jkrowling.hp&theorderofphenix-第76部分

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them。　'Did　you　see　me　disarm　Hermione；　Harry？'
　　　
　　　'Only　once；'　said　Hermione；　stung。　'I　got　you　loads　more　than　you　got　me　…'
　　　
　　　'I　did　not　only　get　you　once；　I　got　you　at　least　three　times　…'
　　　
　　　'Well；　if　you're　counting　the　one　where　you　tripped　over　your　own　feet　and　knocked　the　wand　out　of　my　hand　…'
　　　
　　　They　argued　all　the　way　back　to　the　mon　room；　but　Harry　was　not　listening　to　them。　He　had　one　eye　on　the　Marauder's　Map；　but　he　was　also　thinking　of　Cho　saying　he　made　her　nervous。
　　　
　　　
　　　…　CHAPTER　NINETEEN　…
　　　
　　　The　Lion　and　the　Serpent
　　　
　　　Harry　felt　as　though　he　were　carrying　some　kind　of　talisman　inside　his　chest　over　the　following　two　weeks；　a　glowing　secret　that　supported　him　through　Umbridge's　classes　and　even　made　it　possible　for　him　to　smile　blandly　as　he　looked　into　her　horrible　bulging　eyes。　He　and　the　DA　were　resisting　her　under　her　very　nose；　doing　the　very　thing　she　and　the　Ministry　most　feared；　and　whenever　he　was　supposed　to　be　reading　Wilbert　Slinkhard's　book　during　her　lessons　he　dwelled　instead　on　satisfying　memories　of　their　most　recent　meetings；　remembering　how　Neville　had　successfully　disarmed　Hermione；　how　Colin　Creevey　had　mastered　the　Impediment　Jinx　after　three　meetings'　hard　effort；　how　Parvati　Patil　had　produced　such　a　good　Reductor　Curse　that　she　had　reduced　the　table　carrying　all　the　Sneakoscopes　to　dust。
　　　He　was　finding　it　almost　impossible　to　fix　a　regular　night　of　the　week　for　the　DA　meetings；　as　they　had　to　acmodate　three　separate　team's　Quidditch　practices；　which　were　often　rearranged　due　to　bad　weather　conditions；　but　Harry　was　not　sorry　about　this；　he　had　a　feeling　that　it　was　probably　better　to　keep　the　timing　of　their　meetings　unpredictable。　If　anyone　was　watching　them；　it　would　be　hard　to　make　out　a　pattern。
　　　Hermione　soon　devised　a　very　clever　method　of　municating　the　time　and　date　of　the　next　meeting　to　all　the　members　in　case　they　needed　to　change　it　at　short　notice；　because　it　would　look　suspicious　if　people　from　different　Houses　were　seen　crossing　the　Great　Hall　to　talk　to　each　other　too　often。　She　gave　each　of　the　members　of　the　DA　a　fake　Galleon　（Ron　became　very　excited　when　he　first　saw　the　basket　and　was　convinced　she　was　actually　giving　out　gold）。
　　　'You　see　the　numerals　around　the　edge　of　the　coins？'　Hermione　said；　holding　one　up　for　examination　at　the　end　of　their　fourth　meeting。　The　coin　gleamed　fat　and　yellow　in　the　light　from　the　torches。　'On　real　Galleons　that's　just　a　serial　number　referring　to　the　goblin　who　cast　the　coin。　On　these　fake　coins；　though；　the　numbers　will　change　to　reflect　the　time　and　date　of　the　next　meeting。　The　coins　will　grow　hot　when　the　date　changes；　so　if　you're　carrying　them　in　a　pocket　you'll　be　able　to　feel　them。　We　take　one　each；　and　when　Harry　sets　the　date　of　the　next　meeting　he'll　change　the　numbers　on　his　coin；　and　because　I've　put　a　Protean　Charm　on　them；　they'll　all　change　to　mimic　his。'
　　　
　　　A　blank　silence　greeted　Hermione's　words。　She　looked　around　at　all　the　faces　upturned　to　her；　rather　disconcerted。
