jkrowling.hp&theorderofphenix-第51部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　　'I'm　not　…'
　　　
　　　'I'm　just　passing　on　the　message；'　said　Ron；　talking　over　him。　'But　I　reckon　she's　right。　It's　not　our　fault　how　Seamus　and　Snape　treat　you。'
　　　
　　　'I　never　said　it　…'
　　　
　　　'Good…day；'　said　Professor　Trelawney　in　her　usual　misty；　dreamy　voice；　and　Harry　broke　off；　again　feeling　both　annoyed　and　slightly　ashamed　of　himself。　'And　wele　back　to　Divination。　I　have；　of　course；　been　following　your　fortunes　most　carefully　over　the　holidays；　and　am　delighted　to　see　that　you　have　all　returned　to　Hogwarts　safely　…　as；　of　course；　I　knew　you　would。
　　　'You　will　find　on　the　tables　before　you　copies　of　The　Dream　Oracle；　by　Inigo　Imago。　Dream　interpretation　is　a　most　important　means　of　divining　the　future　and　one　that　may　very　probably　be　tested　in　your　OWL。　Not；　of　course；　that　I　believe　examination　passes　or　failures　are　of　the　remotest　importance　when　it　es　to　the　sacred　art　of　divination。　If　you　have　the　Seeing　Eye；　certificates　and　grades　matter　very　little。　However；　the　Headmaster　likes　you　to　sit　the　examination；　so：'
　　　
　　　Her　voice　trailed　away　delicately；　leaving　them　all　in　no　doubt　that　Professor　Trelawney　considered　her　subject　above　such　sordid　matters　as　examinations。
　　　Turn；　please；　to　the　introduction　and　read　what　Imago　has　to　say　on　the　matter　of　dream　interpretation。　Then；　divide　into　pairs。　Use　The　Dream　Oracle　to　interpret　each　others　most　recent　dreams。　Carry　on。'
　　　
　　　The　one　good　thing　to　be　said　for　this　lesson　was　that　it　was　not　a　double　period。　By　the　time　they　had　all　finished　reading　the　introduction　of　the　book；　they　had　barely　ten　minutes　left　for　dream　interpretation。　At　the　table　next　to　Harry　and　Ron；　Dean　had　paired　up　with　Neville；　who　immediately　embarked　on　a　long…winded　explanation　of　a　nightmare　involving　a　pair　of　giant　scissors　wearing　his　grandmother's　best　hat；　Harry　and　Ron　merely　looked　at　each　other　glumly。
　　　'I　never　remember　my　dreams；'　said　Ron；　'you　say　one。'
　　　
　　　'You　must　remember　one　of　them；'　said　Harry　impatiently。
　　　He　was　not　going　to　share　his　dreams　with　anyone。　He　knew　perfectly　well　what　his　regular　nightmare　about　a　graveyard　meant；　he　did　not　need　Ron　or　Professor　Trelawney　or　the　stupid　Dream　Oracle　to　tell　him。
　　　'Well；　I　dreamed　I　was　playing　Quidditch　the　other　night；'　said　Ron；　screwing　up　his　face　in　an　effort　to　remember。　'What　d'you　reckon　that　means？'
　　　
　　　'Probably　that　you're　going　to　be　eaten　by　a　giant　marshmallow　or　something；'　said　Harry；　turning　the　pages　of　The　Dream　Oracle　without　interest。　It　was　very　dull　work　looking　up　bits　of　dreams　in　the　Oracle　and　Harry　was　not　cheered　up　when　Professor　Trelawney　set　them　the　task　of　keeping　a　dream　diary　for　a　month　as　homework。　When　the　bell　went；　he　and　Ron　led　the　way　back　down　the　ladder；　Ron　grumbling　loudly。
　　　'D'you　realise　how　much　homework　we've　got　already？　Binns　set　us　a　foot…and…a…half…long　essay　on　giant　wars；　Snape　wants　a　foot　on　the　use　of　moonstones；　and　now　we've　got　a　month's　dream　diary　from　Trelawney！　Fred　and　George　weren't　wrong　about　OWL　year；　were　they？　That　Umbridge　woman　had　better　not　give　us　any：〃
　　　
　　　When　they　entered　the　Defence　Against　the　Dark　Arts　classroom　they　found　Professor　Umbridge　already　seated　at　the　teacher's　desk；　wearing　the　fluffy　pink　cardigan　of　the　night　before　and　the　black　velvet　bow　on　top　of　her　head。　Harry　was　again　reminded　forcibly　of　a　large　fly　perched　unwisely　on　top　of　an　even　larger　toad。
　　　The　class　was　quiet　as　it　entered　the　room；　Professor　Umbridge　was；　as　yet；　an　unknown　quantity　and　nobody　knew　how　strict　a　disciplinarian　she　was　likely　to　be。
　　　'Well；　good　afternoon！'　she　said；　when　finally　the　whole　class　had　sat　down。
　　　A　few　people　mumbled　'good　afternoon'　in　reply。
　　　Tut；　tut；'　said　Professor　Umbridge。　'That　won't　do；　now；　will　it？　I　should　like　you；　please；　to　reply　〃Good　afternoon；　Professor　Umbridge〃。　One　more　time；　please。　Good　afternoon；　class！'
　　　
　　　'Good　afternoon；　Professor　Umbridge；'　they　chanted　back　at　her。
