Early next morning, before the other two were awake, Harry1 left the tent to search the woods around them for the oldest, most gnarled, and resilient-looking tree he could find. There in its shadows he buried Mad-Eye Moody’s eye and marked the spot by gouging2 a small cross in the bark with his wand. It was not much, but Harry felt that Mad-Eye would have much preferred this to being stuck on Dolores Umbridge’s door. Then he returned to the tent to wait for the others to wake, and discuss what they were going to do next.
Harry and Hermione felt that it was best not to stay anywhere too long, and Ron agreed, with the sole proviso that their next move took them within reach of a bacon sandwich. Hermione therefore removed the enchantments3 she had placed around the clearing, while Harry and Ron obliterated4 all the marks and impressions on the ground that might show they had camped there. Then they Disapparated to the outskirts6 of a small market town.
Once they had pitched the tent in the shelter of a small copse of trees and surrounded it with freshly cast defensive7 enchantments. Harry ventured out under the Invisibility Cloak to find sustenance8. This, however, did not go as planned. He had barely entered the town when an unnatural9 chill, a descending10 mist, and a sudden darkening of the skies made him freeze where he stood.
“But you can make a brilliant Patronus!” protested Ron, when Harry arrived back at the tent empty handed, out of breath, and mouthing the single word, dementors.
“I couldn’t… make one.” he panted, clutching the stitch in his side. “Wouldn’t… come.”
Their expressions of consternation11 and disappointment made Harry feel ashamed. It had been a nightmarish experience, seeing the dementors gliding12 out of the must in the distance and realizing, as the paralyzing cold choked his lungs and a distant screaming filled his ears, that he was not going to be able to protect himself. It had taken all Harry’s willpower to uproot13 himself from the spot and run, leaving the eyeless dementors to glide14 amongst the Muggles who might not be able to see them, but would assuredly feel the despair they cast wherever they went.
“So we still haven’t got any food.”
“Shut up, Ron,” snapped Hermione. “Harry, what happened? Why do you think you couldn’t make your Patronus? You managed perfectly15 yesterday!”
“I don’t know.”
He sat low in one of Perkins’s old armchairs, feeling more humiliated16 by the moment. He was afraid that something had gone wrong inside him. Yesterday seemed a long time ago: Today me might have been thirteen years old again, the only one who collapsed17 on the Hogwarts Express.
Ron kicked a chair leg.
“What?” he snarled18 at Hermione. “I’m starving! All I’ve had since I bled half to death is a couple of toadstools!”
“You go and fight your way through the dementors, then,” said Harry, stung.
“I would, but my arm’s in a sling19, in case you hadn’t noticed!”
“That’s convenient.”
“And what’s that supposed to –?”
“Of course!” cried Hermione, clapping a hand to her forehead and startling both of them into silence. “Harry, give me the locket! Come on,” she said impatiently, clicking her fingers at him when he did not react, “the Horcrux, Harry, you’re still wearing it!”
She held out her hands, and Harry lifted the golden chain over his head. The moment it parted contact with Harry’s skin he felt oddly light. He had not even realized that he was clammy or that there was a heavy weight pressing on his stomach until both sensations lifted.
“Better?” asked Hermione.
“Yeah, loads better!”
“Harry,” she said, crouching20 down in front of him and using the kind of voice he associated with visiting the very sick, “you don’t think you’ve been possessed21, do you?”
“What? No!” he said defensively, “I remember everything we’ve done while I’ve bee wearing it. I wouldn’t know what I’d done if I’d been possessed, would I? Ginny told me there were times when she couldn’t remember anything.”
“Hmm,” said Hermione, looking down at the heavy locket. “Well, maybe we ought not to wear it. We can just keep it in the tent.”
“We are not leaving that Horcrux lying around,” Harry stated firmly. “If we lose it, if it gets stolen – ”
“Oh, all right, all right,” said Hermione, and she placed it around her own neck and tucked it out of sight down the front of her shirt. “But we’ll take turns wearing it, so nobody keeps it on too long.”
“Great,” said Ron irritably22, “and now we’ve sorted that out, can we please get some food?”
“Fine, but we’ll go somewhere else to find it,” said Hermione with half a glance at Harry. “There’s no point staying where we know dementors are swooping23 around.”
In the end they settled down for the night in a far flung field belonging to a lonely farm, from which they had managed to obtain eggs and bread.
“It’s not stealing, is it?” asked Hermione in a troubled voice, as they devoured24 scrambled25 eggs on toast. “Not if I left some money under the chicken coo?”
Ron rolled his eyes and said, with his cheeks bulging26, “Er-my-nee, ‘oo worry ‘oo much. ‘Elax!”
And, indeed, it was much easier to relax when they were comfortably well fed. The argument about the dementors was forgotten in laughter that night, and Harry felt cheerful, even hopeful, as he took the first of the three night watches.
This was their first encounter with the fact that a full stomach meant good spirits, an empty one, bickering27 and gloom. Harry was least surprised by this, because be had suffered periods of near starvation at the Dursleys’. Hermione bore up reasonably well on those nights when they managed to scavenge nothing but berries or stale biscuits, her temper perhaps a little shorter than usual and her silences dour28. Ron, however, had always been used to three delicious meals a day, courtesy of his mother or of the Hogwarts house-elves, and hunger made him both unreasonable29 and irascible. Whenever lack of food coincided with Ron’s turn to wear the Horcrux, he became downright unpleasant.
“So where next?” was his constant refrain. He did not seem to have any ideas himself, but expected Harry and Hermione to come up with plans while he sat and brooded over the low food supplies. Accordingly Harry and Hermione spent fruitless hours trying to decide where they might find the other Horcruxes, and how to destroy the one they already got, their conversations becoming increasingly repetitive as they got no new information.
As Dumbledore had told Harry that he believed Voldemort had hidden the Horcruxes in places important to him, they kept reciting, in a sort of dreary30 litany, those locations they knew that Voldemort had lived or visited. The orphanage31 where he had been born and raised: Hogwarts, where he had been educated; Borgin and Burks, where he had worked after completing school; then Albania, where he had spent his years of exile: These formed the basis of their speculations32.
“Yeah, let’s go to Albania. Shouldn’t take more than an afternoon to search an entire country,” said Ron sarcastically33.
“There can’t be anything there. He’d already made five of his Horcruxes before he went into exile, and Dumbledore was certain the snake is the sixth,” said Hermione. “We know the snake’s not in Albania, it’s usually with Vol – ”
“Didn’t I ask you to stop say that?”
“Fine! The snake is usually with You-Know-Who – happy?”
“Not particularly.”
“I can’t see him hiding anything at Borgin and Burkes.” said Harry, who had made this point many times before, but said it again simply to break the nasty silence. “Borgin and Burke were experts at Dark objects, they would’ve recognized a Horcrux straightaway.”
Ron yawned pointedly34. Repressing a strong urge to throw something at him, Harry plowed35 on, “I still reckon he might have hidden something at Hogwarts.”
Hermione sighed.
“But Dumbledore would have found it, Harry!”
Harry repeated the argument he kept bringing out in favor of this theory.
“Dumbledore said in front of me that he never assumed he knew all of Hogwart’s secrets. I’m telling you, if there was one place Vol – ”
“Oi!”
“YOU-KNOW-WHO, then!” Harry shouted, goaded36 past endurance. “If there was one place that was really important to You-Know-Who, it was Hogwarts!”
“Oh, come on,” scoffed37 Ron. “His school?”
“Yeah, his school! It was his first real home, the place that meant he was special: it meant everything to him, and even after he left – ”
“This is You-Know-Who we’re talking about, right? Not you?” inquired Ron. He was tugging38 at the chain of the Horcrux around his neck; Harry was visited by a desire to seize it and throttle39 him.
