jkrowling.harrypotterandgf-第33部分

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pering　and　straining　at　his　collar；　apparently　keen　to　investigate　the　contents　more　closely。　As　they　drew　nearer；　an　odd　rattling　noise　reached　their　ears；　punctuated　by　what　sounded　like　minor　explosions。
　　　〃Mornin'！〃　Hagrid　said；　grinning　at　Harry；　Ron；　and　Hermione。　〃Be'er　wait　fer　the　Slytherins；　they　won'　want　ter　miss　this…Blast…Ended　Skrewts！〃
　　　〃e　again？〃　said　Ron。
　　　Hagrid　pointed　down　into　the　crates。
　　　〃Eurgh！〃　squealed　Lavender　Brown；　jumping　backward。　〃Eurgh〃　just　about　summed　up　the　Blast…Ended　Skrewts　in　Harry's　opinion。　They　looked　like　deformed；　shell…less　lobsters；　horribly　pale　and　slimy…looking；　with　legs　sticking　out　in　very　odd　places　and　no　visible　heads。　There　were　about　a　hundred　of　them　in　each　crate；　each　about　six　inches　long；　crawling　over　one　another；　bumping　blindly　into　the　sides　of　the　boxes。　They　were　giving　off　a　very　powerful　smell　of　rotting　fish。　Every　now　and　then；　sparks　would　fly　out　of　the　end　of　a　skrewt；　and　with　a　small　phut；　it　would　be　propelled　forward　several　inches。
　　　〃On'y　jus'　hatched；〃　said　Hagrid　proudly；　〃so　yeh'll　be　able　ter　raise　'em　yerselves！　Thought　we'd　make　a　bit　of　a　project　of　it！〃
　　　〃And　why　would　we　want　to　raise　them？〃　said　a　cold　voice。
　　　The　Slytherins　had　arrived。　The　speaker　was　Draco　Malfoy。　Crabbe　and　Goyle　were　chuckling　appreciatively　at　his　words。
　　　Hagrid　looked　stumped　at　the　question。
　　　〃I　mean；　what　do　they　do？〃　asked　Malfoy。　〃What　is　the　point　of　them？〃
　　　Hagrid　opened　his　mouth；　apparently　thinking　hard；　there　was　a　few　seconds'　pause；　then　he　said　roughly；　〃Tha's　next　lesson；　Malfoy。　Yer　jus'　feedin'　'em　today。　Now；　yeh'll　wan'　ter　try　'em　on　a　few　diff'rent　things…I've　never　had　'em　before；　not　sure　what　they'll　go　fer…I　got　ant　eggs　an'　frog　livers　an'　a　bit　o'　grass　snake…just　try　'em　out　with　a　bit　of　each。〃
　　　〃First　pus　and　now　this；〃　muttered　Seamus。
　　　Nothing　but　deep　affection　for　Hagrid　could　have　made　Harry；　Ron；　and　Hermione　pick　up　squelchy　handfuls　of　frog　liver　and　lower　them　into　the　crates　to　tempt　the　Blast…Ended　Skrewts。　Harry　couldn't　suppress　the　suspicion　that　the　whole　thing　was　entirely　pointless；　because　the　skrewts　didn't　seem　to　have　mouths。
　　　〃Ouch！〃　yelled　Dean　Thomas　after　about　ten　minutes。　〃It　got　me。〃
　　　Hagrid　hurried　over　to　him；　looking　anxious。
　　　〃Its　end　exploded！〃　said　Dean　angrily；　showing　Hagrid　a　burn　on　his　hand。
　　　〃Ah；　yeah；　that　can　happen　when　they　blast　off；〃　said　Hagrid；　nodding。
　　　〃Eurgh！〃　said　Lavender　Brown　again。　〃Eurgh；　Hagrid；　what's　that　pointy　thing　on　it？〃
　　　〃Ah；　some　of　'em　have　got　stings；〃　said　Hagrid　enthusiastically　（Lavender　quickly　withdrew　her　hand　from　the　box）。　〃I　reckon　they're　the　males。。。　The　females've　got　sorta　sucker　things　on　their　bellies。。。　I　think　they　might　be　ter　suck　blood。〃
　　　〃Well；　I　can　certainly　see　why　we're　trying　to　keep　them　alive；〃　said　Malfoy　sarcastically。　〃Who　wouldn't　want　pets　that　can　burn；　sting；　and　bite　all　at　once？〃
