“So, all in all, not one of Ron's better birthdays?” said Fred.
It was evening; the hospital wing was quiet, the windows curtained, the lamps lit. Ron's was the only occupied bed. Harry1, Hermione, and Ginny were sitting around him;
they had spent all day waiting outside the double doors, trying to see inside whenever somebody went in or out. Madam Pomfrey had only let them enter at eight o'clock.
Fred and George had arrived at ten past.
“This isn't how we imagined handing over our present,” said George grimly, putting down a large wrapped gift on Ron's bedside cabinet and sitting beside Ginny.
“Yeah, when we pictured the scene, he was conscious,” said Fred.
“There we were in Hogsmeade, waiting to surprise him —” said George.
“You were in Hogsmeade?” asked Ginny, looking up.
“We were thinking of buying Zonko's,” said Fred gloomily. “A Hogsmeade branch, you know, but a fat lot of good it'll do us if you lot aren't allowed out at weekends
to buy our stuff anymore ... But never mind that now.”
He drew up a chair beside Harry and looked at Ron's pale face.
“How exactly did it happen, Harry?”
Harry retold the story he had already recounted, it felt like a hundred times to Dumbledore, to McGonagall, to Madam Pomfrey, to Hermione, and to Ginny.
“... and then I got the bezoar down his throat and his breathing eased up a bit. Slughorn ran for help, McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey turned up, and they brought Ron up
here. They reckon he'll be all right. Madam Pomfrey says he'll have to stay here a week or so ... keep taking Essence of Rue3 ...”
“Blimey, it was lucky you thought of a bezoar,” said George in a low voice.
“Lucky there was one in the room,” said Harry, who kept turning cold at the thought of what would have happened if he had not been able to lay hands on the little
stone.
Hermione gave an almost inaudible sniff4. She had been exceptionally quiet all day. Having hurtled, white-faced, up to Harry outside the hospital wing and demanded to
know what had happened., she had taken almost no part in Harry and Ginny's obsessive5 discussion about how Ron had been poisoned, but merely stood beside them, clench-
jawed6 and frightened-looking, until at last they had been allowed in to see him.
“Do Mum and Dad know?” Fred asked Ginny.
“They've already seen him, they arrived an hour ago—they're in Dumbledore's office now, but they'll be back soon...”
There was a pause while they all watched Ron mumble7 a little in his sleep.
“So the poison was in the drink?” said Fred quietly.
“Yes,” said Harry at once; he could think of nothing else and was glad for the opportunity to start discussing it again. “Slughorn poured it out —”
“Would he have been able to slip something into Ron's glass without you seeing?”
“Probably,” said Harry, “but why would Slughorn want to poison Ron?”
“No idea,” said Fred, frowning. “You don't think he could have mixed up the glasses by mistake? Meaning to get you?”
“Why would Slughorn want to poison Harry?” asked Ginny.
“I dunno,” said Fred, “but there must be loads of people who'd like to poison Harry, mustn't there? The ‘Chosen One’ and all that?”
“So you think Slughorn's a Death Eater?” said Ginny.
“Anything's possible,” said Fred darkly.
“He could be under the Imperius Curse,” said George.
“Or he could be innocent,” said Ginny. “The poison could have been in the bottle, in which case it was probably meant for Slughorn himself.”
“Who'd want to kill Slughorn?”
“Dumbledore reckons Voldemort wanted Slughorn on his side,” said Harry. “Slughorn was in hiding for a year before he came to Hogwarts. And...” He thought of the
memory Dumbledore had not yet been able to extract from Slughorn. “And maybe Voldemort wants him out of the way, maybe he thinks he could be valuable to Dumbledore.”
“But you said Slughorn had been planning to give that bottle to Dumbledore for Christmas,” Ginny reminded him. “So the poisoner could just as easily have been after
Dumbledore.”
“Then the poisoner didn't know Slughorn very well,” said Hermione, speaking for the first time in hours and sounding as though she had a bad head cold. “Anyone who
knew Slughorn would have I known there was a good chance he'd keep something that tasty for himself.”
“Er-my-nee,” croaked9 Ron unexpectedly from between them
They all fell silent, watching him anxiously, but after muttering incomprehensibly for a moment he merely started snoring.
The dormitory doors flew open, making them all jump: Hagrid came striding toward them, his hair rain-flecked, his bearskin coat flapping behind him, a crossbow in his
hand, leaving a trail of muddy dolphin-sized footprints all over the floor.
“Bin2 in the forest all day!” he panted. “Aragog's worse, I bin readin’ to him—didn’ get up ter dinner till jus’ now an’ then Professor Sprout11 told me abou’
Ron! How is he?”
“Not bad,” said Harry. “They say he'll be okay.”
“No more than six visitors at a time!” said Madam Pomfrey, hurrying out of her office.
“Hagrid makes six,” George pointed12 out.
“O... yes...” said Madam Pomfrey, who seemed to have been counting Hagrid as several people due to his vastness. To cover her confusion, she hurried off to clear up
his muddy foot prints with her wand.
“I don’ believe this,” said Hagrid hoarsely14, shaking his great shaggy head as he stared down at Ron. “Jus’ don’ believe it... look at him lyin’ there... who'd
want ter hurt him, eh?”
“That's just what we were discussing,” said Harry. “We don't know.”
“Someone couldn’ have a grudge15 against the Gryfinndor Quidditch team, could they?” said Hagrid anxiously. “Firs’ Katie, now Ron...”
“I can't see anyone trying to bump off a Quidditch team,” said George.
“Wood might've done the Slytherins if he could've got away with it,” said Fred fairly.
“Well, I don't think it's Quidditch, but I think there's a connection between the attacks,” said Hermione quietly.
“How d'you work that out?” asked Fred.
“Well, for one thing, they both ought to have been fatal and weren't, although that was pure luck. And for another, neither the poison nor the necklace seems to have
reached the person who was supposed to be killed. Of course,” she added broodingly, “that makes the person behind this even more dangerous in a way, because they
don't seem to care how many people they finish off before they actually reach their victim.”
Before anybody could respond to this ominous16 pronouncement, the dormitory doors opened again and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley hurried up the ward10. They had done no more than
satisfy themselves that Ron would make a full recovery on their last visit to the ward; now Mrs. Weasley seized hold of Harry and hugged him very tighty.
“Dumbledore's told us how you saved him with the bezoar,” she sobbed17. “Oh, Harry, what can we say? You saved Ginny... you saved Arthur... now you've saved Ron...”
“Don't be ... I didn't...” muttered Harry awkwardly.
“Half our family does seem to owe you their lives, now I stop and think about it,” Mr. Weasley said in a constricted18 voice. “Well, all I can say is that it was a
lucky day for the Weasleys when Ron decided19 to sit in your compartment20 on the Hogwarts Express, Harry.”
Harry could not think of any reply to this and was almost glad when Madam Pomfrey reminded them that there were only supposed to be six visitors around Ron's bed; he
and Hermione rose at once to leave and Hagrid decided to go with them, leaving Ron with his family.
“It's terrible,” growled21 Hagrid into his beard, as the three of them walked back along the corridor to the marble staircase. “All this new security, an’ kids are
still gettin’ hurt... Dumbledore's worried sick... He don’ say much, but I can tell...”
“Hasn't he got any ideas, Hagrid?” asked Hermione desperately22.
“I spect he's got hundreds of ideas, brain like his,” said Hagrid. “But he doesn’ know who sent that necklace nor put poison in that wine, or they'd've bin caught,
wouldn’ they? Wha’ worries me,” said Hagrid, lowering his voice and glancing over his shoulder (Harry, for good measure, checked the ceiling for Peeves23), “is how
long Hogwarts can stay open if kids are bein’ attacked. Chamber24 o’ Secrets all over again, isn’ it? There'll be panic, more parents takin their kids outta school, an
nex’ thing yeh know the board o’ governors ...”
