jkrowling.hp&theorderofphenix-第153部分

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　　　Meanwhile；　a　flourishing　black…market　trade　in　aids　to　concentration；　mental　agility　and　wakefulness　had　sprung　up　among　the　fifth…　and　seventh…years。　Harry　and　Ron　were　much　tempted　by　the　bottle　of　Baruffio's　Brain　Elixir　offered　to　them　by　Ravenclaw　sixth…year　Eddie　Carmichael；　who　swore　it　was　solely　responsible　for　the　nine　'Outstanding'　OWLs　he　had　gained　the　previous　summer　and　was　offering　a　whole　pint　for　a　mere　twelve　Galleons。　Ron　assured　Harry　he　would　reimburse　him　for　his　half　the　moment　he　left　Hogwarts　and　got　a　job；　but　before　they　could　close　the　deal；　Hermione　had　confiscated　the　bottle　from　Carmichael　and　poured　the　contents　down　a　toilet。
　　　'Hermione；　we　wanted　to　buy　that！'　shouted　Ron。
　　　'Don't　be　stupid；'　she　snarled。　'You　might　as　well　take　Harold　Dingle's　powdered　dragon　claw　and　have　done　with　it。'
　　　
　　　'Dingle's　got　powdered　dragon　claw？'　said　Ron　eagerly。
　　　'Not　any　more；'　said　Hermione。　'I　confiscated　that；　too。　None　of　these　things　actually　work；　you　know。'
　　　
　　　'Dragon　claw　does　work！'　said　Ron。　'It's　supposed　to　be　incredible；　really　gives　your　brain　a　boost；　you　e　over　all　cunning　for　a　few　hours　…　Hermione；　let　me　have　a　pinch；　go　on；　it　can't　hurt　…'
　　　
　　　This　stuff　can；'　said　Hermione　grimly。　'I've　had　a　look　at　it；　and　it's　actually　dried　Doxy　droppings。'
　　　
　　　This　information　took　the　edge　off　Harry　and　Rons　desire　for　brain　stimulants。
　　　They　received　their　examination　timetables　and　details　of　the　procedure　for　OWLs　during　their　next　Transfiguration　lesson。
　　　'As　you　can　see；'　Professor　McGonagall　told　the　class　as　they　copied　down　the　dates　and　times　of　their　exams　from　the　blackboard；　'your　OWLs　are　spread　over　two　successive　weeks。　You　will　sit　the　theory　papers　in　the　mornings　and　the　practice　in　the　afternoons。　Your　practical　Astronomy　examination　will；　of　course；　take　place　at　night。
　　　'Now；　I　must　warn　you　that　the　most　stringent　anti…cheating　charms　have　been　applied　to　your　examination　papers。　Auto…Answer　Quills　are　banned　from　the　examination　hall；　as　are　Remembralls；　Detachable　Cribbing　Cuffs　and　Self…Correcting　Ink。　Every　year；　I　am　afraid　to　say；　seems　to　harbour　at　least　one　student　who　thinks　that　he　or　she　can　get　around　the　Wizarding　Examinations　Authority's　rules。　I　can　only　hope　that　it　is　nobody　in　Gryffindor。　Our　new　…　Headmistress　…'　Professor　McGonagall　pronounced　the　word　with　the　same　look　on　her　face　that　Aunt　Petunia　had　whenever　she　was　contemplating　a　particularly　stubborn　bit　of　dirt　'…　has　asked　the　Heads　of　House　to　tell　their　students　that　cheating　will　be　punished　most　severely　…　because；　of　course；　your　examination　results　will　reflect　upon　the　Headmistress's　new　regime　at　the　school　…'
　　　
　　　Professor　McGonagall　gave　a　tiny　sigh；　Harry　saw　the　nostrils　of　her　sharp　nose　flare。
　　　'…　however；　that　is　no　reason　not　to　do　your　very　best。　You　have　your　own　futures　to　think　about。'
　　　
　　　'Please；　Professor；'　said　Hermione；　her　hand　in　the　air；　'when　will　we　find　out　our　results？'
　　　
　　　'An　owl　will　be　sent　to　you　some　time　in　July'　said　Professor　McGonagall。
　　　'Excellent；'　said　Dean　Thomas　in　an　audible　whisper；　'so　we　don't　have　to　worry　about　it　till　the　holidays。'
　　　
　　　Harry　imagined　sitting　in　his　bedroom　in　Privet　Drive　in　six　weeks'　time；　waiting　for　his　OWL　results。　Well；　he　thought　dully；　at　least　he　would　be　sure　of　one　bit　of　post　that　summer。
　　　Their　first　examination；　Theory　of　Charms；　was　scheduled　for　Monday　morning。　Harry　agreed　to　test　Hermione　after　lunch　on　Sunday；　but　regretted　it　almost　at　once；　she　was　very　agitated　and　kept　snatching　the　book　back　from　him　to　check　that　she　had　got　the　answer　pletely　right；　finally　hitting　him　hard　on　the　nose　with　the　sharp　edge　of　Achievements　in　Charming。
　　　'Why　don't　you　just　do　it　yourself？'　he　said　firmly；　handing　the　book　back　to　her；　his　eyes　watering。