“You told us that You-Know-Who asked Dumbledore to give him a job after he left,” said Hermione.
“That’s right,” said Harry.
“And Dumbledore thought he only wanted to come back to try and find something, probably another founder’s object, to make into another Horcrux?”
“Yeah,” said Harry.
“But he didn’t get the job, did he?” said Hermione. “So he never got the chance to find a founder’s object there and hide it in the school!”
“Okay, then,” said Harry, defeated. “Forget Hogwarts.”
Without any other leads, they traveled into London and, hidden beneath the Invisibility Cloak, searching for the orphanage in which Voldemort had been raised. Hermione stole into a library and discovered from their records that the place had been demolished41 many years before. They visited its site and found a tower block of offices.
“We could try digging in to foundations?” Hermione suggested halfheartedly.
“He wouldn’t have hidden a Horcrux here,” Harry said. He had known it all along. The orphanage had been the place Voldemort had been determined42 to escape; he would never have hidden a part of his soul there. Dumbledore had shown Harry that Voldemort sought grandeur43 or mystique in his hiding places; this dismal44 gray corner of London was as far removed as you could imagine from Hogwarts of the Ministry45 or a building like Gringotts, the Wizarding banks, with its gilded46 doors and marble floors.
Even without any new idea, they continued to move through the countryside, pitching the tent in a different place each night for security. Every morning they made sure that they had removed all clues to their presence, then set off to find another lonely and secluded47 spot, traveling by Apparition48 to more woods, to the shadowy crevices49 of cliffs, to purple moors50, gorse-covered mountainsides, and once a sheltered and pebbly51 cove40. Every twelve hours or so they passed the Horcrux between them as though they were playing some perverse52, slow-motion game of pass-the-parcel, where they dreaded53 the music stopping because the reward was twelve hours of increased fear and anxiety.
Harry’s scar kept prickling. It happened most often, he noticed, when he was wearing the Horcrux. Sometimes he could not stop himself reacting to the pain.
“What? What did you see?” demanded Ron, whenever he noticed Harry wince55.
“A face,” muttered Harry, every time. “The same face. The thief who stole from Gregorovitch.”
And Ron would turn away, making no effort to hide his disappointment. Harry knew that Ron was hoping to bear news of his family or the rest of the Order of the Phoenix56, but after all, he, Harry, was not a television aerial; he could only see what Voldemort was thinking at the time, not tune57 in to whatever took his fancy. Apparently58 Voldemort was dwelling59 endlessly on the unknown youth with the gleeful face, whose name and whereabouts, Harry felt sure, Voldemort knew no better than he did. As Harry’s scar continued to burn and the merry, blond-haired boy swam tantalizingly60 in his memory, he learned to suppress any sign of pain or discomfort61, for the other two showed nothing but impatience62 at the mention of the thief. He could not entirely63 blame them, when they were so desperate for a lead on the Horcruxes.
As the days stretched into weeks, Harry began to suspect that Ron and Hermione were having conversations without, and about, him. Several times they stopped talking abruptly64 when Harry entered the tent, and twice he came accidentally upon them, huddled65 a little distance away, heads together and talking fast; both times they fell silent when they realized he was approaching them and hastened to appear busy collecting wood or water.
Harry could not help wondering whether they had only agreed to come on what now felt like a pointless and rambling66 journey because they thought he had some secret plan that they would learn in due course. Ron was making no effort to hide his bad mood, and Harry was starting to fear that Hermione too was disappointed by his poor leadership. In desperation he tried to think of further Horcrux locations, but the only one that continued to occur to him was Hogwarts, and as neither of the others thought this at all likely, he stopped suggesting it.
Autumn rolled over the countryside as they moved through it. They were now pitching the tent on mulches of fallen leaves. Natural mists joined those cast by the dementors; wind and rain added to their troubles. The fact that Hermione was getting better at identifying edible67 fungi68 could not altogether compensate69 for their continuing isolation70, the lack of other people’s company, or their total ignorance of what was going on in the war against Voldemort.
“My mother,” said Ron on night, as they sat in the tent on a riverbank in Wales, “can make good food appear out of thin air.”
He prodded71 moodily72 at the lumps of charred73 gray fish on his plate. Harry glanced automatically at Ron’s neck and saw, as he has expected, the golden chain of the Horcrux glinting there. He managed to fight down the impulse to swear at Ron, whose attitude would, he knew, improve slightly when the time came to take off the locket.
“Your mother can’t produce food out of thin air,” said Hermione. “no one can. Food is the first of the five Principal Exceptions to Gamp’s Law of Elemental Transfigura – ”
“Oh, speak English, can’t you?” Ron said, prying74 a fish out from between his teeth.
“It’s impossible to make good food out of nothing! You can Summon it if you know where it is, you can transform it, you can increase the quantity if you’ve already got some – ”
“Well, don’t bother increasing this, it’s disgusting,” said Ron.
“Harry caught the fish and I did my best with it! I notice I’m always the one who ends up sorting out the food, because I’m a girl, I suppose!”
“No, it’s because you’re supposed to be the best at magic!” shot back Ron.
Hermione jumped up and bits of roast pike slid off her tin plate onto the floor.
“You can do the cooking tomorrow, Ron, you can find the ingredients and try and charm them into something worth eating, and I’ll sit here and pull faces and moan and you can see you – ”
“Shut up!,” said Harry, leaping to his feet and holding up both hands. “Shut up now!”
“How can you side with him, he hardly ever does the cook – ”
“Hermione, be quiet, I can hear someone!”
He was listening hard, his hands still raised, warning them not to talk. Then, over the rush and gush76 of the dark river beside them, he heard voices again. He looked around at the Sneakoscope. It was not moving.
“You cast the Muffliato charm over us, right?” he whispered to Hermione.
“I did everything,” she whispered back, “Muffliato, Muggle-Repelling and Disillusionment Charms, all of it. They shouldn’t be able to hear of see us, whoever they are.”
Heavy scuffing77 and scraping noises, plus the sound of dislodged stones and twigs78, told them that several people were clambering down the steep, wooded slope that descended79 to the narrow bank where they had pitched the tent. They drew their wands, waiting. The enchantments they had cast around themselves ought to be sufficient, in the near total darkness, to shield them from the notice of Muggles and normal witches and wizards. If these were Death Eaters, then perhaps their defenses were about to be tested by Dark Magic for the first time.
The voices became louder but no more intelligible81 as the group of men reached the bank. Harry estimated that their owners were fewer than twenty feet away, but the cascading82 river made it impossible to tell for sure. Hermione snatched up the beaded bag and started to rummage83; after a moment she drew out three Extendible Ears and threw one each to Harry and Ron, who hastily inserted the ends of the flesh-colored strings84 into their ears and fed the other ends out of the tent entrance.
Within seconds Harry heard a weary male voice.
“There ought to be a few salmon85 in here, or d’you reckon it’s too early in the season? Accio Salmon!”
There were several distinct splashes and then the slapping sounds of fish against flesh. Somebody grunted86 appreciatively. Harry pressed the Extendable ear deeper into his own: Over the murmur87 of the river he could make out more voices, but they were not speaking English or any human language he had ever heard. It was a rough and unmelodious tongue, a string of rattling88, guttural noises, and there seemed to be two speakers, one with a slightly lower, slower voice than the other.
A fire danced into life on the other side of the canvas, large shadows passed between tent and flames. The delicious smell of baking salmon wafted89 tantalizingly in their direction. Then came the clinking of cutlery on plates, and the first man spoke90 again.
“Here, Griphook, Gornuk.”
Goblins! Hermione mouthed at Harry, who nodded.
“Thank you,” said the goblins together in English.
