jkrowling.hp&theorderofphenix-第105部分

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　　　'Who　expects　Devils　Snare　to　turn　up　in　a　hospital　disguised　as　a　pot　plant？'　said　Ron　sharply。　'It's　not　our　fault；　whoever　sent　it　to　the　bloke　is　to　blame！　They　must　be　a　real　prat；　why　didn't　they　check　what　they　were　buying？'
　　　
　　　'Oh；　e　on；　Ron！'　said　Hermione　shakily。　'I　don't　think　anyone　could　put　Devils　Snare　in　a　pot　and　not　realise　it　tries　to　kill　whoever　touches　it？　This　…　this　was　murder：　a　clever　murder；　as　well：　if　the　plant　was　sent　anonymously；　how's　anyone　ever　going　to　find　out　who　did　it？'
　　　
　　　Harry　was　not　thinking　about　Devil's　Snare。　He　was　remembering　taking　the　lift　down　to　the　ninth　level　of　the　Ministry　on　the　day　of　his　hearing　and　the　sallow…faced　man　who　had　got　in　on　the。　Atrium　level。
　　　
　　　'I　met　Bode；'　he　said　slowly。　'I　saw　him　at　the　Ministry　with　your　dad。
　　　
　　　Ron's　mouth　fell　open。
　　　'I've　heard　Dad　talk　about　him　at　home！　He　was　an　Unspeakable　…　he　worked　in　the　Department　of　Mysteries！'
　　　
　　　They　looked　at　each　other　for　a　moment；　then　Hermione　pulled　the　newspaper　back　towards　her；　closed　it；　glared　for　a　moment　at　the　pictures　of　the　ten　escaped　Death　Eaters　on　the　front；　then　leapt　to　her　feet。
　　　'Where　are　you　going？'　said　Ron；　startled。
　　　To　send　a　letter；'　said　Hermione；　swinging　her　bag　on　to　her　shoulder。　'It：　well；　I　don't　know　whether：　but　it's　worth　trying：　and　I'm　the　only　one　who　can。'
　　　
　　　'I　hate　it　when　she　does　that；'　grumbled　Ron；　as　he　and　Harry　got　up　from　the　table　and　made　their　own；　slower　way　out　of　the　Great　Hall。　'Would　it　kill　her　to　tell　us　what　she's　up　to　for　once？　It'd　take　her　about　ten　more　seconds　…　hey；　Hagrid！'
　　　
　　　Hagrid　was　standing　beside　the　doors　into　the　Entrance　Hall；　waiting　for　a　crowd　of　Ravenclaws　to　pass。　He　was　still　as　heavily　bruised　as　he　had　been　on　the　day　he　had　e　back　from　his　mission　to　the　giants　and　there　was　a　new　cut　right　across　the　bridge　of　his　nose。
　　　'All　righ'；　you　two？'　he　said；　trying　to　muster　a　smile　but　managing　only　a　kind　of　pained　grimace。
　　　'Are　you　OK；　Hagrid？'　asked　Harry；　following　him　as　he　lumbered　after　the　Ravenclaws。
　　　'Fine；　fine；'　said　Hagrid　with　a　feeble　assumption　of　airiness；　he　waved　a　hand　and　narrowly　missed　concussing　a　frightened…looking　Professor　Vector；　who　was　passing。　'Jus'　busy；　yeh　know；　usual　stuff　…　lessons　ter　prepare　…　couple　o'　salamanders　got　scale　rot　…　an'　I'm　on　probation；'　he　mumbled。
　　　'You're　on　probation？'　said　Ron　very　loudly；　so　that　many　of　the　passing　students　looked　around　curiously。　'Sorry　…　I　mean　…　you're　on　probation？'　he　whispered。
　　　'Yeah；'　said　Hagrid。　〃S'no　more'n　I　expected；　ter　tell　yeh　the　truth。　Yeh　migh'　not've　picked　up　on　it；　bu'　that　inspection　didn'　go　too　well；　yeh　know：　anyway；'　he　sighed　deeply。　'Bes'　go　an'　rub　a　bit　more　chilli　powder　on　them　salamanders　or　their　tails'll　be　hangin'　off　'em　next。　See　yeh；　Harry：　Ron：'
　　　
　　　He　trudged　away；　out　of　the　front　doors　and　down　the　stone　steps　into　the　damp　grounds。　Harry　watched　him　go；　wondering　how　much　more　bad　news　he　could　stand。
