Harry1 managed not to shout out, but it was a close thing. The little creature on the bed had large, bat-like ears and bulging2 green eyes the size of tennis balls. Harry knew instantly that this was what had been watching him out of the garden hedge that morning.
As they stared at each other, Harry heard Dudley's voice from the hall.
“May I take your coats, Mr. and Mrs. Mason?”
The creature slipped off the bed and bowed so low that the end of its long, thin nose touched the carpet. Harry noticed that it was wearing what looked like an old pillowcase, with rips for arm- and leg-holes.
“Er - hello,” said Harry nervously3.
“Harry Potter!” said the creature in a high-pitched voice Harry was sure would carry down the stairs. “So long has Dobby wanted to meet you, sir… Such an honor it is…”
“Th-thank you,” said Harry, edging along the wall and sinking into his desk chair, next to Hedwig, who was asleep in her large cage. He wanted to ask, “What are you?” but thought it would sound too rude, so instead he said, “Who are you?”
“Dobby, sir. Just Dobby. Dobby the house-elf,” said the creature.
“Oh - really?” said Harry. “Er - I don't want to be rude or anything, but - this isn't a great time for me to have a house-elf in my bedroom.”
Aunt Petunias5 high, false laugh sounded from the living room. The elf hung his head.
“Not that I'm not pleased to meet you,” said Harry quickly, “but, er, is there any particular reason you're here?”
“Oh, yes, sir,” said Dobby earnestly. “Dobby has come to tell you, sir… it is difficult, sir… Dobby wonders where to begin…”
“Sit down,” said Harry politely, pointing at the bed.
To his horror, the elf burst into tears - very noisy tears.
“S-sit down!” he wailed6. ” Never … never ever…”
Harry thought he heard the voices downstairs falter7.
“I'm sorry,” he whispered, “I didn't mean to offend you or anything—”
“Offend Dobby!” choked the elf. “Dobby has never been asked to sit down by a wizard - like an equal—”
Harry, trying to say “Shh!” and look comforting at the same time, ushered8 Dobby back onto the bed where he sat hiccoughing, looking like a large and very ugly doll.
At last he managed to control himself, and sat with his great eyes fixed9 on Harry in an expression of watery10 adoration11.
“You can't have met many decent wizards,” said Harry, trying to cheer him up.
Dobby shook his head. Then, without warning, he leapt up and started banging his head furiously on the window, shouting, ” Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!”
“Don't - what are you doing?” Harry hissed12, springing up and pulling Dobby back onto the bed - Hedwig had woken up with a particularly loud screech13 and was beating her wings wildly against the bars of her cage.
“Dobby had to punish himself, sir,” said the elf, who had gone slightly cross-eyed. “Dobby almost spoke14 ill of his family, sir…”
“Your family?”
“The wizard family Dobby serves, sir… Dobby is a house-elf - bound to serve one house and one family forever…”
“Do they know you're here?” asked Harry curiously15.
Dobby shuddered16.
“Oh, no, sir, no… Dobby will have to punish himself most grievously for coming to see you, sir. Dobby will have to shut his ears in the oven door for this. If they ever knew, sir—”
“But won't they notice if you shut your ears in the oven door?”
“Dobby doubts it, sir. Dobby is always having to punish himself for something, sir. They lets Dobby get on with it, sir. Sometimes they reminds me to do extra punishments…”
“But why don't you leave? Escape?”
“A house-elf must be set free, sir. And the family will never set Dobby free… Dobby will serve the family until he dies, sir…”
Harry stared.
“And I thought I had it bad staying here for another four weeks,” he said. “This makes the Dursleys sound almost human. Can't anyone help you? Can't I?”
Almost at once, Harry wished he hadn't spoken. Dobby dissolved again into wails17 of gratitude18.
“Please,” Harry whispered frantically19, “please be quiet. If the Dursleys hear anything, if they know you're here—”
“Harry Potter asks if he can help Dobby… Dobby has heard of your greatness, sir, but of your goodness, Dobby never knew…”
Harry, who was feeling distinctly hot in the face, said, “Whatever you've heard about my greatness is a load of rubbish. I'm not even top of my year at Hogwarts; that's Hermione, she—”
But he stopped quickly, because thinking about Hermione was painful.
“Harry Potter is humble20 and modest,” said Dobby reverently21, his orb-like eyes aglow22. “Harry Potter speaks not of his triumph over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named—”
“Voldemort?” said Harry.