“So, you three have been on the run how long?” asked a new, mellow91, and pleasant voice; it was vaguely92 familiar to Harry, who pictured a round-bellied, cheerful-faced man.
“Six weeks… Seven… I forget,” said the tired man. “Met up with Griphook in the first couple of days and joined forces with Gornuk not long after. Nice to have a but of company.” There was a pause, while knives scraped plates and tin mugs were picked up and replaced on the ground. “What made you leave, Ted5?” continued the man.
“Knew they were coming for me,” replied mellow-voiced Ted, and Harry suddenly knew who he was: Tonks’s father. “Heard Death Eaters were in the area last week and decided93 I’d better run for it. Refused to register as a Muggle-born on principle, see, so I knew it was a matter of time, knew I’d have to leave in the end. My wife should be okay, she’s pure-blood. And then I met Dean here, what, a few days ago, son?”
“Yeah,” said another voice, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared at each other, silent but besides themselves with excitement, sure they recognized the voice of Dean Thomas, their fellow Gryffindor.
“Muggle-born, eh?” asked the first man.
“Not sure ,” said Dean. “My dad left my mum when I was a kid. I’ve got no proof he was a wizard, though.”
There was silence for a while, except for the sounds of munching94; then Ted spoke again.
“I’ve got to say, Dirk, I’m surprised to run into you. Pleased, but surprised. Word was that you’d been caught.”
“I was,” said Dirk. “I was halfway95 to Azkaban when I made a break for it. Stunned96 Dawlish, and nicked his broom. It was easier than you’d think; I don’t reckon he’s quite right at the moment. Might be Confunded. If so, I’d like to shake the hand of the witch or wizard who did it, probably saved my life.”
There was another pause in which the fire crackled and the river rushed on. The Ted said, “And where do you two fit in? I, er, had the impression the goblins were for You-Know-Who, on the whole.”
“You had a false impression,” said the higher-voiced of the goblins. “We take no sides. This is a wizards’ war.”
“How come you’re in hiding, then?”
“I deemed in prudent,” said the deeper-voiced goblin. “Having refused what I considered an impertinent request, I could see that my person safety was in jeopardy97.”
“What did they ask you to do?” asked Ted.
“Duties ill-befitting the dignity of my race,” replied the goblin, his voice rougher and less human as he said it. “I am not a house-elf.”
“What about you, Griphook?”
“Similar reasons,” said the higher voiced goblin. “Gringotts is no longer under the sole control of my race. I recognize no Wizarding master.”
He added something under his breath in Gobbledegook, and Gornuk laughed.
“What’s the joke?” asked Dean.
“He said,” replied Dirk, “that there are things wizards don’t recognize, either.”
There was a short pause.
“I don’t get it,” said Dean.
“I had my small revenge before I left,” said Griphook in English.
“Good man – goblin, I should say,” amended98 Ted hastily. “Didn’t manage to lock a Death Eater up in one of the old high-security vaults99, I suppose?”
“If I had, the sword would not have helped him break out,” replied Griphook. Gornuk laughed again and even Dirk gave a dry chuckle101.
“Dean and I are still missing something here,” said Ted.
“So is Severus Snape, though he does not know it,” said Griphook, and the two goblins roared with malicious102 laughter. Inside the tent Harry’s breathing was shallow with excitement: He and Hermione stared at each other, listening as hard as they could.
“Didn’t you hear about that, Ted?” asked Dirk. “About the kids who tried to steal Gryffindor’s sword out of Snape’s office at Hogwarts?”
An electric current seemed to course through Harry, jangling his every nerve as he stood rooted to the spot.
“Never heard a word,” said Ted, “Not in the Prophet, was it?”
“Hardly,” chortled Dirk. “Griphook here told me, he heard about it from Bill Weasley who works for the bank. One of the kids who tried to take the sword was Bill’s younger sister.”
Harry glanced toward Hermione and Ron, both of whom were clutching the Extendable Ears as tightly as lifelines.
“She and a couple of friends got into Snape’s office and smashed open the glass case where he was apparently keeping the sword. Snape caught them as they were trying to smuggle103 it down the staircase.”
“Ah, God bless ‘em,” said Ted. “What did they think, that they’d be able to use the sword on You-Know-Who? Or on Snape himself?”
“Well, whatever they thought they were going to do with it, Snape decided the sword wasn’t safe where it was,” said Dirk. “Couple of days later, once he’d got the say-so from You-Know-Who, I imagine, he sent it down to London to be kept in Gringotts instead.”
The goblins started to laugh again.
“I’m still not seeing the joke,” said Ted.
“It’s a fake,” rasped Griphook.
“The sword of Gryffindor!”
“Oh yes. It is a copy – an excellent copy, it is true – but it was Wizard-made. The original was forged centuries ago by goblins and had certain properties only goblin-made armor possesses. Wherever the genuine sword of Gryffindor is, it is not in a vault100 at Gringotts bank.”
“I see,” said Ted. “And I take it you didn’t bother telling the Death Eaters this.”
“I saw no reason to trouble them with the information,” said Griphook smugly, and now Ted and Dean joined in Gornuk and Dirk’s laughter.
Inside the tent, Harry closed his eyes, willing someone to ask the question he needed answered, and after a minute that seemed ten, Dean obliged: he was (Harry remembered with a jolt) an ex-boyfriend of Ginny’s too.
“What happened to Ginny and all the others? The ones who tried to steal it?”
“Oh, they were punished, and cruelly,” said Griphook indifferently.
“They’re okay, though?” asked Ted quickly, “I mean, the Weasleys don’t need any more of their kids injured, do they?”
“They suffered no serious injury, as far as I am aware,” said Griphook.
“Lucky for them,” said Ted. “With Snape’s track record I suppose we should just be glad they’re still alive.”
“You believe that story, then, do you, Ted?” asked Dirk. “You believe Snape killed Dumbledore?
“Course I do,” said Ted. “You’re not going to sit there and tell me you think Potter had anything to do with it?”
“Hard to know what to believe these days,” muttered Dirk.
“I know Harry Potter,” said Dean. “And I reckon he’s the real thing – the Chosen One, or whatever you want to call it.”
“Yeah, there’s a lot would like to believe he’s that, son,” said Dirk, “me included. But where is he? Run for it, by the looks of things. You’d think if he knew anything we don’t, or had anything special going for him, he’d be out there now fighting, rallying resistance, instead of hiding. And you know, the Prophet made a pretty good case against him – ”
“The Prophet?” scoffed Ted. “You deserve to be lied to if you’re still reading that much, Dirk. You want the facts, try the Quibbler.”
There was a sudden explosion of choking and retching, plus a good deal of thumping104, by the sound of it. Dirk had swallowed a fish bone. At last he sputtered105, “The Quibbler? That lunatic rag of Xeno Lovegood’s?”
“It’s not so lunatic these days,” said Ted. “You want to give it a look, Xeno is printing all the stuff the Prophet’s ignoring, not a single mention of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks in the last issue. How long they’ll let him get with it, mind, I don’t know. But Xeno says, front page of every issue, that any wizard who’s against You-Know-Who ought to make helping106 Harry Potter their number-one priority.”
“Hard to help a boy who’s vanished off the face of the earth,” said Dirk.
“Listen, the fact that they haven’t caught him yet’s one hell of an achievement,” said Ted. “I’d take tips from him gladly; it’s what we’re trying to do, stay free, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, well, you’ve got a point there,” said Dirk heavily. “With the whole of the Ministry and all their informers looking for him, I’d have expected him to be caught by now. Mind, who’s to say they haven’t already caught and killed him without publicizing it?”
“Ah, don’t say that, Dirk,” murmured Ted.
