August wore on, the square of unkempt grass in the middle of Grimmauld Place shriveled in the sun until it was brittle2 and brown. The inhabitants of number twelve were never seen by anyone in the surrounding houses, and nor was number twelve itself. The muggles who lived in Grimmauld Place had long since accepted the amusing mistake in the numbering that had caused number eleven to sit beside number thirteen.
And yet the square was now attracting a trickle3 of visitors who seemed to find the anomaly most intriguing4. Barely a day passed without one or two people arriving in Grimmauld Place with no other purpose, or so it seemed, than to lean against the railings facing numbers eleven and thirteen, watching the join between the two houses.
The lurkers were never the same two days running, although they all seemed to share a dislike for normal clothing. Most of the Londoners who passed them were used to eccentric dressers and took little notice, though occasionally one of them might glance back, wondering why anyone would wear cloaks in this heat.
The watchers seemed to be gleaning5 little satisfaction from their vigil. Occasionally one of them started forward excitedly, as if they had seen something interesting at last, only to fall back looking disappointed.
On the first day of September there were more people lurking8 in the square than ever before. Half a dozen men in long cloaks stood silent and watchful9, gazing as ever at houses eleven and thirteen, but the thing for which they were waiting still appeared elusive10. As evening drew in, bringing with it an unexpected gust1 of chilly11 rain for the first time in weeks, there occurred one of those inexplicable12 moments when they appeared to have seen something interesting. The man with the twisted face pointed7 and his closest companion, a podgy, pallid13 man, started forward, but a moment later they had relaxed into their previous state of inactivity, looking frustrated14 and disappointed.
Meanwhile, inside number twelve, Harry15 had just entered the hall. He had nearly lost his balance as he Apparated onto the top step just outside the front door, and thought that the Death Eaters might have caught a glimpse of his momentarily exposed elbow. Shutting the front door carefully behind him, he pulled off the Invisibility Cloak, draped it over his arm, and hurried along the gloomy hallway toward the door that led to the basement, a stolen copy of the Daily Prophet clutched in his hand.
The usual low whisper of “Severus Snape” greeted him, the chill wind swept him, and his tongue rolled up for a moment.
“I didn’t kill you,” he said, once it had unrolled, then held his breath as the dusty jinx-figure exploded. He waited until he was halfway16 down the stairs to the kitchen, out of earshot of Mrs. Black and clear of the dust cloud, before calling, “I’ve got news, and you won’t like it.”
The kitchen was almost unrecognizable. Every surface now shone; Copper17 pots and pans had been burnished18 to a rosy19 glow; the wooden tabletop gleamed; the goblets20 and plates already laid for dinner glinted in the light from a merrily blazing fire, on which a cauldron was simmering. Nothing in the room, however, was more dramatically different than the house-elf who now came hurrying toward Harry, dressed in a snowy-white towel, his ear hair as clean and fluffy21 as cotton wool, Regulus’s locket bouncing on his thin chest.
“Shoes off, if you please, Master Harry, and hands washed before dinner,” croaked22 Kreacher, seizing the Invisibility Cloak and slouching off to hang it on a hook on the wall, beside a number of old-fashioned robes that had been freshly laundered23.
“What’s happened?” Ron asked apprehensively24. He are Hermione had been pouring over a sheaf of scribbled25 notes and hand drawn26 maps that littered the end of the long kitchen table, but now they watched Harry as he strode toward them and threw down the newspaper on top of their scattered27 parchment.
A large picture of a familiar, hook-nosed, black-haired man stared up at them all, beneath a headline that read:
SEVERUS SNAPE CONFIRMED
AS HOGWARTS HEADMASTER
“No!“ said Ron and Hermione loudly.
Hermione was quickest; she snatched up the newspaper and began to read the accompanying story out loud.
“Severus Snape, long-standing28 Potions master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft29 and wizardry, was today appointed headmaster in the most important of several staffing changes at the ancient school. Following the resignation of the previous Muggle Studies teacher, Alecto Carrow will take over the post while her brother, Amycus, fills the position of Defense30 Against the Dark Arts professor.“
“ ‘I welcome the opportunity to uphold our finest Wizarding traditions and values –’ Like committing murder and cutting off people’s ears, I suppose! Snape, headmaster! Snape in Dumbledore’s study – Merlin’s pants!“ she shrieked31, making both Harry and Ron jump. She leapt up from the table and hurtled from the room, shouting as she went, ”I’ll be back in a minute!“
“‘Merlin’s pants’?” repeated Ron, looking amused. “She must be upset.” He pulled the newspaper toward him and perused32 the article about Snape.
“The other teachers won’t stand for this, McGonagall and Flitwick and Sprout33 all know the truth, they know how Dumbledore died. They won’t accept Snape as headmaster. And who are these Carrows?“
“Death Eaters,” said Harry. “There are pictures of them inside. They were at the top of the tower when Snape killed Dumbledore, so it’s all friends together. And,”
Harry went on bitterly, drawing up a chair, “I can’t see that the other teachers have got any choice but to stay. If the Ministry34 and Voldemort are behind Snape, it’ll be a choice between staying and teaching, or a nice few years in Azkaban – and that’s if they’re lucky. I reckon they’ll stay to try and protect the students.”
Kreacher came bustling35 to the table with a large curcen in his hands, and ladled out soup into pristine36 bowls, whistling between his teeth as he did so.
“Thanks, Kreacher,“ said Harry, flipping37 over the Prophet so as not to have to look at Snape’s face. ”Well, at least we know exactly where Snape is now.“He began to spoon soup into his mouth. The quality of Kreacher’s cooking had improved dramatically ever since he had been given Regulus’s locket: Today’s French onion was as good as Harry had ever tasted.
“There are still a load of Death Eaters watching this house,” he told Ron as he ate, “more than usual. It’s like they’re hoping we’ll march out carrying our school trunks and head off for the Hogwarts Express.”
Ron glanced at his watch.
“I’ve been thinking about that all day. It left nearly six hours ago. Weird38, not being on it, isn’t it?”
In his mind’s eye Harry seemed to see the scarlet39 steam engine as he and Ron had once followed it by air, shimmering40 between fields and hills, a rippling41 scarlet caterpillar42. He was sure Ginny, Neville, and Luna were sitting together at this moment, perhaps wondering where he, Ron, and Hermione were, or debating how best to undermine Snape’s new regime.
“They nearly saw me coming back in just now,” Harry said, “I landed badly on the top step, and the Cloak slipped.”
“I do that every time. Oh, here she is,” Ron added, craning around in his seat to watch Hermione reentering the kitchen. “And what in the name of Merlin’s most baggy43 Y Fronts was that about?”
“I remembered this,” Hermione panted.
She was carrying a large, framed picture, which she now lowered to the floor before seizing her small, beaded bag from the kitchen sideboard. Opening it, she proceeded to force the painting inside and despite the fact that it was patently too large to fit inside the tiny bag, within a few seconds it had vanished, like so much ease, into the bag’s capacious depths.
“Phineas Nigellus,” Hermione explained as she threw the bag onto the kitchen table with the usual sonorous44, clanking crash.
“Sorry?“ said Ron, but Harry understood. The painted image of Phineas Nigellus Black was able to travel between his portrait in Grimmauld Place and the one that hung in the headmaster’s office at Hogwarts: the circular cower-top room where Snape was no doubt sitting right now, in triumphant45 possession of Dumbledore’s collection of delicate, silver magical instruments, the stone Pensieve, the Sorting Hat and, unless it ad been moved elsewhere, the sword of Gryffindor.
“Snape could send Phineas Nigellus to look inside this house for him,” Hermione explained to Ron as she resumed her seat. “But let him try it now, all Phineas Nigellus will be able to see is the inside of my handbag.”
“Good thinking!” said Ron, looking impressed.
“Thank you,” smiled Hermione, pulling her soup toward her. “So, Harry, what else happened today?”
“Nothing,” said Harry. “Watched the Ministry entrance for seven hours. No sign of her. Saw your dad though, Ron. He looks fine.”
