OK阅读网

哈利·波特与凤凰社
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

英文中文双语对照双语交替

首页目录上一章下一章

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN - The Centaur and The Sneak

第二十七章　马人和告密生

'I'll bet you wish you hadn't given up Divination now, don't you, Hermione?' asked Parvati, smirking.

“我敢说，你现在一定觉得要是没放弃占卜课就好了，是不是，赫敏？”帕瓦蒂带着得意的笑容问道。

It was breakfast time, two days after the sacking of Professor Trelawney, and Parvati was curling her eyelashes around her wand and examining the effect in the back of her spoon. They were to have their first lesson with Firenze that morning.

眼下是早饭时间，特里劳妮教授被解雇的事已经过去两天了，帕瓦蒂正在用魔杖卷起自己的眼睫毛，对着饭勺背面看效果。今天上午，费伦泽要给他们上第一堂课。

'Not really,' said Hermione indifferently, who was reading the Daily Prophet. 'I've never really liked horses.'

“那倒不是，”赫敏一边阅读《预言家日报》一边淡淡地说，“我向来不喜欢马。”

She turned a page of the newspaper and scanned its columns.

她翻过一页报纸，浏览了一下几个专栏。

'He's not a horse, he's a centaur!' said Lavender, sounding shocked.

“他不是一匹马，他是个马人！”拉文德惊异地说。

'A gorgeous centaur . . .' sighed Parvati.

“而且是个帅气的马人……”帕瓦蒂叹息着说。

'Either way, he's still got four legs,' said Hermione coolly. 'Anyway, I thought you two were all upset that Trelawney had gone?'

“不管怎么说，反正他有四条腿。”赫敏冷冷地说，“对了，我想特里劳妮离职的事让你们两个很难过吧？”

'We are!' Lavender assured her. 'We went up to her office to see Ler; we took her some daffodils - not the honking ones that Sprout's got, nice ones.'

“是很难过！”拉文德对她肯定地说，“我们去她的办公室看望过她，还送给她几株黄水仙花——是些漂亮的黄水仙花，不是斯普劳特那些会叫唤的。”

'How is she?' asked Harry.

“她还好吗？”哈利问道。

'Not very good, poor thing,' said Lavender sympathetically. 'She v/as crying and saying she'd rather leave the castle for ever than stay here where Umbridge is, and I don't blame her, Umbridge was horrible to her, wasn't she?'

“不太好，可怜的人。”拉文德同情地说道，“她哭着说，有乌姆里奇在这里，她宁可离开城堡。我一点都不怪她，乌姆里奇对她也太霸道了，是不是？”

'I've got a feeling Umbridge has only just started being horrible,' said Hermione darkly.

“我有种感觉，乌姆里奇的霸道劲不过刚刚开了个头。”赫敏黯然地说。

'Impossible,' said Ron, who was tucking into a large plate of eggs and bacon. 'She can't get any worse than she's been already.'

“不可能，”罗恩说，他正狼吞虎咽地吃一大盘熏肉蛋，“她已经坏得不能再坏了。”

'You mark my words, she's going to want revenge on Dumbledore for appointing a new teacher without consulting her,' said Hermione, closing the newspaper. 'Especially another part-human. You saw the look on her face when she saw Firenze.'

“你们记住我的话吧，邓布利多没有征求她的意见就指定了新老师，她会报复的，”赫敏合上报纸说，“更何况这是第二个半人类了。乌姆里奇见到费伦泽时，她脸上那副表情你们也看到了。”

After breakfast Hermione departed for her Arithmancy class as Harry and Ron followed Parvati and Lavender into the Entrance: Hall, heading for Divination.

早饭后，赫敏动身去上算术占卜课，哈利和罗恩跟在帕瓦蒂与拉文德身后走进门厅，前去上占卜课。

'Aren't we going up to North Tower?' asked Ron, looking puzzled, as Parvati bypassed the marble staircase.

“我们不是要上北塔楼吗？”帕瓦蒂从大理石楼梯旁走过时，罗恩一脸迷惑地问道。

Parvati looked at him scornfully over her shoulder.

帕瓦蒂回头轻蔑地看着他。

'How d'you expect Firenze to climb that ladder? We're in classroom eleven now, it was on the noticeboard yesterday.'

“你认为费伦泽该怎么爬上活梯啊？现在我们用十一号教室，昨天布告栏上通知了。”

Classroom eleven was on the ground floor along the corridor leading off the Entrance Hall from the opposite side to the Great Hall. Harry knew it was one of those classrooms that were never used regularly, and therefore had the slightly neglected feeling of a cupboard or storeroom. When he entered it right behind Ron, and found himself in the middle of a forest clearing, he was therefore momentarily stunned.

在礼堂对面，有一条走廊从门厅通向一楼的十一号教室。哈利知道，那是平常从不使用的教室之一，让人觉得有点像无人照管的橱柜或储藏室。他紧跟罗恩走了进去，发现自己来到了一片林间空地之中，这让他一时有些目瞪口呆。“这是怎——？”教室的地板变成了满地绵软的苔藓，树木就是从它下面长出来的；它们的枝条长满繁茂的树叶，成扇形从天花板和窗户上横贯而过，于是一束束柔和、斑驳的绿色光线倾泻在整间屋子里。先到的学生们背靠树干或大石头坐在泥地上，有的用胳膊搂着膝盖，有的两臂紧紧交叉在胸前，都显得挺紧张。费伦泽就站在没有树木的空地中央。

What the - ?'

“哈利·波特。”哈利进来后，他伸出一只手说。

The classroom floor had become springily mossy and trees were growing out of it; their leafy branches fanned across the ceiling and windows, so that the room was full of slanting shafts of soft, dappled, green light. The students who had already arrived were sitting on the earthy floor with their backs resting against tree trunks or boulders, arms wrapped around their knees or folded tightly across their chests, and all looking rather nervous. In the middle of the clearing, where there were no trees, stood Firenze.

“呃——嘿，”哈利说着和马人握了握手，他那对蓝得出奇的眼睛一眨不眨地打量着哈利，脸上却没有露出笑容，“呃——真高兴见到你。”

'Harry Potter,' he said, holding out a hand when Harry entered.

“我也是，”长着白金色头发的马人说着点了点脑袋，“我们命中注定将要重逢。”

'Er - hi,' said Harry, shaking hands with the centaur, who surveyed him unblinkingly through those astonishingly blue eyes but did not smile. 'Er - good to see you,'

哈利注意到，费伦泽胸前有一块黑色的马蹄形淤伤。他转过身，想和同学们一起坐在地上，这时他看到他们都在敬畏地望着自己，很显然，他和费伦泽熟悉到能搭上话，给同学们留下了深刻的印象，他们好像觉得费伦泽怪吓人的。

'And you,' said the centaur, inclining his white-blond head. 'It was foretold that we would meet again.'

门已经关好，最后一个学生坐在了废纸篓旁的树桩上，于是费伦泽朝教室四面做了个手势。

Harry noticed there was the shadow of a hoof-shaped bruise on Firenze's chest. As he turned to join the rest of the class on the ground, he saw they were all looking at him in awe, apparently deeply impressed that he was on speaking terms with Firenze. whom they seemed to find intimidating.

“邓布利多教授很能体谅人，为我们安排了这间教室，”等大家都安静下来后，费伦泽说道，“模拟出符合我生活习性的环境。我更喜欢在禁林里给你们上课，那里——直到星期一——还是我的家园……但是现在已经不可能了。”

When the door was closed and the last student had sat down on a tree stump beside the wastepaper basket, Firenze gestured around the room.

“请问——呃——先生——”帕瓦蒂屏住呼吸，举起手说，“为什么呢？我们和海格一起去过那里，我们不害怕！”

'Professor Dumbledore has kindly arranged this classroom for us,' said Firenze, when everyone had settled down, 'in imitation of my natural habitat. I would have preferred to teach you in the Forbidden Forest, which was - until Monday - my home . . . but that is no longer possible.'

“这与你们的勇气无关，”费伦泽说，“而是关系到我的处境。我不能再返回禁林了。我的群落已经把我放逐了。”

'Please - er - sir - ' said Parvati breathlessly, raising her hand, - why not? We've been in there with Hagrid, we're not frightened!'

“群落？”拉文德摸不着头脑地说，哈利知道，她一定是想到了牛群，“什么——噢！”

'It is not a question of your bravery,' said Firenze, 'but of my position. I cannot return to the Forest. My herd has banished me.'

拉文德脸上露出醒悟过来的表情。“不止你一个吗？”她惊愕地问。

'Herd?' said Lavender in a confused voice, and Harry knew she was thinking of cows. 'What - oh!'

“海格也像喂养夜骐一样喂养你们吗？”迪安热切地问道。

Comprehension dawned on her face. 'There are more of you?' she said, stunned.

费伦泽很慢很慢地转过头面对着迪安，迪安似乎立刻意识到，自己刚才说了非常失礼的话。

'Did Hagrid breed you, like the Thestrals?' asked Dean eagerly.

“我不是——我的意思是说——对不起。”说到最后，迪安已经是细声细气了。

Firenze turned his head very slowly to face Dean, who seemed to realise at once that he had said something very offensive.

“马人并非人类的仆人或宠物。”费伦泽平和地说。

'I didn't - I meant - sorry' he finished in a hushed voice.

沉默了一会儿，帕瓦蒂又举起了手。

'Centaurs are not the servants or playthings of humans,' said Firenze quietly. There was a pause, then Parvati raised her hand again.

“请问，先生……别的马人为什么要放逐你呢？”

'Please, sir . . . why have the other centaurs banished you?'

“因为我同意为邓布利多教授工作，”费伦泽说，“他们认为这是对同胞的背叛。”

'Because I have agreed to work for Professor Dumbledore,' said Firenze. They see this as a betrayal of our kind.'

哈利想起将近四年前，马人贝恩朝费伦泽大声嚷嚷的情形，那是因为费伦泽允许哈利骑在自己背上，好把他驮到安全的地方；当时贝恩说费伦泽是头“普通的骡子”。哈利怀疑可能就是贝恩当胸踢了费伦泽一蹄子。

Harry remembered how, nearly four years ago, the centaur Bane had shouted at Firenze for allowing Harry to ride to safety on his back; he had called him a 'common mule'. He wondered whether it had been Bane who had kicked Firenze in the chest.

