jkrowling.harrypotterandgf-第9部分

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　　　〃Not　to　worry；　I　can　sort　him　out！〃　he　yelled；　advancing　on　Dudley　with　his　wand　outstretched；　but　Aunt　Petunia　screamed　worse　than　ever　and　threw　herself　on　top　of　Dudley；　shielding　him　from　Mr。　Weasley。
　　　〃No；　really！〃　said　Mr。　Weasley　desperately。　〃It's　a　simple　process　it　was　the　toffee…my　son　Fred…real　practical　joker…but　it's　only　an　Engorgement　Charm…at　least；　I　think　it　is…please；　I　can　correct　it…〃
　　　But　far　from　being　reassured；　the　Dursleys　became　more　panicstricken；　Aunt　Petunia　was　sobbing　hysterically；　tugging　Dudley's　tongue　as　though　determined　to　rip　it　out；　Dudley　appeared　to　be　suffocating　under　the　bined　pressure　of　his　mother　and　his　tongue；　and　Uncle　Vernon；　who　had　lost　control　pletely；　seized　a　china　figure　from　on　top　of　the　sideboard　and　threw　it　very　hard　at　Mr。　Weasley；　who　ducked；　causing　the　ornament　to　shatter　in　the　blasted　fireplace。
　　　〃Now　really！〃　said　Mr。　Weasley　angrily；　brandishing　his　wand。　〃I'm　trying　to　help！〃
　　　Bellowing　like　a　wounded　hippo；　Uncle　Vernon　snatched　up　another　ornament。
　　　〃Harry；　go！　Just　go！〃　Mr。　Weasley　shouted；　his　wand　on　Uncle　Vernon。　〃I'll　sort　this　out！〃
　　　Harry　didn't　want　to　miss　the　fun；　but　Uncle　Vernon's　second　ornament　narrowly　missed　his　left　ear；　and　on　balance　he　thought　it　best　to　leave　the　situation　to　Mr。　Weasley。　He　stepped　into　the　fire；　looking　over　his　shoulder　as　he　said　〃the　Burrow！〃　His　last　fleeting　glimpse　of　the　living　room　was　of　Mr。　Weasley　blasting　a　third　ornament　out　of　Uncle　Vernon's　hand　with　his　wand；　Aunt　Petunia　screaming　and　lying　on　top　of　Dudley；　and　Dudley's　tongue　lolling　around　like　a　great　slimy　python。　But　next　moment　Harry　had　begun　to　spin　very　fast；　and　the　Dursleys'　living　room　was　whipped　out　of　sight　in　a　rush　of　emerald…green　flames。
　　　
　　　
　　　CHAPTER　FIVE
　　　WEASLEYS'　WIZARD　WHEEZES
　　　
　　　Harry　spun　faster　and　faster；　elbows　tucked　tightly　to　his　sides；　blurred　fireplaces　flashing　past　him；　until　he　started　to　feel　sick　and　closed　his　eyes。　Then；　when　at　last　he　felt　himself　slowing　down；　he　threw　out　his　hands　and　came　to　a　halt　in　time　to　prevent　himself　from　falling　face　forward　out　of　the　Weasleys'　kitchen　fire。
　　　〃Did　he　eat　it？〃　said　Fred　excitedly；　holding　out　a　hand　to　pull　Harry　to　his　fee
　　　〃Yeah；〃　said　Harry；　straightening　up。　〃What　was　it？〃
　　　〃Ton…Tongue　Toffee；〃　said　Fred　brightly。　〃George　and　I　invented　them；　and　we've　been　looking　for　someone　to　test　them　on　all　summer。。。〃
　　　The　tiny　kitchen　exploded　with　laughter；　Harry　looked　around　and　saw　that　Ron　and　George　were　sitting　at　the　scrubbed　wooden　table　with　two　red…haired　people　Harry　had　never　seen　before；　though　he　knew　immediately　who　they　must　be：　Bill　and　Charlie；　the　two　eldest　Weasley　brothers。
　　　〃How're　you　doing；　Harry？〃　said　the　nearer　of　the　two；　grinning　at　him　and　holding　out　a　large　hand；　which　Harry　shook；　feeling　calluses　and　blisters　under　his　fingers。　This　had　to　be　Charlie；　who　worked　with　dragons　in　Romania。　Charlie　was　built　like　the　twins；　shorter　and　stockier　than　Percy　and　Ron；　who　were　both　long　and　lanky。　He　had　a　broad；　good…natured　face；　which　was　weather…beaten　and　so　freckly　that　he　looked　almost　tanned；　his　arms　were　muscular；　and　one　of　them　had　a　large；　shiny　burn　on　it。
