Harry1 knew that Hermione had meant well, but that didn't stop him from being angry with her. He had been the owner of the best broom in the world for a few short hours, and now, because of her interference, he didn't know whether he would ever see it again. He was positive that there was nothing wrong with the Firebolt now, but what sort of state would it be in once it had been subjected to all sorts of anti-jinx tests?
Ron was furious with Hermione too. As far as he was concerned, the stripping-down of a brand-new Firebolt was nothing less than criminal damage. Hermione, who remained convinced that she had acted for the best, started avoiding the common room. Harry and Ron supposed she had taken refuge in the library and didn't try to persuade her to come back. All in all, they were glad when the rest of the school returned shortly after New Year, and Gryffindor Tower became crowded and noisy again. Wood sought Harry out on the night before term started.
“Had a good Christmas?” he said, and then, without waiting for an answer, he sat down, lowered his voice, and said, “I've been, doing some thinking over Christmas, Harry. After last match, you know. If the Dementors come to the next one…I mean…we can't afford you to — well —”
Wood broke off, looking awkward.
“I'm working on it,” said Harry quickly. “Professor Lupin said he'd train me to ward2 off the Dementors. We should be starting this week. He said he'd have time after Christmas.”
“Ah,” said Wood, his expression clearing. “Well, in that case — I really didn't want to lose you as Seeker, Harry. And have you ordered a new broom yet?”
“No,” said Harry.
“What! You'd better get a move on, you know — you can't ride that Shooting Star against Ravenclaw!”
“He got a Firebolt for Christmas,” said Ron.
“A Firebolt? No! Seriously? A — a real Firebolt?”
“Don't get excited, Oliver,” said Harry gloomily. “I haven't got it anymore. It was confiscated3.” And he explained all about how the Firebolt was now being checked for jinxes.
“Jinxed? How could it be jinxed?”
“Sirius Black,” Harry said wearily. “He's supposed to be after me. So McGonagall reckons he might have sent it.”
Waving aside the information that a famous murderer was after his Seeker, Wood said, “But Black couldn't have bought a Firebolt! He's on the run! The whole country's on the lookout4 for him! How could he just walk into Quality Quidditch Supplies and buy a broomstick?”
“I know,” said Harry, “but McGonagall still wants to strip it down —”
Wood went pale.
“I'll go and talk to her, Harry,” he promised. “I'll make her see reason…A Firebolt…a real Firebolt, on our team …She wants Gryffindor to win as much as we do…I'll make her see sense. A Firebolt.…”
* * * * * *
Classes started again the next day. The last thing anyone felt like doing was spending two hours on the grounds on a raw January morning, but Hagrid had provided a bonfire full of salamanders for their enjoyment5, and they spent an unusually good lesson collecting dry wood and leaves to keep the fire blazing while the flame-loving lizards6 scampered7 up and down the crumbling8, white-hot logs. The first Divination9 lesson of the new term was much less fun; Professor Trelawney was now teaching them palmistry, and she lost no time in informing Harry that he had the shortest life line she had ever seen.
It was Defense10 Against the Dark Arts that Harry was keen to get to; after his conversation with Wood, he wanted to get started on his anti-Dementor lessons as soon as possible.
“Ah yes,” said Lupin, when Harry reminded him of his promise at the end of class. “Let me see…how about eight o'clock on Thursday evening? The History of Magic classroom should be large enough…I'll have to think carefully about how we're going to do this…We can't bring a real Dementor into the castle to practice on….”
“Still looks ill, doesn't he?” said Ron as they walked down the corridor, heading to dinner. “What d'you reckon's the matter with him?”
There was a loud and impatient “tuh” from behind them. It was Hermione, who had been sitting at the feet of a suit of armor, repacking her bag, which was so full of books it wouldn't close.
“And what are you tutting at us for?” said Ron irritably11.
“Nothing,” said Hermione in a lofty voice, heaving her bag back over her shoulder.
“Yes, you were,” said Ron. “I said I wonder what's wrong with Lupin, and you —”
“Well, isn't it obvious?” said Hermione, with a look of maddening superiority.
“If you don't want to tell us, don't,” snapped Ron.
“Fine,” said Hermione haughtily12, and she marched off.
“She doesn't know,” said Ron, staring resentfully after Hermione. “She's just trying to get us to talk to her again.”
* * * * * *
At eight o'clock on Thursday evening, Harry left Gryffindor Tower for the History of Magic classroom. It was dark and empty when he arrived, but he lit the lamps with his wand and had waited only five minutes when Professor Lupin turned up, carrying a large packing case, which he heaved onto Professor Binn's desk.
“What's that?” said Harry.
“Another Boggart,” said Lupin, stripping off his cloak. “I've been combing the castle ever since Tuesday, and very luckily, I found this one lurking13 inside Mr. Filch's filing cabinet. It's the nearest we'll get to a real Dementor. The Boggart will turn into a Dementor when he sees you, so we'll be able to practice on him. I can store him in my office when we're not using him; there's a cupboard under my desk he'll like.”
“Okay,” said Harry, trying to sound as though he wasn't apprehensive14 at all and merely glad that Lupin had found such a good substitute for a real Dementor.
“So…” Professor Lupin had taken out his own wand, and indicated that Harry should do the same. “The spell I am going to try and teach you is highly advanced magic, Harry — well beyond Ordinary Wizarding Level. It is called the Patronus Charm.”
“How does it work?” said Harry nervously15.
“Well, when it works correctly, It conjures17 up a Patronus,” said Lupin, “which is a kind of anti-Dementor — a guardian18 that acts as a shield between you and the Dementor.”
Harry had a sudden vision of himself crouching19 behind a Hagrid-sized figure holding a large club. Professor Lupin continued, “The Patronus is a kind of positive force, a projection20 of the very things that the Dementor feeds upon — hope, happiness, the desire to survive — but it cannot feel despair, as real humans can, so the Dementors can't hurt it. But I must warn you, Harry, that the charm might be too advanced for you. Many qualified21 wizards have difficulty with it.”
“What does a Patronus look like?” said Harry curiously22.
“Each one is unique to the wizard who conjures it.”
“And how do you conjure16 it?”
“With an incantation, which will work only if you are concentrating, with all your might, on a single, very happy memory.”
Harry cast his mind about for a happy memory. Certainly, nothing that had happened to him at the Dursleys’ was going to do. Finally, he settled on the moment when he had first ridden a broomstick.
“Right,” he said, trying to recall as exactly as possible the wonderful, soaring sensation of his stomach.
“The incantation is this —” Lupin cleared his throat. “Expecto patronum!”
“Expecto patronum,” Harry repeated under his breath, “expecto patronum.”
“Concentrating hard on your happy memory?”
“Oh — yeah —” said Harry, quickly forcing his thoughts back to that first broom ride. “Expecto patrono — no, patronum — sorry — expecto patronum, expecto patronum”
Something whooshed23 suddenly out of the end of his wand; it looked like a wisp of silvery gas.
