Harry1 fell, panting, onto grass and scrambled2 up at once. They seemed to have landed in the corner of a field at dusk; Hermione was already running in a circle around them, waving her wand.
“Protego Totalum…Salvio Hexia…”
“That treacherous3 old bleeder.” Ron panted, emerging from beneath the Invisibility Cloak and throwing it to Harry. “Hermione you’re a genius, a total genius. I can’t believe we got out of that.”
“Cave Inimicum…Didn’t I say it was a Frumpent horn, didn’t I tell him? And now his house has been blown apart!”
“Serves him right,” said Ron, examining his torn jeans and the cuts to his legs, “What’d you reckon they’ll do to him?”
“Oh I hope they don’t kill him!” groaned5 Hermione, “That’s why I wanted the Death Eaters to get a glimpse of Harry before we left, so they knew Xenophilius hadn’t been lying!”
“Why hide me though?” asked Ron.
“You’re supposed to be in bed with spattergrolt, Ron! They’ve kidnapped Luna because her father supported Harry! What would happen to your family if they knew you’re with him?”
“But what about your mum and dad?”
“They’re in Australia,” said Hermione, “They should be all right. They don’t know anything.”
“You’re a genius,” Ron repeated, looking awed6.
“Yeah, you are, Hermione,” agreed Harry fervently7. “I don’t know what we’d do without you.”
She beamed, but became solemn at once.
“What about Luna?”
“Well, if they’re telling the truth and she’s still alive –” began Ron.
“Don’t say that, don’t say it!” squealed8 Hermione. “She must be alive, she must!”
“Then she’ll be in Azkaban, I expect,” said Ron. “Whether she survives the place, though…Loads don’t…”
“She will,” said Harry. He could not bear to contemplate9 the alternative. “She’s tough, Luna, much tougher than you’d think. She’s probably teaching all the inmates10 about Wrackspurts and Nargles.”
“I hope you’re right,” said Hermione. She passed a hand over her eyes. “I’d feel so sorry for Xenophilius if –”
“– if he hadn’t just tried to sell us to the Death Eaters, yeah,” said Ron.
They put up the tent and retreated inside it, where Ron made them tea. After their narrow escape, the chilly11, musty old place felt like home: safe, familiar, and friendly.
“Oh, why did we go there?” groaned Hermione after a few minutes’ silence. “Harry, you were right, it was Godric’s Hollow all over again, a complete waste of time! The Deathly Hallows…such rubbish…although actually,” a sudden thought seemed to have struck her, “he might have made it all up, mightn’t he? He probably doesn’t believe in the Deathly Hallows at all, he just wanted to keep us talking until the Death Eaters arrived!”
“I don’t think so,” said Ron. “It’s a damn sight harder making stuff up when you’re under stress than you’d think. I found that out when the Snatchers caught me. It was much easier pretending to be Stan, because I knew a bit about him, than inventing a whole new person. Old Lovegood was under loads of pressure, trying to make sure we stayed put. I reckon he told us the truth, or what he thinks is the truth, just to keep us talking.”
“Well, I don’t suppose it matters,” sighed Hermione. “Even if he was being honest, I never heard such a lot of nonsense in all my life.”
“Hang on, though,” said Ron. “The Chamber12 of Secrets was supposed to be a myth, wasn’t it?”
“But the Deathly Hallows can’t exist, Ron!”
“You keep saying that, but one of them can,” said Ron. “Harry’s Invisibility Cloak –”
“The Tale of the Three Brothers’ is a story,” said Hermione firmly. “A story about how humans are frightened of death. If surviving was as simple as hiding under the Invisibility Cloak, we’d have everything we need already!”
“I don’t know. We could do with an unbeatable wand,” said Harry, turning the blackthorn wand he so disliked over in his fingers.
“There’s no such thing, Harry!”
“You said there have been loads of wands – the Deathstick and whatever they were called –”
“All right, even if you want to kid yourself the Elder Wand’s real, what about the Resurrection Stone?” Her fingers sketched13 quotation14 marks around the name, and her tone dripped sarcasm15. “No magic can raise the dead, and that’s that!”
“When my wand connected with You-Know-Who’s, it made my mum and dad appear…and Cedric…”
“But they weren’t really back from the dead, were they?” said Hermione. “Those kind of –of pale imitations aren’t the same as truly bringing someone back to life.”
“But she, the girl in the tale, didn’t really come back, did she? The story says that once people are dead, they belong with the dead. But the second brother still got to see her and talk to her, didn’t he? He even lived with her for a while…”
He saw concern and something less easily definable in Hermione’s expression. Then, as she glanced at Ron, Harry realized that it was fear: He had scared her with his talk of living with dead people.
“So that Peverell bloke who’s buried in Godric’s Hollow,” he said hastily, trying to sound robustly16 sane17, “you don’t know anything about him, then?”
“No,” she replied, looking relieved at the change of subject. “I looked him up after I saw the mark on his grave; if he’d been anyone famous or done anything important, I’m sure he’d be in one of our books. The only place I’ve managed to find the name ‘Peverell’ Is Nature’s Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy18. I borrowed it from Kreacher,” she explained as Ron raised his eyebrows19. “It lists the pure-blood families that are now extinct in the male line. Apparently20 the Peverells were one of the earliest families to vanish.”
“Extinct in the male line?” repeated Ron.
“It means the name died out,” said Hermione, “centuries ago, in the case of the Peverells. They could still have descendents, though, they’d just be called something different.”
And then it came to Harry in one shining piece, the memory that had stirred at the sound of the name “Peverell”: a filthy21 old man brandishing22 an ugly ring in the face of a Ministry23 official, and he cried aloud, “Marvolo Gaunt!”
“Sorry” said Ron and Hermione together.
“Marvolo Gaunt! You-Know-Who’s grandfather! In the Pensieve! With Dumbledore! Marvolo Gaunt said he was descended24 from the Peverells!”
Ron and Hermione looked bewildered.
“The ring, the ring that became the Horcrux, Marvolo Gaunt said it had the Peverell coat of arms on it! I saw him waving it in the bloke from the Ministry’s face, he nearly shoved it up his nose!”
“The Peverell coat of arms?” said Hermione sharply. “Could you see what it looked like?”
“Not really,” said Harry, trying to remember. “There was nothing fancy on there, as far as I could see; maybe a few scratches. I only ever saw it really close up after it had been cracked open.”
Harry saw Hermione’s comprehension in the sudden widening of her eyes. Ron was looking from one to the other, astonished.
“Blimey…You reckon it was this sign again? The sign of the Hallows?”
“Why not?” said Harry excitedly, “Marvolo Gaunt was an ignorant old git who lived like a pig, all he cared about was his ancestry25. If that ring had been passed down through the centuries, he might not have known what it really was. There were no books in that house, and trust me, he wasn’t the type to read fairy tales to his kids. He’d have loved to think the scratches on the stone were a coat of arms, because as far as he was concerned, having pure blood made you practically royal.”
“Yes…and that’s all very interesting,” said Hermione cautiously, “but Harry, if you’re thinking what I think you’re think –”
“Well, why not? Why not?” said Harry, abandoning caution. “It was a stone, wasn’t it?” He looked at Ron for support. “What if it was the Resurrection Stone?”
Ron’s mouth fell open.
“Blimey – but would it still work if Dumbledore broke –?”
“Work? Work? Ron, it never worked! There’s no such thing as a Resurrection Stone!”
Hermione leapt to her feet, looking exasperated26 and angry. “Harry you’re trying to fit everything into the Hallows story –”
“Fit everything in?” he repeated. “Hermione, it fits of its own accord! I know the sign of the Deathly Hallows was on that stone! Gaunt said he was descended from the Peverells!”