　　　Meanwhile；　Ron　was　reading　two　years'　worth　of　Charms　notes　with　his　fingers　in　his　ears；　his　lips　moving　soundlessly；　Seamus　Finnigan　was　lying　flat　on　his　back　on　the　floor；　reciting　the　definition　of　a　Substantive　Charm　while　Dean　checked　it　against　The　Standard　Book　of　Spells；　Grade　5；　and　Parvati　and　Lavender；　who　were　practising　basic　Lootion　Charms；　were　making　their　pencil…cases　race　each　other　around　the　edge　of　the　table。
　　　Dinner　was　a　subdued　affair　that　night。　Harry　and　Ron　did　not　talk　much；　but　ate　with　gusto；　having　studied　hard　all　day。　Hermione；　on　the　other　hand；　kept　putting　down　her　knife　and　fork　and　diving　under　the　table　for　her　bag；　from　which　she　would　seize　a　book　to　check　some　fact　or　figure。　Ron　was　just　telling　her　that　she　ought　to　eat　a　decent　meal　or　she　would　not　sleep　that　night；　when　her　fork　slid　from　her　limp　fingers　and　landed　with　a　loud　tinkle　on　her　plate。
　　　'Oh；　my　goodness；'　she　said　faintly；　staring　into　the　Entrance　Hall。　'Is　that　them？　Is　that　the　examiners？'
　　　
　　　Harry　and　Ron　whipped　around　on　their　bench。　Through　the　doors　to　the　Great　Hall　they　could　see　Umbridge　standing　with　a　small　group　of　ancient…looking　witches　and　wizards。　Umbridge；　Harry　was　pleased　to　see；　looked　rather　nervous。
　　　'Shall　we　go　and　have　a　closer　look？'　said　Ron。
　　　Harry　and　Hermione　nodded　and　they　hastened　towards　the　double　doors　into　the　Entrance　Hall；　slowing　down　as　they　stepped　over　the　threshold　to　walk　sedately　past　the　examiners。　Harry　thought　Professor　Marchbanks　must　be　the　tiny；　stooped　witch　with　a　face　so　lined　it　looked　as　though　it　had　been　draped　in　cobwebs；　Umbridge　was　speaking　to　her　deferentially。　Professor　Marchbanks　seemed　to　be　a　little　deaf；　she　was　answering　Professor　Umbridge　very　loudly　considering　they　were　only　a　foot　apart。
　　　'Journey　was　fine；　journey　was　fine；　we've　made　it　plenty　of　times　before！'　she　said　impatiently。　'Now；　I　haven't　heard　from　Dumbledore　lately！'　she　added；　peering　around　the　Hall　as　though　hopeful　he　might　suddenly　emerge　from　a　broom　cupboard。　'No　idea　where　he　is；　I　suppose？'
　　　
　　　'None　at　all；'　said　Umbridge；　shooting　a　malevolent　look　at　Harry；　Ron　and　Hermione；　who　were　now　dawdling　around　the　foot　of　the　stairs　as　Ron　pretended　to　do　up　his　shoelace。　'But　I　daresay　the　Ministry　of　Magic　will　track　him　down　soon　enough。'
　　　
　　　'I　doubt　it；'　shouted　tiny　Professor　Marchbanks；　'not　if　Dumbledore　doesn't　want　to　be　found！　I　should　know：　examined　him　personally　in　Transfiguration　and　Charms　when　he　did　NEWTs：　did　things　with　a　wand　I'd　never　seen　before。'
　　　
　　　'Yes：　well：'　said　Professor　Umbridge　as　Harry；　Ron　and　Hermione　dragged　their　feet　up　the　marble　staircase　as　slowly　as　they　dared；　'let　me　show　you　to　the　staff　room。　I　daresay　you'd　like　a　cup　of　tea　after　your　journey。'
　　　
　　　It　was　an　unfortable　sort　of　an　evening。　Everyone　was　trying　to　do　some　last…minute　revising　but　nobody　seemed　to　be　getting　very　far。　Harry　went　to　bed　early　but　then　lay　awake　for　what　felt　like　hours。　He　remembered　his　careers　consultation　and　McGonagall's　furious　declaration　that　she　would　help　him　bee　an　Auror　if　it　was　the　last　thing　she　did。　He　wished　he　had　expressed　a　more　achievable　ambition　now　that　exam　time　was　here。　He　knew　he　was　not　the　only　one　lying　awake；　but　none　of　the　others　in　the　dormitory　spoke　and　finally；　one　by　one；　they　fell　asleep。
　　　None　of　the　fifth…years　talked　very　much　at　breakfast　next　day；　either：　Parvati　was　practising　incantations　under　her　breath　while　the　salt　cellar　in　front　of　her　twitched；　Hermione　was　rereading　Achievements　in　Charming　so　fast　that　her　eyes　appeared　blurred；　and　Neville　kept　dropping　his　knife　and　fork　and　knocking　over　the　marmalade。
　　　Once　breakfast　was　over；　the　fifth…　and　seventh…years　milled　around　in　the　Entrance　Hall　while　the　other　students　went　off　to　lessons；　then；　at　half　past　nine；　they　were　called　forwards　class　by　class　to　re…enter　the　Great　Hall；　which　had　been　rearranged　exactly　as　Harry　had　seen　it　in　the　Pensieve　when　his　father；　Sirius　and　Snape　had　been　taking　their　OWLs；　the　four　house　tables　had　been　removed　and　replaced　instead　with　many　tables　for　one；　all　facing　the　staff…table　end　of　the　Hall　where　Professor　McGonagall　stood　facing　them。　When　they　were　all　seated　and　quiet；　she　said；　'You　may　begin；'　and　turned　over　an　eno