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哈利·波特与阿兹卡班的囚徒
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

英文中文双语对照双语交替

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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE HERMIONE'S SECRET	第二十一章　赫敏的秘密

Shocking business... shocking... miracle none of them died... never heard the like... by thunder, it was lucky you were there, Snape...."	“令人震惊的事……令人震惊……他们谁都没死，真是奇迹……从来没听过这种事……真的。幸而当时你在那里，斯内普……”
"Thank you, Minister."	“谢谢你，部长。”
"Order of Merlin, Second Class, I'd say. First Class, if I can wangle it!"	“梅林爵士团勋章，二级，没问题。一级，要是我能想法争取的话！”
"Thank you very much indeed, Minister."	“的确多谢你了，部长。”
"Nasty cut you've got there.... Black's work, I suppose?"	“你这伤口真糟……布莱克干的，是不是？”
"As a matter of fact, it was Potter, Weasley, and Granger, Minister...."	“说实在的，是波特、韦斯莱和格兰杰，部长……”
"No!"	“不！”
"Black had bewitched them, I saw it immediately. A Confundus Charm, to judge by their behavior. They seemed to think there was a possibility he was innocent. They weren't responsible for their actions. On the other hand, their interference might have permitted Black to escape.... They obviously thought they were going to catch Black single-handed. They've got away with a great deal before now... I'm afraid it's given them a rather high opinion of themselves... and of course Potter has always been allowed an extraordinary amount of license by the headmaster --"	“布莱克对他们施加了魔力，我立刻就看穿了。从他们的行为判断，是一种迷魂乱心魔咒。他们似乎认为布莱克有可能是无辜的。他们不能为他们的行动负责。另外一方面，他们的干预也许让布莱克得以逃跑……他们显然认为他们会单枪匹马地抓住布莱克。在这以前，他们干了许多事没人管……我担心这让他们高看了自己……当然，校长一贯让波特享有特别大的特权……”
"Ah, well, Snape... Harry Potter, you know... we've all got a bit of a blind spot where he's concerned."	“啊，好吧，斯内普……哈利波特，你知道……在有关他的事情上，我们大家都存在着盲点。”
"And yet -- is it good for him to be given so much special treatment? Personally, I try and treat him like any other student. And any other student would be suspended -- at the very least -- for leading his friends into such danger. Consider, Minister -- against all school rules -- after all the precautions put in place for his protection -- out-of-bounds, at night, consorting with a werewolf and a murderer -- and I have reason to believe he has been visiting Hogsmeade illegally too --"	“不过……给他那么多特殊待遇，这对他有好处吗？我个人是尽量像对待其他学生一样对待他的。带领朋友使他们遭遇危险，任何其他学生都会受到暂时休学的处分的。至少是这个处分。考虑一下吧，部长，违反了学校的所有规定——在为了他的安全采取所有预防措施之后——太没边了，在夜里，和狼人还有杀人犯做伴……而且我有理由相信，他还曾经非法去过霍格莫德……”
"Well, well... we shall see, Snape, we shall see.... The boy has undoubtedly been foolish...."	“好，好……我们会研究的，斯内普，我们会研究的……这孩子肯定是有点傻……”
Harry lay listening with his eyes tight shut. He felt very groggy. The words he was hearing seemed to be traveling very slowly from his ears to his brain, so that it was difficult to understand.... His limbs felt like lead; his eyelids too heavy to lift.... He wanted to lie here, on this comfortable bed, forever....	哈利躺在那里，双眼紧闭，听着这一切，他觉得非常昏头昏脑。他正在听到的话从他耳朵里进入了大脑，好像经历了极缓慢的旅程，因此难以听懂。他四肢像灌了铅一样，眼皮重得抬不起来……只想躺在那里，躺在那张舒服的床上，永远躺下去……
"What amazes me most is the behavior of the dementors... you've really no idea what made them retreat, Snape?"	“让我最惊讶的是那些摄魂怪的行为……你真的不知道是什么让它们撤退的吗，斯内普？”
"No, Minister... by the time I had come 'round they were heading back to their positions at the entrances...."	“我不知道，部长。等我醒过来的时候，它们正在回到各个入口处的岗位上……”
"Extraordinary. And yet Black, and Harry, and the girl --"	“真反常。但布莱克、哈利，还有那女同学……”
"All unconscious by the time I reached them. I bound and gagged Black, naturally, conjured stretchers, and brought them all straight back to the castle."	“我走到他们面前时，他们都失去了知觉。我自然把布莱克捆起来了，塞住他的嘴，召来了担架，把他们直接带回城堡。”
There was a pause. Harry's brain seemed to be moving a little faster, and as it did, a gnawing sensation grew in the pit of his stomach....	谈话停顿了一下。哈利的大脑好像动得快一点了，这时，他的胃里产生了一种啮咬的感觉……他睁开眼睛。
He opened his eyes.	什么东西都有一点模糊。有人把他的眼镜拿走了。他躺在黑暗的校医院里。他可以看见庞弗雷夫人在病房的一端，背对着他，俯身向着一张床。哈利眯起眼看。罗恩的红色头发在庞弗雷夫人的手臂下露了出来。
Everything was slightly blurred. Somebody had removed his glasses. He was lying in the dark hospital wing. At the very end of the ward, he could make out Madam Pomfrey with her back to him, bending over a bed. Harry squinted. Ron's red hair was visible beneath Madam Pomfrey's arm.	哈利在枕头上动了动脑袋。他右边的床上躺着赫敏，月光照在她的床上，她也睁着眼睛。她似乎吓坏了，看到哈利醒了，就放一个手指在嘴唇上，然后指指校医院那扇侧门，那扇门半开着，康奈利福吉和斯内普的声音就是从外面走廊通过这扇门传过来的。
Harry moved his head over on the pillow. In the bed to his right lay Hermione. Moonlight was falling across her bed. Her eyes were open too. She looked petrified, and when she saw that Harry was awake, pressed a finger to her lips, then pointed to the hospital wing door. It was ajar, and the voices of Cornelius Fudge and Snape were coming through it from the corridor outside.	庞弗雷夫人现在从黑暗的病房的那一端轻快地向哈利走来。他翻过身来看着她。她拿着他平生从未见过的最大块巧克力，那巧克力像是块小圆石头。
Madam Pomfrey now came walking briskly up the dark ward to Harry's bed. He turned to took at her. She was carrying the largest block of chocolate he had ever seen in his life. It looked like a small boulder.	“啊，你醒了！”她活泼地说，把那块巧克力放在哈利的床头柜上，开始用一把小锤子敲碎它。
"Ah, you're awake!" she said briskly. She placed the chocolate on Harry's bedside table and began breaking it apart with a small hammer.	“罗恩怎么样了？”哈利和赫敏同时问道。
"How's Ron?" said Harry and Hermione together.	“他会活下去的，”庞弗雷夫人忧郁地说，“至于你们两个……你们要待在这儿，待到我认为满意的时候……波特，你以为你在干吗？”
"He'll live, said Madam Pomfrey grimly. "As for you two you'll be staying here until I'm satisfied you're -- Potter, what do you think you're doing?"	哈利坐起来，戴上眼镜，拿起魔杖。“我必须见校长。”他说。
Harry was sitting up, putting his glasses back on, and picking up his wand.	“波特，”庞弗雷夫人安慰他说，“没事。他们已经抓住布莱克了。他锁在楼上。现在随时摄魂怪都会给他那一吻……”
"I need to see the headmaster," he said.	“什么？”
"Potter," said Madam Pomfrey soothingly, "it's all right. They've got Black. He's locked away upstairs. The dementors will be performing the kiss any moment now --"	哈利跳下了床，赫敏也一样。但他的喊声已经传到走廊里了，康奈利和斯内普马上就进了病房。
"WHAT?"	“哈利，哈利，怎么啦？”福吉说，很焦急的样子，“你应该躺在床上……他吃过巧克力了吗？”他着急地问庞弗雷夫人。
Harry jumped up out of bed; Hermione had done the same. But his shout had been heard in the corridor outside; next second, Cornelius Fudge and Snape had entered the ward.	“部长，听着！”哈利说，“布莱克是无辜的！小矮星彼得假造了自己的死亡！今晚我们看见他了！你不能让摄魂怪对布莱克做那件事，他是……”
"Harry, Harry, what's this?" said Fudge, looking agitated. "You should be in bed -- has he had any chocolate?" he asked Madam Pomfrey anxiously.	但是福吉摇头，脸上略有点笑容。
"Minister, listen!" Harry said. "Sirius Black's innocent! Peter Pettigrew faked his own death! We saw him tonight! You can't let the dementors do that thing to Sirius, he's --"	“哈利，哈利，你的脑子很乱，你刚刚经历过一场可怕的灾难，躺回去。现在，一切事情都已经就绪了……”
But Fudge was shaking his head with a small smile on his face.	“没有！”哈利大叫，“你们抓错人了！”
"Harry, Harry, you're very confused, you've been through a dreadful ordeal, lie back down, now, we've got everything under control...."	“部长，请听我们说。”赫敏说，她已经赶着站到哈利身旁，正用探究的目光看着福吉的脸。“我也看见他了。那是罗恩的耗子，他是个阿尼马格斯，小矮星彼得，我意思是说，还有……”
"YOU HAVEN'T!" Harry yelled. "YOUVE GOT THE WRONG MAN!"	“看见了吗，部长？”斯内普说，“大脑昏乱了，两个人都一样……布莱克在他们身上可是干了一件好活计……”
"Minister, listen, please," Hermione said; she had hurried to Harry's side and was gazing imploringly into Fudge's face. "I saw him too. It was Ron's rat, he's an Animagus, Pettigrew, I mean, and --"	“我们脑子不昏乱！”哈利大吼。