Ron nodded his appreciation46 of this news. The had agreed that it was far too dangerous to try and communicate with Mr. Weasley while he walked in and out of the Ministry, because he was always surrounded by other Ministry workers. It was, however, reassuring47 to catch these glimpses of him, even if he did look very strained and anxious.
“Dad always told us most Ministry people use the Floo Network to get to work,” Ron said. “That’s why we haven’t seen Umbridge, she’d never walk, she’d think she’s too important.”
“And what about that funny old witch and that little wizard in the navy robes?” Hermione asked.
“Oh yeah, the bloke from Magical Maintenance,” said Ron.
“How do you know he works for Magical Maintenance?” Hermione asked, her soupspoon suspended in midair.
“Dad said everyone from Magical Maintenance wears navy blue robes.”
“But you never told us that!”
Hermione dropped her spoon and pulled toward her the sheaf of notes and maps that she and Ron had been examining when Harry had entered the kitchen.
“There’s nothing in here about navy blue robes, nothing!” she said, flipping feverishly48 through the pages.
“Well, does it really matter?”
“Ron, it all matters! If we’re going to get into the Ministry and not give ourselves away when they’re bound to be on the lookout49 for intruders, every little detail matters! We’ve been over and over this, I mean, what’s the point of all these reconnaissance trips if you aren’t even bothering to tell us – “
“Blimey, Hermione, I forget one little thing – ”
“You do realize, don’t you, that there’s probably no more dangerous place in the whole world for us to be right now than the Ministry of – “
“I think we should do it tomorrow,” said Harry.
Hermione stopped dead, her jaw50 hanging; Ron choked a little over his soup.
“Tomorrow?” repeated Hermione. “You aren’t serious, Harry?”
“I am,“ said Harry. ”I don’t think we’re going to be much better prepared than we are now even if we skulk51 around the Ministry entrance for another month. The longer we put it off, the farther away that locket could be. There’s already a good chance Umbridge has chucked it away; the thing doesn’t open.“
“Unless,” said Ron, “she’s found a way of opening it and she’s now possessed52.”
“Wouldn’t make any difference to her, she was so evil in the first place,” Harry shrugged53.
Hermione was biting her lip, deep in thought.
“We know everything important,“ Harry went on, addressing Hermione. ”We know they’ve stopped Apparition54 in and out of the Ministry; We know only the most senior Ministry members are allowed to connect their homes to the Floo Network now, because Ron heard those two Unspeakables complaining about it. And we know roughly where Umbridge’s office is, because of what you heard the bearded bloke saying to his mate – “
“‘I’ll be up on level one, Dolores wants to see me,’“ Hermione recited immediately.
“Exactly,” said Harry. “And we know you get in using those funny coins, or tokens, or whatever they are, because I saw that witch borrowing one from her friend – ”
“But we haven’t got any!”
“If the plan works, we will have,” Harry continued calmly.
“I don’t know, Harry, I don’t know … There are an awful lot of things that could go wrong, so much relies on chance …”
“That’ll be true even if we spend another three months preparing,“ said Harry. ”It’s time to act.“
He could tell from Ron’s and Hermione’s faces that they were scared; he was not particularly confident himself, and yet he was sure the time had come to put their plan into operation.
They had spent the previous four weeks taking it in turns to don the Invisibility Cloak and spy on the official entrance to the Ministry, which Ron, thanks to Mr. Weasley, had known since childhood. They had tailed Ministry workers on their way in, eavesdropped55 on their conversations, and learned by careful observation which of them could be relied upon to appear, alone, at the same time every day. Occasionally there had been a chance to sneak56 a Daily Prophet out of somebody’s briefcase57.
Slowly they had built up the sketchy58 maps and notes now stacked in front of Hermione.
“All right,” said Ron slowly, “let’s say we go for it tomorrow … I think it should just be me and Harry.”
“Oh, don’t start that again!” sighed Hermione. “I thought we’d settled this.”
“It’s one thing hanging around the entrances under the Cloak, but this is different. Hermione,“ Ron jabbed a finger at a copy of the Daily Prophet dated ten days previously59. ”You’re on the list of Muggle-borns who didn’t present themselves for interrogation!“
“And you’re supposed to be dying of spattergroit at the Burrow60! If anyone shouldn’t go, it’s Harry, he’s got a ten-thousand-Galleon price on his head – ”
“Fine, I’ll stay here,“ said Harry. ”Let me know if you ever defeat Voldemort, won’t you?“
As Ron and Hermione laughed, pain shot through the scar on Harry’s forehead. His hand jumped to it. He saw Hermione’s eyes narrow, and he tried to pass off the movement by brushing his hair out of his eyes.
“Well, if all three of us go we’ll have to Disapparate separately,” Ron was saying. “We can’t all fit under the Cloak anymore.”
Harry’s scar was becoming more and more painful. He stood up. At once, Kreacher hurried forward.
“Master has not finished his soup, would master prefer the savory61 stew62, or else the treacle63 tart6 to which Master is so partial?”
“Thanks, Kreacher, but I’ll be back in a minute – er – bathroom.”
Aware that Hermione was watching him suspiciously, Harry hurried up the stairs to the hall and then to the first landing, where he dashed into the bathroom and bolted the door again. Grunting64 with pain, he slumped65 over the black basin with its taps in the form of open-mouthed serpents and closed his eyes ….
He was gliding66 along a twilit street. The buildings on either side of him had high, timbered gables; they looked like gingerbread houses. He approached one of them, then saw the whiteness of his own long-fingered hand against the door. He knocked. He felt a mounting excitement …
The door opened: A laughing woman stood there. Her face fell as she looked into Harry’s face: humor gone, terror replacing it ….
“Gregorovitch?” said a high, cold voice.
She shook her head: She was trying to close the door. A white hand held it steady, prevented her shutting him out …
“I want Gregorovitch.”
“Er wohnt hier nicht mehr!“ she cried, shaking her head. ”He no live here! He no live here! I know him not!“
Abandoning the attempt to close the door, she began to back away down the dark hall, and Harry followed, gliding toward her, and his long-fingered hand had drawn his wand.
“Where is he?”
“Das wei? ich nicht! He move! I know not, I know not!“
He raised his hand. She screamed. Two young children came running into the hall. She tried to shield them with her arms. There was a flash of green light –
“Harry! HARRY!”
He opened his eyes; he had sunk to the floor. Hermione was pounding on the door again.
“Harry, open up!”
He had shouted out, he knew it. He got up and unbolted the door; Hermione toppled inside at once, regained67 her balance, and looked around suspiciously. Ron was right behind her, looking unnerved as he pointed his wand into the corners of the chilly bathroom.
“What were you doing?” asked Hermione sternly.
“What d’you think I was doing?“ asked Harry with feeble bravado68.
“You were yelling your head off!” said Ron.
“Oh yeah … I must’ve dozed69 off or – ”
“Harry, please don’t insult our intelligence,“ said Hermione, taking deep breaths. ”We know your scar hurt downstairs, and you’re white as a sheet.“
Harry sat down on the edge of the bath.
“Fine. I’ve just seen Voldemort murdering a woman. By now he’s probably killed her whole family. And he didn’t need to. It was Cedric all over again, they were just there …“
“Harry, you aren’t supposed to let this happen anymore!“ Hermione cried, her voice echoing through the bathroom. ”Dumbledore wanted you to use Occlumency! HE thought the connection was dangerous – Voldemort can use it, Harry! What good is it to watch him kill and torture, how can it help?“
“Because it means I know what he’s doing,” said Harry.
“So you’re not even going to try to shut him out?“
“Hermione, I can’t. You know I’m lousy at Occlumency. I never got the hang of it.”
“You never really tried!“ she said hotly. ”I don’t get it, Harry – do you like having this special connection or relationship or what – whatever – “
She faltered70 under the look he gave her as he stood up.
“Like it?“ he said quietly. ”Would you like it?“
“I – no – I’m sorry, Harry. I just didn’t mean – ”
“I hate it, I hate the fact that he can get inside me, that I have to watch him when he’s most dangerous. But I’m going to use it.”