Hagrid stopped talking as the ghost of a long-haired woman drifted serenely25 past, then resumed in a hoarse13 whisper, “... the board o’ governors'll be talkin about
shuttin’ us up fer good.”
“Surely not?” said Hermione, looking worried.
“Gotta see it from their point o’ view,” said Hagrid heavily. “I mean, it's always bin a bit of a risk sendin’ a kid ter Hogwarts, hasn’ it? Yer expect accidents,
don’ yeh, with hundreds of underage wizards all locked up tergether, but attempted murder, tha's diff'rent. ‘S no wonder Dumbledore's angry with Sn —”
Hagrid stopped in his tracks, a familiar, guilty expression on what was visible of his face above his tangled26 black beard.
“What?” said Harry quickly. “Dumbledore's angry with Snape?”
“I never said tha',” said Hagrid, though his look of panic could not have been a bigger giveaway. “Look at the time, it's gettin’ on fer midnight, I need ter —”
“Hagrid, why is Dumbledore angry with Snape?” Harry asked loudly.
“Shhhh!” said Hagrid, looking both nervous and angry. “Don’ shout stuff like that, Harry, d'yeh wan’ me ter lose me job? Mind, I don’ suppose yeh'd care, would
yeh, not now yeh've given up Care of Mag—”
“Don't try and make me feel guilty, it won't work!” said Harry forcefully. “What's Snape done?”
“I dunno, Harry, I shouldn'ta heard it at all... well, I was comin’ outta the forest the other evenin’ an’ I overheard ‘em talking— well, arguin'. Didn't like ter
draw attention to meself, so I sorta skulked27 an tried not ter listen, but it was... well, a heated discussion an’ it wasn’ easy ter block it out.”
“Well?” Harry urged him, as Hagrid shuffled28 his enormous feet uneasily.
“Well... I jus’ heard Snape sayin’ Dumbledore took too much fer granted an maybe he—Snape—didn’ wan’ ter do it any more —”
“Do what?”
“I dunno, Harry, it sounded like Snape was feelin’ a bit overworked, tha's all—anyway, Dumbledore told him flat out he'd agreed ter do it an’ that was all there was
to it. Pretty firm with him. An’ then he said summat abou’ Snape makin’ investigations29 in his House, in Slytherin. Well, there's nothin’ strange abou’ that!”
Hagrid added hastily, as Harry and Hermione exchanged looks full of meaning. “All the Heads o’ Houses were asked ter look inter30 that necklace business —”
“Yeah, but Dumbledore's not having rows with the rest of them, is he?” said Harry.
“Look,” Hagrid twisted his crossbow uncomfortably in his hands; there was a loud splintering sound and it snapped in two. “I know what yeh're like abou’ Snape,
Harry, an’ I don’ want yeh ter go readin’ more inter this than there is.”
“Look out,” said Hermione tersely31.
They turned just in time to see the shadow of Argus Filch32 looming33 over the wall behind them before the man himself turned the corner, hunchbacked, his jowls aquiver.
“Oho!” he wheezed34. “Out of bed so late, this'll mean detention35!”
“No it won', Filch,” said Hagrid shortly. “They're with me, aren’ they?”
“And what difference does that make?” asked Filch obnoxiously36.
“I'm a ruddy teacher, aren’ I, yeh sneakin’ Squib!” said Hagrid, firing up at once.
There was a nasty hissing37 noise as Filch swelled38 with fury; Mrs. Norris had arrived, unseen, and was twisting herself sinuously39 around Filch's skinny ankles.
“Get goin',” said Hagrid out of the corner of his mouth.
Harry did not need telling twice; he and Hermione both hurried off; Hagrid's and Filch's raised voices echoed behind them as they ran. They passed Peeves near the
turning into Gryffindor Tower, but he was streaking40 happily toward the source of the yelling, cackling and calling,
When there's strife41 and when there's trouble
Call on Peevsie, he'll make double!
The Fat Lady was snoozing and not pleased to be woken, but swung forward grumpily to allow them to clamber into the mercifully peaceful and empty common room. It did
not seem that people knew about Ron yet; Harry was very relieved: he had been interrogated42 enough that day. Hermione bade him good night and set off for the girls’
dormitory. Harry, however, remained behind, taking a seat beside the fire and looking down into the dying embers.
So Dumbledore had argued with Snape. In spite of all he had told Harry, in spite of his insistence43 that he trusted Snape completely, he had lost his temper with him...
he did not think that Snape had tried hard enough to investigate the Slytherins ... or, perhaps, to investigate a single Slytherin: Malfoy?
Was it because Dumbledore did not want Harry to do anything foolish, to take matters into his own hands, that he had pretended there was nothing in Harry's suspicions?
That seemed likely. It might even be that Dumbledore did not want anything to distract Harry from their lessons, or from procuring44 that memory from Slughorn. Perhaps
Dumbledore did not think it right to confide45 suspicions about his staff to sixteen-year-olds...
“There you are, Potter!”
Harry jumped to his feet in shock, his wand at the ready. He had been quite convinced that the common room was empty; he had not been at all prepared for a hulking
figure to rise suddenly out of a distant chair. A closer look showed him that it was Cormac McLaggen.
“I've been waiting for you to come back,” said McLaggen, disregarding Harry's drawn46 wand. “Must've fallen asleep. Look, I saw them taking Weasley up to the hospital
wing earlier. Didn't look like he'll be fit for next week's match.”
It took Harry a few moments to realize what McLaggen was talking about.
“Oh... right... Quidditch,” he said, putting his wand back into the belt of his jeans and running a hand wearily through his hair. “Yeah ... he might not make it.”
“Well, then, I'll be playing Keeper, won't I?” said McLaggen.
“Yeah,” said Harry. “Yeah, I suppose so...”
He could not think of an argument against it; after all, McLaggen had certainly performed second-best in the trials.
“Excellent,” said McLaggen in a satisfied voice. “So when's practice?”
“What? Oh... there's one tomorrow evening.”
“Good. Listen, Potter, we should have a talk beforehand. I've got some ideas on strategy you might find useful.”
“Right,” said Harry unenthusiastically. “Well, I'll hear them tomorrow, then. I'm pretty tired now ... see you...”
The news that Ron had been poisoned spread quickly next day, but it did not cause the sensation that Katie's attack had done. People seemed to think that it might have
been an accident, given that he had been in the Potions master's room at the time, and that as he had been given an antidote47 immediately there was no real harm done. In
fact, the Gryffindors were generally much more interested in the upcoming Quidditch match against Hufflepuff, for many of them wanted to see Zacharias Smith, who played
Chaser on the Hufflepuff team, punished soundly for his commentary during the opening match against Slytherin.
Harry, however, had never been less interested in Quidditch; he was rapidly becoming obsessed48 with Draco Malfoy. Still checking the Marauder's Map whenever he got a
chance, he sometimes made detours49 to wherever Malfoy happened to be, but had not yet detected him doing anything out of the ordinary. And still there were those
inexplicable50 times when Malfoy simply vanished from the map...
But Harry did not get a lot of time to consider the problem, what with Quidditch practice, homework, and the fact that he was now being dogged wherever he went by
Cormac McLaggen and Lavender Brown.
He could not decide which of them was more annoying. McLaggen kept up a constant stream of hints that he would make a better permanent Keeper for the team than Ron, and
that now that Harry was seeing him play regularly he would surely come around to this way of thinking too; he was also keen to criticize the other players and provide
Harry with detailed51 training schemes, so that more than once Harry was forced to remind him who was Captain.
