哈利波特7__哈利波特与死圣英文版-第23部分

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And　he　strode　off　leaving　Harry　to　take　a　sandwich　from　a　passing　waiter　and　make　his　way　around　the　edge　of　the　crowded　dance　floor。　He　wanted　to　find　Ron；　to　tell　him　about　Gregorovitch；　but　he　was　dancing　with　Hermione　out　in　the　middle　of　the　floor。　Harry　leaned　up　against　one　of　the　golden　pillars　and　watched　Ginny；　who　was　now　dancing　with　Fred　and　George's　friend　Lee　Jordan；　trying　not　to　feel　resentful　about　the　promise　he　had　given　Ron。
He　had　never　been　to　a　wedding　before；　so　he　could　not　judge　how　Wizarding　celebrations　differed　from　Muggle　ones；　though　he　was　pretty　sure　that　the　latter　would　not　involve　a　wedding　cake　topped　with　two　model　phoenixes　that　took　flight　when　the　cake　was　cut；　or　bottles　of　champagne　that　floated　unsupported　through　the　crowd。　As　the　evening　drew　in；　and　moths　began　to　swoop　under　the　canopy；　now　lit　with　floating　golden　lanterns；　the　revelry　became　more　and　more　uncontained。　Fred　and　George　had　long　since　disappeared　into　the　darkness　with　a　pair　of　Fleur's　cousins；　Charlie；　Hagrid；　and　a　squat　wizard　in　a　purple　porkpie　hat　were　singing　〃Odo　the　Hero〃　in　the　corner。
Wandering　through　the　crowd　so　as　to　escape　a　drunken　uncle　of　Ron's　who　seemed　unsure　whether　or　not　Harry　was　his　son；　Harry　spotted　an　old　wizard　sitting　alone　at　a　table。　His　cloud　of　white　hair　made　him　look　rather　like　an　aged　dandelion　clock　and　was　topped　by　a　moth…eaten　fez。　He　was　vaguely　familiar：　Racking　his　brains；　Harry　suddenly　realized　that　this　was　Elphias　Doge；　member　of　the　Order　of　the　Phoenix　and　the　writer　of　Dumbledore's　obituary。
Harry　approached　him。
〃May　I　sit　down？〃
〃Of　course；　of　course；〃　said　Doge；　he　had　a　rather　high…pitched；　wheezy　voice。
Harry　leaned　in。
〃Mr。　Doge；　I'm　Harry　Potter。〃
Doge　gasped。
〃My　dear　boy！　Arthur　told　me　you　were　here；　disguiseda133。　I　am　so　glad；　so　honored！〃
In　a　flutter　of　nervous　pleasure　Doge　poured　Harry　a　goblet　of　champagne。
〃I　thought　of　writing　to　you；〃　he　whispered；　〃after　Dumbledorea133　the　shocka133　and　for　you；　I　am　surea133〃
Doge's　tiny　eyes　filled　with　sudden　tears。
〃I　saw　the　obituary　you　wrote　for　the　iDaily　Propheti；〃　said　Harry。　〃I　didn't　realize　you　knew　Professor　Dumbledore　so　well。〃
〃As　well　as　anyone；〃　said　Doge；　dabbing　his　eyes　with　a　napkin。　〃Certainly　I　knew　him　longest；　if　you　don't　count　Aberforth　…　and　somehow；　people　never　idoi　seem　to　count　Aberforth。〃
〃Speaking　of　the　iDaily　Prophetia133　I　don't　know　whether　you　saw；　Mr。　Doge　…？〃
〃Oh；　please　call　me　Elphias；　dear　boy。〃
〃Elphias；　I　don't　know　whether　you　saw　the　interview　Rita　Skeeter　gave　about　Dumbledore？〃
Doge's　face　flooded　with　angry　color。
〃Oh　yes；　Harry；　I　saw　it。　That　woman；　or　vulture　might　be　a　more　accurate　term；　positively　pestered　me　to　talk　to　her；　I　am　ashamed　to　say　that　I　became　rather　rude；　called　her　an　interfering　trout；　which　resulted；　as　you　my　have　seen；　in　aspersions　cast　upon　my　sanity。〃
〃Well；　in　that　interview；〃　Harry　went　on；　〃Rita　Skeeter　hinted　that　Professor　Dumbledore　was　involved　in　the　Dark　Arts　when　he　was　young。〃
〃Don't　believe　a　word　of　it！〃　said　Doge　at　once。　〃Not　a　word；　Harry！　Let　nothing　tarnish　your　memories　of　Albus　Dumbledore！〃
Harry　looked　into　Doge's　earnest；　pained　face；　and　felt；　not　reassured；　but　frustrated。　Did　Doge　really　think　it　was　that　easy；　that　Harry　could　simply　ichoosei　not　to　believe？　Didn't　Doge　understand　Harry's　need　to　be　sure；　to　know　ieverythingi？〃