"You see, Minister?" said Snape. "Confunded, both of them.... Black's done a very good job on them...." "WE'RE NOT CONFUNDED!" Harry roared.	“部长！教授！”庞弗雷夫人恼怒地说，“我必须坚持要你们离开。波特是我的病人，不应该让他苦恼！”
"Minister! Professor!" said Madam Pomfrey angrily. "I must insist that you leave. Potter is my patient, and he should not be distressed!"	“我不苦恼，我要告诉他们发生了什么事！”哈利狂怒地说，“要是他们能听我……”
"I'm not distressed, I'm trying to tell them what happened!" Harry said furiously. "If they'd just listen --"	但是庞弗雷夫人突然把一大块巧克力塞在哈利的嘴里。他噎住了，她抓住这机会强迫他回到了床上。“好啦，部长，请吧，这些孩子需要照顾，请离开。”
But Madam Pomfrey suddenly stuffed a large chunk of chocolate into Harry's mouth; he choked, and she seized the opportunity to force him back onto the bed.	门又开了，进来的是邓布利多。哈利拼命吞下了那一大口巧克力，又站了起来。“邓布利多教授，布莱克……”
"Now, please, Minister, these children need care. Please leave	“看在上帝的份上！”庞弗雷夫人歇斯底里地说道，“这里到底是不是校医院？校长，我必须坚持……”
The door opened again. It was Dumbledore. Harry swallowed his mouthful of chocolate with great difficulty and got up again.	“我道歉，波皮①，不过我要和波特先生和格兰杰小姐说句话。”邓布利多镇静地说，“我刚刚和布莱克谈过。”
"Professor Dumbledore, Sirius Black --"	“我想他告诉你的就是他移植在波特脑子里的童话吧？”斯内普不屑地说，“说什么一只耗子啊，小矮星彼得还活着……”
"For heaven's sake!" said Madam Pomfrey hysterically. "Is this a hospital wing or not? Headmaster, I must insist --"	“不错，布莱克是这么说的。”邓布利多说着，透过他那副半圆形眼镜仔细打量着斯内普。
"My apologies, Poppy, but I need a word with Mr. Potter and Miss Granger," said Dumbledore calmly. "I have just been talking to Sirius Black --"	“那我的证据就不算数了吗？”斯内普咆哮着说，“小矮星彼得并不在尖叫棚屋里，在禁林里我也没有看见他的任何迹象。”
"I suppose he's told you the same fairy tale he's planted in Potter's mind?" spat Snape. "Something about a rat, and Pettigrew being alive --"	“那是因为你昏过去了，教授！”赫敏真诚地说道，“你来的时候没有听到……”
"That, indeed, is Black's story," said Dumbledore, surveying Snape closely through his half-moon spectacles.	“格兰杰小姐，住嘴！”
"And does my evidence count for nothing?" snarled Snape. "Peter Pettigrew was not in the Shrieking Shack, nor did I see any sign of him on the grounds."	“好吧。斯内普，”福吉吓了一跳说，“这位年轻的小姐不是头脑混乱嘛，我们必须对她宽容……”
"That was because you were knocked out, Professor!" said Hermione earnestly. "You didn't arrive in time to hear	“我想与哈利和赫敏单独谈一谈，”邓布利多突然说道，“康奈利、西弗勒斯、波皮……请离开我们。”
"Miss Granger, HOLD YOUR TONGUE!"	“校长！”庞弗雷夫人气急败坏地说，“他们需要治疗，他们需要休息。”
"Now, Snape," said Fudge, startled, "the young lady is disturbed in her mind, we must make allowances --"	“这事不能等。”邓布利多说，“我必须坚持。”
"I would like to speak to Harry and Hermione alone," said Dumbledore abruptly. "Cornelius, Severus, Poppy -- please leave us."	庞弗雷夫人噘起嘴，走到病房尽头她的办公室去了，在身后重重地关上门。
"Headmaster!" sputtered Madam Pomfrey. "They need treatment, they need rest --"	福吉看了看从他背心上挂下来的那只大金怀表。“摄魂怪现在应该到了，”他说，“我要去迎接它们。邓布利多，回头在楼上见。”
"This cannot wait," said Dumbledore. "I must insist."	他走到门边，开着门，等斯内普出来，但是斯内普并没有动。“你肯定对布莱克讲的故事一个字也不相信，是不是？”斯内普低声问，眼睛盯着邓布利多的脸。
Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips and strode away into her office at the end of the ward, slamming the door behind her. Fudge consulted the large gold pocket watch dangling from his waistcoat.	“我想单独与哈利还有赫敏谈谈。”邓布利多重复说。
"The dementors should have arrived by now," he said. "I'll go and meet them. Dumbledore, I'll see you upstairs."	斯内普向邓布利多走近了一步。“小天狼星布莱克十六岁的时候就表现出他能当谋杀者，”他低声说，“你没有忘记这件事吧，校长？你没有忘记他曾经有一次想杀我？”
He crossed to the door and held it open for Snape, but Snape hadn't moved.	“我的记忆力和以前一样好，西弗勒斯。”邓布利多平静地说。
"You surely don't believe a word of Black's story?" Snape whispered, his eyes fixed on Dumbledore's face.	斯内普转身走出福吉还在给他留的门。他们走后门就关上了。邓布利多转向哈利和赫敏。他们两人同时急急地说起话来。
"I wish to speak to Harry and Hermione alone," Dumbledore repeated.	“教授，布莱克说的是真话。我们看见小矮星彼得……”
Snape took a step toward Dumbledore.	“……卢平教授变成狼人的时候他逃走了……”
"Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen," he breathed. "You haven't forgotten that, Headmaster? You haven't forgotten that he once tried to kill me?"	“……他是个耗子……”
"My memory is as good as it ever was, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly.	“……小矮星彼得的前爪，我意思是说，手指，他把手指割断了……”
Snape turned on his heel and marched through the door Fudge was still holding. It closed behind them, and Dumbledore turned to Harry and Hermione. They both burst into speech at the same time.	“……小矮星彼得攻击了罗恩，不是小天狼星……”
"Professor, Black's telling the truth -- we saw Pettigrew "-- he escaped when Professor Lupin turned into a werewolf --"	但是邓布利多举起手来制止了这滔滔不绝的解释。
"-- he's a rat --"	“现在该轮到你们听了，我请求你们不要打断我，因为时间很少了。”他平静地说，“没有任何证据能证明布莱克的故事，除了你们的话以外……而两个十三岁小巫师的话是说服不了任何人的。整整一条街的目击者发誓说，他们看见小天狼星布莱克杀了小矮星彼得。我自己向魔法部提供过证据，说小天狼星是波特夫妇的保密人。”
"-- Pettigrew's front paw, I mean, finger, he cut it off --"	“卢平教授可以告诉你……”哈利说，未能管住自己。
"-- Pettigrew attacked Ron, it wasn't Sirius --"	“目前卢平教授在禁林深处，不能告诉任何人任何事情。等到他又变成人，那就太晚了，小天狼星的命运要比死还糟。我也许可以加上一句。在我们这些人中，多数是很不信任狼人的，所以他的说法不会有多大分量——何况他和小天狼星还是老朋友——”
But Dumbledore held up his hand to stem the flood of explanations.	“但是——”
"It is your turn to listen, and I beg you will not interrupt me, because there is very little time," he said quietly. "There is not a shred of proof to support Black's story, except your word -- and the word of two thirteen-year-old wizards will not convince anybody. A street full of eyewitnesses swore they saw Sirius murder Pettigrew. I myself gave evidence to the Ministry that Sirius had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper."	“听我说，哈利。太晚了，你懂吗？你必须明白，斯内普教授所说的远比你们的有说服力。”
"Professor Lupin can tell you --" Harry said, unable to stop himself	“他恨小天狼星，”赫敏绝望地说，“全都是因为小天狼星拿他开过愚蠢的玩笑……”
"Professor Lupin is currently deep in the forest, unable to tell anyone anything. By the time he is human again, it will be too late, Sirius will be worse than dead. I might add that werewolves are so mistrusted by most of our kind that his support will count for very little -- and the fact that he and Sirius are old friends --"	“小天狼星也没有像无辜的人那样行事。对胖夫人的袭击。带刀进入格兰芬多塔楼……没有小矮星彼得，不管是活的还是死的，我们就没有办法推翻对小天狼星的判决。”
"But --"	“但是你相信我们。”
"Listen to me, Harry. It is too late, you understand me? You must see that Professor Snape's version of events is far more convincing than yours."	“对，我是相信你们。”邓布利多平静地说，“但是我没有权力，不能命令其他人看到真相，或者推翻魔法部长……”
"He hates Sirius," Hermione said desperately. "All because of some stupid trick Sirius played on him --"	哈利瞪眼看着那张严肃的脸。觉得脚下的地面好像分崩离析了。他已经习惯于这样的念头，那就是邓布利多能够解决任何问题。他曾经指望邓布利多能够凭空就拿出解决问题的办法来，但是没有……最后的希望破灭了。
"Sirius has not acted like an innocent man. The attack on the Fat Lady -- entering Gryffindor Tower with a knife -- without Pettigrew, alive or dead, we have no chance of overturning Sirius's sentence."	“我们现在需要的，”邓布利多慢慢地说道，他那浅蓝色眼睛从哈利看到赫敏，“是更多的时间。”
"But you believe us."	“但是……”赫敏开始说，然后她的眼睛睁得滚圆。“哦！”
"Yes, I do," said Dumbledore quietly. "But I have no power to make other men see the truth, or to overrule the Minister of Magic...."	“现在，注意了，”邓布利多说，声音很低，很清楚，“小天狼星被锁在八楼弗立维教授的房间里，从西塔数第十三个窗子就是。如果一切顺利，你们今晚可以拯救不止一条无辜的生命。但是记住这一点，你们两人都要记住。必须不让人看见。格兰杰小姐，你懂法律。你知道什么东西存危险……决……不能……让人……看见。”
Harry stared up into the grave face and felt as though the ground beneath him were falling sharply away. He had grown used to the idea that Dumbledore could solve anything. He had expected Dumbledore to pull some amazing solution out of the air. But no ... their last hope was gone.	哈利还没闹清事情在如何发展，邓布利多已经转过身去，走到门口的时候又回过头来。“我把你们锁在这里。现在是……”他看了看表，“差五分午夜十二点。格兰杰小姐，转三次就行了。祝你们好运。”