Meanwhile, Lavender kept sidling up to Harry to discuss Ron, which Harry found almost more wearing than McLaggen's Quidditch lectures. At first, Lavender had been very
annoyed that nobody had thought to tell her that Ron was in the hospital wing—"I mean, I am his girlfriend!"—but unfortunately she had now decided to forgive Harry
this lapse52 of memory and was keen to have lots of in-depth chats with him about Ron's feelings, a most uncomfortable experience that Harry would have happily forgone53.
“Look, why don't you talk to Ron about all this?” Harry asked, after a particularly long interrogation from Lavender that took in everything from precisely54 what Ron
had said about her new dress robes to whether or not Harry thought that Ron considered his relationship with Lavender to be “serious.”
“Well, I would, but he's always asleep when I go and see him!” said Lavender fretfully.
“Is he?” said Harry, surprised, for he had found Ron perfectly55 alert every time he had been up to the hospital wing, both highly interested in the news of Dumbledore
and Snape's row and keen to abuse McLaggen as much as possible.
“Is Hermione Granger still visiting him?” Lavender demanded suddenly.
“Yeah, I think so. Well, they're friends, aren't they?” said Harry uncomfortably.
“Friends, don't make me laugh,” said Lavender scornfully. “She didn't talk to him for weeks after he started going out with me! But I suppose she wants to make up
with him now he's all interesting...”
“Would you call getting poisoned being interesting?” asked Harry. “Anyway—sorry, got to go—there's McLaggen coming for a talk about Quidditch,” said Harry
hurriedly, and he dashed sideways through a door pretending to be solid wall and sprinted56 down the shortcut57 that would take him off to Potions where, thankfully,
neither Lavender nor McLaggen could follow him.
On the morning of the Quidditch match against Hufflepuff, Harry dropped in on the hospital wing before heading down to the pitch. Ron was very agitated58; Madam Pomfrey
would not let him go down to watch the match, feeling it would overexcite him.
“So how's McLaggen shaping up?” he asked Harry nervously59, apparently60 forgetting that he had already asked the same question twice.
“I've told you,” said Harry patiently, “he could be world-class and I wouldn't want to keep him. He keeps trying to tell everyone what to do, he thinks he could play
every position better than the rest of us. I can't wait to be shot of him. And speaking of getting shot of people,” Harry added, getting to his feet and picking up his
Firebolt, “will you stop pretending to be asleep when Lavender comes to see you? She's driving me mad as well.”
“Oh,” said Ron, looking sheepish. “Yeah. All right.”
“If you don't want to go out with her anymore, just tell her,” said Harry.
“Yeah... well... it's not that easy, is it?” said Ron. He paused. “Hermione going to look in before the match?” he added casually61.
“No, she's already gone down to the pitch with Ginny.”
“Oh,” said Ron, looking rather glum62. “Right. Well, good luck. Hope you hammer McLag—I mean Smith.”
“I'll try,” said Harry, shouldering his broom. “See you after the match.”
He hurried down through the deserted63 corridors; the whole school was outside, either already seated in the stadium or heading down toward it. He was looking out of the
windows he passed, trying to gauge64 how much wind they were facing, when a noise ahead made him glance up and he saw Malfoy walking toward him, accompanied by two girls,
both of whom looked sulky and resentful.
Malfoy stopped short at the sight of Harry, then gave a short, humorless laugh and continued walking.
“Where're you going?” Harry demanded.
“Yeah, I'm really going to tell you, because it's your business, Potter,” sneered65 Malfoy. “You'd better hurry up, they'll be waiting for the Chosen Captain—the Boy
Who Scored—whatever they call you these days.”
One of the girls gave an unwilling66 giggle67. Harry stared at her. She blushed. Malfoy pushed past Harry and she and her friend followed at a trot68, turning the corner and
vanishing from view.
Harry stood rooted on the spot and watched them disappear. This was infuriating; he was already cutting it fine to get to the match on time and yet there was Malfoy,
skulking69 off while the rest of the school was absent: Harry's best chance yet of discovering what Malfoy was up to. The silent seconds trickled70 past, and Harry remained
where he was, frozen, gazing at the place where Malfoy had vanished...
“Where have you been?” demanded Ginny, as Harry sprinted into the changing rooms. The whole team was changed and ready; Coote and Peakes, the Beaters, were both
hitting their clubs nervously against their legs.
“I met Malfoy,” Harry told her quietly, as he pulled his scarlet71 robes over his head.
“So?”
“So I wanted to know how come he's up at the castle with a couple of girlfriends while everyone else is down here...”
“Does it matter right now?”
“Well, I'm not likely to find out, am I?” said Harry, seizing his Firebolt and pushing his glasses straight. “Come on then!”
And without another word, he marched out onto the pitch to deafening72 cheers and boos.
There was little wind; the clouds were patchy; every now and then there were dazzling flashes of bright sunlight.
“Tricky conditions!” McLaggen said bracingly to the team. “Coote, Peakes, you'll want to fly out of the sun, so they don't see you coming —”
“I'm the Captain, McLaggen, shut up giving them instructions,” said Harry angrily. “Just get up by the goal posts!”
Once McLaggen had marched off, Harry turned to Coote and Peakes.
“Make sure you do fly out of the sun,” he told them grudgingly73.
He shook hands with the Hufflepuff Captain, and then, on Madam Hooch's whistle, kicked off and rose into the air, higher than the rest of his team, streaking around the
pitch in search of the Snitch. If he could catch it good and early, there might be a chance he could get back up to the castle, seize the Marauder's Map, and find out
what Malfoy was doing...
“And that's Smith of Hufflepuff with the Quaffle,” said a dreamy voice, echoing over the grounds. “He did the commentary last time, of course, and Ginny Weasley flew
into him, I think probably on purpose—it looked like it. Smith was being quite rude about Gryffindor, I expect he regrets that now he's playing them—oh, look, he's
lost the Quaffle, Ginny took it from him, I do like her, she's very nice...”
Harry stared down at the commentator's podium. Surely nobody in their right mind would have let Luna Lovegood commentate? But even from above there was no mistaking
that long, dirty-blonde hair, nor the necklace of Butterbeer corks75... Beside Luna, Professor McGonagall was looking slightly uncomfortable, as though she was indeed
having second thoughts about this appointment.
“... but now that big Hufflepuff player's got the Quaffle from her, I can't remember his name, it's something like Bibble—no, Buggins —”
“It's Cadwallader!” said Professor McGonagall loudly from beside Luna. The crowd laughed.
Harry stared around for the Snitch; there was no sign of it. Moments later, Cadwallader scored. McLaggen had been shouting criticism at Ginny for allowing the Quaffle
out of her possession, with the result that he had not noticed the large red ball soaring past his right ear.
“McLaggen, will you pay attention to what you're supposed to be doing and leave everyone else alone!” bellowed76 Harry, wheeling around to face his Keeper.
“You're not setting a great example!” McLaggen shouted back, red-faced and furious.
“And Harry Potter's now having an argument with his Keeper,” said Luna serenely, while both Hufflepuffs and Slytherins below in the crowd cheered and jeered77. “I
don't think that'll help him find the Snitch, but maybe it's a clever ruse78...”
Swearing angrily, Harry spun79 round and set off around the pitch again, scanning the skies for some sign of the tiny, winged golden ball.
Ginny and Demelza scored a goal apiece, giving the red-and-gold-clad supporters below something to cheer about. Then Cadwallader scored again, making things level, but
Luna did not seem to have noticed; she appeared singularly uninterested in such mundane80 things as the score, and kept attempting to draw the crowd's attention to such
things as interestingly shaped clouds and the possibility that Zacharias Smith, who had so far failed to maintain possession of the Quaffle for longer than a minute,
was suffering from something called “Loser's Lurgy.”