“Dumbledore – ”
“Forget Dumbledore. This is my choice, nobody else’s. I want to know why he’s after Gregorovitch.”
“Who?”
“He’s a foreign wandmaker,” said Harry. “He made Krum’s wand and Krum reckons he’s brilliant.”
“But according to you,” said Ron, “Voldemort’s got Ollivander locked up somewhere. If he’s already got a wandmaker, what does he need another one for?”
“Maybe he agrees with Krum, maybe he thinks Gregorovitch is better … or else he thinks Gregorovitch will be able to explain what my wand did when he was chasing me, because Ollivander didn’t know.”
Harry glanced into the cracked, dusty mirror and saw Ron and Hermione exchanging skeptical71 looks behind his back.
“Harry, you keep talking about what your wand did,“ said Hermione, ”but you made it happen! Why are you so determined72 not to take responsibility for your own power?
“
“Because I know it wasn’t me! And so does Voldemort, Hermione! We both know what really happened!”
They glared at each other; Harry knew that he had not convinced Hermione and that she was marshaling counterarguments, against both his theory on his wand and the fact
that he was permitting himself to see into Voldemort’s mind. To his relief, Ron intervened.
“Drop it,” he advised her. “It’s up to him. And if we’re going to the Ministry tomorrow, don’t you reckon we should go over the plan?”
Reluctantly, as the other two could tell, Hermione let the matter rest, though Harry was quite sure she would attack again at the first opportunity. In the meantime, they returned to the basement kitchen, where Kreacher served them all stew and treacle tart.
They did not get to bed until late that night, after spending hours going over and over their plan until they could recite it, word perfect, to each other. Harry, who was now sleeping in Sirius’s room, lay in bed with his wandlight trained on the old photograph of his father, Sirius, Lupin, and Pettigrew, and muttered the plan to himself for another ten minutes. As he extinguished his wand, however, he was thinking not of Polyjuice Potion, Puking Pastilles, or the navy blue robes of Magical Maintenance; he thought of Gregorovitch the wandmaker, and how long he could hope to remain hidden while Voldemort sought him so determinedly73.
Dawn seemed to follow midnight with indecent haste.
“You look terrible,” was Ron’s greeting as he entered the room to wake Harry.
“Not for long,” said Harry, yawning.
They found Hermione downstairs in the kitchen. She was being served coffee and hot rolls by Kreacher and wearing the slightly manic expression that Harry associated with exam review.
“Robes,” she said under her breath, acknowledging their presence with a nervous nod and continuing to poke74 around in her beaded bag, “Polyjuice Potion …
Invisibility Cloak … Decoy Detonators … You should each take a couple just in case … Puking Pastilles, Nosebleed Norgat, Extendable Ears …”
They gulped75 down their breakfast, then set off upstairs, Kreacher bowing them out and promising76 to have a steak-and-kidney pie ready for them when they returned.
“Bless him,“ said Ron fondly, ”and when you think I used to fantasize about cutting off his head and sticking it on the wall.“
They made their way onto the front step with immense caution. They could see a couple of puffy-eyed Death Eaters watching the house from across the misty77 square.
Hermione Disapparated with Ron first, then came back for Harry.
After the usual brief spell of darkness and near suffocation78, Harry found himself in the tiny alleyway where the first phase of their plan was scheduled to take place.
It was as yet deserted80, except for a couple of large bins81; the first Ministry workers did not usually appear here until at least eight o’clock.
“Right then,” said Hermione, checking her watch. “she ought to be here in about five minutes. When I’ve Stunned84 her – ”
“Hermione, we know,” said Ron sternly. “And I thought we were supposed to open the door before she got here?”
“I nearly forgot! Stand back – ”
She pointed her wand at the padlocked and heavily graffitied fire door beside them, which burst open with a crash. The dark corridor behind it led, as they knew from their careful scouting86 trips, into an empty theater. Hermione pulled the door back toward her, to make it look as thought it was still closed.
“And now,“ she said, turning, back to face the other two in the alleyway, ”we put on the Cloak again – “
“ – and we wait,” Ron finished, throwing it over Hermione’s head like a blanket over a birdcage and rolling his eyes at Harry.
Little more than a minute later, there was a tiny pop and a little Ministry witch with flyaway gray hair Apparated feet from them, blinking a little in the sudden brightness: the sun had just come out from behind a cloud. She barely had time to enjoy the unexpected warmth, however, before Hermione’s silent Stunning87 Spell hit her in the chest and she toppled over.
“Nicely done, Hermione,“ said Ron, emerging behind a bin82 beside the theater door as Harry took off the Invisibility Cloak. Together they carried the little witch into the dark passageway that led backstage. Hermione plucked a few hairs from the witch’s head and added them to a flask88 of muddy Polyjuice Potion she had taken from the beaded bag. Ron was rummaging89 through the little witch’s handbag.
“She’s Mafalda Hopkirk,“ he said, reading a small card that identified their victim as an assistant in the Improper90 Use of Magic Office. ”You’d better take this, Hermione, and here are the tokens.“
He passed her several small golden coins, all embossed with the letters M.O.M. which he had taken from the witch’s purse.
Hermione drank the Polyjuice Potion, which was now a pleasant heliotrope91 color, and within seconds stood before them, the double of Mafalda Hopkirk. As she removed Mafalda’s spectacles and put them on, Harry checked his watch.
“We’re running late, Mr. Magical Maintenance will be here any second.”
They hurried to close the door on the real Mafalda; Harry and Ron threw the Invisibility Cloak over themselves but Hermione remained in view, waiting. Seconds later there was another pop, and a small, ferrety looking wizard appeared before them.
“Oh, hello, Mafalda.”
“Hello!“ said Hermione in a quavery voice, “How are you today?”
“Not so good, actually,” replied the little wizard, who looked thoroughly92 downcast.
As Hermione and the wizard headed for the main road, Harry and Ron crept along behind them.
“I’m sorry to hear you’re under the weather,” said Hermione, talking firmly over the little wizard and he tried to expound93 upon his problems; it was essential to stop him from reaching the street. “Here, have a sweet.”
“Eh? Oh, no thanks – ”
“I insist!“ said Hermione aggressively, shaking the bag of pastilles in his face. Looking rather alarmed, the little wizard took one.
The effect was instantaneous. The moment the pastille touched his tongue, the little wizard started vomiting94 so hard that he did not even notice as Hermione yanked a handful of hairs from the top of his head.
“Oh dear!” she said, as he splattered the alley79 with sick. “Perhaps you’d better take the day off!”
“No – no!” He choked and retched, trying to continue on his way despite being unable to walk straight. “I must – today – must go – ”
“But that’s just silly!” said Hermione, alarmed. “You can’t go to work in this state – I think you ought to go to St. Mungo’s and get them to sort you out.”
The wizard had collapsed96, heaving, onto all fours, still trying to crawl toward the main street.
“You simply can’t go to work like this!” cried Hermione.
At last he seemed to accept the truth of her words. Using a reposed97 Hermione to claw his way back into a standing position, he turned on the spot and vanished, leaving nothing behind but the bag Ron had snatched from his hand as he went and some flying chunks98 of vomit95.
“Urgh,” said Hermione, holding up the skirt of her robe to avoid the puddles99 of sick. “It would have made much less mess to Stun83 him too.”
“Yeah,” said Ron, emerging from under the cloak holding the wizard’s bag, “but I still think a whole pile of unconscious bodies would have drawn more attention.
Keen on his job, though, isn’t he? Chuck us the hair and the potion, then.”
Within two minutes, Ron stood before them, as small and ferrety as the sick wizard, and wearing the navy blue robes that had been folded in his bag.
“Weird he wasn’t wearing them today, wasn’t it, seeing how much he wanted to go? Anyway, I’m Reg Cattermole, according to the label in the back.”
“Now wait here,” Hermione told Harry, who was still under the Invisibility Cloak, “and we’ll be back with some hairs for you.”
He had to wait ten minutes, but it seemed much longer to Harry, skulking100 alone in the sick-splattered alleyway beside the door concealing101 the Stunned Mafalda. Finally Ron and Hermione reappeared.