"What we need," said Dumbledore slowly, and his light blue eyes moved from Harry to Hermione, "is more time."	“好运？”哈利重复道，这时邓布利多身后的门关上了。“转三次？他在说什么呀？我们应该干吗？”
"But --" Hermione began. And then her eyes became very round. "OH!"	但是赫敏在她袍子的领口那里摸索着，从袍子下面抽出一条很长很精细的金链子。“哈利，这里来，”她急切地说，“快！”
"Now, pay attention," said Dumbledore, speaking very low, and very clearly. "Sirius is locked in Professor Flitwick's office on the seventh floor. Thirteenth window from the right of the West Tower. If all goes well, you will be able to save more than one innocent life tonight. But remember this, both of you: you must not be seen. Miss Granger, you know the law -- you know what is at stake.... You -- must -- not -- be -- seen."	哈利向她走过去，完全迷惑了。她把那条金链完全抽了出来。他看见金链子下面垂着一只小小的发亮的金针时器。
Harry didn't have a clue what was going on. Dumbledore had turned on his heel and looked back as he reached the door.	“这里……”她把金链也围到他的脖子上。“准备好了吗？”她气喘吁吁地问。
"I am going to lock you in. It is --" he consulted his watch, "five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck."	“我们要干吗？”哈利说，完全糊涂了。
"Good luck?" Harry repeated as the door closed behind Dumbledore. "Three turns? What's he talking about? What are we supposed to do?"	赫敏把计时器转了三次。黑暗的病房突然不见了。哈里觉得自己在飞，飞得很快，向后飞。眼前掠过各种模糊的云彩和形状，耳朵里有东西在猛敲。他想大叫，但是听不见自己的声音……然后他觉得脚下触到坚实的土地了，所有东西又都聚焦了……他站在赫敏身旁，站在没有人的前厅里，一道金色的阳光从打开的前门射到地板上。他急切地看着赫敏，计时器的链子勒着他的脖子。
But Hermione was fumbling with the neck of her robes, pulling from beneath them a very long, very fine gold chain.	“赫敏，什么……？”
"Harry, come here," she said urgently. "Quick!"	“这里来！”赫敏抓住哈利的手臂，拖着他走过前厅，走到一个放扫帚的橱门前，她打开橱门把他推进去与水桶和抹布待在一起，自己也跟着进去了，然后关上身后的门。
Harry moved toward her, completely bewildered. She was holding the chain out. He saw a tiny, sparkling hourglass hanging from it.	“什么——怎么样——赫敏，发生什么事了？”
"Here --"	“我们在时间上倒退了，”赫敏低声说，在黑暗中把哈利脖子上那根金链子取下来，“倒退了三个小时……”
She had thrown the chain around his neck too.	哈利摸到自己的腿，狠命拧了一把。真痛，这似乎说明他并不是在做稀奇古怪的梦。“但是……”
"Ready?" she said breathlessly.	“嘘！听着！有人来了！我想……我想可能是我们！”赫敏把耳朵贴在橱门上听。
"What are we doing?" Harry said, completely lost.	“厅里有脚步声……对，我想那是我们去找海格了！”
Hermione turned the hourglass over three times.	“你难道是在告诉我，”哈利耳语道，“但是我们在这个橱子里呀，我们怎么又在外面呢？”
The dark ward dissolved. Harry had the sensation that he was flying very fast, backward. A blur of colors and shapes rushed past him, his ears were pounding, he tried to yell but couldn't hear his own voice --	“是啊，”赫敏说，耳朵仍旧贴在橱门上，“我肯定那是我们……听起来只有三个人……我们走得很慢，因为我们顶着那件隐形衣……”她不说了，仍旧专心地听着。“我们已经走下那石台阶了……”
And then he felt solid ground beneath his feet, and everything came into focus again --	赫敏坐在一个倒扣的水桶上，样子非常焦急，哈利有几个问题想得到回答。
He was standing next to Hermione in the deserted entrance hall and a stream of golden sunlight was falling across the paved floor from the open front doors. He looked wildly around at Hermione, the chain of the hourglass cutting into his neck.	“你从哪里得到这个计时器的？”
"Hermione, what --?"	“这叫做时间转换器，”赫敏低声说，“我们回来的第一天，我就从麦格教授那里得到了它。我整年都在用它，好赶上所有的课。麦格教授要我发誓不告诉任何人。她必须给魔法部写各种信，这样我才能有一个时间转换器。她必须告诉他们：我是模范学生，而且我将永远不把它用于学习以外的事……我一直在把它一小时一小时地转回去，这就是我能够同时上几门课的原因，明白吗？不过……哈利，我不懂邓布利多要我们做什么。他为什么告诉我们倒退三个小时？这样做对小天狼星有什么帮助吗？”
"In here!" Hermione seized Harry's arm and dragged him across the hall to the door of a broom closet; she opened it, pushed him inside among the buckets and mops, then slammed the door behind them.	哈利瞪眼看着她那张幽暗中的脸。“一定会发生什么他要我们改变的事，”他慢慢地说，“发生过什么事呢？三小时以前，我们走到海格那里去……”
"What -- how -- Hermione, what happened?"	“这是三小时以前，我们正在走向海格那里，”赫敏说，“我们刚刚听到我们自已离开……”
"We've gone back in time," Hermione whispered, lifting the chain off Harry's neck in the darkness. "Three hours back..."	哈利皱眉，他觉得自己好像在把整个大脑都集中起来想着。“邓布利多刚才说……刚才说过我们可能救下不止一条无辜的生命……”然后他灵机一动。“赫敏，我们要看到巴克比克了！”
Harry found his own leg and gave it a very hard pinch. It hurt a lot, which seemed to rule out the possibility that he was having a very bizarre dream.	“但是……这一点怎么能帮助小天狼星呢？”
"But --"	“邓布利多说——他刚才告诉过我们那扇窗子在哪里——弗立维教授的办公室！他们已经把小天狼星锁在那里了！我们必须让巴克比克飞到那窗口去救小天狼星！小天狼星可以骑在巴克比克背上——他们可以一起逃走！”
"Shh! Listen! Someone's coming! I think -- I think it might be us!" Hermione had her ear pressed against the cupboard door.	哈利能够看到赫敏的脸，她给吓坏了。
"Footsteps across the hall... yes, I think it's us going down to Hagrid's!"	“要是我们设法这样做而不被人看见，那就创造奇迹了！”
"Are you telling me," Harry whispered, "that we're here in this cupboard and we're out there too?"	“好吧，我们必须试一试，对不对？”哈利说。他站了起来，把自己的耳朵也贴到橱门上。
"Yes," said Hermione, her ear still glued to the cupboard door. "I'm sure it's us. It doesn't sound like more than three people... and we're walking slowly because we're under the Invisibility Cloak -- "	“听起来好像那里没有人……来吧，我们走……”
She broke off, still listening intently.	哈利推开橱门，前厅里没有人。他们尽量轻手轻脚，冲出那橱门，走下石台阶。影子已经拉得很长了，禁林的树梢再次镀上了一层金色。
"We've gone down the front steps...."	“要是有人往窗外看……”赫敏尖声说，抬头看身后的城堡。
Hermione sat down on an upturned bucket, looking desperately anxious, but Harry wanted a few questions answered.	“我们跑过去，”哈利坚决地说，“直奔那树林，好吗？我们必须躲在树或者什么东西后面，然后往外看。”
"Where did you get that hourglass thing?"	“好的，不过我们要绕过那暖房！”赫敏气喘吁吁地说，“我们必须躲开海格的前门，要不然我们会看见我们的！现在我们一定已经走近海格的小屋了！”
"It's called a Time-Turner," Hermione whispered, "and I got it from Professor McGonagall on our first day back. I've been using it all year to get to all my lessons. Professor McGonagall made me swear I wouldn't tell anyone. She had to write all sorts of letters to the Ministry of Magic so I could have one. She had to tell them that I was a model student, and that I'd never, ever use it for anything except my studies.... I've been turning it back so I could do hours over again, that's how I've been doing several lessons at once, see? But...	哈利还在想着这话是什么意思，一面就一跳出发了，赫敏跟在他后面。他们飞奔过菜园到了暖房，在那里停了一下，然后又出发了，尽快绕过那棵打人柳，向着禁林里的阴影处飞奔……
"Harry, I don't understand what Dumbledore wants us to do. Why did he tell us to go back three hours? How's that going to help Sirius?"	哈利到了树木的阴影里就回过头来，几秒后，赫敏喘着气也到了。“对，”她气喘吁吁地说，“我们需要偷偷地到海格那里。别让人看见，哈利……”
Harry stared at her shadowy face.	他们在树木之间默默地穿行，一直走在林子的边缘。然后，他们瞥见海格的小屋，听见一声敲门。他们迅速走到一棵树干粗大的橡树后面，从两边向外看。海格在门洞里出现了，浑身发抖，脸色苍白，他四处张望，找敲门的人。哈利听见了自己的声音。
"There must be something that happened around now he wants us to change," he said slowly. "What happened? We were walking down to Hagrid's three hours ago...."	“是我们。我们穿着隐形衣呢。让我们进去，我们就可以脱掉隐形衣了。”
"This is three hours ago, and we are walking down to Hagrid's," said Hermione. "We just heard ourselves leaving...."	“你们不该来！”海格低声说。他让开，然后迅速关上了门。
Harry frowned; he felt as though he were screwing up his whole brain in concentration.	“这是我们所做过的最古怪的事。”哈利热烈地说。
"Dumbledore just said -- just said we could save more than one innocent life...." And then it hit him. "Hermione, we're going to save Buckbeak!"	“让我们稍稍挪一下地方，”赫敏低声说，“我们必须更靠近巴克比克！”
"But -- how will that help Sirius?"	他们在树木之间爬行，直到他们看见那头紧张不安的鹰头马身有翼兽为止，它被拴在海格南瓜地的篱笆上。
"Dumbledore said -- he just told us where the window is -- the window of Flitwick's office! Where they've got Sirius locked up! We've got to fly Buckbeak up to the window and rescue Sirius! Sirius can escape on Buckbeak -- they can escape together!"	“现在？”哈利低声说。
From what Harry could see of Hermione's face, she looked terrified.	“不！”赫敏说，“如果我们现在就偷走它，委员会的那些人就会认为是海格放了它！我们必须等到他们看见它是拴在外面以后！”