“Did you see that?” said Harry excitedly. “Something happened!”
“Very good,” said Lupin, smiling. “Right, then — ready to try it on a Dementor?”
“Yes,” Harry said, gripping his wand very tightly, and moving into the middle of the deserted24 classroom. He tried to keep his mind on flying, but something else kept intruding…Any second now, he might hear his mother again…but he shouldn't think that, or he would hear her again, and he didn't want to…or did he?
Lupin grasped the lid of the packing case and pulled.
A Dementor rose slowly from the box, its hooded26 face turned toward Harry, one glistening27, scabbed hand gripping its cloak. The lamps around the classroom flickered28 and went out. The Dementor stepped from the box and started to sweep silently toward Harry, drawing a deep, rattling29 breath. A wave of piercing cold broke over him —
“Expecto patronum!” Harry yelled. “Expecto patronum! Expecto —”
But the classroom and the Dementor were dissolving…Harry was falling again through thick white fog, and his mother's voice was louder than ever, echoing inside his head — “Not Harry! Not Harry! Please — I'll do anything —”
“Stand aside — stand aside, girl —”
“Harry!”
Harry jerked back to life. He was lying flat on his back on the floor. The classroom lamps were alight again. He didn't have to ask what had happened.
“Sorry,” he muttered, sitting up and feeling cold sweat trickling30 down behind his glasses.
“Are you all right?” said Lupin.
“Yes…” Harry pulled himself up on one of the desks and leaned against it.
“Here —” Lupin handed him a Chocolate Frog. “Eat this before we try again. I didn't expect you to do it your first time; in fact, I would have been astounded31 if you had.”
“It's getting worse,” Harry muttered, biting off the Frog's head. “I could hear her louder that time — and him — Voldemort —”
Lupin looked paler than usual.
“Harry, if you don't want to continue, I will more than understand —”
“I do!” said Harry fiercely, stuffing the rest of the Chocolate Frog into his mouth. “I've got to! What if the Dementors turn up at our match against Ravenclaw? I can't afford to fall off again. If we lose this game we've lost the Quidditch Cup!”
“All right then…” said Lupin. “You might want to select another memory, a happy memory, I mean, to concentrate on…That one doesn't seem to have been strong enough…”
Harry thought hard and decided32 his feelings when Gryffindor had won the House Championship last year had definitely qualified as very happy. He gripped his wand tightly again and took up his position in the middle of the classroom.
“Ready?” said Lupin, gripping the box lid.
“Ready,” said Harry; trying hard to fill his head with happy thoughts about Gryffindor winning, and not dark thoughts about what was going to happen when the box opened.
“Go!” said Lupin, pulling off the lid. The room went icily cold and dark once more. The Dementor glided33 forward, drawing its breath; one rotting hand was extending toward Harry —
“Expecto patronum!” Harry yelled. “Expecto patronum! Expecto Pat —”
White fog obscured his senses…big, blurred34 shapes were moving around him…then came a new voice, a man's voice, shouting, panicking —
“Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off —”
The sounds of someone stumbling from a room — a door bursting open — a cackle of high- pitched laughter —
“Harry! Harry…wake up…”
Lupin was tapping Harry hard on the face. This time it was a minute before Harry understood why he was lying on a dusty classroom floor.
“I heard my dad,” Harry mumbled35. “That's the first time I've ever heard him — he tried to take on Voldemort himself, to give my mum time to run for it…”
Harry suddenly realized that there were tears on his face mingling36 with the sweat. He bent37 his face as low as possible, wiping them off on his robes, pretending to do up his shoelace, so that Lupin wouldn't see.
“You heard James?” said Lupin in a strange voice.
“Yeah…” Face dry, Harry looked up. “Why — you didn't know my dad, did you?”
“I — I did, as a matter of fact,” said Lupin. “We were friends at Hogwarts. Listen, Harry — perhaps we should leave it here for tonight. This charm is ridiculously advanced…I shouldn't have suggested putting you through this…”
“No!” said Harry. He got up again. “I'll have one more go! I'm not thinking of happy enough things, that's what it is…hang on…”
He racked his brains. A really, really happy memory…one that he could turn into a good, strong Patronus.…
The moment when he'd first found out he was a wizard, and would be leaving the Dursleys for Hogwarts! If that wasn't a happy memory, he didn't know what was…Concentrating very hard on how he had felt when he'd realized he'd be leaving Privet Drive, Harry got to his feet and faced the packing case once more.
“Ready?” said Lupin, who looked as though he were doing this against his better judgment38. “Concentrating hard? All right — go!”
He pulled off the lid of the case for the third time, and the Dementor rose out of it; the room fell cold and dark —
“EXPECTO PATRONUM!” Harry bellowed39. “EXPECTO PATRONUM! EXPECTO PATRONUM!”
The screaming inside Harry's head had started again — except this time, it sounded as though it were coming from a badly tuned40 radio — softer and louder and softer again…and he could still see the Dementor…it had halted…and then a huge, silver shadow came bursting out of the end of Harry's wand, to hover41 between him and the Dementor, and though Harry's legs felt like water, he was still on his feet — though for how much longer, he wasn't sure…
“Riddikulus!” roared Lupin, springing forward.
There was a loud crack, and Harry's cloudy Patronus vanished along with the Dementor; he sank into a chair, feeling as exhausted42 as if he'd just run a mile, and felt his legs shaking. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Professor Lupin forcing the Boggart back into the packing case with his wand; it had turned into a silvery orb43 again.
“Excellent!” Lupin said, striding over to where Harry sat. “Excellent, Harry! That was definitely a start!”
“Can we have another go? Just one more go?”
“Not now,” said Lupin firmly. “You've had enough for one night. Here —”
He handed Harry a large bar of Honeydukes’ best chocolate.
“Eat the lot, or Madam Pomfrey will be after my blood. Same time next week?”
“Okay,” said Harry. He took a bite of the chocolate and watched Lupin extinguishing the lamps that had rekindled44 with the disappearance45 of the Dementor. A thought had just occurred to him.
“Professor Lupin?” he said. “If you knew my dad, you must've known Sirius Black as well.”
Lupin turned very quickly.
“What gives you that idea?” he said sharply.
“Nothing — I mean, I just knew they were friends at Hogwarts too…”
Lupin's face relaxed.
“Yes, I knew him,” he said shortly. “Or I thought I did. You'd better be off, Harry, it's getting late.”
Harry left the classroom, walking along the corridor and around a corner, then took a detour46 behind a suit of armor and sank down on its plinth to finish his chocolate, wishing he hadn't mentioned Black, as Lupin was obviously not keen on the subject. Then Harry's thoughts wandered back to his mother and father …
He felt drained and strangely empty, even though he was so full of chocolate. Terrible though it was to hear his parents’ last moments replayed inside his head, these were the only times Harry had heard their voices since he was a very small child. But he'd never be able to produce a proper Patronus if he half wanted to hear his parents again …
“They're dead,” he told himself sternly. “They're dead and listening to echoes of them won't bring them back. You'd better get a grip on yourself if you want that Quidditch Cup.”