“我们开始吧。”费伦泽说。他甩了甩长长的银色尾巴，扬起一只手，指向头顶华盖似的茂密树叶，接着又缓缓地垂下来。随着他的动作，屋里的光线暗淡下来，现在他们就像坐在黄昏时分的林间空地中，星星呈现在天花板上。有人发出了嗬的赞叹声，还有人倒抽了一口气，罗恩则出声地叫起来：“哎呀！”

'Let us begin,' said Firenze. He swished his long palomino tail, raised his hand towards the leafy canopy overhead, then lowered it slowly, and as he did so, the light in the room dimmed, so that they now seemed to be sitting in a forest clearing by twilight, and stars appeared on the ceiling. There were oohs and gasps and Ron said audibly, 'Blimey!'

“躺在地板上，”费伦泽平静地说，“然后观察天空。对于能读懂星相的人来说，那里已经描绘出了我们各个民族的命运。”

'Lie back on the floor, said Firenze in his calm voice, and observe the heavens. Here is written, for those who can see, the fortune of our races.'

哈利摊开手脚躺了下来，注视着上面的天花板。一颗闪耀的红色星星在空中朝他眨了眨眼睛。

Harry stretched out on his back and gazed upwards at the ceiling. A twinkling red star winked at him from overhead.

“我知道在天文课上，你们已经学习了这些行星及其卫星的名称，”费伦泽平缓地说，“你们还绘制了星辰在天空中的运行图。马人用几个世纪的时间，揭示出了这些运动的奥秘。我们的研究成果告诉我们，从我们头顶上的天空中，我们也许能窥测到未来——”

'I know that you have learned the names of the planets and their moons in Astronomy,' said Firenze's calm voice, 'and that you have mapped the stars' progress through the heavens. Centaurs have unravelled the mysteries of these movements over centuries. Our findings teach us that the future may be glimpsed in the sky above us - '

“特里劳妮教授教过我们占星术！”帕瓦蒂在胸前举起一只手——她躺在地上，这样这只手就立在了空中，兴奋地说，“火星能引起意外事故、烫伤这一类的事情，当它和土星形成一个角度，就像这样——”她在空中比画出一个直角，“——就意味着人们在处理热东西时要格外小心——”

'Professor Trelawney did astrology with us!' said Parvati excitedly, raising her hand in front of her so that it stuck up in the air as she lay on her back. 'Mars causes accidents and burns and things like that, and when it makes an angle to Saturn, like now - ' she drew a right-angle in the air above her '- that means people need to be extra careful when handling hot things - '

“那些，”费伦泽平和地说，“是人类在胡说八道。”

'That,' said Firenze calmly, 'is human nonsense.'

帕瓦蒂那只手没精打采地垂下来，落在了自己身旁。

Parvati's hand fell limply to her side.

“无关紧要的伤痛，人类微不足道的意外事故，”费伦泽说，他的蹄子在长满苔藓的地板上发出了嗵嗵声，“和广阔的宇宙相比，这些事跟乱爬的蚂蚁一样无足轻重，不受行星运行的影响。”

Trivial hurts, tiny human accidents,' said Firenze, as his hooves thudded over the mossy floor. These are of no more significance than the scurryings of ants to the wide universe, and are unaffected by planetary movements.'

“特里劳妮教授——”帕瓦蒂开口说，语气既委屈又愤愤不平。

'Professor Trelawney - ' began Parvati, in a hurt and indignant voice.

“——是人类的一员，”费伦泽简洁地说，“因此被蒙住了双眼，而且被你们人类的缺陷所束缚。”

' - is a human,' said Firenze simply. 'And is therefore blinkered and fettered by the limitations of your kind.'

哈利稍微侧过脑袋看了看帕瓦蒂。帕瓦蒂显得很生气，她周围的几个人也一样。

Harry turned his head very slightly to look at Parvati. She looked very offended, as did several of the people surrounding her.

“西比尔·特里劳妮也许能预见未来，这一点我不大清楚，”费伦泽接着说道，哈利听到他在他们前面走来走去时又在甩动尾巴，“但是她的时间几乎都浪费在自吹自擂的废话上了，这种废话被人类称作算命。而我在这里要讲解的是马人客观、公允的见解。我们观察天空，留心那些灾难或变故的重要动向，有时空中会标示出这些动向。也许要用十年时间才能确证我们所看到的。”

'Sybill Trelawney may have Seen, I do not know,' continued Firenze, and Harry heard the swishing of his tail again as he walked up and down before them, 'but she wastes her time, in the main, on the self-flattering nonsense humans call fortune-telling. I, however, am here to explain the wisdom of centaurs, which is impersonal and impartial. We watch the skies for the great tides of evil or change that are sometimes marked there. It may take ten years to be sure of what we are seeing.'

费伦泽指向哈利正上方那颗红色的星星。

Firenze pointed to the red star directly above Harry.

“在过去的十年里，有种种迹象表明，巫师界的人们只是在度过两场战争之间短暂的和平时期。能带来战争的火星在我们头上明亮地闪耀着，暗示不久以后肯定要重新爆发战斗。至于还有多久，马人也许能通过燃烧几种药草和树叶，通过观察烟雾与火焰，试着预测一下……”

'In the past decade, the indications have been that wizardkind is living through nothing more than a brief calm between two wars. Mars, bringer of battle, shines brightly above us, suggesting that the fight must soon break out again. How soon, centaurs may attempt to divine by the burning of certain herbs and leaves, by the observation of fume and flame . . .'

哈利从来没上过这么奇特的课。他们居然真的在教室地板上点燃了鼠尾草和香锦葵，费伦泽要求他们观察呛人的烟雾，从中找出某些形状和征象，虽然谁都看不出他描述的那些迹象，可他好像一点也不在乎。他对他们说，人类向来不怎么擅长做这种事，就连马人都是经过漫长的岁月才拥有了这种能力。最后他还告诉他们，反正有时连马人都会看走眼，所以过于相信这一类事物是很愚蠢的。他和哈利见过的人类老师没有一点相似之处。他优先考虑的好像并不是把自己的学识传授给他们，而是让他们牢牢记住，没有任何事物是万无一失的，即便是马人的学问也不例外。

It was the most unusual lesson Harry had ever attended. They did indeed burn sage and mallowsweet there on the classroom floor, and Firenze told them to look for certain shapes and symbols in the pungent fumes, but he seemed perfectly unconcerned that not one of them could see any of the signs he described, telling them that humans were hardly ever good at this, that it took centaurs years and years to become competent, and finished by telling them that it was foolish to put too much faith in such things, anyway, because even centaurs sometimes read them wrongly. He was nothing like any human teacher Harry had ever had. His priority did not seem to be to teach them what he knew, but rather to impress upon them that nothing, not even centaurs' knowledge, was foolproof.

“他什么事都没讲清楚，对吧？”他们熄灭香锦葵的火焰时，罗恩低声说，“我的意思是，对这场我们将要进行的战争，我想多知道些细节，你怎么想？”

'He's not very definite on anything, is he?' said Ron in a low voice, as they put out their mallowsweet fire. 'I mean, I could do with a few more details about this war we're about to have, couldn't you?'

铃声在教室门外响起来，把大家吓了一跳。哈利一点也不记得他们还在城堡中，他一心以为自己就是在禁林里。同学们一个接一个地走了出去，看起来有点稀里糊涂的。

The bell rang right outside the classroom door and everyone jumped; Harry had completely forgotten they were still inside the castle, and quite convinced that he was really in the Forest. The class filed out, looking slightly perplexed.

哈利和罗恩正要跟上他们时，费伦泽大声说道：“哈利·波特，请听我说句话。”

Harry and Ron were on the point of following them when Firenze called, 'Harry Potter, a word, please.'

哈利转过身。马人朝他走过来。罗恩犹豫了一下。

Harry turned. The centaur advanced a little towards him. Ron hesitated.

“你可以留下，”费伦泽对罗恩说，“不过请关上门。”

'You may stay,' Firenze told him. 'But close the door, please.'

罗恩赶忙照办了。

Ron hastened to obey.

“哈利·波特，你是海格的朋友吗？”马人说。

'Harry Potter, you are a friend of Hagrid's, are you not?' said the centaur.

“是啊。”哈利说。

'Yes,' said Harry.

“那就替我给他提个醒。他的努力没有用。他最好还是放弃。”

Then give him a warning from me. His attempt is not working. He would do better to abandon it.'

“他的努力没有用？”哈利茫然地重复道。

'His attempt is not working?' Harry repeated blankly.

“还有他最好还是放弃。”费伦泽点点头说，“我本想亲自提醒海格，但是我已经被放逐了——对我来说，现在过于接近禁林太不明智——就算没有马人之间的争斗，海格的麻烦也够多了。”

'And he would do better to abandon it,' said Firenze, nodding. 'I would warn Hagrid myself, but I am banished - it would be unwise for me to go too near the Forest now - Hagrid has troubles enough, without a centaurs' battle.'

“可是——海格在努力做什么呀？”哈利不安地说。

'But - what's Hagrid attempting to do?' said Harry nervously.

费伦泽毫无表情地看着哈利。

Firenze surveyed Harry impassively.

“海格最近帮了我很大的忙，”费伦泽说，“而且他关爱所有的生物，很久以前就赢得了我的尊敬。所以我不应该泄露他的秘密。但是他必须恢复理智。那种努力没有用。告诉他，哈利·波特。再见。”

'Hagrid has recently rendered me a great service,' said Firenze, 'and he has long since earned my respect for the care he shows all living creatures. I shall not betray his secret. But he must be brought to his senses. The attempt is not working. Tell him, Harry Potter. Good-day to you.'

接受《唱唱反调》的采访后，有一阵子哈利觉得很开心，可这种感觉很久以前就消失了。自从阴沉沉的三月黯然进入风雨迭起的四月后，他的生活似乎又变成了一长串的烦恼和麻烦。

乌姆里奇照旧旁听每一节保护神奇生物课，所以哈利很难把费伦泽的提醒转告给海格。后来哈利总算想出了办法。一天下课后，他假装落下了自己那本《神奇动物在哪里》①，就原路折了回去。他转告了费伦泽的口信以后，海格用青肿的双眼盯了他好一会，显然吃了一惊。接着他似乎想让自己镇定下来。

The happiness Harry had felt in the aftermath of The Quibbler interview had long since evaporated. As a dull March blurred into a squally April, his life seemed to have become one long series of worries and problems again.

