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哈利·波特与混血王子
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

英文中文双语对照双语交替

首页目录上一章下一章

CHAPTER THREE WILL AND WON’T

第三章　要与不要

Harry Potter was snoring loudly. He had been sitting in a chair beside his bedroom window for the best part of four hours, staring out at the darkening street, and had finally fallen asleep with one side of his face pressed against the cold windowpane, his glasses askew and his mouth wide open. The misty fug his breath had left on the window sparkled in the orange glare of the streetlamp outside, and the artificial light drained his face of all color, so that he looked ghostly beneath his shock of untidy black hair.

哈利·波特响亮地打着鼾。他在卧室窗前的一把椅子上坐了将近四个小时，一直望着外面渐渐暗下来的街道，后来便睡着了。他的一侧面颊贴在冰凉的窗玻璃上，眼镜歪在一边，嘴巴张得大大的。他呼在窗户上的一团热气被外面橙黄色的路灯照得闪闪发亮，在这种不自然的灯光下，他的脸上毫无血色，乌黑的头发乱蓬蓬的，看上去有点儿像个幽灵。

The room was strewn with various possessions and a good smattering of rubbish. Owl feathers, apple cores, and sweet wrappers littered the floor, a number of spellbooks lay higgledypiggledy among the tangled robes on his bed, and a mess of newspapers sat in a puddle of light on his desk. The headline of one blared:

房间里零零散散地放着各种东西，还扔着许多垃圾。地板上散落着猫头鹰的羽毛、苹果核和糖纸，床上几本魔法书乱七八糟地跟袍子摊在一起，桌上的台灯下放着一堆报纸。其中一张的标题非常醒目：

HARRY POTTER: THE CHOSEN ONE? Rumors continue to fly about the mysterious recent disturbance at the Ministry of Magic, during which He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was sighted once more.

哈利·波特：救世之星？

“We’re not allowed to talk about it, don’t ask me anything,” said one agitated Obliviator, who refused to give his name as he left the Ministry last night.

人们继续纷纷议论魔法部最近发生的那场神秘骚乱，其间那个连名字也不能提的魔头再次现身。

Nevertheless, highly placed sources within the Ministry have confirmed that the disturbance centered on the fabled Hall of Prophecy.

“我们不许谈论这件事，什么也别问我。”一位不愿意透露自己姓名的神情焦虑的记忆注销员昨晚在离开魔法部时说。

Though Ministry spokeswizards have hitherto refused even to confirm the existence of such a place, a growing number of the Wizarding community believe that the Death Eaters now serving sentences in Azkaban for trespass and attempted theft were attempting to steal a prophecy. The nature of that prophecy is unknown, although speculation is rife that it concerns Harry Potter, the only person ever known to have survived the Killing Curse, and who is also known to have been at the Ministry on the night in question. Some are going so far as to call Potter “the Chosen One,” believing that the prophecy names him as the only one who will be able to rid us of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

然而，据魔法部消息灵通人士证实，那场骚乱的中心是在传说中的预言厅。

The current whereabouts of the prophecy, if it exists, are unknown, although (ctd. page 2, column 5)

尽管到目前为止魔法部发言人仍然不肯证实有这样一个地方存在，但巫师界越来越多的人相信，那些因为侵害和盗窃行为在阿兹卡班服刑的食死徒们当时试图窃取一个预言球。那个预言球的内容不明，不过人们纷纷猜测与哈利·波特有关，他是人们所知的惟一从杀戮咒中生还之人，而且据说事发那天夜里他也在魔法部。有人甚至称波特为“救世之星”，他们相信，那个预言指出只有波特才能使我们摆脱那个连名字也不能提的魔头。

A second newspaper lay beside the first. This one bore the headline:

那个预言球即使真的存在，目前也下落不明，不过（下转第2版，第5栏）

SCRIMGEOUR SUCCEEDS FUDGE

第二张报纸放在第一张旁边，上面的标题是：

Most of this front page was taken up with a large black-and-white picture of a man with a lionlike mane of thick hair and a rather ravaged face. The picture was moving — the man was waving at the ceiling.

斯克林杰接替福吉

Rufus Scrimgeour, previously Head of the Auror

头版的大部分版面都被一个男人的大幅黑白照片占据了，他有着一头狮子毛般浓密的头发和一张野蛮凶狠的脸。照片是活动的——那人正朝天花板挥着手。

office in the Department of Magical Law Enforce-

魔法部法律执行司的前任傲罗办公室主任鲁弗斯·斯克林杰接替康奈利·福吉出任魔法部部长。这一任命得到巫师界广泛而热烈的欢迎，不过新部长斯克林杰就任几个小时后，就有传言说他与刚刚恢复原职的威森加摩首席巫师阿不思·邓布利多关系不和。

ment, has succeeded Cornelius Fudge as Minister of

斯克林杰的代表承认，部长就任最高职务后即与邓布利多会面，但他拒绝透露他们所商谈的话题。据知阿不思·邓布利多（下转第3版，第2栏）

Magic. The appointment has largely been greeted

在这张报纸的左边，还有另外一张叠起来的报纸，上面一篇《魔法部保证学生安全》的文章正好露在外面。

with enthusiasm by the Wizarding community,

新任魔法部部长鲁弗斯·斯克林杰今天发表讲话说，魔法部采取了一些新的强硬措施，确保霍格沃茨魔法学校的学生于今秋安全返校。

though rumors of a rift between the new Minister

“出于显而易见的原因，魔法部绝不会透露其严密的最新安全计划的具体内容。”部长说。不过一位内部人士证实，这些措施包括一些防御魔法和咒语、一系列破解咒和一支专门派去保护霍格沃茨学校的傲罗小分队。

and Albus Dumbledore, newly reinstated Chief

新任部长坚决保证学生安全的立场似乎使大多数人消除了疑虑。奥古斯塔·隆巴顿夫人说：“我的孙子纳威——他碰巧是哈利·波特的一个好朋友，六月份曾在部里与哈利一起并肩抗击食死徒，而且——”

Warlock of the Wizengamot, surfaced within hours

这篇报道的其他内容都被一只放在上面的大鸟笼遮住了。鸟笼里关着一只气派非凡的雪白色猫头鹰。它那双琥珀色的眼睛威严地扫视着屋子，脑袋不时地转动一下，望望正在酣睡的主人。有一两次它还不耐烦地磕磕嘴巴，发出咔哒咔哒的声音，可是哈利睡得太沉了，根本听不见。

of Scrimgeour taking office.