“A minute ago you told us you never saw the mark on the stone properly!”
“Where’d you reckon the ring is now?” Ron asked Harry. “What did Dumbledore do with it after he broke it open?”
But Harry’s imagination was racing27 ahead, far beyond Ron and Hermione’s…
Three objects, or Hallows, which, if united, will make the possessor master of Death…Master…Conqueror…Vanquisher…The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death…
And he saw himself, possessor of the Hallows, facing Voldemort, whose Horcruxes were no match…Neither can live while the other survives…Was this the answer? Hallows versus28 Horcruxes? Was there a way after all, to ensure that he was the one who triumphed? If he were the master of the Deathly Hallows, would he be safe?
“Harry?”
But he scarcely heard Hermione: He had pulled out his Invisibility Cloak and was running it through his fingers, the cloth supple29 as water, light as air. He had never seen anything to equal it in his nearly seven years in the Wizarding world. The Cloak was exactly what Xenophilius had described: A cloak that really and truly renders the wearer completely invisible, and endures eternally, giving constant and impenetrable concealment30, no matter what spells are cast at it…
And then, with a gasp31, he remembered –
“Dumbledore had my Cloak the night my parents died!”
His voice shook and he could feel the color in his face, but he did not care.
“My mum told Sirius that Dumbledore borrowed the Cloak! This is why! He wanted to examine it, because he thought it was the third Hallow! Ignotus Peverell is buried in Godric’s Hollow…” Harry was walking blindly around the tent, feeling as though great new vistas32 of truth were opening all around him. “He’s my ancestor. I’m descended from the third brother! It all makes sense!”
“He felt armed in certainty, in his belief in the Hallows, as if the mere33 idea of possessing them was giving him protection, and he felt joyous34 as he turned back to the other two.”
“Harry,” said Hermione again, but he was busy undoing35 the pouch36 around his neck, his fingers shaking hard.
“Read it,” he told her, pushing his mother’s letter into her hand. “Read it! Dumbledore had the Cloak, Hermione! Why else would he want it? He didn’t need a Cloak, he could perform a Disillusionment Charm so powerful that he made himself completely invisible without one!”
Something fell to the floor and rolled, glittering, under a chair: He had dislodged the Snitch when he pulled out the letter. He stooped to pick it up, and then the newly tapped spring of fabulous37 discoveries threw him another gift, and shock and wonder erupted inside him so that he shouted out.
“IT’S IN HERE! He left me the ring – it’s in the Snitch!”
“You – you reckon?”
He could not understand why Ron looked taken aback. It was so obvious, so clear to Harry. Everything fit, everything…His Cloak was the third Hallow, and when he discovered how to open the Snitch he would have the second, and then all he needed to do was find the first Hallow, the Elder Wand, and then –
But it was as though a curtain fell on a lit stage: All his excitement, all his hope and happiness were extinguished at a stroke, and he stood alone in the darkness, and the glorious spell was broken.
“That’s what he’s after.”
The change in his voice made Ron and Hermione look even more scared.
“You-Know-Who’s after the Elder Wand.”
He turned his back on their strained, incredulous faces. He knew it was the truth. It all made sense, Voldemort was not seeking a new wand; he was seeking an old wand, a very old wand indeed. Harry walked to the entrance of the tent, forgetting about Ron and Hermione as he looked out into the night, thinking…
Voldemort had been raised in a Muggle orphanage38. Nobody could have told him The Tales of Beedle the Bard39 when he was a child, any more than Harry had heard them. Hardly any wizards believed in the Deathly Hallows. Was it likely that Voldemort knew about them?
Harry gazed into the darkness…If Voldemort had known about the Deathly Hallows, surely he would have sought them, done anything to possess them: three objects that made the possessor master of Death? If he had known about the Deathly Hallows, he might not have needed Horcruxes in the first place. Didn’t the simple fact that he had taken a Hallow, and turned it into a Horcrux, demonstrate that he did not know this last great Wizarding secret?
Which meant that Voldemort sought the Elder Wand without realizing its full power, without understanding that it was one of three…for the wand was the Hallow that could not be hidden, whose existence was best known…The bloody41 trail of the Elder Wand is splattered across the pages of Wizarding history…
Harry watched the cloudy sky, curves of smoke-gray and silver sliding over the face of the white moon. He felt lightheaded with amazement42 at his discoveries.
He turned back into the tent. It was a shock to see Ron and Hermione standing40 exactly where he had left them, Hermione still holding Lily’s letter, Ron at her side looking slightly anxious. Didn’t they realize how far they had traveled in the last few minutes?
“This is it?” Harry said, trying to bring them inside the glow of his own astonished certainty, “This explains everything. The Deathly Hallows are real and I’ve got one – maybe two –”
He held up the Snitch.
“– and You-Know-Who’s chasing the third, but he doesn’t realize…he just thinks it’s a powerful wand –”
“Harry,” said Hermione, moving across to him and handing him back Lily’s letter, “I’m sorry, but I think you’ve got this wrong, all wrong.”
“But don’t you see? It all fits –”
“Not, it doesn’t,” she said. “It doesn’t. Harry, you’re just getting carried away. Please,” she said as she started to speak, “please just answer me this: If the Deathly Hallows really existed, and Dumbledore knew about them, knew that the person who possessed43 all of them would be master of Death – Harry, why wouldn’t he have told you? Why?”
He had his answer ready.
“But you said it, Hermione! You’ve got to find out about them for yourself! It’s a Quest!”
“But I only said that to try and persuade you to come to the Lovegoods’!” cried Hermione in exasperation44. “I didn’t really believe it!”
Harry took no notice.
“Dumbledore usually let me find out stuff for myself. He let me try my strength, take risks. This feels like the kind of thing he’d do.”
“Harry, this isn’t a game, this isn’t practice! This is the real thing, and Dumbledore left you very clear instructions: Find and destroy the Horcruxes! That symbol doesn’t mean anything, forget the Deathly Hallows, we can’t afford to get sidetracked –”
Harry was barely listening to her. He was turning the Snitch over and over in his hands, half expecting it to break open, to reveal the Resurrection Stone, to prove to Hermione that he was right, that the Deathly Hallows were real.
She appealed to Ron.
“You don’t believe in this, do you?”
Harry looked up, Ron hesitated.
“I dunno…I mean…bits of it sort of fit together,” said Ron awkwardly, “But when you look at the whole thing…” He took a deep breath. “I think we’re supposed to get rid of Horcruxes, Harry. That’s what Dumbledore told us to do. Maybe…maybe we should forget about this Hallows business.”
“Thank you, Ron,” said Hermione. “I’ll take first watch.”
And she strode past Harry and sat down in the tent entrance bringing the action to a fierce full stop.