Perhaps　Doge　suspected　Harry's　feelings；　for　he　looked　concerned　and　hurried　on；　〃Harry；　Rita　Skeeter　is　a　dreadful　…〃
But　he　was　interrupted　by　a　shrill　cackle。
〃Rita　Skeeter？　Oh；　I　love　her；　always　read　her！〃
Harry　and　Doge　looked　up　to　see　Auntie　Muriel　standing　there；　the　plumes　dancing　on　her　hair；　a　goblet　of　champagne　in　her　hand。　〃She's　written　a　book　about　Dumbledore；　you　know！〃
〃Hello；　Muriel；〃　said　Doge；　〃Yes；　we　were　just　discussing　…〃
〃You　there！　Give　me　your　chair；　I'm　a　hundred　and　seven！〃
Another　redheaded　Weasley　cousin　jumped　off　his　seat；　looking　alarmed；　and　Auntie　Muriel　swung　it　around　with　surprising　strength　and　plopped　herself　down　upon　it　between　Doge　and　Harry。
〃Hello　again；　Barry　or　whatever　your　name　is；〃　she　said　to　Harry；　〃Now　what　were　you　saying　about　Rita　Skeeter；　Elphias？　You　know；　she's　written　a　biography　of　Dumbledore？　I　can't　wait　to　read　it。　I　must　remember　to　place　an　order　at　Flourish　and　Blotts！〃
Doge　looked　stiff　and　solemn　at　this　but　Auntie　Muriel　drained　her　goblet　and　clicked　her　bony　fingers　at　a　passing　waiter　for　a　replacement。　She　took　another　large　gulp　of　champagne；　belched　and　then　said；　〃There's　no　need　to　look　like　a　pair　of　stuffed　frogs！　Before　he　became　so　respected　and　respectable　and　all　that　tosh；　there　were　some　mighty　funny　rumors　about　Albus！〃
〃Ill…informed　sniping；〃　said　Doge；　turning　radish…colored　again。
〃You　would　say　that；　Elphias；〃　cackled　Auntie　Muriel。　〃I　noticed　how　you　skated　over　the　sticky　patches　in　that　obituary　of　yours！〃
〃I'm　sorry　you　think　so；〃　said　Doge；　more　coldly　still。　〃I　assure　you　I　was　writing　from　the　heart。〃
〃Oh；　we　all　know　you　worshipped　Dumbledore；　I　daresay　you'll　still　think　he　was　a　saint　even　if　it　does　turn　out　that　he　did　away　with　his　Squib　sister！〃
〃iMuriel！i〃　exclaimed　Doge。
A　chill　that　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　iced　champagne　was　stealing　through　Harry's　chest。
〃What　do　you　mean？〃　he　asked　Muriel。　〃Who　said　his　sister　was　a　Squib？　I　thought　she　was　ill？〃
〃Thought　wrong；　then；　didn't　you；　Barry！〃　said　Auntie　Muriel；　looking　delighted　at　the　effect　she　had　produced。　〃Anyway；　how　could　you　expect　to　know　anything　about　it！　IT　all　happened　years　and　years　before　you　were　even　thought　of；　my　dear；　and　the　truth　is　that　those　of　us　who　were　alive　then　never　knew　what　really　happened。　That's　why　I　can't　wait　to　find　out　what　Skeeter's　unearthed！　Dumbledore　kept　that　sister　of　his　quiet　for　a　long　time！〃
〃Untrue！〃　wheezed　Doge；　〃Absolutely　untrue！〃
〃He　never　told　me　his　sister　as　a　Squib；〃　said　Harry；　without　thinking；　still　cold　inside。
〃And　why　on　earth　would　he　tell　you？〃　screeched　Muriel；　swaying　a　little　in　her　seat　as　she　attempted　to　focus　upon　Harry。
〃The　reason　Albus　never　spoke　about　Ariana；〃　began　Elphias　in　a　voice　stiff　with　emotion；　〃is；　I　should　have　thought；　quite　clear。　He　was　so　devastated　by　her　death　…〃
〃Why　did　nobody　ever　see　her；　Elphias？〃　squawked　Muriel；　〃Why　did　half　of　us　never　even　know　she　existed；　until　they　carried　the　coffin　out　of　the　house　and　held　a　funeral　for　her？　Where　was　saintly　Albus　while　Ariana　was　locked　in　the　cellar？　Off　being　brilliant　at　Hogwarts；　and　never　mind　what　was　going　on　in　his　own　house！〃
〃What　d'you　mean；　locked　in　the　cellar？〃　asked　Harry。　〃What　is　this？〃
Doge　looked　wretched。　Auntie　Muriel　cackled　again　and　answered　Harry。