“We don’t know who he is,“ Hermione said, passing Harry several curly black hairs, ”but he’s gone home with a dreadful nosebleed! Here, he’s pretty tall, you’ll need bigger robes …“
She pulled out a set of the old robes Kreacher had laundered for them, and Harry retired102 to take the potion and change.
Once the painful transformation103 was complete he was more than six feet tall and, from what he could tell from his well-muscled arms, powerfully built. He also had a beard. Stowing the Invisibility Cloak and his glasses inside his new robes, he rejoined the other two.
“Blimey, that’s scary,” said Ron, looking up at Harry, who now towered over him.
“Take one of Mafalda’s tokens,” Hermione told Harry, “and let’s go, it’s nearly nine.”
They stepped out of the alleyway together. Fifty yards along the crowded pavement there were spiked104 black railings flanking two flights of stairs, one labeled GENTLEMEN, the other LADIES.
“See you in a moment, then,” said Hermione nervously105, and she tottered106 off down the steps to LADIES. Harry and Ron joined a number of oddly dressed men descending107 into what appeared to be an ordinary underground public toilet, tiled in grimy black and white.
“Morning, Reg!” called another wizard in navy blue robes as he let himself into a cubicle108 by inserting his golden token into a slot in the door. “Blooming pain in the bum109, this, eh? Forcing us all to get to work this way! Who are they expecting to turn up, Harry Potter?”
The wizard roared with laughter at his own wit. Ron gave a forced chuckle110.
“Yeah,” he said, “stupid, isn’t it?”
And he and Harry let themselves into adjoining cubicles111.
To Harry’s left and right came the sound of flushing. He crouched112 down and peered through the gap at the bottom of the cubicle, just in time to see a pair of booted feet climbing into the toilet next door. He looked left and saw Ron blinking at him.
“We have to flush ourselves in?” he whispered.
“Looks like it,” Harry whispered back; his voice came out deep and gravelly.
They both stood up. Feeling exceptionally foolish, Harry clambered into the toilet.
He knew at once that he had done the right thing; thought he appeared to be standing in water, his shoes, feet, and robes remained quite dry. He reached up, pulled the chain, and next moment had zoomed113 down a short chute, emerging out of a fireplace into the Ministry of Magic.
He got up clumsily; there was a lot more of his body than he was accustomed to. The great Atrium seemed darker than Harry remembered it. Previously a golden fountain had filled the center of the hall, casting shimmering spots of light over the polished wooden floor and walls. Now a gigantic statue of black stone dominated the scene.
It was rather frightening, this vast sculpture of a witch and a wizard sitting on ornately carved thrones, looking down at the Ministry workers toppling out of fireplaces below them. Engraved114 in foot-high letters at the base of the statue were the words MAGIC IS MIGHT.
Harry received a heavy blow on the back of the legs. Another wizard had just flown out of the fireplace behind him.
“Out of the way, can’t y – oh, sorry, Runcorn.”
Clearly frightened, the balding wizard hurried away. Apparently115 the man who Harry was impersonating, Runcorn, was intimidating116.
“Psst!” said a voice, and he looked around to see a whispy little witch and the ferrety wizard from Magical Maintenance gesturing to him from over beside the statue.
Harry hastened to join them.
“You got in all right, then?” Hermione whispered to Harry.
“No, he’s still stuck in the hog,” said Ron.
“Oh, very funny … It’s horrible, isn’t it?” she said to Harry, who was staring up at the statue. “Have you seen what they’re sitting on?”
Harry looked more closely and realized that what he had thought were decoratively117 carved thrones were actually mounds118 of carved humans: hundreds and hundreds of naked bodies, men, women, and children, all with rather stupid, ugly faces, twisted and pressed together to support the weight of the handsomely robed wizards.
“Muggles,” whispered Hermione, “In their rightful place. Come on, let’s get going.”
They joined the stream of witches and wizards moving toward the golden gates at the end of the hall, looking around as surreptitiously as possible, but there was no sign of the distinctive119 figure of Dolores Umbridge. They passed through the gates and into a smaller hall, where queues were forming in front of twenty golden grilles housing as many lifts. They had barely joined the nearest one when a voice said, “Cattermole!”
They looked around: Harry’s stomach turned over. One of the Death Eaters who had witnessed Dumbledore’s death was striding toward them. The Ministry workers beside them fell silent, their eyes downcast; Harry could feel fear rippling through them.
The man’s scowling120, slightly brutish face was somehow at odds121 with his magnificent, sweeping122 robes, which were embroidered123 with much gold thread. Someone in the crowd around the lifts called sycophantically124, “Morning, Yaxley!” Yaxley ignored them.
“I requested somebody from Magical Maintenance to sort out my office, Cattermole. It’s still raining in there.”
Ron looked around as though hoping somebody else would intervene, but nobody spoke125.
“Raining … in your office? That’s – that’s not good, is it?”
Ron gave a nervous laugh. Yaxley’s eyes widened.
“You think it’s funny, Cattermole, do you?”
A pair of witches broke away from the queue for the lift and bustled126 off.
“No,” said Ron, “no, of course – ”
“You realize that I am on my way downstairs to interrogate127 your wife, Cattermole? In fact, I’m quite surprised you’re not down there holding her hand while she waits. Already given her up as a bad job, have you? Probably wise. Be sure and marry a pureblood next time.”
Hermione had let out a little squeak128 of horror. Yaxley looked at her. She cough feebly and turned away.
“But if my wife were accused of being a Mudblood,“ said Yaxley, ” – not that any woman I married would ever be mistaken for such filth130 – and the Head of Department of Magical Law Enforcement needed a job doing, I would make it my priority to do this job, Cattermole. Do you understand me?“
“Yes,” whispered Ron.
“Then attend to it, Cattermole, and if my office is not completely dry within an hour, your wife’s Blood Status will be in even greater doubt than it is now.”
The golden grille before them clattered131 open. With a nod and unpleasant smile to Harry, who was evidently expected to appreciate this treatment of Cattermole, Yaxley swept away toward another lift. Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered theirs, but nobody followed them: It was as if they were infectious. The grilles shut with a clang and the lift began to move upward.
“What am I going to do?” Ron asked the other two at once; he looked stricken. “If I don’t turn up, my wife … I mean, Cattermole’s wife – ”
“We’ll come with you, we should stick together – ” began Harry, but Ron shook his head feverishly.
“That’s mental, we haven’t got much time. You two find Umbridge, I’ll go and sort out Yaxley’s office – but how do I stop a raining?”
“Try Finite Incantatem,” said Hermione at once, “that should stop the rain if it’s a hex or curse; if it doesn’t something’s gone wrong with an Atmospheric132 Charm, which will be more difficult to fix, so as an interim133 measure try Impervius to protect his belongings134 – ”
“Say it again, slowly – “ said Ron, searching his pockets desperately135 for a quill136, but at that moment the lift juddered to a halt. A disembodied female voice said, ”Level four, Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, incorporating Beast, Being, and Spirit Divisions, Goblin Liaison137 Office, and Pest Advisory138 Bureau,“ and the grilles slid open again, admitting a couple of wizards and several pale violet paper airplanes that fluttered around the lamp in the ceiling of the lift.
“Morning, Albert,“ said a bushily whiskered man, smiling at Harry. He glanced over at Ron and Hermione as the lift creaked upward once more; Hermione was now whispering frantic139 instructions to Ron. The wizard leaned toward Harry, leering, and muttering ”Dirk Cresswell, eh? From Goblin Liaison? Nice one, Albert. I’m pretty confident I’ll get his job now!“
He winked140. Harry smiled back, hoping that this would suffice. The lift stopped; the grilles opened once more.
“Level two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including the Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquarters, and Wizengamot Administration Services,“ said the disembodied witch’s voice.
Harry saw Hermione give Ron a little push and he hurried out of the lift, followed by the other wizards, leaving Harry and Hermione alone. The moment the golden door had closed Hermione said, very fast, “Actually, Harry, I think I’d better go after him, I don’t think he knows what he’s doing and if he gets caught the whole thing – ”
“Level one, Minister of Magic and Support Staff.”
