jkrowling.harrypotterandgf-第27部分

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　　　〃Here！〃　said　Mrs。　Weasley　breathlessly；　pushing　a　piece　of　parchment；　a　bottle　of　ink；　and　a　crumpled　quill　into　Mr。　Weasley's　hands。
　　　〃it's　a　real　stroke　of　luck　I　heard　about　it；〃　said　Mr。　Diggory's　head。　〃I　had　to　e　into　the　office　early　to　send　a　couple　of　owls；　and　I　found　the　Improper　Use　of　Magic　lot　all　setting　off…if　Rita　Skeeter　gets　hold　of　this　one；　Arthur…〃
　　　〃What　does　Mad…Eye　say　happened？〃　asked　Mr。　Weasley；　unscrewing　the　ink　bottle；　loading　up　his　quill；　and　preparing　to　take　notes。
　　　Mr。　Diggory's　head　rolled　its　eyes。　〃Says　he　heard　an　intruder　in　his　yard。　Says　he　was　creeping　toward　the　house；　but　was　ambushed　by　his　dustbins。〃
　　　〃What　did　the　dustbins　do？〃　asked　Mr。　Weasley；　scribbling　frantically。
　　　〃Made　one　hell　of　a　noise　and　fired　rubbish　everywhere；　as　far　as　I　can　tell；〃　said　Mr。　Diggory。　〃Apparently　one　of　them　was　still　rocketing　around　when　the　please…men　turned　up…〃
　　　Mr。　Weasley　groaned。
　　　〃And　what　about　the　intruder？〃
　　　〃Arthur；　you　know　Mad…Eye；〃　said　Mr。　Diggory's　head；　rolling　its　eyes　again。　〃Someone　creeping　into　his　yard　in　the　dead　of　night？　More　likely　there's　a　very　shell…shocked　cat　wandering　around　somewhere；　covered　in　potato　peelings。　But　if　the　Improper　Use　of　Magic　lot　get　their　hands　on　Mad…Eye；　he's　had　it…think　of　his　record…we've　got　to　get　him　off　on　a　minor　charge；　something　in　your　department…what　are　exploding　dustbins　worth？〃
　　　〃Might　be　a　caution；〃　said　Mr。　Weasley；　still　writing　very　fast；　his　brow　furrowed。　〃Mad…Eye　didn't　use　his　wand？　He　didn't　actually　attack　anyone？〃
　　　〃I'll　bet　he　leapt　out　of　bed　and　started　jinxing　everything　he　could　reach　through　the　window；〃　said　Mr。　Diggory；　〃but　they'll　have　a　job　proving　it；　there　aren't　any　casualties。〃
　　　〃All　right；　I'm　off；〃　Mr。　Weasley　said；　and　he　stuffed　the　parchment　with　his　notes　on　it　into　his　pocket　and　dashed　out　of　the　kitchen　again。
　　　Mr。　Diggory's　head　looked　around　at　Mrs。　Weasley。
　　　〃Sorry　about　this；　Molly；〃　it　said；　more　calmly；　〃bothering　you　so　early　and　everything。。。　but　Arthur's　the　only　one　who　can　get　Mad…Eye　off；　and　Mad…Eye's　supposed　to　be　starting　his　new　job　today。　Why　he　had　to　choose　last　night。。〃
　　　〃Never　mind；　Amos；〃　said　Mrs。　Weasley。　〃Sure　you　won't　have　a　bit　of　toast　or　anything　before　you　go？〃
　　　〃Oh　go　on；　then；〃　said　Mr。　Diggory。
　　　Mrs。　Weasley　took　a　piece　of　buttered　toast　from　a　stack　on　the　kitchen　table；　put　it　into　the　fire　tongs；　and　transferred　it　into　Mr。　Diggory's　mouth。
　　　〃Fanks；〃　he　said　in　a　muffled　voice；　and　then；　with　a　small　pop；　vanished。
　　　Harry　could　hear　Mr。　Weasley　calling　hurried　good…byes　to　Bill；　Charlie；　Percy；　and　the　girls。　Within　five　minutes；　he　was　back　in　the　kitchen；　his　robes　on　the　right　way　now；　dragging　a　b　through　his　hair。
　　　〃I'd　better　hurry…you　have　a　good　term；　boys；　said　Mr。　Weasley　to　Harry；　Ron；　and　the　twins；　fastening　a　cloak　over　his　shoulders　and　preparing　to　Disapparate。　〃Molly；　are　you　going　to　be　all　right　taking　the　kids　to　King's　Cross？〃