“好小子，费伦泽，”海格粗声粗气地说，“可他根本不了解情况。这些努力就要见效了。”

Umbridge had continued attending all Care of Magical Creatures lessons, so it had been very difficult to deliver Firenze's warning to Hagrid. At last, Harry had managed it by pretending he'd lost his copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and doubling back after class one day. When he'd repeated Firenze's words, Hagrid gazed at him for a moment through his puffy, blackened eyes, apparently taken aback. Then he seemed to pull himself together.

“海格，你在搞什么名堂呀？”哈利严肃地说，“你一定要小心啊，乌姆里奇已经解雇了特里劳妮，依我看，她是不会罢手的。要是你做了什么不该做的事情，你会——”

'Nice bloke, Firenze,' he said gruffly 'but he don' know what he's talkin' abou' on this. The attemp's comin' on fine.'

“有些事比保住工作更重要，”海格说，但是说这句话的时候，他的双手在微微颤抖，手中满满一盆刺佬儿粪砰的一声落在了地板上，“别为我担心了，哈利，现在走吧，好伙计。”

'Hagrid, what're you up to?' asked Harry seriously. 'Because you've got to be careful, Umbridge has already sacked Trelawney and, if you ask me, she's on a roll. If you're doing anything you shouldn't be, you'll be - '

哈利别无选择，只好离开了正在清扫满地大粪的海格。当他步履沉重地回到城堡时，真是觉得丧气极了。

There's things more importan' than keepin' a job,' said Hagrid. though his hands shook slightly as he said this and a basin full of Knarl droppings crashed to the floor. 'Don' worry abou' me, Harry, jus' get along now, there's a good lad.'

这段时间里，老师与赫敏在不断地提醒他们，O．W．Ls考试离得更近了。五年级学生都多多少少承受着压力，汉娜·艾博在草药课上突然大哭起来，呜咽着说自己笨得不配考试，现在就想离开学校，结果她第一个收到了庞弗雷夫人的镇定剂。

Harry had no choice but to leave Hagrid mopping up the dung all over his floor, but he felt thoroughly dispirited as he trudged back up to the castle.

要不是有D．A．训练课，哈利真会觉得心烦透顶。他有时觉得，自己活着就是为了在有求必应屋里花上几个小时进行练习，虽然辛苦，但是非常愉快。在打量着周围的D．A．成员，看到他们进步时，他心里充满了自豪感。哈利有时真想知道，当所有D．A．成员在O．W．Ls考试中的黑魔法防御术成绩都达到“优秀”时，乌姆里奇会是什么反应。

Meanwhile, as the teachers and Hermione persisted in reminding them, the OWLs were drawing ever nearer. All the fifth-years were suffering from stress to some degree, but Hannah Abbott became the first to receive a Calming Draught from Madam Pomfrey after she burst into tears during Herbology and sobbed that she was too stupid to take exams and wanted to leave school now.

他们终于开始练习守护神魔咒了，每个人都练得很起劲，不过哈利一再提醒大家，他们是在一间灯火明亮的教室中召唤守护神，并且没有受到威胁，而面对摄魂怪这类东西时可就是另一回事了。

If it had not been for the DA lessons, Harry thought he would have been extremely unhappy. He sometimes felt he was living for the hours he spent in the Room of Requirement, working hard but thoroughly enjoying himself at the same time, swelling with pride as he looked around at his fellow DA members and saw how far they had come. Indeed, Harry sometimes wondered how Umbridge was going to react when all the members of the DA received 'Outstanding' in their Defence Against the Dark Arts OWLs.

“哎呀，别煞风景了，”秋·张在复活节②前的最后一节课上愉快地说，她正望着自己银色的天鹅形守护神环绕有求必应屋飞翔，“它可真漂亮！”

They had finally started work on Patronuses, which everybody had been very keen to practise, though, as Harry kept reminding them, producing a Patronus in the middle of a brightly lit classroom when they were not under threat was very different from producing it when confronted by something like a Dementor.

“它用不着漂亮，它应该能够保护你。”哈利耐心地说道，“其实我们需要博格特什么的。我就是那么学会的，我必须在博格特假扮成摄魂怪时召唤守护神——”

'Oh, don't be such a killjoy,' said Cho brightly, watching her silvery swan-shaped Patronus soar around the Room of Requirement C-Uring their last lesson before Easter. They're so pretty!'

“那也太吓人了！”拉文德说，她的魔杖顶端正喷出一股股银色气体，“我还是——不——行！”她恼火地加了一句。

They're not supposed to be pretty, they're supposed to protect you,' said Harry patiently. 'What we really need is a Boggart or something; that's how I learned, I had to conjure a Patronus while t'le Boggart was pretending to be a Dementor - '

纳威也不顺手。他全神贯注地紧皱着眉头，但是他的魔杖尖上只冒出几缕稀薄的银色烟雾。

'But that would be really scary!' said Lavender, who was shooting puffs of silver vapour out of the end of her wand. 'And I still - 'can't - do it!' she added angrily.

“你必须想想高兴的事情。”哈利提醒他。

Neville was having trouble, Loo. His Face was screwed up in concentration, but only feeble wisps of silver smoke issued from his wand tip.

“我正想着呢。”纳威烦恼地说。他拼命地想，汗津津的圆脸上都闪闪发亮了。

'You've got to think of something happy,' Harry reminded him.

“哈利，我觉得我成功了！”西莫喊道，他头一回参加D．A．聚会时，是迪安带他来的，“看——唉——它不见了……不过它肯定是一种毛茸茸的东西，哈利！”

'I'm trying,' said Neville miserably, who was trying so hard his round face was actually shining with sweat.

赫敏的守护神是一只亮闪闪的银色水獭，正绕着她欢蹦乱跳。

'Harry, I think I'm doing it!' yelled Seamus, who had been brought along to his first ever DA meeting by Dean. 'Look - ah - 'it's gone . . . but it was definitely something hairy, Harry!'

“它确实挺好看的，对吗？”赫敏满心欢喜地瞧着它说。

Hermione's Patronus, a shining silver otter, was gambolling around her.

有求必应屋的门打开后又关上了。哈利扭过头，想看看是谁进来了，但是门口好像什么人也没有。过了一会儿，他才注意到靠近门的几个人不出声了。接着他感觉到，有什么东西正在使劲拉扯他膝盖附近的袍子。他一低头，非常惊讶地看到，家养小精灵多比正仰头盯着他，脑袋上跟往常一样戴着八顶羊毛帽子。

They are sort of nice, aren't they?' she said, looking at it fondly.

“嘿，多比！”他说，“你怎么——出什么事情了？”

The door of the Room of Requirement opened, and closed. Harry looked round to see who had entered, but there did not seem to be anybody there. It was a few moments before he realised that the people close to the door had fallen silent. Next thing he knew, something was tugging at his robes somewhere near the knee. He looked down and saw, to his very great astonishment, Dobby the house-elf peering up at him from beneath his usual eight woolly hats.

小精灵惊恐地睁大双眼，而且还在发抖。哈利身旁的D．A．成员不做声了；屋子里的人都在盯着多比。人们召唤出来的为数不多的几个守护神渐渐消退，变成了银色的薄雾，于是屋里显得比刚才暗多了。

'Hi, Dobby!' he said. 'What are you - What's wrong?'

“哈利·波特，先生……”小精灵全身哆嗦着尖声说，“哈利·波特，先生……多比来给你报信……但是家养小精灵被警告过，不能说出……”

The elf's eyes were wide with terror and he was shaking. The members of the DA closest to Harry had fallen silent; everybody in the room was watching Dobby. The few Patronuses people had managed to conjure faded away into silver mist, leaving the room looking much darker than before.

他一头朝墙壁冲过去。哈利想抓住多比，他对多比自我惩罚的习惯已经有了些经验，不过多比戴着八顶帽子，所以从石墙上弹了回来。赫敏与其他几个女生既害怕又同情地尖叫起来。

'Harry Potter, sir . . .' squeaked the elf, trembling from head to foot, 'Harry Potter, sir . . . Dobby has come to warn you . . . but the house-elves have been warned not to tell . . .'

“出什么事了，多比？”哈利问道，他抓住小精灵一只纤细的胳膊，不让他靠近任何能用来伤害他自己的东西。

He ran head-first at the wall. Harry, who had some experience of Dobby s habits of self-punishment, made to seize him, but Dobby merely bounced off the stone, cushioned by his eight hats. Hermione and a few of the other girls let out squeaks of fear and sympathy.

“哈利·波特……她……她……”

'What's happened, Dobby?' Harry asked, grabbing the elf's tiny arm and holding him away from anything with which he might seek to hurt himself.

多比用另一只拳头使劲捶打自己的鼻子。哈利把那只胳膊也抓住了。

'Harry Potter . . . she . . . she . . .'

“‘她’是谁，多比？”

Dobby hit himself hard on the nose with his free fist. Harry seized that, too.

不过他认为自己知道那是谁，除了那个“她”，还有谁能让多比这么害怕？小精灵抬头看着他，眼睛有点对在一起，然后不出声地说了出来。

'Who's "she", Dobby?'

“乌姆里奇？”哈利惊恐地问道。

But he thought he knew; surely only one 'she' could induce such fear in Dobby? The elf looked up at him, slightly cross-eyed, and mouthed wordlessly.

多比点了点头，想用脑袋往哈利的膝盖上撞。哈利伸直手臂挡住了他。

'Umbridge?' asked Harry, horrified.

“她怎么了？多比——她发现了这件事——发现了我们——发现了D.A.？”

Dobby nodded, then tried to bang his head on Harry's knees. Harry held him at arm's length.

他从小精灵愁眉苦脸的表情中看出了答案。小精灵的双手被哈利紧紧攥着。他想踢自己，结果跌倒在地板上。

'What about her? Dobby - she hasn't found out about this - 'about us - about the DA?'

“她就要来了？”哈利小声问道。

He read the answer in the elf's stricken face. His hands held fast by Harry, the elf tried to kick himself and fell to the floor.

多比发出一声哭号，开始用两只光脚使劲敲打地板。

'Is she coming?' Harry asked quietly.

“是的，哈利·波特，是的！”

Dobby let out a howl, and began beating his bare feet hard on the floor.

哈利直起身子，扫视了一下被吓得呆若木鸡的人们，他们正盯着拼命扑腾的小精灵。

'Yes, Harry Potter, yes!'

“你们还等什么？”哈利吼道，“跑啊！”

Harry straightened up and looked around at the motionless, terrified people gazing at the thrashing elf.

他们全都立刻奔向出口，在门口挤成一团，接着有人突然冲了出去。哈利听见他们沿着走廊狂奔，心里希望他们脑子够用，不至于一直跑回自己的宿舍。那样做机会太小了。图书馆和猫头鹰棚屋要近得多，只要他们能躲进去——

'WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?' Harry bellowed. 'RUN!'