　　　〃Just　because　they're　not　very　pretty；　it　doesn't　mean　they're　not　useful；〃　Hermione　snapped。　〃Dragon　blood's　amazingly　magical；　but　you　wouldn't　want　a　dragon　for　a　pet；　would　you？〃
　　　Harry　and　Ron　grinned　at　Hagrid；　who　gave　them　a　furtive　smile　from　behind　his　bushy　beard。　Hagrid　would　have　liked　nothing　better　than　a　pet　dragon；　as　Harry；　Ron；　and　Hermione　knew　only　too　well…he　had　owned　one　for　a　brief　period　during　their　first　year；　a　vicious　Norwegian　Ridgeback　by　the　name　of　Norbert。　Hagrid　simply　loved　monstrous　creatures；　the　more　lethal；　the　better。
　　　〃Well；　at　least　the　skrewts　are　small；〃　said　Ron　as　they　made　their　way　back　up　to　the　castle　for　lunch　an　hour　later。
　　　〃They　are　now；〃　said　Hermione　in　an　exasperated　voice；　〃but　once　Hagrid's　found　out　what　they　eat；　I　expect　they'll　be　six　feet　long。〃
　　　〃Well；　that　won't　matter　if　they　turn　out　to　cure　seasickness　or　something；　will　it？〃　said　Ron；　grinning　slyly　at　her。
　　　〃You　know　perfectly　well　I　only　said　that　to　shut　Malfoy　up；〃　said　Hermione。　〃As　a　matter　of　fact　I　think　he's　right。　The　best　thing　to　do　would　be　to　stamp　on　the　lot　of　them　before　they　start　attacking　us　all。〃
　　　They　sat　down　at　the　Gryffindor　table　and　helped　themselves　to　lamb　chops　and　potatoes。　Hermione　began　to　eat　so　fast　that　Harry　and　Ron　stared　at　her。
　　　〃Er…is　this　the　new　stand　on　elf　rights？〃　said　Ron。　〃You're　going　to　make　yourself　puke　instead？〃
　　　〃No；〃　said　Hermione；　with　as　much　dignity　as　she　could　muster　with　her　mouth　bulging　with　sprouts。　〃I　just　want　to　get　to　the　library。〃
　　　〃What？〃　said　Ron　in　disbelief。　〃Hermione…it's　the　first　day　back！　We　haven't　even　got　homework　yet！〃
　　　Hermione　shrugged　and　continued　to　shovel　down　her　food　as　though　she　had　not　eaten　for　days。　Then　she　leapt　to　her　feet；　said；　〃See　you　at　dinner！〃　and　departed　at　high　speed。
　　　When　the　bell　rang　to　signal　the　start　of　afternoon　lessons；　Harry　and　Ron　set　off　for　North　Tower　where；　at　the　top　of　a　tightly　spiraling　staircase；　a　silver　stepladder　led　to　a　circular　trapdoor　in　the　ceiling；　and　the　room　where　Professor　Trelawney　lived。
　　　The　familiar　sweet　perfume　spreading　from　the　fire　met　their　nostrils　as　they　emerged　at　the　top　of　the　stepladder。　As　ever；　the　curtains　were　all　closed；　the　circular　room　was　bathed　in　a　dim　reddish　light　cast　by　the　many　lamps；　which　were　all　draped　with　scarves　and　shawls。　Harry　and　Ron　walked　through　the　mass　of　occupied　chintz　chairs　and　poufs　that　cluttered　the　room；　and　sat　down　at　the　same　small　circular　table。
　　　〃Good　day；〃　said　the　misty　voice　of　Professor　Trelawney　right　behind　Harry；　making　him　jump。
　　　A　very　thin　woman　with　enormous　glasses　that　made　her　eyes　appear　far　too　large　for　her　face；　Professor　Trelawney　was　peering　down　at　Harry　with　the　tragic　expression　she　always　wore　whenever　she　saw　him。　The　usual　large　amount　of　beads；　chains；　and　bangles　glittered　upon　her　person　in　the　firelight。
　　　〃You　are　preoccupied；　my　dear；〃　she　said　mournfully　to　Harry。　〃My　inner　eye　sees　past　your　brave　face　to　the　troubled　soul　within。　And　I　regret　to　say　that　your　worries　are　not　baseless。　I　see　difficult　times　ahead　for　you；　alas。。。　most　difficult。。。　I　fear　the　thing　you　dread　will　indeed　e　to　pass。。。　and　perhaps　sooner　than　you　think。。。〃
