jkrowling.harrypotterandgf-第12部分

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ering；　Ginny　was　laughing；　and　Hermione　was　hovering　near　the　hedge；　apparently　torn　between　amusement　and　anxiety。
　　　Bill's　table　caught　Charlie's　with　a　huge　bang　and　knocked　one　of　its　legs　off。　There　was　a　clatter　from　overhead；　and　they　all　looked　up　to　see　Percy's　head　poking　out　of　a　window　on　the　second　floor。
　　　〃Will　you　keep　it　down？！〃　he　bellowed。
　　　〃Sorry；　Perce；〃　said　Bill；　grinning。　〃How're　the　cauldron　bottoms　ing　on？〃
　　　〃Very　badly；〃　said　Percy　peevishly；　and　he　slammed　the　window　shut。　Chuckling；　Bill　and　Charlie　directed　the　tables　safely　onto　the　grass；　end　to　end；　and　then；　with　a　flick　of　his　wand；　Bill　reattached　the　table　leg　and　conjured　tablecloths　from　nowhere。
　　　By　seven　o'clock；　the　two　tables　were　groaning　under　dishes　and　dishes　of　Mrs。　Weasley's　excellent　cooking；　and　the　nine　Weasleys；　Harry；　and　Hermione　were　settling　themselves　down　to　eat　beneath　a　clear；　deep…blue　sky。　To　somebody　who　had　been　living　on　meals　of　increasingly　stale　cake　all　summer；　this　was　paradise；　and　at　first；　Harry　listened　rather　than　talked　as　he　helped　himself　to　chicken　and　ham　pie；　boiled　potatoes；　and　salad。
　　　At　the　far　end　of　the　table；　Percy　was　telling　his　father　all　about　his　report　on　cauldron　bottoms。
　　　〃I've　told　Mr。　Crouch　that　I'll　have　it　ready　by　Tuesday；〃　Percy　was　saying　pompously。　〃That's　a　bit　sooner　than　he　expected　it；　but　I　like　to　keep　on　top　of　things。　I　think　he'll　be　grateful　I've　done　it　in　good　time；　I　mean；　its　extremely　busy　in　our　department　just　now；　what　with　all　the　arrangements　for　the　World　Cup。　We're　just　not　getting　the　support　we　need　from　the　Department　of　Magical　Games　and　Sports。　Ludo　Bagman…〃
　　　〃I　like　Ludo；〃　said　Mr。　Weasley　mildly。　〃He　was　the　one　who　got　us　such　good　tickets　for　the　Cup。　I　did　him　a　bit　of　a　favor：　His　brother；　Otto；　got　into　a　spot　of　trouble…a　lawnmower　with　unnatural　powers…I　smoothed　the　whole　thing　over。〃
　　　〃Oh　Bagman's　likable　enough；　of　course；〃　said　Percy　dismissively；　〃but　how　he　ever　got　to　be　Head　of　Department　。。。when　I　pare　him　to　Mr。　Crouch！　I　can't　see　Mr。　Crouch　losing　a　member　of　our　department　and　not　trying　to　find　out　what's　happened　to　them。　You　realize　Bertha　Jorkins　has　been　missing　for　over　a　month　now？　Went　on　holiday　to　Albania　and　never　came　back？〃
　　　〃Yes；　I　was　asking　Ludo　about　that；〃　said　Mr。　Weasley；　frowning。　〃He　says　Bertha's　gotten　lost　plenty　of　times　before　now…though　must　say；　if　it　was　someone　in　my　department；　I'd　be　worried。。。〃
　　　〃Oh　Bertha's　hopeless；　all　right；〃　said　Percy。　〃I　hear　she's　been　shunted　from　department　to　department　for　years；　much　more　trouble　than　she's　worth　。。。but　all　the　same；　Bagman　ought　to　be　trying　to　find　her。　Mr。　Crouch　has　been　taking　a　personal　interest；　she　worked　in　our　department　at　one　time；　you　know；　and　I　think　Mr。　Crouch　was　quite　fond　of　her…but　Bagman　just　keeps　laughing　and　saying　she　probably　misread　the　map　and　ended　up　in　Australia　instead　of　Albania。　However〃…Percy　heaved　an　impressive　sigh　and　took　a　deep　swig　of　elderflower　wine…〃we've　got　quite　enough　on　our　plates　at　the　Department　of　International　Magical　Cooperation　without　trying　to　find　members　of　other　departments　too。　As　you　know；　we've　got　another　big　event　to　organize　right　after　the　World　Cup。〃
　　　Percy　cleared　his　throat　significantly　and　looked　down　toward　the　end　of　the　table　where　Harry；　Ron；　and　Hermione　were　sitting。　〃You　know　the　one　I'm　talking　about；　Father。〃　He　raised　his　voice　slightly。　〃The　top…secret　one。〃
　　　Ron　rolled　his　eyes　and　muttered　to　Harry　and　Hermione；　〃He's　been　trying　to　get　us　to　ask　what　that　event　is　ever　since　he　started　work。　Probably　an　exhibition　of　thick…bottomed　cauldrons。〃
　　　In　the　middle　of　the　table；　Mrs。　Weasley　was　arguing　with　Bill　about　his　earring；　which　seemed　to　be　a　recent　acquisition。
　　　〃。。。　with　a　horrible　great　fang　on　it。　Really；　Bill；　what　do　they　say　at　the　bank？〃
　　　〃Mum；。　no　one　at　the　bank　gives　a　damn　how　I　dress　as　long　as　I　bring　home　plenty　of　treasure；〃　said　Bill　patiently。
　　　〃And　your　hair's　getting　silly；　dear；〃　said　Mrs。　Weasley；　fingering　her　wand　lovingly。〃　I　wish　you'd　let　me　give　it　a　trim。。。〃
　　　〃I　like　it；〃　said　Ginny；　who　was　sitting　beside　Bill。　〃You're　so　old…fashioned；　Mum。　Anyway；　it's　nowhere　near　as　long　as　Professor　Dumbledore's。。。〃
　　　Next　to　Mrs。　Weasley；　Fred；　George；　and　Charlie　were　all　talking　spiritedly　about　the　World　Cup。
　　　〃It's　got　to　be　Ireland；〃　said　Charlie　thickly；　through　a　mouthful　of　potato。　〃They　flattened　Peru　in　the　semifinals。〃
　　　〃Bulgaria　has　got　Viktor　Krum；　though；〃　said　Fred。
　　　〃Krum's　one　decent　player；　Ireland　has　got　seven；〃　said　Charlie　shortly。　〃I　wish　England　had　got　through。　That　was　embarrassing；　that　was。〃
　　　〃What　happened？〃　said　Harry　eagerly；　regretting　more　than　ever　his　isolation　from　the　wizarding　world　when　he　was　stuck　on　Privet　Drive。
　　　〃Went　down　to　Transylvania；　three　hundred　and　ninety　to　ten；〃　said　Charlie　gloomily。　〃Shocking　performance。　And　Wales　lost　to　Uganda；　and　Scotland　was　slaughtered　by　Luxembourg。〃
　　　Harry　had　been　on　the　Gryffindor　House　Quidditch　team　ever　since　his　first　year　at　Hogwarts　and　owned　one　of　the　best　racing　brooms　in　the　world；　a　Firebolt。　Flying　came　more　naturally　to　Harry　than　anything　else　in　the　magical　world；　and　he　played　in　the　position　of　Seeker　on　the　Gryffindor　House　team。
　　　Mr。　Weasley　conjured　up　candles　to　light　the　darkening　garden　before　they　had　their　homemade　strawberry　ice　cream；　and　by　the　time　they　had　finished；　moths　were　fluttering　low　over　the　table；　and　the　warm　air　was　perfumed　with　the　smells　of　grass　and　honeysuckle。　Harry　was　feeling　extremely　well　fed　and　at　peace　with　the　world　as　he　watched　several　gnomes　sprinting　through　the　rosebushes；　laughing　madly　and　closely　pursued　by　Crookshanks。
　　　Ron　looked　carefully　up　the　table　to　check　that　the　rest　of　the　family　were　all　busy　talking；　then　he　said　very　quietly　to　Harry；　〃So…have　you　heard　from　Sirius　lately？〃
　　　Hermione　looked　around；　listening　closely。
　　　〃Yeah；〃　said　Harry　softly；　〃twice。　He　sounds　okay。　I　wrote　to　him　yesterday。　He　might　write　back　while　I'm　here。〃
　　　He　suddenly　remembered　the　reason　he　had　written　to　Sirius；　and　for　a　moment　was　on　the　verge　of　telling　Ron　and　Hermione　about　his　scar　hurting　again；　and　about　the　dream　that　had　awoken　him　。。。but　he　really　didn't　want　to　worry　them　just　now；　not　when　he　himself　was　feeling　so　happy　and　peaceful。
　　　〃Look　at　the　time；〃　Mrs。　Weasley　said　suddenly；　checking　her　wristwatch。　〃You　really　should　be　in　bed；　the　whole　lot　of　you　you'll　be　up　at　the　crack　of　dawn　to　get　to　the　Cup。　Harry；　if　you　leave　your　school　list　out；　I'll　get　your　things　for　you　tomorrow　in　Diagon　Alley。　I'm　getting　everyone　else's。　There　might　not　be　time　after　the　World　Cup；　the　match　went　on　for　five　days　last　time。〃
　　　〃Wow…hope　it　does　this　time！〃　said　Harry　enthusiastically。
　　　〃Well；　I　certainly　don't；〃　said　Percy　sanctimoniously。　〃I　shudder　to　think　what　the　state　of　my　in…tray　would　be　if　I　was　away　from　work　for　five　days。〃
　　　〃Yeah；　someone　might　slip　dragon　dung　in　it　again；　eh；　Perce？〃　said　Fred。
　　　〃That　was　a　sample　of　fertilizer　from　Norway！〃　said　Percy；　going　very　red　in　the　face。　〃It　was　nothing　personal！〃
　　　〃It　was；〃　Fred　whispered　to　Harry　as　they　got　up　from　the　table。　〃We　sent　it。〃
　　　
　　　
　　　CHAPTER　SIX
　　　THE　PORTKEY
　　　
　　　Harry　felt　as　though　he　had　barely　lain　down　to　steep　in　Ron's　room　when　he　was　being　shaken　awake　by　Mrs。　Weasley。
　　　〃Time　to　go；　Harry；　dear；〃　she　whispered；　moving　away　to　wake　Ron。
　　　Harry　felt　around　for　his　glasses；　put　them　on；　and　sat　up。　It　was　still　dark　outside。　Ron　muttered　indistinctly　as　his　mother　roused　him。　At　the　foot　of　Harry's　mattress　he　saw　two　large；　disheveled　shapes　emerging　from　tangles　of　blankets。
　　　〃'S'　time　already？〃　said　Fred　groggily。
　　　They　dressed　in　silence；　too　sleepy　to　talk；　then；　yawning　and　stretching；　the　four　of　them　headed　downstairs　into　the　kitchen。
　　　Mrs。　Weasley　was　stirring　the　contents　of　a　large　pot　on　the　stove；　while　Mr。　Weasley　was　sitting　at　the　table；　checking　a　sheaf　of　large　parchment　tickets。　He　looked　up　as　the　boys　entered　and　spread　his　arms　so　that　they　could　see　his　clothes　more　c