jkrowling.harrypotterandgf-第39部分

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at　Moody　was　definitely　out　of　earshot　and　went　on。　〃No　wonder　they　were　glad　to　get　shot　of　him　at　the　Ministry。　Did　you　hear　him　telling　Seamus　what　he　did　to　that　witch　who　shouted　'Boo'　behind　him　on　April　Fools'　Day？　And　when　are　we　supposed　to　read　up　on　resisting　the　Imperius　Curse　with　everything　else　we've　got　to　do？〃
　　　All　the　fourth　years　had　noticed　a　definite　increase　in　the　amount　of　work　they　were　required　to　do　this　term。　Professor　McGonagall　explained　why；　when　the　class　gave　a　particularly　loud　groan　at　the　amount　of　Transfiguration　homework　she　had　assigned。
　　　〃You　are　now　entering　a　most　important　phase　of　your　magical　education！〃　she　told　them；　her　eyes　glinting　dangerously　behind　her　square　spectacles。　〃Your　Ordinary　Wizarding　Levels　are　drawing　closer…〃
　　　〃We　don't　take　O。　W。　L。　s　till　fifth　year！〃　s　aid　Dean　Thomas　indignantly。
　　　〃Maybe　not；　Thomas；　but　believe　me；　you　need　all　the　preparation　you　can　get！　Miss　Granger　remains　the　only　person　in　this　class　who　has　managed　to　turn　a　hedgehog　into　a　satisfactory　pincushion。　I　might　remind　you　that　your　pincushion；　Thomas；　still　curls　up　in　fright　if　anyone　approaches　it　with　a　pin！〃
　　　Hermione；　who　had　turned　rather　pink　again；　seemed　to　be　trying　not　to　look　too　pleased　with　herself。
　　　Harry　and　Ron　were　deeply　amused　when　Professor　Trelawney　told　them　that　they　had　received　top　marks　for　their　homework　in　their　next　Divination　class。　She　read　out　large　portions　of　their　predictions；　mending　them　for　their　unflinching　acceptance　of　the　horrors　in　store　for　them…but　they　were　less　amused　when　she　asked　them　to　do　the　same　thing　for　the　month　after　next；　both　of　them　were　running　out　of　ideas　for　catastrophes。
　　　Meanwhile　Professor　Binns；　the　ghost　who　taught　History　of　Magic；　had　them　writing　weekly　essays　on　the　goblin　rebellions　of　the　eighteenth　century。　Professor　Snape　was　forcing　them　to　research　antidotes。　They　took　this　one　seriously；　as　he　had　hinted　that　he　might　be　poisoning　one　of　them　before　Christmas　to　see　if　their　antidote　worked。　Professor　Flitwick　had　asked　them　to　read　three　extra　books　in　preparation　for　their　lesson　on　Summoning　Charms。
　　　Even　Hagrid　was　adding　to　their　workload。　The　Blast…Ended　Skrewts　were　growing　at　a　remarkable　pace　given　that　nobody　had　yet　discovered　what　they　ate。　Hagrid　was　delighted；　and　as　part　of　their　〃project；〃　suggested　that　they　e　down　to　his　hut　on　alternate　evenings　to　observe　the　skrewts　and　make　notes　on　their　extraordinary　behavior。
　　　〃I　will　not；〃　said　Draco　Malfoy　flatly　when　Hagrid　had　proposed　this　with　the　air　of　Father　Christmas　pulling　an　extra…large　toy　out　of　his　sack。　〃I　see　enough　of　these　foul　things　during　lessons；　thanks。〃
　　　Hagrid's　smile　faded　off　his　face。
　　　〃Yeh'll　do　wha'　yer　told；〃　he　growled；　〃or　I'll　be　takin'　a　leaf　outta　Professor　Moody's　book。。。　I　hear　yeh　made　a　good　ferret；　Malfoy。〃