But Harry hardly slept that night. The idea of the Deathly Hallows had taken possession of him, and he could not rest while agitating45 thoughts whirled through his mind: the wand, the stone, and the Cloak, if he could just possess them all…
I open at the close…But what was the close? Why couldn’t he have the stone now? If only he had the stone, he could ask Dumbledore these questions in person…and Harry murmured words to the Snitch in the darkness, trying everything, even Parseltongue, but the golden ball would not open…
And the wand, the Elder Wand, where was that hidden? Where was Voldemort searching now? Harry wished his scar would burn and show him Voldemort’s thoughts, because for the first time ever, he and Voldemort were united in wanting the very same thing…Hermione would not like that idea, of course…But then, she did not believe….Xenophilius had been right, in a way…Limited, Narrow, Close-minded. The truth was that she was scared of the idea of the Deathly Hallows, especially of the Resurrection Stone…and Harry pressed his mouth again to the Snitch, kissing it, nearly swallowing it, but the cold medal did not yield…
It was nearly dawn when he remembered Luna, alone in a cell in Azkaban, surrounded by dementors, and he suddenly felt ashamed of himself. He had forgotten all about her in his feverish46 contemplation of the Hallows. If only they could rescue her, but dementors in those numbers would be virtually unassailable. Now he came to think about it, he had not tried casting a Patronus with the blackthorn wand…He must try that in the morning…
If only there was a way of getting a better wand…
And desire for the Elder Wand, the Deathstick, unbeatable, invincible47, swallowed him once more…
They packed up the tent next morning and moved on through a dreary48 shower of rain. The downpour pursued them to the coast, where they pitched the tent that night, and persisted through the whole week, through sodden49 landscapes that Harry found bleak50 and depressing. He could think only of the Deathly Hallows. It was as though a flame had been lit inside him that nothing, not Hermione’s flat disbelief nor Ron’s persistent51 doubts, could extinguish. And yet the fiercer the longing52 for the Hallows burned inside him, the less joyful53 it made him. He blamed Ron and Hermione: Their determined54 indifference55 was as bad as the relentless56 rain for dampening his spirits, but neither could erode57 his certainty, which remained absolute. Harry’s belief in and longing for the Hallows consumed him so much that he felt isolated58 from the other two and their obsession59 with the Horcruxes.
“Obsession?” said Hermione in a low fierce voice, when Harry was careless enough to use the word one evening, after Hermione had told him off for his lack of interest in locating more Horcruxes. “We’re not the one with an obsession, Harry! We’re the ones trying to do what Dumbledore wanted us to do!”
But he was impervious60 to the veiled criticism. Dumbledore had left the sign of the Hallows for Hermione to decipher, and he had also, Harry remained convinced of it, left the Resurrection Stone hidden in the golden Snitch. Neither can live while the other survives…master of Death…Why didn’t Ron and Hermione understand?
“‘The last enemy shall be destroyed is death,’” Harry quoted calmly.
“I thought it was You-Know-Who we were supposed to be fighting?” Hermione retorted, and Harry gave up on her.
Even the mystery of the silver doe, which the other two insisted on discussing, seemed less important to Harry now, a vaguely61 interesting sideshow. The only other thing that mattered to him was that his scar had begun to prickle again, although he did all he could to hide this fact from the other two. He sought solitude62 whenever it happened, but was disappointed by what he saw. The visions he and Voldemort were sharing had changed in quality; they had become blurred63, shifting as though they were moving in and out of focus. Harry was just able to make out the indistinct features of an object that looked like a skull64, and something like a mountain that was more shadow than substance. Used to images sharp as reality, Harry was disconcerted by the change. He was worried that the connection between himself and Voldemort had been damaged, a connection that he both feared and, whatever he had told Hermione, prized. Somehow Harry connected these unsatisfying, vague images with the destruction of his wand, as if it was the blackthorn wand’s fault that he could no longer see into Voldemort’s mind as well as before.
As the weeks crept on, Harry could not help but notice, even through his new self-absorption, that Ron seemed to be taking charge. Perhaps because he was determined to make up for having walked out on them, perhaps because Harry’s descent into listlessness galvanized his dormant65 leadership qualities, Ron was the one now encouraging and exhorting66 the other two into action.
“Three Horcruxes left,” he kept saying. “We need a plan of action, come on! Where haven’t we looked? Let’s go through it again. The orphanage…”
Diagon Alley67, Hogwarts, the Riddle68 House, Borgin and Burkes, Albania, every place that they knew Tom Riddle had ever lived or worked, visited or murdered, Ron and Hermione raked over them again, Harry joining in only to stop Hermione pestering69 him. He would have been happy to sit alone in silence, trying to read Voldemort’s thoughts, to find out more about the Elder Wand, but Ron insisted on journeying to ever more unlikely places simply, Harry was aware, to keep them moving.
“You never know,” was Ron’s constant refrain. “Upper Flagley is a Wizarding village, he might’ve wanted to live there. Let’s go and have a poke70 around.”
These frequent forays into Wizarding territory brought them within occasional sight of Snatchers.
“Some of them are supposed to be as bad as Death Eaters,” said Ron. “The lot that got me were a bit pathetic, but Bill recons some of them are really dangerous. They said on Potterwatch –”
“On what?” said Harry.
“Potterwatch, didn’t I tell you that’s what it was called? The program I keep trying to get on the radio, the only one that tells the truth about what’s going on! Nearly all of the programs are following You-Know-Who’s line, all except Potterwatch, I really want you to hear it, but it’s tricky71 tuning72 in…”
Ron spent evening after evening using his wand to beat out various rhythms on top of the wireless73 while the dials whirled. Occasionally they would catch snatches of advice on how to treat dragonpox, and once a few bars of “A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love.” While he taped, Ron continued to try to hit on the correct password, muttering strings74 of random75 words under his breath.
“They’re normally something to do with the Order,” he told them. “Bill had a real knack76 for guessing them. I’m bound to get one in the end…”
But not until March did luck favor Ron at last. Harry was sitting in the tent entrance, on guard duty, staring idly at a clump77 of grape hyacinths that had forced their way through the chilly ground, when Ron shouted excitedly from inside the tent. “I’ve got it, I’ve got it! Password was ‘Albus’! Get in here, Harry.”
Roused for the first time in days from his contemplation of the Deathly Hallows, Harry hurried back inside the tent to find Ron and Hermione kneeling on the floor beside the little radio. Hermione, who had been polishing the sword of Gryffindor just for something to do, was sitting open-mouthed, staring at the tiny speaker, from which a most familiar voice was issuing.
“…apologize for our temporary absence from the airwaves, which was due to a number of house calls in our area by those charming Death Eaters.”
“But that’s Lee Jordan!” said Hermione.
“I know!” beamed Ron. “Cool, eh?”
“…now found ourselves another secure location,” Lee was saying, “and I’m pleased to tell you that two of our regular contributors have joined me here this evening. Evening, boys!”
“Hi.”
“Evening, River.”
“‘River’ that’s Lee,” Ron explained. “They’ve all got code names, but you can usually tell –”
“Shh!” said Hermione.
“But before we hear from Royal and Romulus,” Lee went on, “let’s take a moment to report those deaths that the Wizarding Wireless Network News and Daily Prophet don’t think important enough to mention. It is with great regret that we inform our listeners of the murders of Ted4 Tonks and Dirk Cresswell.”
Harry felt a sick, swooping78 in his belly79. He, Ron, and Hermione gazed at one another in horror.
“A goblin by the name of Gornuk was also killed. It is believed that Muggle-born Dean Thomas and a second goblin, both believed to have been traveling with Tonks, Cresswell, and Gornuk, may have escaped. If Dean is listening, or if anyone has any knowledge of his whereabouts, his parents and sisters are desperate for news.”
“Meanwhile, in Gaddley, a Muggle family of five has been found dead in their home. Muggle authorities are attributing their deaths to a gas leak, but members of the Order of the Phoenix80 inform me that it was the Killing81 Curse – more evidence, as if it were needed, of the fact that Muggle slaughter82 is becoming little more than a recreational sport under the new regime.”
“Finally, we regret to inform our listeners that the remains83 of Bathilda Bagshot have been discovered in Godric’s Hollow. The evidence is that she died several months ago. The Order of the Phoenix informs us that her body showed unmistakable signs of injuries inflicted84 by Dark Magic.”
“Listeners, I’d like to invite you now to join us in a minute’s silence in memory of Ted Tonks, Dirk Cresswell, Bathilda Bagshot, Gornuk, and the unnamed, but no less regretted, Muggles murdered by the Death Eaters.”