　　　'Well　…　I　thought　it　was　a　good　idea；'　she　said　uncertainly；　'I　mean；　even　if　Umbridge　asked　us　to　turn　out　our　pockets；　there's　nothing　fishy　about　carrying　a　Galleon；　is　there？　But：　well；　if　you　don't　want　to　use　them　…'
　　　
　　　'You　can　do　a　Protean　Charm？'　said　Terry　Boot。
　　　'Yes；'　said　Hermione。
　　　'But　that's：　that's　NEWT　standard；　that　is；'　he　said　weakly。
　　　'Oh；'　said　Hermione；　trying　to　look　modest。　'Oh：　well：　yes；　I　suppose　it　is。'
　　　
　　　'How　e　you're　not　in　Ravenclaw？'　he　demanded；　staring　at　Hermione　with　something　close　to　wonder。　'With　brains　like　yours？'
　　　
　　　'Well；　the　Sorting　Hat　did　seriously　consider　putting　me　in　Ravenclaw　during　my　Sorting；'　said　Hermione　brightly；　'but　it　decided　on　Gryffindor　in　the　end。　So；　does　that　mean　we're　using　the　Galleons？'
　　　
　　　There　was　a　murmur　of　assent　and　everybody　moved　forwards　to　collect　one　from　the　basket。　Harry　looked　sideways　at　Hermione。
　　　'You　know　what　these　remind　me　of？'
　　　
　　　'No；　what's　that？'
　　　
　　　The　Death　Eaters'　scars。　Voldemort　touches　one　of　them；　and　all　their　scars　burn；　and　they　know　they've　got　to　join　him。'
　　　
　　　'Well：　yes；'　said　Hermione　quietly；　'that　is　where　I　got　the　idea　
　
。　but　you'll　notice　I　decided　to　engrave　the　date　on　bits　of　metal　rather　than　on　our　members'　skin。'
　　　
　　　'Yeah：　I　prefer　your　way；'　said　Harry；　grinning；　as　he　slipped　his　Galleon　into　his　pocket。　'I　suppose　the　only　danger　with　these　is　that　we　might　accidentally　spend　them。'
　　　
　　　'Fat　chance；'　said　Ron；　who　was　examining　his　own　fake　Galleon　with　a　slightly　mournful　air；　'I　haven't　got　any　real　Galleons　to　confuse　it　with。'
　　　
　　　As　the　first　Quidditch　match　of　the　season；　Gryffindor　versus　Slytherin；　drew　nearer；　their　DA　meetings　were　put　on　hold　because　Angelina　insisted　on　almost　daily　practices。　The　fact　that　the　Quidditch　Cup　had　not　been　held　for　so　long　added　considerably　to　the　interest　and　excitement　surrounding　the　forthing　game；　the　Ravenclaws　and　Hufflepuffs　were　taking　a　lively　interest　in　the　oute；　for　they；　of　course；　would　be　playing　both　teams　over　the　ing　year；　and　the　Heads　of　House　of　the　peting　teams；　though　they　attempted　to　disguise　it　under　a　decent　pretence　of　sportsmanship；　were　determined　to　see　their　own　side　victorious。　Harry　realised　how　much　Professor　McGonagall　cared　about　beating　Slytherin　when　she　abstained　from　giving　them　homework　in　the　week　leading　up　to　the　match。
　　　'I　think　you've　got　enough　to　be　getting　on　with　at　the　moment；'　she　said　loftily。　Nobody　could　quite　believe　their　ears　until　she　looked　directly　at　Harry　and　Ron　and　said　grimly；　'I've　bee　accustomed　to　seeing　the　Quidditch　Cup　in　my　study；　boys；　and　I　really　don't　want　to　have　to　hand　it　over　to　Professor　Snape；　so　use　the　extra　time　to　practise；　won't　you？'
　　　