There was a long pause filled with more clattering107 of knives and forks. When they spoke again it was to discuss whether they ought to sleep on the back or retreat back up the wooded slope. Deciding the trees would give better cover, they extinguished their fire, then clambered back up the incline, their voices fading away.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione reeled in the Extendable Ears. Harry, who had found the need to remain silent increasingly difficult the longer they eavesdropped108, now found himself unable to say more then, “Ginny – the sword – ”
“I know!” said Hermione.
She lunged for the tiny beaded bag, this time sinking her arm in it right up to the armpit.
“Here… we… are…” she said between gritted109 teeth, and she pulled at something that was evidently in the depths of the bag. Slowly the edge of an ornate picture frame came into sight. Harry hurried to help her. As they lifted the empty portrait of Phineas Nigellus free of Hermione’s bag, she kept her wand pointing at it, ready to cast a spell at any moment.
“If somebody swapped110 the real sword for the face while it was in Dumbledore’s office,” she panted, as they propped111 the painting against the side of the tent, “Phineas Nigellus would have seen it happen, he hangs right beside the case!”
“Unless he was asleep,” said Harry, but he still held his breath as Hermione knelt down in front of the empty canvas, her wand directed at its center, cleared her throat, then said:
“Er – Phineas? Phineas Nigellus?“
Nothing happened.
“Phineas Nigellus?” said Hermione again. “Professor Black? Please could we talk to you? Please?”
“‘Please’ always helps,” said a cold, snide voice, and Phineas Nigellus slid into his portrait. At one, Hermione cried:
“Obscura!”
A black blindfold112 appeared over Phineas Nigellus’s clever, dark eyes, causing him to bump into the frame and shriek113 with pain.
“What – how dare – what are you –?”
“I’m very sorry, Professor Black,” said Hermione, “but it’s a necessary precaution!”
“Remove this foul114 addition at once! Remove it, I say! You are ruining a great work of art! Where am I? What is going on?“
“Never mind where we are,” said Harry, and Phineas Nigellus froze, abandoning his attempts to peel off the painted blindfold.
“Can that possible be the voice of the elusive115 Mr. Potter?”
“Maybe,” said Harry, knowing that this would keep Phineas Nigellus’s interest. “We’ve got a couple of questions to ask you – about the sword of Gryffindor.”
“Ah,” said Phineas Nigellus, now turning his head this way and that in an effort to catch sight of Harry, “Yes. That silly girl acted most unwisely there – ”
“Shut up about my sister,” said Ron roughly, Phineas Nigellus raised supercilious116 eyebrows117.
“Who else is here?” he asked, turning his head from side to side. “Your tone displeases118 me! The girl and her friends were foolhardily in the extreme. Thieving from the headmaster.”
“They weren’t thieving,” said Harry. “That sword isn’t Snape’s.”
“It belongs to Professor Snape’s school,“ said Phineas Nigellus. ”Exactly what claim did the Weasley girl have upon it? She deserved her punishment, as did the idiot Longbottom and the Lovegood oddity!“
“Neville is not an idiot and Luna is not an oddity!” said Hermione.
“Where am I?” repeated Phineas Nigellus, starting to wrestle119 with the blindfold again. “Where have you brought me? Why have you removed me from the house of my forebears?”
“Never mind that! How did Snape punish Ginny, Neville, and Luna?” asked Harry urgently.
“Professor Snape sent them into the Forbidden Forest, to do some work for the oaf, Hagrid.”
“Hagrid’s not an oaf!” said Hermione shrilly120.
“And Snape might’ve though that was a punishment,” said Harry, “but Ginny, Neville, and Luna probably had a good laugh with Hagrid. The Forbidden Forest… they’ve faced plenty worse than the Forbidden Forest, big deal!”
He felt relieved; he had been imagining horrors, the Cruciatus Curse at the very least.
“What we really wanted to know, Professor Black, is whether anyone else has, um, taken out the sword at all? Maybe it’s been taken away for cleaning – or something!”
Phineas Nigellus paused again in his struggles to free his eyes and sniggered.
“Muggle-born,” he said, “Goblin-made armor does not require cleaning, simple girl. Goblin’s silver repels121 mundane122 dirt, imbibing123 only that which strengthens it.”
“Don’t call Hermione simple,” said Harry.
“I grow weary of contradiction,” said Phineas Nigellus. “perhaps it is time for me to return to the headmaster’s office.?”
Still blindfolded124, he began groping the side of his frame, trying to feel his way out of his picture and back into the one at Hogwarts. Harry had a sudden inspiration.
“Dumbledore! Can’t you bring us Dumbledore?”
“I beg your pardon?” asked Phineas Nigellus.
“Professor Dumbledore’s portrait – couldn’t you bring him along, here, into yours?”
Phineas Nigellus turned his face in the direction of Harry’s voice.
“Evidently it is not only Muggle-borns who are ignorant, Potter. The portraits of Hogwarts may commune with each other, but they cannot travel outside of the castle except to visit a painting of themselves elsewhere. Dumbledore cannot come here with me, and after the treatment I have received at your hands, I can assure you that I will not be making a return visit!“
Slightly crestfallen125, Harry watched Phineas redouble his attempts to leave his frame.
“Professor Black,” said Hermione, “couldn’t you just tell us, please, when was the last time the sword was taken out of its case? Before Ginny took it out, I mean?”
Phineas snorted impatiently.
“I believe that the last time I saw the sword of Gryffindor leave its case was when Professor Dumbledore used it to break open a ring.”
Hermione whipped around to look at Harry. Neither of them dared say more in front of Phineas Nigellus, who had at least managed to locate the exit.
“Well, good night to you,“ he said a little waspishly, and he began to move out of sight again. Only the edge of his hat brim remained in view when Harry gave a sudden shout.
“Wait! Have you told Snape you saw this?”
Phineas Nigellus stuck his blindfolded head back into the picture.
“Professor Snape has more important things on his mind that the many eccentricities126 of Albus Dumbledore. Good-bye, Potter!”
And with that, he vanished completely, leaving behind him nothing but his murky127 backdrop.
“Harry!” Hermione cried.
“I know!” Harry shouted. Unable to contain himself, he punched the air; it was more than he had dared to hope for. He strode up and down the tent, feeling that he could have run a mile; he did not even feel hungry anymore. Hermione was squashing Phineas Nigellus’s back into the beaded bag; when she had fastened the clasp she threw the bag aside and raised a shining face to Harry.
“The sword can destroy Horcruxes! Goblin-made blades imbibe128 only that which strengthens them – Harry, that sword’s impregnated with basilisk venom129!”
“And Dumbledore didn’t give it to me because he still needed it, he wanted to use it on the locket – ”
“ – and he must have realized they wouldn’t let you have it if he put it in his will – ”
“ – so he made a copy – ”
“ – and put a fake in the glass case – ”
“ – and he left the real one – where?”
They gazed at east other Harry felt that the answer was dangling130 invisibly in the air above them, tantalizingly close. Why hadn’t Dumbledore told him? Or had he, in fact, told Harry, but Harry had not realized it at the time?
“Think!” whispered Hermione. “Think! Where would he have left it?”
“Not at Hogwarts,” said Harry, resuming his pacing.
“Somewhere in Hogsmeade?” suggested Hermione.
“The Shrieking131 Shack132?” said Harry. “Nobody ever goes in there.”
“But Snape knows how to get in, wouldn’t that be a bit risky133?”
“Dumbledore trusted Snape,” Harry reminded her.
“Not enough to tell him that he had swapped the swords,” said Hermione.
“Yeah, you’re right!” said Harry, and he felt even more cheered at the thought that Dumbledore had had some reservations, however faint, about Snape’s trustworthiness. “So, would he have hidden the sword well away from Hogsmeade, then? What d’you reckon, Ron? Ron?”