“哈利，快走！”赫敏在奋力向外挤的人群中尖声喊道。

They all pelted towards the exit at once, forming a scrum at the door, then people burst through. Harry could hear them sprinting along the corridors and hoped they had the sense not to try and make it all the way to their dormitories. It was only ten to nine; if they just took refuge in the library or the Owlery, which were both nearer - '

多比仍然在想方设法让自己受伤，哈利一把抄起小精灵，用双臂抱着他跑到了长队末尾。

'Harry, come on!' shrieked Hermione from the centre of the knot of people now fighting to get out.

“多比——这是个命令——回到下面的厨房和其他小精灵待在一起，要是她问你有没有给我报过信，那就撒谎说没有！”哈利说，“还有，我不准你伤害自己！”他补充了一句，总算跨过门槛后，他放下小精灵，砰的一声关上了身后的房门。

He scooped up Dobby, who was still attempting to do himself serious injury, and ran with the elf in his arms to join the back of the queue.

“谢谢你，哈利·波特！”多比尖声说，随后飞快地跑开了。哈利朝两旁扫了一眼，其他人跑得那么快，他们消失在走廊两端以前，他只能瞥见一些飞舞的脚后跟；他动身朝右边跑去；前头有一间男生盥洗室，只要他能跑到，就能假装自己一直在那里——

'Dobby - this is an order - get back down to the kitchen with the other elves and, if she asks you whether you warned me, lie and say no!' said Harry. 'And I forbid you to hurt yourself!' he added, dropping the elf as he made it over the threshold at last and slammed the door behind him.

“哎呀！”

Thank you, Harry Potter!' squeaked Dobby, and he streaked off. Harry glanced left and right, the others were all moving so fast he :aught only glimpses of flying heels at either end of the corridor before they vanished; he started to run right; there was a boys' bathroom up ahead, he could pretend he'd been in there all the time if he could just reach it - '

有什么东西绊住了他的脚，他猛地跌倒下去，趴在地上滑行了六英尺才停下来。有人在他身后笑起来。他翻过身，看到马尔福躲在一个丑陋的龙形装饰瓶下面的壁龛里。

'AAARGH!

“绊腿咒，波特！”马尔福说，“喂，教授——教授！我抓住了一个！”

Something caught him around the ankles and he fell spectacularly, skidding along on his front for six feet before coming to a halt. Someone behind him was laughing. He rolled over on to his, back and saw Malfoy concealed in a niche beneath an ugly dragon-shaped vase.

乌姆里奇匆匆转过远处的拐角，她气喘吁吁的，但是脸上挂着高兴的笑容。

'Trip Jinx, Potter!' he said. 'Hey, Professor - PROFESSOR! I've got one!'

“是他！”看到地板上的哈利时，她喜气洋洋地说，“好极了，德拉科，好极了，哈，太好了——给斯莱特林加五十分！我来把他带走……起来，波特！”

Umbridge came bustling round the far corner, breathless but wearing a delighted smile.

哈利站起来，瞪着他们两个。他从来没见乌姆里奇这么高兴过。她像老虎钳似的紧紧抓住他的胳膊，笑容满面地朝马尔福转过身。

'It's him!' she said jubilantly at the sight of Harry on the floor, 'Excellent, Draco, excellent, oh, very good - fifty points to Slytherin! I'll take him from here . . . stand up, Potter!'

“你快去看看能不能再多抓几个，德拉科，”她说道，“叫其他人去图书馆——查一查里面有没有上气不接下气的人——检查盥洗室，帕金森小姐可以检查女生盥洗室——你们去吧——还有你，”马尔福走开时，她用最温和最吓人的口气加了一句，“你跟我去校长办公室，波特。”

Harry got to his feet, glaring at the pair of them. He had never seen Umbridge looking so happy. She seized his arm in a vice-like grip and turned, beaming broadly, to Malfoy.

几分钟后，他们走到石头怪兽那里。哈利想知道还有多少人被抓住了。他想到了罗恩——韦斯莱夫人会杀了他——还想到要是在O．W．Ls考试之前被开除，赫敏会是什么感觉。这是西莫第一次参加聚会……纳威有了那么大的进步……

'You hop along and see if you can round up any more of them, Draco,' she said. 'Tell the others to look in the library - anybody out of breath - check the bathrooms, Miss Parkinson can do the girls' ones - off you go - and you,' she added in her softest, mos: dangerous voice, as Malfoy walked away, 'you can come with me to the Headmaster's office, Potter.'

“滋滋蜜蜂糖。”乌姆里奇有节奏地说。石头怪兽跳到一旁，后面的墙裂成了两半，他们走上正在移动的石头楼梯，来到了光亮的大门前，门上有一个狮身鹰首兽门环，但是乌姆里奇没有费工夫敲门，她紧紧抓着哈利，迈开步子径直闯了进去。

They were at the stone gargoyle within minutes. Harry wondered how many of the others had been caught. He thought of Ron - Mrs Weasley would kill him - and of how Hermione would feel if she was expelled before she could take her OWLs. And it had been Seamus's very first meeting . . . and Neville had been getting so good . . .

办公室里挤满了人。邓布利多表情安详地坐在桌子后面，修长的手指的指尖合在一起。麦格教授直挺挺地站在他身旁，表情非常紧张。魔法部部长康奈利·福吉站在炉火旁，兴奋地前后轻轻摇晃着，显然很满意现在的局面；金斯莱·沙克尔和另一个巫师像警卫一样站在大门两旁，那个巫师外表强壮，硬直的头发留得很短，哈利从来没见过他；长着雀斑、戴着眼镜的珀西·韦斯莱在墙边激动地走来走去，他手里拿着一支羽毛笔和一卷厚厚的羊皮纸，显然是随时准备记录。

'Fizzing Whizzbee,' sang Umbridge; the stone gargoyle jumped aside, the wall behind split open, and they ascended the moving stone staircase. They reached the polished door with the griffin knocker, but Umbridge did not bother to knock, she strode straight inside, still holding tight to Harry.

今天晚上，男女老校长们的肖像都没有假装睡觉。他们都很警觉、严肃，正注视着下面的动静。哈利一进来，几个老校长就飞进邻近的画框和邻居急切地咬起了耳朵。

The office was full of people. Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, his expression serene, the tips of his long fingers together. Professor McGonagall stood rigidly beside him, her face extremely tense. Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, was rocking backwards and forwards on his toes beside the fire, apparently immensely pleased with the situation; Kingsley Shacklebolt and a tough-looking wizard with very short wiry hair whom Harry did not recognise, were positioned either side of the door like guards, and the freckled, bespectacled form of Percy Weasley hovered excitedly beside the wall, a quill and a heavy scroll of parchment in his hands, apparently poised to take notes.

身后的大门关上以后，哈利甩开了紧紧抓着他的乌姆里奇。康奈利·福吉怒气冲冲地瞪着他，脸上露出一种幸灾乐祸的表情。

The portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses were not shamming sleep tonight. All of them were alert and serious, watching what was happening below them. As Harry entered, a few flitted into neighbouring frames and whispered urgently into their neighbour's ear.

“好啊，”他说，“好啊，好啊，好啊……”

Harry pulled himself free of Umbridge's grasp as the door swung shut behind them. Cornelius Fudge was glaring at him with a kind of vicious satisfaction on his face.

哈利鼓足全部勇气，狠狠地瞪了福吉一眼。他心脏跳得飞快，可是头脑却出奇地冷静、清醒。

'Well,' he said. 'Well, well, well . . .'

“他正在返回格兰芬多塔楼的路上。”乌姆里奇说。她的语气里有一股很不得体的兴奋劲，当她在门厅里看着特里劳妮教授因为悲伤而崩溃的时候，哈利也听到过同样冷酷无情的快乐语气，“马尔福那孩子把他堵住了。”

Harry replied with the dirtiest look he could muster. His heart drummed madly inside him, but his brain was oddly cool and clear.

“是吗，是吗？”福吉赞赏地说，“我得记着告诉卢修斯。好了，波特……我想你应该知道自己为什么在这儿吧？”

'He was heading back to Gryffindor Tower,' said Umbridge. There was an indecent excitement in her voice, the same callous pleasure Harry had heard as she watched Professor Trelawney dissolving with misery in the Entrance Hall. The Malfoy boy cornered him.'

哈利拿定了主意，想要轻蔑地回答“知道”。当他瞥见邓布利多的表情时，他已经张开嘴巴，将这个词说出了一半。邓布利多没有直接看着哈利——他目不转睛地盯着紧挨哈利肩膀上方的一处地方——但是当哈利望着他时，他轻轻摇了摇头，动作小得几乎让人察觉不出来。

'Did he, did he?' said Fudge appreciatively. 'I must remember to tell Lucius. Well, Potter . . . I expect you know why you are here?'

哈利说到一半改了口。

Harry fully intended to respond with a defiant 'yes': his mouth had opened and the word was half-formed when he caught sight of Dumbledore's face. Dumbledore was not looking directly at Harry - his eyes were fixed on a point just over his shoulder - but as Harry stared at him, he shook his head a fraction of an inch to each side.

“知——不道。”

Harry changed direction mid-word.

“对不起，你说什么？”福吉说。

'Ye - no.'

“不知道。”哈利坚决地说。

'I beg your pardon?' said Fudge.

“你不知道自己为什么在这儿？”

'No,' said Harry, firmly.

“对，我不知道。”哈利说。

You don t know why you are here?'

福吉疑惑地看了看哈利，又瞧了瞧乌姆里奇教授。哈利利用他这一瞬间的疏忽，又偷偷瞥了一眼邓布利多，邓布利多用最轻微的动作朝地毯点了点头，稍稍挤了挤眼睛。

'No, I don't,' said Harry.

“那么你不清楚，”福吉用毫不掩饰的挖苦口气说，“为什么乌姆里奇教授带你来这间办公室吗？你没有发觉自己已经违反了校规吗？”

Fudge looked incredulously from Harry to Professor Umbridge. Harry took advantage of his momentary inattention to steal another quick look at Dumbledore, who gave the carpet the tiniest of nods and the shadow of a wink.

“校规？”哈利说，“没有。”

'So you have no idea,' said Fudge, in a voice positively sagging with sarcasm, 'why Professor Umbridge has brought you to this office? You are not aware that you have broken any school rules?'

“那魔法部的法令呢？”福吉生气地换了个角度问道。

'School rules?' said Harry. 'No.'