　　　〃Of　course　I　will；〃　she　said。　〃You　just　look　after　Mad…Eye；　we'll　be　fine。〃
　　　As　Mr。　Weasley　vanished；　Bill　and　Charlie　entered　the　kitchen。
　　　〃Did　someone　say　Mad…Eye？〃　Bill　asked。　〃What's　he　been　up　to　now。〃
　　　〃He　says　someone　tried　to　break　into　his　house　last　night；〃　said　Mrs。　Weasley。
　　　〃Mad…Eye　Moody？〃　said　George　thoughtfully；　spreading　marmalade　on　his　toast。　〃Isn't　he　that　nutter…〃
　　　〃Your　father　thinks　very　highly　of　Mad…Eye　Moody；〃　said　Mrs。　Weasley　sternly。
　　　〃Yeah；　well；　Dad　collects　plugs；　doesn't　he？〃　said　Fred　quietly　as　Mrs。　Weasley　left　the　room。　〃Birds　of　a　feather。。。〃
　　　〃Moody　was　a　great　wizard　in　his　time；〃　said　Bill。
　　　〃He's　an　old　friend　of　Dumbledore's；　isn't　he？〃　said　Charlie。
　　　〃Dumbledore's　not　what　you'd　call　normal；　though；　is　he？〃　said　Fred。　〃I　mean；　I　know　he's　a　genius　and　everything。。。〃
　　　〃Who　is　Mad…Eye？〃　asked　Harry。
　　　〃He's　retired；　used　to　work　at　the　Ministry；〃　said　Charlie。　〃I　met　him　once　when　Dad　took　me　into　work　with　him。　He　was　an　Auror…one　of　the　best。。。　a　Dark　wizard　catcher；〃　he　added；　seeing　Harry's　blank　look　〃Half　the　cells　in　Azkaban　are　full　because　of　him。　He　made　himself　loads　of　enemies；　though。。。　the　families　of　people　he　caught；　mainly。。。　and　I　heard　he's　been　getting　really　paranoid　in　his　old　age。　Doesn't　trust　anyone　anymore。　Sees　Dark　wizards　everywhere。〃
　　　Bill　and　Charlie　decided　to　e　and　see　everyone　off　at　King's　Cross　station；　but　Percy；　apologizing　most　profusely；　said　that　he　really　needed　to　get　to　work。
　　　〃I　just　can't　justify　taking　more　time　off　at　the　moment；〃　he　told　them。　〃Mr。　Crouch　is　really　starting　to　rely　on　me。〃
　　　〃Yeah；　you　know　what；　Percy？〃　said　George　seriously。　〃I　reckon　he'll　know　your　name　soon。〃
　　　Mrs。　Weasley　had　braved　the　telephone　in　the　village　post　office　to　order　three　ordinary　Muggle　taxis　to　take　them　into　London。
　　　〃Arthur　tried　to　borrow　Ministry　cars　for　us；〃　Mrs。　Weasley　whispered　to　Harry　as　they　stood　in　the　rain…washed　yard；　watching　the　taxi　drivers　heaving　six　heavy　Hogwarts　trunks　into　their　cars。　〃But　there　weren't　any　to　spare。。。　Oh　dear；　they　don't　look　happy；　do　they？〃
　　　Harry　didn't　like　to　tell　Mrs。　Weasley　that　Muggle　taxi　drivers　rarely　transported　overexcited　owls；　and　Pigwidgeon　was　making　an　earsplitting　racket。　Nor　did　it　help　that　a　number　of　Filibuster's　Fabulous　No…Heat；　Wet…Start　Fireworks　went　off　unexpectedly　when　Fred's　trunk　sprang　open；　causing　the　driver　carrying　it　to　yell　with　fright　and　pain　as　Crookshanks　clawed　his　way　up　the　man's　leg。
　　　The　journey　was　unfortable；　owing　to　the　fact　that　they　were　jammed　in　the　back　of　the　taxis　with　their　trunks。　Crookshanks　took　quite　a　while　to　recover　from　the　fireworks；　and　by　the　time　they　entered　London；　Harry；　Ron；　and　Hermione　were　all　severely　scratched。　They　were　very　relieved　to　get　out　at　King's　Cross；　even　though　the　rain　was　ing　down　harder　than　ever；　and　they　got　soaked　carrying　their　trunks　across　the　busy　road　and　into　the　station。