Harry looked around. For one bewildered moment he thought that Ron had left the tent, then realized that Ron was lying in the shadow of a bunk134, looking stony135.
“Oh, remembered me, have you?” he said.
“What?”
Ron snorted as he stared up at the underside of the upper bunk.
“You two carry on. Don’t let me spoil your fun.”
Perplexed136, Harry looked to Hermione for help, but she shook her head, apparently as nonplussed137 as he was.
“What’s the problem?” asked Harry.
“Problem? There’s no problem,” said Ron, still refusing to look at Harry. “Not according to you, anyways.”
There were several plunks on the canvas over their heads. It had started to rain.
“Well, you’ve obviously got a problem,” said Harry. “Spit it out, will you?”
Ron swung his long legs off the bed and sat up. He looked mean, unlike himself.
“All right, I’ll spit it out. Don’t expect me to skip up and down the tent because there’s some other damn thing we’ve got to find. Just add it to the list of stuff you don’t know.”
“I don’t know?” repeated Harry. “I don’t know?”
Plunk, plunk, plunk. The rain was falling harder and heavier; it pattered on the leaf-strewn bank all around them and into the river chattering138 through the dark. Dread54 doused139 Harry’s jubilation140; Ron was saying exactly what he had suspected and feared him to be thinking.
“It’s not like I’m not having the time of my life here,” said Ron, “you know, with my arm mangled141 and nothing to eat and freezing my backside off every night. I just hoped, you know, after we’d been running round a few weeks, we’d have achieved something.”
“Ron,” Hermione said, but in such a quiet voice that Ron could pretend not to have heard it over the loud tattoo142 the rain was beating on the tent.
“I thought you knew what you’d signed up for.” said Harry.
“Yeah, I thought I did too.”
“So what part of it isn’t living up to your expectations?” asked Harry. Anger was coming to his defense80 now. “Did you think we’d be staying in five-star hotels? Finding a Horcrux every other day? Did you think you’d be back to Mummy by Christmas?”
“We thought you knew what you were doing!” shouted Ron, standing143 up, and his words Harry like scalding knives. “We thought Dumbledore had told you what to do, we thought you had a real plan!”
“Ron!” said Hermione, this time clearly audible over the rain thundering on the tent roof, but again, he ignored her.
“Well, sorry to let you down,” said Harry, his voice quite calm even though he felt hollow, inadequate144. “I’ve been straight with you from the start. I told you everything Dumbledore told me. And in the case you haven’t noticed, we’ve found one Horcrux – ”
“Yeah, and we’re about as near getting rid of it as we are to finding the rest of them – nowhere effing near in other words.“
“Take off the locket, Ron,” Hermione said, her voice unusually high. “Please take it off. You wouldn’t be talking like this if you hadn’t been wearing it all day.”
“Yeah, he would,” said Harry, who did not want excuses made for Ron. “D’you think I haven’t noticed the two of you whispering behind my back? D’you think I didn’t guess you were thinking this stuff?”
“Harry, we weren’t – ”
“Don’t lie!” Ron hurled145 at her. “You said it too, you said you were disappointed, you said you’d thought he had a bit more to go on than – ”
“I didn’t say it like that – Harry, I didn’t!” she cried.
The rain was pounding the tent, tears were pouring down Hermione’s face, and the excitement of a few minutes before had vanished as if it had never been, a short-lived firework that had flared146 and died, leaving everything dark, wet, and cold. The sword of Gryffindor was hidden they knew not where, and their were three teenagers in a tent whose only achievement was not, yet, to be dead.
“So why are you still here?” Harry asked Ron.
“Search me,” said Ron.
“Go home then,” said Harry.
“Yeah, maybe I will!” shouted Ron, and he took several steps toward Harry, who did not back away. “Didn’t you hear what they said about my sister? But you don’t give a rat’s fart, do you, it’s only the Forbidden Forest, Harry I’ve-Faced-Worse Potter doesn’t care what happened to her in there – well, I do, all right, giant spiders and mental stuff – ”
“I was only saying – she was with the others, they were with Hagrid – ”
“Yeah, I get it, you don’t care! And what about the rest of my family, ‘the Weasleys don’t need another kid injured,’ did you hear that?”
“Yeah, I – ”
“Not bothered what it meant, though?”
“Ron!” said Hermione, forcing her way between them. “I don’t think it means anything new has happened, anything we don’t know about; think, Ron, Bill’s already scared, plenty of people must have seen that George has lost an ear by now, and you’re supposed to be on your deathbed with spattergroit, I’m sure that’s all he meant – ”
“Oh, you’re sure, are you? Right then, well, I won’t bother myself about them. It’s all right for you, isn’t it, with your parents safely out of the way – “
“My parents are dead!” Harry bellowed147.
“And mine could be going the same way!” yelled Ron.
“Then GO!” roared Harry. “Go back to them, pretend you’re got over your spattergroit and Mummy’ll be able to feed you up and – ”
Ron made a sudden movement: Harry reacted, but before either wand was clear of its owner’s pocket, Hermione had raised her own.
“Prestego!” she cried, and an invisible shield expanded between her and Harry on the one side and Ron on the other; all of them were forced backward a few steps by the strength of the spell, and Harry and Ron glared from either side of the transparent148 barrier as though they were seeing each other clearly for the first time. Harry felt a corrosive149 hatred150 toward Ron: Something had broken between them.
“Leave the Horcrux,” Harry said.
Ron wrenched151 the chain from over his head and cast the locket into a nearby chair. He turned to Hermione.
“What are you doing?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you staying, or what?”
“I…” She looked anguished152. “Yes – yes, I’m staying. Ron, we said we’d go with Harry, we said we’d help – ”
“I get it. You choose him.”
“Ron, no – please – come back, come back!”
She was impeded153 by her own Shield Charm; by the time she had removed it he had already stormed into the night. Harry stood quite still and silent, listening to her sobbing154 and calling Ron’s name amongst the trees.
After a few minutes she returned, her sopping155 hair plastered to her face.
“He’s g-g-gone! Disapparated!”
She threw herself into a chair, curled up, and started to cry.
Harry felt dazed. He stooped, picked up the Horcrux, and placed it around his own neck. He dragged blankets off Ron’s bunk and threw them over Hermione. Then he climbed onto his own bed and stared up at the dark canvas roof, listening to the pounding of the rain.