　　　
　　　*　*　*
　　　
　　　The　fact　that　Hagrid　was　now　on　probation　became　mon　knowledge　within　the　school　over　the　next　few　days；　but　to　Harry's　indignation；　hardly　anybody　appeared　to　be　upset　about　it；　indeed；　some　people；　Draco　Malfoy　prominent　among　them；　seemed　positively　gleeful。　As　for　the　freakish　death　of　an　obscure　Department　of　Mysteries　employee　in　St　Mungo's；　Harry；　Ron　and　Hermione　seemed　to　be　the　only　people　who　knew　or　cared。　There　was　only　one　topic　of　conversation　in　the　corridors　now：　the　ten　escaped　Death　Eaters；　whose　story　had　finally　filtered　through　the　school　from　those　few　people　who　read　the　newspapers。　Rumours　were　flying　that　some　of　the　convicts　had　been　spotted　in　Hogsmeade；　that　they　were　supposed　to　be　hiding　out　in　the　Shrieking　Shack　and　that　they　were　going　to　break　into　Hogwarts；　just　as　Sirius　Black　had　once　done。
　　　Those　who　came　from　wizarding　families　had　grown　up　hearing　the　names　of　these　Death　Eaters　spoken　with　almost　as　much　fear　as　Voldemort's；　the　crimes　they　had　mitted　during　the　days　of　Voldemort's　reign　of　terror　were　legendary。　There　were　relatives　of　their　victims　among　the　Hogwarts　students；　who　now　found　themselves　the　unwilling　objects　of　a　gruesome　sort　of　reflected　fame　as　they　walked　the　corridors：　Susan　Bones；　whose　uncle；　aunt　and　cousins　had　all　died　at　the　hands　of　one　of　the　ten；　said　miserably　during　Herbology　that　she　now　had　a　good　idea　what　it　felt　like　to　be　Harry。
　　　'And　I　don't　know　how　you　stand　it　…　it's　horrible；'　she　said　bluntly；　dumping　far　too　much　dragon　manure　on　her　tray　of　Screechsnap　seedlings；　causing　them　to　wriggle　and　squeak　in　disfort。
　　　It　was　true　that　Harry　was　the　subject　of　much　renewed　muttering　and　pointing　in　the　corridors　these　days；　yet　he　thought　he　detected　a　slight　difference　in　the　tone　of　the　whisperers'　voices。　They　sounded　curious　rather　than　hostile　now；　and　once　or　twice　he　was　sure　he　overheard　snatches　of　conversation　that　suggested　that　the　speakers　were　not　satisfied　with　the　Prophets　version　of　how　and　why　ten　Death　Eaters　had　managed　to　break　out　of　the　Azkaban　fortress。　In　their　confusion　and　fear；　these　doubters　now　seemed　to　be　turning　to　the　only　other　explanation　available　to　them：　the　one　that　Harry　and　Dumbledore　had　been　expounding　since　the　previous　year。
　　　It　was　not　only　the　students'　mood　that　had　changed。　It　was　now　quite　mon　to　e　across　two　or　three　teachers　conversing　in　low；　urgent　whispers　in　the　corridors；　breaking　off　their　conversations　the　moment　they　saw　students　approaching。
　　　They　obviously　can't　talk　freely　in　the　staff　room　any　more；'　said　Hermione　in　a　low　voice；　as　she；　Harry　and　Ron　passed　Professors　McGonagall；　Flitwick　and　Sprout　huddled　together　outside　the　Charms　classroom　one　day。　'Not　with　Umbridge　there。'
　　　
　　　'Reckon　they　know　anything　new？'　said　Ron；　gazing　back　over　his　shoulder　at　the　three　teachers。
　　　'If　they　do；　we're　not　going　to　hear　about　it；　are　we？'　said　Harry　angrily。　'Not　after　Decree：　what　number　are　we　on　now？'　For　new　notices　had　appeared　on　the　house　noticeboards　the　morning　after　news　of　the　Azkaban　breakout：