“Seventy-forty to Hufflepuff!” barked Professor McGonagall into Luna's megaphone.
“Is it, already?” said Luna vaguely81. “Oh, look! The Gryffindor Keeper's got hold of one of the Beater's bats.”
Harry spun around in midair. Sure enough, McLaggen, for reasons best known to himself, had pulled Peakes's bat from him and appeared to be demonstrating how to hit a
Bludger toward an oncoming Cadwallader.
“Will you give him back his bat and get back to the goalposts!” roared Harry, pelting82 toward McLaggen just as McLaggen took a ferocious83 swipe at the Bludger and
mishit it.
A blinding, sickening pain ... a flash of light... a distant scream... and the sensation of falling down a long tunnel...
And the next thing Harry knew, he was lying in a remarkably84 warm and comfortable bed and looking up at a lamp that was throwing a circle of golden light onto a shadowy
ceiling. He raised his head awkwardly. There on his left was a familiar-looking, freckly85, red-haired person.
“Nice of you to drop in,” said Ron, grinning.
Harry blinked and looked around. Of course: he was in the hospital wing. The sky outside was indigo86 streaked87 with crimson88. The match must have finished hours ago ... as
had any hope of cornering Malfoy. Harry's head felt strangely heavy; he raised a hand and felt a stiff turban of bandages.
“What happened?”
“Cracked skull89,” said Madam Pomfrey, bustling90 up and pushing him back against his pillows. “Nothing to worry about, I mended it at once, but I'm keeping you in
overnight. You shouldn't overexert yourself for a few hours.”
“I don't want to stay here overnight,” said Harry angrily, sitting up and throwing back his covers. “I want to find McLaggen and kill him.”
“I'm afraid that would come under the heading of ‘overexertion,'” said Madam Pomfrey, pushing him firmly back onto the bed and raising her wand in a threatening
manner. “You will stay here until I discharge you, Potter, or I shall call the Headmaster.”
She bustled91 back into her office, and Harry sank back into his pillows, fuming92.
“D'you know how much we lost by?” he asked Ron through clenched93 teeth.
“Well, yeah I do,” said Ron apologetically. “Final score was three hundred and twenty to sixty.”
“Brilliant,” said Harry savagely94. “Really brilliant! When I get hold of McLaggen —”
“You don't want to get hold of him, he's the size of a troll,” said Ron reasonably. “Personally, I think there's a lot to be said for hexing him with that toenail
thing of the Prince's. Anyway, the rest of the team might've dealt with him before you get out of here, they're not happy...”
There was a note of badly suppressed glee in Ron's voice; Harry could tell he was nothing short of thrilled that McLaggen had messed up so badly. Harry lay there,
staring up at the patch of light on the ceiling, his recently mended skull not hurting, precisely, but feeling slightly tender underneath95 all the bandaging.
“I could hear the match commentary from here,” said Ron, his voice now shaking with laughter. “I hope Luna always commentates from now on... Loser's Lurgy ...”
But Harry was still too angry to see much humor in the situation, and after a while Ron's snorts subsided96.
“Ginny came in to visit while you were unconscious,” he said, after a long pause, and Harry's imagination zoomed97 into overdrive, rapidly constructing a scene in which
Ginny, weeping over his lifeless form, confessed her feelings of deep attraction to him while Ron gave them his blessing98..."She reckons you only just arrived on time
for the match. How come? You left here early enough.”
“Oh...” said Harry, as the scene in his mind's eye imploded99. “Yeah... well, I saw Malfoy sneaking100 off with a couple of girls who didn't look like they wanted to be
with him, and that's the second time he's made sure he isn't down on the Quidditch pitch with the rest of the school; he skipped the last match too, remember?” Harry
sighed. “Wish I'd followed him now, the match was such a fiasco...”
“Don't be stupid,” said Ron sharply. “You couldn't have missed a Quidditch match just to follow Malfoy, you're the Captain!”
“I want to know what he's up to,” said Harry. “And don't tell me its all in my head, not after what I overheard between him and Snape —”
“I never said it was all in your head,” said Ron, hoisting101 himself up on an elbow in turn and frowning at Harry, “but there's no rule saying only one person at a
time can be plotting anything in this place! You're getting a bit obsessed with Malfoy, Harry. I mean, thinking about missing a match just to follow him ...”
“I want to catch him at it!” said Harry in frustration102. “I mean, where's he going when he disappears off the map?”
“I dunno... Hogsmeade?” suggested Ron, yawning.
“I've never seen him going along any of the secret passageway on the map. I thought they were being watched now anyway?”
“Well then, I dunno,” said Ron.
Silence fell between them. Harry stared up at the circle of lamp light above him, thinking...
If only he had Rufus Scrimgeour's power, he would have been able to set a tail upon Malfoy, but unfortunately Harry did not have an office full of Aurors at his
command... He thought fleetingly103 of trying to set something up with the D.A., but there again was the problem that people would be missed from lessons; most of them,
after all, still had full schedules...
There was a low, rumbling104 snore from Ron's bed. After a while Madam Pomfrey came out of her office, this time wearing a thick dressing105 gown. It was easiest to feign106
sleep; Harry rolled over onto his side and listened to all the curtains closing themselves as she waved her wand. The lamps dimmed, and she returned to her office; he
heard the door click behind her and knew that she was off to bed.
This was, Harry reflected in the darkness, the third time that he had been brought to the hospital wing because of a Quidditch injury. Last time he had fallen off his
broom due to the presence of dementors around the pitch, and the time before that, all the bones had been removed from his arm by the incurably107 inept108 Professor
Lockhart... That had been his most painful injury by far ... he remembered the agony of regrowing an armful of bones in one night, a discomfort109 not eased by the arrival
of an unexpected visitor in the middle of the —
Harry sat bolt upright, his heart pounding, his bandage turban askew110. He had the solution at last: there was a way to have Malfoy followed—how could he have forgotten,
why hadn't he thought of it before?
But the question was, how to call him? What did you do? Quietly, tentatively, Harry spoke111 into the darkness.
“Kreacher?”
There was a very loud crack, and the sounds of scuffling and squeaks112 filled the silent room. Ron awoke with a yelp113.
“What's going—?”
Harry pointed his wand hastily at the door of Madam Pomfrey's office and muttered, “Muffliato!” so that she would not come running. Then he scrambled114 to the end of
his bed for a better look at what was going on.
Two house-elves were rolling around on the floor in the middle of the dormitory, one wearing a shrunken maroon115 jumper and several woolly hats, the other, a filthy116 old
rag strung over his hips117 like a loincloth. Then there was another loud bang, and Peeves the Poltergeist appeared in midair above the wrestling elves.
“I was watching that, Potty!” he told Harry indignantly, pointing at the fight below, before letting out a loud cackle. “Look at the ickle creatures squabbling,
bitey bitey, punchy punchy —”
“Kreacher will not insult Harry Potter in front of Dobby, no he won't, or Dobby will shut Kreacher's mouth for him!” cried Dobby in a high-pitched voice.
“— kicky, scratchy!” cried Peeves happily, now pelting bits of chalk at the elves to enrage118 them further. “Tweaky, pokey!”
“Kreacher will say what he likes about his master, oh yes, and what a master he is, filthy friend of Mudbloods, oh, what would poor Kreacher's mistress say—?”
Exactly what Kreacher's mistress would have said they did not find out, for at that moment Dobby sank his knobbly little fist into Kreacher's mouth and knocked out half
of his teeth. Harry and Ron both leapt out of their beds and wrenched119 the two elves apart, though they continued to try and kick and punch each other, egged on by
Peeves, who swooped120 around the lamp squealing121, “Stick your fingers up his nosey, draw his cork74 and pull his earsies —”
Harry aimed his wand at Peeves and said, “Langlock!” Peeves clutched at his throat, gulped122, then swooped from the room making obscene gestures but unable to speak,
owing to the fact that his tongue had just glued itself to the roof of his mouth.