He stood up, crammed47 the last bit of chocolate into his mouth, and headed back to Gryffindor Tower.
* * * * * *
Ravenclaw played Slytherin a week after the start of term. Slytherin won, though narrowly. According to Wood, this was good news for Gryffindor, who would take second place if they beat Ravenclaw too. He therefore increased the number of team practices to five a week. This meant that with Lupin's anti-Dementor classes, which in themselves were more draining than six Quidditch practices, Harry had just one night a week to do all his homework. Even so, he was not showing the strain nearly as much as Hermione, whose immense workload48 finally seemed to be getting to her. Every night, without fail, Hermione was to be seen in a corner of the common room, several tables spread with books, Arithmancy charts, rune dictionaries, diagrams of Muggles lifting heavy objects, and file upon file of extensive notes; she barely spoke49 to anybody and snapped when she was interrupted.
“How's she doing it?” Ron muttered to Harry one evening as Harry sat finishing a nasty essay on Undetectable Poisons for Snape. Harry looked up. Hermione was barely visible behind a tottering50 pile of books.
“Doing what?”
“Getting to all her classes!” Ron said. “I heard her talking to Professor Vector, that Arithmancy witch, this morning. They were going on about yesterday's lesson, but Hermione can't've been there, because she was with us in Care of Magical Creatures! And Ernie McMillan told me she's never missed a Muggle Studies class, but half of them are at the same time as Divination, and she's never missed one of them either!”
Harry didn't have time to fathom51 the mystery of Hermione's impossible schedule at the moment; he really needed to get on with Snape's essay. Two seconds later, however, he was interrupted again, this time by Wood.
“Bad news, Harry. I've just been to see Professor McGonagall about the Firebolt. She — er — got a bit shirty with me. Told me I'd got my priorities wrong. Seemed to think I cared more about winning the Cup than I do about you staying alive. Just because I told her I didn't care if it threw you off, as long as you caught the Snitch first.” Wood shook his head in disbelief. “Honestly, the way she was yelling at me…you'd think I'd said something terrible. Then I asked her how much longer she was going to keep it…” He screwed up his face and imitated Professor McGonagall's severe voice. “As long as necessary, Wood”…I reckon it's time you ordered a new broom, Harry. There's an order form at the back of Which Broomstick…you could get a Nimbus Two Thousand and One, like Malfoy's got.”
“I'm not buying anything Malfoy thinks is good,” said Harry flatly.
* * * * * *
January faded imperceptibly into February, with no change in the bitterly cold weather. The match against Ravenclaw was drawing nearer and nearer, but Harry still hadn't ordered a new broom. He was now asking Professor McGonagall for news of the Firebolt after every Transfiguration lesson, Ron standing52 hopefully at his shoulder, Hermione rushing past with her face averted53.
“No, Potter, you can't have it back yet,” Professor McGonagall told him the twelfth time this happened, before he'd even opened his mouth. “We've checked for most of the usual curses, but Professor Flitwick believes the broom might be carrying a Hurling54 Hex. I shall tell you once we've finished checking it. Now, please stop badgering me.”
To make matters even worse, Harry's anti-Dementor lessons were not going nearly as well as he had hoped. Several sessions on, he was able to produce an indistinct, silvery shadow every time the Boggart-Dementor approached him, but his Patronus was too feeble to drive the Dementor away. All it did was hover, like a semitransparent cloud, draining Harry of energy as he fought to keep it there. Harry felt angry with himself, guilty about his secret desire to hear his parents’ voices again.
“You're expecting too much of yourself,” said Professor Lupin, sternly in their fourth week of practice. “For a thirteen-year-old wizard, even an indistinct Patronus is a huge achievement. You aren't passing out anymore, are you?”
“I thought a Patronus would — charge the Dementors down or something,” said Harry dispiritedly. “Make them disappear —”
“The true Patronus does do that,” said Lupin. “But you've achieved a great deal in a very short space of time. If the Dementors put in an appearance at your next Quidditch match, You will be able to keep them at bay long enough to get back to the ground.”
“You said it's harder if there are loads of them,” said Harry.
“I have complete confidence in you,” said Lupin, smiling. “Here — you've earned a drink. Something from the Three Broomsticks. You won't have tried it before —”
He pulled two bottles out of his briefcase55.
“Butterbeer!” said Harry, without thinking. “Yeah, I like that stuff!”
“Oh — Ron and Hermione brought me some back from Hogsmeade,” Harry lied quickly.
“I see,” said Lupin, though he still looked slightly suspicious. “Well — let's drink to a Gryffindor victory against Ravenclaw! Not that I'm supposed to take sides, as a teacher…” he added hastily.
They drank the butterbeer in silence, until Harry voiced something he'd been wondering for a while.
“What's under a Dementor's hood25?”
Professor Lupin lowered his bottle thoughtfully.
“Hmmm … well, the only people who really know are in no condition to tell us. You see, the Dementor lowers its hood only to use its last and worst weapon.”
“What's that?”
“They call it the Dementor's Kiss,” said Lupin, with a slightly twisted smile. “It's what Dementors do to those they wish to destroy utterly57. I suppose there must be some kind of mouth under there, because they clamp their jaws58 upon the mouth of the victim and — and suck out his soul.”
Harry accidentally spat60 out a bit of butterbeer.
“What — they kill —?”
“Oh no,” said Lupin. “Much worse than that. You can exist without your soul, you know, as long as your brain and heart are still working. But you'll have no sense of self anymore, no memory, no…anything. There's no chance at all of recovery. You'll just exist. As an empty shell. And your soul is gone forever…lost.”
Lupin drank a little more butterbeer, then said, “It's the fate that awaits Sirius Black. It was in the Daily Prophet this morning. The Ministry61 have given the Dementors permission to perform it if they find him.”
Harry sat stunned62 for a moment at the idea of someone having their soul sucked out through their mouth. But then he thought of Black.
“He deserves it,” he said suddenly.
“You think so?” said Lupin lightly. “Do you really think anyone deserves that?”
“Yes,” said Harry defiantly63. “For…for some things…”
He would have liked to have told Lupin about the conversation he'd overheard about Black in the Three Broomsticks, about Black betraying his mother and father, but it would have involved revealing that he'd gone to Hogsmeade without permission, and he knew Lupin wouldn't be very impressed by that. So he finished his butterbeer, thanked Lupin, and left the History of Magic classroom.
Harry half wished that he hadn't asked what was under a Dementor's hood, the answer had been so horrible, and he was so lost in unpleasant thoughts of what it would feel like to have your soul sucked out of you that he walked headlong into Professor McGonagall halfway64 up the stairs.