"If we manage that without being seen, it'll be a miracle!"	“那我们大约还有一分钟时间。”哈利说。这件事开始显得不可能起来。
"Well, we've got to try, haven't we?" said Harry. He stood up and pressed his ear against the door. "Doesn't sound like anyone's there.... Come on, let's go."	这时，海格小屋里传来瓷器破裂的声音。“那是海格打破牛奶罐了，”赫敏低声说，“我马上就要发现斑斑了……”果然，几分钟以后，他们听到了赫敏惊讶的尖叫。
Harry pushed open the closet door. The entrance hall was deserted. As quietly and quickly as they could, they darted out of the closet and down the stone steps. The shadows were already lengthening, the tops of the trees in the Forbidden Forest gilded once more with gold.	“赫敏，”哈利忽然说，“要是我们……我们现在就跑进去，抓住小矮星彼得……”
"If anyone's looking out of the window --" Hermione squeaked, looking up at the castle behind them.	“不！”赫敏吓坏了，低声说，“你不懂吗？我们在破坏魔法界最重要的法则之一！没有人应该改变时间，没有人！你听到邓布利多说了，要是我们被人看见……”
"We'll run for it," said Harry determinedly. "Straight into the forest, all right? We'll have to hide behind a tree or something and keep a lookout --"	“我们只会被我们自己和海格看见！”
"Okay, but we'll go around by the greenhouses!" said Hermione breathlessly. "We need to keep out of sight of Hagrid's front door, or we'll see us! We must be nearly at Hagrid's by now!"	“哈利，如果你看见自己冲进海格的房子，你想你会有什么反应呢？”赫敏说。
Still working out what she meant, Harry set off at a sprint, Hermione behind him. They tore across the vegetable gardens to the greenhouses, paused for a moment behind them, then set off again, fast as they could, skirting around the Whomping Willow, tearing toward the shelter of the forest....	“我会……我会以为自己发疯了，”哈利说，“要不然我会以为看见了什么邪法。”
Safe in the shadows of the trees, Harry turned around; seconds later, Hermione arrived beside him, panting.	“不错！你不会理解，你甚至会攻击你自己！你不明白吗？麦格教授告诉过我，巫师们在时间方面搞混以后曾经发生过什么样可怕的事情……他们之中有许多人误杀了过去的自己或未来的自己！”
"Right," she gasped. "We need to sneak over to Hagrid's.... Keep out of sight, Harry...."	“好吧！”哈利说，“这只是个念头而已。我刚才想……”
They made their way silently through the trees, keeping to the very edge of the forest. Then, as they glimpsed the front of Hagrid's house, they heard a knock upon his door. They moved quickly behind a wide oak trunk and peered out from either side. Hagrid had appeared in his doorway, shaking and white, looking around to see who had knocked. And Harry heard his own voice.	但是赫敏用胳膊肘推了推他，还向城堡指着。哈利把脑袋移动几英寸。以便看清远处的前门。邓布利多、福吉、委员会的老委员和行刑手麦克尼尔正走下石阶。
"It's us. We're wearing the Invisibility Cloak. Let us in and we can take it off."	“我们就要出来了！”赫敏低声说。
"Yeh shouldn've come!" Hagrid whispered. He stood back, then shut the door quickly.	果然，不一会儿，海格的后门开了，哈利看见他自己、罗恩和赫敏跟着海格一起出来了。这无疑是他一生中最奇怪的感觉：站在树后面，又看见自己在南瓜地里。
"This is the weirdest thing we've ever done," Harry said fervently.	“没事，比克，没事……”海格对巴克比克说。然后他转而对哈利、罗恩和赫敏说话：“走吧。快走。”
"Let's move along a bit," Hermione whispered. "We need to get nearer to Buckbeak!"	“海格，我们不能……”
They crept through the trees until they saw the nervous hippogriff, tethered to the fence around Hagrid's pumpkin patch.	“我们要告诉他们实际情况。”
"Now?" Harry whispered.	“他们不能杀它！”
"No!" said Hermione. "If we steal him now, those Committee people will think Hagrid set him free! We've got to wait until they've seen he's tied outside!"	“走！你们遇到麻烦的话，事情就更糟了！”
"That's going to give us about sixty seconds," said Harry. This was starting to seem impossible.	哈利看着赫敏在南瓜地里把隐形衣披在他和罗恩头上。“快走，别听……”有人敲海格的前门。执行队已经到了。海格转身回到自己的小屋里，后门没有关上。哈利看着小屋周围的草一片片地被压平，听到三双脚走远了。他、罗恩和赫敏走了……但是藏在树丛里的哈利和赫敏现在能通过后门听到小屋里发生的事。
At that moment, there was a crash of breaking china from inside Hagrid's cabin.	“那畜生哪里去了？”麦克尼尔冷酷的声音问道。
"That's Hagrid breaking the milk jug," Hermione whispered. "I'm going to find Scabbers in a moment --"	“外……外面。”海格哑声说。海格的窗子里露出麦克尼尔的脸，他向外瞪着巴克比克，哈利把脑袋藏起来。
Sure enough, a few minutes later, they heard Hermione's shriek of surprise.	然后他们听到福吉的声音。“我们……哦……必须向你宣读官方关于执行死刑的通告，海格。我会读得很快。然后你和麦克尼尔要签名的。麦克尼尔，你也应该听着，这是程序。”
"Hermione," said Harry suddenly, "what if we -- we just run in there and grab Pettigrew --"	麦克尼尔的脸从窗口消失了。要么就是现在，要么就永远做不到了。“在这里等着，”哈利对赫敏耳语道，“我来干。”福吉的声音又响起来了，哈利飞快地从树后面冲出去，绕过篱笆进入南瓜地。走近巴克比克。
"No!" said Hermione in a terrified whisper. "Don't you understand? We're breaking one of the most important wizarding laws! Nobody's supposed to change time, nobody! You heard Dumbledore, if we're seen --"	处置危险生物委员会决定，鹰头马身有翼兽巴克比克，以下称其为已被定罪者。应于六月六日落时分处决……
"We'd only be seen by ourselves and Hagrid!"	哈利再次瞪视巴克比克那双凶猛的橘黄色眼睛，一面告诫自己不要眨眼，而且对它鞠躬。巴克比克弯了弯有鳞片的膝头，又站直了。哈利开始摸索着解开把巴克比克拴在篱笆上的绳子。
"Harry, what do you think you'd do if you saw yourself bursting into Hagrid's house?" said Hermione.	……执行砍头，由委员会指定之行刑手沃尔顿麦免尼尔……
"I'd -- I'd think I'd gone mad," said Harry, "or I'd think there was some Dark Magic going on --"	“来吧，巴克比克，”哈利喃喃地说，“来吧，我们要帮助你。悄悄地……悄悄地……”
"Exactly! You wouldn't understand, you might even attack yourself! Don't you see? Professor McGonagall told me what awful things have happened when wizards have meddled with time.... Loads of them ended up killing their past or future selves by mistake!"	……以下作为见证人。海格，你在这里签名……
"Okay!" said Harry. "It was just an idea, I just thought	哈利把全身重量都用来拉绳子，但是巴克比克已经用前脚牢牢站住。
But Hermione nudged him and pointed toward the castle. Harry moved his head a few inches to get a clear view of the distant front doors. Dumbledore, Fudge, the old Committee member, and Macnair the executioner were coming down the steps.	“好吧，让我们把这件事干完。”海格的小屋里传来委员会成员那尖尖的声音。“海格，你在屋内不要出来，这样也许好些……”
"We're about to come out!" Hermione breathed.	“不，我……我要和它在一起……我不愿意它孤孤单单的……”小屋里回响着脚步声。
And sure enough, moments later, Hagrid's back door opened, and Harry saw himself, Ron, and Hermione walking out of it with Hagrid. It was, without a doubt, the strangest sensation of his life, standing behind the tree, and watching himself in the pumpkin patch.	“巴克比克，快走！”哈利嘶嘶地说。
"It's Okay, Beaky, it's okay..." Hagrid said to Buckbeak. Then he turned to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Go on. Get goin'."	哈利更使劲地拽巴克比克脖子上的那根绳子。怪兽开始走动了，还恼怒地拍着双翼。他们离禁林还有十英尺，完全看得见海格小屋的后门。
"Hagrid, we can't --"	“请等一下，麦克尼尔，”传来邓布利多的声音，“你也要签名。”脚步声停了。
"We'll tell them what really happened	哈利用力拉绳子。巴克比克的喙啪的响了一声，走得快了些。赫敏那张苍白的脸从一棵树后面露了出来。“哈利，快！”她含糊地说。
"They can't kill him --"	哈利还能听见邓布利多在小屋里说话的声音。他又把绳子使劲拽了一下，巴克比克不情愿地小跑起来。他们到达林子那里了。
"Go! It's bad enough without you lot in trouble an' all!"	“快！快！”赫敏呻吟着说，她从树后面飞快地冲出来，也抓住那根绳子，把她自己的体重也加了上去，让巴克比克走快些。
Harry watched the Hermione in the pumpkin patch throw the Invisibility Cloak over him and Ron.	哈利回头一看，现在人们已经看不见他们了，他们根本看不到海格的小屋。“停！”他对赫敏小声说，“他们可能听到我们……”
"Go quick. Don' listen...."	海格的后门砰的一声开了。哈利、赫敏和巴克比克站在那里听着；就连这鹰头马身有翼兽似乎也在紧张地谛听。寂静……然后……
There was a knock on Hagrid's front door. The execution party had arrived. Hagrid turned, around and headed back into his cabin, leaving the back door ajar. Harry watched the grass flatten in patches all around the cabin and heard three pairs of feet retreating. He, Ron, and Hermione had gone... but the Harry and Hermione hidden in the trees could now hear what was happening inside the cabin through the back door.	“它到哪里去了？”这是委员会成员尖尖的声音，“那畜生哪里去了？”
"Where is the beast?" came the cold voice of Macnair.	“本来是拴在这儿的！”行刑手狂怒地说，“我刚才看见的！就在这儿！”
"Out -- outside," Hagrid croaked.	“真奇怪。”邓布利多说，他声音里带着有趣的意思。一阵沙沙声，然后是挥动斧子的钝响。行刑手似乎把斧头砍进篱笆以发泄愤怒。然后传来一阵嚎叫，这次他们可以听到海格边抽泣边说的话。“走了！走了！上帝保佑它，它走了！一定是自己挣脱了！比克，你多聪明啊！”