“起码没有违反我知道的法令。”哈利泰然自若地说。

'Or Ministry Decrees?' amended Fudge angrily.

他心里还在飞快地嗵嗵直跳。为了看看福吉血压上升的样子，说这些假话还是挺值得的，但是他看不出来，自己究竟怎样才能逃脱他们的处罚，要是已经有人对乌姆里奇泄露了D．A．的情况，那么他这个领头人也许就要马上收拾行李走人了。

'Not that I'm aware of,' said Harry blandly.

“那么，你是头一次听说，”福吉说，现在他的语调充满了怒气，“在这所学校里发现了一个非法的学生组织？”

His heart was still hammering very fast. It was almost worth telling these lies to watch Fudges blood pressure rising, but he could not see how on earth he would get away with them; if somebody had tipped off Umbridge about the DA then he, the leader, might as well be packing his trunk right now.

“是啊，没错。”哈利说，脸上露出了难以置信的表情，就像他一无所知，非常惊讶似的。

'So, it's news to you, is it,' said Fudge, his voice now thick with anger, 'that an illegal student organisation has been discovered within this school?'

“部长，我觉得，”乌姆里奇在哈利身旁柔和地说道，“如果我把检举人带来，也许我们的进展会快一些。”

'Yes, it is,' said Harry, hoisting an unconvincing look of innocent surprise on to his face.

“是的，是的，去吧。”福吉点点头说，乌姆里奇离开屋子后，他不怀好意地扫了邓布利多一眼，“什么都顶不上一个好证人，对吗，邓布利多？”

'I think, Minister,' said Umbridge silkily from beside him, 'we might make better progress if I fetch our informant.'

“对极了，康奈利。”邓布利多点点头，声音低沉地说。

'Yes, yes, do,' said Fudge, nodding, and he glanced maliciously at Dumbledore as Umbridge left the room. There's nothing like a good witness, is there, Dumbledore?'

大家等待了几分钟，谁也不看谁，然后哈利听到身后的门打开了。乌姆里奇从他身旁走进屋子，手里紧紧抓着秋·张那个鬈发朋友的肩膀，那是玛丽埃塔，她用双手捂住了脸颊。

'Nothing at all, Cornelius,' said Dumbledore gravely, inclining his head.

“别慌，亲爱的，别害怕，”乌姆里奇教授轻轻拍着她的后背，柔和地说，“现在没事了。你做得很正确。部长对你很满意。他会告诉你妈妈，你是个乖女孩。部长，玛丽埃塔的母亲，”她抬眼望着福吉补充了一句，“是魔法交通司飞路网办公室的艾克莫夫人——你知道，她在帮我们监视霍格沃茨的炉火。”

There was a wait of several minutes, in which nobody looked at each other, then Harry heard the door open behind him. Umbridge moved past him into the room, gripping by the shoulder Cho's curly-haired friend, Marietta, who was hiding her face in her hands.

“太好了，太好了！”福吉热情地说，“有其母必有其女，呃？好了，讲讲吧，快点儿，亲爱的，抬起头，别怕羞，让我们听听你——老天哪！”

'Don't be scared, dear, don't be frightened,' said Professor Umbridge softly, patting her on the back, 'it's quite all right, now. You have done the right thing. The Minister is very pleased with you. He'll be telling your mother what a good girl you've been.

玛丽埃塔抬起头时，福吉被吓得向后一跳，差点儿跌到炉火里。他骂骂咧咧的，猛跺自己开始冒烟的斗篷下摆。玛丽埃塔哀号一声，把长袍领子扯到眼睛下边，但是没等她这么做，大家就已经看到，一连串密密麻麻的紫色脓包已经爬过她的鼻子和脸颊，呈现出“告密生”这个词，让她的脸变得要多难看有多难看。

Marietta's mother, Minister,' she added, looking up at Fudge, 'is Madam Edgecombe from the Department of Magical Transportation, Floo Network office - she's been helping us police the Hogwarts lins, you know.'

“现在别担心这些斑点了，亲爱的，”乌姆里奇不耐烦地说，“把袍子从嘴巴上拉下来，告诉部长——”

'Jolly good, jolly good!' said Fudge heartily. 'Like mother, like daughter, eh? Well, come on, now, dear, look up, don't be shy, let's hear what you've got to - galloping gargoyles!'

但是玛丽埃塔又闷声闷气地哀号了一声，拼命地摇着脑袋。

As Marietta raised her head, Fudge leapt backwards in shock, nearly landing himself in the fire. He cursed, and stamped on the hem of his cloak which had started to smoke. Marietta gave a wail and pulled the neck of her robes right up to her eyes, but not before everyone had seen that her face was horribly disfigured by a series of close-set purple pustules that had spread across her nose and cheeks to form the word 'SNEAK'.

“哼，那好吧，你这个傻丫头，我来告诉他们。”乌姆里奇没好气地说。她迅速换上令人作呕的笑脸，说道：“是这样的，部长，今天晚上，这位艾克莫小姐在晚饭后不久来到我的办公室，对我说她有些事情要告诉我。她说如果我进入八楼的一间密室，就会发现一些对我有好处的事情，据说这间密室有时被称作有求必应屋。我进一步盘问她时，她承认那里有某种聚会。遗憾的是，当时这些毒咒，”她朝玛丽埃塔藏在袍子里的脸不耐烦地挥了挥手，“开始起作用了，她在我的镜子里忽然看到自己的面孔后，就伤心得没办法再多跟我讲了。”

'Never mind the spots now, dear,' said Umbridge impatiently, 'just take your robes away from your mouth and tell the Minister - '

“哦，是这样，”福吉说道，他带着一副自以为和蔼、慈祥的表情盯着玛丽埃塔，“你去通知了乌姆里奇教授，亲爱的，这么做可真勇敢。你的行为十分正确。好了，你愿意跟我讲讲在聚会中发生了什么事吗？聚会的目的是什么？有谁在场？”

But Marietta gave another muffled wail and shook her head frantically.

可是玛丽埃塔不愿意开口，她只是又摇了摇脑袋，吓得瞪圆了双眼。

'Oh, very well, you silly girl, I'll tell him,' snapped Umbridge. She hitched her sickly smile back on to her face and said, 'Well, Minister, Miss Edgecombe here came to my office shortly after dinner this evening and told me she had something she wanted to tell me. She said that if I proceeded to a secret room on the seventh floor, sometimes known as the Room of Requirement, I would find out something to my advantage. I questioned her a little further and she admitted that there was to be some kind of meeting there. Unfortunately, at that point this hex,' she waved impatiently at Marietta's concealed face, 'came into operation and upon catching sight of her face in my mirror the girl became too distressed to tell me any more.'

“我们有没有破解咒对付这个？”福吉朝玛丽埃塔的脸打了个手势，不耐烦地问乌姆里奇，“好让她自由自在地讲话？”

'Well, now,' said Fudge, fixing Marietta with what he evidently imagined was a kind and fatherly look, 'it is very brave of you, my dear, coming to tell Professor Umbridge. You did exactly the right thing. Now, will you tell me what happened at this meeting? What was its purpose? Who was there?'

“我还没能找到，”乌姆里奇不情愿地承认道，赫敏使用咒语的能力使哈利心里涌起了一阵自豪感，“不过她不开口也没关系，我可以替她说下去。”

But Marietta would not speak; she merely shook her head again, her eyes wide and fearful.

“你也许还记得，部长，我在十月份向你报告过，波特曾经在霍格莫德的猪头酒吧和许多同学会面——”

'Haven't we got a counter-jinx for this?' Fudge asked Umbridge impatiently, gesturing at Marietta's face. 'So she can speak freely?'

“这件事情你有证据吗？”麦格教授插了一句。

'I have not yet managed to find one,' Umbridge admitted grudgingly, and Harry felt a surge of pride in Hermione's jinxing ability 'But it doesn't matter if she won't speak, I can take up the story from here.

“我有威利·威德辛的证词，米勒娃，当时他正巧在酒吧里。他身上确实缠了很多纱巾，但是他的听力完全没有受到损害，”乌姆里奇洋洋自得地说，“他听到了波特说过的每一句话，急忙直接赶到学校向我报告——”

'You will remember, Minister, that I sent you a report back in October that Potter had met a number of fellow students in the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade - '

“哦，原来就是为了这件事，他才被免除了对他制造的厕所污水回涌事件的起诉！”麦格教授扬起眉毛说，“我们的司法系统真是让人大开眼界啊！”

'And what is your evidence for that?' cut in Professor McGonagall

“无耻的堕落！”在邓布利多桌子后面的墙上，一幅红鼻子胖巫师的肖像吼道，“在我那个时代，魔法部从不和卑鄙的罪犯做交易，绝对不会，他们从不这么做！”

'I have testimony from Willy Widdershins, Minerva, who happened to be in the bar at the time. He was heavily bandaged, it is true, but his hearing was quite unimpaired,' said Umbridge smugly 'He heard every word Potter said and hastened straight to the school to report to me - '

“谢谢你，福斯科，说这么多就够了。”邓布利多平和地说。

'Oh, so that's why he wasn't prosecuted for setting up all those regurgitating toilets!' said Professor McGonagall, raising her eyebrows. 'What an interesting insight into our justice system!'

“波特与这些学生聚会，”乌姆里奇教授接着说，“是想说服他们加入一个非法团体，这个团体的目标是学习一些咒语和诅咒，魔法部已经将那些咒语和诅咒裁定为不适合学生——”

'Blatant corruption!' roared the portrait of the corpulent, red-nosed wizard on the wall behind Dumbledore's desk. The Ministry did not cut deals with petty criminals in my day, no sir, they did not!'

“我认为，你会发现自己在这一点上搞错了，多洛雷斯。”邓布利多轻声说道，半月形眼镜耷拉在他歪扭的鼻子上，他正从眼镜上方盯着乌姆里奇。

Thank you, Fortescue, that will do,' said Dumbledore softly.

哈利望着邓布利多。他想不出邓布利多该怎么说才能替他解围；如果威利·威德辛确实听到了他在猪头酒吧里说过的每一句话，那自己就完全没有出路了。

The purpose of Potters meeting with these students,' continued Professor Umbridge, 'was to persuade them to join an illegal society, whose aim was to learn spells and curses the Ministry has decided are inappropriate for school-age - '

“啊哈！”福吉说着又在踮着脚蹦蹦跳跳，“好啊，为了给波特解围，又编出新的奇谈怪论了，请让我们听听吧！那就接着讲吧，邓布利多，接着讲啊——是威利·威德辛在撒谎吗？还是那天在猪头酒吧里的，是波特一模一样的双胞胎兄弟？要么就是往常那种简单的解释，说什么时间逆转了，一个死人复活了，还有两个无形的摄魂怪？”

'I think you'll find you're wrong there, Dolores,' said Dumbledore quietly, peering at her over the half-moon spectacles perched halfway down his crooked nose.