Silence fell, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione did not speak. Half of Harry yearned85 to hear more, half of him was afraid of what might come next. It was the first time he had felt fully86 connected to the outside world for a long time.
“Thank you,” said Lee’s voice. “And now we can return to regular contributor Royal, for an update on how the new Wizarding order is affecting the Muggle world.”
“Thanks, River,” said an unmistakable voice, deep, measured, reassuring87.
“Kingsley!” burst out Ron.
“We know!” said Hermione, hushing him.
“Muggles remain ignorant of the source of their suffering as they continue to sustain heavy casualties,” said Kingsley. “However, we continue to hear truly inspirational stories of wizards and witches risking their own safety to protect Muggle friends and neighbors, often without the Muggles’ knowledge. I’d like to appeal to all our listeners to emulate88 their example, perhaps by casting a protective charm over any Muggle dwellings89 in your street. Many lives could be saved if such simple measures are taken.”
“And what would you say, Royal, to those listeners who reply that in these dangerous times, it should be ‘Wizards first’? asked Lee.”
“I’d say that it’s one short step from ‘Wizards first’ to ‘Purebloods first,’ and then to ‘Death Eaters,’” replied Kingsley. “We’re all human, aren’t we? Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving.”
“Excellently put, Royal, and you’ve got my vote for Minister of Magic if we ever get out of this mess,” said Lee. “And now, over to Romulus for our popular feature ‘Pals of Potter.’”
“Thanks, River,” said another very familiar voice. Ron started to speak, but Hermione forestalled90 him in a whisper.
“We know it’s Lupin!”
“Romulus, do you maintain, as you have every time you’ve appeared on our program, that Harry Potter is still alive?”
“I do,” said Lupin firmly. “There is no doubt at all in my mind that his death would be proclaimed as widely as possible by the Death Eaters if it had happened, because it would strike a deadly blow at the morale91 of those resisting the new regime. ‘The Boy Who Lived’ remains a symbol of everything for which we are fighting: the triumph of good, the power of innocence92, the need to keep resisting.”
A mixture of gratitude93 and shame welled up in Harry. Had Lupin forgiven him, then, for the terrible things he had said when they had last met?
“And what would you say to Harry if you knew he was listening, Romulus?”
“I’d tell him we’re all with him in spirit,” said Lupin, then hesitated slightly, “And I’d tell him to follow his instincts, which are good and nearly always right.”
Harry looked at Hermione, whose eyes were full of tears.
“Nearly always right,” she repeated.
“Oh, didn’t I tell you?” said Ron in surprise. “Bill told me Lupin’s living with Tonks again! And apparently she’s getting pretty big too…”
“…and our usual update on those friends of Harry Potter’s who are suffering for their allegiance?” Lee was saying.
“Well, as regular listeners will know, several of the more outspoken94 supporters of Harry Potter have now been imprisoned95, including Xenophilius Lovegood, erstwhile editor of The Quibbler,” said Lupin.
“At least he’s still alive!” muttered Ron.
“We have also heard within the last few hours that Rubeus Hagrid” – all three of them gasped96, and so nearly missed the rest of the sentence – “well-known gamekeeper at Hogwarts School, has narrowly escaped arrest within the grounds of Hogwarts, where he is rumored97 to have hosted a ‘Support Harry Potter’ party in his house. However, Hagrid was not taken into custody98, and is, we believe, on the run.”
“I suppose it helps, when escaping from Death Eaters, if you’ve got a sixteen-foot-high half brother?” asked Lee.
“It would tend to give you an edge,” agreed Lupin gravely. “May I just add that while we here at Potterwatch applaud Hagrid’s spirit, we would urge even the most devoted99 of Harry’s supporters against following Hagrid’s lead. ‘Support Harry Potter’ parties are unwise in the present climate.”
“Indeed they are, Romulus,” said Lee, “so we suggest that you continue to show your devotion to the man with the lightning scar by listening to Potterwatch! And now let’s move to news concerning the wizard who is proving just as elusive100 as Harry Potter. We like to refer to him as the Chief Death Eater, and here to give his views on some of the more insane rumors101 circulating about him, I’d like to introduce a new correspondent. Rodent102?”
“‘Rodent’?” said yet another familiar voice, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione cried out together:
“Fred!”
“No – is it George?”
“It’s Fred, I think,” said Ron, leaning in closer, as whichever twin it was said, “I’m not being ‘Rodent,’ no way, I told you I wanted to be ‘Rapier’!”
“Oh, all right then, ‘Rapier,’ could you please give us your take on the various stories we’ve been hearing about the Chief Death Eater?”
“Yes, River, I can,” said Fred. “As our listeners will know, unless they’ve taken refuge at the bottom of a garden pond or somewhere similar, You-Know-Who’s strategy of remaining in the shadows is creating a nice little climate of panic. Mind you, if all the alleged103 sightings of him are genuine, we must have a good nineteen You-Know-Whos running around the place.”
“Which suits him, of course,” said Kingsley. “The air of mystery is creating more terror than actually showing himself.”
“Agreed,” said Fred. “So, people, let’s try and calm down a bit. Things are bad enough without inventing stuff as well. For instance, this new idea that You-Know-Who can kill people with a single glance from his eyes. That’s a basilisk, listeners. One simple test: Check whether the thing that’s glaring at you has got legs. If it has, it’s safe to look into its eyes, although if it really is You-Know-Who, that’s still likely to be the last thing you ever do.”
For the first time in weeks and weeks, Harry was laughing: He could feel the weight of tension leaving him.
“And the rumors that he keeps being sighted abroad?” asked Lee.
“Well, who wouldn’t want a nice little holiday after all the hard work he’s been putting in?” asked Fred. “Point is, people, don’t get lulled104 into a false sense of security, thinking he’s out of the country. Maybe he is, maybe he isn’t, but the fact remains he can move faster than Severus Snape confronted with shampoo when he wants to, so don’t count on him being a long way away if you’re planning to take any risks. I never thought I’d hear myself say it, but safety first!”
“Thank you very much for those wise words, Rapier,” said Lee. “Listeners, that brings us to the end of another Potterwatch. We don’t know when it will be possible to broadcast again, but you can be sure we shall be back. Keep twiddling those dials: The next password will be ‘Mad-Eye.’ Keep each other safe: Keep faith. Good night.”
The radio’s dial twirled and the lights behind the tuning panel went out. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were still beaming. Hearing familiar, friendly voices was an extraordinary tonic105; Harry had become so used to their isolation106 he had nearly forgotten that other people were resisting Voldemort. It was like waking from a long sleep.
“Good, eh?” said Ron happily.
“Brilliant,” said Harry.
“It’s so brave of them,” sighed Hermione admiringly. “If they were found …”
“Well, they keep on the move, don’t they?” said Ron. “Like us.”
“But did you hear what Fred said?” asked Harry excitedly; now the broadcast was over, his thoughts turned around toward his all consuming obsession. “He’s abroad! He’s still looking for the Wand, I knew it!”
“Harry – ”
“Come on, Hermione, why are you so determined not to admit it? Vol – ”
“HARRY, NO!”
“ – demort’s after the Elder Wand!”
“The name’s Taboo107!” Ron bellowed108, leaping to his feet as a loud crack sounded outside the tent. “I told you, Harry, I told you, we can’t say it anymore – we’ve got to put the protection back around us – quickly – it’s how they find – ”
But Ron stopped talking, and Harry knew why. The Sneakoscope on the table had lit up and begun to spin; they could hear voices coming nearer and nearer: rough, excited voices. Ron pulled the Deluminator out of his pocket and clicked it: Their lamps went out.
“Come out of there with your hands up!” came a rasping voice through the darkness. “We know you’re in there! You’ve got half a dozen wands pointing at you and we don’t care who we curse!”