“Do watch where you're going, Potter!”
“Sorry, Professor —”
“I've just been looking for you in the Gryffindor common room, Well, here it is, we've done everything we could think of, and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it at all — you've got a very good friend somewhere, Potter…”
Harry's jaw59 dropped. She was holding out his Firebolt, and it looked as magnificent as ever.
“I can have it back?” Harry said weakly. “Seriously?”
“Seriously,” said Professor McGonagall, and she was actually smiling. “I daresay you'll need to get the feel of it before Saturday's match, won't you? And Potter — do try and win, won't you? Or we'll be out of the running for the eighth year in a row, as Professor Snape was kind enough to remind me only last night…”
Speechless, Harry carried the Firebolt back upstairs toward Gryffindor Tower. As he turned a corner, he saw Ron dashing toward him, grinning from ear to ear.
“She gave it to you? Excellent! Listen, can I still have a go on it? Tomorrow?”
“Yeah…anything…” said Harry, his heart lighter65 than it had been in a month. “You know what — we should make up with Hermione…She was only trying to help…”
“Yeah, all right,” said Ron. “She's in the common room now working — for a change.”
They turned into the corridor to Gryffindor Tower and saw Neville Longbottom, pleading with Sir Cadogan, who seemed to be refusing him entrance.
“I wrote them down!” Neville was saying tearfully. “But I must've dropped them somewhere!”
“A likely tale!” roared Sir Cadogan. Then, spotting Harry and Ron: “Good even, my fine young yeomen! Come clap this loon66 in irons. He is trying to force entry to the chambers67 within!”
“Oh, shut up,” said Ron as he and Harry drew level with Neville.
“I've lost the passwords!” Neville told them miserably68. “I made him tell me what passwords he was going to use this week, because he keeps changing them, and now I don't know what I've done with them!”
“Oddsbodkins,” said Harry to Sir Cadogan, who looked extremely disappointed and reluctantly swung forward to let them into the common room. There was a sudden, excited murmur69 as every head turned and the next moment, Harry was surrounded by people exclaiming over his Firebolt.
“Where'd you get it, Harry?”
“Will you let me have a go?”
“Have you ridden it yet, Harry?”
“Ravenclaw'll have no chance, they're all on Cleansweep Sevens!”
“Can I just hold it, Harry?”
After ten minutes or so, during which the Firebolt was Passed around and admired from every angle, the crowd dispersed70 and Harry and Ron had a clear view of Hermione, the only person who hadn't rushed over to them, bent over her work and carefully avoiding their eyes. Harry and Ron approached her table and at last, she looked up.
“I got it back,” said Harry, grinning at her and holding up the Firebolt.
“See, Hermione? There wasn't anything wrong with it!” said Ron.
“Well — there might have been!” said Hermione. “I mean, at least you know now that it's safe!”
“Yeah, I suppose so,” said Harry. “I'd better put it upstairs.”
“I'll take it!” said Ron eagerly. “I've got to give Scabbers his rat tonic71.”
He took the Firebolt and, holding it as if it were made of glass, carried it away up the boys’ staircase.
“Can I sit down, then?” Harry asked Hermione.
“I suppose so,” said Hermione, moving a great stack of parchment off a chair.
Harry looked around at the cluttered72 table, at the long Arithmancy essay on which the ink was still glistening, at the even longer Muggle Studies essay (‘Explain Why Muggles Need Electricity') and at the rune translation Hermione was now poring over.
“How are you getting through all this stuff?” Harry asked her.
“Oh, well — you know — working hard,” said Hermione. Close-up, Harry saw that she looked almost as tired as Lupin.
“Why don't you just drop a couple of subjects?” Harry asked, watching her lifting books as she searched for her rune dictionary.
“I couldn't do that!” said Hermione, looking scandalized.
“Arithmancy looks terrible,” said Harry, picking up a very complicated-looking number chart.
“Oh no, it's wonderful!” said Hermione earnestly. “It's my favorite subject! It's —”
But exactly what was wonderful about Arithmancy, Harry never found out. At that precise moment, a strangled yell echoed down the boys’ staircase. The whole common room fell silent, staring, petrified73, at the entrance. Then came hurried footsteps, growing louder and louder — and then Ron came leaping into view, dragging with him a bedsheet.
“LOOK!” he bellowed, striding over to Hermione's table. “LOOK!” he yelled, shaking the sheets in her face.
“Ron, what —?”
“SCABBERS! LOOK! SCABBERS!”
Hermione was leaning away from Ron, looking utterly bewildered. Harry looked down at the sheet Ron was holding. There was something red on it. Something that looked horribly like —
“BLOOD!” Ron yelled into the stunned silence. “HE'S GONE! AND YOU KNOW WHAT WAS ON THE FLOOR?”
“N — no,” said Hermione in a trembling voice.
Ron threw something down onto Hermione's rune translation. Hermione and Harry leaned forward. Lying on top of the weird74, spiky75 shapes were several long, ginger76 cat hairs.