珀西·韦斯莱放声大笑起来。

Harry stared at him. He could not see how Dumbledore was going to talk him out of this one; if Willy Widdershins had indeed heard every word he had said in the Hog's Head there was simply no escaping it.

“哎呀，讲得真好，部长，讲得太好了！”

'Oho!' said Fudge, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet again. 'Yes, do let's hear the latest cock-and-bull story designed to pull Potter out of trouble! Go on, then, Dumbledore, go on - '

哈利真想踢他一脚。可他惊讶地看到，邓布利多也在温和地微笑。

Willy Widdershins was lying, was he? Or was it Potter's identical twin in the Hog's Head that day? Or is there the usual simple explanation involving a reversal of time, a dead man coming back to life and a couple of invisible Dementors?'

“康奈利，我既没有否认，也没有肯定哈利那天是否在猪头酒吧，是否想招募学生参加黑魔法防御小组。我不过是想指出，多洛雷斯暗示那样一个小组在当时是非法的，是完全没有道理的。如果你没忘记的话，直到哈利的霍格莫德聚会两天后，魔法部取缔所有学生社团的法令才生效，所以他在猪头酒吧时没有违反任何规定。”

Percy Weasley let out a hearty laugh.

珀西看上去就像被很重的东西迎面敲了一下。福吉才跳了一半就张大嘴巴不动了。

'Oh, very good, Minister, very good!'

乌姆里奇头一个回过神来。

Harry could have kicked him. Then he saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore was smiling gently, too.

“这些都不错，校长，”她亲切地笑着说，“但是如今我们实施《第二十四号教育令》已经将近六个月了。虽然第一次聚会没有违法，但从那以后所有的聚会肯定都是违法的。”

'Cornelius, I do not deny - and nor, I am sure, does Harry - 'that he was in the Hog's Head that day, nor that he was trying to recruit students to a Defence Against the Dark Arts group. I am merely pointing out that Dolores is quite wrong to suggest that such a group was, at that time, illegal. If you remember, the Ministry Decree banning all student societies was not put into effect until two days after Harry's Hogsmeade meeting, so he was not breaking any rules at all in the Hog's Head.'

“这个嘛，”邓布利多一边说一边从交叉在一起的手指上方既礼貌又感兴趣地打量着她，“如果他们确实在这项法令生效后继续聚会，那他们当然有可能违法。你有什么证据能够证明后来还有这种聚会呢？”

Percy looked as though he had been struck in the face by something very heavy. Fudge remained motionless in mid-bounce, his mouth hanging open.

就在邓布利多说话时，哈利听到身后响起了沙沙声，甚至还觉得金斯莱在小声嘀咕着什么。他可以发誓，自己感到有什么东西在身边扫过，这种东西非常轻柔，就像一阵风或者鸟的翅膀，但是当他低下头时，却什么也没看见。

Umbridge recovered first.

“证据？”乌姆里奇重复说，她满面笑容，就像丑陋的癞蛤蟆，“你刚才一直没在听吗，邓布利多？你认为艾克莫小姐为什么到这儿来呢？”

That's all very fine, Headmaster,' she said, smiling sweetly, 'but we are now nearly six months on from the introduction of Educational Decree Number Twenty-four. If the first meeting was not illegal, all those that have happened since most certainly are.'

“噢，她能跟我们说说这六个月里的聚会吗？”邓布利多扬起眉毛说，“我记得她好像只告发了今晚的一次聚会。”

'Well,' said Dumbledore, surveying her with polite interest over the top of his interlocked fingers, 'they certainly would be, if they had continued after the Decree came into effect. Do you have any evidence that any such meetings continued?'

“艾克莫小姐，”乌姆里奇马上说，“告诉我们这些聚会延续了多长时间，亲爱的。你只要点头、摇头就行了，我能肯定，这么做不会让那些斑点更严重。在过去六个月里，这样的聚会定期举行吗？”

As Dumbledore spoke, Harry heard a rustle behind him and rather thought Kingsley whispered something. He could have sworn, too, that he felt something brush against his side, a gentle something like a draught or bird wings, but looking down he saw nothing there.

哈利感到胃里猛地一沉。完了，他们找到了最确凿的证据，连邓布利多都没办法推脱了。

'Evidence?' repeated Umbridge, with that horrible wide toad-like smile. 'Have you not been listening, Dumbledore? Why do you think Miss Edgecombe is here?'

“只要点头、摇头就行了，亲爱的，”乌姆里奇哄劝玛丽埃塔说，“好了，快点，这样不会重新激活咒语的。”

'Oh, can she tell us about six months' worth of meetings?' said Dumbledore, raising his eyebrows. 'I was under the impression that she was merely reporting a meeting tonight.'

屋里的人都在盯着玛丽埃塔的上半个脸。在拉起的长袍和蜷曲的刘海之间，只露出了她的双眼。也许仅仅是火光造成的错觉吧，她的眼神很古怪，显得非常迷茫。接着——哈利大吃一惊——玛丽埃塔居然摇了摇头。

'Miss Edgecombe,' said Umbridge at once, 'tell us how long these meetings have been going on, dear. You can simply nod or shake your head, I'm sure that won't make the spots worse. Have they been happening regularly over the last six months?'

乌姆里奇瞥了福吉一眼，然后又看着玛丽埃塔。

Harry felt a horrible plummeting in his stomach. This was it, they had hit a dead end of solid evidence that not even Dumbledore would be able to shift aside.

“我觉得你没听明白这个问题，对吗，亲爱的？我是在问你过去六个月里是否经常参加这些聚会？你参加了，对不对？”

'Just nod or shake your head, dear,' Umbridge said coaxingly to Marietta, 'come on, now, that won't re-activate the jinx.'

玛丽埃塔又摇了摇头。

Everyone in the room was gazing at the top of Marietta's face. Only her eyes were visible between the pulled-up robes and her curly fringe. Perhaps it was a trick of the firelight, but her eyes looked oddly blank. And then - to Harry's utter amazement - 'Marietta shook her head.

“你摇头是什么意思啊，亲爱的？”乌姆里奇恼火地说。

Umbridge looked quickly at Fudge, then back at Marietta.

“我认为她的意思很清楚，”麦格教授严厉地说，“过去六个月里没有什么秘密聚会。是这样吗，艾克莫小姐？”

'I don't think you understood the question, did you, dear? I'm asking whether you've been going to these meetings for the past six months? You have, haven't you?'

玛丽埃塔点了点头。

Again, Marietta shook her head.

“可是今晚有一次聚会！”乌姆里奇气急败坏地说，“有一次聚会，艾克莫小姐，是你告诉我的，就在有求必应屋里！波特是头头，就是他，波特组织了聚会，波特——你为什么老是摇头啊，丫头？”

'What do you mean by shaking your head, dear?' said Umbridge in a testy voice.

“这个嘛，通常人们摇头的时候，”麦格教授冷冷地说道，“他们的意思是‘不’。所以除非艾克莫小姐是在用一种人类不了解的肢体语言——”

'I would have thought her meaning was quite clear,' said Professor McGonagall harshly, 'there have been no secret meetings for the past six months. Is that correct, Miss Edgecombe?'

乌姆里奇教授抓住玛丽埃塔，使劲把她扳过来面对着自己，开始猛烈地摇晃她。眨眼之间，邓布利多已经站起来扬起了魔杖；金斯莱冲了上来，乌姆里奇向后一跳，放开了玛丽埃塔，她的双手在空中挥舞着，就像被烫伤了似的。

Marietta nodded.

“我不允许你粗暴地对待我的学生，多洛雷斯。”邓布利多说，他的脸上头一次显出了怒色。

'But there was a meeting tonight!' said Umbridge furiously. There was a meeting, Miss Edgecombe, you told me about it, in the Room of Requirement! And Potter was the leader, was he not, Potter organised it, Potter - why are you shaking your head, girl?'

“你应该冷静些，乌姆里奇夫人，”金斯莱用低沉缓慢的声音说，“现在你不该给自己惹麻烦。”

'Well, usually when a person shakes their head,' said McGonagall coldly, 'they mean "no". So unless Miss Edgecombe is using a form of sign-language as yet unknown to humans - '

“不，”乌姆里奇气喘吁吁地说，抬起头瞥了一眼金斯莱高大的身影，“我的意思是，是的——你说得对，沙克尔——我——我失态了。”

Professor Umbridge seized Marietta, pulled her round to face her and began shaking her very hard. A split second later Dumbledore was on his feet, his wand raised; Kingsley started forwards and Umbridge leapt back from Marietta, waving her hands in the air as though they had been burned.

玛丽埃塔就站在乌姆里奇放开她的地方。乌姆里奇突如其来的粗暴行为好像并没吓着她，但是她也没有为自己被放开而松一口气；她的眼神还是那么古怪、迷茫，手里紧紧攥着拉到眼睛下面的袍子，直勾勾地盯着前方。

'I cannot allow you to manhandle my students, Dolores,' said Dumbledore and, for the first time, he looked angry.

哈利突然想起，金斯莱刚才在小声嘀咕，而且自己还感到有什么东西从身旁掠过，这些事让他产生了怀疑。

'You want to calm yourself, Madam Umbridge,' said Kingsley, in his deep, slow voice. 'You don't want to get yourself into trouble, now.'

“多洛雷斯，”福吉说道，他摆出了要彻底解决问题的神态，“今晚的聚会——我们能肯定有这次聚会——”

'No,' said Umbridge breathlessly, glancing up at the towering figure of Kingsley. 'I mean, yes - you're right, Shacklebolt - I - I forgot myself.'

“是的，”乌姆里奇镇静下来说，“是的……是这样，艾克莫小姐给我通风报信以后，我立刻前往八楼，同时带去了几个值得信赖的学生，以便当场抓到那些参加聚会的人。可是，看来在我到达以前，他们预先得到了警告，因为我们到达八楼时他们正在四下奔跑。不过没关系。他们的名字我都掌握了，帕金森小姐冲进了有求必应屋，替我看看他们是否落下了什么东西。这间屋子提供了我们所需要的证据。”

Marietta was standing exactly where Umbridge had released her. She seemed neither perturbed by Umbridge's sudden attack, nor relieved by her release; she was still clutching her robe up to her oddly blank eyes and staring straight ahead of her.