哈利气喘嘘嘘地倒在草地上，又立刻爬了起来。他们看起来像是来到了一个被黄昏的薄雾笼罩的荒野；赫敏挥舞着魔杖绕着他们跑来跑去。
“统统石化……萨维尔埃希亚……”
“那个背信弃义的老骗子。”罗恩大口喘着气，从隐身斗篷下面钻了出来，把它扔给哈利。“赫敏，你是个天才，真是个天才。我都不敢相信我们居然能从那儿逃出来。”
“洞窟兽……我没告诉过他那是一只弯鼾角吗？现在倒好，他的房子都爆炸了！”
“活该！”罗恩一边说一边检查着他那已经破烂不堪的牛仔裤和腿上的伤口，“你觉得他们会怎么对待他？”
“哦，我希望他们不要杀了他！”赫敏低声说道，“所以我才想让食死徒在我们离开能看一眼哈利，这样他们就会知道谢农费里厄斯没有说谎。”
“那为什么把我藏起来？”罗恩问道。
“你不是应该正在和斯帕特格罗特一起躺在床上呢么，罗恩！他们绑架卢娜就是因为她爸爸支持哈利！想想如果他们知道了你跟他一伙，你的家人可能也会遭殃！”
“那你的父母呢？”
“他们在澳大利亚，”赫敏说，“他们应该没事，因为他们什么都不知道。”
“你真是个天才。”罗恩重复道，语气中充满了敬佩。
“哦，你绝对是个天才，赫敏。”哈利热情地附和着。“如果没有你，我真不知道该怎么办。”
她笑了一下，但是马上又严肃起来。
“不知道卢娜怎么样了。”
“如果他们说的是真的，卢娜还活着的话……”没等罗恩说完，赫敏就打断了他：
“别说了！别说了！她一定还活着，一定！”
“那我猜她现在应该在阿兹卡班。”罗恩说。“不管她能不能活着回来，虽然……希望不大……”
“她会的。”哈利说，她不能想象另外那种答案。“卢娜她很坚强，比你想象的要坚强得多。她大概正在和那些关在一起的人讲有关沃克波茨和纳格勒的故事。”
“但愿你是对的。”赫敏说，她抹了一下眼睛，“我觉得很对不起谢农费里厄斯，如果……”
“如果他没把我们出卖给食死徒，的确。”罗恩说。
他们搭好帐篷钻了进去，罗恩沏了点茶。经历了虎口脱险，这个又湿又冷又有点发霉的地方让他们觉得像是家一样，安全、熟悉又亲切。
“唉，当初我们为什么要到那儿去？”几分钟的沉默之后，赫敏叹息道。“哈利，你是对的，我们回到高维克山谷，简直就是浪费时间。什么死圣……全是废话……事实上，”停了一下，好像突然想到了什么，“可能根本就是他瞎编的，不是么？他可能根本就不相信什么死圣，不过是给赶来的食死徒们拖延点时间罢了。”
“我不这样想。”罗恩说，“在那么大的压力下很难编造出那么多东西，这是我在被掠夺者抓住的时候发现的。假装自己是斯坦和凭空编造一个人出来相比，要简单得多，因为我对他或多或少有一点了解。老洛夫古德在那么大的压力下，只是想办法把我们留住而已。所以我觉得他说的都是真话，至少他认为是真话。”
“好吧，但是我觉得这无关紧要。”赫敏叹了口气，“就算他没撒谎，我这辈子也从来没听到过那么多荒唐的事。”
“话是这么说，可密室不也曾一直被认为是个传说而已吗？”罗恩说。
“但是死圣是不可能存在的，罗恩！”
“你总是这么说，但是他们中至少有一个是存在的，”罗恩说，“哈利的隐身斗篷……”
“三兄弟的传说只不过是个故事罢了，”赫敏很坚定地说道，“一个关于人类惧怕死亡的故事。如果长生不老就是藏在隐身斗篷下面那么简单的话，我们早就得到我们需要的一切了！”
“我不知道，不过我们倒是很需要一根无敌的魔杖。”哈利一边说，一边在指间转动着令他生厌的黑李木魔杖。
“哈利，根本就没有那种东西！”
“你说过曾经有各种各样的魔杖——死亡之杖，或者不管叫什么名字……”
“好吧，就算你能骗自己说那个长老魔杖是真的，那苏醒石呢？”她用指头在那个名字上画了个引号，并且用挖苦的语调说道，“没有魔法能起死回生，那是肯定的。”
“当我的魔杖和神秘人的连在一起的时候，我的父母出现了……还有塞德里克……”
“但是他们并不是真的起死回生了，对吧？”赫敏说，“那只是……苍白的假象罢了，并不是他们真的活了过来。”
“但是，那个传说里的女孩，也不是真的活了过来，对吧？故事里说，一旦人死了，他们就和死亡同在了。但是兄弟里的老二却仍然能看到她并和她说话，不是吗？他甚至和她在一起生活了一段时间……”
他看到赫敏的表情中流露出了担心，还有另外一种说不出来的感觉，当她匆匆看了罗恩一眼，哈利才明白那种感觉是恐惧：他提到的和死人生活在一起让她害怕了。
“佩弗利尔那小子最后被埋在了高维克山谷。”他赶快说道，尽量让自己的声音听起来很有力量而正常，“你知道过有关他的事吗？”
“不知道。”她回答道，转换话题使她看起来很安心。“在我看到他墓碑上的徽章时我认出了他；如果他真的很有名或者很重要，那他一定会出现在我们的书里的。但我唯一能找到佩弗利尔这个字的地方是《生而高贵，巫师家谱》，是我从克利切那里借来的。”当她看到罗恩扬起了眉毛时，解释道：“这本书列出了男系血统已经消失了的纯血统的家族。显然佩弗利尔是最早消失的家庭之一。”
“男系血统已经消失？”罗恩重复道。
“意思是说这个姓氏已经没有人继承了，”赫敏说，“像佩弗利尔家族早在几个世纪以前就这样了。但他们还是可能有继承人的，只不过都已经姓其他的姓了。”
突然哈利的脑中出现了一个闪光的片段，他的记忆中好像曾经听到过“佩弗利尔”这个词：一个邋遢的老头在一位魔法部官员面前挥舞着一枚戒指。哈利叫了出来：“马沃罗·冈特！”
“什么？”罗恩和赫敏一起问道。
“马沃罗·冈特！神秘人的外祖父！在冥想盆中，和邓布利多一起！马沃罗·冈特说他是佩弗利尔家的继承人！”
罗恩和赫敏看起来一脸迷茫。
“戒指，那枚后来成为魂器的戒指，马沃罗·冈特说那上面有佩弗利尔的纹章！我看到他拿着那枚戒指在魔法部的人的脸前晃来晃去，几乎贴到了那人的鼻子上！”
“佩弗利尔的纹章？”赫敏敏锐地说“你看到它是什么样子的了吗？”
“不太记得了……”哈利努力地回忆着“就我看到的，好像没什么特别的地方；可能有一些划痕。我只见过它被打开后又合上的样子。”
从赫敏睁大眼睛的样子中，哈利看出了她的理解，罗恩看着他，又看看赫敏，露出十分惊讶的表情。
“啊呀，你又觉得它是死圣的标记了？”
“为什么不呢，”哈利兴奋的说，“马沃罗·冈特是一个无知的没用的老家伙，他象猪一样地生活，唯一在乎的就是他的血统。如果这个戒指是历经几个世纪流传下来的，他可能并不知道它究竟意味着什么。他的房子里没有书，相信我，他是不会给孩子们讲童话故事的。他一定会把宝石上的擦痕看成是盾形纹章，因为在他看来，纯净的血统可以让人变得更高贵。”
“好，这的确很有趣，”赫敏谨慎的说，“但是哈利，如果你听了我对你的猜测的想法……”
“为什么不信呢？”哈利说，完全不在意赫敏说的话，“那就是块石头，不是吗？”他看着罗恩想寻求支持，“如果那就是苏醒石呢？”
罗恩一下子开口了。
“哎呀——邓布利多把它毁了，那还能用吗？”
“能用？能用？罗恩，它从来没有有用过！世上不存在苏醒石！”
赫敏跳了起来，看起来很愤怒，“哈利，你打算把一切都安到那个关于死圣的故事里……”
“安进去？”他反驳道，“赫敏，是它们自己相吻合！我知道死圣的标记就在那块石头上！冈特说了它是从佩弗利尔那里继承来的！”
“一分钟前你告诉我们，你从没有清楚地看到石头上的标记！”
“你说那戒指现在在哪？”罗恩问哈利，“邓布利多在把它打开之后干了什么？”
但哈利的思绪早就跑到之后的事情上了，远远地甩掉了罗恩和赫敏……
那三件物品，或者说死圣，如果他们到了一个人手里，其所有者就可以操纵死亡，操纵……胜利者……征服者……最后一个要对付的敌人就是死亡……
随后他想到了自己，如果他是圣物的所有者，面对伏地魔，相比之下伏地魔的魂器简直就是不堪一击……只有一个人能活下来……这就是答案吗？用死圣来对抗魂器？到底有没有什么方法能确保他活下来？如果他掌握了死圣，他就安全了吗？
“哈利？”
他几乎没有听到赫敏在叫他：他已经拿出了自己的隐身斗篷，手指抚摸着它。这件斗篷像水一样柔顺，像空气一样轻盈。在他将近七年的魔法世界生涯中，没有一件东西比得上它。这件衣服的确象谢农费里厄斯描述的一样：能让使用者彻底隐形，而且它长存于世，不会被任何咒语损坏……
随后，他猛的喘了一口气，他想起来了……
“邓布利多在我父母死的那天晚上拿到了它！”
他的声音在颤抖，他能感到他的脸在发烧，但他并不在意。
“我母亲告诉小天狼星，是邓布利多借走了隐身衣！那就是原因！他想验证一下，因为他觉得那就是第三个圣物！伊格诺思·佩弗利尔被葬在多维克山谷，”哈利漫不经心地绕帐篷踱着步子，感觉真相在他脑子里渐渐清晰起来。“他是我的祖先，我是那第三个兄弟的后代！这样就有头绪了！”
他已经十分确信了，确信死圣的存在。能够得到它们，仅仅是这样的想法就足以给他受到保护的感觉，于是他很开心地转向了他的两个同伴。
“哈利！”赫敏又叫了他一声，但哈利正在忙着打开他脖子上挂着的小口袋。他的手抖的厉害。
“读一读。”他把母亲的信放到她手里，对她说，“读读看。虽然邓布利多借走了隐身斗篷，但是，赫敏，他这么做有什么原因吗？他并不需要隐身斗篷，他可以用一个强大的幻身咒来让自己隐身！”
有个什么东西掉到底上，滚到了椅子底下：是他把信从信封里拿出来的时候带出来的金色飞贼。他弯下腰把它捡了起来，一个偶然的发现使他又惊又喜。掩饰不住激动的心情，他叫出了声来。
“它在这儿！他给我留下了的戒指——在金色飞贼里！”
“你……你猜的？”
他不明白为什么罗恩看起来不明白。对哈利来说，所有的事情都那么明显、清晰。一切的一切都吻合……他的隐身衣是第三个圣物，当他打开金色飞贼时得到了第二个，现在他要做的就是找到第一个圣物，长老魔杖，然后……
但是，就象一个明亮的舞台突然拉下了大幕，他一切的快乐和希望都一下子破灭了。他独自站在黑暗之中，璀璨的光辉变得支离破碎。
“那就是他要找的。”
他语气的变化让罗恩和赫敏看上去更加害怕了。
“神秘人……在找长老魔杖。”
他转过身，背对着罗恩和赫敏惊讶与怀疑的脸。他知道，那就是事实。一切都说得通了，伏地魔并不是在找一支新魔杖，而是在找一支旧魔杖，非常旧的。哈利走向帐篷的入口，仰望夜空，思索着，完全忘记了罗恩和赫敏的存在……
伏地魔是在麻瓜的孤儿院长大的，在他小时候没人能给他讲《吟游诗人比德的传说》里的故事，他不可能比哈利知道的更多。几乎没有巫师相信死圣。 伏地魔怎么会知道这些？
哈利凝视着夜空……如果伏地魔知道关于死圣的事，那他肯定寻找过它们，曾不择手段地想要得到它们。三件物品的主人可以掌控死亡？如果他知道关于死圣的事情，他可能一开始就不需要魂器了。他曾经拿到了圣物，却把它做成了魂器，这是不是可以证明他并不知道关于那个最隐秘的古老的巫师的故事？
这说明，伏地魔虽然在寻找长老魔杖，但却并不完全了解它的威力，也不知道它是三个圣物之一……由于这根魔杖毫无疑问是死圣，而且最被人们所熟知……长老魔杖在悠久的魔法史上留下了带血的印迹。
哈利看着天空中的云，像烟雾一样地弥散着，滑过白色的月亮。哈利被自己的发现惊呆了。
他转身想回到了帐篷里，却惊讶地发现罗恩和赫敏仍然站在原地。赫敏还捏着莉莉的信，罗恩带着期盼的表情站在她身边。他们有没有意识到在刚才的几分钟里发生了些什么吗？
“怎么？”哈利说，想要把他们拉入自己刚刚发现的惊人事实中。“这样就可以解释所有这一切了。死圣确实存在，而且我已经有了一个……也许是两个……”
他拿起了金色飞贼。
“……神秘人在找第三个，但是他不完全了解……他只是觉得那个魔杖有些威力。”
“哈利”赫敏说，走到他身边把莉莉的信塞到他手里。“对不起，但是我觉得你的想法是错的，完全错误的。”
“可是，难道你没有看到吗？一切都吻合……”
“不，不是。”她说“事情并不吻合，哈利，你只不过是在胡思乱想。请……”赫敏好像开始了她的演说“请回答我：如果死圣真的存在，而且邓布利多知道他们存在，也知道如果他们的所有者能够控制死亡－－哈利，那为什么他不告诉你呢？为什么？”
他已经准备好了答案。
“但是你说过的，赫敏！一定要亲自动手找一找！这是一个任务！”
“我只不过是为了让你去洛夫古德那里而说的！”赫敏哭喊着解释,“我不是真的相信！”
哈利没有理会她。
“邓布利多通常都告诉我自己去找，他让我尝试用我自己的力量去找。看起来他自己也是这么做的。”
“哈利，这不是一个游戏，不是一场练习！这是真的，邓布利多留给了你清晰的指示：寻找并消灭魂器！那个记号没有任何意义，忘了什么死圣吧，我们不能转移目标……”
但是哈利几乎没听她在说什么。他把飞贼在两只手间扔来扔去，期待着它能从中间裂开，苏醒石显露出来，证明给赫敏看他是正确的，死圣确实存在。
她对罗恩呼吁道:“你也不相信死圣的存在，对吗？”
哈利抬起头来，罗恩犹豫不决。
“我不知道……我是说……很多事情都对上了，”罗恩笨拙地说“但是如果你从事情的整体看……”他深吸了一口气“我想我们恐怕应该去消灭魂器，哈利。那是邓布利多告诉我们的。也许，也许我们应该忘了圣物的事。”
“谢谢，罗恩。”赫敏说，“谢谢你支持我。”
然后她从哈利身边走过，走进帐篷坐了下来，用行动结束了谈话。
但是哈利晚上怎么也睡不着。关于死圣的想法一直缠绕着他，他的脑子一刻也休息不下来，一直想着那个念头：魔杖、石头、斗篷，如果他全都拥有……
我要打开这个密封的东西……但是这密封是怎么回事？为什么到现在他还得不到那石头？如果他得到了那石头，他就能问问邓布利多关于那些个人的问题……哈利在黑暗中对着飞贼低语，他用了各种方法，甚至蛇老腔，但是那金色的小球仍没有打开。
还有那个魔杖，长老魔杖，它又藏在哪里了？伏地魔现在在哪儿找呢？哈利希望他的伤疤能再次灼烧起来，告诉他伏地魔在想什么，因为这是第一次他和伏地魔在想着相同的事……当然赫敏不可能喜欢这个念头……但是那样她就会相信……谢农费里厄斯是对的，那有限的狭小的思维的链接。其实她只是害怕关于死圣的说法，尤其是那个苏醒石……哈利再一次把他的嘴对着飞贼，亲吻它，几乎把它吞下去，但那冰冷的金属没有丝毫妥协……
天就快亮了，这时哈利想到了卢娜，一个人孤零零的呆在阿兹卡班的一个小房间里，被摄魂怪包围着，他突然为自己感到羞耻。在他兴奋地想着关于死圣的事情时几乎完全忘了她。就算他们去营救她，但是有那么多摄魂怪几乎不可能成功。现在他开始考虑这些，他还不能用那个黑李木的魔杖变出一个守护神……他必须在今天早晨学会……但如果有什么方法能得到一个更好的魔杖……对于长老魔杖，对于所向披靡的死亡魔杖的渴望又一次吞噬了他……