The golden grilles slid apart again and Hermione gasped141. Four people stood before them, two of them deep in conversation: a long-haired wizard wearing magnificent robes of black and gold, and a squat142, toadlike witch wearing a velvet143 bow in her short hair and clutching a clipboard to her chest.
八月渐尽，格里莫广场中央疯长的草坪在骄阳底下日趋枯萎，直到变得暗黄枯干。周围房子里面的人从来没有看见过12号的住户，也从没有看到过12号这幢房子。住在格里莫广场的麻瓜们早已接受了11号直接坐落在13号旁边的这个有趣的编号错误。
然而广场现在却吸引了一些对这个异常非常感兴趣的人。几乎每一天都有一两个人到格里莫广场来是带着目的，或着好像是这样，只是倚着栏杆面对着11号和13号，观望着两幢房子之间的连接处。两天以来来得人从来都不一样，虽然他们都好像不喜欢正常的穿着。大多数路过他们的伦敦人都习惯了他们古怪的着装并不怎么注意，尽管偶尔他们当中的一个也许会扫视过来，惊讶为什么有人会在如此高的温度下穿着那么长的斗篷。
监视者的密切观察并没有让他们找到多少乐子。偶尔他们当中的一个开始兴奋地走上前去，好像他们终于看到了有意思的事情，然而最后还是失望地回来。
九月的第一天广场上比以往来了更多监视的人。六个穿着长斗篷的男人安静而警惕地站着，凝视着11和13号两幢房子，但是他们所等待的那件事情仍旧摸不着头脑。随着夜晚的到来，许多星期以来第一次下起了一场不期而至的寒冷的雨，当他们好像发现有意思的东西时一些不可思议的事情出现了，一个长着扭曲的脸的男人指着什么东西，离他最近的伙伴，一个矮胖，苍白的男人开始向前走去，但是只过了一会他们就又松驰到以前静止的状态，看上去懊恼又失望。与此同时，在12号的里面，哈利刚刚进了大厅。当他幻影移形到前门外面最高一层台阶时差点失去平衡，他觉得食死徒也许瞥到了他短暂暴露的手肘。哈利小心地把他身后的前门关上并脱下了他的隐形衣，披在他的手臂上并匆匆沿着昏暗的过道走向通往地下室的门，一份偷来的预言家日报紧紧攥在他的手里。
他听到了那经常听到的低声细语“西弗勒斯 斯内普”，寒风横扫过他的脸，哈利卷了一下舌头。
“不是我杀了你，”当他把舌头放下来的时候他说，然后屏着呼吸直到这肮脏的不详的人影消散。他等到他走下了厨房阶梯一半时，确信他在布莱克夫人的听力所及范围和纷纷扬扬的灰尘之外时叫道：“我有消息，但是你们不会喜欢的。”
厨房几乎变得认不出来了。每样东西的表面现在都闪闪发光：铜锅和铜盘被擦得闪着玫瑰色的光，木桌面闪着微光，早已为晚餐准备好的高脚杯和碟子在愉快燃烧着的火焰的映衬下闪耀着微光，一个坩埚在火上慢慢地煮着。然而，房间里没有一样东西比匆匆向哈利跑去的家养小精灵更加显著的不同，他穿着雪白的毛巾，它耳朵里的毛发像棉花一样干净并且毛茸茸的，雷古拉斯的金属吊坠盒弹跳在他的胸前。
“请把鞋脱下来，主人哈利，在晚饭前洗一下手，”克利切沙哑地说，抓住隐形衣懒洋洋地把他挂在墙上的一个钩子上，旁边挂着许多刚刚熨过的旧式长袍。
“发生了什么事？”罗恩担心地问道。赫敏和罗恩一直在注视着杂乱布满厨房长桌尾部的一捆便条和手绘地图，但是现在他们看着哈利当他向他们迈着大步走去并在他们散乱的羊皮纸的顶部扔下一份报纸。
一张十分大的有着鹰钩鼻，黑头发，他们熟悉的男人的照片注视着他们，在下面有一行头条写着：
西弗勒斯·斯内普任命为霍格沃茨校长
“不！”罗恩和赫敏同时大声喊道。
赫敏反应最快；她抓起报纸并开始大声读剩下的内容。
“西弗勒斯·斯内普，长期担任霍格沃茨魔法学校的魔药学教师，今天在这古老学校的最重要的一次教员调动时被任命为校长。还有由于前麻瓜研究老师的辞职，阿列克托 加罗将接管这个职位同时她的兄弟，阿米克斯，将填补黑魔法防御术教授这一席位的空缺。
“我对这一可以继续支持我们最好的巫师传统和价值的机会表示欢迎”，“比如犯罪和割下人们的耳朵！斯内普，校长！斯内普在邓布利多的书房里——哦！天哪！”她尖叫道，使哈利罗恩两个人同时吓了一跳，她从桌子上跳下来，飞一般冲出房间，一边大喊，“我马上回来！”
“天哪？”罗恩重复道，看上去觉得很开心。“她一定气死了。”他把报纸拉过来并细细阅读关于斯内普的那篇文章。
“其他的老师不会赞同的。麦格，弗立维和斯普劳特都知道真相，他们知道邓布利多怎么死的。他们不会接受斯内普当校长。还有那些加罗是谁？”
“食死徒，”哈利说。“里面有他们的照片，当斯内普杀死邓布利多时他们在塔楼顶上，所以他们几个朋友又在一起了。还有，”哈利苦涩地继续说道，抓起一把椅子，“我不认为其他老师除了留下来还有什么别的选择。如果魔法部和伏地魔在背后支持斯内普的话，对于他们，不是留下来任教就是去阿兹卡班度过“愉快”的几年——如果他们幸运的话。我认为他们会留下来并试图保护学生。”
克利切拿着一个大蒸锅蹦跳地跑到桌子前，把汤舀到古旧的碗里，用两排牙齿吹着口哨。
“谢谢，克利切，”哈利说，把报纸翻过来这样他就不用看着斯内普的脸。“嗯，至少我们现在确切地知道斯内普在哪里。”
他开始舀出一勺汤并把它放入嘴里。自从他把雷古拉斯的吊坠盒给了克利切后他的厨艺有了显著的改善：今天的法国洋葱是哈利吃过的最好吃的。
“还是有许多食死徒监视着这座房子，”他一边吃一边告诉罗恩，“比往常的还多。好像他们希望我们拖着我们的行李大踏步走向霍格沃茨特快列车。”
罗恩扫了一眼他的手表。
“我一整天都在想这个。它六个小时之前开走了。太奇怪了，我们竟没有在上面，不是吗？”
从他的心里哈利好像看到了那一次他和罗恩乘着飞车在空中跟随它所看见的鲜红色冒着蒸汽的火车，在田野和山丘中闪着微光，像一条蠕动的鲜红毛虫。他十分确定金妮，纳威和卢娜这时候一定坐在一起，也许在猜想他，罗恩和赫敏在哪里，或者为怎样最好地暗中破坏斯内普的制度而辩论。
“刚刚他们差点看到我进来，”哈利说。“我在最高一级阶梯糟糕地着陆，斗篷滑了一下。”
“我每次都这样。哦，她来了，”罗恩加上了一句，随即在他的位子上伸长脖子看着赫敏再次踏入厨房，“天啊！”
“我记起这个，”赫敏气喘吁吁地说道。
她拿着一个很大的有镜框的画像。她把画像放低到地板上，然后一个珠子装饰的小袋从厨房的食具柜里抓出来。把它打开，她开始把画像强塞进去，尽管事实上这幅画像明显装不进这么个小袋，然而几秒钟内它就消失了，像许多别的一样，坠入小袋无尽的深渊。
“菲尼阿斯 尼古拉斯，”当赫敏把小袋扔到桌子上，伴随着往常的响亮哐当声时她解释道。
“什么？”罗恩说，但是哈利明白了。所画的菲尼阿斯 尼古拉斯
布莱克能够在他的格里莫广场的肖像和挂在霍格沃茨校长办公室里的肖像上轻松来回行走：斯内普毫无疑问正坐在那塔楼顶部的圆形房间里，胜利的拥有了邓布利多所收集的精美的银制魔法器具，石制冥想盆，分院帽和格兰芬多的剑，除非它已经被放到别的地方。
“斯内普可以派遣菲尼阿斯 尼古拉斯来这个屋子查看，“赫敏一边回到位子上一边对罗恩解释道，“但是现在让他试试吧，菲尼阿斯
尼古拉斯所能够看见的就只有我的手提包的里面。”
“想得太好了！”罗恩说道，对于赫敏所做的暗自佩服。
“谢谢，”赫敏笑着说，把她的汤移到她面前。“那么哈利，今天还发生了什么事？”
“没什么。”哈利说。“我监视了魔法部入口有七个小时。没有她的行踪。但是看见了你的爸爸了，罗恩，他看上去很好。”
罗恩听了这个消息感谢地点点头。他们一致同意当韦斯莱先生出入魔法部时去和他沟通太危险，因为他周围一直都有魔法部工作人员，然而，匆匆瞥了他几眼还是很让人放心的，虽然他看上去确实有些勉强和紧张。
“爸爸一直告诉我大部分魔法部工作人员都用飞路网去上班，”罗恩说。“这就是为什么我们没有看到乌姆里奇，她从来不走着来，她把她自己看得太重要了。”
“那个滑稽的老女巫和穿着藏青色袍子的小巫师呢？”赫敏问。
“哦，是魔法维修司的家伙，”罗恩说。
“你怎么知道他在魔法维修司工作？”赫敏问，她的汤勺悬浮在空中。
“爸爸说魔法维修司的每个人都穿着藏青色的袍子。”
“你从来都没有告诉过我们那个！”
赫敏放下勺子并把刚刚哈利进来时她和罗恩正在检查的一捆便条和地图拉过来。
“这里没有谈到藏青色的袍子，没有！“赫敏说，激动地翻看着。
“那个这真的要紧吗？“
“罗恩，它们都要紧！如果我们想要去魔法部并且在他们都密切注视侵入者的情况下不暴露自己，每个小细节都很重要！我们一直在这样做，我是说，这些侦查工作有什么意义，如果你都不愿意告诉我们——”
“哎呀，赫敏，我只是忘了一件小事情——”
“你还没有意识到，不是吗，现在世界上任何地方不会比我们到魔法部更危险——”
“我认为我们明天应该开始行动，”哈利说。
赫敏呆住了，惊讶得张着嘴；罗恩被汤呛着了。
“明天？”赫敏重复道。“你不是认真的吧，哈利？”
“我是认真的，”哈利说，“我不认为再在魔法部路口偷偷摸摸监视一个月会比我们现在更有准备。我们拖得越久，挂坠盒离我们就越远。乌姆里奇已经有足够的机会把它扔掉；这样东西打不开。”
“除非，”罗恩说，“她已经找到一种打开它的方法并已得到了它。”
“对于她来说并不会有什么区别，她那么邪恶，”哈利耸了耸肩。
赫敏紧咬着嘴唇，陷入沉思。
“我们了解的每样东西都很重要，”哈利继续对赫敏说道，“我们知道他们已经停止了在部里幻影移形。我们知道现在只有最高层的部门成员才被允许用飞路网和他们家里连接，因为罗恩听到两个缄默人在抱怨此事。并且我们粗略地知道乌姆里奇的办公室在哪里，因为你听到那个有着胡须的家伙在和他的同事说——“
“我要到第一层去，多洛雷丝想要见我，”赫敏立刻背了出来。
“没错，”哈利说。“而且我们知道要用那些滑稽的硬币，或辅币，随便它们是什么来进入，因为我看见那个女巫从她朋友那借了一个——”
“但是我们没有！”
“如果计划成功，我们会有，”哈利镇静地说。
“我不知道，哈利，我不知道…有一大堆事情会出问题，那么多需要靠运气…”
“就算我们再准备三个月情况还会这样，”哈利说。“是时候行动了。”
他们花了前面四个星期的时间轮流披着隐形衣去监视魔法部的官方入口，那要感谢罗恩的父亲，因为罗恩自童年起就知道那个入口。他们尾随着工作人员进入入口，偷听他们的谈话并仔细观察他们当中哪个每天同一时间独自出现。偶尔有机会从某人的箱子里偷到一份预言家日报。慢慢的，他们就积累了现在正堆在赫敏面前的粗略的地图和便条。
“好吧，”罗恩慢悠悠的说，“那就是说我们明天行动……我认为应该由我和哈利去”
“噢，别再提这个了！”赫敏叹口气说。“我以为我们已经决定了。”
“那是穿着隐形衣在入口附近侦查，但这可不一样，赫敏，”罗恩用手戳着一份十天前的预言家日报说。“你已经上了没有参加审讯的麻瓜出身的巫师黑名单！”
“而你有可能在陋居得死斑谷病死掉！如果有谁不能去，应该是哈利，他的脑袋悬赏一万加隆呢”
“好吧，我留在这儿，”哈利说。“让我等着你们打败伏地魔的好消息，你们会吧”
罗恩和赫敏笑了起来，哈利额头上的伤疤突然疼了起来。他的手一下子捂住了它，看到赫敏疑惑的眼神，他假装把挡着眼睛的头发捋了捋。
“好吧，我们三个都去，我们最好分开移行幻影，”罗恩说着。“我们不可能都藏在隐形衣下”
哈利的伤疤越来越疼了，他站了起来，这时克利切冲了过来。
“主人还没有喝完汤呢，主人还想要点美味的炖肉吗？还是主人一直偏爱的糖松饼？”
“谢谢，克利切，我去趟……恩……洗手间，马上回来。”
意识到赫敏正疑惑地看着他，哈利迅速下楼来到大厅并跑到一楼，他冲进浴室并再次闩上了门。哈利痛苦地咕哝着，把身体沉入有着张着大嘴形状的蛇形水龙头的黑色浴盆，闭上了眼睛……
他正沿着一条沉浸在柔和的微光中的街道滑行，在他两侧的建筑物有着大大的木制山形墙，它们看上去就象是华而不实的房子。他接近了其中一幢房子，然后看到自己苍白的长着长指甲的手放在了门上。他开始敲门，并感到一种内心升起一种兴奋……
门开了，一位女士大笑着站在那儿。当她低下头看到哈利的脸时，她脸上的笑容消失了，取而代之的是恐惧……
一个冷冰冰的高音问道：“格里戈维奇？”
她摇着头，一边试图把门关上。一支苍白的手牢牢地抓着门，以防她把他关在门外……
“我要找格里戈维奇。”
“他不在这（德语）!”她边摇头边叫起来，“他不住在这儿！他不住在这儿！我认识不他！”
放弃了关门的努力，她开始向身后车黑暗的大厅里退去。哈利紧跟着向她滑行过去，长着长指甲的手抽出了魔杖……
“他在哪？”
“他走了（德语）!走了！我知不道！我知不道！”
他抬起手，她尖叫着。两个小孩子跑进了大厅里，她试图用自己的双臂保护他们。一道绿光闪过——
“哈利! 哈利！”
他睁开眼，发现自己已经出溜到了地板上。赫敏又在重重地砸着门。
“哈利，快开门！”
他刚才肯定是大喊了，他知道。哈利站起身打开门，赫敏立刻栽了进来，但她很快恢复了平衡并且疑惑地四下查看着。罗恩就在她身后，看上去有点失常。他正用魔杖指着寒冷浴室的角落。
“你刚才在干什么？”赫敏严厉地责问道。
“你觉得我在干什么？”哈利底气不足地反问。
“你刚才在高喊你的头要掉了。”罗恩说。
“是吗……我刚才打瞌睡了，要不然就是——”
“哈利，请别侮辱我们的智力。”赫敏边说边深深地喘着气，“我们知道你在楼下，伤疤痛得利害，而且你的脸色白得象张纸。”
哈利在浴室门边坐下。
“好吧。刚才我看到伏地魔谋杀了一个女人，而且他很可能杀了她的全家。他根本没必要这么做。这简直就象是杀害另一个塞德里克一样，他们不过只是呆在那里……”
“哈利，你不该再让这样的情况发生。”赫敏叫起来，她的声音在浴室里回荡着。“邓布利多让你要使用大脑封闭术。他认为你们之间的联系是危险的——伏地魔也能利用它，哈利！只是能看到他在杀人折磨人，有什么用处？”
“至少我知道他在干什么。”哈利说。
“所以你甚至都没有试过要把他关在你的脑子外面？”
“赫敏，我做不到。你知道我对大脑封闭术恶心坏了。我从来没有掌握过它。”
“你根本没有真正试过！”赫敏激烈地说道，“我不管，哈利——你是不是一直都喜欢这种特殊的联系，或是关系，或是——不管什么——”
当她看到哈利站起身看她的样子时，赫敏语无伦次了。
“喜欢它？”哈利平静地说，“你会喜欢它吗？”
“我——不——我很抱歉，哈利。我并不是这个意思——”
“我恨它，我恨他进入到我脑子里的那张脸。在他最危险的时候我不得不看着他。但我还是要用它！”
“邓布利多——”
“忘了邓布利多吧。这是我们自己的选择，不是别人的。我想知道他为什么要追杀。”
“谁？”
“格里戈维奇是国外的一个魔杖制作商。”哈利说道，“他为克鲁姆制造了魔杖，克鲁姆认为他很有才气。”
“可是据你所说，”罗恩说，“伏地魔已经把奥利凡德关在了什么地方。他已经有了一个魔杖制作商，还要另外一个做什么？”
“也许伏地魔同意克鲁姆的想法，认为格里戈维奇更优秀些……要不然就是伏地魔觉得格里戈维奇能够解释在他追杀我时我的魔杖作出的反应。因为奥利凡德不知道。”
哈利瞥了一眼破裂肮脏的镜子，看到赫敏和罗恩在他身后交换着怀疑的目光。
“哈利你一直在说你的魔杖干了什么，”赫敏说，“但是你让它发生了。为什么你如此坚决地不为你自己的力量承担责任呢？”
“因为我知道那不是我！伏地魔也知道，赫敏。我们都知道到底发生了什么。”
他们两人瞪着对方；哈利知道他还没有说服赫敏，而她正在准备与他争辩：不仅要反驳他所提出的他的魔杖的说法，还要反对他允许自己窥探伏地魔的想法这一事实。使哈利感到安慰的是罗恩岔开了话题。
“得了吧。”他向她建议道，“让他去吧。如果明天我们要到魔法部去，你不认为我们应该把计划再过一遍吗？”
在另外两人能够开口前，赫敏极不情愿地把这事放下了。然而哈利清楚地意识到，只要一有机会她就会再次反驳他。这时他们回到地下室的厨房里，克利切向他们提供了炖肉和蜜糖小烘饼。
他们花了几个小时一遍遍地复习他们的计划，直至他们彼此可以一字不漏地背诵它为止。这天晚上他们很晚才上床。哈利现在已经睡到了小天狼星的房间里。他躺在床上，一边用魔杖的光在他父亲、小天狼星、卢平和小矮星的旧照片上划着轨迹，一边又花了十分钟自个儿嘀咕着计划。然而当他熄灭魔杖的光芒时，他想到的不是复方汤剂、昏迷花糖或是魔法维护司藏青色的袍子，而是魔杖商格里戈维奇。在伏地魔如此坚决的搜寻下，他还能够躲藏多久呢？