哈利知道荷米恩的出发点是好的，但这并不能使对她的怒气有丝毫的减轻，他曾经是世界上最美丽扫帚的拥有者，尽管只是短短几个小时而已，但现在，因为她多事，他连能否可以再见到它也没把握，他现在确信事情是与那个霹雳无关的。
哈利对罗恩也简直是强烈的愤怒，对他来说，扯下一个新牌子的霹雳，与刑事破坏是没什么两样的。仍然确信自己是追求完美的荷米恩，开始避免进入公共休息室。哈利和罗恩开始惊讶，因为她已经把图书馆当成藏身之所。他们也不试图劝她回去，毕竟，他们都为新年小休后又可回校而高兴。格林芬顿楼又回复以前的热闹。
在学期开始之前，伍德在晚上找到了哈利。
“圣诞过得愉快吗？”他说，不等对方回答，他便坐下来，压低声音说：“我在圣诞后已经仔细考虑过了，你也知道，经过上一次的比赛，如果得蒙特出席下一场比赛，也许，我不能把你……”
他停了下来，有点尴尬。
“我会努力的，‘哈利马上接下去，”露平教授说，他会训练我，训练将由这星期开始。教授说他圣诞后会有时间。“”嗯。“伍德应了一声，他的解释很清楚。”这样吧，我真的不想失去你这个搜索者。啊，对了，你订了新的扫帚了没有？“
“没有。”哈利说。
“什么？你得抓紧行动，你也知道啦，你是不能骑着‘流星’与卫文卡罗对抗的！”
“我圣诞节收到了一把霹雳。”哈利说。
“霹雳？不会吧，真是一个霹雳吗？”
“先别激动，”哈利忧郁地说：“我不再拥有它了，它已被充公了。”
于是他就详详细细地把那霹雳是怎样困厄运而正接受检查。
“霹雳？它怎么成了不祥物呢？”
“西里斯。巴拉克，”哈利厌倦地说，“麦康娜教授认为是西里斯。
巴拉克故意送给我的。“”但他仍在潜逃，他怎么可能到快迪斯补收站买到扫帚呢？“伍德说。
“我知道。”哈利说，“但麦康娜教授仍想把它拆卸下来。”
伍德胜脸色变苍白了。
“我去跟她说，哈利。”他承诺道，“我会让她明白个中的原因，让她看看霹雳，一个真正的霹雳，在我们队里，她与我们一样想格林芬顿赢。我会让她体会一下的。”
第二天，课程又开始了。大家都想做的最后一件事便是花上两个小时，到操场上享受一下一月的早晨。哈格力准备了黄火和很多蝾螈供玩乐。他们到处检干柴和枯叶，让火继续燃烧，蜥蜴在烈焰中高兴地跳上跳下，把烧得赤热的木头弄坏了。
新学期的第一堂课是如此的有趣。
特雷络尼教授正在给他们上手相术这门课，她已没时间告诉哈利他的生命线是她所见最短的一条。
哈利最喜欢的就是露平的黑巫术防御课，在跟露平商量之后，他想开始他的反得蒙特课，而且越早越好。
“对，”露平说。哈利在课后提醒了他的承诺。“依我所见，周四晚上8点钟你看怎么样？上魔法历史的教室一定够大。我必须仔细考虑我们该怎么做……俄们不能把一个真实的得蒙特搬到课堂上来演示……”
“他看来脸色很不好，对吧？”罗恩说。这时候他们正走在过道上，准备去吃晚饭。“你估计他有什么事呢？”
一声响亮、不耐烦的“咳”从后面传来，是荷米恩，她一直坐在一套盔甲旁边，正在重新合上她那个装满了书的袋子。
“你为什么嘘我们？”罗恩暴躁地说。
“没什么。”荷米恩用高傲的声音回答道，说着便把那包挂在肩上。
“你是在嘘我们，”罗恩说，“我刚才说露平怎么了，而你——”
“好，那不是很明显吗？”荷米恩说着，表情很令人恼怒。
“如果你不想告诉我们，那就不要说了。”罗恩厉声责骂道。
“好！”荷米恩傲慢地应着，大踏步走了。
“她一点也不知道，”罗恩愤恨地说，“她只是想让我们跟上谈话罢了。”
星期四晚8点，哈利从格林芬顿楼出来赶去上露平的课，当他到的时候，教室里黑洞乎乎，空荡荡的。他开了灯在教室里等了五分钟，露平教授来了，他带来一个大箱子，让宾西教授托在肩上。
“那是什么？”哈利说。
“另一个布格特，”他说着便御下披风，“自星期二以来，我就一直在爬那座城堡，非常幸运，我在费驰先生的文档柜里发现了这个东西，这是我们接近得蒙特的捷径，布格特会变成一个得蒙特，当他见你的时候，这样我们就可在它身上演练了。但我不能把他锁在办公室里，尤其是我们不用到他的时候。哈利，你要小心对付它。”
“好的，哈利说。他试图让他们感觉不到他的担心，而且还为露平找到这样一个得蒙特替代品而高兴。
“那……”露平教授拿出自己的魔杖，同时也示意哈利也这样做。
“我将教你的是一些很高深的魔法咒语，哈利，这是高于普通男巫水平的，它的名字叫”吧卓泥斯‘咒语。“”它有什么作用呢？“哈利紧张地问道。
“当它正确地发生作用时，它将召唤出吧卓泥斯，一种反得蒙特，一个在你和得蒙特之间的像影子一样的守护者。”
哈利突然闪过一个念头：他蹲伏在一个梦魇形象后手拿着一根大木棒。露平教授继续说下去：“吧卓泥斯是一种积极的力量，一种得蒙特赖以为生的食物，所有的、希望、愉悦、生存的欲望，却不能有失望，但人类却是有的。所以得蒙特伤害不了它。我必须提醒你的是，咒语对你来说也许太高深了，很多很有资格的男巫也应付不来。”
“那么这种吧单泥斯咒语看起来像什么呢？”哈利好奇地问。
“对于男巫高手来说每一段都是独立的。”
“那你怎么能召唤它呢？”
“用一段咒文，但你必须集中精神，用一个单独的、愉悦的记忆系统。”
哈利匆忙寻找欢乐的记忆，当然，什么也没在他身上发生。最后，在他想到第一次坐上扫帚时平静了下来。
“对。”他说着，努力去唤起在他肚子里的极美好、飞舞着的感觉。
“咒文就是这些——”露平清了清嗓子，“伊斯彼特毕朗。”
哈利一边迅速地强迫他的思绪回到第一次坐扫帚的记忆，一边念“伊斯彼特毕朗——不，应是吧卓泥斯——对不起，伊斯彼特毕朗，伊斯彼特毕朗——”
一阵嘶嘶声从他的棍端发出，看起来像是银色的气体。
“你看见了吗？”哈利高兴地说，“有反应啦！”
“很好，”露平微笑着说，“现在，准备在得蒙特上试一试，怎么样？”
“好，”他紧紧地握住魔法棒，来到空荡荡的教室中央。他努力地使思绪飞翔，但有别的东西在侵扰……他仿佛听见妈妈的声音，但他不应该想这些，否则又会听见妈妈的声音，是他并不想这样，还是他本来就想呢？
露手抓住包装箱的盖子用力地拉。
一个得蒙特从箱子里慢慢升起，它那戴着头巾的脸倾向哈利，一只闪闪发光，带着疙瘩的手紧握披风。教室四周的灯闪烁了几下，灭了。那个得蒙特从箱子里走出来，并开始向哈利袭击过来。带着深深地，嘎嘎的呼吸声，一阵刺骨的冷气向他袭来。
“伊斯彼特毕朗！”哈利大叫道，“伊斯彼特毕朗！伊斯彼特毕朗……”
但这对得蒙特无济于事。哈利看到厚厚的白雾发出来，她妈妈的声音却越发响亮，在脑际回响——“不要！不要！求你了，我可为你做任何事——”
“站一边去，去，小女孩！”
“哈利！”
哈利被猛扯回现实，平躺在地板上，教室里的灯又亮了，他也不必问发生了什么事。
“对不起，”他喃喃地说，他坐了起来，并感到冷汗从眼镜后滑落。
“你没事吧？”露平关切地问。
“没事！”哈刮扶着一张桌子站了起来。
“来——”露手递给他一块巧克力青蛙糖。“在我们再试之前把它吃了，我一开始没想到让你做第一次，但事实上，我为你的尝试感到震惊。”
“好像越来越不对劲了，”哈利喃喃地说着，一口把青蛙头咬掉，“那时候，我听见她声音更大了，还有他——福尔得摩特。”
露平看起来比平常更苍白了些。
“哈利，如果你不想继续，我会理解的。”
“我会坚持下去的！”哈利很严肃地说，把剩下的巧克力都塞进嘴里，他说，“如果我达不到了那境界，在我们与卫文卡罗的比赛中，得蒙特会变成什么呢？我不能再忍受挫折了。如果我们输了，就会与快迪斯杯无缘！”
“好吧，你可以另找一个记忆，一个欢快的记忆，仍然专注当中，一个好像轻微的……”
哈利认真地想，决定选格林芬顿赢了豪斯锦标赛时他喜悦的心情。他紧握摩杖，仍站在教室中间。
“准备好了吗？”露平说，动手去掀动箱盖。
“准备好了。”哈利很努力地集中在格林芬顿胜出的欢乐中，而且消尽刚才的阴影。
“开始！”露平喊道，掀开盖子。屋子里一下子变得冷冰冰的，黑乎乎的，那得蒙特仍旧向哈利滑动着袭去、掀动着嘎嘎的呼吸声，一个长满疙瘩的手伸向荷米思。
“伊斯彼特毕朗！”哈利喊道，“伊斯彼特毕朗！”
白雾模糊了他的感觉，一个大大的，模糊不清的形象在他周围移动，这时候，他听见了一个新的声音，是个男的，喊着，惊恐万状。
“莉莉，带哈利走，带着他，去！跑！我会挡住他的！”
一个人的声音从一个房间里断断续续地传出——突然，门炸开了——紧接着是一个高而锐利的笑声。
“哈利，哈利，你醒醒……”
露平在哈利脸上用力地摇了几下，这次，哈利过了一分钟的时间才明白过来为什么自己躺在这胜地板上。
“我听见我爸爸的声音！”他喃喃道。“这是我第一次听到他的声音，他试图一个人应付福尔得摩特，好留些时间给妈妈逃脱……”
哈利突然发觉有泪水渗在脸上的汗水里，他尽可能弯下腰，在长袍上擦掉泪，还假装在系鞋带以免被露平看见。
“你听见杰姆斯说话吗？”露平以奇怪的声音问道。
“听到了，”擦着脸，哈利抬头应道，“你认识我爸爸吗？”