Harry pulled his head out of sight as Macnair's face appeared at Hagrid's window, staring out at Buckbeak. Then they heard Fudge.	巴克比克开始要挣脱绳子，要回到海格那里去。哈利和赫敏更加用力抓住绳子，脚跟尽量站稳，以便止住巴克比克。
"We -- er -- have to read you the official notice of execution, Hagrid. I'll make it quick. And then you and Macnair need to sign it. Macnair, You're supposed to listen too, that's procedure --"	“有人解开绳子了！”那行刑手咆哮道，“我们应该搜寻场地，还有那林子……”
Macnair's face vanished from the window. It was now or never.	“麦克尼尔，要是巴克比克的确是被人偷走了，你真的以为贼会徒步带走它吗？”邓布利多说，听上去仍旧是感到有趣的声音。“搜寻天空吧，要是你愿意……海格。我想喝杯茶，要不一大杯白兰地也行。”
"Wait here," Harry whispered to Hermione. "I'll do it."	“当……当然，教授，”海格说道，声音听起来快乐而虚弱，“进来，进来……”
As Fudge's voice started again, Harry darted out from behind his tree, vaulted the fence into the pumpkin patch, and approached Buckbeak.	哈利和赫敏仔细听着。他们听到了脚步声、行刑手低低的诅咒声，门啪的一响，然后一切再次归于静寂。
"It is the decision of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures that the hippogriff Buckbeak, hereafter called the condemned, shall he executed on the sixth of June at sundown --"	“现在怎么办？”哈利低语道，一面向四周看着。
Careful not to blink, Harry stared up into Buckbeak's fierce orange eyes once more and bowed. Buckbeak sank to his scaly knees and then stood up again. Harry began to fumble with the knot of rope tying Buckbeak to the fence.	“我们必须躲在这里，”赫敏说，她显得很受惊的样子，“我们需要等到他们回到城堡。然后，等到安全的时候再放巴克比克飞到小天狼星的那扇窗子里。他要再过两个小时才会在那里……哦，这会很难……”
"... sentenced to execution by beheading, to be carried out by the Committee's appointed executioner, Walden Macnai..."	她回头紧张不安地看着林子深处。现在太阳在下山。
"Come on, Buckbeak," Harry murmured, "come on, we're going to help you. Quietly... quietly..."	“我们必须走了，”哈利苦苦思索着说，“我们必须能够看见那棵打人柳，要不然我们就不知道事情发展到了哪一步。”
"... as witnessed below. Hagrid, you sign here..."	“好的，”赫敏说，把巴克比克的绳子抓得更紧了，“不过我们一定不能，哈利，要记住……”
Harry threw all his weight onto the rope, but Buckbeak had dug in his front feet.	他们沿着林子的边缘移动，暮色越来越浓，最后他们躲在一丛树后面，在那里可以看见那棵柳树。“那是罗恩！”哈利突然说。
"Well, let's get this over with," said the reedy voice of the Committee member from inside Hagrid's cabin. "Hagrid, perhaps it will be better if you stay inside --"	一个黑色的身影跳到草坪上，大叫声在寂静的夜晚回响。“放开它……放开……斑斑，到这里来！”然后他们看见又有两个人不知从什么地方冒了出来。哈利看见自己和赫敏在追罗恩。然后他看见罗恩弯下身子。“可抓住你了！放开，你这只臭猫！”
"No, I -- I wan' ter be with him.... I don' wan' him ter be alone --"	“那是小天狼星！”哈利说。那只狗的巨大身影从那棵柳树根部跳出来。他们看见它把哈利冲倒在地，然后抓住罗恩……“从这里看甚至更糟，是不是？”哈利说，看着那只狗把罗恩拖到树底下。“哇……看，我刚刚被那棵树乱打了一阵……你也一样……这很古怪……”打人柳正在吱吱嘎嘎地作响，用它的下部枝条抽打着。他们可以看见他们自己来来回回地到处乱冲，设法要走近树干。然后这棵树一动不动了。“那是克鲁克山按了节疤。”赫敏说。
Footsteps echoed from within the cabin.	“我们往那儿走……”哈利说，“我们进去了。”
"Buckbeak, move!" Harry hissed.	他们一消失，那棵树就又动起来。几秒钟以后，他们听见近处有脚步声。邓布利多、麦克尼尔、福吉和委员会的年老成员正向城堡走去。
Harry tugged harder on the rope around Buckbeak's neck. The hippogriff began to walk, rustling its wings irritably. They were still ten feet away from the forest, in plain view of Hagrid's back door. "One moment, please, Macnair," came Dumbledore's voice. "You need to sign too." The footsteps stopped. Harry heaved on the rope. Buckbeak snapped his beak and walked a little faster.	“紧接在我们进入过道以后！”赫敏说，“要是邓布利多和我们一起来就好了……”
Hermione's white face was sticking out from behind a tree.	“那麦克尼尔和福吉也会一起来的，”哈利痛苦地说，“我用任何东西和你打赌，福吉会要麦克尼尔当场杀掉小天狼星的……”
"Harry, hurry!" she mouthed.	他们看着这四个人登上城堡的石阶，看不见了。有几分钟时候，四周阗无一人。然后……“卢平来了！”哈利说，这时他们看见又有一个人影跳下石阶，向打人柳走来。哈利抬头看天，浮云把月亮完全遮住了。
Harry could still hear Dumbledore's voice talking from within the cabin. He gave the rope another wrench. Buckbeak broke into a grudging trot. They had reached the trees....	他们看着卢平从地上捡起一根断枝，用它戳树干上的节疤。树静止了，卢平也消失在树根的洞里了。
"Quick! Quick!" Hermione moaned, darting out from behind her tree, seizing the rope too and adding her weight to make Buckbeak move faster. Harry looked over his shoulder; they were now blocked from sight; they couldn't see Hagrid's garden at all.	“要是他拿了那件隐形衣就好了，”哈利说，“它就在那儿……”他转向赫敏。“要是我现在冲出去把隐形衣拿来，斯内普就永远得不到它了，而且……”
"Stop!" he whispered to Hermione. "They might hear us	“哈利，我们可不能让人看见！”
Hagrid's back door had opened with a bang. Harry, Hermione, and Buckbeak stood quite still; even the hippogriff seemed to be listening intently.	“你怎么能忍得住呢？”他热切地问赫敏，“就站在这里看着事情发展？”他踌躇了，“我去把隐形衣拿来！”
Silence... then --	“哈利，别！”
"Where is it?" said the reedy voice of the Committee member. "Where is the beast?"	赫敏伸手抓哈利袍子的后背，一把没抓住。就在这时，他们听到一阵歌声。
"It was tied here!" said the executioner furiously. I saw it! just here!"	那是海格，他正向城堡走去，尽量大声地唱着，走路的时候身子有些摇晃。他两手捧着的大瓶子也在晃着。
"How extraordinary," said Dumbledore. There was a note of amusement in his voice.	“看见了吗？”赫敏耳语道，“看见会发生什么事了吧？我们决不能让人看见！别，巴克比克！”
"Beaky!" said Hagrid huskily.	那鹰头马身有翼兽疯狂挣扎着要回到海格那里去；哈利也抓紧了绳子，努力把巴克比克拉回来。他们看着海格歪歪倒倒地向城堡走去，他走了。巴克比克也不挣扎着要走了，它的脑袋哀伤地垂了下来。
There was a swishing noise, and the thud of an axe. The executioner seemed to have swung it into the fence in anger. And then came the howling, and this time they could hear Hagrid's words through his sobs.	不到两分钟，城堡的门又开了，斯内普出了门，向打人柳跑过来。他们看见斯内普在树旁收住了脚步，四面看了看，抓起那件隐形衣，举起来。这时哈利的拳头捏起来了。
"Gone! Gone! Bless his little beak, he's gone! Musta pulled himself free! Beaky, yeh clever boy!"	“你那肮脏的手别碰它。”哈利低声咆哮道。
Buckbeak started to strain against the rope, trying to get back to Hagrid. Harry and Hermione tightened their grip and dug their heels into the forest floor to stop him.	“嘘！”
"Someone untied him!" the executioner was snarling. "We should search the grounds, the forest."	斯内普拿起卢平用过的那根树枝，戳了戳那节疤，穿上隐形衣，不见了。
"Macnair, if Buckbeak has indeed been stolen, do you really think the thief will have led him away on foot?" said Dumbledore, still sounding amused. "Search the skies, if you will.... Hagrid, I could do with a cup of tea. Or a large brandy."	“原来是这样的，”赫敏平静地说，“我们都在下面了……现在我们只能等待，等我们再上来……”
"O' -- o' course, Professor," said Hagrid, who sounded weak with happiness. "Come in, come in...."	她拿起巴克比克的绳子末端，把绳子牢牢系在最近的一棵树上，然后坐到干燥的地上，两臂抱膝。
Harry and Hermione listened closely. They heard footsteps, the soft cursing of the executioner, the snap of the door, and then silence once more.	“哈利，有些事我不懂……摄魂怪为什么没有抓到小天狼星？我记得它们来了。然后我大概是昏过去了……它们有那么多……”
"Now what?" whispered Harry, looking around.	哈利也坐了下来。他告诉她他看到了什么；告诉她，离他最近的那个摄魂怪即将把嘴放到哈利嘴边的时候，一个大大的银色东西从湖面上疾驰而来，逼迫摄魂怪退却了。
"We'll have to hide in here," said Hermione, who looked very shaken. "We need to wait until they've gone back to the castle. Then we wait until it's safe to fly Buckbeak up to Sirius's window. He won't be there for another couple of hours.... Oh, this is going to be difficult...."	哈利说完的时候，赫敏的嘴张开了一点儿。
She looked nervously over her shoulder into the depths of the forest. The sun was setting now.	“但那是什么呀？”
"We're going to have to move," said Harry, thinking hard. "We've got to be able to see the Whomping Willow, or we won't know what's going on."	“只有一样东西能让摄魂怪离开，”哈利说，“那就是真正的守护神。强大的守护神。”
"Okay," said Hermione, getting a firmer grip on Buckbeak's rope. "But we've got to keep out of sight, Harry, remember...."	“那么是谁召唤来的呢？”
They moved around the edge of the forest, darkness falling thickly around them, until they were hidden behind a clump of trees through which they could make out the Willow.	哈利什么也没说。他在回想他看见的湖对面的那个人。他知道他以为那是谁……但怎么可能呢？
"There's Ron!" said Harry suddenly.	“你看见他是什么样子的吗？”赫敏急切地问，“是哪个老师吗？”
A dark figure was sprinting across the lawn and its shout echoed through the still night air.	“不是，”哈利说，“他不是老师。”