“Nice one,” said Ron appreciatively, lifting Dobby into the air so that his flailing123 limbs no longer made contact with Kreacher. “That was another Prince hex, wasn't
it?”
“Yeah,” said Harry, twisting Kreacher's wizened124 arm into a half nelson. “Right—I'm forbidding you to fight each other! Well, Kreacher, you're forbidden to fight
Dobby. Dobby, I know I'm not allowed to give you orders —”
“Dobby is a free house-elf and he can obey anyone he likes and Dobby will do whatever Harry Potter wants him to do!” said Dobby, tears now streaming down his
shriveled little face onto his jumper.
“Okay then,” said Harry, and he and Ron both released the elves, who fell to the floor but did not continue fighting.
“Master called me?” croaked Kreacher, sinking into a bow even as he gave Harry a look that plainly wished him a painful death.
“Yeah, I did,” said Harry, glancing toward Madam Pomfrey's office door to check that the Muffliato spell was still working; there was no sign that she had heard any
of the commotion125. “I've got a job for you.”
“Kreacher will do whatever Master wants,” said Kreacher, sinking so low that his lips almost touched his gnarled toes, “because Kreacher has no choice, but Kreacher
is ashamed to have such a master, yes —”
“Dobby will do it, Harry Potter!” squeaked126 Dobby, his tennis-ball-sized eyes still swimming in tears. “Dobby would be honored to help Harry Potter!”
“Come to think of it, it would be good to have both of you,” said Harry. “Okay then ... I want you to tail Draco Malfoy.”
Ignoring the look of mingled127 surprise and exasperation128 on Ron's face, Harry went on, “I want to know where he's going, who he's meeting, and what he's doing. I want
you to follow him around the clock.”
“Yes, Harry Potter!” said Dobby at once, his great eyes shining with excitement. “And if Dobby does it wrong, Dobby will throw himself off the topmost tower, Harry
Potter!”
“There won't be any need for that,” said Harry hastily.
“Master wants me to follow the youngest of the Malfoys?” croaked Kreacher. “Master wants me to spy upon the pure-blood great-nephew of my old mistress?”
“That's the one,” said Harry, foreseeing a great danger and determining to prevent it immediately. “And you're forbidden to tip him off, Kreacher, or to show him
what you're up to, or to talk to him at all, or to write him messages or ... or to contact him in any way. Got it?”
He thought he could see Kreacher struggling to see a loophole in the instructions he had just been given and waited. After a moment or two, and to Harry's great
satisfaction, Kreacher bowed deeply again and said, with bitter resentment129, “Master thinks of everything, and Kreacher must obey him even though Kreacher would much
rather be the servant of the Malfoy boy, oh yes...”
“That's settled, then,” said Harry. “I'll want regular reports, but make sure I'm not surrounded by people when you turn up. Ron and Hermione are okay. And don't
tell anyone what you're doing. Just stick to Malfoy like a couple of wart8 plasters.”
“那么，总而言之，罗恩的这个生日过得并不算好？”弗雷德说。
已经是晚上了；校医院里静悄悄的，窗帘拉上了，灯也点上了。罗恩是唯一的一个病号。哈利、赫敏和金妮坐在他的周围；他们已经在门外等了一天，一旦有人进出就往里面张望。庞弗雷
夫人直到八点钟才把他们放进来。弗雷德和乔治是十点之后到的。
“这不是我们想象中的送礼物的场景，”乔治冷酷地说，他把一大包礼物放到了罗恩的床头柜上，坐到了金妮身边。
“是的，在我们构思的那一幕里他是神志清醒的，”弗雷德说。
“我们一直等在霍格莫德村，想给他个惊喜——”乔治说。
“你们在霍格莫德？”金妮抬起头问道。
“我们正在考虑买下佐科笑话店，”弗雷德郁闷地说。“开一家霍格莫德分店，可是你们要是再也不能在周末来买东西的话，我们就吃不了兜着走了……不过别管那个了。”
他拖过一把椅子坐到了哈利身边，看着罗恩苍白的脸。
“这到底是怎么发生的，哈利？”
哈利又把故事重讲了一边，他似乎已经给邓布利多，给麦格，给庞弗雷夫人，给赫敏和金妮讲过一百遍了。
“……然后我把牛黄塞进了他嘴里，他才喘得稍微缓和了点儿，斯拉霍恩跑去找人帮忙，麦格和庞弗雷夫人过来了，她们把罗恩送到了这儿。她们认为他问题不大。庞弗雷夫人说他可能要
待上一周左右……坚持服用后悔药……”
“天哪，幸亏你想到了牛黄，”乔治低声说。
“幸亏屋子里有一个，”哈利想着万一他没能在屋里找出一个的话会发生什么事，不禁冷汗直流。
赫敏用几乎听不见的声音吸了吸鼻子。她一整天都格外地安静。她刚才急匆匆地跑到校医院门口，脸色苍白地向哈利询问发生了什么事，几乎没有参与哈利和金妮关于罗恩是怎么中毒的激
烈讨论，只是咬紧牙关、惊惶失措地站在他们俩身边，一直到他们终于被放了进去。
“妈妈和爸爸知道了吗？”弗雷德低声问金妮。
“他们已经探视过他了，一小时前来的——现在正在邓布利多的办公室里，不过马上就会回来……”
他们都看着罗恩在睡梦中含糊地咕哝了几句话，大家一阵沉默。
“这么说是饮料里下了毒？”弗雷德轻声问。
“是的，”哈利马上说；他想不出还可能是什么别的，非常乐意他们又讨论起这个话题来。“斯拉霍恩把它倒了出来——”
“他有机会趁你不注意在罗恩的杯子里下毒吗？”
“很有可能，”哈利说，“可斯拉霍恩为什么要给罗恩下毒呢？”
“不知道，”弗雷德皱起了眉头。“你觉得他是不是把杯子弄混了？本来打算把那一杯给你的？”
“斯拉霍恩为什么要给哈利下毒？”金妮问。
“我不知道，”弗雷德说，“可是肯定有一大堆的人想要毒死哈利，对不对？因为他是真命天子，还有所有那些东西。”
“这么说你觉得斯拉霍恩是个食死徒？”金妮说。
“什么都有可能，”弗雷德阴沉着脸说。
“他可能中了夺魂咒，”乔治说。
“或许他是无辜的，”金妮说。“毒有可能是下在酒瓶里，这样也许是为了毒斯拉霍恩本人。”
“谁想杀死斯拉霍恩？”
“邓布利多认为伏地魔想笼络斯拉霍恩，”哈利说。“斯拉霍恩在来霍格沃茨之前已经躲藏了一年了。而且……”他想起了邓布利多没能从斯拉霍恩那里得到的那段记忆，“也许伏地魔想
清理掉他，也许觉得他对邓布利多很有价值。”
“可是你说斯拉霍恩准备把那瓶酒送给邓布利多作圣诞礼物，”金妮提醒他。“所以下毒者的目标也很可能是邓布利多。”
“那他可不够了解斯拉霍恩的，”赫敏几个小时以来第一次开了口，听起来就像得了严重的伤风。“任何了解斯拉霍恩的人都能想到他很有可能把那么美味的东西自己留着喝了。”
“呃－敏－妮，”罗恩突然在他们中间嘶哑地叫了起来。
他们都陷入了沉默，焦虑地看着他，不过他在说了一通胡话之后又打起了鼾。
门突然被打开了，他们都吓了一跳：海格大步朝他们走了过来，头发上雨渍斑斑，海狸皮大衣在身后拍打，他手里拿着一只弩，在地板上留下了一串海豚大小的脚印。
“在禁林里待了一天！”他喘着粗气说。“阿拉戈克情况更糟糕了，我和它说了一天的话——刚刚才吃上晚饭，就从斯普劳特教授那儿听说了罗恩的事！他怎么样了？”
“还不错，”哈利说。“他们说他没事。”
“探视时不要同时进来六个人以上！”庞弗雷夫人从办公室急匆匆地走了出来。
“算上海格才六个人，”乔治指出了这一点。
“哦……对……”庞弗雷夫人似乎把大块头的海格看成了几个人。为了掩饰她的错误，她赶紧用魔杖把那些泥脚印清理掉了。
“我不敢相信，”海格嘶哑地说，他盯着罗恩，摇了摇乱蓬蓬的脑袋。“真是不敢相信……瞧瞧他躺在那儿……是谁想要害他，嗯？”
“我们刚刚正在讨论这个，”哈利说。“我们不知道。”
“不会有人对格兰芬多的魁地奇队怀恨在心吧？”海格担心地说。“先是凯蒂，现在又是罗恩……”
“我看不出有谁会想干掉一支魁地奇球队，”乔治说。
“也许伍德会干掉斯莱特林队，如果他能逃脱惩罚的话，”弗雷德实事求是地说。
“嗯，我认为不是因为魁地奇，不过这两起攻击事件之间一定有某种联系，”赫敏轻声说。
“你怎么会那样想？”弗雷德问。
“嗯，首先，他们都本应该被杀死，可是都活了下来，尽管那只是纯粹的走运。其次，无论是毒药还是项链，似乎都没有被送到那个本该被谋害的人手里。当然，”她若有所思地补充道，
“那在某种程度上使这个人的处境更加危险了，因为他们似乎并不在乎最终干掉他之前会牺牲掉多少无辜的人。”
他们还没来得及对这个不祥的断言作出回应，门又被拉开了，韦斯莱夫妇匆匆走进了病房。上一次造访这间病房之后他们已经确信罗恩会完全康复了：现在韦斯莱夫人正紧紧地抱着哈利。
“邓布利多告诉了我们你是怎么用牛黄救他的，”她哽咽着说。“哦，哈利，我们该说什么才好？你救过金妮……救过亚瑟……现在又救了罗恩……”
“别这样……我没有……”哈利尴尬地咕哝道。
“你对我们家一半的成员都有救命之恩，我记起来了，”韦斯莱先生狭促地说。“嗯，我只能说，当初在霍格沃茨特快列车上，罗恩决定坐到你的车厢里的那一天对韦斯莱一家来说就是幸
运日，哈利。”
哈利不知道该怎么回答，于是当庞弗雷夫人再次提醒他们一次只能有六个人探视罗恩时，哈利非常乐意地和赫敏一起站了起来；海格也决定和他们一起走，这样就可以把罗恩留给他的家人
了。
“太可怕了，”他们三个沿着走廊往大理石楼梯走去时，海格在他的胡子里粗声说。“布置了所有的安全措施，可还是有孩子被伤害……邓布利多很担忧……他没说什么，可是我能看出来
……”
“他没有什么想法吗，海格？”赫敏失望地问。
“我猜他的想法多着呢，像他那样的脑瓜，”他坚定地说。“可是他不知道是谁送的那串项链，也不知道是谁在酒里下的毒，否则他们早就被抓起来了，是不是？让我担心的，”海格压低
了声音，四处张望了一下（哈利也额外检查了一下天花板上有没有皮皮鬼），“是如果孩子们不断地被攻击，霍格沃茨还能开多久。密室的事又重新来了一遍，是不是？会产生恐慌，更多的家
长会把孩子接走，你知道，接下来政府部门就会……”
海格停了下来，一个长头发女鬼魂安静地飘了过去，然后他用嘶哑的声音接着说，“……政府部门就会讨论一劳永逸地关了这儿。”
“肯定不会吧？”赫敏看上去很担心。
“他们得站在自己的立场上看，”海格沉重地说。“我是说，把孩子送到霍格沃茨本来是有点儿冒风险，是不是？把几百个未成年巫师关在一起难免会出事故，对吧？可是蓄意的谋杀就不
同了。难怪邓布利多会不满斯内——”
海格打住了，缠结着黑色胡须的脸上浮现出了一种熟悉的心虚表情。
“什么？”哈利迅速说。“邓布利多不满斯内普？”哈利大声问。
“嘘！”海格说，看上去既紧张又生气。“别大声喊那种事情，哈利，你想让我丢掉饭碗吗？对了，我想你可能不太在乎，是不是，反正你已经都放弃了保护神奇——”
“别想让我感到内疚，那没用！”哈利激烈地说。“斯内普干了什么？”
“我不知道，哈利，我本来就不该听到那些话！我——嗯，我前几天走出禁林的时候听到了他们在谈话——好吧，是在争吵。我不太关心，就试着躲开不去听，可是——嗯，他们讨论得太
激烈了，想不听都难。”
“然后呢？”哈利催促他说，海格正不自在地来回蹭着他巨大的脚。
“然后——我只听到斯内普说邓布利多太想当然了，而也许他——斯内普——不想再做了——”
“做什么？”
“我不知道，哈利，听起来斯内普感觉自己有些累过头了，就这么回事——而邓布利多直截了当地提醒他已经答应做这件事了，全部大概就是这些。对他要求得相当严格。然后他说了一些
让斯内普去调查他的学院，就是斯莱特林学院的事。嗯，没什么可奇怪的！”见哈利和赫敏交换了一个意味深长的眼神，海格急忙补充道。“所有的学院院长都被要求在自己的学院里调查项链
事件——”
“是啊，可是邓布利多没有和其他的院长们争吵，是不是？”哈利说。
“你瞧，”海格不安地扭着他的弩；随着一声巨响，弩被折成了两截，“我知道你怎么看斯内普，哈利，可是我不想让你把他们的谈话曲解了。”
“小心，”赫敏简练地说。
他们转身时刚好看到阿格斯·费尔奇的影子从身后的墙上移了过来，转眼间他就在拐角的地方出现了，驼着背，下巴颤抖着。
“啊哈！”他气喘吁吁地说。“这么晚了还没睡觉，关禁闭！”
“不会的，费尔奇，”海格立刻说。“他们和我在一块儿，是吧？”
“那又有什么不同？”费尔奇粗鲁地说。
“我是个老师，不是吗，你这个偷偷摸摸的哑炮！”海格的火气立刻上来了。
费尔奇似乎要气炸了，他发出了一种恶心的嘶嘶声；洛丽斯夫人不知不觉地出现了，它绕着费尔奇皮包骨的脚踝转着圈。
“走吧，”海格从嘴角说。
哈利不用他说第二遍；他和赫敏匆匆地跑开了，海格和费尔奇响亮的声音在他们身后回荡。他们在快到格兰芬多塔楼时遇到了皮皮鬼，不过他正在高兴地往喊叫声的源头飞驰，“什么时候
有了冲突和麻烦，
叫上皮皮，他会让它们翻一番！”