“我……我……是的。”露平说，“事实上，在霍格瓦彻时我们曾是朋友。听着，哈利，今年晚上我们也许该离开这里，这些咒语实在是太难了，我不应该让你尝试。”
“不！”他一把坐起来，“我想再来一遍！我想的那些还不够欢快，这是，这是问题所在。”
他绞尽脑汁，终于找到一个真正开心的记记：他有一天成为了一个优秀，强有力的男巫。
在那一刻，他意识到自己是个男巫，并准备离开杜斯利家去霍格瓦彻！如果这不算是个开心的记忆，那怎样才算呢？正当他想着，想着他将离开普里怀特街，他不知不觉走到了箱子面前。
“准备好了吗？”露平知道自己在做一件违背初衷的事，“集中精神，好——开始！”
他第三次把盖子掀开，得蒙特随即升起，屋里立即又黑又冷。
“伊斯彼特毕朗！伊斯彼特毕朗！”哈利念念有词。
在哈利脑海中的尖叫声又再响起。但这次，声音好像是从一个收音效果很好的收音机里发出的，只是稍微大了一点，又放轻了。他仍看得见得蒙特，声音停了一下，一个庞大的银白色的影子突然从他的棍子末端蹦出，在哈利和得蒙特之间盘旋。
这时，虽然哈利的腿软得很，但他还是站着，已经记不起站了多长时间。
“雷得克路斯！”露平吼道，跟来上前。
一个响亮的爆裂声过后，哈利四周的吧卓泥斯同那个得蒙特突然消失了。他跃在椅子上，筋疲力尽得像刚跑完一千米，腿也在抖着。在墙角处，他看见露平教授正在费劲地把布格特塞回箱子里，他的魔法律又变回了银白色。
“太好了！”露平大踏步走到哈利坐的地方，“太好了！哈利！这真是个好开始！”
“我们还来一次吗？一次？”
“不，不是现在。”露平很坚定地说，“你今晚已经够累的了。”他递给哈利一条大大的甜公爵牌巧克力。
“多吃点儿，否则波姆弗雷太太要对我动粗的了，下星期还是这个时间吗？”
“没问题。”哈利咬了一口巧克力，他看着露平熄灭了刚才闪烁的灯。一个念头在他脑子里一闪而过。
“露平教授，”荷米恩说，“你认识我爸，那你也一定认识西里斯。
巴拉克。“露平马上转过身。
“谁教你这么想的？”他提高声音说。
“没有——我只是想，在霍格瓦彻，他们也是朋友。”
露平的脸宽容了一点。
“对，我认识他，”他短促有力地回答，“我想是的，你最好先回去吧，不早了。”
哈利离开教室，沿着过道走，拐了一个弯，绕过一套盔甲，在底架上坐下，吃完他的巧克力，多么期望自己不曾提到巴拉克，露平显然不喜欢这话题。想着想着，哈利的思绪又溜回到父母身上。
他感到口渴并有一种奇怪的空虚感，即使他已经吃饱了巧克力。
脑海里总不断重复着父母恐怖的叫喊声。自很小很小的时候，哈利就没听见过父母的声音了。然而，他又不能创造一个合适的咒语来使他能听见父母的声音。
“他们已经死了，”他坚决地告诉自己，“他们的确死了，听那回音也不能使他们复活的，如果想赢得快迪斯杯，你还得鞭策自己。”
他站起来，贪婪地嚼着最后一口巧克力，向格林芬顿楼走去。
开学后，卫文卡罗和史林德林比赛了一个星期。虽然险象横生，史林德林还是赢了，对于伍德来说，这倒是个好消息，因为他们如果赢了卫文卡罗，格林芬顿就可升上第二位了。但是，他还是把队员训练的时间增加至每周5次。这样，除了露平教授不少于1次的反得蒙特演练课，哈利就实际上一周只有一个晚上的时间做他的功课了。
虽然如此，他从来没表现出像荷米思那样的紧张状态。巨大的工作量最后似乎总要向她压过来，每天晚上，几乎无一例外荷米恩都会在公共休息室的角落里，书散放在几张桌子上，算术图表，卢恩文（古代北欧民族使用的文字）字典，元素图表以及一堆堆的笔记。她很少跟别人交谈，要是有谁打扰她，她便会大喊大叫。
“她做得怎样了？”罗恩在一天晚上喃喃地跟哈利说，哈利正在忙着完成一篇长论文，是关一种不易察觉的毒药滥用问题的。哈利抬头，看见荷米恩正坐在一堆摇摇欲坠的书堆后，几乎让人看不见她。
“正在做什么呢？”
“为她的课程做准备！”罗恩说，“今天我听见她跟维克特教授，也就是那个女巫在交谈，她们正在谈昨天的课，但荷米恩应该不在现场啊，她一直和我们呆在‘魔法生物的照顾’课堂里，而且她告诉过我，荷米恩是从来不错过一堂马格人研究课的，虽然这些课大半是在解释定义的，但她也没缺过一堂！”
哈利没时间去揣摩荷米恩的这种奇异时间表的秘密，他迫切需要完成那篇论文。
两秒后，他还是被打断了思路，这一次是伍德。
“不好了，哈利，我刚才为了霹雳这一事去看望麦康娜教授，她，嗯，她对我生了点气。告诉我说我的出发点错了，似乎我看那奖杯看得比你的生命还重要。”
他边说边难以置信地摇着头。“老实说，她那样子对我大喊大叫……她一定想我是说了些什么恐怖的东西，于是我问她还要持续多长时间！”他扭歪脸，模仿麦康娜教授严肃的口吻，“除非是必要，伍德……我估计这是你订一把新扫帚的时候了，我这儿有一张订单表，你可以要‘灵光2001’，像马尔夫的一样。”
“我不会买马尔夫认为是好的东西的。”哈利漠然看。
一月在不知不觉中逝去，二月来了。冷冷的天气一点也没变。
与卫文卡罗的比赛越来越迫近了，但哈利还没订下一个新扫帚。而最近在每堂变形课后，他都向麦康娜教授打听关于霹雳的事情。罗恩满怀希望地与哈利并肩站着，而荷米恩总是躲着脸在他们身边擦过。
“不，波特，你不能再拥有它了。”教授在他开口之前说第十二遍：“我们把一般的咒语都查过了，费立维克教授相信那扫帚一定是带着一个速度极快的东西，我告诉你，我们已经查过了，请你不要再缠着我。”
令事情更糟的是，哈利的反得蒙特课并不像他想象的那样。他每次都能在那个布格特。得蒙特走向他时产生出一个模糊的、银白色的影子，但咒语的魔力却驱走不了那个得蒙特。那个东西总是像个不透明的云雾在空中盘旋，在与之挣斗中，哈利的能量在不断消耗。
哈利开始恨自己，为自己想再听到父母声音的这种秘密的欲望而感到内疚。
“你对自己期望太高了。”露平教授在第四个星期的练习中断言道。“对于一个13岁的男巫来说，一个模糊的吧卓泥斯已是一个巨大的成就，你不会再昏倒了，对吧？”
“我想一个吧卓泥斯咒语会使得蒙特变弱或消失的。”哈利有点沮丧。
“这是一个真正的吧卓泥斯能做到的，但我们在短时间内已经取得了很不错的成就。如果下一场比赛有得蒙特的出现，你就能把他们控制得走投无路，然后回到地面上来。”
“你不是说如果他们很多，这将会使难度增大吗？”
“我对你完全有信心，”露平微笑着说，“来，喝点酒，这是从‘三扫帚’那里弄来的，你一定没尝过。”
他从公事包里掏出两瓶酒。
“干杯！”哈利不加思索地说，“三扫帚酒吧的酒。”
露平扬起眉毛。
“啊，罗恩和荷米恩从霍格马得给我带来点东西。”哈利很快地撒了谎。“我知道，”露平说着他脸上有一丝猜疑的神色，“让我们为战胜卫文卡罗而干杯！作为一个老师，我并不想袖手旁观！”他稍微补充了一下。
他们静静地喝着牛油啤酒，直到哈利说有些事他得考虑一下。
“在得蒙特风帽下的是什么东西？”
教授放下酒瓶陷入了沉思。
“嗯，知道的人没理由会告诉我们，得蒙特只在用到他那最弱的武器时才会放低它的风帽。”
“那是件什么武器？”
“他们叫这‘得蒙特’的吻，”露平教授脸上带着个滑稽的微笑，“得蒙特会对那些企图毁灭丑恶的人用这一武器。我想那一定会有个像口一样的东西在那下面，因为当它用尖牙紧咬对方（遇难者）的嘴时，它就会把人的灵魂吸过去。”
哈利不小心喷了些酒出来。
“什么？他们杀——？”
“不，还有比这更糟的呢。你可以没有灵魂地活在世上，因为你的脑和心还在运作，但你已没有自己的感觉了，没有记忆，没有……
什么也没了，而且没有机会康复，你只是活着，只剩一个空壳，而你的灵魂将永远地逝去。“露平又喝了一口酒，继续说：“这是将降临到西里斯。巴拉克身上的命运。这是《先知日报》上说的，内阁已经答应了得蒙特，要是找到他，便一定交给得蒙特。“
哈利坐在那里目瞪口呆地想著有人的灵魂被吸出。他想到了巴拉克。
“他应得的。”他突然说道。
“你这样认为？你真认为有人是应得的吗？”露平轻轻地问道。
“对，因为某些事情。”哈利挑战地说。
他很想告诉露平关于他在“三扫帚”无意中听见关于巴拉克的事，以及巴拉克背叛他的爸爸妈妈。但这会牵涉到他未经批准出了霍格马得的事。而且他知道露乎对那些事不大感兴趣，所以他喝完了酒，谢过露平，走出了魔法历史的教室。
哈利开始为问了得蒙特风帽下的事情而后悔了，因为答案实在太可怕了。他的思绪跃进失去灵魂的感觉中沉思时，他已上了到麦康娜佳处的一半的楼梯。在拐弯处，他碰到了麦康娜教授，她手里拿着霹雳扫帚。
“波特，你走路小心点！”
“对不起，教授。”
“我刚才一直在格林芬顿的公共休息室里找你，好，现在考虑到的事情都已完成了，好像没什么不对劲的，扫帚就还给你。”
哈利低下头，它那看起来好像永远那么华贵。
“我可以拿回它吗？”哈利问得很轻，“是真的吗？”