"Get away from him -- get away -- Scabbers, come here --"	“但是那一定是位真正有法力的巫师，能够把那么多摄魂怪赶走……要是那个守护神能够发出那么亮的光芒，没有把他自己照亮吗？你看不见……”
And then they saw two more figures materialize out of nowhere. Harry watched himself and Hermione chasing after Ron. Then he saw Ron dive.	“是啊，我看见他了，”哈利慢慢地说，“但是……可能是我想象的……我当时脑子不很清楚……那以后我马上就昏过去了……”
"Gotcha! Get off, you stinking cat --"	“你以为那是谁昵？”
"There's Sirius!" said Harry. The great shape of the dog had bounded out from the roots of the Willow. They saw him bowl Harry over, then seize Ron....	“我想……”哈利咽了口唾沫，知道这听起来有多么奇怪，“我想那是我爸爸。”
"Looks even worse from here, doesn't it?" said Harry, watching the dog pulling Ron into the roots. "Ouch -- look, I just got walloped by the tree -- and so did you -- this is weird--"	哈利向赫敏看了一眼，看到她的嘴完全张开合不拢了。她盯着他看，神情里既有惊慌也有怜悯。
The Whomping Willow was creaking and lashing out with its lower branches; they could see themselves darting here and there, trying to reach the trunk. And then the tree froze.	“哈利，你爸爸已经……唔……死了。”她平静地说。
"That was Crookshanks pressing the knot," said Hermione.	“我知道。”哈利迅速地说。
"And there we go..." Harry muttered. "We're in."	“你以为你看到他的鬼魂了吗？”
The moment they disappeared, the tree began to move again. Seconds later, they heard footsteps quite close by. Dumbledore, Macnair, Fudge, and the old Committee member were making their way up to the castle.	“我不知道……不……他看上去是实实在在的……”
"Right after we'd gone down into the passage!" said Hermione. "If only Dumbledore had come with us..."	“那么……”
"Macnair and Fudge would've come too," said Harry bitterly. "I bet you anything Fudge would've told Macnair to murder Sirius on the spot...."	“也许我看见幻象了，”哈利说，“但是……从我能够看到的……看起来像他……我有他的照片……”
They watched the four men climb the castle steps and disappear from view. For a few minutes the scene was deserted. Then --	赫敏仍旧看着他，似乎担心他神志不清楚。
"Here comes Lupin!" said Harry as they saw another figure sprinting down the stone steps and hating toward the Willow. Harry looked up at the sky. Clouds were obscuring the moon completely.	“我知道这听起来像是疯话。”哈利平淡地说。他回过头去看巴克比克，它正把喙伸到地里，显然在找虫子。但哈利并不真正在看巴克比克。
They watched Lupin seize a broken branch from the ground and prod the knot on the trunk. The tree stopped fighting, and Lupin, too, disappeared into the gap in its roots.	他在想他的爸爸，想他的三个老朋友……月亮脸、虫尾巴、大脚板和尖头叉子……今晚他们四个人都在场地上吗？虫尾巴今晚重新露面，而大家都以为他早就死了……他的爸爸就没有这种可能吗？他在湖上看到的是幻象吗？他看见的那个人太远了，看不清……但是他曾经有一会儿觉得很肯定，那是在他失去知觉以前……头上的叶子在微风中簌簌抖动，月亮在浮云中时隐时现。赫敏坐在那里，脸对着那棵柳树，等待着。
"If he'd only grabbed the cloak," said Harry. "It's just lying there...."	然后，过了一个多小时以后，他们终于……“我们来了！”赫敏低声说。
He turned to Hermione.	她和哈利都站了起来。巴克比克抬起了头。他们看见卢平、罗恩和小矮星彼得从柳树下面的洞里笨拙地钻出来。然后赫敏出来了……然后是失去知觉的斯内普，古怪地向上飘浮着。再后面是哈利和布莱克。他们都开始向城堡走去。
"If I just dashed out now and grabbed it, Snape'd never be able to get it and --"	哈利的心开始狂跳。他向天空瞥了一眼。现在任何时刻，云儿都会向一边浮去，而月亮就会显露出来。
"Harry, we mustn't be seen!"	“哈利，”赫敏好像十分明白他在想什么，喃喃地说，“我们只能停在原地不动。我们一定不要让人看见。我们现在什么事也做不了……”
"How can you stand this?" he asked Hermione fiercely. "Just standing here and watching it happen?" He hesitated. "I'm going to grab the cloak!"	“那我们又要让小矮星彼得逃走了……”哈利平静地说。
"Harry, no!"	“我们在黑暗里怎么能找到一只耗子呢？”赫敏厉声说，“我们什么事也做不了！我们回来是为了帮助小天狼星的，我们不应该做其他任何事情！”
Hermione seized the back of Harry's robes not a moment too soon. just then, they heard a burst of song. It was Hagrid, making his way up to the castle, singing at the top of his voice, and weaving slightly as he walked. A large bottle was swinging from his hands.	“好吧！”
"See?" Hermione whispered. "See what would have happened? We've got to keep out of sight! No, Buckbeak!"	月亮从云彩后面出来了。他们看见穿越场地的那些小小的人影停住了。然后他们看见动作……
The hippogriff was making frantic attempts to get to Hagrid again; Harry seized his rope too, straining to hold Buckbeak back. They watched Hagrid meander tipsily up to the castle. He was gone. Buckbeak stopped fighting to get away. His head drooped sadly.	“那是卢平，”赫敏低语道，“他在变……”
Barely two minutes later, the castle doors flew open yet again, and Snape came charging out of them, running toward the Willow.	“赫敏！”哈利忽然说，“我们一定要行动了！”
Harry's fists clenched as they watched Snape skid to a halt next to the tree, looking around. He grabbed the cloak and held it up.	“决不能，我一直在告诉你……”
"Get your filthy hands off it," Harry snarled under his breath. "Shh!"	“别打断我！卢平要跑到树林里了，正冲着我们！”
Snape seized the branch Lupin had used to freeze the tree, prodded the knot, and vanished from view as he put on the cloak.	赫敏喘着粗气。“快！”她呻吟道，急忙跑过去解巴克比克的绳子。“快！我们到哪里去？我们到哪里去躲着？摄魂怪马上就要来了！”
"So that's it," said Hermione quietly. "We're all down there... and now we've just got to wait until we come back up again...."	“回到海格那里去！”哈利说，“现在那里空着——来吧！”他们跑着，尽快地跑着，巴克比克跟在他们后面慢跑，他们能听见狼人在后面嗥叫……小屋在望。哈利冲到门前停住，拧开门，赫敏和巴克比克飞快掠过他身旁；哈利在他们后面扑进去，插上门。猎狗牙牙响亮地吠叫起来。
She took the end of Buckbeak's rope and tied it securely around the nearest tree, then sat down on the dry ground, arms around her knees.	“嘘。牙牙，是我们！”赫敏说，赶忙过去挠它的耳朵让它安静下来。“真就差一点儿！”她对哈利说。“是……”
"Harry, there's something I don't understand.... Why didn't the dementors get Sirius? I remember them coming, and then I think I passed out... there were so many of them...."	哈利在往窗外看。从这里想看外面发生的事困难多了。巴克比克似乎对于自己又回到海格的小屋十分高兴。它在壁炉前面躺下，满意地折拢双翼似乎想美美地小睡一会儿。
Harry sat down too. He explained what he'd seen; how, as the nearest dementor had lowered its mouth to Harry's, a large silver something had come galloping across the lake and forced the dementors to retreat.	“我想我们还是再到外面好，你知道，”哈利慢慢地说，“我们看不见外面的事情，时候到了我们也不知道。”
Hermione's mouth was slightly open by the time Harry had finished.	赫敏抬眼望着他。她的表情是疑惑的。
"But what was it?"	“我不会再试图干预了，”哈利迅速地说，“但是如果我们看不见外面的事情，我们怎么能知道应该什么时候去救小天狼星呢？”
"There's only one thing it could have been, to make the dementors go," said Harry. "A real Patronus. A powerful one."	“唔……好，那么……我和巴克比克等在这里……但是哈利，要小心啊……外面有狼人，还有那些摄魂怪……”
"But who conjured it?"	哈利又走到外面去了，他沿着小屋靠边走。他听到了远处的叫喊声。这就是说摄魂怪正在逼近小天狼星……他和赫敏随时都可能向他跑过去……哈利向湖面看，心脏在胸膛里跳得和擂鼓一样。那派遣守护神的人，不管是谁，现在随时都可能出现。
Harry didn't say anything. He was thinking back to the person he'd seen on the other bank of the lake. He knew who he thought it had been... but how could it have been?	他站在那里不到一分钟工夫，犹疑不决，就在海格的门前。你决不能被人看见。但是他并不想叫人看见。他要瞭望……他必须知道……
"Didn't you see what they looked like?" said Hermione eagerly. "Was it one of the teachers?"	哈利跑了起来，脑子里只想着他的爸爸……那人如果是他的话……他必须知道，必须看见……
"No," said Harry. "He wasn't a teacher."	湖越来越近了，但是那里什么人也没有。在对岸，他看到了小小的银色闪光……那是他自己设想的守护神……
"But it must have been a really powerful wizard, to drive all those dementors away... If the Patronus was shining so brightly, didn't it light him up? Couldn't you see --?"	就在水边有一丛灌木。哈利躲在灌木后面，通过树叶之间的空隙拼命张望。对岸的银色闪光突然之间熄灭了，他浑身一阵恐惧战栗……现在随时——
"Yeah, I saw him," said Harry slowly. "But... maybe I imagined it.... I wasn't thinking straight.... I passed out right afterward...."	“来吧！”他喃喃地说，四处张望，“你在哪里？爸爸，来吧——”
"Who did you think it was?"	但是谁也没有来。哈利抬头看湖边那一圈摄魂怪。其中之一正放下它的头巾。拯救者应该这时到场——但是这次没人前来帮忙……
I think --" Harry swallowed, knowing how strange this was going to sound. I think it was my dad."	然后他恍然了——他明白了。他没有看见他爸爸——他看见的是他自己。
Harry glanced up at Hermione and saw that her mouth was fully open now. She was gazing at him with a mixture of alarm and pity.	哈利从树丛后面跳出来，抽出魔杖。
"Harry, your dad's -- well -- dead," she said quietly.	“呼神护卫！”他大叫。