胖夫人正在打瞌睡，她对被吵醒很不满，可还是暴躁地打开门让他们爬进了既平静又空无一人的公共休息室。人们似乎还不知道罗恩的事；哈利长长地出了一口气，他今天已经被审问得够
多了。赫敏道完晚安，走进了女生宿舍。哈利则坐到了火炉边，盯着里面即将熄灭的余烬看。
这么说邓布利多和斯内普起了争执。尽管他对哈利说了那么多，尽管他坚持自己完全信任斯内普，可他还是对他发了脾气……他认为斯内普没有尽全力调查斯莱特林学院……或许是，没有
尽全力调查某一个斯莱特林的学生：马尔福？
是因为邓布利多不想让哈利做傻事，把事情都揽到自己怀里而不让哈利起疑心吗？似乎有可能。甚至可能是邓布利多不想干扰哈利的学业，不想让他在获取斯拉霍恩记忆的事情上分心。也
许邓布利多是不愿意把对自己教员的怀疑吐露给一个十六岁的……
“你在这儿啊，波特！”
哈利震惊地跳了起来，拿好了魔杖。他本以为公共休息室是空的；所以当一个庞大的身影从远处的一把椅子上站起来时，他显得有些措手不及。走近之后哈利认出了他是科马克·麦克拉根
。
“我一直在等你回来，”麦克拉根没有计较哈利抽出了魔杖。“我一定是睡着了。听我说，我早晨看到他们把韦斯莱送到了校医院。看上去他打不了下周的比赛了。”
哈利花了些时间才弄明白麦克拉根在说什么。
“哦……对……魁地奇，”他把魔杖放回了牛仔裤的腰带里，疲惫地拨弄了一下自己的头发。“是的……他可能打不了了。”
“那么，我来当守门员，好不好？”麦克拉根说。
“是啊，”哈利说。“是啊，我想是的……”
他找不出什么理由来反对；毕竟，麦克拉根在选拔时的表现是第二好的。
“太棒了，”麦克拉根满意地说。“那么什么时候训练？”
“什么？哦……明天晚上有一次。”
“好的。听着，波特，我们最好预先开个会。我有一些关于战术的点子，你会觉得有用的。”
“好的，”哈利不太热情地说。“那么，我明天听听。我现在太累了……再见……”
第二天罗恩中毒的消息迅速传开了，可是那并没有像凯蒂事件那样引起骚动。人们似乎觉得这可能只是一起意外，毕竟他当时是在魔药课老师的房间里，而且中毒之后马上就服了解药，也
没有造成什么真正的伤害。实际上，格兰芬多学院普遍地更关注即将到来的同赫奇帕奇的比赛，因为扎卡赖斯·史密斯解说了他们同斯莱特林的比赛，而他们中的许多人都想看到那个赫奇帕奇
的追球手为此付出惨重的代价。
然而哈利从来没有对魁地奇这样的不感兴趣过；他迅速陷入了对马尔福的困扰之中。只要有机会他就会把活点地图拿出来查看，有时还绕着道去追踪马尔福，可是还是没能侦查到他做了什
么反常的事。而且马尔福还是在一次次无法解释地从地图上消失……
但是哈利没有太多的时间考虑这件事，他还有魁地奇训练和家庭作业要完成，而且事实上他现在无论走到哪里都有科马克·麦克拉根和拉文德·布朗尾随。
他不知道这两个人哪一个更令人厌烦。麦克拉根一直在滔滔不绝地暗示，他会比罗恩更适合长期担任魁地奇球队的守门员，还说哈利在看到他定期的训练之后也肯定会这么想；他也非常热
衷于批评其他的队友，还给哈利提供了一个详细的训练计划，以至于哈利不止一次地被迫提醒他谁才是队长。
与此同时，拉文德也总是在哈利身边谈论着罗恩，哈利觉得这比麦克拉根的魁地奇演讲还要烦。起初，拉文德对没有人告诉他罗恩被送进医院感到生气——“我的意思是，我是他的女朋友
！”——可不幸的是她后来决定原谅哈利的疏忽，转而开始渴望和哈利一起深入地讨论罗恩的感情和爱好，这真是一段哈利最愿意放弃的经历。
“听我说，你为什么不和罗恩去说这些？”在忍受了拉文德的一段特别冗长的审问之后哈利问道，她几乎问遍了所有的事，从罗恩喜不喜欢她的新袍子到哈利是否认为罗恩对她的感情是“
认真的”。
“嗯，我会的，可是我去看他的时候他总是在睡觉！”她焦急地说。
“是吗？”哈利很惊讶，因为自己每次去校医院看他的时候，罗恩都非常精神，不仅对邓布利多和斯内普之间的争吵极为感兴趣，而且还会尽情地辱骂麦克拉根。
“赫敏·格兰杰还在去看他吗？”拉文德突然问。
“是啊，我想是的。嗯，他们是朋友，对吧？”哈利不安地说。
“朋友，别开玩笑了，”拉文德轻蔑地说。“自从我和罗恩在一起之后，她就再也没有和他讲过话了！可是我觉得她现在又想跟他和好了，因为他现在这么引人关注……”
“你觉得中毒是引人关注？”哈利问。“不管怎样——对不起，我得走了——还要和麦克拉根去谈魁地奇的事，”哈利匆忙说，然后冲进了旁边一扇伪装成墙壁的门，抄着这条近路跑去上
魔药课，谢天谢地，那儿既没有拉文德也没有麦克拉根。
同赫奇帕奇进行魁地奇比赛的那天早晨，哈利去球场之前先去了一趟校医院。罗恩非常焦虑不安；庞弗雷夫人不允许他去看比赛，她觉得那会使他兴奋过度。
“麦克拉根干得怎么样？”他紧张地问哈利，显然忘了自己已经问过两遍同样的问题了。
“我告诉过你了，”哈利耐心地说，“他就算是世界级我也不会把他留在队里。他一直试图告诉每个人该做什么，他觉得自己在每个位置上都打得比我们好。我迫不及待地想摆脱他。说到
摆脱别人，”哈利加了一句，他已经拿着火弩箭站了起来，“拉文德来看你的时候，你可不可以别再装睡了？她也快把我逼疯了。”
“哦，”罗恩看上去有些窘迫。“对。好的。”
“你如果不想再和她交往了，就告诉她，”哈利说。
“是啊……嗯……不那么容易，对不对？”罗恩说。他顿了一下。“赫敏也会在比赛之前来看我吗？”他不经意地加了一句。
“不，她已经和金妮去了球场。”
“哦，”罗恩看上去很是闷闷不乐。“好吧。嗯，祝你好运。希望你们能狠狠地教训麦克拉——我是说，史密斯。”
“我会努力的，”哈利扛起了飞天扫帚。“比赛之后见。”
他匆匆地穿过没有人的走廊；整个学校的人都出动了，他们要么已经坐在了球场的观众席上，要么正往那里赶去。他一边走一边往窗户外面望去，试图估量一下风会有多大，这时前面的一
个响声让他把目光移了回来，哈利看见马尔福正在两个女孩的陪同下向他走过来，她们俩看上去都怒气冲冲的。
马尔福一见到哈利就停了下来，然后他干巴巴地笑了笑，接着往前走。
“你去哪儿？“哈利问。
“是啊，我真的想告诉你，因为这和你有关系，波特，”马尔福冷笑道。“你最好快点儿，他们正等着那个真命队长呢——大显身手的男孩——他们近来称呼你的。”
其中一个女孩勉强地傻笑了起来。哈利盯着她。她顿时脸红了。马尔福从哈利身边挤过去，那个女孩和她的朋友也小跑着跟上了他，然后在一个拐角处消失了。
哈利的脚仿佛生了根似的站在那儿看着他们消失。这真是让人愤怒；他本来就快赶不上比赛了，又遇到了偷偷摸摸的马尔福，要知道这时候整个学校的人都不在：这是哈利发现马尔福在干
什么的最佳机会。时间悄无声息地流逝着，哈利呆呆地站在那里，凝视着马尔福消失的地方……
“你去了哪儿？“哈利飞奔进更衣室的时候金妮质问道。整个球队都已经换好了衣服；两个击球手库特和皮克斯正在用球棒紧张地敲打着自己的腿。
“我遇到了马尔福，”哈利穿上猩红色的球袍时低声告诉她。
“然后呢？”
“然后我想知道别人都在这儿的时候他为什么会和一对女朋友出现在城堡里……”
“这个此时此刻很重要吗？”
“好了，我不太可能查清楚，是不是？”哈利抓起了火弩箭，扶了扶眼镜。“走吧！”
他没再多说什么，大步地走到了球场上去迎接震耳欲聋的欢呼声和嘘声。几乎没有一丝风；天上片片白云；时不时就有刺眼的阳光射出来。
“棘手的状况！”麦克拉根鼓动着球队。“库特，皮克斯，你们俩飞到阳光外面去，这样他们就看不到你们过来——”
“我是队长，麦克拉根，别再对他们发号施令了，”哈利生气地说。“去你的球门那边待着吧！”
麦克拉根走开之后，哈利转向库特和皮克斯。
“确保你们一定要飞出阳光之外，”他勉强地告诉他们俩。
他和赫奇帕奇的队长握了握手，然后随着霍奇夫人的一声哨响，比赛开始了，他一下升到队友们的上方，绕着球场飞驰以搜寻金色飞贼。如果他能足够早地抓到它，他就还有机会回到城堡
去，拿着活点地图去查出马尔福在干什么……
“拿着鬼飞球的是赫奇帕奇的史密斯，”一个恍恍惚惚的声音回荡在球场上空。“当然上次比赛他作了解说，金妮·韦斯莱当时撞上了他，我认为很可能是有意的——看上去像。史密斯对
格兰芬多相当无礼，
收听单词发音 |
1
harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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bin
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| n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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3
rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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4
sniff
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| vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视 | |
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5
obsessive
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| adj. 着迷的, 强迫性的, 分神的 | |
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6
jawed
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| adj.有颌的有颚的 | |
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7
mumble
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| n./v.喃喃而语，咕哝 | |
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8
wart
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| n.疣，肉赘；瑕疵 | |
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9
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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ward
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| 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 | |
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11
sprout
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| n.芽，萌芽；vt.使发芽，摘去芽；vi.长芽，抽条 | |
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12
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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13
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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14
hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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15
grudge
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| n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做 | |
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16
ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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17
sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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constricted
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| adj.抑制的，约束的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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20
compartment
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| n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间 | |
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21
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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22
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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23
peeves
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| n.麻烦的事物，怨恨，触怒( peeve的名词复数 ) | |
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24
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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serenely
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| adv.安详地，宁静地，平静地 | |
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tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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skulked
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| v.潜伏，偷偷摸摸地走动，鬼鬼祟祟地活动( skulk的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
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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29
investigations
