jkrowling.hp&theorderofphenix-第55部分

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　dormitories；　then　cleared　the　rubbish　off　the　woolly　hats。
　　　'They　should　at　least　see　what　they're　picking　up；'　he　said　firmly。　'Anyway：'　he　rolled　up　the　parchment　on　which　he　had　written　the　title　of　Snape's　essay；　'there's　no　point　trying　to　finish　this　now；　I　can't　do　it　without　Hermione；　I　haven't　got　a　clue　what　you're　supposed　to　do　with　moonstones；　have　you？'
　　　
　　　Harry　shook　his　head；　noticing　as　he　did　so　that　the　ache　in　his　right　temple　was　getting　worse。　He　thought　of　the　long　essay　on　giant　wars　and　the　pain　stabbed　at　him　sharply。　Knowing　perfectly　well　that　when　the　morning　came；　he　would　regret　not　finishing　his　homework　that　night；　he　piled　his　books　back　into　his　bag。
　　　'I'm　going　to　bed　too。'
　　　
　　　He　passed　Seamus　on　the　way　to　the　door　leading　to　the　dormitories；　but　did　not　look　at　him。　Harry　had　a　fleeting　impression　that　Seamus　had　opened　his　mouth　to　speak；　but　he　sped　up　and　reached　the　soothing　peace　of　the　stone　spiral　staircase　without　having　to　endure　any　more　provocation。
　　　*　*　*
　　　
　　　The　following　day　dawned　just　as　leaden　and　rainy　as　the　previous　one。　Hagrid　was　still　absent　from　the　staff　table　at　breakfast。
　　　'But　on　the　plus　side；　no　Snape　today'　said　Ron　bracingly。
　　　Hermione　yawned　widely　and　poured　herself　some　coffee。　She　looked　mildly　pleased　about　something；　and　when　Ron　asked　her　what　she　had　to　be　so　happy　about；　she　simply　said；　The　hats　have　gone。　Seems　the　house…elves　do　want　freedom　after　all。'
　　　
　　　'I　wouldn't　bet　on　it；'　Ron　told　her　cuttingly。　They　might　not　count　as　clothes。　They　didn't　look　anything　like　hats　to　me；　more　like　woolly　bladders。'
　　　
　　　Hermione　did　not　speak　to　him　all　morning。
　　　Double　Charms　was　succeeded　by　double　Transfiguration。　Professor　Flitwick　and　Professor　McGonagall　both　spent　the　first　fifteen　minutes　of　their　lessons　lecturing　the　class　on　the　importance　of　OWLs。
　　　'What　you　must　remember；'　said　little　Professor　Flitwick　squeakily　perched　as　ever　on　a　pile　of　books　so　that　he　could　see　over　the　top　of　his　desk；　'is　that　these　examinations　may　influence　your　futures　for　many　years　to　e！　If　you　have　not　already　given　serious　thought　to　your　careers；　now　is　the　time　to　do　so。　And　in　the　meantime；　I'm　afraid；　we　shall　be　working　harder　than　ever　to　ensure　that　you　all　do　yourselves　justice！'
　　　
　　　They　then　spent　over　an　hour　revising　Summoning　Charms；　which　according　to　Professor　Flitwick　were　bound　to　e　up　in　their　OWL；　and　he　rounded　off　the　lesson　by　setting　them　their　largest　ever　amount　of　Charms　homework。
　　　It　was　the　same；　if　not　worse；　in　Transfiguration。
　　　'You　cannot　pass　an　OWL；'　said　Professor　McGonagall　grimly；　'without　serious　application；　practice　and　study。　I　see　no　reason　why　everybody　in　this　class　should　not　achieve　an　OWL　in　Transfiguration　as　long　as　they　put　in　the　work。'　Neville　made　a　sad　little　disbelieving　noise。　'Yes；　you　too；　Longbottom；'　said　Professor　McGonagall。　There's　nothing　wrong　with　your　work　except　lack　of　confidence。　So：　today　we　are　starting　Vanishing　Spells。　These　are　easier　than　Conjuring　Spells；　which　you　would　not　usually　attempt　until　NEWT　level；　but　they　are　still　among　the　most　difficult　magic　you　will　be　tested　on　in　your　OWL。'
　　　
　　　She　was　quite　right；　Harry　found　the　Vanishing　Spells　horribly　difficult。　By　the　end　of　a　double　period　neither　he　nor　Ron　had　managed　to　vanish　the　snails　on　which　they　were　practising；　though　Ron　said　hopefully　he　thought　his　looked　a　bit　paler。　Hermione；　on　the　other　hand；　successfully　vanished　her　snail　on　the　third　attempt；　earning　her　a　ten…point　bonus　for　Gryffindor　from　Professor　McGonagall。　She　was　the　only　person　not　given　homework；　everybody　else　was　told　to　practise　the　spell　overnight；　ready　for　a　fresh　attempt　on　their　snails　the　following　afternoon。
　　　Now　panicking　slightly　about　the　amount　of　homework　they　had　to　do；　Harry　and　Ron　spent　their　lunch　hour　in　the　library　looking　up　the　uses　of　moonstones　in　potion…making。　Still　angry　about　Ron's　slur　on　her　woolly　hats；　Hermione　did　not　join　them。　By　the　time　they　reached　Care　of　Magical　Creatures　in　the　afternoon；　Harry's　head　was　aching　again。