Dobby clapped his hands over his bat ears and moaned, “Ah, speak not the name, sir! Speak not the name!”
“Sorry,” said Harry quickly. “I know lots of people don't like it. My friend Ron—”
He stopped again. Thinking about Ron was painful, too.
Dobby leaned toward Harry, his eyes wide as headlights.
“Dobby heard tell,” he said hoarsely23, “that Harry Potter met the Dark Lord for a second time just weeks ago… that Harry Potter escaped yet again .”
Harry nodded and Dobby's eyes suddenly shone with tears.
“Ah, sir,” he gasped24, dabbing25 his face with a corner of the grubby pillowcase he was wearing. “Harry Potter is valiant26 and bold! He has braved so many dangers already! But Dobby has come to protect Harry Potter, to warn him, even if he does have to shut his ears in the oven door later… Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts .”
There was a silence broken only by the chink of knives and forks from downstairs and the distant rumble27 of Uncle Vernon's voice.
“W-what?” Harry stammered28. “But I've got to go back - term starts on September first. It's all that's keeping me going. You don't know what it's like here. I don't belong here. I belong in your world - at Hogwarts.”
“No, no, no,” squeaked29 Dobby, shaking his head so hard his ears flapped. “Harry Potter must stay where he is safe. He is too great, too good, to lose. If Harry Potter goes back to Hogwarts, he will be in mortal danger.”
“Why?” said Harry in surprise.
“There is a plot, Harry Potter. A plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft30 and Wizardry this year,” whispered Dobby, suddenly trembling all over. “Dobby has known it for months, sir. Harry Potter must not put himself in peril31. He is too important, sir!”
“What terrible things?” said Harry at once. “Who's plotting them?”
Dobby made a funny choking noise and then banged his head frantically against the wall.
“All right!” cried Harry, grabbing the elf's arm to stop him. “You can't tell me. I understand. But why are you warning me?” A sudden, unpleasant thought struck him. “Hang on - this hasn't got anything to do with Vol- - sorry - with You-Know-Who, has it? You could just shake or nod,” he added hastily as Dobby's head tilted32 worryingly close to the wall again.
Slowly, Dobby shook his head.
“Not - not He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named , sir—”
But Dobby's eyes were wide and he seemed to be trying to give Harry a hint. Harry, however, was completely lost.
“He hasn't got a brother, has he?”
Dobby shook his head, his eyes wider than ever.
“Well then, I can't think who else would have a chance of making horrible things happen at Hogwarts,” said Harry. “I mean, there's Dumbledore, for one thing - you know who Dumbledore is, don't you?”
Dobby bowed his head.
“Albus Dumbledore is the greatest headmaster Hogwarts has ever had. Dobby knows it, sir. Dobby has heard Dumbledore's powers rival those of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named at the height of his strength. But, sir” - Dobby's voice dropped to an urgent whisper - “there are powers Dumbledore doesn't… powers no decent wizard…”
And before Harry could stop him, Dobby bounded off the bed, seized Harry's desk lamp, and started beating himself around the head with earsplitting yelps34.
A sudden silence fell downstairs. Two seconds later Harry, heart thudding madly, heard Uncle Vernon coming into the hall, calling, “Dudley must have left his television on again, the little tyke!”
“Quick! In the closet!” hissed Harry, stuffing Dobby in, shutting the door, and flinging himself onto the bed just as the door handle turned.
“What - the - devil - are - you - doing?” said Uncle Vernon through gritted35 teeth, his face horribly close to Harry's. “You've just ruined the punch line of my Japanese golfer joke… One more sound and you'll wish you'd never been born, boy!”
He stomped36 flat-footed from the room.
Shaking, Harry let Dobby out of the closet.
“See what it's like here?” he said. “See why I've got to go back to Hogwarts? It's the only place I've got - well, I think I've got friends.”
“Friends who don't even write to Harry Potter?” said Dobby slyly.
“I expect they've just been - wait a minute,” said Harry, frowning. “How do you know my friends haven't been writing to me?”
Dobby shuffled37 his feet.
“Harry Potter mustn't be angry with Dobby. Dobby did it for the best—”
“Have you been stopping my letters? ”
“Dobby has them here, sir,” said the elf. Stepping nimbly out of Harry's reach, he pulled a thick wad of envelopes from the inside of the pillowcase he was wearing.