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| （正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究 | |
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inter
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| v.埋葬 | |
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tersely
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| adv. 简捷地, 简要地 | |
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filch
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| v.偷窃 | |
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looming
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| n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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34
wheezed
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| v.喘息，发出呼哧呼哧的喘息声( wheeze的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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35
detention
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| n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下 | |
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obnoxiously
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| adv. 可憎地 讨厌地 | |
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37
hissing
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| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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38
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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sinuously
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| 弯曲的，蜿蜒的 | |
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40
streaking
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| n.裸奔（指在公共场所裸体飞跑）v.快速移动( streak的现在分词 )；使布满条纹 | |
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41
strife
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| n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争 | |
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42
interrogated
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| v.询问( interrogate的过去式和过去分词 )；审问；（在计算机或其他机器上）查询 | |
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43
insistence
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| n.坚持；强调；坚决主张 | |
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44
procuring
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的现在分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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45
confide
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| v.向某人吐露秘密 | |
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46
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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47
antidote
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| n.解毒药，解毒剂 | |
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48
obsessed
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| adj.心神不宁的,鬼迷心窍的,沉迷的 | |
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49
detours
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| 绕行的路( detour的名词复数 )； 绕道，兜圈子 | |
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50
inexplicable
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| adj.无法解释的，难理解的 | |
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51
detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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52
lapse
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| n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效 | |
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53
forgone
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| v.没有也行，放弃( forgo的过去分词 ) | |
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54
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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55
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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56
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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57
shortcut
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| n.近路，捷径 | |
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58
agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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59
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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60
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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61
casually
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| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
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62
glum
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| adj.闷闷不乐的，阴郁的 | |
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63
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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64
gauge
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| v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器 | |
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65
sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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66
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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67
giggle
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| n.痴笑，咯咯地笑；v.咯咯地笑着说 | |
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68
trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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69
skulking
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| v.潜伏，偷偷摸摸地走动，鬼鬼祟祟地活动( skulk的现在分词 ) | |
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70
trickled
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| v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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71
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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72
deafening
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| adj. 振耳欲聋的, 极喧闹的 动词deafen的现在分词形式 | |
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73
grudgingly
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74
cork
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| n.软木，软木塞 | |
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75
corks
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| n.脐梅衣；软木( cork的名词复数 )；软木塞 | |
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76
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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77
jeered
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| v.嘲笑( jeer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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78
ruse
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| n.诡计，计策；诡计 | |
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79
spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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80