　　　The　Gryffindors　roared　with　laughter。　Malfoy　flushed　with　anger；　but　apparently　the　memory　of　Moody's　punishment　was　still　sufficiently　painful　to　stop　him　from　retorting。　Harry；　Ron；　and　Hermione　returned　to　the　castle　at　the　end　of　the　lesson　in　high　spirits；　seeing　Hagrid　put　down　Malfoy　was　particularly　satisfying；　especially　because　Malfoy　had　done　his　very　best　to　get　Hagrid　sacked　the　previous　year。
　　　When　they　arrived　in　the　entrance　hall；　they　found　themselves　unable　to　proceed　owing　to　the　large　crowd　of　students　congregated　there；　all　milling　around　a　large　sign　that　had　been　erected　at　the　foot　of　the　marble　staircase。　Ron；　the　tallest　of　the　three；　stood　on　tiptoe　to　see　over　the　heads　in　front　of　them　and　read　the　sign　aloud　to　the　other　two：
　　　
　　　TRIWIZARD　TOURNAMENT
　　　THE　DELEGATIONS　FROM　BEAUXBATONS　AND
　　　DURMSTRANG　WILL　BE　ARRIVING　AT　6　O'CLOCK
　　　ON　FRIDAY　THE　30TH　OF　OCTOBER。　LESSONS　WILL
　　　END　HALF　AN　HOUR　EARLY…
　　　
　　　〃Brilliant！〃　said　Harry。　〃It's　Potions　last　thing　on　Friday！　Snape　won't　have　time　to　poison　us　all！〃
　　　
　　　STUDENTS　WILL　RETURN　THEIR　BAGS　AND　BOOKS
　　　TO　THEIR　DORMITORIES　AND　ASSEMBLE　IN　FRONT
　　　OF　THE　CASTLE　TO　GREET　OUR　GUESTS　BEFORE
　　　THE　WELING　FEAST。
　　　〃Only　a　week　away！〃　said　Ernie　Macmillan　of　Hufflepuff；　emerging　from　the　crowd；　his　eyes　gleaming。　〃I　wonder　if　Cedric　knows？　Think　I'll　go　and　tell　him。。。〃
　　　〃Cedric？〃　said　Ron　blankly　as　Ernie　hurried　off。
　　　〃Diggory；〃　said　Harry。　〃He　must　be　entering　the　tournament。〃
　　　〃That　idiot；　Hogwarts　champion？〃　said　Ron　as　they　pushed　their　way　through　the　chattering　crowd　toward　the　staircase。
　　　〃He's　not　an　idiot。　You　just　don't　like　him　because　he　beat　Gryffindor　at　Quidditch；〃　said　Hermione。　〃I've　heard　he's　a　really　good　student…and　he's　a　prefect。〃
　　　She　spoke　as　though　this　settled　the　matter。
　　　〃You　only　like　him　because　he's　handsome；〃　said　Ron　scathingly。
　　　〃Excuse　me；　I　don't　like　people　just　because　they're　handsome！〃　said　Hermione　indignantly。
　　　Ron　gave　a　loud　false　cough；　which　sounded　oddly　like　〃Lockhart！〃
　　　The　appearance　of　the　sign　in　the　entrance　hall　had　a　marked　effect　upon　the　inhabitants　of　the　castle。　During　the　following　week；　there　seemed　to　be　only　one　topic　of　conversation；　no　matter　where　Harry　went：　the　Triwizard　Tournament。　Rumors　were　flying　from　student　to　student　like　highly　contagious　germs：　who　was　going　to　try　for　Hogwarts　champion；　what　the　tournament　would　involve；　how　the　students　from　Beauxbatons　and　Durmstrang　differed　from　themselves。
　　　Harry　noticed　too　that　the　castle　seemed　to　be　undergoing　an　extra…thorough　cleaning。　Several　grimy　portraits　had　been　scrubbed；　much　to　the　displeasure　of　their　subjects；　who　sat　huddled　in　their　frames　muttering　darkly　and　wincing　as　they　felt　their　raw　pink　faces。　The　suits　of　armor　were　suddenly　gleaming　and　moving　without　squeaking；　and　Argus　Filch；　the　caretaker；　was　behaving　so　ferociously　to　any　students　who　forgot　to　wipe　their　shoes　that　he　terrified　a　pair　of　first…year　girls　into　hysterics。
　　　Other　members　of　the　staff　seemed　oddly　tense　too。
　　　〃Longbottom；　kindly　do　not　reveal　that　you　can't　even　perform　a　simple　Switching　Spell　in　front　of　anyone　from　Durmstrang！〃　Professor　McGonagall　barked　at　the　end　of　one　particularly　difficult　lesson；　during　which　Neville　had　accidentally　transplanted　his　own　ears　onto　a　cactus。
