哈利波特7__哈利波特与死圣英文版-第103部分

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Eaters；　and　ahead　were　Lupin　and　a　Harry　who　was　really　Georgea133　A　Death　Eater　moved　ahead　of　Snape　and　raised　his　wand；　pointing　it　directly　at　Lupin's　back。
〃iSectumsempra！i〃　shouted　Snape。
But　the　spell；　intended　for　the　Death　Eater's　wand　hand；　missed　and　hit　George　instead　…
And　next；　Snape　was　kneeling　in　Sirius's　old　bedroom。　Tears　were　dripping　from　the　end　of　his　hooked　nose　as　he　read　the　old　letter　from　Lily。　The　second　page　carried　only　a　few　words：
icould　ever　have　been　friends　with　Gellert　Grindelwald。　I　think　her　mind's　going；　personally！
Lots　of　love；
Lilyi
Snape　took　the　page　bearing　Lily's　signature；　and　her　love；　and　tucked　it　inside　his　robes。　Then　he　ripped　in　two　the　photograph　he　was　also　holding；　so　that　he　kept　the　part　from　which　Lily　laughed；　throwing　the　portion　showing　James　and　Harry　back　onto　the　floor；　under　the　chest　of　drawersa133
And　now　Snape　stood　again　in　the　headmaster's　study　as　Phineas　Nigellus　came　hurrying　into　his　portrait。
〃Headmaster！　They　are　camping　in　the　Forest　of　Dean！　The　Mudblood　…　〃
〃Do　not　use　that　word！〃
〃　…　the　Granger　girl；　then；　mentioned　the　place　as　she　opened　her　bag　and　I　heard　her！〃
〃Good。　Very　good！〃　cried　the　portrait　of　Dumbledore　behind　the　headmaster's　chair。　〃Now；　Severus；　the　sword！　Do　not　forget　that　it　must　be　taken　under　conditions　of　need　and　valor　…　and　he　must　not　know　that　you　give　it！　If　Voldemort　should　read　Harry's　mind　and　see　you　acting　for　him　…　〃
〃I　know；〃　said　Snape　curtly。　He　approached　the　portrait　of　Dumbledore　and　pulled　at　its　side。　It　swung　forward；　revealing　a　hidden　cavity　behind　it　from　which　he　took　the　sword　of　Gryffindor。
〃And　you　still　aren't　going　to　tell　me　why　it's　so　important　to　give　Potter　the　sword？〃　said　Snape　as　he　swung　a　traveling　cloak　over　his　robes。
〃No；　I　don't　think　so；〃　said　Dumbledore's　portrait。　〃He　will　know　what　to　do　with　it。　And　Severus；　be　very　careful；　they　may　not　take　kindly　to　your　appearance　after　George　Weasley's　mishap　…　〃
Snape　turned　at　the　door。
〃Don't　worry；　Dumbledore；〃　he　said　coolly。　〃I　have　a　plana133〃
And　Snape　left　the　room。　Harry　rose　up　out　of　the　Pensieve；　and　moments　later　he　lay　on　the　carpeted　floor　in　exactly　the　same　rooms　Snape　might　just　have　closed　the　door。

pC0=〃Chapter　Thirty…Four：　The　Forest　Again〃
bChapter　Thirty…Four
iThe　Forest　Againib
Finally；　the　truth。　Lying　with　his　face　pressed　into　the　dusty　carpet　of　the　office　where　he　had　once　thought　he　was　learning　the　secrets　of　victory；　Harry　understood　at　last　that　he　was　not　supposed　to　survive。　His　job　was　to　walk　calmly　into　Death's　welcoming　arms。　Along　the　way；　he　was　to　dispose　of　Voldemort's　remaining　links　to　life；　so　that　when　at　last　he　flung　himself　across　Voldemort's　path；　and　did　not　raise　a　wand　to　defend　himself；　the　end　would　be　clean；　and　the　job　that　ought　to　have　been　done　in　Godric's　Hollow　would　be　finished。　Neither　would　live；　neither　could　survive。
He　felt　his　heart　pounding　fiercely　in　his　chest。　How　strange　that　in　his　dread　of　death；　it　pumped　all　the　harder；　valiantly　keeping　him　alive。　But　it　would　have　to　stop；　and　soon。　Its　beats　were　numbered。　How　many　would　there　be　time　for；　as　he　rose　and　walked　through　the　castle　for　the　last　time；　out　into　the　grounds　and　into　the　forest？