mundane
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| adj.平凡的；尘世的；宇宙的 | |
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81
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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82
pelting
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| 微不足道的，无价值的，盛怒的 | |
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83
ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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84
remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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85
freckly
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| adj.多雀斑的 | |
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86
indigo
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| n.靛青，靛蓝 | |
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87
streaked
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| adj.有条斑纹的，不安的v.快速移动( streak的过去式和过去分词 )；使布满条纹 | |
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88
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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89
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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90
bustling
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| adj.喧闹的 | |
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91
bustled
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| 闹哄哄地忙乱，奔忙( bustle的过去式和过去分词 )； 催促 | |
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92
fuming
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| 愤怒( fume的现在分词 )； 大怒； 发怒； 冒烟 | |
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93
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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94
savagely
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| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
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95
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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96
subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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97
zoomed
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| v.（飞机、汽车等）急速移动( zoom的过去式 )；（价格、费用等）急升，猛涨 | |
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98
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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99
imploded
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| v.（使）向心聚爆( implode的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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100
sneaking
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| a.秘密的，不公开的 | |
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101
hoisting
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| 起重，提升 | |
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102
frustration
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| n.挫折，失败，失效，落空 | |
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103
fleetingly
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| adv.飞快地，疾驰地 | |
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104
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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105
dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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106
feign
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| vt.假装，佯作 | |
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107
incurably
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| ad.治不好地 | |
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108
inept
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| adj.不恰当的，荒谬的，拙劣的 | |
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109
discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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110
askew
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| adv.斜地；adj.歪斜的 | |
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111
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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112
squeaks
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| n.短促的尖叫声，吱吱声( squeak的名词复数 )v.短促地尖叫( squeak的第三人称单数 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者 | |
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113
yelp
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| vi.狗吠 | |
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114
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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115
maroon
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| v.困住，使（人）处于孤独无助之境；n.逃亡黑奴；孤立的人；酱紫色，褐红色；adj.酱紫色的，褐红色的 | |
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116
filthy
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| adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的 | |
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117
hips
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| abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯，耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 )；[建筑学]屋脊；臀围（尺寸）；臀部…的 | |
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118
enrage
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| v.触怒，激怒 | |
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119
wrenched
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| v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的过去式和过去分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛 | |
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120
swooped
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| 俯冲，猛冲( swoop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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121
squealing
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| v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的现在分词 ) | |
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122
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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123
flailing
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| v.鞭打( flail的现在分词 )；用连枷脱粒；（臂或腿）无法控制地乱动；扫雷坦克 | |
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124
wizened
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| adj.凋谢的；枯槁的 | |
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125
commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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126
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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127
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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128
exasperation
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| n.愤慨 | |
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129
resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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