第二天一清早，在其他两人醒来之前，哈利离开了帐篷，在森林里找到一棵枝节最多,看起来挺有弹性的古树。他将疯眼汉穆迪的那只魔眼埋在了它的树荫下。他在树皮上用魔杖划了个十字作为标记。它并不是很大，但是哈利觉得疯眼汉会更喜欢这样而不是绑在乌姆里奇的门上。然后他转身走回帐篷，等着其他两个人醒来，一起讨论他们下一步该做什么。
哈利和赫敏一致觉得最好不要在一个地方停留太长时间，罗恩也这样想，但他唯一的要求就是去的地方最好能有咸牛肉三明治。于是赫敏清除了她在附近用魔法变出来的所有东西，哈利和罗恩同时也清理了所有的可以显示出他们曾在这里露营过的魔法标记和痕迹。然后他们一起幻影显形到一个小镇的郊区。他们一到达那里，就在小灌木丛的隐蔽处搭起了帐篷并在周围施了防御魔法。哈利冒险藏在隐形衣下出去寻找食物，然而事情发展往往并不像计划的那样。在他刚刚进入小镇时，一阵不自然的寒风袭来，薄雾凝结，头顶的天空突然变暗使他更加寒冷。
“你可以召唤守护神的！”罗恩反驳道，这时哈利向后走到帐篷并腾出一只手，上气不接下气，用口型说着一个词：摄魂怪。“我没办法……召唤……”他喘息着说，抓住帐篷的边缘，“不能……召唤来……”
他们惊愕和失望的表情使哈利感到惭愧，那是个不愉快的经历，看到摄魂怪在一段距离以外就准确地向自己这里滑行，那种令人窒息的寒冷麻痹了他的整个身体，遥远的尖叫敲击着他的耳膜，这使他无力再保护自己。哈利用尽全部的意志力让自己拔腿就跑，留下摄魂怪在麻瓜中盲目的滑行。麻瓜看不到摄魂怪，但是可以感受到摄魂怪所到之处那种绝望的气息。
“所以我们仍然没有找到任何食物。”
“闭嘴，罗恩。”赫敏打断他说，“哈利，发生了什么？你为什么觉得你无法召唤守护神了？在昨天你还可以完美地召唤守护神的！”
“我不知道。”他安静地坐在老珀金斯的一把旧扶手椅上，觉得比那时更丢脸。他觉得自己心里有些问题。昨天看起来像是在很久之前了：今天我又回到了那个十三岁的我，在霍格沃茨特快列车上唯一一个面对摄魂怪崩溃的人。
罗恩踢断了一只椅子腿。
“什么！”他朝赫敏大吼：“我要饿死了！从上次我流血流得半死到现在吃的所有东西不过是几个蘑菇！”
“不过你可以走过去，直接从摄魂怪中间穿过。”像被刺了一下,哈利激烈地说。
“我会的，但是我的胳膊上还挂着绷带，除非你没有注意到。”
“那很容易就注意到·”
“那么就是说——”
“当然！”赫敏叫道，用手拍着她的前额，吓得那两人一时无语。“哈利，给我那个小盒子。来！”她不耐烦地说，用手指着还没有反应过来的哈利，“魂器，哈利，你还戴着它！”
赫敏伸出她的手，哈利也将那条金链子从头上取下来。就在它与哈利的皮肤分开的那一刹那，他感到一阵古怪的轻松。他甚至才感觉到他身上又湿又冷和肚子里沉甸甸的压力消失了。
“好点了么？”赫敏问。
“是的，好的多了！”
“哈利，”她说道，在他前面蹲下，用那种使哈利感到像是探访病人的声音说：“你不认为自己被附身了吗？”
“什么？当然不！”他防备地说：“我记得我戴着它的时候我们做的所有的事情，如果我被附身我就不会记得那些事情，不是吗？金妮告诉我她有几个小时都不知道自己干了些什么。”
“唔，”赫敏说，低头看着那个沉甸甸的盒子：“嗯，也许我们不应该随身带着它。我们可以把它留在帐篷里。”
“我们不能把魂器留在这，”哈利坚定地说，“如果我们把它弄丢了，如果它被偷了……”
“噢，好吧，好吧，”赫敏说着把它挂到自己的脖子上，把它向下塞进衬衫里看不见的地方。“但是我们应该轮流带着它，没有人能够长时间的忍受它。”
“很好，”罗恩暴躁地说，“现在我们已经选出人来了，我们现在可以去找食物了吗？”
“好的，但是我们还是去别的地方找食物吧。”赫敏说着，偷偷的看了哈利一眼，“我们不能总停留在摄魂怪四处游走的地方。”
最后他们在一个偏僻遥远的农场里的田地里过的夜，从那里他们弄到了鸡蛋和面包。
“这不算偷窃，对吧？”当他们狼吞虎咽炒鸡蛋烤面包的时候，赫敏怯怯的问。“如果我在鸡肚子下面放了些钱，就不算对吧？”罗恩翻着眼睛说，两颊胀的鼓鼓的，“赫……赫敏，别担心那么多事。放松！”
并且——的确是这样——在他们舒服的大吃一顿后，放松变得非常简单。在这个夜晚，关于摄魂怪的争论也在笑声中被遗忘了。哈利非常快乐，也充满了希望，他担当了在三轮夜班中第一个值班的人。
这是他们第一次意识到这个事实：吃饱了精神好，而空空如也的肚子代表着争论和忧伤。哈利对此并不惊讶，因为他有过一段在德思礼家里几乎被饿死的经历。赫敏相当出色地熬过了那些晚上，他们除了浆果和过期的饼干外没有在寻找中获得任何食物。她的脾气可能比平常好了一点，而且她经常沉默。然而，罗恩习惯于他那和善的母亲或是霍格沃茨的家养小精灵提供的一天美味的三餐，饥饿使他变得不可理喻而且暴躁易怒。经常性的食物短缺，再加上轮到罗恩佩戴那个魂器，这使他彻彻底底的变成惹人讨厌的家伙。
“我们接下来去哪里？”他一直重复着这句话，看上去他没有任何主意，仅仅是希望哈利或者赫敏提出一个计划，而他就坐在那想着食物的短缺。因此，哈利和赫敏白白花费了许多时间讨论他们能在哪里会发现另一个魂器，或是如何摧毁他们已经到手的这个魂器。他们的谈话的重复内容越来越多，因为他们没有得到任何新的信息。
就像邓布利多告诉哈利的那样，他们坚信伏地魔会把他的魂器藏在一个对他来说非常重要的地方。他们一直在列举，沉闷枯燥的一遍又一遍的，那些他们所知道的伏地魔居住过或拜访过的地方。孤儿院那个他出生和成长的地方；霍格沃茨，是他念书的地方；博金-博克，是他在毕业后工作的地方；然后是阿尔巴尼亚，他在那里度过了它被放逐的那几年：这些形成了他们推测的基础。
“来，让我们去阿尔巴尼亚。就算在整个国家里面搜寻也用不了一个下午的时间。”罗恩讽刺地说。
“那里肯定什么都没有。在他流落之前他已经做了五个魂器，而且邓布利多已经确定第六个魂器就是那条大蛇了。”赫敏说，“我们都知道那条蛇不可能在阿尔巴尼亚，它通常是跟在伏地……”
“我不是和你说过不要叫他的名字吗？”
“好吧！那条蛇一般是跟着神秘人的——这样你就高兴了？”
“差不多吧。”
“我不认为他会在博金-博克藏任何东西。”哈利说，他说过这句话好多遍了，但是重复再说一遍只是为了打破这难堪的沉默，“博金和博克是黑魔法物品的专家，他们会一下子就认出这个魂器的。”
罗恩很明显的打了个呵欠。哈利抑制住强烈的向他扔东西的冲动，继续说，“我估计他把东西藏在了霍格沃茨。”
赫敏叹了口气。
“但是邓布利多会发现的，哈利！”
哈利重复着他的观点并寻找有利于他的观点的理由。
“邓布利多在我面前说过他从来不敢确定他知道霍格沃茨的所有秘密。我告诉你，如果那里有一个地方是伏地……”
“哦！”
“神秘人！然后！”哈利吼道，强迫自己忍耐下去，“如果有一个地方对伏地魔真的十分重要，那就是霍格沃茨！”
“哦，算了吧，”罗恩嘲弄地说，“他的学校？”
“是的，他的学校！那是他第一个真正的家，是对他而言意义非比寻常的地方；那代表着他的一切，就算在他离开之后……”
“我们在讨论的是神秘人，对吧？不是你？”罗恩问。他在用力的拉扯那条挂在他的脖子上的魂器的链子。哈利有种欲望想要一把抓过那条链子然后勒死罗恩。
“你告诉我们神秘人请求邓布利多在他毕业后给他一份工作。”赫敏说。
“是的。”哈利回答说。
“而且邓布利多认为他只是想要回来试图寻找什么东西，可能是其他哪个学院创始人的东西，来制造魂器？”
“是的。”哈利回答。
“但是他没有得到那份工作，不是吗？”赫敏说，“所以他绝不会有机会去那里寻找学院创始人的东西并把它藏在学校！”
“那么，好吧。”哈利被说服了。“忘记霍格沃茨吧。”
没有什么其他的线索了。他们只好来到伦敦，藏在隐形衣下，寻找伏地魔长大的孤儿院。
赫敏偷偷进入了一个图书馆，从他们的记录发现了这个地方在好多年前已经被重建了。他们来到了它的位置，发现了现在是一个政府机关的塔式大楼。
“我们可以试着挖地基？”赫敏玩弄地说。
“他不可能把魂器藏在这里，”哈利说。他自始至终都知道这一点。孤儿院曾是伏地魔尽力摆脱的地方，他不可能把自己灵魂的一部分藏在这里。邓布利多向哈利展示过伏地魔藏魂器的地方之壮观和神秘。这个伦敦的阴暗灰色的角落是你能够想象得出的最不着边的地方，尤其是和霍格沃茨或是古灵阁——巫师的银行——那样的有着镀金的门、大理石地板的建筑物相比较。
还是没有任何新主意，他们继续穿梭在乡间。为了安全起见，每个夜晚他们都换不同的地方支起帐篷，每个早晨他们都确保将所有他们来过这里的所有痕迹清除，然后出发寻找另一个偏僻隐蔽的地点。幻影显形时到过许多森林，狭窄的山涧，紫色的荒野，金雀花覆盖着的山岭，还经过受保护的有许多卵石的小海湾。每12个小时他们轮换着佩戴魂器，就好像他们在玩一种慢动作的击鼓传花一样。他们害怕音乐的停止，因为那是12个小时的恐惧和焦虑。
哈利的伤疤一直刺痛，他注意到，它发作的越来越频繁，尤其是当他佩戴魂器的时候。有时候他无法阻止他自己对疼痛做出的反映。
“怎么了？你看到什么了？”罗恩每当他注意到哈利的退避时就会探问。
“一张脸,”哈利每一次都是这样咕哝，“相同的一张脸。从格里戈维奇偷东西的那个小偷。
这时罗恩会转过脸去，毫不掩饰他的失望。哈利知道罗恩希望得到关于他家里的消息或是其他凤凰社的人的消息，但是，毕竟哈利不是一架电视天线，他只能知道伏地魔在那时的想法，而不能选择自己想要知道的内容。显然，伏地魔在不断的思索着那个兴高采烈却不知名的少年，包括他们的名字和下落。哈利可以确定，伏地魔所知道的不比他多多少。在哈利伤疤继续灼烧的同时，那个快乐的金发男孩也在他的脑海里时隐时显。他不得不试图掩盖住任何不适或疼痛的表情，因为其他两个人在他提到那个小偷时，除了不耐烦没有任何反应。他不能完全怪他们，尤其是在他们绝望时戴着魂器的时候。
几个星期过去之后，哈利开始怀疑罗恩和赫敏在背地里议论他。有好几次哈利进入帐篷时，他们突然就打断了话头，有两次哈利不经意地遇到他们，在不远处凑在一起，头靠在一起快速的谈论着什么，每一次他们一旦意识到哈利在靠近他们并且催促他们寻找木头和食物时，他们就都不说话了。
哈利忍不住怀疑他们是不是一致认为这次行动是白费力气，因为他们认为哈利有一些秘密的计划只有到适当的时候他们才能知道的。这些事对他隐藏自己糟糕的心情一点作用都没有，而且哈利也担心赫敏会对他差劲的领导能力失望。在沮丧中，哈利尝试向更广的范围内思考魂器的位置，可是唯一一个在他的脑海中出现的地方就是霍格沃茨。但是其他两个人完全不拿这个想法当回事，所以他也就没有再提出他的意见。
秋天卷着落叶扫过他们路过的那个村庄。因此他们支起的帐篷也有了落叶作掩护。大自然制造的雾气似乎也加入了摄魂怪的浓雾行列，风和雨也来找他们的麻烦。事实上赫敏虽然可以更好的辨认出可食用的菌类了，却也无法弥补与世隔绝的孤独感，脱离团体，还有他们在对抗伏地魔的战斗中的一无所知的感觉。
“我妈妈，”罗恩在一个晚上说，那时他们坐在威尔士河岸的帐篷里，“可以从稀薄的空气里变出来美味的食物。”
在他看见他的碟子里那许多烧焦的灰色鱼时他变得更加暴躁易怒。哈利不自觉地向罗恩脖子里瞥了一眼，就像他料到的那样，那条魂器的金链子在那里闪闪发光。他努力克制住诅咒罗恩的冲动。他知道，罗恩的态度会在摘下那个盒子的时候稍微改善一些。
“你妈妈不可能从空气里变出食物来,”赫敏说，“没有人可以。食物是大洋法律五个最主要的例外中第一个组成部分……”
“哦，说简单点儿，不行吗？”罗恩说，牙缝里露出了正在咀嚼的鱼。
“凭空变出食物是不可能的！你可以你事先知道的地方把它召唤来，你可以改变它，如果你已经有了一些，你还可以增加它的数量——”
“好吧，反正我是不想增加这种东西的数量，真恶心。”罗恩说。
“哈利抓到的鱼，我尽最大的力气去做了！我注意到我总是那个快吃完时才挑选食物的那个人。我想那只是因为我是个女的！”
“不，那是因为你被认为魔法是最出色的！”罗恩喊道。
赫敏跳了起来，一部分烤鱼从她的盘子滑到了地板上。
“明天你可以来做饭，罗恩，你可以找出一些食物然后试着用魔法将它们变成可以吃的东西，我会坐在那里拉着长脸一直抱怨，然后你就会知道你——”
“别吵了！”哈利说，跳起来挥摆着两只手，“安静！”
赫敏看起来更愤怒了。
“你怎么能这么偏向他！他几乎就没做过饭——”
“赫敏，安静，我听到有人！”他仔细地听，仍然举着双手警告他们不要说话。然后，他匆忙冲出去，黑色的河流在他们身后翻滚着，他又听到了那个声音。他在魔杖的光芒中四处张望。没有什么正在动的东西。
“你在这里施了闭耳塞听咒，是吗？”他低声问赫敏。
“能做的我都做了。”她低声回答，“闭耳塞听咒、麻瓜驱逐咒和白日梦咒,这类魔咒都有。他们不可能听到或看见我们，无论他们是谁。”
沉重的脚步声，还有一些石块树枝滑落的声音，明白无误地告诉他们有一些人正从悬崖上爬下来，到树木茂密的斜坡，到他们扎营的狭窄的河岸。他们拔出了自己的魔杖，等待着。
收听单词发音 |
1
harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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gouging
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| n.刨削[槽]v.凿( gouge的现在分词 )；乱要价；（在…中）抠出…；挖出… | |
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enchantments
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| n.魅力( enchantment的名词复数 )；迷人之处；施魔法；着魔 | |
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obliterated
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| v.除去( obliterate的过去式和过去分词 )；涂去；擦掉；彻底破坏或毁灭 | |
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ted
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| vt.翻晒，撒，撒开 | |
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outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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defensive
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| adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的 | |
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sustenance
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| n.食物，粮食；生活资料；生计 | |
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unnatural
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| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
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descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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uproot
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| v.连根拔起，拔除；根除，灭绝；赶出家园，被迫移开 | |
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glide
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| n./v.溜，滑行；(时间)消逝 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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humiliated
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| 感到羞愧的 | |
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collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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sling
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| vt.扔；悬挂；n.挂带；吊索，吊兜；弹弓 | |
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crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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irritably
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| ad.易生气地 | |
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swooping
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| 俯冲，猛冲( swoop的现在分词 ) | |
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devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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bulging
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| 膨胀； 凸出（部）； 打气； 折皱 | |
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bickering
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| v.争吵( bicker的现在分词 )；口角；（水等）作潺潺声；闪烁 | |
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dour
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| adj.冷酷的，严厉的；（岩石）嶙峋的；顽强不屈 | |
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unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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orphanage
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| n.孤儿院 | |
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speculations
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| n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 )；思考；投机活动；推断 | |
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sarcastically