屋子中间放着一只大箱子，盖子开着，似乎在期待着什么，但里面几乎是空的，只有箱底稀稀落落地扔着一些糖果、旧内衣、空墨水瓶和破羽毛笔。箱子旁边的地板上有一本紫色的小册子，上面印着醒目的文字：

Scrimgeour’s representatives admitted that he

魔法部授权出版

had met with Dumbledore at once upon taking

保护你家和家人　不受黑魔法侵害

possession of the top job, but refused to com-

目前巫师界受到一个自称食死徒的组织的威胁。遵守下列简单的安全准则将有助于保护您自己、您的家人和您的住宅免遭袭击。

ment on the topics under discussion. Albus Dum-

1、不要独自离家。

bledore is known to (ctd. page 3, column 2)

2、夜晚需要格外小心。外出尽可能在天黑前赶回。

To the left of this paper sat another, which had been folded so that a story bearing the title ministry guarantees students’ safety was visible.

3、检查住宅周围的安全防备，确保全家人都知道一些紧急措施，如使用铁甲咒、幻身咒等，家中未成年的孩子则需学会随从显形。

Newly appointed Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrim-

4、与亲朋好友商定安全暗号，以识破食死徒利用复方汤剂假冒他人（见第2页）。

geour, spoke today of the tough new measures

5、若察觉某位家庭成员、同事、朋友或邻居行为异常，请立即与魔法法律执行队联系。他们可能已被施了夺魂咒（见第4页）。

taken by his Ministry to ensure the safety of stu-

6、如若黑魔标记出现在任何住宅或建筑物上，千万不要进入，立即与傲罗办公室联系。

dents returning to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft

7、未经证实的消息说，食死徒现在可能使用阴尸（见第10页）。

and Wizardry this autumn.

若看见或遭遇阴尸，请即时向魔法部报告。

“For obvious reasons, the Ministry will not be

哈利在睡梦中哼了哼，脸颊顺着窗户往下滑了一两寸，眼镜歪得更厉害了，但是他没有醒。哈利几年前修好的一只闹钟在窗台上滴答滴答地走着，时间是十一点差一分。闹钟旁边，哈利松开的手里有一张羊皮纸，上面用细长的、歪向一边的笔迹写着一些字。这封信三天前被送来后，哈利经常拿出来看，刚送来时羊皮纸卷得紧紧的，现在已经平平展展了。

going into detail about its stringent new security

亲爱的哈利：

plans,” said the Minister, although an insider con-

如果你方便的话，我将在本星期五夜里十一点到女贞路四号来接你去陋居，他们邀请你在那里度过暑假剩余的日子。

firmed that measures include defensive spells and

另外，我在去陋居的路上要办一件事，若能得到你的协助我将非常高兴。详情见面时谈。

charms, a complex array of countercurses, and a

请将回信托这只猫头鹰捎回。星期五见。

small task force of Aurors dedicated solely to the

你最忠实的阿不思·邓布利多

protection of Hogwarts School.

信的内容哈利已经记得滚瓜烂熟，但自从晚上七点坐在卧室的窗户旁（这里能清楚地看见女贞路的两个路口）之后，他还是每过几分钟就忍不住偷偷再朝它撇上几眼。他知道没有必要反复地看邓布利多的信。哈利已经按照要求，把他肯定的回答让那只送信的猫头鹰捎了回去。他眼下能做的只有等待，不管邓布利多来还是不来。

Most seem reassured by the new Minister’s

可是哈利没有收拾行李。刚在德思礼家住了两个星期就要被解救出去，这件事太美妙了，不像是真的。他怎么也摆脱不了心头的疑虑，总觉得会有什么地方出差错——他给邓布利多的回信送到别处去了，邓布利多被耽搁了、不能来接他了，或者那封信根本不是邓布利多写来的，而是一个玩笑、恶作剧或陷阱。如果高高兴兴地收拾好行李，到头来大失所望，还要把东西一件件地从箱子里再拿出来，哈利肯定会受不了的。对于可能到来的旅行，他惟一的举动就是把他那只雪白的猫头鹰海德薇牢牢地关在笼子里。

tough stand on student safety. Said Mrs. Augusta

闹钟的分针指向了十二，几乎就在同时，窗外的路灯突然熄灭了。这突如其来的黑暗像闹铃一样把哈利惊醒了。他赶紧扶正了眼镜，把贴在玻璃上的面颊移开，而把鼻子贴在了窗户上，眯起眼睛看着下面的人行道。一个身穿长斗篷的高高身影正顺着花园小路走来。

Longbottom, “My grandson, Neville — a good

哈利像遭到电击一样腾地跳了起来，带翻了椅子。他开始把地板上够得着的东西胡乱地全部抓起来扔进箱子。他刚把一套长袍、两本魔法书和一包脆饼从房间那头扔过来，门铃就响了。

friend of Harry Potter’s, incidentally, who fought

楼下的客厅里传来弗农姨父的喊声：“真见鬼，这么晚了谁在叫门？”

the Death Eaters alongside him at the Ministry in

哈利僵在了那里，一手拿着黄铜望远镜，一手拎着一双运动鞋。他完全忘记了告诉德思礼一家邓布利多可能会来。他觉得又紧张又好笑，赶紧从箱子上翻过去，拧开卧室的门，正好听见一个低沉的声音说：“晚上好。想必你就是德思礼先生吧。我相信哈利一定对你说过我要来接他，是不是？”

June and —

哈利一步两级地冲下楼梯，在离楼底还有几级时猛地刹住脚步，长期以来的经验告诉他，任何时候都要尽量与姨父保持距离，别让姨父的手臂够着他。门口站着一个瘦高个子的男人，银白色的头发和胡子一直垂到腰际。他的鹰钩鼻上架着一副半月形的眼镜，身穿一件黑色的旅行斗篷，头戴一顶尖帽子。弗农·德思礼的胡子差不多跟邓布利多的一样浓密，不过是黑色的，他身穿一件紫褐色的晨衣，正呆呆地盯着来人，似乎不敢相信他那双小眼睛看到的一切。

But the rest of this story was obscured by the large birdcage standing on top of it. Inside it was a magnificent snowy owl. Her amber eyes surveyed the room imperiously, her head swiveling occasionally to gaze at her snoring master. Once or twice she clicked her beak impatiently, but Harry was too deeply asleep to hear her.