“是真的。”麦康娜微笑着说，“我敢断言你需要在周六的比赛前找回它，对吗？波特，尽力试一试，凯旋而归好吗？否则，我们就得在第8年的比赛中退出，史纳皮教授在昨晚就友善地提醒过我了。”
无言以对，哈利带着霹雳，告别麦康娜，他拐了个弯，看见罗恩正向他跑来，裂着嘴在笑。
“她给你了，太好了，听着，我们还练吗？明天好不好？”
“好，什么都好，”他的心比一个月前轻松了许多，“你知道什么——我们应和荷米恩组合起来，她总是试图在帮助……”
“好，她现在在公共休息室里，为了改变而努力。”
他们转上格林芬顿的楼道上看见了尼维尔，他正与卡得格先生在争辩什么，卡得格先生似乎不让他进去。
“我把他们写下来了，”尼维尔声泪俱下地说，“但我可能在哪里丢失了。”
“一个很有可能的故事！”卡得格吼道，然后，指了指哈利和罗恩说，“晚安，我的小伙子！来嘲笑一下这无赖吧，他竟想撞入这寝室！”
“别吵了。”罗恩说。
“我丢了暗号，”他可悲地说，“我让他告诉我有哪种暗号这期用得着，因为他总是换来换去的，我也无所适从了！”
卡得格先生很沮丧，但还是不肯让开让他们进去，这时候，一个突如其来的，激动的轻柔而持续的声音传来，当大家转过去的，哈利已被人围住，为他的霹雳惊叫起来。
“你从哪里得到的？哈利？”
“可以让我试一试吗？”
“你试过坐上去吗？”
“史林德林没机会的了，他们都在‘清一色’的‘灵光2001’上。”
“我只想握一握它，可以吗？哈利？”
十分钟左右，霹雳已在大家的赞赏中传阅遍了。人群散去，哈利和罗恩清楚地看到荷米恩。她埋头工作，尽量小心地避开他们的目光。哈利和罗恩走近她的桌子，最后，她抬起头来。
“我要回了它！”哈利手里拿着霹雳，看着她。
“你看，没丝毫损伤！”罗恩说。
“对，它本来就是这样！”荷米恩说，“至少你们现在知道它是安全的。”
“嗯，我也这么想，我还是把它放在楼上好。”哈利说。
“我来！”罗恩急着说，“我正要把灵光2000交给伯希。”
他接过霹雳，担心会跌破，小心翼翼地沿着男生楼梯上去了。
“我可以坐下吗？”哈利问。
“请坐。”荷米恩说着把一叠半皮纸文稿从椅子里挪开。
哈利看了看凌乱的桌子，看着那油墨未干的论文和那更长的关于马格人研究的论文（解释为何马格需要电力）。还有那篇卢恩文译过来的荷米恩正在钻研的论文。
“那么多要做，你是怎么熬过来的？”哈利问她。
“哦，这嘛——靠努力。”近一点看，哈利似乎看见她与露平教授一样疲倦。
“你怎么不放弃一些课题呢？‘始利看着她找卢恩文字典时翻过的一本又一本的书。
“我不能！”她愤慨地看着他说。
“数字占卜课看起来很可怕！”哈利边说着边捡起一张看起来很复杂的数字图表。
“不，这是很棒的！”荷米恩诚恳地说，“这是我最引为自豪的作品”
但实际上哈利从来不曾觉得这门课有什么奇妙之处。就在这时候，在男生梯间回响起了一个令人窒息的叫喊。这屋子人全静了下来，瞠目结舌。一阵急促的脚步声传来，越来越近了，罗恩出现了，身后还拉着一条床单。
“看！”他吼道，跨过荷米恩的桌子，叫道：“看哪！”说着一边抖动着床单。
“罗恩，是什么？”
“斯卡伯斯，看，是斯卡伯斯！”
荷米恩向后退了几步，困惑地看着罗思，哈利低头看床单，只见有点红色染在上面，有点像那可怖的——“血！”罗恩在静默中喊开了。
“他死了！你们知道在地板上有什么吗？”
“不，不知道。”哈利擅抖着声音。
罗恩把一件东西抛在荷米恩的译稿上，他们一起伸出头来看，简直不可思议，是钉形的几根长长的姜黄色的猫毛。
收听单词发音 |
1
harry
|
|
| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
ward
|
|
| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
confiscated
|
|
| 没收，充公( confiscate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
lookout
|
|
| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
enjoyment
|
|
| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
lizards
|
|
| n.蜥蜴( lizard的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
scampered
|
|
| v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑，惊惶奔跑( scamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
crumbling
|
|
| adj.摇摇欲坠的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
divination
|
|
| n.占卜，预测 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
defense
|
|
| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
irritably
|
|
| ad.易生气地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
haughtily
|
|
| adv. 傲慢地, 高傲地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
lurking
|
|
| 潜在 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
apprehensive
|
|
| adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
nervously
|
|
| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
conjure
|
|
| v.恳求，祈求；变魔术，变戏法 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
conjures
|
|
| 用魔术变出( conjure的第三人称单数 )； 祈求，恳求； 变戏法； （变魔术般地） 使…出现 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
guardian
|
|
| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
crouching
|
|
| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
projection
|
|
| n.发射，计划，突出部分 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
qualified
|
|
| adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
curiously
|
|
| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
whooshed
|
|
| v.（使）飞快移动( whoosh的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
deserted
|
|
| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
hood
|
|
| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
hooded
|
|
| adj.戴头巾的；有罩盖的；颈部因肋骨运动而膨胀的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
glistening
|
|
| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
flickered
|
|
| （通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
rattling
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