第二天早上他们把帐篷收了起来，在一阵沉闷的暴雨中继续前进。直到他们赶到海岸暴雨一直在继续，那个晚上他们又支起了帐篷，并且在那儿呆了整整一个星期，虽然周围景色如画，哈利仍然感到阴冷压抑。他唯一能想的就是死圣。它像一个火苗一直在他体内燃烧着，无论是赫敏的不信任或者罗恩的犹豫不决都不能熄灭他。对圣物的渴望一直在他体内燃烧着，是唯一能让他感到高兴的东西。他责备罗恩和赫敏：他们的漠视像无情的雨一样让他沮丧，但是这并不能改变他的坚持，它们确实存在。哈利对于圣物的信仰和坚持使他和另外两个被魂器迷住的人产生了隔阂。
“迷住？”当哈利在一个晚上对赫敏指出他最近在寻找其他的魂器上不再关心的话表现出了足够的漠视后，赫敏用一种低沉的难以忍受的声音说：“我们没有迷上任何东西，哈利！我们只是在做邓布利多想让我们做的事情！”
但是他没有受到那些批评的任何影响。邓布利多在给赫敏的密文中留下了他对于圣物的暗示，并且，哈利仍然坚信，苏醒石就在留给他的飞贼里面。”一个必须死在另一个手上……控制死亡……”为什么罗恩和赫敏就不能理解呢？
“最后一个你要战胜的敌人就是死亡……”哈利平静的回答。
“我想我们要对付的对象好像是神秘人？”赫敏反击道，哈利放弃了劝说她的想法。
即使是他们谈论的那头银色的雌鹿，对哈利来说也不再那么重要了，好像是一个没意思的附属物。对他来说唯一要紧的事情就是他的伤疤又开始疼了，虽然他已经尽力在他们俩面前遮掩这件事情。每当疼起来时他都感到非常孤独，并且为他看到的景象感到失望。那些把他和伏地魔联系起来的影像变得没有以前好了：它们显得模糊不清、诡异多变。哈利只能认出来那好像是一个头骨的轮廓，还有好像一座山的影子一样的东西，更多的只是阴影而不是实物。对于那些影像，哈利感到不安，他很担心那联系着他和伏地魔之间的联系被破坏了，那条两方都很害怕的联系,尽管她和赫敏说他想要这种联系。
不知何故，哈利把那些不能令人满意的图像同他魔杖的损坏联系了起来，好像是他的黑李木魔杖的错，让他不能再像以前一样看到伏地魔在想什么了。
几周就这么过去了，哈利除了观察什么也做不了，包括新的让他关切的事情，罗恩看起来有些抱怨。也许是他决定退出他们，也许是因为哈利开始对别人的鼓励完全听不进去，罗恩鼓励其他两个人赶快行动。
“还剩三个魂器。”他不停地说“我们需要一个行动计划，来吧！哪儿我们还没有找过？让我们赶快去看看。那个孤儿院……”
对角巷、霍格沃茨、里德尔家、博金-博克黑魔法商店、阿尔巴尼亚，每个他们知道的汤姆里德尔曾经生活过或者工作过的、拜访过的或者杀过人的地方，罗恩和赫敏都数了个遍。哈利也加入了，为得是不让赫敏再劝说他。他宁愿一个人静静地坐着，去读伏地魔的思维，去发现更多的关于长老魔杖的事情，但是罗恩却坚持要去一些不太常见的地方，哈利意识到，他们必须继续下去。
“你不会知道，”这是罗恩的口头禅，“弗莱格林北部的地区有一个巫师村庄，他可能曾经想住在那里，让我们去那儿溜达溜达。”
巫师村庄的那些袭击是他们都变成了侵略者。
“他们中好多人和食死徒一样坏，”罗恩说。”我觉得有一些悲惨，但是比尔说他们当中一些确实很危险。他们说在波特兄弟会里……”
“在什么里？”哈利问。
“波特兄弟会，我没有告诉过你吗？那是一个我一直想听的广播节目，是唯一一个可以告诉我们目前的真实情况的节目！几乎所有的台都被伏地魔的人控制了，除了波特兄弟会，我真想你能听一听，但是信号很不好找……”
罗恩用了很多个的下午用自己的魔杖在无线电上敲出了各种各样的声音，上面的转盘不停的转动着，偶尔他们会收到关于如何照顾龙的频道，有一次传出了《一锅又热又坚定的爱》的几个小节，他边录音边继续努力尝试打出正确的密码，嘴里还不停地乱咕哝着什么。
“它们通常和凤凰社有关，”罗恩告诉他们，“比尔知道猜出它们的诀窍，我一定会猜出一个来……·”
但是直到三月运气才终于眷顾了罗恩，哈利坐在帐篷的入口处警戒，他懒洋洋地看着被丛生的葡萄树和风信子遮挡住的寒冷地面，这时帐篷里传出了罗恩兴奋的喊叫声。
“我找到了，我找到它了！密码是‘阿不思’，快过来，哈利！”
这么多天来哈利第一次从关于死圣的沉思被中唤醒，哈利飞快地冲进帐篷，看到罗恩和赫敏都跪在一个小收音机的旁边，赫敏看起来刚才还在磨那把格兰芬多宝剑来消磨时间，这会儿她张大嘴巴盯着地上的收音机，因为那收音机里正传出一个非常熟悉的声音。
“很抱歉我们暂停了广播，那是因为有几个迷人的食死徒来到了我们的地盘。”
“但那是李·乔丹！”赫敏说。
“我知道！”罗恩说，“很酷吧，恩？”
“现在我们转移到了一个安全的地方，”李说，“我很高兴地告诉大家，两个提供消息的朋友今天晚上也来到了我身边，晚上好！兄弟们！”
“你好。”
“下午好，江河。”
“‘江河’就是李，”罗恩解释说，“他们都有自己的代号，但你通常可以——”
“嘘！”赫敏说。
“但是在我们听罗伊尔和罗慕洛说之前，”李继续说，“让我们用一点时间报道一下那些巫师新闻网和预言家日报认为并不重要的死讯，我们非常遗憾的从听众那里获悉泰德·唐克斯和德克·克莱斯韦被谋杀了。”
哈利感到他的胃猛的沉了一下，他、罗恩还有赫敏都惊恐地盯着对方。
“一个叫格纳克的小精灵也被杀了，麻瓜出身的迪安·托马斯和另一个小精灵也有危险，和唐克斯和格纳克一起居住的克莱斯韦好像逃脱了，如果迪安正在听，或者有谁知道他的下落，请与我们联系，他的父母和姐妹们都在焦急地等待消息。”
“期间，在加德里，一个五人的麻瓜家庭所有成员都被发现死在家中，麻瓜界的权威人士认为他们死于煤气泄露，但凤凰社的人告诉我，他们是被死咒杀死的——很明显，在新的政权下，屠杀麻瓜似乎已经从娱乐变成了一种必需。”
“最后我们很遗憾地告诉听众们，巴希达·巴沙特的遗体在高锥克山谷被发现了，种种迹象表明他在几个月前就已经死了，凤凰社成员告诉我们从他遗体的印迹看来他无疑是死于黑魔法。
“听众们，我想邀请你们和我一起默哀一分钟，以纪念泰德 唐克斯、德克·克莱斯韦、巴希达·巴沙特、格纳克和那些不知道名字的死于食死徒手中的麻瓜们。”
周围安静下来了，哈利、罗恩和赫敏都没有说话，哈利一面希望听到更多，一面又又害怕听到下面的内容，这是他很久以来第一次这么真是地听到同外界的联系。
“谢谢”李的声音说，“现在我们可以回到特邀嘉宾罗伊尔这来了，来探讨一下魔法界的新秩序对麻瓜世界的影响的认识。”
“谢谢，江河”一个深沉的，可靠的，不容置疑的声音响起来了。
“金斯莱！”罗恩大叫到。
“我们听出来了！”赫敏说，示意他安静下来。
“麻瓜们仍然不知道他们的危险，他们继续承受着大量的伤亡，”金斯莱说，“但是，我们还是听到了一些令人振奋的消息，一些巫师和女巫不顾危险地去保护他们的麻瓜朋友和邻居，尽管麻瓜们并不知道，我在这里想呼吁听众们效仿他们的做法，也许就是为你所在街区的所有麻瓜的住所施一个保护咒，一个简单的行动将会拯救很多生命。”
“你会对那些人说什么？罗伊尔，那些在这种特殊时期主张‘巫师第一’的听众。”
“我只能说从‘巫师第一’到‘血统第一’只有一步之遥，而之后就是‘食死徒’”金斯莱回答说，“我们都是人类，不是吗？每个人类的生命都是宝贵的，都值得去挽救。”
“精彩的发言，罗伊尔，如果能度过这场灾难，我要投你一票去当魔法部长！”李说，“现在让我们听听罗慕洛为我们‘哈利在线’的发言。”
“谢谢你，江河，”另一个十分熟悉的声音响了起来，罗恩刚想说话，被赫敏低声地抢在了前面。
“我们也听出来了那是卢平！”
“罗慕洛，你始终向曾经多次到我们节目
收听单词发音 |
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harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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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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treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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ted
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| vt.翻晒，撒，撒开 | |
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groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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awed
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| adj.充满敬畏的，表示敬畏的v.使敬畏，使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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fervently
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| adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地 | |
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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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contemplate
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| vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视 | |
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inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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chilly
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| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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sketched
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| v.草拟（sketch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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quotation
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| n.引文，引语，语录；报价，牌价，行情 | |
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sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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robustly
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| adv.要用体力地，粗鲁地 | |
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sane
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| adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的 | |
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genealogy
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| n.家系，宗谱 | |
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eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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filthy
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| adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的 | |
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brandishing