“从你这么惊讶、不敢相信的神情看，哈利没有告诉你我要来。”邓布利多亲切随和地说，“不过，让我们假定你已经热情地邀请我进入你的家门吧。如今时局动荡，在门口逗留时间过长是不明智的。”

A large trunk stood in the very middle of the room. Its lid was open; it looked expectant; yet it was almost empty but for a residue of old underwear, sweets, empty ink bottles, and broken quills that coated the very bottom. Nearby, on the floor, lay a purple leaflet emblazoned with the words:

他敏捷地跨过门槛，关上了身后的大门。

— issued on behalf of —

“我上次来过以后，已经有很长时间了。”邓布利多的目光从鹰钩鼻上望着弗农姨父，“必须承认，你的百子莲开得很茂盛。”

The Ministry of Magic

弗农·德思礼没有吭声。但哈利相信他很快就会缓过劲儿来说话的——姨父太阳穴上的血管跳得都快爆炸了——但是邓布利多身上的某种东西似乎使他一时喘不过气来。也许是邓布利多所显露出的惹人注目的巫师气质，也许只是因为就连弗农姨父也能感觉到，他很难在这个男人面前耀武扬威。

PROTECTING YOUR HOME AND FAMILY

“啊，晚上好，哈利，”邓布利多从半月形眼镜片的后面望着哈利，脸上带着十分满意的表情，“太好了，太好了。”

AGAINST DARK FORCES The Wizarding community is currently under threat from an organization calling itself the Death Eaters. Observing the following simple security guidelines will help protect you, your family, and your home from attack.

这句话似乎唤醒了弗农姨父。显然对他来说，任何一个能够看着哈利说“太好了”的人，他都永远不可能跟那人达成共识。

1. You are advised not to leave the house alone.

“我不是故意失礼——”他说，话里的每一个音节都透着无礼。

2. Particular care should be taken during the hours of dark-

“——然而，我们还是经常会碰到意外的失礼。”邓布利多严肃地接过他的话头，“最好什么也别说啦，亲爱的伙计。啊，这位肯定是佩妮。”

ness. Wherever possible, arrange to complete journeys be-

厨房的门开了，哈利的姨妈站在那里，戴着橡胶手套，晨衣上套着一件家常便服，显然她正像往常一样要在睡觉前把整个厨房的表面都擦一遍。她那长长的马脸上满是惊恐。

fore night has fallen.

“阿不思·邓布利多。”邓布利多看到弗农没有给他作介绍，便说道，“当然啦，我们是通过信的。”哈利觉得，用这种方式提醒佩妮邓布利多曾经给她寄过一封吼叫信，听着有点好笑，但是佩妮姨妈并没有对这种说法表示异议。“这一定是你们的儿子达力吧？”

3. Review the security arrangements around your house,

达力这时候从客厅门口探出头，他那个一头黄发的大脑袋戳在条纹睡衣的领口外，看上去好像不是长在他身体上似的。因为吃惊和害怕，他的嘴巴张得大大的。邓布利多等了片刻，似乎想听听德思礼一家有什么话要说，看到他们继续沉默着，他便笑了。

making sure that all family members are aware of emer-

“我们能不能假设，你们已经邀请我进入你们家的客厅了？”

gency measures such as Shield and Disillusionment

邓布利多经过达力身边时，达力慌忙闪到一边。哈利跳下最后几级楼梯，跟着邓布利多进了客厅，手里仍然抓着望远镜和运动鞋。邓布利多在最靠近壁炉的扶手椅上坐了下来，带着善意的兴趣打量着房间里的一切。他看上去与周围的环境完全不协调。

Charms, and, in the case of underage family members,

“我们——我们走吗，先生？”哈利焦急地问。

Side-Along-Apparition.

“走，当然要走，不过有几件事需要先商量一下。”邓布利多说，“我认为我们最好不要在外面谈论这些事，所以只好多打扰你的姨妈和姨父一会儿了。”

4. Agree on security questions with close friends and family

“什么，你们？”

so as to detect Death Eaters masquerading as others by use

弗农姨父也进了客厅，佩妮站在他身边，达力战战兢兢地躲在他们俩后面。

of the Polyjuice Potion (see page 2).

“没错，”邓布利多简短地说，“是这样的。”

5. Should you feel that a family member, colleague, friend, or

他忽地拔出魔杖，快得哈利都没看清。魔杖轻轻一挥，沙发嗖地冲了过去，撞在德思礼家三个人的膝盖上。他们一下子没有站住脚，全都栽倒在沙发上，滚作一团。魔杖又是轻轻一挥，沙发又嗖地回到了原处。

neighbor is acting in a strange manner, contact the Magi-

“我们也可以舒服一些。”邓布利多愉快地说。

cal Law Enforcement Squad at once. They may have been

他把魔杖重新放回了口袋，这时哈利看见他的那只手既干枯又焦黑，好像上面的肉都被烧干了。

put under the Imperius Curse (see page 4).

“先生——这是怎么搞的——？”

6. Should the Dark Mark appear over any dwelling place or

“以后再说，哈利，”邓布利多说，“坐下吧。”

other building, DO NOT ENTER, but contact the Auror

哈利在另外那把扶手椅上坐了下来，尽量不去看德思礼一家，他们似乎被吓得说不出话来了。

office immediately.

“我本来以为你们会让我喝点儿什么，”邓布利多对弗农姨父说，“现在看来，这种期望是乐观到了可笑的程度。”

7. Unconfirmed sightings suggest that the Death Eaters may

魔杖第三次轻轻一挥，空中出现了一只脏兮兮的酒瓶和五只玻璃杯。瓶子自动侧过来给每只杯子倒满了蜜黄色的液体，然后杯子分别飘向房间里的每个人。

now be using Inferi (see page 10). Any sighting of an In-

“罗斯默塔夫人最好的栎木催熟的蜂蜜酒。”邓布利多说着，朝哈利举了举杯。

ferius, or encounter with same, should be reported to the

哈利抓住他自己的那杯酒喝了一小口。他以前从没尝过这种东西，但是非常喜欢。德思礼一家惊慌失措地迅速对视了一下，然后便拼命躲避着他们的杯子。这可不太容易，因为杯子不停地轻轻撞着他们的脑袋提醒他们。哈利忍不住怀疑邓布利多是不是在故意搞恶作剧。

Ministry IMMEDIATELY.