Harry could make out Hermione's neat writing, Ron's untidy scrawl38, and even a scribble39 that looked as though it was from the Hogwarts gamekeeper, Hagrid.
Dobby blinked anxiously up at Harry.
“Harry Potter mustn't be angry… Dobby hoped… if Harry Potter thought his friends had forgotten him… Harry Potter might not want to go back to school, sir…”
Harry wasn't listening. He made a grab for the letters, but Dobby jumped out of reach.
“Harry Potter will have them, sir, if he gives Dobby his word that he will not return to Hogwarts. Ah, sir, this is a danger you must not face! Say you won't go back, sir!”
“No,” said Harry angrily. “Give me my friends'letters!”
“Then Harry Potter leaves Dobby no choice,” said the elf sadly.
Before Harry could move, Dobby had darted40 to the bedroom door, pulled it open, and sprinted41 down the stairs.
Mouth dry, stomach lurching, Harry sprang after him, trying not to make a sound. He jumped the last six steps, landing catlike on the hall carpet, looking around for Dobby. From the dining room he heard Uncle Vernon saying, “… tell Petunia4 that very funny story about those American plumbers42, Mr. Mason. She's been dying to hear…”
Harry ran up the hall into the kitchen and felt his stomach disappear.
Aunt Petunia's masterpiece of a pudding, the mountain of cream and sugared violets, was floating up near the ceiling. On top of a cupboard in the corner crouched43 Dobby.
“No,” croaked44 Harry. “Please… they'll kill me…”
“Harry Potter must say he's not going back to school—”
“Dobby… please…”
“Say it, sir—”
“I can't—”
Dobby gave him a tragic45 look.
“Then Dobby must do it, sir, for Harry Potter's own good.”
The pudding fell to the floor with a heart-stopping crash. Cream splattered the windows and walls as the dish shattered. With a crack like a whip, Dobby vanished.
There were screams from the dining room and Uncle Vernon burst into the kitchen to find Harry, rigid46 with shock, covered from head to foot in Aunt Petunia's pudding.
At first, it looked as though Uncle Vernon would manage to gloss47 the whole thing over. ("Just our nephew -very disturbed - meeting strangers upsets him, so we kept him upstairs…") He shooed the shocked Masons back into the dining room, promised Harry he would flay48 him to within an inch of his life when the Masons had left, and handed him a mop. Aunt Petunia dug some ice cream out of the freezer and Harry, still shaking, started scrubbing the kitchen clean.
Uncle Vernon might still have been able to make his deal - if it hadn't been for the owl33.
Aunt Petunia was just passing around a box of after-dinner mints when a huge barn owl swooped49 through the dining room window, dropped a letter on Mrs. Mason's head, and swooped out again. Mrs. Mason screamed like a banshee and ran from the house shouting about lunatics. Mr. Mason stayed just long enough to tell the Dursleys that his wife was mortally afraid of birds of all shapes and sizes, and to ask whether this was their idea of a joke.
Harry stood in the kitchen, clutching the mop for support, as Uncle Vernon advanced on him, a demonic glint in his tiny eyes.
“Read it!” he hissed evilly, brandishing50 the letter the owl had delivered. “Go on - read it!”
Harry took it. It did not contain birthday greetings.
Dear Mr. Potter,
We have received intelligence that a Hover51 Charm was used at your place of residence this evening at twelve minutes past nine.
As you know, underage wizards are not permitted to perform spells outside school, and further spellwork on your part may lead to expulsion from said school. (Decree for the Reasonable Restriction52 of Underage Sorcery, 1875, Paragraph C).
We would also ask you to remember that any magical activity that risks notice by members of the non magical community (Muggles) is a serious offense53 under section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks'Statute of Secrecy54.
Enjoy your holidays!
Yours sincerely,
Mafalda Hopkirk
IMPROPER USE OF MAGIC OFFICE
Ministry of Magic
Harry looked up from the letter and gulped55.
“You didn't tell us you weren't allowed to use magic outside school,” said Uncle Vernon, a mad gleam dancing in his eyes. “Forgot to mention it… Slipped your mind, I daresay…”
He was bearing down on Harry like a great bulldog, all his teeth bared. “Well, I've got news for you, boy… I'm locking you up… You're never going back to that school… never… and if you try and magic yourself out - they'll expel you!”
And laughing like a maniac57, he dragged Harry back upstairs.