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| adv.挖苦地，讽刺地 | |
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pointedly
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| adv.尖地，明显地 | |
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plowed
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| v.耕( plow的过去式和过去分词 )；犁耕；费力穿过 | |
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goaded
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| v.刺激( goad的过去式和过去分词 )；激励；（用尖棒）驱赶；驱使（或怂恿、刺激）某人 | |
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scoffed
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| 嘲笑，嘲弄( scoff的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38
tugging
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| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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throttle
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| n.节流阀，节气阀，喉咙；v.扼喉咙，使窒息，压 | |
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40
cove
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| n.小海湾，小峡谷 | |
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41
demolished
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| v.摧毁( demolish的过去式和过去分词 )；推翻；拆毁（尤指大建筑物）；吃光 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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43
grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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44
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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ministry
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| n.(政府的)部；牧师 | |
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gilded
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| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
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47
secluded
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| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
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48
apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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49
crevices
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| n.（尤指岩石的）裂缝，缺口( crevice的名词复数 ) | |
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50
moors
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| v.停泊，系泊（船只）( moor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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51
pebbly
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| 多卵石的，有卵石花纹的 | |
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52
perverse
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| adj.刚愎的；坚持错误的，行为反常的 | |
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53
dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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54
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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55
wince
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| n.畏缩，退避，（因痛苦，苦恼等)面部肌肉抽动；v.畏缩，退缩，退避 | |
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56
phoenix
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| n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生 | |
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57
tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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58
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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59
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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60
tantalizingly
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| adv.…得令人着急，…到令人着急的程度 | |
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61
discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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62
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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63
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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64
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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65
huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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66
rambling
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| adj.[建]凌乱的，杂乱的 | |
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67
edible
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| n.食品，食物；adj.可食用的 | |
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68
fungi
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| n.真菌，霉菌 | |
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69
compensate
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| vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消 | |
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70
isolation
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| n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离 | |
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71
prodded
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| v.刺，戳( prod的过去式和过去分词 )；刺激；促使；（用手指或尖物）戳 | |
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72
moodily
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| adv.喜怒无常地；情绪多变地；心情不稳地；易生气地 | |
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73
charred
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| v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式)；烧焦 | |
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74
prying
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| adj.爱打听的v.打听，刺探（他人的私事）( pry的现在分词 )；撬开 | |
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75
outraged
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| a.震惊的，义愤填膺的 | |
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76
gush
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| v.喷，涌；滔滔不绝(说话)；n.喷，涌流；迸发 | |
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77
scuffing
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| n.刮[磨，擦，划]伤v.使磨损( scuff的现在分词 )；拖着脚走 | |
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78
twigs
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| 细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) | |
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79
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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80
defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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81
intelligible
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| adj.可理解的，明白易懂的，清楚的 | |
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82
cascading
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| 流注( cascade的现在分词 )； 大量落下； 大量垂悬； 梯流 | |
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83
rummage
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| v./n.翻寻，仔细检查 | |
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84
strings
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| n.弦 | |
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85
salmon
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| n.鲑，大马哈鱼，橙红色的 | |
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86
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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87
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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88
rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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89
wafted
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| v.吹送，飘送，（使）浮动( waft的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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90
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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91
mellow
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| adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟 | |
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92
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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93
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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94
munching
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| v.用力咀嚼（某物），大嚼( munch的现在分词 ) | |
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95
halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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96
stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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97
jeopardy
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| n.危险；危难 | |