让哈利惊骇的是，她从衣袋里抽出了钉在有求必应屋墙壁上的名单，把它递给了福吉。

A sudden suspicion, connected to Kingsley's whisper and the thing he had felt shoot past him, sprang into Harry's mind.

“一看到这份名单上有波特的名字，我就明白我们是在和谁打交道了。”她柔和地说。

'Dolores,' said Fudge, with the air of trying to settle something once and for all, 'the meeting tonight - the one we know definitely happened - '

“太棒了，”福吉说道，脸上绽出了笑容，“太棒了，多洛雷斯。我来瞧瞧……天哪……”

'Yes,' said Umbridge, pulling herself together, 'yes . . . well, Miss Edgecombe tipped me off and I proceeded at once to the seventh floor, accompanied by certain trustworthy students, so as to catch those in the meeting red-handed. It appears that they were forewarned of my arrival, however, because when we reached the seventh floor they were running in every direction. It does not matter, however. I have all their names here, Miss Parkinson ran into the Room of Requirement for me to see if they had left anything behind. We needed evidence and the room provided.'

他抬眼望着仍旧站在玛丽埃塔身旁，手里轻轻握着魔杖的邓布利多。

And to Harry's horror, she withdrew from her pocket the list of names that had been pinned upon the Room of Requirement's wall and handed it to Fudge.

“看看他们给自己起了什么名字？”福吉轻声说，“邓布利多军。”

The moment I saw Potter's name on the list, I knew what we were dealing with,' she said softly.

邓布利多伸出手，从福吉手里拿过那张羊皮纸。他注视着赫敏几个月前草草写下的标题，有一阵似乎什么话都说不出来。然后他笑着抬起了眼睛。

'Excellent,' said Fudge, a smile spreading across his face, 'excellent, Dolores. And . . . by thunder . . .'

“看来，一切都完了，”他简短地说，“请问你需要我写一份书面供词吗，康奈利——要么当着这些证人作出陈述是否也就足够了？”

He looked up at Dumbledore, who was still standing beside Marietta, his wand held loosely in his hand.

哈利看到麦格和金斯莱对望了一眼。两人的表情都很焦虑。他不明白眼前是怎么回事，福吉显然也不明白。

'See what they've named themselves?' said Fudge quietly. 'Dumbledore's Army.'

“陈述？”福吉缓慢地说，“什么——我不——？”

Dumbledore reached out and took the piece of parchment from Fudge. He gazed at the heading scribbled by Hermione months before and for a moment seemed unable to speak. Then he looked up, smiling.

“邓布利多军，康奈利，”邓布利多说，他在福吉面前挥动着那份名单，脸上仍然挂着笑容，“不是波特军。而是邓布利多军。”

'Well, the game is up,' he said simply. 'Would you like a written confession from me, Cornelius - or will a statement before these witnesses suffice?'

“可是——可是——”福吉脸上突然闪现出醒悟过来的表情。他惊骇地向后退了一步，大叫了一声，又从炉火旁跳开了。“你？”他小声说着，又一次猛跺自己那件在冒着烟闷烧的斗篷。

Harry saw McGonagall and Kingsley look at each other. There was fear in both faces. He did not understand what was going on, and nor, apparently, did Fudge.

“没错。”邓布利多愉快地说。

'Statement?' said Fudge slowly. 'What - I don't - ?'

“这是你组织的？”

'Dumbledore's Army, Cornelius,' said Dumbledore, still smiling as he waved the list of names before Fudge's face. 'Not Potter's Army. Dumbledore's Army.'

“是我组织的。”邓布利多说。

'But - but - '

“你招募这些学生参——参加你的军队？”

Understanding blazed suddenly in Fudge's face. He took a horrified step backwards, yelped, and jumped out of the fire again.

“本来今晚应该是第一次聚会，”邓布利多点点头说，“只是想看看他们是否愿意跟我合作。当然了，现在我明白了，邀请艾克莫小姐是个错误。”

'You?' he whispered, stamping again on his smouldering cloak.

玛丽埃塔点了点头。福吉看了看她，又瞅了瞅邓布利多，他的胸脯在不停地起伏。

That's right,' said Dumbledore pleasantly.

“那你确实在密谋反对我！”他嚷嚷道。

'You organised this?'

“没错。”邓布利多高高兴兴地说。

'I did,' said Dumbledore.

“不！”哈利喊道。

'You recruited these students for - for your army?'

金斯莱飞快地给他递了个警告的眼色，麦格教授睁大了眼睛告诫他，但是哈利突然领悟到了邓布利多的意图，他不能让他这么做。

'Tonight was supposed to be the first meeting,' said Dumbledore, nodding. 'Merely to see whether they would be interested in joining me. I see now that it was a mistake to invite Miss Edgecombe, of course.'

“不——邓布利多教授——！”

Marietta nodded. Fudge looked from her to Dumbledore, his chest swelling.

“别出声，哈利，不然的话，恐怕我只好让你离开我的办公室了。”邓布利多平静地说。

Then you have been plotting against me!' he yelled.

“没错，闭嘴，波特！”福吉大声喊道，他还在惊喜交加地紧紧盯着邓布利多，“很好，很好，很好——我今晚来这里本想开除波特，可反倒——”

That's right,' said Dumbledore cheerfully.

“你反倒可以逮捕我了。”邓布利多微笑着说道，“丢了芝麻捡了西瓜，对吗？”

'NO!' shouted Harry.

“韦斯莱！”福吉大声喊道，现在他高兴得直哆嗦，“韦斯莱，这些你都记下来了吗，他说过的话，他的口供，你记下了吗？”

Kingsley flashed a look of warning at him, McGonagall widened her eyes threateningly, but it had suddenly dawned on Harry what Dumbledore was about to do, and he could not let it happen.

“是的，先生，我想是的，先生！”珀西殷切地说，他飞快地做记录时，鼻子都溅上了墨水。

'No - Professor Dumbledore - '!'

“他想建立一支军队对抗魔法部，他想推翻我，这一段记录了吗？”

'Be quiet, Harry, or I am afraid you will have to leave my office,' said Dumbledore calmly.

“是的，先生，我记下了，是的！”珀西一边说一边高兴地浏览着记录。

'Yes, shut up, Potter!' barked Fudge, who was still ogling Dumbledore with a kind of horrified delight. 'Well, well, well - I came here tonight expecting to expel Potter and instead - '

“很好，那么，”福吉说，现在他高兴得容光焕发，“复写你的记录，韦斯莱，马上把副本送给《预言家日报》。要是派一只速度快的猫头鹰，我们还能赶上今天早上的那一版！”珀西飞快地跑出屋子，用力关上了身后的门，福吉朝邓布利多转过身。“你现在要被押送到魔法部，在那里你将被正式起诉，然后把你送往阿兹卡班等待审判！”

'Instead you get to arrest me,' said Dumbledore, smiling. 'It's like losing a Knut and finding a Galleon, isn't it?'

“啊，”邓布利多轻轻地说，“是啊。不过，我觉得我们也许遇到了一个小小的困难。”

'Weasley!' cried Fudge, now positively quivering with delight, 'Weasley, have you written it all down, everything he's said, his confession, have you got it?'

“困难？”福吉说，他的声音仍然高兴得直发抖，“我看不出有什么困难，邓布利多！”

'Yes, sir, I think so, sir!' said Percy eagerly, whose nose was splattered with ink from the speed of his note-taking.

“可是，”邓布利多抱歉地说，“恐怕我看到了。”

The bit about how he's been trying to build up an army against the Ministry, how he's been working to destabilise me?'

“哦，真的吗？”

'Yes, sir, I've got it, yes!' said Percy, scanning his notes joyfully.

“嗯——你好像有一种错觉，以为我会——那句话怎么说来着？——束手待毙。恐怕我是根本不会束手待毙的，康奈利。我一点也不想被送进阿兹卡班。当然了，我能逃出去——但是多浪费时间啊，而且坦率地说，我想起自己还有一大堆事情呢，我倒是更愿意去做那些事。”

'Very well, then,' said Fudge, now radiant with glee, 'duplicate your notes, Weasley, and send a copy to the Daily Prophet at once. If we send a fast owl we should make the morning edition!' Percy dashed from the room, slamming the door behind him, and Fudge turned back to Dumbledore. 'You will now be escorted back to the Ministry, where you will be formally charged, then sent to Azkaban to await trial!'

乌姆里奇的脸色越来越红，她看上去活像被灌满了滚烫的开水。福吉盯着邓布利多，脸上的表情傻乎乎的，就像突然被打蒙了，而且简直不能相信竟然发生了这种事。他轻轻发出一种哽咽似的声音，扭头看了看金斯莱和那个留着灰白短发的男人，到现在为止，在屋子里的人当中，只有这个男人始终一言不发。后者朝福吉坚决地点了点头，离开墙壁向前走了几步。哈利看到，他的一只手漫不经心地伸向了自己的衣袋。

'Ah,' said Dumbledore gently, 'yes. Yes, I thought we might hit that little snag.'

“别犯傻，德力士，”邓布利多和蔼地说，“我确信你是个出色的傲罗——我记得你的N．E．W．Ts考试成绩好像都达到了‘优秀’——不过要是你想——哦——用暴力逮捕我，我就只好对你不客气了。”

'Snag?' said Fudge, his voice still vibrating with joy. 'I see no snag, Dumbledore!'

这个叫德力士的男人挺滑稽地眨了眨眼睛。他又看了看福吉，不过这回好像是希望得到下一步该怎么办的指示。

Well,' said Dumbledore apologetically, 'I'm afraid I do.'

“这么说，”福吉冷笑一声，恢复了常态，“你打算一个人对付德力士、沙克尔、多洛雷斯和我，是吗，邓布利多？”

'Oh, really?'

“天哪，当然不是，”邓布利多笑着说，“除非你蠢到逼着我这么做。”

Well - it's just that you seem to be labouring under the delusion that I am going to - what is the phrase? - come quietly. I am afraid I am not going to come quietly at all, Cornelius. I have absolutely no intention of being sent to Azkaban. I could break out, of course - but what a waste of time, and frankly, I can think of a whole host of things I would rather be doing.'