"I know that," said Harry quickly.	从他魔杖末端冒出来的，不是不成形的雾状物，而是一头令人炫目的银色动物。他眯起眼睛，努力看清那是什么。看上去像是马。它离开他，越过黑色的湖面疾驰而去。他看见它低下头对准那一大群摄魂怪冲过去……现在它围绕着地面上黑色的形体一圈圈地跑着，摄魂怪后退、溃散、隐入黑暗之中……它们走了。
"You think you saw his ghost?"	那守护神转过身。它越过平静的水面向着哈利慢跑回来。它不是马，它也不是独角兽，它是牡鹿。它全身发亮，像天上的月亮一样……它在向他跑来……
"I don't know... no... he looked solid...."	它在岸边停住了。它的蹄子在软泥地上没有留下痕迹，它那双银色的大眼睛看着哈利。慢慢地，它低下了带鹿角的头。于是哈利明白了……
"But then --"	但是当他向它伸出颤抖的手指的时侯，它不见了。
"Maybe I was seeing things," said Harry. "But... from what I could see... it looked like him.... I've got photos of him...."	哈利站在当地，手仍然向前伸着。然后，心猛然一跳，他听见后面传来蹄声……他转过身去，看见赫敏牵着巴克比克向他冲来。
Hermione was still looking at him as though worried about his sanity.	“你做了什么啦？”她大怒着说，“你说你只是到外面看看！”
I know it sounds crazy," said Harry flatly. He turned to took at Buckbeak, who was digging his beak into the ground, apparently searching for worms. But he wasn't really watching Buckbeak.	“我刚刚救了我们大家的命……”哈利说，“到后面来，到这树丛后面，我来解释。”
He was thinking about his father and about his father's three oldest friends... Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs.... Had all four of them been out on the grounds tonight? Wormtail had reappeared this evening when everyone had thought he was dead.... Was it so impossible his father had done the same? Had he been seeing things across the take? The figure had been too far away to see distinctly... yet he had felt sure, for a moment, before he'd lost consciousness....	赫敏听了刚才发生的事，嘴又张开合不拢了。
The leaves overhead rustled faintly in the breeze. The moon drifted in and out of sight behind the shifting clouds. Hermione sat with her face turned toward the Willow, waiting.	“有人看见你了吗？”
And then, at last, after over an hour...	“有啊，你不是一直在听着吗？我看见了我，但我以为是我爸爸！没事！”
"Here we come!" Hermione whispered.	“哈利，我不能相信——你召唤了能够赶走所有那些摄魂怪的守护神！这是非常非常高级的魔法……”
She and Harry got to their feet. Buckbeak raised his head. They saw Lupin, Ron, and Pettigrew clambering awkwardly out of the hole in the roots. Then came Hermione... then the unconscious Snape, drifting weirdly upward. Next came Harry and Black. They all began to walk toward the castle.	“我知道这次我能做到了，”哈利说，“因为我已经做过了……这样说有道理吗？”
Harry's heart was starting to beat very fast. He glanced up at the sky. Any moment now, that cloud was going to move aside and show the moon....	“我不知道——哈利，看斯内普！”
"Harry," Hermione muttered as though she knew exactly what he was thinking, "we've got to stay put. We mustn't be seen. There's nothing we can do...."	他们一起从灌木丛里往对岸窥探。斯内普恢复了知觉，他在召唤担架，把哈利、赫敏和布莱克等没有生气的躯体放到担架上去。第四个担架上肯定是罗恩，它已经在斯内普身旁浮动着了。然后，他把魔杖举在面前，把这一批人搬到城堡中去了。
"So we're just going to let Pettigrew escape all over again.. said Harry quietly.	“对，时间差不多了。”赫敏看着表紧张地说，“在邓布利多锁上校医院病房门以前，我们还有四十五分钟。我们一定要在任何人发现我们失踪以前救出小天狼星并且回到病房……”
"How do you expect to find a rat in the dark?" snapped Hermione. "There's nothing we can do! We came back to help Sirius; we're not supposed to be doing anything else!"	他们等待着，看着湖中映出的浮云，此时他们旁边的灌木丛在微风中低语。巴克比克感到厌烦，又在找虫子了。
"All right!"	“你估计他已经到了那里吗？”哈利说，看着他的表。然后他抬起头看着城堡，开始数西塔右边的窗子。
The moon slid out from behind its cloud. They saw the tiny figures across the grounds stop. Then they saw movement --	“看！”赫敏低声说，“那是谁？有人又从城堡里出来了！”
"There goes Lupin," Hermione whispered. "He's transforming	哈利透过黑暗看着。那人匆匆穿过场地，走向一个入口。他的腰带上有什么东西在闪闪发亮。
"Hermione!" said Harry suddenly. "We've got to move!"	“麦克尼尔！”哈利说，“那行刑手！他去找那些摄魂怪了！是这样的，赫敏……”
"We mustn't, I keep telling you --"	赫敏把双手放在巴克比克背上，哈利帮她把一条腿放了上去。然后他把一只脚踏在灌木丛比较低的枝条上，爬上去，坐在她前面。他把巴克比克的绳子拉回来放在自己的脖子上，再系在自己领子另一边，就像缰绳一样。
"Not to interfere! Lupin's going to run into the forest, right at us!"	“好了吗？”他低声问赫敏。“你最好抓住我。”他用脚跟夹了夹巴克比克的两胁。
Hermione gasped.	巴克比克向夜空高飞。哈利用两膝夹住巴克比克，感觉到那一双大翅膀在下面有力地扇动。赫敏紧紧搂着哈利的腰，他听她喃喃自语：“哦，不……我不喜欢这样……哦，我真不喜欢这样……”
"Quick!" she moaned, dashing to untie Buckbeak. "Quick! Where are we going to go? Where are we going to hide? The dementors wilt be coming any moment --"	哈利催促巴克比克向前快飞。他们正悄悄地滑向城堡上层……哈利使劲拉左手那边的绳子，巴克比克转弯了。哈利努力去数在身边飞快掠过的窗子……
"Back to Hagrid's!" Harry said. "It's empty now -- come on!"	“吁！”他说，尽量往后拉。
They ran as fast as they could, Buckbeak cantering along behind them. They could hear the werewolf howling behind them....	巴克比克放慢了速度，他们发现自己停下来了，不过他们还是在空中或升或降，因为不这样巴克比克就没法停在空中。
The cabin was in sight; Harry skidded to the door, wrenched it open, and Hermione and Buckbeak flashed past him; Harry threw himself in after them and bolted the door. Fang the boarhound barked loudly.	“他在那里！”哈利说，他们升到那扇窗旁时发现了布莱克。他伸手去够，巴克比克的双翼下垂时，他能够用力敲玻璃。
"Shh, Fang, it's us!" said Hermione, hurrying over and scratching his ears to quieten him. "That was really close!" she said to Harry.	布莱克抬眼望见了他们。哈利看见他的下巴受伤了，他从椅子上跳起来，赶到窗子前，想打开窗子，但窗子是锁着的。
"Yeah..."	“后退！”赫敏对哈利叫道，她抽出魔杖，一面仍旧用左手揪住哈利袍子的后背。“阿拉霍洞开！”窗子突然打开了。
Harry was looking out of the window. It was much harder to see what was going on from here. Buckbeak seemed very happy to find himself back inside Hagrid's house. He lay down in front of the fire, folded his wings contentedly, and seemed ready for a good nap.	“怎么……怎么……”布莱克虚弱地说，瞪眼看着那头鹰头马身有翼兽。
"I think I'd better go outside again, you know," said Harry slowly. "I can't see what's going on -- we won't know when it's time --"	“上来——没有多少时间了，”哈利说，用力抓住巴克比克细长脖子的两边让它稳定，“你一定要从这里出去——摄魂怪就要来了。麦克尼尔已经去叫它们了。”
Hermione looked up. Her expression was suspicious.	布莱克用两手扶着窗框，把脑袋和肩膀探了出来。幸而他是那么瘦。几秒之内，他已经设法把一条腿跨到了巴克比克的背上，并且爬到了鹰头马身有翼兽背上，坐在赫敏背后。
"I'm not going to try and interfere," said Harry quickly. "But if we don't see what's going on, how're we going to know when it's time to rescue Sirius?"	“好啦，巴克比克，向上飞！”哈利摇动着绳子说，“飞到塔楼。来吧！”
"Well... okay, then... I'll wait here with Buckbeak... but Harry, be careful -- there's a werewolf out there -- and the dementors	这头鹰头马身有翼兽双翼一振，他们就又向上飞去了，飞得和西塔楼顶一样高。巴克比克哒的一声降落在雉堞墙上，哈利和赫敏立刻从它背上滑下来。
Harry stepped outside again and edged around the cabin. He could hear yelping in the distance. That meant the dementors were closing in on Sirius.... He and Hermione would be running to him any moment....	“布莱克，你最好快走，”哈利喘着气说，“他们随时都会到弗立维的办公室去的，他们会发现你跑了。”
Harry stared out toward the lake, his heart doing a kind of drumroll in his chest.... Whoever had sent that Patronus would be appearing at any moment....	巴克比克脚爪抓地，扬起它那尖尖的脑袋。
For a fraction of a second he stood, irresolute, in front of Hagrid's door. You must not be seen. But he didn't want to be seen. He wanted to do the seeing.... He had to know...	“另外一个男孩怎么样了？罗恩？”布莱克急切地问。
And there were the dementors. They were emerging out of the darkness from every direction, gliding around the edges of the lake.... They were moving away from where Harry stood, to the opposite bank.... He wouldn't have to get near them....	“他会没事的——他还不很好，但是庞弗雷夫人说她能够让他好一点儿的。快——走吧！”
Harry began to run. He had no thought in his head except his father... If it was him... if it really was him... he had to know, had to find out....	但是布莱克还在注视着哈利。“我怎么感谢你们——”
The lake was coming nearer and nearer, but there was no sign of anybody. On the opposite bank, he could see tiny glimmers of silver -- his own attempts at a Patronus --	“走吧！”哈利和赫敏一起叫道。
There was a bush at the very edge of the water. Harry threw himself behind it, peering desperately through the leaves. On the opposite bank, the glimmers of silver were suddenly extinguished. A terrified excitement shot through him -- any moment now --	布莱克让巴克比克调转头，面向天空。
