might not your energies have been better directed toward finding and aiding your master?〃
   〃My Lord; I was constantly on the alert;〃 came Lucius Malfoy's voice swiftly from beneath the hood。 〃Had there been any sign from you; any whisper of your whereabouts; I would have been at your side immediately; nothing could have prevented me…〃
   〃And yet you ran from my Mark; when a faithful Death Eater sent it into the sky last summer?〃 said Voldemort lazily; and Mr。 Malfoy stopped talking abruptly。 〃Yes; I know all about that; Lucius。。。 You have disappointed me。。。 I expect more faithful service in the future。〃
   〃Of course; my Lord; of course。。。 You are merciful; thank you。。。〃
   Voldemort moved on; and stopped; staring at the space…large enough for two people…that separated Malfoy and the next man。
   〃The Lestranges should stand here;〃 said Voldemort quietly。 〃But they are entombed in Azkaban。 They were faithful。 They went to Azkaban rather than renounce me。。。 When Azkaban is broken open; the Lestranges will be honored beyond their dreams。 The dementors will join us 。。。they are our natural allies 。。。we will recall the banished giants 。。。I shall have all my devoted servants returned to me; and an army of creatures whom all fear。。。〃
   He walked on。 Some of the Death Eaters he passed in silence; but he paused before others and spoke to them。
   〃Macnair。。。 destroying dangerous beasts for the Ministry of Magic now; Wormtail tells me? You shall have better victims than that soon; Macnair。 Lord Voldemort will provide。。。〃
   〃Thank you; Master。。。 thank you;〃 murmured Macnair。
   〃And here〃…Voldemort moved on to the two largest hooded figures…〃we have Crabbe。。。 you will do better this time; will you not; Crabbe? And you; Goyle?〃
   They bowed clumsily; muttering dully。
   〃Yes; Master 。。。〃
   〃We will; Master。。。〃
   〃The same goes for you; Nott;〃 said Voldemort quietly as he walked past a stooped figure in Mr。 Goyles shadow。
   〃My Lord; I prostrate myself before you; I am your most faithful…〃
   〃That will do;〃 said Voldemort。
   He had reached the largest gap of all; and he stood surveying it with his blank; red eyes; as though he could see people standing there。
   〃And here we have six missing Death Eaters。。。 three dead in my service。 One; too cowardly to return 。。。he will pay。 One; who I believe has left me forever 。。。he will be killed; of course。。。 and one; who remains my most faithful servant; and who has already reentered my service。〃
   The Death Eaters stirred; and Harry saw their eyes dart sideways at one another through their masks。
   〃He is at Hogwarts; that faithful servant; and it was through his efforts that our young friend arrived here tonight。。。
   〃Yes;〃 said Voldemort; a grin curling his lipless mouth as the eyes of the circle flashed in Harry's direction。 〃Harry Potter has kindly joined us for my rebirthing party。 One might go so far as to call him my guest of honor。〃
   There was a silence。 Then the Death Eater to the right of Wormtail stepped forward; and Lucius Malfoy's voice spoke from under the mask。
   〃Master; we crave to know 。。。we beg you to tell us 。。。how you have achieved this。。。 this miracle。。。 how you managed to return to us。。。〃
   〃Ah; what a story it is; Lucius;〃 said Voldemort。 〃And it begins…and ends…with my young friend here。〃
   He walked lazily over to stand next to Harry; so that the eyes of the whole circle were upon the two of them。 The snake continued to circle。
   〃You know; of course; that they have called this boy my downfall?〃 Voldemort said softly; his red eyes upon Harry; whose scar began to burn so fiercely that he almost screamed in agony。 〃You all know that on the night I lost my powers and my body; I tried to kill him。 His mother died in the attempt to save him…and unwittingly provided him with a protection I admit I had not foreseen。。。 I could not touch the boy。〃
   Voldemort raised one of his long white fingers and put it very close to Harry's cheek。
   〃His mother left upon him the traces other sacrifice。。。 This is old magic; I should have remembered it; I was foolish to overlook it。。。 but no matter。 I can touch him now。〃
   Harry felt the cold tip of the long white finger touch him; and thought his head would burst with the pain。 Voldemort laughed softly in his ear; then took the finger away and continued addressing the Death Eaters。
   〃I miscalculated; my friends; I admit it。 My curse was deflected by the woman's foolish sacrifice; and it rebounded upon myself。 Aaah。。。 pain beyond pain; my friends; nothing could have prepared me for it。 I was ripped from my body; I was less than spirit; less than the meanest ghost。。。 but still; I was alive。 What I was; even I do not know。。。 I; who have gone further than anybody along the path that leads to immortality。 You know my goal…to conquer death。 And now; I was tested; and it appeared that one or more of my experiments had worked 。。。for I had not been killed; though the curse should have done it。 Nevertheless; I was as powerless as the weakest creature alive; and without the means to help myself。。。 for I had no body; and every spell that might have helped me required the use of a wand。。。
   〃I remember only forcing myself; sleeplessly; endlessly; second by second; to exist。。。 I settled in a faraway place; in a forest; and I waited。。。 Surely; one of my faithful Death Eaters would try and find me。。。 one of them would e and perform the magic I could not; to restore me to a body 。。; but I waited in vain。。。〃
   The shiver ran once more around the circle of listening Death Eaters。 Voldemort let the silence spiral horribly before continuing。
   〃Only one power remained to me。 I could possess the bodies of others。 But I dared not go where other humans were plentiful; for I knew that the Aurors were still abroad and searching for me。
   I sometimes inhabited animals…snakes; of course; being my preference…but I was little better off inside them than as pure spirit; for their bodies were ill adapted to perform magic。。。 and my possession of them shortened their lives; none of them lasted long。。。
   〃Then。。。 four years ago。。。 the means for my return seemed assured。 A wizard…young; foolish; and gullible…wandered across my path in the forest I had made my home。 Oh; he seemed the very chance I had been dreaming of。。。 for he was a teacher at Dumbledore's school。。。 he was easy to bend to my will。。。 he brought me back to this country; and after a while; I took possession of his body; to supervise him closely as he carried out my orders。 But my plan failed。 I did not manage to steal the Sorcerer's Stone。 I was not to be assured immortal life。 I was thwarted。。。 thwarted; once again; by Harry Potter。。。〃
   Silence once more; nothing was stirring; not even the leaves on the yew tree。 The Death Eaters were quite motionless; the glittering eyes in their masks fixed upon Voldemort; and upon Harry。
   〃The servant died when I left his body; and I was left as weak as ever I had been;〃 Voldemort continued。 〃I returned to my hiding place far away; and I will not pretend to you that I didn't then fear that I might never regain my powers。。。 Yes; that was perhaps my darkest hour。。。 I could not hope that I would be sent another wizard to possess。。。 and I had given up

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