“他不是只有一个人！”麦格教授响亮地说，一只手伸进了长袍。

Umbridge's face was growing steadily redder; she looked as though she was being filled with boiling water. Fudge stared at Dumbledore with a very silly expression on his face, as though he had just been stunned by a sudden blow and could not quite believe it had happened. He made a small choking noise, then looked round at Kingsley and the man with short grey hair, who alone of everyone in the room had remained entirely silent so fa;-. The latter gave Fudge a reassuring nod and moved forwards a little, away from the wall. Harry saw his hand drift, almost casually, towards his pocket.

“哦，只有他一个人，米勒娃！”邓布利多严厉地说道，“霍格沃茨还需要你！”

'Don't be silly, Dawlish,' said Dumbledore kindly. 'I'm sure you are an excellent Auror - I seem to remember that you achieved "Outstanding" in all your NEWTs - but if you attempt to - er - 'bring me in by force, I will have to hurt you.'

“废话说够了！”福吉说着，抽出了自己的魔杖，“德力士！沙克尔！抓住他！”

The man called Dawlish blinked rather foolishly. He looked towards Fudge again, but this time seemed to be hoping for a clue as to what to do next.

一道银色闪光在屋里飞旋，随着炮声似的一声巨响，地板抖动起来；一只手抓住了哈利的后脖颈，用力把他按倒在地板上，第二道银色闪光爆炸了；几幅肖像在喊叫，福克斯发出了尖叫声，空中尘埃弥漫。哈利在尘埃中咳嗽着，看到面前有个模糊的身影轰隆一声倒在地上；响起了一声尖叫，接着是嗵的一声，有人喊道：“不！”随后传来玻璃碎裂的声音，拖着脚步拼命走动的声音，还有一声呻吟……接着是一阵平静。

'So,' sneered Fudge, recovering himself, 'you intend to take on Dawlish, Shacklebolt, Dolores and myself single-handed, do you, Dumbledore?'

哈利挣扎着翻过身，想瞧瞧是谁把自己勒得差点喘不过气来，他看到麦格教授蜷伏在他身旁；是她让哈利和玛丽埃塔摆脱了危险。飘浮在空中的尘埃轻轻落在他们身上。哈利有点气喘吁吁的，他看到一个非常高大的身影正朝他们走来。

'Merlin's beard, no,' said Dumbledore, smiling, 'not unless you are foolish enough to force me to.'

“你们没事吧？”邓布利多问道。

'He will not be single-handed!' said Professor McGonagall loudly, plunging her hand inside her robes.

“没事！”麦格教授说，她一边站起来一边拉起哈利和玛丽埃塔。

'Oh yes he will, Minerva!' said Dumbledore sharply. 'Hogwar.s needs you!'

尘埃在渐渐散去。残缺不全的办公室隐隐约约地显现出来：邓布利多的桌子翻了个底朝天，细长的桌子都被撞翻在地板上，桌上的银器也被摔坏了。福吉、乌姆里奇、金斯莱和德力士躺在地板上一动不动。凤凰福克斯在他们头顶绕着大圈飞翔，轻柔地鸣叫着。

'Enough of this rubbish!' said Fudge, pulling out his own wand. 'Dawlish! Shacklebolt! Take him!'

“真遗憾，我不得不给金斯莱施魔法，不然就显得太可疑了，”邓布利多低声说，“他的理解力真出色，大家都看着另一个方向时，他就修改了艾克莫小姐的记忆——替我谢谢他，好吗，米勒娃？”

A streak of silver light flashed around the room; there was a bang like a gunshot and the floor trembled; a hand grabbed the scruff of Harry's neck and forced him down on the floor as a second silver flash went off; several of the portraits yelled, Fawkes screeched and a cloud of dust filled the air. Coughing in the dust, Harry saw a dark figure fall to the ground with a crash in front of him; there was a shriek and a thud and somebody cried, 'No!'; then there was the sound of breaking glass, frantically scuffling footsteps, a groan . . . and silence.

“好了，他们很快都会醒过来，最好不要让他们知道我们有时间交谈——你们必须装出时间没有变化的样子，就像他们刚刚是被打倒在地上一样，他们不会记得——”

Harry struggled around to see who was half-strangling him and saw Professor McGonagall crouched beside him; she had forced both him and Marietta out of harm's way. Dust was still floating gently down through the air on to them. Panting slightly, Harry saw a very tall figure moving towards them.

“你要去哪里啊，邓布利多？”麦格教授小声说，“格里莫广场？”

'Are you all right?' Dumbledore asked.

“呃，不，”邓布利多说着坚毅地笑了笑，“我不会跑得远远地躲起来。用不了多久福吉就会觉得，要是没把我从霍格沃茨赶走就好了，我敢向你保证。”

'Yes!' said Professor McGonagall, getting up and dragging Harry and Marietta with her.

“邓布利多教授……”哈利开口说。

The dust was clearing. The wreckage of the office loomed into view: Dumbledore's desk had been overturned, all of the spindly tables had been knocked to the floor, their silver instruments in pieces. Fudge, Umbridge, Kingsley and Dawlish lay motionless on the floor. Fawkes the phoenix soared in wide circles above them, singing softly.

他不知道应该先说什么：是先说说自己真后悔创办了D．A．，引来了这么大的麻烦呢？还是说说邓布利多为了使他不被开除而离开让他难受极了呢？可是没等他再开口，邓布利多就截住了他的话头。

'Unfortunately, I had to hex Kingsley too, or it would have looked very suspicious,' said Dumbledore in a low voice. 'He was remarkably quick on the uptake, modifying Miss Edgecombe's memory like that while everyone was looking the other way - thank him, for me, won't you, Minerva?

“听我说，哈利，”他急切地说，“你必须尽全力学习大脑封闭术，你明白我的话吗？完全按照斯内普教授的吩咐去做，要练习大脑封闭术，特别是在每天晚上睡觉以前，那样你就可以封闭你自己的头脑，不再做噩梦——你很快就会知道原因，但是你必须向我保证——”

'Now, they will all awake very soon and it will be best if they do not know that we had time to communicate - you must act as though no time has passed, as though they were merely knocked to the ground, they will not remember - '

那个叫德力士的男人正在动弹。邓布利多握住了哈利的手腕。

'Where will you go, Dumbledore?' whispered Professor McGonagall. 'Grimmauld Place?'

“记住——封闭你的大脑——”

'Oh no,' said Dumbledore, with a grim smile, 'I am not leaving to go into hiding. Fudge will soon wish he'd never dislodged me from Hogwarts, I promise you.'

当邓布利多的手指接触到哈利的皮肤时，他额头上的伤疤突然一阵剧痛，他又感到了可怕的蛇一样的感觉，渴望去攻击邓布利多，咬他，伤害他——

'Professor Dumbledore . . .' Harry began.

“——你会明白的。”邓布利多低声说。

He did not know what to say first: how sorry he was that he had started the DA in the first place and caused all this trouble, or how terrible he felt that Dumbledore was leaving to save him from expulsion? But Dumbledore cut him off before he could say another word.

福克斯在办公室里盘旋了一圈，然后在邓布利多上空低飞着。邓布利多松开哈利，举起一只手紧紧握住凤凰长长的金色尾巴。随着一道火焰，他们两个消失了。

'Listen to me, Harry,' he said urgently. 'You must study Occlumency as hard as you can, do you understand me? Do everything Professor Snape tells you and practise it particularly every night before sleeping so that you can close your mind to bad dreams - you will understand why soon enough, but you must promise me - '

“他在哪里？”福吉嚷嚷着，费劲地从地板上爬了起来，“他在哪里？”

The man called Dawlish was stirring. Dumbledore seized Harry's wrist.

“我不知道！”金斯莱大声说着一跃而起。

'Remember - close your mind - '

“不对，他不可能幻影移形！”乌姆里奇喊道，“在学校不能这么做——”

But as Dumbledore's fingers closed over Harry's skin, a pa n shot through the scar on his forehead and he felt again that terrible, snakelike longing to strike Dumbledore, to bite him, to hurt him - '

“楼梯！”德力士喊道，他扑过去用力扭开房门，消失在门外，金斯莱和乌姆里奇紧跟在他身后。福吉犹豫了一下，然后慢慢地挪动着脚步，掸去胸前的尘土。大家难受地沉默了好一阵。

' - you will understand,' whispered Dumbledore.

“哼，米勒娃，”福吉恶狠狠地说，一边把撕裂的衬衫袖子弄平整，“我想你的朋友邓布利多这回恐怕完蛋了。”

Fawkes circled the office and swooped low over him. Dumbledore released Harry, raised his hand and grasped the phoenix's long golden tail. There was a flash of fire and the pair of them were gone.

“你这么认为吗？”麦格教授轻蔑地说。

'Where is he?' yelled Fudge, pushing himself up from the floor. 'Where is he?'

福吉好像没有听到她说什么。他在四下打量着被毁坏的办公室。几幅肖像朝他发出不满的嘘声；有一两幅甚至做出了粗鲁的手势。

'I don't know!' shouted Kingsley, also leaping to his feet.

“你最好带他们俩去睡觉。”福吉说，他回头望着麦格教授，不屑一顾地朝哈利和玛丽埃塔点了点头。

'Well, he can't have Disapparated!' cried Umbridge. 'You can't do it from inside this school - '

麦格教授什么也没说，带着哈利和玛丽埃塔走向门口。房门在他们身后关上后，哈利听到了菲尼亚斯·奈杰勒斯的声音。

The stairs!' cried Dawlish, and he flung himself upon the door, wrenched it open and disappeared, followed closely by Kingsley and Umbridge. Fudge hesitated, then got slowly to his feet, brushing dust from his front. There was a long and painful silence.

“你知道，部长，我在很多问题上跟邓布利多的意见都不一样……但是你不能否认他很有个性……”

'Well, Minerva,' said Fudge nastily, straightening his torn shirtsleeve, 'I'm afraid this is the end of your friend Dumbledore.'

①此书已由人民文学出版社出版。

'You think so, do you?' said Professor McGonagall scornfully.

②基督教纪念耶稣复活的节日，一般指每年春分月圆后的第一个星期日。

Fudge seemed not to hear her. He was looking around at the wrecked office. A few of the portraits hissed at him; one or two even made rude hand gestures.

'You'd better get those two off to bed,' said Fudge, looking back at Professor McGonagall with a dismissive nod towards Harry and Marietta.

Professor McGonagall said nothing, but marched Harry and Marietta to the door. As it swung closed behind them, Harry heard Phineas Nigellus's voice.

'You know, Minister, I disagree with Dumbledore on many counts . . . but you cannot deny he's got style . . .'