“好了，哈利，”邓布利多转向他说，“现在有了一个难题，我希望你能帮我们解决。我说的‘我们’指的是凤凰社。不过，我首先要告诉你，小天狼星的遗嘱一个星期前被发现了，他把他所有的一切都留给了你。”

Harry grunted in his sleep and his face slid down the window an inch or so, making his glasses still more lopsided, but he did not wake up. An alarm clock, repaired by Harry several years ago, ticked loudly on the sill, showing one minute to eleven. Beside it, held in place by Harry’s relaxed hand, was a piece of parchment covered in thin, slanting writing. Harry had read this letter so often since its arrival three days ago that although it had been delivered in a tightly furled scroll, it now lay quite flat.

沙发上的弗农姨父转过头，但是哈利没有看他，也想不出该说什么话，只回了一句：“噢，是吗。”

Dear Harry,

“这基本上还是比较简单的，”邓布利多继续说道，“你在古灵阁的账户上又多了一大笔金子，你还继承了小天狼星所有的个人财物。遗产中有点儿问题的部分是——”

If it is convenient to you, I shall call at number four, Privet

“他的教父死了？”弗农姨父在沙发上大声问道。邓布利多和哈利都扭头看着他。那杯蜂蜜酒这会儿已经是不依不饶地敲着弗农的脑袋，他则拼命想把它赶走。“他死了？他的教父？”

Drive this coming Friday at eleven P.M. to escort you to the

“是的。”邓布利多说。他没有问哈利为什么没把这件事告诉德思礼一家。“现在的问题是，”他继续对哈利说，就好像没被打断似的，“小天狼星还把格里莫广场12号也留给了你。”

Burrow, where you have been invited to spend the remainder

“给他留下了一幢房子？”弗农姨父贪婪地说，一双小眼睛眯了起来，但是没有人理睬他。

of your school holidays.

“你们可以把它留着做总部。”哈利说，“我不在乎。你们可以用它，我其实并不需要。”只要有可能，哈利再也不想跨进格里莫广场12号。他觉得自己一辈子都忘不了小天狼星曾经在那些昏暗发霉的房间里独自徘徊，被囚禁在那个他日夜渴望离开的地方。

If you are agreeable, I should also be glad of your assistance

“那太慷慨了。”邓布利多说，“不过，我们暂时撤出了那幢房子。”

in a matter to which I hope to attend on the way to the

“为什么？”

Burrow. I shall explain this more fully when I see you.

“是这样，”邓布利多没有理会弗农姨父的嘟囔，继续往下说——这时候弗农姨父的脑袋被那杯蜂蜜酒敲得当当直响，“布莱克家族的传统规定，房子世代相传，要传给下一个姓布莱克的男性。小天狼星是他的家族里最后一位传人，因为他的弟弟雷古勒斯死在他之前，而他们俩都没有孩子。虽然他的遗嘱里说得很清楚，要把房子留给你，但那地方可能被施过一些魔法或咒语，以确保不让任何一个非纯血统的人占据它。”

Kindly send your answer by return of this owl. Hoping to

哈利脑海里闪过一个画面，是格里莫广场12号大厅里那幅小天狼星的母亲尖叫、怒骂的肖像。“肯定是那样。”他说。

see you this Friday,

“是啊，”邓布利多说，“如果存在这种魔咒，那么，这幢房子的所有权很可能就要属于布莱克家族现存的年纪最长的人，也就是小天狼星的堂姐，贝拉特里克斯·莱斯特兰奇①了。”

I am, yours most sincerely,

哈利还没意识到自己在做什么，就一下子跳了起来，腿上的望远镜和运动鞋都滚到了地上。贝拉特里克斯·莱斯特兰奇，杀死小天狼星的凶手，继承他的房子？

Albus Dumbledore

“不！”他说。

Though he already knew it by heart, Harry had been stealing glances at this missive every few minutes since seven o’clock that evening, when he had first taken up his position beside his bedroom window, which had a reasonable view of both ends of Privet Drive. He knew it was pointless to keep rereading Dumbledore’s words; Harry had sent back his “yes” with the delivering owl, as requested, and all he could do now was wait: Either Dumbledore was going to come, or he was not.

“是啊，我们肯定也不希望她得到它。”邓布利多平静地说，“情况相当复杂。房子的所有权不归小天狼星了，我们就不知道我们原来给它施的一些魔法，比如让它无法在地图上标绘等等，现在还管不管用。贝拉特里克斯随时都会出现在门口。所以我们只好先搬出去，等情况弄清楚了再说。”

But Harry had not packed. It just seemed too good to be true that he was going to be rescued from the Dursleys after a mere fortnight of their company. He could not shrug off the feeling that something was going to go wrong — his reply to Dumbledore’s letter might have gone astray; Dumbledore could be prevented from collecting him; the letter might turn out not to be from Dumbledore at all, but a trick or joke or trap. Harry had not been able to face packing and then being let down and having to unpack again. The only gesture he had made to the possibility of a journey was to shut his snowy owl, Hedwig, safely in her cage.

“但你怎么能弄清我是不是可以拥有它呢？”

The minute hand on the alarm clock reached the number twelve and, at that precise moment, the streetlamp outside the window went out.

“幸好，”邓布利多说，“有一种简单的测试办法。”

Harry awoke as though the sudden darkness were an alarm. Hastily straightening his glasses and unsticking his cheek from the glass, he pressed his nose against the window instead and squinted down at the pavement. A tall figure in a long, billowing cloak was walking up the garden path.

他把空杯子放在椅子旁边的小桌子上，没等他再做什么，弗农姨父就喊道：“你能把这些该死的东西从我们这儿弄走吗？”

Harry jumped up as though he had received an electric shock, knocked over his chair, and started snatching anything and everything within reach from the floor and throwing it into the trunk. Even as he lobbed a set of robes, two spellbooks, and a packet of crisps across the room, the doorbell rang. Downstairs in the living room his Uncle Vernon shouted, “Who the blazes is calling at this time of night?”

哈利扭头一看，德思礼家的三个人都用胳膊护着脑袋，因为他们的杯子正跳上跳下地撞着他们的脑壳，里面的酒洒得到处都是。

Harry froze with a brass telescope in one hand and a pair of trainers in the other. He had completely forgotten to warn the Dursleys that Dumbledore might be coming. Feeling both panicky and close to laughter, he clambered over the trunk and wrenched open his bedroom door in time to hear a deep voice say, “Good evening. You must be Mr. Dursley. I daresay Harry has told you I would be coming for him?”