Uncle Vernon was as bad as his word. The following morning, he paid a man to fit bars on Harry's window. He himself fitted a cat-flap in the bedroom door, so that small amounts of food could be pushed inside three times a day. They let Harry out to use the bathroom morning and evening. Otherwise, he was locked in his room around the clock.
Three days later, the Dursleys were showing no sign of relenting, and Harry couldn't see any way out of his situation. He lay on his bed watching the sun sinking behind the bars on the window and wondered miserably58 what was going to happen to him.
What was the good of magicking himself out of his room if Hogwarts would expel him for doing it? Yet life at Privet Drive had reached an all-time low. Now that the Dursleys knew they weren't going to wake up as fruit bats, he had lost his only weapon. Dobby might have saved Harry from horrible happenings at Hogwarts, but the way things were going, he'd probably starve to death anyway.
The cat-flap rattled59 and Aunt Petunias hand appeared, pushing a bowl of canned soup into the room. Harry, whose insides were aching with hunger, jumped off his bed and seized it. The soup was stone-cold, but he drank half of it in one gulp56. Then he crossed the room to Hedwig's cage and tipped the soggy vegetables at the bottom of the bowl into her empty food tray. She ruffled60 her feathers and gave him a look of deep disgust.
“It's no good turning your beak61 up at it - that's all we've got,” said Harry grimly.
He put the empty bowl back on the floor next to the cat-flap and lay back down on the bed, somehow even hungrier than he had been before the soup.
Supposing he was still alive in another four weeks, hat would happen if he didn't turn up at Hogwarts? Would someone be sent to see why he hadn't come back? Would they be able to make the Dursleys let him go?
The room was growing dark. Exhausted62, stomach rumbling63, mind spinning over the same unanswerable questions, Harry fell into an uneasy sleep.
He dreamed that he was on show in a zoo, with a card reading UNDERAGE WIZARD attached to his cage. People goggled64 through the bars at him as he lay, starving and weak, on a bed of straw. He saw Dobby's face in the crowd and shouted out, asking for help, but Dobby called, “Harry Potter is safe there, sir!” and vanished. Then the Dursleys appeared and Dudley rattled the bars of the cage, laughing at him.
“Stop it,” Harry muttered as the rattling65 pounded in his sore head. “Leave me alone… cut it out… I'm trying to sleep…”
He opened his eyes. Moonlight was shining through the bars on the window. And someone was goggling66 through the bars at him: a freckle-faced, red-haired, long-nosed someone.
Ron Weasley was outside Harry's window.
哈利设法让自己不要喊出声来，但险些儿就砸了。那个在床上的小精灵长着大大的而且像蝙蝠那样的耳朵，像网球般大小的凸出的绿眼睛。哈利立刻意识到这就是他早上一直盯着的那只在花园篱笆外的东西。
就在他们互相对视的时候，哈利听到从大厅传来达德里的声音。
“梅森先生和太太，我可以替你们拿外套吗？”
那个小精灵滑下了床并深深地鞠躬，它那长而扁的鼻子几乎碰到了地毯。哈利注意到它所穿的衣服就像一只只留出手和脚位置的枕头套。
“呃——你好。”哈利紧张地说道。
“哈利。波特！”小精灵道，哈利肯定它那高八度的声音会传到楼下去的。
“先生，多比久仰你的大名……实在是太荣幸……”
“谢——谢谢，”哈利边讲边沿着墙壁慢慢挪动，同时躲到了正在笼子里睡觉的海维旁边的桌椅底下。他想问“你是什么东西？”，但转念想似乎粗鲁了些，于是改问，“你是谁？”
“多比，先生，就是多比。多比，小精灵。”小精灵道。
“哦——真的吗？”哈利道。“呃——我不是有意无礼或什么的，但是——现在在我的房间里有一个小精灵对我来说并非是件好事。”
帕尤妮亚姨妈那响亮而虚假的笑声从客厅传来。小精灵昂起了头。
“不是我不愿见到你，”哈利急忙说，“但是，呃，你来这里有什么特别的理由吗？”
“哦，是的，先生。‘步比急切地说道。”多比来是要告诉你，先生……有点难，先生……多比不知从何说起……”“坐吧。“哈利指了指床礼貌地说道。
让他害怕的是，小精灵突然哭了——而且很刺耳。
“坐——坐呀！”他哀求道。“你别……别这样……”
哈利隐约听到楼下的声音。
“对不起，”他低声道，“我不是有意冒犯你。”