黎明似乎很不礼貌地急勿勿地紧跟着午夜之后到来了。
“你看起来很糟糕，”罗恩走进房间叫醒哈利的时候说。
“一会就好了，”哈利打着哈欠说。
他们发现赫敏在楼下的厨房里，克利切给她端上咖啡和热丸子。她脸上有点神经质的表情让哈利联想到考试复习。
“长袍，”她低声说着，看见他们来了，紧张的点了点头，接着在她那个用珠子装饰的袋子里翻着，“复方汤剂……隐形衣……诱饵炸弹……以防万一你最好带两个……呕吐片，鼻血牛扎糖，顺风耳……”
他们胡乱吞下了早餐，向楼上出发，克利切送他们出去，并许诺等他们回来给他们做鱼肾饼。
“上帝保佑它，”罗恩亲切地说，“你们知道我曾经想过把它的头拧下来摔到墙上。”
他们万份小心的走到门前的台阶，可以看见两个监视的食死徒正透着广场的迷雾盯着房子。
赫敏和罗恩先幻影移行，哈利跟在后面。
一段短暂的黑暗和窒息后，哈里发现自己在他们制定好的计划第一步的小巷里，这里空荡荡的，除了几个大箱子。至少在八点以前第一批魔法部的工人通常是不会出现的。
“下一步，”赫敏对了对表说。“她大约五分钟内就到这里，我们把她弄晕—”
“赫敏，我们知道，”罗恩尖刻的说。“我觉得在她来之前我们应该把门打开？”
赫敏尖叫起来。
“我差点忘了，往后站—”
她用魔杖对着他们身后紧锁着涂抹地很严重的防火门挥去，伴着金属撞击的声，门被打开了。一条阴暗的走廊在面前，他们通过仔细的侦察知道，它通向一个空置的戏院。
“现在，”她转过身对着小巷里的两个人说，“我们再穿上隐形衣—”
“然后我们等着，”罗恩说完，把隐形衣盖到赫敏的头上，就像把一个毯子盖在鸟笼上一样，然后对着哈里转了转眼珠。
不到一分钟后，随着细微的爆破声，一个蓬松灰色头发的小个魔法部女巫移行幻影在他们面前。刚刚从云中露出脸的太阳发出的光亮晃得她睁不开眼。她还没来得及享受着意外的温暖，就被赫敏用无声昏迷咒击中了胸部倒在地上。
“好样的，赫敏，”罗恩说，哈利脱下了隐形衣，他们出现在一个大箱子后面。他们一起把这个小个女巫抬到通向后台的阴暗的过道里。赫敏拔下女巫的几根头发，把它们放进她从她那个用珠子装饰的袋子中拿出的一瓶装着泥一样的复方汤剂中。罗恩则翻着这个小个女
巫的手袋。
“她是马法尔达·霍普柯克，”他看着一个小卡片说，那写着他们的受害者是禁止滥用魔法司的一名助理。“你最好拿着这个，赫敏，这是代币。”
他递给她几个刻着M·O·M字母的小金币，这是她从女巫的钱包中拿出来的。
赫敏喝下有着令人愉快的淡紫色的复方汤剂，几秒钟后，又一个马法尔达·霍普柯克站在他们面前，她拿下马法尔达的眼睛戴上。哈利对了对表。
“我们要晚了，魔法维护司的人随时会到。”
他们赶紧关上门，把真正的马法尔达关在里面；哈利和罗恩再次披上隐形衣。赫敏还在外面等着，几秒钟后又是一阵微弱的爆破声，一个长得像雪貂一样的小个巫师出现在他们面前。
“噢，你好，马法尔达。”
“你好！”赫敏用带着颤音的声音说，“你今天怎么样？”
“事实上不是很好，”小个巫师回答说，看上去十分沮丧。
赫敏和巫师走向大道时，哈利和罗恩跟在后面。
“听到你的回答我感到很遗憾，”当小个巫师解释他的问题时，赫敏镇静的回答。必须在他们走到街上前阻止他。“来，吃块糖。”
“嗯？哦，不用了，谢谢—”
“我坚持！”赫敏强势地说，把一袋子的药在他面前晃着。小个巫师看起来很害怕，就拿出一个吃下去。
效果马上就显现出来，药片一放到他嘴里，小个巫师就开始猛烈的呕吐，以至于都没注意到赫敏拽下了他一把头发。
“噢，该死！”她说，看着他把呕吐物溅在小巷里。“也许你应该休息一天！”
“不—不！”他吐的都快窒息了，还是坚持继续走，即使已经不能直着走路了。“我必须—今天—必须去—”
“别傻了！”赫敏警告他，“你这样根本不能工作—我觉得你应该去圣芒戈医院让他们看看你。”
巫师倒在地上，试图用四肢站起来，仍然试着爬向大街。
“你这样根本不能工作！”赫敏大叫着
最后他总算接受了她所说的事实，抓着赫敏好能站起来，他渐渐消失在路的尽头，只留下罗恩从他手里抓下来的皮包，以及一些还在飞溅的呕吐物。
“嗯，”赫敏说，拎起她长袍的裙子以免沾上呕吐物。“也把他弄晕的话就没有这么脏了。”
“是呀，”罗恩说
收听单词发音 |
1
gust
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| n.阵风，突然一阵（雨、烟等），（感情的）迸发 | |
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brittle
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| adj.易碎的；脆弱的；冷淡的；(声音)尖利的 | |
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trickle
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| vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散 | |
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intriguing
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| adj.有趣的；迷人的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的现在分词)；激起…的好奇心 | |
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gleaning
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| n.拾落穗，拾遗，落穗v.一点点地收集（资料、事实）( glean的现在分词 )；（收割后）拾穗 | |
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tart
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| adj.酸的；尖酸的，刻薄的；n.果馅饼；淫妇 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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lurking
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| 潜在 | |
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watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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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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chilly
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| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
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inexplicable
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| adj.无法解释的，难理解的 | |
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pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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frustrated
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| adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧 | |
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harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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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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copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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burnished
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| adj.抛光的，光亮的v.擦亮（金属等），磨光( burnish的过去式和过去分词 )；被擦亮，磨光 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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goblets
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| n.高脚酒杯( goblet的名词复数 ) | |
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fluffy
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| adj.有绒毛的，空洞的 | |
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croaked
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| v.呱呱地叫( croak的过去式和过去分词 )；用粗的声音说 | |
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laundered
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| v.洗（衣服等），洗烫（衣服等）( launder的过去式和过去分词 )；洗（黑钱）（把非法收入改头换面，变为貌似合法的收入） | |
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apprehensively
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| adv.担心地 | |
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scribbled
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| v.潦草的书写( scribble的过去式和过去分词 )；乱画；草草地写；匆匆记下 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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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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witchcraft
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| n.魔法，巫术 | |
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defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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perused
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| v.读（某篇文字）( peruse的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指）细阅；审阅；匆匆读或心不在焉地浏览（某篇文字） | |
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sprout
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| n.芽，萌芽；vt.使发芽，摘去芽；vi.长芽，抽条 | |
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ministry
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| n.(政府的)部；牧师 | |
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bustling
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| adj.喧闹的 | |
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pristine
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| adj.原来的，古时的，原始的，纯净的，无垢的 | |
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flipping
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| 讨厌之极的 | |
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weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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shimmering
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| v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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rippling
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| 起涟漪的，潺潺流水般声音的 | |