"Come on!" he muttered, staring about. "Where are you? Dad, come on --"	“我们会再见的，”他说，“你是——你真是你爸爸的好儿子，哈利。”
But no one came. Harry raised his head to look at the circle of dementors across the lake. One of them was lowering its hood. It was time for the rescuer to appear -- but no one was coming to help this time --	他用脚跟夹了夹巴克比克的两胁。巨大的双翼再次展开，哈利和赫敏连忙向后跳去……那鹰头马身有翼兽飞上了天空……哈利目送着他们，但见它和骑它的人越来越小……然后一朵浮云掩住了月亮……他们走了。
And then it hit him -- he understood. He hadn't seen his father -- he had seen himself --
Harry flung himself out from behind the bush and pulled out his wand.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM! "he yelled.
And out of the end of his wand burst, not a shapeless cloud of mist, but a blinding, dazzling, silver animal. He screwed up his eyes, trying to see what it was. It looked like a horse. It was galloping silently away from him, across the black surface of the lake. He saw it lower its head and charge at the swarming dementors.... Now it was galloping around and around the black shapes on the ground, and the dementors were falling back, scattering, retreating into the darkness.... They were gone.
The Patronus turned. It was cantering back toward Harry across the still surface of the water. It wasn't a horse. It wasn't a unicorn, either. It was a stag. It was shining brightly as the moon above ... it was coming back to him....
It stopped on the bank. Its hooves made no mark on the soft ground as it stared at Harry with its large, silver eyes. Slowly, it bowed its antlered head. And Harry realized... "Prongs, "he whispered.
But as his trembling fingertips stretched toward the creature, it vanished.
Harry stood there, hand still outstretched. Then, with a great leap of his heart, he heard hooves behind him -he whirled around and saw Hermione dashing toward him, dragging Buckbeak behind her.
"What did you do?" she said fiercely. "You said you were only going to keep a lookout!"
"I just saved all our lives...," said Harry. "Get behind here -- behind this bush -- I'll explain."
Hermione listened to what had just happened with her mouth open yet again.
"Did anyone see you?"
"Yes, haven't you been listening? I saw me but I thought I was my dad! It's okay!"
"Harry, I can't believe it.... You conjured up a Patronus that drove away all those dementors! That's very, very advanced magic. I knew I could do it this time," said Harry, "because I'd already done it.... Does that make sense?"
"I don't know -- Harry, look at Snape!"
Together they peered around the bush at the other bank. Snape had regained consciousness. He was conjuring stretchers and lifting the limp forms of Harry, Hermione, and Black onto them. A fourth stretcher, no doubt bearing Ron, was already floating at his side. Then, wand held out in front of him, he moved them away toward the castle.
"Right, it's nearly time," said Hermione tensely, looking at her watch. "We've got about forty-five minutes until Dumbledore locks the door to the hospital wing. We've got to rescue Sirius and get back into the ward before anybody realizes we're missing.... 11
They waited, watching the moving clouds reflected in the lake, while the bush next to them whispered in the breeze. Buckbeak, bored, was ferreting for worms again.
"D' you reckon he's up there yet?" said Harry, checking his watch. He looked up at the castle and began counting the windows to the right of the West Tower.
"Look!" Hermione whispered. "\Who's that? Someone's coming back out of the castle!"
Harry stared through the darkness. The man was hurrying across the grounds, toward one of the entrances. Something shiny glinted in his belt.
"Macnair!" said Harry. "The executioner! He's gone to get the dementors! This is it, Hermione --"
Hermione put her hands on Buckbeak's back and Harry gave her a leg up. Then he placed his foot on one of the lower branches of the bush and climbed up in front of her. He pulled Buckbeak's rope back over his neck and tied it to the other side of his collar like reins.
"Ready?" he whispered to Hermione. "YotM better hold on to me --
He nudged Buckbeak's sides with his heels.
Buckbeak soared straight into the dark air. Harry gripped his flanks with his knees, feeling the great wings rising powerfully beneath them. Hermione was holding Harry very tight around the waist; he could hear her muttering, "Oh, no -- I don't like this oh, I really don't like this --"
Harry urged Buckbeak forward. They were gliding quietly toward the upper floors of the castle.... Harry pulled hard on the left-hand side of the rope, and Buckbeak turned. Harry was trying to count the windows flashing past --
"Whoa!" he said, pulling backward as hard as he could.
Buckbeak slowed down and they found themselves at a stop, unless you counted the fact that they kept rising up and down several feet as the hippogriff beat his wings to remain airborne.
"He's there!" Harry said, spotting Sirius as they rose up beside the window. He reached out, and as Buckbeak's wings fell, was able to tap sharply on the glass.
Black looked up. Harry saw his jaw drop. He leapt from his chair, hurried to the window and tried to open it, but it was locked.
"Stand back!" Hermione called to him, and she took out her wand, still gripping the back of Harry's robes with her left hand.
"Alohomora!"
The window sprang open.
"How -- how --?" said Black weakly, staring at the hippogriff
"Get on -- there's not much time," said Harry, gripping Buckbeak firmly on either side of his sleek neck to hold him steady. "You've got to get out of here -the dementors are coming -- Macnair's gone to get them."
Black placed a hand on either side of the window frame and heaved his head and shoulders out of it. It was very lucky he was so thin. In seconds, he had managed to fling one leg over Buckbeak's back and pull himself onto the hippogriff behind Hermione.
"Okay, Buckbeak, up!" said Harry, shaking the rope. "Up to the tower -- come on.
The hippogriff gave one sweep of its mighty wings and they were soaring upward again, high as the top of the West Tower. Buckbeak landed with a clatter on the battlements, and Harry and Hermione slid off him at once.
"Sirius, you'd better go, quick," Harry panted. "They'll reach Flitwick's office any moment, they'll find out you're gone."
Buckbeak pawed the ground, tossing his sharp head.
"What happened to the other boy? Ron?" croaked Sirius.
"He's going to be okay. He's still out of it, but Madam Pomfrey says she'll be able to make him better. Quick -- go --"
But Black was still staring down at Harry.
"How can I ever thank --"
"GO!" Harry and Hermione shouted together.
Black wheeled Buckbeak around, facing the open sky.
"We'll see each other again," he said. "You are -- truly your father's son, Harry...."
He squeezed Buckbeak's sides with his heels. Harry and Hermione jumped back as the enormous wings rose once more.... The hippogriff took off into the air.... He and his rider became smaller and smaller as Harry gazed after them... then a cloud drifted across the moon.... They were gone.