　　　The　day　had　bee　cool　and　breezy；　and　as　they　walked　down　the　sloping　lawn　towards　Hagrid's　cabin　on　the　edge　of　the　Forbidden　Forest；　they　felt　the　occasional　drop　of　rain　on　their　faces。　Professor　Grubbly…Plank　stood　waiting　for　the　class　some　ten　yards　from　Hagrid's　front　door；　a　long　trestle　table　in　front　of　her　laden　with　twigs。　As　Harry　and　Ron　reached　her；　a　loud　shout　of　laughter　sounded　behind　them；　turning；　they　saw　Draco　Malfoy　striding　towards　them；　surrounded　by　his　usual　gang　of　Slytherin　cronies。　He　had　clearly　just　said　something　highly　amusing；　because　Crabbe；　Goyle；　Pansy　Parkinson　and　the　rest　continued　to　snigger　heartily　as　they　gathered　around　the　trestle　table　and；　judging　by　the　way　they　all　kept　looking　over　at　Harry；　he　was　able　to　guess　the　subject　of　the　joke　without　too　much　difficulty。
　　　'Everyone　here？'　barked　Professor　Grubbly…Plank；　once　all　the　Slytherins　and　Gryffindors　had　arrived。　'Let's　crack　on　then。　Who　can　tell　me　what　these　things　are　called？'
　　　
　　　She　indicated　the　heap　of　twigs　in　front　of　her。　Hermione's　hand　shot　into　the　air。　Behind　her　back；　Malfoy　did　a　buck…toothed　imitation　of　her　jumping　up　and　down　in　eagerness　to　answer　a　question。　Pansy　Parkinson　gave　a　shriek　of　laughter　that　turned　almost　at　once　into　a　scream；　as　the　twigs　on　the　table　leapt　into　the　air　and　revealed　themselves　to　be　what　looked　like　tiny　pixie…ish　creatures　made　of　wood；　each　with　knobbly　brown　arms　and　legs；　two　twiglike　fingers　at　the　end　of　each　hand　and　a　funny　flat；　barklike　face　in　which　a　pair　of　beetle…brown　eyes　glittered。
　　　'Oooooh！'　said　Parvati　and　Lavender；　thoroughly　irritating　Harry。　Anyone　would　have　thought　Hagrid　had　never　shown　them　impressive　creatures；　admittedly；　the　Flobberworms　had　been　a　bit　dull；　but　the　Salamanders　and　Hippogriffs　had　been　interesting　enough；　and　the　Blast…Ended　Skrewts　perhaps　too　much　so。
　　　'Kindly　keep　your　voices　down；　girls！'　said　Professor　Grubbly…Plank　sharply；　scattering　a　handful　of　what　looked　like　brown　rice　among　the　stick…creatures；　who　immediately　fell　upon　the　food。　'So　…　anyone　know　the　names　of　these　creatures？　Miss　Granger？'
　　　
　　　'Bowtruckles；'　said　Hermione。　They're　tree…guardians；　usually　live　in　wand…trees。'
　　　
　　　'Five　points　for　Gryffindor；'　said　Professor　Grubbly…Plank。　'Yes；　these　are　Bowtruckles；　and　as　Miss　Granger　rightly　says；　they　generally　live　in　trees　whose　wood　is　of　wand　quality。　Anybody　know　what　they　eat？'
　　　
　　　'Woodlice；'　said　Hermione　promptly　which　explained　why　what　Harry　had　taken　to　be　grains　of　brown　rice　were　moving。　'But　fairy　eggs　if　they　can　get　them。'
　　　
　　　'Good　girl；　take　another　five　points。　So；　whenever　you　need　leaves　or　wood　from　a　tree　in　which　a　Bowtruckle　lodges；　it　is　wise　to　have　a　gift　of　woodlice　ready　to　distract　or　placate　it。　They　may　not　look　dangerous；　but　if　angered　they　will　try　to　gouge　at　human　eyes　with　their　fingers；　which；　as　you　can　see；　are　very　sharp　and　not　at　all　desirable　near　the　eyeballs。　So　if　you'd　like　to　gather　closer；　take　a　few　woodlice　and　a　Bowtruckle　…　I　have　enough　here　for　one　between　three　…　you　can　study　them　more　closely。　I　want　a　sketch　from　each　of　you　with　all　body…parts　labelled　by　the　end　of　the　lesson。'
　　　
　　　The　class　surged　forwards　around　the　trestle　table。　Harry　deliberately　circled　around　the　back　so　that　he　ended　up　right　next　to　Professor　Grubbly…Plank。
　　　'Where's　Hagrid？'　he　asked　her；　while　everyone　else　was　choosing　Bowtruckles。
　　　'Never　you　mind；'　said　Professor　Grubbly…Plank　repressively；　which　had　been　her　attitude　last　time　Hagrid　had　failed　to　turn　up　for　a　class；　too。　Smirking　all　over　his　pointed　face；　Draco　Malfoy　leaned　across　Harry　and　seized　the　largest　Bowtruckle。
　　　'Maybe；'　said　Malfoy　in　an　undertone；　so　that　only　Harry　could　hear　him；　'the　stupid　great　oaf's　got　himself　badly　injured。'
　　　
　　　'Maybe　you　will　if　you　don't　shut　up；'　said　Harry　out　of　the　side　of　his　mouth。
　　　'Maybe　he's　been　messing　with　stuff　that's　too　big　for　him；　if　you　get　my　drift。'
　　　
　　　Malfoy　walked　away；　smirking　over　his