〃Dumbledore's　mother　was　a　terrifying　woman；　simply　terrifying。　Muggle…born；　though　I　heard　she　pretended　otherwise…〃
〃She　never　pretended　anything　of　the　sort！　Kendra　was　a　fine　woman；〃　whispered　Doge　miserably；　but　Auntie　Muriel　ignored　him。
〃…　proud　and　very　domineering；　the　sort　of　witch　who　would　have　been　mortified　to　produce　a　Squib…〃
〃Ariana　was　not　a　Squib！〃　wheezed　Doge。
〃So　you　say；　Elphias；　but　explain；　then；　why　she　never　attended　Hogwarts！〃　said　Auntie　Muriel。　She　turned　back　to　Harry。　〃In　our　day；　Squibs　were　often　hushed　up；　thought　to　take　it　to　the　extreme　of　actually　imprisoning　a　little　girl　in　the　house　and　pretending　she　didn't　exist　…〃
〃I　tell　you；　that's　not　what　happened！〃　said　Doge；　but　Auntie　Muriel　steamrollered　on；　still　addressing　Harry。
Squibs　were　usually　shipped　off　to　Muggle　schools　and　encouraged　to　integrate　into　the　Muggle　communitya133　much　kinder　than　trying　to　find　them　a　place　in　the　Wizarding　world；　where　they　must　always　be　second　class；　but　naturally　Kendra　Dumbledore　wouldn't　have　dreamed　of　letting　her　daughter　go　to　a　Muggle　school　…〃
〃Ariana　was　delicate！〃　said　Doge　desperately。　〃Her　health　was　always　too　poor　to　permit　her　…〃
〃…　to　permit　her　to　leave　the　house？〃　cackled　Muriel。　〃And　yet　she　was　never　taken　to　St。　Mungo's　and　no　Healer　was　ever　summoned　to　see　her！〃
〃Really；　Muriel；　how　can　you　possibly　know　whether　…〃
〃For　your　information；　Elphias；　my　cousin　Lancelot　was　a　Healer　at　St。　Mungo's　at　the　time；　and　he　told　my　family　in　strictest　confidence　that　Ariana　had　never　been　seen　there。　All　most　suspicious；　Lancelot　thought！〃
Doge　looked　to　be　on　the　verge　of　tears。　Auntie　Muriel；　who　seemed　to　be　enjoying　herself　hugely；　snapped　her　fingers　for　more　champagne。　Numbly　Harry
thought　of　how　the　Dursleys　had　once　shut　him　up；　locked　him　away；　kept　him　out　of　sight；　all　for　the　crime　of　being　a　wizard。　Had　Dumbledore's　sister　suffered　the　same　fate　in　reverse：　imprisoned　for　her　lack　of　magic？　And　had　Dumbledore　truly　left　her　to　her　fate　while　he　went　off　to　Hogwarts　to　prove　himself　brilliant　and　talented？
〃Now；　if　Kendra　hadn't　died　first；〃　Muriel　resumed；　〃I'd　have　said　that　it　was　she　who　finished　off　Ariana　…〃
〃How　can　you；　Muriel！〃　groaned　Doge。　〃A　mother　kill　her　own　daughter？　Think　what　you're　saying！〃
〃If　the　mother　in　question　was　capable　of　imprisoning　her　daughter　for　years　on　end；　why　not？〃　shrugged　Auntie　Muriel。　〃But　as　I　say；　it　doesn't　fit；　because　Kendra　died　before　Ariana　…　of　what；　nobody　ever　seemed　sure…〃
〃Yes；　Ariana　might　have　made　a　desperate　bid　for　freedom　and　killed　Kendra　in　the　struggle；〃　said　Auntie　Muriel　thoughtfully。　〃Shake　your　head　all　you　like；　Elphias。　You　were　at　Ariana's　funeral；　were　you　not？〃
〃Yes　I　was；〃　said　Doge；　through　trembling　lips；〃　and　a　more　desperately　sad　occasion　I　cannot　remember。　Albus　was　heartbroken…〃
〃His　heart　wasn't　the　only　thing。　Didn't　Aberforth　break　Albus'　nose　halfway　through　the　service？〃
If　Doge　had　looked　horrified　before　this；　it　was　nothing　to　how　he　looked　now。　Muriel　might　have　stabbed　him。　She　cackled　loudly　and　took　another　swig　of　champagne；　which　dribbled　down　her　chin。
〃How　do　you　…？〃　croaked　Doge。
〃My　mother　was　friendly　with　old　Bathilda　Bagshot；〃　said　Auntie　Muriel　happily。　〃Bathilda　described　the　whole　thing　to　mother　while　I　was　listening　at　the　door。　A　coffin…side　brawl。　The　way　Bathilda　told　it；　Aberforth　shouted　that　it　was　all　Albus'　fault　that　Ariana　was　dead　and　then　punched　him　in　the　fac