　　　Harry　was　used　to　getting　onto　platform　nine　and　three…quarters　by　now。　It　was　a　simple　matter　of　walking　straight　through　the　apparently　solid　barrier　dividing　platforms　nine　and　ten。　The　only　tricky　part　was　doing　this　in　an　unobtrusive　way；　so　as　to　avoid　attracting　Muggle　attention。　They　did　it　in　groups　today；　Harry；　Ron；　and　Hermione　（the　most　conspicuous；　since　they　were　acpanied　by　Pigwidgeon　and　Crookshanks）　went　first；　they　leaned　casually　against　the　barrier；　chatting　unconcernedly；　and　slid　sideways　through　it。。。　and　as　they　did　so；　platform　nine　and　three…quarters　materialized　in　front　of　them。
　　　The　Hogwarts　Express；　a　gleaming　scarlet　steam　engine；　was　already　there；　clouds　of　steam　billowing　from　it；　through　which　the　many　Hogwarts　students　and　parents　on　the　platform　appeared　like　dark　ghosts。　Pigwidgeon　became　noisier　than　ever　in　response　to　the　hooting　of　many　owls　through　the　mist。　Harry；　Ron；　and　Hermione　set　off　to　find　seats；　and　were　soon　stowing　their　luggage　in　a　partment　halfway　along　the　train。　They　then　hopped　back　down　onto　the　platform　to　say　good…bye　to　Mrs。　Weasley；　Bill；　and　Charlie。
　　　〃I　might　be　seeing　you　all　sooner　than　you　think；〃　said　Charlie；　grinning；　as　he　hugged　Ginny　good…bye。
　　　〃Why？〃　said　Fred　keenly。
　　　〃You'll　see；〃　said　Charlie。　〃Just　don't　tell　Percy　I　mentioned　it。。。　it's　'classified　information；　until　such　time　as　the　Ministry　sees　fit　to　release　it；'　after　all。〃
　　　〃Yeah；　I　sort　of　wish　I　were　back　at　Hogwarts　this　year；〃　said　Bill；　hands　in　his　pockets；　looking　almost　wistfully　at　the　train。
　　　〃Why？〃　said　George　impatiently。
　　　〃You're　going　to　have　an　interesting　year；〃　said　Bill；　his　eyes　twinkling。　〃I　might　even　get　time　off　to　e　and　watch　a　bit　of　it。〃
　　　〃A　bit　of　what？〃　said　Ron。
　　　But　at　that　moment；　the　whistle　blew；　and　Mrs。　Weasley　chivvied　them　toward　the　train　doors。
　　　〃Thanks　for　having　us　to　stay；　Mrs。　Weasley；〃　said　Hermione　as　they　climbed　on　board；　closed　the　door；　and　leaned　out　of　the　window　to　talk　to　her。
　　　〃Yeah；　thanks　for　everything；　Mrs。　Weasley；〃　said　Harry。
　　　〃Oh　it　was　my　pleasure；　dears；〃　said　Mrs。　Weasley。　〃I'd　invite　you　for　Christmas；　but。。。　well；　I　expect　you're　all　going　to　want　to　stay　at　Hogwarts；　what　with。。。　one　thing　and　another。〃
　　　〃Mum！〃　said　Ron　irritably。　〃What　d'you　three　know　that　we　don't？〃
　　　〃You'll　find　out　this　evening；　I　expect；〃　said　Mrs。　Weasley；　smiling。　〃It's　going　to　be　very　exciting…mind　you；　I'm　very　glad　they've　changed　the　rules…〃
　　　〃What　rules？〃　said　Harry；　Ron；　Fred；　and　George　together。
　　　〃I'm　sure　Professor　Dumbledore　will　tell　you。。。　Now；　behave；　won't　you？　Won't　you；　Fred？　And　you；　George？〃
　　　The　pistons　hissed　loudly　and　the　train　began　to　move。
　　　〃Tell　us　what's　happening　at　Hogwarts！〃　Fred　bellowed　out　of　the　window　as　Mrs。　Weasley；　Bill；　and　Charlie　sped　away　from　them。　〃What　rules　are　they　changing？〃
　　　But　Mrs。　Weasley　only　smiled　and　waved。　Before　the　train　had　rounded　the　corner；　she；　Bill；　and　Charlie　had　Disapparated。
　　　Harry；　Ron；　and　Hermione　went　back　to　their　partment。　The　thick　rain　splattering　the　windows　made　it　very　difficult　to　see　out　of　them。　Ron　undid　his　trunk；　pulled　out　his　maroon　dress　robes；　and　flung　them　over　Pigwidgeon's　cag