Terror　washed　over　him　as　he　lay　on　the　floor；　with　that　funeral　drum　pounding　inside　him。　Would　it　hurt　to　die？　All　those　times　he　had　thought　that　it　was　about　to　happen　and　escaped；　he　had　never　really　thought　of　the　thing　itself：　His　will　to　live　had　always　been　so　much　stronger　than　his　fear　of　death。　Yet　it　did　not　occur　to　him　now　to　try　to　escape；　to　outrun　Voldemort。　It　was　over；　he　knew　it；　and　all　that　was　left　was　the　thing　itself：　dying。
If　he　could　only　have　died　on　that　summer's　night　when　he　had　left　number　four；　Privet　Drive；　for　the　last　time；　when　the　noble　phoenix　feather　wand　had　saved　him！　If　he　could　only　have　died　like　Hedwig；　so　quickly　he　would　not　have　known　it　had　happened！　Or　if　he　could　have　launched　himself　in　front　of　a　wand　to　save　someone　he　loved　。　。　。　He　envied　even　his　parents'　deaths　now。　This　cold…blooded　walk　to　his　own　destruction
would　require　a　different　kind　of　bravery。　He　felt　his　fingers　trembling　slightly　and　made　an　effort　to　control　them；　although　no　one　could　see　him；　the　portraits　on　the　walls　were　all　empty。
Slowly；　very　slowly；　he　sat　up；　and　as　he　did　so　he　felt　more　alive　and　more　aware　of　his　own　living　body　than　ever　before。　Why　had　he　never　appreciated　what　a　miracle　he　was；　brain　and　nerve　and　bounding　heart？　It　would　all　be　gone　。　。　。　or　at　least；　he　would　be　gone　from　it。　His　breath　came　slow　and　deep；　and　his　mouth　and　throat　were　completely　dry；　but　so　were　his　eyes。
Dumbledore's　betrayal　was　almost　nothing。　Of　course　there　had　been　a　bigger　plan：　Harry　had　simply　been　too　foolish　to　see　it；　he　realized　that　now。　He　had　never　questioned　his　own　assumption　that　Dumbledore　wanted　him　alive。　Now　he　saw　that　his　life　span　had　always　been　determined　by　how　long　it　took　to　eliminate　all　the　Horcruxes。　Dumbledore　had　passed　the　job　of　destroying　them　to　him；　and　obediently　he　had　continued　to　chip　away　at　the　bonds　tying　not　only　Voldemort；　but　himself；　to　life！　How　neat；　how　elegant；　not　to　waste　any　more　lives；　but　to　give　the　dangerous　task　to　the　boy　who　had　already　been　marked　for　slaughter；　and　whose　death　would　not　be　a　calamity；　but　another　blow　against　Voldemort。
And　Dumbledore　had　known　that　Harry　would　not　duck　out；　that　he　would　keep　going　to　the　end；　even　though　it　was　ihisi　end；　because　he　had　taken　trouble　to　get　to　know　him；　hadn't　he？　Dumbledore　knew；　as　Voldemort　knew；　that　Harry　would　not　let　anyone　else　die　for　him　now　that　he　had　discovered　it　was　in　his　power　to　stop　it。　The　images　of　Fred；　Lupin；　and　Tonks　lying　dead　in　the　Great　Hall　forced　their　way　back　into　his　mind's　eye；　and　for　a　moment　he　could　hardly　breathe。　Death　was　impatient　。　。　。
But　Dumbledore　had　overestimated　him。　He　had　failed：　The　snake　survived。　One　Horcrux　remained　to　bind　Voldemort　to　the　earth；　even　after　Harry　had　been　killed。　True；　that　would　mean　an　easier　job　for　somebody。　He　wondered　who　would　do　it　。　。　。　Ron　and　Hermione　would　know　what　needed　to　be　done；　of　course　。　。　。　That　would　have　been　why　Dumbledore　wanted　him　to　confide　in　two　others　。　。　。　so　that　if　he　fulfilled　his　true　destiny　a　little　early；　they　could　carry　on　。　。　。
Like　rain　on　a　cold　window；　these　thoughts　pattered　against　the　hard　surface　of　the　incontrovertible　truth；　which　was　that　he　must　die。　iI　must　diei。　It　must　end。
Ron　and　Hermione　seemed　a　long　way　away；　in　a　far…off　country；　he　felt　as　though　he　had　parted　from　them　long　ago。　There　would　be　no　good…byes　and　no　explanations；　he　was　determined　of　that。　This　was　a　journey　they　could　not　take　together；　and　the　attempts　they　would　make　to　stop　him　would　waste　valuable　time。　He　looked　down　at　the　battered　gold　watch　he　had　received　on　his　seventeenth　birthday。　Nearly　half　of　the　hour　allotted　by　Voldemort　for　his　surrender　had　elapsed。
He　stood　up。　His　heart　was　leaping　against　his　ribs　like　a　frantic　bird。　Perhaps　it　knew　it　had　little　time　left；　perhaps　it　was　determined　to　fulfill　a　lifetime's　beats　before　the　end。　He　did　not　look　back　as　he　closed　the　office　door。
The　castle　was　empty。　He　felt　ghostly　striding　through　it　alone；　as　if　he　had　already　died。　The　portrait　people　were　still　missing　from　their　frames；　the　whole　place　was　eerily　still；　as　if　all　its　remaining　lifeblood　were　concentrated　in　the　Great　Hall　where　the　dead　and　the　mourners　were　crammed。
Harry　pulled　the　Invisibility　Cloak　over　himself　and　descended　through　the　floors；　at　last　walking　down　the　marble　staircase　into　the　entrance　hall。　Perhaps　some　tiny　part　of
him　hoped　to　be　sensed；　to　be　seen；　to　be　stopped；　but　the　Cloak　was；　as　ever；　impenetrable；　perfect；　and　he　reached　the　front　doors　easily。
Then　Neville　nearly　walked　into　him。　He　was　one　half　of　a　pair　that　was　carrying　a　body　in　from　the　grounds。　Harry　glanced　down　and　felt　another　dull　blow　to　his　stomach：　Colon　Creevey；　though　underage；　must　have　sneaked　back　just　as　Malfoy；　Crabbe；　and　Goyle　had　done。　He　was　tiny　in　death。
〃You　know　what？　I　can　manage　him　alone；　Neville；〃　said　Oliver　Wood；　and　he　heaved　Colin　over　his　shoulder　in　a　fireman's　lift　and　carried　him　into　the　Great　Hall。
Neville　leaned　against　the　door　frame　for　a　moment　and　wiped　his　forehead　with　the　back　of　his　hand。　He　looked　like　an　old　man。　Then　he　set　off　on　the　steps　again　into　the　darkness　to　recover　more　bodies。
Harry　took　one　glance　back　at　the　entrance　of　the　Great　Hall。　People　were　moving　around；　trying　to　comfort　each　other；　drinking；　kneeling　beside　the　dead；　but　he　could　not　see　any　of　the　people　he　loved；　no　hint　of　Hermione；　Ron；　Ginny；　or　any　of　the　other　Weasleys；　no　Luna。　He　felt　he　would　have　given　all　the　time　remaining　to　him　for　just　one　last　look　at　them；　but　then；　would　he　ever　have　the　strength　to　stop　looking？　It　was　better　like　this。
He　moved　down　the　steps　and　out　into　the　darkness。　It　was　nearly　four　in　the　morning；　and　the　deathly　stillness　of　the　grounds　felt　as　though　they　were　holding　their　breath；　waiting　to　see　whether　he　could　do　what　he　must。
Harry　moved　toward　Neville；　who　was　bending　over　another　body。
〃Neville。〃
〃Blimey；　Harry；　you　nearly　gave　me　heart　failure！〃
Harry　had　pulled　off　the　Cloak：　The　idea　had　come　to　him　out　of　nowhere；　born　out　of　a　desire　to　make　absolutely　sure。
〃Where　are　you　going；　alone？〃　Neville　asked　suspiciously。
〃It's　all　part　of　the　plan；〃　said　Harry。　〃There's　someting　I've　got　to　do。　Listen　a150a150　Neville　a150a150〃
〃Harry！〃　Neville　looked　suddenly　scared。　〃Harry；　you're　not　thinking　of　handing　yourself　over？〃
〃No；〃　Harry　lied　easily。　〃'Course　not　。　。　。　this　is　something　else。　But　I　might　be　out　of　sight　for　a　while。　You　know　Voldemort's　snake。　Neville？　He's　got　a　huge　snake　。　。　。　Calls　it　Nagini　。　。　。〃
〃I've　heard；　yeah　。　。　。　What　about　it？〃
〃It's　got　to　be　killed。　Ron　and　Hermione　know　that；　but　just　in　case　they　a150a150〃
The　awfulness　of　that　possibility　smothered　him　for　a　moment；　made　it　impossible　to　keep　talking。　But　he　pulled　himself　together　again：　This　was　crucial；　he　must　be　like　Dumbledore；　keep　a　cool　head