trickling
|
|
| n.油画底色含油太多而成泡沫状突起v.滴( trickle的现在分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
astounded
|
|
| v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
decided
|
|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
glided
|
|
| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
blurred
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
mumbled
|
|
| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
mingling
|
|
| adj.混合的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
bent
|
|
| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
judgment
|
|
| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
bellowed
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
tuned
|
|
| adj.调谐的，已调谐的v.调音( tune的过去式和过去分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
hover
|
|
| vi.翱翔，盘旋；徘徊；彷徨，犹豫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
exhausted
|
|
| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
orb
|
|
| n.太阳；星球；v.弄圆；成球形 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
rekindled
|
|
| v.使再燃( rekindle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
disappearance
|
|
| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
detour
|
|
| n.绕行的路，迂回路；v.迂回，绕道 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
crammed
|
|
| adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
workload
|
|
| n.作业量，工作量 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
spoke
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
tottering
|
|
| adj.蹒跚的，动摇的v.走得或动得不稳( totter的现在分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
fathom
|
|
| v.领悟，彻底了解 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
averted
|
|
| 防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
hurling
|
|
| n.爱尔兰式曲棍球v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的现在分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
briefcase
|
|
| n.手提箱，公事皮包 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
eyebrow
|
|
| n.眉毛，眉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
utterly
|
|
| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
jaws
|
|
| n.口部；嘴 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
jaw
|
|
| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
spat
|
|
| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
ministry
|
|
| n.(政府的)部；牧师 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
stunned
|
|
| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
defiantly
|
|
| adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
halfway
|
|
| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
lighter
|
|
| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
66
loon
|
|
| n.狂人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
67
chambers
|
|
| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
68
miserably
|
|
| adv.痛苦地；悲惨地；糟糕地；极度地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
69
murmur
|
|
| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
70
dispersed
|
|
| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
71
tonic
|
|
| n./adj.滋补品，补药，强身的，健体的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
72
cluttered
|
|
| v.杂物，零乱的东西零乱vt.( clutter的过去式和过去分词 )；乱糟糟地堆满，把…弄得很乱；（以…） 塞满… | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
73
petrified
|
|
| adj.惊呆的；目瞪口呆的v.使吓呆，使惊呆；变僵硬；使石化(petrify的过去式和过去分词) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
74
weird
|
|
| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
75
spiky
|
|
| adj.长而尖的，大钉似的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
76
ginger
|
|
| n.姜，精力，淡赤黄色；adj.淡赤黄色的；vt.使活泼，使有生气 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |