jkrowling.harrypotterandgf-第122部分

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　　　〃Master；　we　crave　to　know　。。。we　beg　you　to　tell　us　。。。how　you　have　achieved　this。。。　this　miracle。。。　how　you　managed　to　return　to　us。。。〃
　　　〃Ah；　what　a　story　it　is；　Lucius；〃　said　Voldemort。　〃And　it　begins…and　ends…with　my　young　friend　here。〃
　　　He　walked　lazily　over　to　stand　next　to　Harry；　so　that　the　eyes　of　the　whole　circle　were　upon　the　two　of　them。　The　snake　continued　to　circle。
　　　〃You　know；　of　course；　that　they　have　called　this　boy　my　downfall？〃　Voldemort　said　softly；　his　red　eyes　upon　Harry；　whose　scar　began　to　burn　so　fiercely　that　he　almost　screamed　in　agony。　〃You　all　know　that　on　the　night　I　lost　my　powers　and　my　body；　I　tried　to　kill　him。　His　mother　died　in　the　attempt　to　save　him…and　unwittingly　provided　him　with　a　protection　I　admit　I　had　not　foreseen。。。　I　could　not　touch　the　boy。〃
　　　Voldemort　raised　one　of　his　long　white　fingers　and　put　it　very　close　to　Harry's　cheek。
　　　〃His　mother　left　upon　him　the　traces　other　sacrifice。。。　This　is　old　magic；　I　should　have　remembered　it；　I　was　foolish　to　overlook　it。。。　but　no　matter。　I　can　touch　him　now。〃
　　　Harry　felt　the　cold　tip　of　the　long　white　finger　touch　him；　and　thought　his　head　would　burst　with　the　pain。　Voldemort　laughed　softly　in　his　ear；　then　took　the　finger　away　and　continued　addressing　the　Death　Eaters。
　　　〃I　miscalculated；　my　friends；　I　admit　it。　My　curse　was　deflected　by　the　woman's　foolish　sacrifice；　and　it　rebounded　upon　myself。　Aaah。。。　pain　beyond　pain；　my　friends；　nothing　could　have　prepared　me　for　it。　I　was　ripped　from　my　body；　I　was　less　than　spirit；　less　than　the　meanest　ghost。。。　but　still；　I　was　alive。　What　I　was；　even　I　do　not　know。。。　I；　who　have　gone　further　than　anybody　along　the　path　that　leads　to　immortality。　You　know　my　goal…to　conquer　death。　And　now；　I　was　tested；　and　it　appeared　that　one　or　more　of　my　experiments　had　worked　。。。for　I　had　not　been　killed；　though　the　curse　should　have　done　it。　Nevertheless；　I　was　as　powerless　as　the　weakest　creature　alive；　and　without　the　means　to　help　myself。。。　for　I　had　no　body；　and　every　spell　that　might　have　helped　me　required　the　use　of　a　wand。。。
　　　〃I　remember　only　forcing　myself；　sleeplessly；　endlessly；　second　by　second；　to　exist。。。　I　settled　in　a　faraway　place；　in　a　forest；　and　I　waited。。。　Surely；　one　of　my　faithful　Death　Eaters　would　try　and　find　me。。。　one　of　them　would　e　and　perform　the　magic　I　could　not；　to　restore　me　to　a　body　。。；　but　I　waited　in　vain。。。〃
　　　The　shiver　ran　once　more　around　the　circle　of　listening　Death　Eaters。　Voldemort　let　the　silence　spiral　horribly　before　continuing。
　　　〃Only　one　power　remained　to　me。　I　could　possess　the　bodies　of　others。　But　I　dared　not　go　where　other　humans　were　plentiful；　for　I　knew　that　the　Aurors　were　still　abroad　and　searching　for　me。
　　　I　sometimes　inhabited　animals…snakes；　of　course；　being　my　preference…but　I　was　little　better　off　inside　them　than　as　pure　spirit；　for　their　bodies　were　ill　adapted　to　perform　magic。。。　and　my　possession　of　them　shortened　their　lives；　none　of　them　lasted　long。。。
　　　〃Then。。。　four　years　ago。。。　the　means　for　my　return　seemed　assured。　A　wizard…young；　foolish；　and　gullible…wandered　across　my　path　in　the　forest　I　had　made　my　home。　Oh；　he　seemed　the　very　chance　I　had　been　dreaming　of。。。　for　he　was　a　teacher　at　Dumbledore's　school。。。　he　was　easy　to　bend　to　my　will。。。　he　brought　me　back　to　this　country；　and　after　a　while；　I　took　possession　of　his　body；　to　supervise　him　closely　as　he　carried　out　my　orders。　But　my　plan　failed。　I　did　not　manage　to　steal　the　Sorcerer's　Stone。　I　was　not　to　be　assured　immortal　life。　I　was　thwarted。。。　thwarted；　once　again；　by　Harry　Potter。。。〃
　　　Silence　once　more；　nothing　was　stirring；　not　even　the　leaves　on　the　yew　tree。　The　Death　Eaters　were　quite　motionless；　the　glittering　eyes　in　their　masks　fixed　upon　Voldemort；　and　upon　Harry。
　　　〃The　servant　died　when　I　left　his　body；　and　I　was　left　as　weak　as　ever　I　had　been；〃　Voldemort　continued。　〃I　returned　to　my　hiding　place　far　away；　and　I　will　not　pretend　to　you　that　I　didn't　then　fear　that　I　might　never　regain　my　powers。。。　Yes；　that　was　perhaps　my　darkest　hour。。。　I　could　not　hope　that　I　would　be　sent　another　wizard　to　possess。。。　and　I　had　given　up　hope；　now；　that　any　of　my　Death　Eaters　cared　what　had　bee　of　me。。。〃
　　　One　or　two　of　the　masked　wizards　in　the　circle　moved　unfortably；　but　Voldemort　took　no　notice。
　　　〃And　then；　not　even　a　year　ago；　when　I　had　almost　abandoned　hope；　it　happened　at　last。。。　a　servant　returned　to　me。　Wormtail　here；　who　had　faked　his　own　death　to　escape　justice；　was　driven　out　of　hiding　by　those　he　had　once　counted　friends；　and　decided　to　return　to　his　master。　He　sought　me　in　the　country　where　it　had　long　been　rumored　I　was　hiding。。。　helped；　of　course；　by　the　rats　he　met　along　the　way。　Wormtail　has　a　curious　affinity　with　rats；　do　you　not；　Wormtail？　His　filthy　little　friends　told　him　there　was　a　place；　deep　in　an　Albanian　forest；　that　they　avoided；　where　small　animals　like　themselves　had　met　their　deaths　by　a　dark　shadow　that　possessed　them。。。
　　　〃But　his　journey　back　to　me　was　not　smooth；　was　it；　Wormtail？　For；　hungry　one　night；　on　the　edge　of　the　very　forest　where　he　had　hoped　to　find　me；　he　foolishly　stopped　at　an　inn　for　some　food。。。　and　who　should　he　meet　there；　but　one　Bertha　Jorkins；　a　witch　from　the　Ministry　of　Magic。
　　　〃Now　see　the　way　that　fate　favors　Lord　Voldemort。　This　might　have　been　the　end　of　Wormtail；　and　of　my　last　hope　for　regeneration。　But　Wormtail…displaying　a　presence　of　mind　I　would　never　have　expected　from　him…convinced　Bertha　Jorkins　to　acpany　him　on　a　nighttime　stroll。　He　overpowered　her　。。。he　brought　her　to　me。　And　Bertha　Jorkins；　who　might　have　ruined　all；　proved　instead　to　be　a　gift　beyond　my　wildest　dreams　。。。for…with　a　little　persuasion…she　became　a　veritable　mine　of　information。
　　　〃She　told　me　that　the　Triwizard　Tournament　would　be　played　at　Hogwarts　this　year。　She　told　me　that　she　knew　of　a　faithful　Death　Eater　who　would　be　only　too　willing　to　help　me；　if　I　could　only　contact　him。　She　told　me　many　things。。。　but　the　means　I　used　to　break　the　Memory　Charm　upon　her　were　powerful；　and　when　I　had　extracted　all　useful　information　from　her；　her　mind　and　body　were　both　damaged　beyond　repair。　She　had　now　served　her　purpose。　I　could　not　possess　her。　I　disposed　of　her。〃
　　　Voldemort　smiled　his　terrible　smile；　his　red　eyes　blank　and　pitiless。
　　　〃Wormtail's　body；　of　course；　was　ill　adapted　for　possession；　as　all　assumed　him　dead；　and　would　attract　far　too　much　attention　if　noticed。　However；　he　was　the　able…bodied　servant　I　needed；　and；　poor　wizard　though　he　is；　Wormtail　was　able　to　follow　the　instructions　I　gave　him；　which　would　return　me　to　a　rudimentary；　weak　body　of　my　own；　a　body　I　would　be　able　to　inhabit　while　awaiting　the　essential　ingredients　for　true　rebirth　。。。a　spell　or　two　of　my　own　invention　。。。a　little　help　from　my　dear　Nagini；〃　Voldemorts　red　eyes　fell　upon　the　continually　circling　snake；　〃a　potion　concocted　from　unicorn　blood；　and　the　snake　venom　Nagini　provided　。。。I　was　soon　returned　to　an　almost　human　form；　and　strong　enough　to　travel。
　　　〃There　was　no　hope　of　stealing　the　Sorcerer's　Stone　anymore；　for　I　knew　that　Dumbledore　would　have　seen　to　it　that　it　was　destroyed。　But　I　was　willing　to　embrace　mortal　life　again；　before　chasing　immortality。　I　set　my　sights　lower　。。。I　would　settle　for　my　old　body　back　again；　and　my　old　strength。
　　　〃I　knew　that　to　achieve　this…it　is　an　old　piece　of　Dark　Magic；　the　potion　that　revived　me　tonight…I　would　need　three　powerful　ingredients。　Well；　one　of　them　was　already　at　hand；　was　it　not；　Wormtail？　Flesh　given　by　a　servant。。。
　　　〃My　father's　bone；　naturally；　meant　that　we　would　have　to　e　here；　where　he　was　buried。　But　the　blood　of　a　foe　。。。Wormtail　would　have　had　me　use　any　wizard；　would　you　not；　Wormtail？　Any　wizard　who　had　hated　me　。。。as　so　many　of　them　still　do。　But　I　knew　the　one　I　must　use；　if　I　was　to　rise　again；　more　powerful　than　I　had　been　when　I　had　fallen。　I　wanted　Harry　Potters　blood。　I　wanted　the　blood　of　the　one　who　had　stripped　me　of　power　thirteen　years　ago。。。　for　the　lingering　protection　his　mother　once　gave　him　would　then　reside　in　my　veins　too。。。
　　　〃But　how　to　get　at　Harry　Potter？　For　he　has　been　better　protected　than　I　think　eve