　　　Bill　got　to　his　feet；　smiling；　and　also　shook　Harry's　hand。　Bill　came　as　something　of　a　surprise。　Harry　knew　that　he　worked　for　the　wizarding　bank；　Gringotts；　and　that　Bill　had　been　Head　Boy　at　Hogwarts；　Harry　had　always　imagined　Bill　to　be　an　older　version　of　Percy：　fussy　about　rule…breaking　and　fond　of　bossing　everyone　around。　However；　Bill　was…there　was　no　other　word　for　it…cool。　He　was　tall；　with　long　hair　that　he　had　tied　back　in　a　ponytail。　He　was　wearing　an　earring　with　what　looked　like　a　fang　dangling　from　it。　Bill's　clothes　would　not　have　looked　out　of　place　at　a　rock　concert；　except　that　Harry　recognized　his　boots　to　be　made；　not　of　leather；　but　of　dragon　hide。
　　　Before　any　of　them　could　say　anything　else；　there　was　a　faint　popping　noise；　and　Mr。　Weasley　appeared　out　of　thin　air　at　George's　shoulder。　He　was　looking　angrier　than　Harry　had　ever　seen　him。
　　　〃That　wasn't　funny　Fred！〃　he　shouted。　〃What　on　earth　did　you　give　that　Muggle　boy？〃
　　　〃I　didn't　give　him　anything；〃　said　Fred；　with　another　evil　grin。　I　just　dropped　it。。。　It　was　his　fault　he　went　and　ate　it；　I　never　told　him　to。〃
　　　〃You　dropped　it　on　purpose！〃　roared　Mr。　Weasley。　〃You　knew　he'd　eat　it；　you　knew　he　was　on　a　diet…〃
　　　〃How　big　did　his　tongue　get？〃　George　asked　eagerly。
　　　〃It　was　four　feet　long　before　his　parents　would　let　me　shrink　it！〃
　　　Harry　and　the　Weasleys　roared　with　laughter　again。
　　　〃It　isn't　funny！〃　Mr。　Weasley　shouted。　〃That　sort　of　behavior　seriously　undermines　wizard…Muggle　relations！　I　spend　half　my　life　campaigning　against　the　mistreatment　of　Muggles；　and　my　own　sons
　　　〃We　didn't　give　it　to　him　because　he's　a　Muggle！〃　said　Fred　indignantly。
　　　〃No；　we　gave　it　to　him　because　he's　a　great　bullying　git；〃　said　George。　〃Isn't　he；　Harry？〃
　　　〃Yeah；　he　is；　Mr。　Weasley；〃　said　Harry　earnestly。
　　　〃That's　not　the　point！〃　raged　Mr。　Weasley。　〃You　wait　until　I　tell　your　mother…〃
　　　〃Tell　me　what？〃　said　a　voice　behind　them。
　　　Mrs。　Weasley　had　just　entered　the　kitchen。　She　was　a　short；　plump　woman　with　a　very　kind　face；　though　her　eyes　were　presently　narrowed　with　suspicion。
　　　〃Oh　hello；　Harry；　dear；〃　she　said；　spotting　him　and　smiling。　Then　her　eyes　snapped　back　to　her　husband。　〃Tell　me　what；　Arthur？〃
　　　Mr。　Weasley　hesitated。　Harry　could　tell　that；　however　angry　he　was　with　Fred　and　George；　he　hadn't　really　intended　to　tell　Mrs。　Weasley　what　had　happened。　There　was　a　silence；　while　Mr。　Weasley　eyed　his　wife　nervously。　Then　two　girls　appeared　in　the　kitchen　doorway　behind　Mrs。　Weasley。　One；　with　very　bushy　brown　hair　and　rather　large　front　teeth；　was　Harry's　and　Ron's　friend；　Hermione　Granger。　The　other；　who　was　small　and　red…haired；　was　Ron's　younger　sister；　Ginny。　Both　of　them　smiled　at　Harry；　who　grinned　back；　which　made　Ginny　go　scarlet…she　had　been　very　taken　with　Harry　ever　since　his　first　visit　to　the　Burrow。
　　　〃Tell　me　what；　Arthur？〃　Mrs。　Weasley　repeated；　in　a　dangerous　sort　of　voice。
　　　〃It's　nothing；　Molly；〃　mumbled　Mr。　Weasley；　〃Fred　and　George　just…but　I've　had　words　with　them…〃
　　　〃What　have　they　done　this　time？〃　said　Mrs。　Weasley。　〃If　it's　got　anything　to　do　with　Weasleys'　Wizard　Wheezes…〃
　　　〃Why　don't　you　show　Harry　where　he's　sleeping；　Ron？〃　said　Hermione　from　the　doorway。
　　　〃He　knows　where　he's　sleeping；〃　said　Ron；　〃in　my　room；　he　slept　there　last…〃
　　　〃We　can　all　go；〃　said　Hermione　pointedly。
　　　〃Oh；〃　said　Ron；　cottoning　on。　〃Right。〃
　　　〃Yeah；　we'll　e　too；〃　said　George。
　　　〃You　stay　where　you　are！〃　snarled　Mrs。　Weasley。
　　　Harry　and　Ron　edged　out　of　the　kitchen；　and　they；　Hermione；　and　Ginny　set　off　along　the　narrow　hallway　and　up　the　rickety　staircase　that　zigzagged　through　the　house　to　the　upper　stories。
　　　〃What　are　Weasleys'　Wizard　Wheezes？〃　Harry　asked　as　they　climbed。
　　　Ron　and　Ginny　both　laughed；　although　Hermione　didn't。
　　　〃Mum　found　this　stack　of　order　forms　when　she　was　cleaning　Fred　and　George's　room；〃　said　Ron　quietly。　〃Great　long　price　lists　for　stuff　they've　invented。　Joke　stuff；　you　know。　Fake　wands　and　trick　sweets；　loads　of　stuff。　It　was　brilliant；　I　never　knew　they'd　been　inventing　all　that。。。〃
　　　〃We've　been　hearing　explosions　out　of　their　room　for　ages；　but　we　never　thought　they　were　actually　making　things；〃　said　Ginny。　〃We　thought　they　just　liked　the　noise。〃
　　　〃Only；　most　of　the　stuff…well；　all　of　it；　really…was　a　bit　dangerous；〃　said　Ron；　〃and；　you　know；　they　were　planning　to　sell　it　at　Hogwarts　to　make　some　money；　and　Mum　went　mad　at　them。　Told　them　they　weren't　allowed　to　make　any　more　of　it；　and　burned　all　the　order　forms。。。　She's　furious　at　them　anyway。　They　didn't　get　as　many　O。　W。　L。　s　as　she　expected。〃
　　　O。　W。　L。　s　were　Ordinary　Wizarding　Levels；　the　examinations　Hogwarts　students　took　at　the　age　of　fifteen。
　　　〃And　then　there　was　this　big　row；〃　Ginny　said；　〃because　Mum　wants　them　to　go　into　the　Ministry　of　Magic　like　Dad；　and　they　told　her　all　they　want　to　do　is　open　a　joke　shop。〃
　　　Just　then　a　door　on　the　second　landing　opened；　and　a　face　poked　out　wearing　horn…rimmed　glasses　and　a　very　annoyed　expression。
　　　〃Hi；　Percy；〃　said　Harry。
　　　〃Oh　hello；　Harry；〃　said　Percy。　〃I　was　wondering　who　was　making　all　the　noise。　I'm　trying　to　work　in　here；　you　know　I've　got　a　report　to　finish　for　the　office…and　it's　rather　difficult　to　concentrate　when　people　keep　thundering　up　and　down　the　stairs。〃
　　　〃We're　not　thundering；　〃said　Ron　irritably。　〃We're　walking。　Sorry　if　we've　disturbed　the　top…secret　workings　of　the　Ministry　of　Magic。〃
　　　〃What　are　you　working　on？〃　said　Harry。
　　　〃A　report　for　the　Department　of　International　Magical　Cooperation；〃　said　Percy　smugly。　〃We're　trying　to　standardize　cauldron　thickness。　Some　of　these　foreign　imports　are　just　a　shade　too　thin…leakages　have　been　increasing　at　a　rate　of　almost　three　percent　a　year…〃
　　　〃That'll　change　the　world；　that　report　will；〃　said　Ron。　〃Front　page　of　the　Daily　Prophet；　I　expect；　cauldron　leaks。〃
　　　Percy　went　slightly　pink。
　　　〃You　might　sneer；　Ron；〃　he　said　heatedly；　〃but　unless　some　sort　of　inter