“冒犯多比！”小精灵哽咽了。“多比从来就未被巫师请坐过——像个同辈般——”
哈利小声地发出“嘘，小一声！”，并且安慰似地看着他，然后带着打着见的多比重新坐回床上，他看起来就像一个大而丑的洋娃娃。
后来他能控制自己了，并且满怀崇敬地注视着哈利坐了下来。
“你肯定没遇过多少好的巫师。”哈利试着鼓励它说道。
多比摇了摇头。然后，毫无征兆地一跃而起同时用头猛烈地撞击着窗户，喊着。
“坏多比！坏多比！”
“不要这样——你在干什么？”哈利发着嘘声，跳起把多比拉回了床上。伴着一声响亮的嘶叫声，海维醒了用力地拿翅膀拍打着笼子的栏杆。
“先生，多比得自我惩罚，”小精灵说道，它的眼睛变得有点斜视。
“多比是为一个巫师家庭服务的。”
“多比是一所房子的精灵——职责是要永远为一所房子和一个家庭效劳……”
“他们知道你在这儿吗？”哈利好奇地问道。
“哦不，先生，不……先生，多比会因为来看你而要严厉惩罚自己的。多比会因为这个，耳朵被夹在烤炉门上的。要是让他们知道的话，先生——”
“但是他们不会知道你把自己的耳朵夹在烤炉门上吗？”
“先生，多比猜他们是知道的。多比总是要为某些事而惩罚自己，先生。他们不管多比继续做下去。有时他们还提醒我做些额外的处罚……”
“但是你为什么不离开呢？逃跑呢？”
“一个小精灵一定得不到释放，先生。这个家庭绝对不会解放多比的……多比要一直为这个家庭效劳直到它死，先生……”
哈利瞪大了眼睛。
“我想我要在这儿受四个星期的罪已经够惨的，”他说。“不过这样听起来杜史林一家还有点人情味。没有人能帮你吗？我不能吗？”
几乎就在同时，哈利因希望他没讲过这句话。多比感激得涕泪横流。
“请，”哈利急急低声道。“请安静。要是杜史林一家听到些什么。要是他们知道你在这儿……”
“哈利。波特问他能否帮助多比……多比早听说你的厉害了，先生，但却从不知你的善良……”
哈利脸上感到阵阵火热，说道，“不管你听到了什么关于我的厉害的事，那不过是一堆垃圾。在霍格瓦彻学校我不是最厉害的，荷米恩才是。她——”
但是很快他就停了下来，因为想到荷米恩就让他难过。
“哈利。波特真谦虚，”多比虔诚地说道，球状的眼睛通红。“哈利。波特没讲他战胜那个不能提及名字的人的事呢？”
“福尔得摩特吗？”哈利说道。
多比用手捂住耳朵恳求道，“啊，别说那名字，先生！别说！”
“对不起，”哈利急忙说。“我知道很多人不喜欢它——一我的朋友罗恩……”
他又停了下来，因为想到罗恩也让他难过。
“多比听到有传闻，”它嘶哑地说，“哈利。波特两次遇到黑暗巫师，就在数周前……哈利。波特再次逃脱了。”
哈利点点头，突然多比的眼眶攒满了泪花。
“啊，先生，”他喘着气，用他穿着的枕头套邋遢的一角擦了擦脸。
“哈利。波特是勇敢和大胆的！他英勇地面临过许多危险！但是现在多比得来保护哈利。波特，警告他，即使他以后要把自己的耳朵夹在烤炉门上……哈利。波特不能再回霍格瓦彻了。”
一阵沉默。楼下的刀叉碰撞声和远远的维能姨丈低沉的声音不时地传了过来。
“什——什么？”哈利结巴地说道。“但是我一定得回去——九月一号就要开学了。它使我能够撑下去。你不知道这里的生活是怎样的。我不属于这里。我属于你们的世界——在霍格瓦彻。”
“不，不，不，”多比尖叫着，拼命地摇头拍打着耳朵。“哈利。波特得呆在安全的地方。他太伟大，太善良，太少有了。要是哈利。波特回霍格瓦彻，他会有很大的危险的。”
“为什么？”哈利惊奇地问道。
“一个阴谋，哈利。波特。今年在霍格瓦彻魔法学校里有一个企图制造最恐怖事件的阴谋，”多比忽然浑身发抖低声道。“多比几个月前就知道了，先生。哈利。波特不能去冒险。他实在是太重要了，先生！”
“够了！”哈利喊道，抓住小精灵的手臂制止它。“你不能说，我知道了。但是你为什么要警告我呢？”一个突然的、不快的念头一闪而过。“抬起头——这与福——对不起——‘那个人’有没有关系？你只要摇头或点头就行了。”他加了一句，因为多比的头又让人担心地靠向了墙壁。
慢慢地多比摇了摇头。
“不——不是那个不能提及的人，先生。”
多比眼睛睁得大大的，好像在给哈利暗示。可是哈利却完全摸不清头脑。
“他没有兄弟，对吗？”
多比摇了摇头，眼睛睁得更大了。
“那么，我想不出还会有谁可以在霍格瓦彻制造恐怖事件的，”哈利说道。
“我是指丹伯多，一个原因——你知道谁是丹伯多吧？”
多比点点头。
“艾伯斯。丹伯多是霍格瓦彻有史以来最厉害的校长。多比知道他，先生。多比听说丹伯多的法力是他那级别里可与那不能提及的人抗衡的。但是先生，”多比顿了一下急促地低声说，“那恐怖事件是由邪恶力量……”
哈利还来不及制止它，多比就跳离床铺，抓住哈利的台灯就往脑袋上砸，发出尖锐刺耳的叫声。楼下突然一片沉寂。两秒后，心跳不已的哈利听到维能姨丈走进大厅，喊道，“达德里一定是忘了关电视了，这孩子！”
“快！到衣橱去！”哈利进嘘声把多比塞进去，关上橱门并飞快回到床上，就在那时门把给拧开了。
“你究竟在干什么坏事？”维能姨丈把脸凑到哈利眼前咬牙切齿地说道。“你刚破坏了我谈话中的精彩部分……再发出一点声音，你就别想活了，小子！”
他一跺脚离开了房间。
哈利颤抖着，把多比从农橱里放了出来。
“这里是什么样的生活看到了吧？”他说道。“明白我为什么得回霍格瓦彻了吧？它是我唯一可去的地方——呢，我觉得我在那儿有朋友了。”
“整个假期都不写信给哈利。波特的朋友吗？”多比顽皮地说道。
“我希望他们在——等等，”哈利皱着眉头说。“你怎么知道我的朋友没给我写信呢？”
多比玩弄着他的脚。
“哈利。波特不要生多比的气——多比这样做是为了你好……”
“你截住了我的信？”
“多比把他们都带来了，先生，”小精灵道。它敏捷地走到哈利够不着的地方，从穿着的枕头套里面拉出厚厚的一叠信。哈利认出荷米恩整洁的笔迹，罗恩零乱的草书以及一封好像是自霍格瓦彻禽猎管理员哈格力的信。
多比担心地朝哈利眨着眼睛。
“哈利。波特你不要生气……多比想……要是哈利。波特以为朋友都忘了他的话，哈利。波特就不会再想回学校的……”
哈利不听它的。他想抢过信件，但多比跳开了。
“哈利。波特会拿到它们的，先生，如果他答应多比他不再回霍格瓦彻的话。
啊，先生，这可是你不能面对的危险啊！说你不会回去吧，先生！”
“不，”哈利生气地说道。“把好朋友的信给我！”
“那么是哈利。波特逼得多比没有选择。”小精灵悲伤地说道。
在哈利行动之前，多比飞奔至房门，拉开门——奔下楼梯。
口干舌燥的哈利轻轻地跟着奔下了楼。他跳过最后六级楼梯，像猫那样停在大厅的地毯上，四周张望寻找多比的行踪。从餐厅那他听到维能姨丈说，“……梅森先生，告诉帕尤妮亚那些关于美国水管工人的有趣的故律吧，她可想听了……”
哈利从大厅跑进厨房，一下子胃口全无了。
帕尤妮亚姨妈的杰作——奶油和紫罗兰糖花以及堆积如山的布丁正靠着房顶飘浮着。而多比则缩在柜橱顶的一角。
“别，”哈利哑着声音说道。“求求你……他们会杀了我的……”
“哈利。波特得说他不回学校了——”
“多比……求求你……”
“说吧，先生”
“不能！”
多比一副悲哀的表情。
“那么多比只得这么做了，先生，这是为了哈利。波特好。”
随着一下惊心动魄地响落声，布丁摔到了地板上。碟子碎了，奶油溅到窗户和墙上四处都是。伴着一声鞭打似的碎裂声，多比消失了。
餐厅那儿的尖叫此起彼伏，维能姨丈冲进厨房看到哈利从头到脚都粘着帕尤妮亚姨妈的市丁，震惊得面无表情。
起先，维能姨丈还尽力掩饰整件事——“只是我们的外甥——很捣蛋——不习惯见生人，所以我们让他呆在楼上……”他把受惊的梅森先生往回赶后，告诉哈利只要梅森家一离开他就会教训他，并递给他一把地拖。帕尤妮亚姨妈从冰箱中取出了一些雪糕，而还在发抖的哈利则开始把厨房弄干净。
维能姨丈可能还会做成他的买卖的——要不是因为那只猫头鹰的话。
当一只大猫头鹰从餐厅的窗外突然飞扑而来的时候，帕尤妮亚姨妈正派发着餐后薄荷糖，猫头鹰掉了一封信在梅森太太的头上并又飞了出去。梅森太太像个女妖精似的尖叫起来，嘴里喊着疯子，冲出了房子。梅森先生仅仅向杜史林家交代了他的太太最怕各样的马，并且问这个是否是他们开的玩笑后就走了。
当维能姨丈目露凶光找到他时，哈利正站在厨房里，紧握着拖把支撑着自己。