　　　Her　voice　dropped　almost　to　a　whisper。　Ron　rolled　his　eyes　at　Harry；　who　looked　stonily　back。　Professor　Trelawney　swept　past　them　and　seated　herself　in　a　large　winged　armchair　before　the　fire；　facing　the　class。　Lavender　Brown　and　Parvati　Patil；　who　deeply　admired　Professor　Trelawney；　were　sitting　on　poufs　very　close　to　her。
　　　〃My　dears；　it　is　time　for　us　to　consider　the　stars；〃　she　said。　〃The　movements　of　the　planets　and　the　mysterious　portents　they　reveal　only　to　those　who　understand　the　steps　of　the　celestial　dance。　Human　destiny　may　be　deciphered　by　the　planetary　rays；　which　intermingle。。。〃
　　　But　Harry's　thoughts　had　drifted。　The　perfumed　fire　always　made　him　feel　sleepy　and　dull…witted；　and　Professor　Trelawney's　rambling　talks　on　fortune…telling　never　held　him　exactly　spellbound…though　he　couldn't　help　thinking　about　what　she　had　just　said　to　him。　〃I　fear　the　thing　you　dread　will　indeed　e　to　pass。。。　'〃
　　　But　Hermione　was　right；　Harry　thought　irritably；　Professor　Trelawney　really　was　an　old　fraud。　He　wasn't　dreading　anything　at　the　moment　at　all。。。　well；　unless　you　counted　his　fears　that　Sirius　had　been　caught。。。　but　what　did　Professor　Trelawney　know？　He　had　long　since　e　to　the　conclusion　that　her　brand　of　fortunetelling　was　really　no　more　than　lucky　guesswork　and　a　spooky　manner。
　　　Except；　of　course；　for　that　time　at　the　end　of　last　term；　when　she　had　made　the　prediction　about　Voldemort　rising　again。。。　and　Dumbledore　himself　had　said　that　he　thought　that　trance　had　been　genuine；　when　Harry　had　described　it　to　him。
　　　〃Harry！〃　Ron　muttered。
　　　〃What？〃
　　　Harry　looked　around；　the　whole　class　was　staring　at　him。　He　sat　up　straight；　he　had　been　almost　dozing　off；　lost　in　the　heat　and　his　thoughts。
　　　〃I　was　saying；　my　dear；　that　you　were　clearly　born　under　the　baleful　influence　of　Saturn；〃　said　Professor　Trelawney；　a　faint　note　of　resentment　in　her　voice　at　the　fact　that　he　had　obviously　not　been　hanging　on　her　words。
　　　〃Born　under…what；　sorry？〃　said　Harry。
　　　〃Saturn；　dear；　the　planet　Saturn！〃　said　Professor　Trelawney；　sounding　definitely　irritated　that　he　wasn't　riveted　by　this　news。　〃I　was　saying　that　Saturn　was　surely　in　a　position　of　power　in　the　heavens　at　the　moment　of　your　birth。。。　Your　dark　hair。。。　your　mean　stature。。。　tragic　losses　so　young　in　life。。。　I　think　I　am　right　in　saying；　my　dear；　that　you　were　born　in　midwinter？〃
　　　〃No；〃　said　Harry；　〃I　was　born　in　July。〃
　　　Ron　hastily　turned　his　laugh　into　a　hacking　cough。
　　　Half　an　hour　later；　each　of　them　had　been　given　a　plicated　circular　chart；　and　was　attempting　to　fill　in　the　position　of　the　planets　at　their　moment　of　birth。　It　was　dull　work；　requiring　much　consultation　of　timetables　and　calculation　of　angles。
　　　〃I've　got　two　Neptunes　here；〃　said　Harry　after　a　while；　frowning　down　at　his　piece　of　parchment；　〃that　can't　be　right；　can　it？〃
　　　〃Aaaaah；〃　said　Ron；　imitating　Professor　Trelawney's　mystical　whisper；　〃when　two　Neptunes　appear　in　the　sky；　it　is　a　sure　sign　that　a　midget　in　glasses　is