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98
Amended
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| adj. 修正的 动词amend的过去式和过去分词 | |
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99
vaults
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| n.拱顶( vault的名词复数 )；地下室；撑物跳高；墓穴 | |
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100
vault
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| n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室 | |
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101
chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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102
malicious
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| adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的 | |
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103
smuggle
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| vt.私运；vi.走私 | |
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104
thumping
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| adj.重大的，巨大的；重击的；尺码大的；极好的adv.极端地；非常地v.重击(thump的现在分词)；狠打；怦怦地跳；全力支持 | |
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105
sputtered
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| v.唾沫飞溅( sputter的过去式和过去分词 )；发劈啪声；喷出；飞溅出 | |
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106
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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107
clattering
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的现在分词形式） | |
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108
eavesdropped
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| 偷听（别人的谈话）( eavesdrop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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109
gritted
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| v.以沙砾覆盖（某物），撒沙砾于( grit的过去式和过去分词 )；咬紧牙关 | |
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110
swapped
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| 交换（工作）( swap的过去式和过去分词 )； 用…替换，把…换成，掉换（过来） | |
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111
propped
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| 支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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112
blindfold
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| vt.蒙住…的眼睛；adj.盲目的；adv.盲目地；n.蒙眼的绷带[布等]； 障眼物，蒙蔽人的事物 | |
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113
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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114
foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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115
elusive
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| adj.难以表达(捉摸)的；令人困惑的；逃避的 | |
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116
supercilious
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| adj.目中无人的，高傲的；adv.高傲地；n.高傲 | |
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117
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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118
displeases
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| 冒犯，使生气，使不愉快( displease的第三人称单数 ) | |
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119
wrestle
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| vi.摔跤，角力；搏斗；全力对付 | |
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120
shrilly
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| 尖声的； 光亮的，耀眼的 | |
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121
repels
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| v.击退( repel的第三人称单数 )；使厌恶；排斥；推开 | |
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122
mundane
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| adj.平凡的；尘世的；宇宙的 | |
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123
imbibing
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| v.吸收( imbibe的现在分词 )；喝；吸取；吸气 | |
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124
blindfolded
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| v.（尤指用布）挡住（某人）的视线( blindfold的过去式 )；蒙住（某人）的眼睛；使不理解；蒙骗 | |
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125
crestfallen
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| adj. 挫败的，失望的，沮丧的 | |
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126
eccentricities
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| n.古怪行为( eccentricity的名词复数 )；反常；怪癖 | |
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127
murky
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| adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗 | |
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128
imbibe
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| v.喝，饮；吸入，吸收 | |
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129
venom
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| n.毒液，恶毒，痛恨 | |
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130
dangling
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| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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131
shrieking
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| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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132
shack
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| adj.简陋的小屋，窝棚 | |
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133
risky
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| adj.有风险的，冒险的 | |
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134
bunk
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| n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话 | |
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135
stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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136
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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137
nonplussed
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| adj.不知所措的，陷于窘境的v.使迷惑( nonplus的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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138
chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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139
doused
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| v.浇水在…上( douse的过去式和过去分词 )；熄灯[火] | |
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140
jubilation
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| n.欢庆，喜悦 | |
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141
mangled
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| vt.乱砍（mangle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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142
tattoo
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| n.纹身，(皮肤上的)刺花纹；vt.刺花纹于 | |
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143
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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144
inadequate
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| adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的 | |
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145
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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146
Flared
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| adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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147
bellowed
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的过去式和过去分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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148
transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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149
corrosive
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| adj.腐蚀性的；有害的；恶毒的 | |
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150
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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151
wrenched
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| v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的过去式和过去分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛 | |
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152
anguished
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| adj.极其痛苦的v.使极度痛苦(anguish的过去式) | |
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153
impeded
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| 阻碍，妨碍，阻止( impede的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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154
sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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155
sopping
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| adj. 浑身湿透的 动词sop的现在分词形式 | |
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