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caterpillar
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| n.毛虫，蝴蝶的幼虫 | |
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baggy
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| adj.膨胀如袋的，宽松下垂的 | |
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sonorous
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| adj.响亮的，回响的；adv.圆润低沉地；感人地；n.感人，堂皇 | |
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triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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reassuring
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| a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的 | |
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feverishly
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| adv. 兴奋地 | |
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lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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50
jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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skulk
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| v.藏匿；潜行 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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55
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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56
sneak
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| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
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57
briefcase
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| n.手提箱，公事皮包 | |
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58
sketchy
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| adj.写生的，写生风格的，概略的 | |
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59
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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60
burrow
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| vt.挖掘(洞穴)；钻进；vi.挖洞；翻寻；n.地洞 | |
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61
savory
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| adj.风味极佳的，可口的，味香的 | |
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62
stew
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| n.炖汤，焖，烦恼；v.炖汤，焖，忧虑 | |
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63
treacle
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| n.糖蜜 | |
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64
grunting
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| 咕哝的，呼噜的 | |
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65
slumped
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| 大幅度下降，暴跌( slump的过去式和过去分词 )； 沉重或突然地落下[倒下] | |
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66
gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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67
regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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68
bravado
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| n.虚张声势，故作勇敢，逞能 | |
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69
dozed
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| v.打盹儿，打瞌睡( doze的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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70
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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71
skeptical
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| adj.怀疑的，多疑的 | |
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72
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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73
determinedly
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| adv.决意地；坚决地，坚定地 | |
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74
poke
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| n.刺，戳，袋；vt.拨开，刺，戳；vi.戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
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75
gulped
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| v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的过去式和过去分词 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住 | |
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76
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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77
misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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78
suffocation
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| n.窒息 | |
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79
alley
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| n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路 | |
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80
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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81
bins
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| n.大储藏箱( bin的名词复数 )；宽口箱（如面包箱，垃圾箱等）v.扔掉，丢弃( bin的第三人称单数 ) | |
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82
bin
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| n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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83
stun
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| vt.打昏，使昏迷，使震惊，使惊叹 | |
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84
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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85
squealed
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| v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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86
scouting
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| 守候活动，童子军的活动 | |
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87
stunning
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| adj.极好的；使人晕倒的 | |
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88
flask
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| n.瓶，火药筒，砂箱 | |
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89
rummaging
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| 翻找，搜寻( rummage的现在分词 )； 海关检查 | |
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90
improper
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| adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的 | |
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91
heliotrope
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| n.天芥菜；淡紫色 | |
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92
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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93
expound
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| v.详述；解释；阐述 | |
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94
vomiting
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| 吐 | |