“哦，对不起。”邓布利多不失礼貌地说，又把魔杖举了起来。三只玻璃杯一下子就消失了。“可是你知道，把它喝掉才更有风度。”

Harry ran down the stairs two at a time, coming to an abrupt halt several steps from the bottom, as long experience had taught him to remain out of arm’s reach of his uncle whenever possible. There in the doorway stood a tall, thin man with waist-length silver hair and beard. Half-moon spectacles were perched on his crooked nose, and he was wearing a long black traveling cloak and a pointed hat. Vernon Dursley, whose mustache was quite as bushy as Dumbledore’s, though black, and who was wearing a puce dressing gown, was staring at the visitor as though he could not believe his tiny eyes.

弗农姨父似乎忍不住想说几句难听的话作为反击，但他只是跟佩妮姨妈和达力一起缩进沙发垫子里，一声不吭，一双小小的猪眼睛紧盯着邓布利多的魔杖。

“Judging by your look of stunned disbelief, Harry did not warn you that I was coming,” said Dumbledore pleasantly. “However, let us assume that you have invited me warmly into your house. It is unwise to linger overlong on doorsteps in these troubled times.”

“你看，”邓布利多说着又转向哈利，就当弗农姨父根本没开口似的继续说道，“如果你确实继承了那幢房子，你同时便会继承——”

He stepped smartly over the threshold and closed the front door behind him.

他第五次挥动魔杖。随着一记很响的爆裂声，一个家养小精灵出现了，他鼻子向上突起，长着一对大大的蝙蝠状耳朵和一双铜铃般的、充血的眼睛。他身上穿着脏兮兮的破衣服，蹲在德思礼家的长绒地毯上。佩妮姨妈发出一声令人汗毛直竖的尖叫，从她记事起，她家里从没进来过这么肮脏的东西。达力赶紧把他那双粉红色的大光脚丫从地板上抬起来，差不多举过了头顶，就好像他害怕那怪物会顺着他睡衣的裤腿爬上去似的。弗农姨父吼道：“那是个什么玩意儿？”

“It is a long time since my last visit,” said Dumbledore, peering down his crooked nose at Uncle Vernon. “I must say, your agapanthus are flourishing.”

“克利切。”邓布利多接着刚才的话说。

Vernon Dursley said nothing at all. Harry did not doubt that speech would return to him, and soon — the vein pulsing in his uncle’s temple was reaching danger point — but something about Dumbledore seemed to have robbed him temporarily of breath. It might have been the blatant wizardishness of his appearance, but it might, too, have been that even Uncle Vernon could sense that here was a man whom it would be very difficult to bully.

“克利切不要，克利切不要，克利切不要！”家养小精灵哑着嗓子说，声音几乎跟弗农姨父的一样高，一边还跺着他那双长长的、皱巴巴的脚，揪着他的那对大耳朵，“克利切属于贝拉特里克斯小姐，噢，没错，克利切属于布莱克家的人，克利切想要新的女主人，克利切不要归那个波特小子，克利切不要，不要，不要——”

“Ah, good evening Harry,” said Dumbledore, looking up at him through his half-moon glasses with a most satisfied expression. “Excellent, excellent.”

“你也看出来了，哈利，”邓布利多提高了音量，盖过了克利切那不停歇的“不要，不要，不要”的嘶喊，“克利切不愿意归你所有。”

These words seemed to rouse Uncle Vernon. It was clear that as far as he was concerned, any man who could look at Harry and say “excellent” was a man with whom he could never see eye to eye.

“我不在乎，”哈利厌恶地看着那个不断扭动、跺着脚的家养小精灵，又把话说了一遍，“我不想要他。”

“I don’t mean to be rude —” he began, in a tone that threatened rudeness in every syllable.

“不要，不要，不要，不要——”

“— yet, sadly, accidental rudeness occurs alarmingly often,” Dumbledore finished the sentence gravely. “Best to say nothing at all, my dear man. Ah, and this must be Petunia.”

“那么你情愿让他落到贝拉特里克斯·莱斯特兰奇手里啰？你别忘了，他去年可一直住在凤凰社的总部啊！”

The kitchen door had opened, and there stood Harry’s aunt, wearing rubber gloves and a housecoat over her nightdress, clearly halfway through her usual pre-bedtime wipe-down of all the kitchen surfaces. Her rather horsey face registered nothing but shock.

“不要，不要，不要，不要——”

“Albus Dumbledore,” said Dumbledore, when Uncle Vernon failed to effect an introduction. “We have corresponded, of course.” Harry thought this an odd way of reminding Aunt Petunia that he had once sent her an exploding letter, but Aunt Petunia did not challenge the term. “And this must be your son, Dudley?”

哈利呆呆地望着邓布利多。他知道绝不能让克利切跟贝拉特里克斯·莱斯特兰奇生活在一起，但是想到克利切要归他所有，想到他要对这个曾经背叛过小天狼的家伙负责，他感到一阵厌恶。

Dudley had that moment peered round the living room door. His large, blond head rising out of the stripy collar of his pajamas looked oddly disembodied, his mouth gaping in astonishment and fear. Dumbledore waited a moment or two, apparently to see whether any of the Dursleys were going to say anything, but as the silence stretched on he smiled.

“给他下个命令吧。”邓布利多说，“如果他现在属于你了，他就不得不服从。如果你不要他，我们就必须想别的办法不让他跟他法定的女主人在一起。”

“Shall we assume that you have invited me into your sitting room?

“不要，不要，不要，不要！”克利切简直是在声嘶力竭地尖叫了。

Dudley scrambled out of the way as Dumbledore passed him. Harry, still clutching the telescope and trainers, jumped the last few stairs and followed Dumbledore, who had settled himself in the armchair nearest the fire and was taking in the surroundings with an expression of benign interest. He looked quite extraordinarily out of place.

哈利想不出什么可说，就喊了一句：“克利切，闭嘴！”

“Aren’t — aren’t we leaving, sir?” Harry asked anxiously.

顿时，克利切好像被呛住了。他掐住了自己的喉咙，嘴巴还在愤怒地动个不停，眼睛向外突起着。他大口大口地喘息了几秒钟，突然向前扑倒在地毯上（佩妮姨妈抽抽搭搭地哭了起来），双手和双脚使劲敲打着地板，发起了来势凶猛、但绝对无声的大脾气。

“Yes, indeed we are, but there are a few matters we need to discuss first,” said Dumbledore. “And I would prefer not to do so in the open. We shall trespass upon your aunt and uncle’s hospitality only a little longer.”