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| v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 )；炫耀 | |
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ministry
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| n.(政府的)部；牧师 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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ancestry
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| n.祖先，家世 | |
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exasperated
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| adj.恼怒的 | |
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racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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versus
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| prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下 | |
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supple
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| adj.柔软的，易弯的，逢迎的，顺从的，灵活的；vt.使柔软，使柔顺，使顺从；vi.变柔软，变柔顺 | |
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concealment
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| n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒 | |
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gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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vistas
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| 长条形景色( vista的名词复数 )； 回顾； 展望； （未来可能发生的）一系列情景 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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undoing
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| n.毁灭的原因，祸根；破坏，毁灭 | |
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pouch
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| n.小袋，小包，囊状袋；vt.装...入袋中，用袋运输；vi.用袋送信件 | |
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fabulous
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| adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的 | |
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orphanage
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| n.孤儿院 | |
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bard
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| n.吟游诗人 | |
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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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bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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exasperation
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| n.愤慨 | |
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agitating
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| 搅动( agitate的现在分词 )； 激怒； 使焦虑不安； （尤指为法律、社会状况的改变而）激烈争论 | |
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feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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invincible
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| adj.不可征服的，难以制服的 | |
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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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sodden
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| adj.浑身湿透的；v.使浸透；使呆头呆脑 | |
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bleak
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| adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的 | |
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51
persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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52
longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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53
joyful
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| adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的 | |
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54
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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55
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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56
relentless
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| adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的 | |
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57
erode
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| v.侵蚀，腐蚀，使...减少、减弱或消失 | |
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58
isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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obsession
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| n.困扰，无法摆脱的思想(或情感) | |
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60
impervious
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| adj.不能渗透的，不能穿过的，不易伤害的 | |
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61
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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62
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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63
blurred
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| v.（使）变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）难以区分；模模糊糊；迷离 | |
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64
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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65
dormant
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| adj.暂停活动的；休眠的；潜伏的 | |
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exhorting
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| v.劝告，劝说( exhort的现在分词 ) | |
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67
alley
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| n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路 | |
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68
riddle
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| n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜 | |