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95
vomit
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| v.呕吐，作呕；n.呕吐物，吐出物 | |
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96
collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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97
reposed
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| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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98
chunks
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| 厚厚的一块( chunk的名词复数 )； （某物）相当大的数量或部分 | |
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99
puddles
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| n.水坑， （尤指道路上的）雨水坑( puddle的名词复数 ) | |
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100
skulking
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| v.潜伏，偷偷摸摸地走动，鬼鬼祟祟地活动( skulk的现在分词 ) | |
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101
concealing
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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102
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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103
transformation
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| n.变化；改造；转变 | |
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104
spiked
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| adj.有穗的；成锥形的；有尖顶的 | |
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105
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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106
tottered
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| v.走得或动得不稳( totter的过去式和过去分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
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107
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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108
cubicle
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| n.大房间中隔出的小室 | |
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109
bum
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| n.臀部；流浪汉，乞丐；vt.乞求，乞讨 | |
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110
chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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111
cubicles
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| n.小卧室，斗室( cubicle的名词复数 ) | |
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112
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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113
zoomed
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| v.（飞机、汽车等）急速移动( zoom的过去式 )；（价格、费用等）急升，猛涨 | |
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114
engraved
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| v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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115
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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116
intimidating
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| vt.恐吓，威胁( intimidate的现在分词) | |
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117
decoratively
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118
mounds
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| 土堆，土丘( mound的名词复数 )； 一大堆 | |
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119
distinctive
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| adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的 | |
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120
scowling
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 ) | |
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121
odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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122
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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123
embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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124
sycophantically
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| adv.sycophantic（阿谀的，拍马的）的变形 | |
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125
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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126
bustled
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| 闹哄哄地忙乱，奔忙( bustle的过去式和过去分词 )； 催促 | |
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127
interrogate
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| vt.讯问，审问，盘问 | |
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128
squeak
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| n.吱吱声，逃脱；v.（发出）吱吱叫，侥幸通过；（俚）告密 | |
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129
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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130
filth
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| n.肮脏，污物，污秽；淫猥 | |
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131
clattered
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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132
atmospheric
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| adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的 | |
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133
interim
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| adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间 | |
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134
belongings
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| n.私人物品，私人财物 | |
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135
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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136
quill
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| n.羽毛管；v.给（织物或衣服）作皱褶 | |
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137
liaison
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| n.联系，（未婚男女间的）暖昧关系，私通 | |
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138
advisory
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| adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询 | |
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139
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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140
winked
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| v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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141
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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142
squat
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| v.蹲坐，蹲下；n.蹲下；adj.矮胖的，粗矮的 | |
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143
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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