　　　
　　　BY　ORDER　OF　THE　HIGH　INQUISITOR　OF　HOGWARTS
　　　
　　　Teachers　are　hereby　banned　from　giving　students　any　information　that　is　not　strictly　related　to　the　subjects　they　are　paid　to　teach。
　　　The　above　is　in　accordance　with　Educational　Decree　Number　Twenty…six。
　　　Signed：　Dolores　Jane　Umbridge；　High　Inquisitor
　　　
　　　This　latest　Decree　had　been　the　subject　of　a　great　number　of　jokes　among　the　students。　Lee　Jordan　had　pointed　out　to　Umbridge　that　by　the　terms　of　the　new　rule　she　was　not　allowed　to　tell　Fred　and　George　off　for　playing　Exploding　Snap　in　the　back　of　the　class。
　　　'Exploding　Snap's　got　nothing　to　do　with　Defence　Against　the　Dark　Arts；　Professor！　That's　not　information　relating　to　your　subject！'
　　　
　　　When　Harry　next　saw　Lee；　the　back　of　his　hand　was　bleeding　rather　badly。　Harry　remended　essence　of　Murtlap。
　　　Harry　had　thought　the　breakout　from　Azkaban　might　have　humbled　Umbridge　a　little；　that　she　might　have　been　abashed　at　the　catastrophe　that　had　occurred　right　under　the　nose　of　her　beloved　Fudge。　It　seemed；　however；　to　have　only　intensified　her　furious　desire　to　bring　every　aspect　of　life　at　Hogwarts　under　her　personal　control。　She　seemed　determined　at　the　very　least　to　achieve　a　sacking　before　long；　and　the　only　question　was　whether　it　would　be　Professor　Trelawney　or　Hagrid　who　went　first。
　　　Every　single　Divination　and　Care　of　Magical　Creatures　lesson　was　now　conducted　in　the　presence　of　Umbridge　and　her　clipboard。　She　lurked　by　the　fire　in　the　heavily　perfumed　tower　room；　interrupting　Professor　Trelawney's　increasingly　hysterical　talks　with　difficult　questions　about　ornithomancy　and　heptomology；　insisting　that　she　predicted　students'　answers　before　they　gave　them　and　demanding　that　she　demonstrate　her　skill　at　the　crystal　ball；　the　tea　leaves　and　the　rune　stones　in　turn。　Harry　thought　Professor　Trelawney　might　soon　crack　under　the　strain。　Several　times　he　passed　her　in　the　corridors　…　in　itself　a　very　unusual　occurrence　as　she　generally　remained　in　her　tower　room　…　muttering　wildly　to　herself；　wringing　her　hands　and　shooting　terrified　glances　over　her　shoulder；　and　all　the　while　giving　off　a　powerful　smell　of　cooking　sherry。　If　he　had　not　been　so　worried　about　Hagrid；　he　would　have　felt　sorry　for　her　…　but　if　one　of　them　was　to　be　ousted　from　their　job；　there　could　be　only　one　choice　for　Harry　as　to　who　should　remain。
　　　Unfortunately；　Harry　could　not　see　that　Hagrid　was　putting　up　a　better　show　than　Trelawney。　Though　he　seemed　to　be　following　Hermione's　advice　and　had　shown　them　nothing　more　frightening　than　a　Crup　…　a　creature　indistinguishable　from　a　Jack　Russell　terrier　except　for　its　forked　tail　…　since　before　Christmas；　he　too　seemed　to　have　lost　his　nerve。　He　was　oddly　distracted　and　jumpy　during　lessons；　losing　the　thread　of　what　he　was　saying　to　the　class；　answering　questions　wrongly；　and　all　the　time　glancing　anxiously　at　Umbridge。　He　was　also　more　distant　with　Harry；　Ron　and　Hermione　than　he　had　ever　been　before；　and　had　expressly　forbidden　them　to　visit　him　after　dark。
　　　'If　she　catches　yeh；　i