“念一下！”他恶狠狠地说着，手里挥舞着刚才猫头鹰弄来的那封信。“来啊——念呀！”
哈利拿着信。信里并没有生日祝福。
亲爱的波特先生：我们收到线报获悉今晚九点十二分时，你的居所处使用了“盘旋”咒语。
你应该知道，未够年龄的巫师是不准在校外施法的，倘若再犯会被学校开除（未成年人巫术合理约束教令，1875，C节）。
我们同样要求你记住巫术的国际联邦巫师条令中第13部分，任何要冒会被（马格）发现的危险的魔法行为是严重的犯罪行为。
祝你暑期愉快！
你真诚的：马法达。霍克禁止魔法不当使用办公室魔法部哈利抬起眼井咽了一下口水。
“你可从来没有告诉我们你不能在校外使用魔力的，”维能姨丈说道，在闪动着阴险的光芒。“忘了提起它……忘了，我敢说……”
他像一头牛头犬，龇着牙冲向哈利。“唔，我有话对你说，孩子……我要把你锁起来……你从此再也别想回那所学校了……从此……如果你要施法逃走——他们会把你开除的！”
他狂笑着把哈利拖回楼上。
维能姨丈言出必行。第二天早上，他请人来给哈利的窗钉上横木。他自己则在房门那儿装上个猫洞活门，这样可以每天三次把少量吃的推进房里。他们只让哈利早上和晚上出来用一下浴室。其余时间，他都被锁在房里。
三天后，杜史林家还没有一点缓和的迹象，哈利也没办法改变现状。他躺在床上透过窗上的横木看看日落，伤心地想着往后的事。
如果霍格瓦彻因为他施魔法救自己出去而把他开除，那对他有什么好处呢？然而在普里怀特街的生活却达到了空前的低声下气。
现在杜史林一家可以安枕无忧了，哈利连他唯一的武器也没有了。
多比可能是把哈利从霍格瓦彻的恶梦中救出来了，但处境却大同小异，他都快要给饿死了。
——猫洞活门咯吱一响，帕尤妮亚姨丈州的手抻了进来一碗罐头汤。在里面正饿得难受的哈利马上跳下床并捧起了那汤。汤是冰冷的，但他一口气就快喝了一半了。然后他走过房间来到海维的笼子前，倒了些碗底的浸水菜叶到它那空食物碟上。
它整理着自己的羽毛，极厌恶的瞅了他一眼。
“不吃对你没好处，我们只有这些。”
他把空碗放回挨着活门的地板上，然后回床上躺下，不知怎么搞的地甚至比没吃时候还要饿。
如果四星期后他还活着，他没回霍格瓦彻那会怎样呢？是否有人会被派来看看他为什么没回去呢？他们能否让杜史林一家放他走呢？”
房子渐渐暗了下来。哈利筋疲力倦，肚子咕咕作响，脑子一直绕着相同的没有答案的问题在转，好不容易才睡着了。
他梦见自己被关在一个挂着“未成年巫师”牌子的动物园笼子里供人参观。人们通过栏杆瞪大眼睛看着他躺在稻草床上挨饿和慢慢变得虚弱。在人群中他看到了多比，他朝它喊着救命，但是多比说“哈利。波特在那儿很安全，先生！”并一下子消失了。然后杜史林一家出现了，嘲笑着他，并且达德里把栏杆摇得喀哒作响。
“不要，”哈利嘀咕着，好像那喀哒声弄得他很头疼似的。“让我一个人呆着……切断它……我想睡觉……”
他睁开了眼睛。月光透过窗上的横木照了进来。有人在横木后面看着他：一个脸上有雀斑，红发，长鼻子的人。
罗恩。威斯里出现在哈利的窗外。
收听单词发音 |
1
harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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bulging
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| 膨胀； 凸出（部）； 打气； 折皱 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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petunia
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| n.矮牵牛花 | |
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petunias
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| n.矮牵牛（花）( petunia的名词复数 ) | |
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6
wailed
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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falter
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| vi.(嗓音)颤抖，结巴地说；犹豫；蹒跚 | |
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ushered
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| v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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10
watery
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| adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的 | |
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adoration
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| n.爱慕，崇拜 | |
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hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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screech
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| n./v.尖叫；(发出)刺耳的声音 | |
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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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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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wails
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| 痛哭，哭声( wail的名词复数 ) | |
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18
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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19
frantically
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| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
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20
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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21
reverently
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| adv.虔诚地 | |
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22
aglow
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| adj.发亮的；发红的；adv.发亮地 | |
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23
hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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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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25
dabbing
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| 石面凿毛，灰泥抛毛 | |
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26
valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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27
rumble
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| n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说 | |
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28
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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29
squeaked
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| v.短促地尖叫( squeak的过去式和过去分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者 | |
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30
witchcraft
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| n.魔法，巫术 | |
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31
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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32
tilted
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| v. 倾斜的 | |
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33
owl
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| n.猫头鹰，枭 | |
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34
yelps
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| n.（因痛苦、气愤、兴奋等的）短而尖的叫声( yelp的名词复数 )v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的第三人称单数 ) | |
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35
gritted
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| v.以沙砾覆盖（某物），撒沙砾于( grit的过去式和过去分词 )；咬紧牙关 | |
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36
stomped
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| v.跺脚，践踏，重踏( stomp的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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37
shuffled
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| v.洗（纸牌）( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 )；拖着脚步走；粗心地做；摆脱尘世的烦恼 | |
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38
scrawl
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| vt.潦草地书写；n.潦草的笔记，涂写 | |
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scribble
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| v.潦草地书写，乱写，滥写；n.潦草的写法，潦草写成的东西，杂文 | |
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40
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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41
sprinted
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| v.短距离疾跑( sprint的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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42
plumbers
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| n.管子工，水暖工( plumber的名词复数 )；[美][口]（防止泄密的）堵漏人员 | |
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43