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69
pestering
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| 使烦恼，纠缠( pester的现在分词 ) | |
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70
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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71
tricky
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| adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的 | |
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72
tuning
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| n.调谐，调整，调音v.调音( tune的现在分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调 | |
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73
wireless
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| adj.无线的；n.无线电 | |
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74
strings
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| n.弦 | |
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random
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| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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76
knack
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| n.诀窍，做事情的灵巧的，便利的方法 | |
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77
clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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swooping
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| 俯冲，猛冲( swoop的现在分词 ) | |
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79
belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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80
phoenix
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| n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生 | |
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81
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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82
slaughter
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| n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀 | |
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83
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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84
inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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yearned
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| 渴望，切盼，向往( yearn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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86
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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87
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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88
emulate
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| v.努力赶上或超越，与…竞争；效仿 | |
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dwellings
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| n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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90
forestalled
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| v.先发制人，预先阻止( forestall的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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morale
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| n.道德准则，士气，斗志 | |
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92
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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93
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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94
outspoken
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| adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的 | |
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95
imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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96
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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97
rumored
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| adj.传说的，谣传的v.传闻( rumor的过去式和过去分词 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷 | |
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98
custody
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| n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留 | |
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99
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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100
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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101
rumors
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| n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷 | |
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102
rodent
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| n.啮齿动物；adj.啮齿目的 | |
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103
alleged
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| a.被指控的，嫌疑的 | |
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104
lulled
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| vt.使镇静，使安静（lull的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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105
tonic
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| n./adj.滋补品，补药，强身的，健体的 | |
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106
isolation
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| n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离 | |
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107
taboo
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| n.禁忌，禁止接近，禁止使用；adj.禁忌的；v.禁忌，禁制，禁止 | |
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108
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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