　　　When　they　went　down　to　breakfast　on　the　morning　of　the　thirtieth　of　October；　they　found　that　the　Great　Hall　had　been　decorated　overnight。　Enormous　silk　banners　hung　from　the　walls；　each　of　them　representing　a　Hogwarts　House：　red　with　a　gold　lion　for　Gryffiindor；　blue　with　a　bronze　eagle　for　Ravenclaw；　yellow　with　a　black　badger　for　Hufflepuff；　and　green　with　a　silver　serpent　for　Slytherin。　Behind　the　teachers'　table；　the　largest　banner　of　all　bore　the　Hogwarts　coat　of　arms：　lion；　eagle；　badger；　and　snake　united　around　a　large　letter　H。
　　　Harry；　Ron；　and　Hermione　sat　down　beside　Fred　and　George　at　the　Gryffindor　table。　Once　again；　and　most　unusually；　they　were　sitting　apart　from　everyone　else　and　conversing　in　low　voices。　Ron　led　the　way　over　to　them。
　　　〃It's　a　bummer；　all　right；〃　George　was　saying　gloomily　to　Fred。　〃But　if　he　won't　talk　to　us　in　person；　we'll　have　to　send　him　the　letter　after　all。　Or　we'll　stuff　it　into　his　hand。　He　can't　avoid　us　forrever。
　　　〃Who's　avoiding　you？〃　said　Ron；　sitting　down　next　to　them。
　　　〃Wish　you　would；〃　said　Fred；　looking　irritated　at　the　interruption。
　　　〃What's　a　bummer？〃　Ron　asked　George。
　　　〃Having　a　nosy　git　like　you　for　a　brother；〃　said　George。
　　　〃You　two　got　any　ideas　on　the　Triwizard　Tournament　yet？〃　Harry　asked。　〃Thought　any　more　about　trying　to　enter？〃
　　　〃I　asked　McGonagall　how　the　champions　are　chosen　but　she　wasn't　telling；〃　said　George　bitterly。　〃She　just　told　me　to　shut　up　and　get　on　with　transfiguring　my　raccoon。〃
　　　〃Wonder　what　the　tasks　are　going　to　be？〃　said　Ron　thoughtfully。　〃You　know；　I　bet　we　could　do　them；　Harry。　We've　done　dangerous　stuff　before。。。〃
　　　〃Not　in　front　of　a　panel　of　judges；　you　haven't；〃　said　Fred。　〃McGonagall　says　the　champions　get　awarded　points　according　to　how　well　they've　done　the　tasks。〃
　　　〃Who　are　the　judges？〃　Harry　asked。
　　　〃Well；　the　Heads　of　the　participating　schools　are　always　on　the　panel；〃　said　Hermione；　and　everyone　looked　around　at　her；　rather　surprised；　〃because　all　three　of　them　were　injured　during　the　Tournament　of　1792；　when　a　cockatrice　the　champions　were　supposed　to　be　catching　went　on　the　rampage。〃
　　　She　noticed　them　all　looking　at　her　and　said；　with　her　usual　air　of　impatience　that　nobody　else　had　read　all　the　books　she　had；　〃It's　all　in　Hogwarts；　A　History。　Though；　of　course；　that　book's　not　entirely　reliable。　A　Revised　History　of　Hogwarts　would　be　a　more　accurate　title。　Or　A　Highly　Biased　and　Selective　History　of　Hogwarts；　Which　Glosses　Over　the　Nastier　Aspects　of　the　School。〃
　　　〃What　are　you　on　about？〃　said　Ron；　though　Harry　thought　he　knew　what　was　ing。
　　　〃House…elves！〃　said　Hermione；　her　eyes　flashing。　〃Not　once；　in　over　a　thousand　pages；　does　Hogwarts；　A　History　mention　that　we　are　all　colluding　in　the　oppression　of　a　hundred　slaves！〃
　　　Harry　shook　his　head　and　applied　himself　to　his　scrambled　eggs。　His　and　Ron's　lack　of　enthusiasm　had　done　nothing　whatsoever　to　curb　Hermione's　determination　to　pursue　justice　for