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44
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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45
tragic
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| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
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46
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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47
gloss
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| n.光泽，光滑；虚饰；注释；vt.加光泽于；掩饰 | |
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48
flay
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| vt.剥皮；痛骂 | |
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49
swooped
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| 俯冲，猛冲( swoop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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50
brandishing
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| v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 )；炫耀 | |
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51
hover
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| vi.翱翔，盘旋；徘徊；彷徨，犹豫 | |
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52
restriction
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| n.限制，约束 | |
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53
offense
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| n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪 | |
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54
secrecy
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| n.秘密，保密，隐蔽 | |
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55
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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56
gulp
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| vt.吞咽，大口地吸（气）；vi.哽住；n.吞咽 | |
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57
maniac
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| n.精神癫狂的人；疯子 | |
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58
miserably
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| adv.痛苦地；悲惨地；糟糕地；极度地 | |
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59
rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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60
ruffled
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| adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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61
beak
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| n.鸟嘴，茶壶嘴，钩形鼻 | |
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62
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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63
rumbling
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| n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词 | |
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64
goggled
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| adj.戴护目镜的v.睁大眼睛瞪视， （惊讶的）转动眼珠( goggle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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65
rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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66
goggling
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| v.睁大眼睛瞪视， （惊讶的）转动眼珠( goggle的现在分词 ) | |
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