　　　Snape　was　no　less　obviously　partisan；　he　had　booked　the　Quidditch　pitch　for　Slytherin　practice　so　often　that　the　Gryffindors　had　difficulty　getting　on　it　to　play。　He　was　also　turning　a　deaf　ear　to　the　many　reports　of　Slytherin　attempts　to　hex　Gryffindor　players　in　the　corridors。　When　Alicia　Spinnet　turned　up　in　the　hospital　wing　with　her　eyebrows　growing　so　thick　and　fast　they　obscured　her　vision　and　obstructed　her　mouth；　Snape　insisted　that　she　must　have　attempted　a　Hair…thickening　Charm　on　herself　and　refused　to　listen　to　the　fourteen　eye…witnesses　who　insisted　they　had　seen　the　Slytherin　Keeper；　Miles　Bletchley；　hit　her　from　behind　with　a　jinx　while　she　worked　in　the　library。
　　　Harry　felt　optimistic　about　Gryffindor's　chances；　they　had；　after　all；　never　lost　to　Malfoy's　team。　Admittedly；　Ron　was　still　not　performing　to　Wood's　standard；　but　he　was　working　extremely　hard　to　improve。　His　greatest　weakness　was　a　tendency　to　lose　confidence　after　he'd　made　a　blunder；　if　he　let　in　one　goal　he　became　flustered　and　was　therefore　likely　to　miss　more。　On　the　other　hand；　Harry　had　seen　Ron　make　some　truly　spectacular　saves　when　he　was　on　form；　during　one　memorable　practice　he　had　hung　one…handed　from　his　broom　and　kicked　the　Quaffle　so　hard　away　from　the　goalhoop　that　it　soared　the　length　of　the　pitch　and　through　the　centre　hoop　at　the　other　end；　the　rest　of　the　team　felt　this　save　pared　favourably　with　one　made　recently　by　Barry　Ryan；　the　Irish　International　Keeper；　against　Poland's　top　Chaser；　Ladislaw　Zamojski。　Even　Fred　had　said　that　Ron　might　yet　make　him　and　George　proud；　and　that　they　were　seriously　considering　admitting　he　was　related　to　them；　something　they　assured　him　they　had　been　trying　to　deny　for　four　years。
　　　The　only　thing　really　worrying　Harry　was　how　much　Ron　was　allowing　the　tactics　of　the　Slytherin　team　to　upset　him　before　they　even　got　on　to　the　pitch。　Harry；　of　course；　had　endured　their　snide　ments　for　over　four　years；　so　whispers　of；　'Hey；　Potty；　I　heard　Warrington's　sworn　to　knock　you　off　your　broom　on　Saturday'；　far　from　chilling　his　blood；　made　him　laugh。　'Warrington's　aim's　so　pathetic　I'd　be　more　worried　if　he　was　aiming　for　the　person　next　to　me；'　he　retorted；　which　made　Ron　and　Hermione　laugh　and　wiped　the　smirk　off　Pansy　Parkinsons　face。
　　　But　Ron　had　never　endured　a　relentless　campaign　of　insults；　jeers　and　intimidation。　When　Slytherins；　some　of　them　seventh…years　and　considerably　larger　than　he　was；　muttered　as　they　passed　in　the　corridors；　'Got　your　bed　booked　in　the　hospital　wing；　Weasley？'　he　didn't　laugh；　but　turned　a　delicate　shade　of　green。　When　Draco　Malfoy　imitated　Ron　dropping　the　Quaffle　（which　he　did　whenever　they　came　within　sight　of　each　other）；　Ron's　ears　glowed　red　and　his　hands　shook　so　badly　that　he　was　likely　to　drop　whatever　he　was　holding　at　the　time；　too。
　　　October　extinguished　itself　in　a　rush　of　howling　winds　and　driving　rain　and　November　arrived；　cold　as　frozen　iron；　with　hard　irosts　every　morning　and　icy　draughts　that　bit　at　exposed　hands　and　faces。　The　skies　and　the　ceiling　of　the　Great　Hall　turned　a　pale；　pearly　grey；　the　mountains　around　Hogwarts　were　snowcapped；　and　the　temperature　in　the　castle　dropped　so　low　that　many　students　wore　their　thick　protective　dragonskin　gloves　in　the　corridors　between　lessons。
　　　The　morning　of　the　match　dawned　bright　and　cold。　When