“好，这样事情就简单了，”邓布利多高兴地说，“看来小天狼星头脑很清楚。你是格里莫广场12号以及克利切的合法主人了。”

“You will, will you?”

“我——我必须把他带在身边吗？”哈利惊恐地问，克利切在他脚边剧烈地扭动着。

Vernon Dursley had entered the room, Petunia at his shoulder, and Dudley skulking behind them both.

“如果你不愿意，就不用。”邓布利多说，“我不妨提一个建议，你可以把他派到霍格沃茨，让他在厨房里干活。那样，别的家养小精灵还可以监视他。”

“Yes,” said Dumbledore simply, “I shall.”

“好，”哈利松了口气说，“好，就这么办。嗯——克利切——我要你到霍格沃茨去，在那里的厨房里跟别的家养小精灵一起干活。”

He drew his wand so rapidly that Harry barely saw it; with a casual flick, the sofa zoomed forward and knocked the knees out from under all three of the Dursleys so that they collapsed upon it in a heap. Another flick of the wand and the sofa zoomed back to its original position.

克利切此刻平躺在地上，四脚朝天，翻着眼睛充满怨恨地看了哈利一眼。然后，又是一记很响的爆裂声，他消失了。

“We may as well be comfortable,” said Dumbledore pleasantly.

“很好，”邓布利多说道，“还有一件事，是关于鹰头马身有翼兽巴克比克的。自从小天狼星死后，一直是海格在照料他，但是巴克比克现在属于你了，所以，如果你愿意另作安排——”

As he replaced his wand in his pocket, Harry saw that his hand was blackened and shriveled; it looked as though his flesh had been burned away.

“不，”哈利立刻说道，“就让它跟海格在一起吧。我想巴克比克也愿意那样。”

“Sir — what happened to your — ?”

“海格会很高兴的。”邓布利多微笑着说，“顺便说一句，为了巴克比克的安全，我们决定暂时给它改名叫蔫翼，其实我不相信魔法部会猜到它就是他们曾经判处死刑的那只鹰头马身有翼兽。好，哈利，你的箱子收拾好了吗？”

“Later, Harry,” said Dumbledore. “Please sit down.”

“嗯……”

Harry took the remaining armchair, choosing not to look at the Dursleys, who seemed stunned into silence.

“不相信我真的会来？”邓布利多尖锐地指出。

“I would assume that you were going to offer me refreshment,” Dumbledore said to Uncle Vernon, “but the evidence so far suggests that that would be optimistic to the point of foolishness.”

“我这就去——嗯——把它收拾好。”哈利赶紧说道，一边匆匆捡起掉在地上的望远镜和运动鞋。

A third twitch of the wand, and a dusty bottle and five glasses appeared in midair. The bottle tipped and poured a generous measure of honey-colored liquid into each of the glasses, which then floated to each person in the room.

他花了十多分钟才把他需要的每件东西都找齐了。最后，他总算从床底下抽出了他的隐形衣，拧上那瓶变色墨水的盖子，又把箱子盖使劲压在坩埚上盖好。然后，他一手拎着箱子，一手提着海德薇的笼子，下楼来了。

“Madam Rosmerta’s finest oak-matured mead,” said Dumbledore, raising his glass to Harry, who caught hold of his own and sipped. He had never tasted anything like it before, but enjoyed it immensely. The Dursleys, after quick, scared looks at one another, tried to ignore their glasses completely, a difficult feat, as they were nudging them gently on the sides of their heads. Harry could not suppress a suspicion that Dumbledore was rather enjoying himself.

他失望地发现，邓布利多并没有在门厅里等着，这就意味着他不得不再回到客厅去。

“Well, Harry,” said Dumbledore, turning toward him, “a difficulty has arisen which I hope you will be able to solve for us. By us, I mean the Order of the Phoenix. But first of all I must tell you that Sirius’s will was discovered a week ago and that he left you everything he owned.”

没有一个人说话。邓布利多轻声哼着小曲儿，一副自得其乐的样子，但是屋里的空气比冰冻的牛奶蛋糊还要凝重。哈利不敢看德思礼一家，只是说道：“教授——我准备好了。”

Over on the sofa, Uncle Vernon’s head turned, but Harry did not look at him, nor could he think of anything to say except, “Oh. Right.”

“很好。”邓布利多说，“还有最后一件事，”他又一次转过身对德思礼一家说，“你们无疑也意识到了，哈利再过一年就成年了——”

“This is, in the main, fairly straightforward,” Dumbledore went on. “You add a reasonable amount of gold to your account at Gringotts, and you inherit all of Sirius’s personal possessions. The slightly problematic part of the legacy —”

“不。”佩妮姨妈说，这是她在邓布利多到来后第一次开口说话。

“His godfather’s dead?” said Uncle Vernon loudly from the sofa. Dumbledore and Harry both turned to look at him. The glass of mead was now knocking quite insistently on the side of Vernon’s head; he attempted to beat it away. “He’s dead? His godfather?”

“对不起，你说什么？”邓布利多礼貌地问。

“Yes,” said Dumbledore. He did not ask Harry why he had not confided in the Dursleys. “Our problem,” he continued to Harry, as if there had been no interruption, “is that Sirius also left you number twelve, Grimmauld Place.”

“不，他还没有成年。他比达力小一个月，达力要到后年才满十八岁呢。”

“He’s been left a house?” said Uncle Vernon greedily, his small eyes narrowing, but nobody answered him.

“啊，”邓布利多和气地说，“可是在巫师界，满十七岁就成年了。”

“You can keep using it as headquarters,” said Harry. “I don’t care. You can have it, I don’t really want it.” Harry never wanted to set foot in number twelve, Grimmauld Place again if he could help it. He thought he would be haunted forever by the memory of Sirius prowling its dark musty rooms alone, imprisoned within the place he had wanted so desperately to leave.

弗农姨父嘟囔了一句“荒唐”，但邓布利多没有理他。

“That is generous,” said Dumbledore. “We have, however, vacated the building temporarily.”

“你们已经知道，如今，那个名叫伏地魔的巫师又回到了这个国家。巫师界目前正处于一种公开交战的状态。伏地魔已经多次试图杀害哈利，现在哈利的处境，比十五年前我把他放在你们家台阶上时更加危险。当时我留下一封信，解释说他的父母已被杀害，并希望你们会像对待自己的孩子一样照顾他。”

“Why?”