　　　There；　now；'　said　Professor　Umbridge　sweetly。　That　wasn't　too　difficult；　was　it？　Wands　away　and　quills　out；　please。'
　　　
　　　Many　of　the　class　exchanged　gloomy　looks；　the　order　'wands　away'　had　never　yet　been　followed　by　a　lesson　they　had　found　interesting。　Harry　shoved　his　wand　back　inside　his　bag　and　pulled　out　quill；　ink　and　parchment。　Professor　Umbridge　opened　her　handbag；　extracted　her　own　wand；　which　was　an　unusually　short　one；　and　tapped　the　blackboard　sharply　with　it；　words　appeared　on　the　board　at　once：
　　　
　　　Defence　Against　the　Dark　Arts　A　Return　to　Basic　Principles
　　　
　　　'Well　now；　your　teaching　in　this　subject　has　been　rather　disrupted　and　fragmented；　hasn't　it？'　stated　Professor　Umbridge；　turning　to　face　the　class　with　her　hands　clasped　neatly　in　front　of　her。　The　constant　changing　of　teachers；　many　of　whom　do　not　seem　to　have　followed　any　Ministry…approved　curriculum；　has　unfortunately　resulted　in　your　being　far　below　the　standard　we　would　expect　to　see　in　your　OWL　year。
　　　'You　will　be　pleased　to　know；　however；　that　these　problems　are　now　to　be　rectified。　We　will　be　following　a　carefully　structured；　theory…centred；　Ministry…approved　course　of　defensive　magic　this　year。　Copy　down　the　following；　please。'
　　　
　　　She　rapped　the　blackboard　again；　the　first　message　vanished　and　was　replaced　by　the　'Course　Aims'。
　　　。　Understanding　the　principles　underlying　defensive　magic。
　　　。　Learning　to　recognise　situations　in　which　defensive　magic　can　legally　be　used。
　　　。　Placing　the　use　of　defensive　magic　in　a　context　for　practical　use。
　　　For　a　couple　of　minutes　the　room　was　full　of　the　sound　of　scratching　quills　on　parchment。　When　everyone　had　copied　down　Professor　Umbridge's　three　course　aims　she　asked；　'Has　everybody　got　a　copy　of　Defensive　Magical　Theory　by　Wilbert　Slinkhard？'
　　　
　　　There　was　a　dull　murmur　of　assent　throughout　the　class。
　　　'I　think　we'll　try　that　again；'　said　Professor　Umbridge。　'When　I　ask　you　a　question；　I　should　like　you　to　reply；　〃Yes；　Professor　Umbridge〃；　or　〃No；　Professor　Umbridge〃。　So：　has　everyone　got　a　copy　of　Defensive　Magical　Theory　by　Wilbert　Slinkhard？'
　　　
　　　'Yes；　Professor　Umbridge；'　rang　through　the　room。
　　　'Good；'　said　Professor　Umbridge。　'I　should　like　you　to　turn　to　page　five　and　read　〃Chapter　One；　Basics　for　Beginners〃。　There　will　be　no　need　to　talk。'
　　　
　　　Professor　Umbridge　left　the　blackboard　and　settled　herself　in　the　chair　behind　the　teacher's　desk；　observing　them　all　closely　with　those　pouchy　toad's　eyes。　Harry　turned　to　page　five　of　his　copy　of　Defensive　Magical　Theory　and　started　to　read。
　　　It　was　desperately　dull；　quite　as　bad　as　listening　to　Professor　Binns。　He　felt　his　concentration　sliding　away　from　him；　he　had　soon　read　the　same　line　half　a　dozen　times　without　taking　in　more　than　the　first　few　words。　Several　silent　minutes　passed。　Next　to　him；　Ron　was　absent…mindedly　turning　his　quill　over　and　over　in　his　fingers；　staring　at　the　same　spot　on　the　page。　Harry　looked　right　and　received　a　surprise　to　shake　him　out　of　his　torpor。　Hermione　had　not　even　opened　her　copy　of　Defensive　Magical　Theory。　She　was　staring　fixedly　at　Professor　Umbridge　with　her　hand　in　the　air。
　　　Harry　could　not　remember　Hermione　ever　neglecting　to　read　when　instructed　to；　or　indeed　resisting　the　temptation　to　open　any　book　that　came　under　her　nose。　He　looked　at　her　enquiringly；　but　she　merely　shook　her　head　slightly　to　indicate　that　she　was　not　about　to　answer　questions；　and　continued　to　stare　at　Professor　Umbridge；　who　was　looking　just　as　resolutely　in　another　direction。
　　　After　several　more　minutes　had　passed；　however；　Harry　was　not　the　only　one　watching　Hermione。　The　chapter　they　had　been　instructed　to　read　was　so　tedious　that　more　and　more　people　were　choosing　to　watch　Hermione's　mute　attempt　to　catch　Professor　Umbridge's　eye　rather　than　struggle　on　with　'Basics　for　Beginners'。
　　　When　more　than　half　the　class　were　staring　at　Hermione　rather　than　at　their　books；　Professor　Umbridge　seemed　to　decide　that　she　could　ignore　the　situation　no　longer。
　　　'Did　you　want　to　ask　something　about　the　chapter；　dear？'　she　asked　Hermione；　as　though　she　had　only　just　noticed　her。
　　　'Not　about　the　chapter；　no；'　said　Hermion