邓布利多停住了，尽管他的声音还是那么轻松、平静，脸上也没有表现出丝毫的怒容，但哈利感觉到他身上散发出一股寒意。他注意到德思礼一家互相挤缩得更紧了。

“Well,” said Dumbledore, ignoring the mutterings of Uncle Vernon, who was now being rapped smartly over the head by the persistent glass of mead, “Black family tradition decreed that the house was handed down the direct line, to the next male with the name of ‘Black.’ Sirius was the very last of the line as his younger brother, Regulus, predeceased him and both were childless. While his will makes it perfectly plain that he wants you to have the house, it is nevertheless possible that some spell or enchantment has been set upon the place to ensure that it cannot be owned by anyone other than a pureblood.”

“你们没有按我说的去做。你们从来不把哈利当成自己的儿子。他在你们手里，得到的只是忽视和经常性的虐待。不幸中的万幸，他至少逃脱了你们对坐在你们中间的那个倒霉男孩造成的那种可怕伤害。”

A vivid image of the shrieking, spitting portrait of Sirius’s mother that hung in the hall of number twelve, Grimmauld Place flashed into Harry’s mind. “I bet there has,” he said.

佩妮姨妈和弗农姨父都本能地转过目光，似乎以为会看见挤坐在他们中间的不是达力，而是别的什么人。

“Quite,” said Dumbledore. “And if such an enchantment exists, then the ownership of the house is most likely to pass to the eldest of Sirius’s living relatives, which would mean his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange.”

“我们——虐待达力？你这是——？”弗农姨父气愤地说，可是邓布利多举起一只手示意安静，屋里立刻静了下来，仿佛他一下子把弗农姨父变成了哑巴。

Without realizing what he was doing, Harry sprang to his feet; the telescope and trainers in his lap rolled across the floor. Bellatrix Lestrange, Sirius’s killer, inherit his house?

“我十五年前施的那个魔法，意味着在哈利仍然可以把这里当家的时候，他会得到强有力的保护。他在这里不管过得多么可怜，多么不受欢迎，多么遭人虐待，你们至少还是很不情愿地给了他一个容身之处。当哈利年满十七岁，也就是说，当他成为一个男人，这个魔法就会失效。我只要求一点：你们在哈利十七岁生日前允许他再次回到这个家，这将保证那种保护力量一直持续到那个时候。”

“No,” he said.

德思礼一家谁也没有吭声。达力微微皱着眉头，似乎还在琢磨他到底受到了什么虐待。弗农姨父看上去像是喉咙里卡了什么东西。佩妮姨妈呢，却莫名其妙地涨红了脸。

“Well, obviously we would prefer that she didn’t get it either,” said Dumbledore calmly. “The situation is fraught with complications. We do not know whether the enchantments we ourselves have placed upon it, for example, making it Unplottable, will hold now that ownership has passed from Sirius’s hands. It might be that Bellatrix will arrive on the doorstep at any moment. Naturally we had to move out until such time as we have clarified the position.”

“好了，哈利……我们该出发了。”邓布利多最后说道。他站了起来，整了整长长的黑斗篷。“下次再见。”他对德思礼一家说，而从他们的表情看，他们希望永远不要再见才好。然后，邓布利多戴上帽子，快步走出了房间。

“But how are you going to find out if I’m allowed to own it?”

“再见。”哈利匆匆向德思礼一家道了个别，便也跟了出来。邓布利多在哈利的箱子旁停住脚步，箱子上还放着海德薇的鸟笼子。

“Fortunately,” said Dumbledore, “there is a simple test.”

“现在我们可不想带着它们碍事，”他说着又抽出了魔杖，“我把它们送到陋居，让它们在那儿等我们吧。不过，我希望你把隐形衣带上……以防万一。”

He placed his empty glass on a small table beside his chair, but before he could do anything else, Uncle Vernon shouted, “Will you get these ruddy things off us?”

哈利费了一些力气才把隐形衣从箱子里抽出来，因为他不想让邓布利多看到箱子里有多乱。等他把隐形衣塞进了夹克衫里面的口袋，邓布利多一挥魔杖，箱子、笼子和海德薇便一下子全消失了。然后，邓布利多又挥了一下魔杖，大门便朝着寒冷的、雾蒙蒙的夜色敞开了。

Harry looked around; all three of the Dursleys were cowering with their arms over their heads as their glasses bounced up and down on their skulls, their contents flying everywhere.

“好了，哈利，让我们走进黑夜里，去追逐那个轻浮而诱人的妖妇——冒险吧。”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” said Dumbledore politely, and he raised his wand again. All three glasses vanished. “But it would have been better manners to drink it, you know.”

①贝拉特里克斯·莱斯特兰奇本名叫贝拉特里克斯·布莱克，因为嫁给罗道夫斯·莱斯特兰奇为妻，所以从了夫姓。详情请见《哈利·波特与凤凰社》第80页。

It looked as though Uncle Vernon was bursting with any number of unpleasant retorts, but he merely shrank back into the cushions with Aunt Petunia and Dudley and said nothing, keeping his small piggy eyes on Dumbledore’s wand.

“You see,” Dumbledore said, turning back to Harry and again speaking as though Uncle Vernon had not uttered, “if you have indeed inherited the house, you have also inherited —”

He flicked his wand for a fifth time. There was a loud crack, and a house-elf appeared, with a snout for a nose, giant bat’s ears, and enormous bloodshot eyes, crouching on the Dursleys’ shag carpet and covered in grimy rags. Aunt Petunia let out a hair-raising shriek; nothing this filthy had entered her house in living memory. Dudley drew his large, bare, pink feet off the floor and sat with them raised almost above his head, as though he thought the creature might run up his pajama trousers, and Uncle Vernon bellowed, “What the hell is that?”

“Kreacher,” finished Dumbledore.

“Kreacher won’t, Kreacher won’t, Kreacher won’t!” croaked the house-elf, quite as loudly as Uncle Vernon, stamping his long, gnarled feet and pulling his ears. “Kreacher belongs to Miss Bellatrix, oh yes, Kreacher belongs to the Blacks, Kreacher wants his new mistress, Kreacher won’t go to the Potter brat, Kreacher won’t, won’t, won’t —”

“As you can see, Harry,” said Dumbledore loudly, over Kreacher’s continued croaks of “won’t, won’t, won’t,” “Kreacher is showing a certain reluctance to pass into your ownership.”

“I don’t care,” said Harry again, looking with disgust at the writhing, stamping house-elf. “I don’t want him.”

“Won’t, won’t, won’t, won’t —”

“You would prefer him to pass into the ownership of Bellatrix Lestrange? Bearing in mind that he has lived at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix for the past year?”

“Won’t, won’t, won’t, won’t —”

Harry stared at Dumbledore. He knew that Kreacher could not be permitted to go and live with Bellatrix Lestrange, but the idea of owning him, of having responsibility for the creature that had betrayed Sirius, was repugnant.

“Give him an order,” said Dumbledore. “If he has passed into your ownership, he will have to obey. If not, then we shall have to think of some other means of keeping him from his rightful mistress.”

“Won’t, won’t, won’t, WON’T !”

Kreacher’s voice had risen to a scream. Harry could think of nothing to say, except, “Kreacher, shut up!”

It looked for a moment as though Kreacher was going to choke. He grabbed his throat, his mouth still working furiously, his eyes bulging. After a few seconds of frantic gulping, he threw himself face forward onto the carpet (Aunt Petunia whimpered) and beat the floor with his hands and feet, giving himself over to a violent, but entirely silent, tantrum.

“Well, that simplifies matters,” said Dumbledore cheerfully. “It seems that Sirius knew what he was doing. You are the rightful owner of number twelve, Grimmauld Place and of Kreacher.”

“Do I — do I have to keep him with me?” Harry asked, aghast, as Kreacher thrashed around at his feet.

“Not if you don’t want to,” said Dumbledore. “If I might make a suggestion, you could send him to Hogwarts to work in the kitchen there. In that way, the other house-elves could keep an eye on him.”

“Yeah,” said Harry in relief, “yeah, I’ll do that. Er — Kreacher — I want you to go to Hogwarts and work in the kitchens there with the other house-elves.”

Kreacher, who was now lying flat on his back with his arms and legs in the air, gave Harry one upside-down look of deepest loathing and, with another loud crack, vanished.

“Good,” said Dumbledore. “There is also the matter of the hippogriff, Buckbeak. Hagrid has been looking after him since Sirius died, but Buckbeak is yours now, so if you would prefer to make different arrangements —”

“No,” said Harry at once, “he can stay with Hagrid. I think Buckbeak would prefer that.”

“Hagrid will be delighted,” said Dumbledore, smiling. “He was thrilled to see Buckbeak again. Incidentally, we have decided, in the interests of Buckbeak’s safety, to rechristen him ‘Witherwings’ for the time being, though I doubt that the Ministry would ever guess he is the hippogriff they once sentenced to death. Now, Harry, is your trunk packed?”

“Erm . . .”

“Doubtful that I would turn up?” Dumbledore suggested shrewdly.

“I’ll just go and — er — finish off,” said Harry hastily, hurrying to pick up his fallen telescope and trainers.

It took him a little over ten minutes to track down everything he needed; at last he had managed to extract his Invisibility Cloak from under the bed, screwed the top back on his jar of colorchange ink, and forced the lid of his trunk shut on his cauldron. Then, heaving his trunk in one hand and holding Hedwig’s cage in the other, he made his way back downstairs.

He was disappointed to discover that Dumbledore was not waiting in the hall, which meant that he had to return to the living room.

Nobody was talking. Dumbledore was humming quietly, apparently quite at his ease, but the atmosphere was thicker than cold custard, and Harry did not dare look at the Dursleys as he said, “Professor — I’m ready now.”

“Good,” said Dumbledore. “Just one last thing, then.” And he turned to speak to the Dursleys once more.

“As you will no doubt be aware, Harry comes of age in a year’s time —”

“No,” said Aunt Petunia, speaking for the first time since Dumbledore’s arrival.

“I’m sorry?” said Dumbledore politely.

“No, he doesn’t. He’s a month younger than Dudley, and Dudders doesn’t turn eighteen until the year after next.”

“Ah,” said Dumbledore pleasantly, “but in the Wizarding world, we come of age at seventeen.”

Uncle Vernon muttered, “Preposterous,” but Dumbledore ignored him.

“Now, as you already know, the wizard called Lord Voldemort has returned to this country. The Wizarding community is currently in a state of open warfare. Harry, whom Lord Voldemort has already attempted to kill on a number of occasions, is in even greater danger now than the day when I left him upon your doorstep fifteen years ago, with a letter explaining about his parents’ murder and expressing the hope that you would care for him as though he were your own.”

Dumbledore paused, and although his voice remained light and calm, and he gave no obvious sign of anger, Harry felt a kind of chill emanating from him and noticed that the Dursleys drew very slightly closer together.

“You did not do as I asked. You have never treated Harry as a son. He has known nothing but neglect and often cruelty at your hands. The best that can be said is that he has at least escaped the appalling damage you have inflicted upon the unfortunate boy sitting between you.”

Both Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon looked around instinctively, as though expecting to see someone other than Dudley squeezed between them.

“Us — mistreat Dudders? What d’you — ?” began Uncle Vernon furiously, but Dumbledore raised his finger for silence, a silence which fell as though he had struck Uncle Vernon dumb.

“The magic I evoked fifteen years ago means that Harry has powerful protection while he can still call this house ‘home.’ However miserable he has been here, however unwelcome, however badly treated, you have at least, grudgingly, allowed him houseroom. This magic will cease to operate the moment that Harry turns seventeen; in other words, at the moment he becomes a man. I ask only this: that you allow Harry to return, once more, to this house, before his seventeenth birthday, which will ensure that the protection continues until that time.”

None of the Dursleys said anything. Dudley was frowning slightly, as though he was still trying to work out when he had ever been mistreated. Uncle Vernon looked as though he had something stuck in his throat; Aunt Petunia, however, was oddly flushed.

“Well, Harry . . . time for us to be off,” said Dumbledore at last, standing up and straightening his long black cloak. “Until we meet again,” he said to the Dursleys, who looked as though that moment could wait forever as far as they were concerned, and after doffing his hat, he swept from the room.

“Bye,” said Harry hastily to the Dursleys, and followed Dumbledore, who paused beside Harry’s trunk, upon which Hedwig’s cage was perched.

“We do not want to be encumbered by these just now,” he said, pulling out his wand again. “I shall send them to the Burrow to await us there. However, I would like you to bring your Invisibility Cloak . . . just in case.”

Harry extracted his cloak from his trunk with some difficulty, trying not to show Dumbledore the mess within. When he had stuffed it into an inside pocket of his jacket, Dumbledore waved his wand and the trunk, cage, and Hedwig vanished. Dumbledore then waved his wand again, and the front door opened onto cool, misty darkness.

“And now, Harry, let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.”