哈利波特7__哈利波特与死圣英文版-第47部分

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　red…haired　figure　appeared　between　the　trees。　Every　time　Harry　imitated　her；　looked　around　（　for　he　could　not　help　hoping　a　little；　himself）　and　saw　nothing　but　rain…swept　woods；　another　little　parcel　of　fury　exploded　inside　him。　He　could　hear　Ron　saying；　〃We　thought　you　knew　what　you　were　doing！〃；　and　he　resumed　packing　with　a　hard　knot　in　the　pit　of　his　stomach。
The　muddy　river　beside　them　was　rising　rapidly　and　would　soon　spill　over　onto　their　bank。　They　had　lingered　a　good　hour　after　they　would　usually　have　departed　their　campsite。　Finally　having　entirely　repacked　the　beaded　bag　three　times；　Hermione　seemed　unable　to　find　any　more　reasons　to　delay：　She　and　Harry　gasped　hands　and　Disapparated；　reappearing　on　a　windswept　heather…covered　hillside。　The　instant　they　arrived；　Hermione　dropped　Harry's　hand　and　walked　away　from　him；　finally　sitting　down　on　a　large　rock；　her　face　on　her　knees；　shaking　with　what　he　knew　were　sobs。　He　watched　her；　supposing　that　he　ought　to　go　and　comfort　her；　but　something　kept　him　rooted　to　the　spot。　Everything　inside　him　felt　cold　and　tight：　Again　he　saw　the　contemptuous　expression　on　Ron's　face。　Harry　strode　off　through　the　heather；　walking　in　a　large　circle　with　the　distraught　Hermione　at　its　center；　casting　the　spell　she　usually　performed　to　ensure　their　protection。
They　did　not　discuss　Ron　at　all　over　the　next　few　days。　Harry　was　determined　never　to　mention　his　name　again　and　Hermione　seemed　to　know　that　it　was　no　use　forcing　the　issue；　although　sometimes　at　night　when　she　thought　he　was　sleeping；　he　would　hear　her
crying。　Meanwhile　Harry　had　started　bringing　out　the　Marauder's　map　and　examining　it　by　wandlight。　He　was　waiting　for　the　moment　when　Ron's　labeled　dot　would　reappear　in　the　corridors　of　Hogwarts；　proving　that　he　had　returned　to　the　comfortable　castle；　protected　by　his　status　of　pureblood。　However；　Ron　did　not　appear　on　the　map　and　after　a　while　Harry　found　himself　taking　it　out　simply　to　stare　at　Ginny's　name　in　the　girl's　dormitory；　wondering　whether　the　intensity　with　which　he　gazed　at　it　might　break　into　her　sleep；　that　she　would　somehow　know　he　was　thinking　about　her；　hoping　that　she　was　all　right。
By　day；　hey　devoted　themselves　to　trying　to　determine　the　possible　locations　of　Gryffindor's　sword；　but　the　more　they　talked　about　the　places　in　which　Dumbledore　might　have　hidden　it；　the　more　desperate　and　far…fetched　their　speculation　became。　Cudgel　his　brains　though　he　might；　Harry　could　not　remember　Dumbledore　ever　mentioning　a　place　in　which　he　might　hide　something。　There　were　moments　when　he　did　not　know　whether　he　was　angrier　with　Ron　or　with　Dumbledore。　We　thought　you　knew　what　you　were　doing　。。。We　thought　Dumbledore　had　told　you　what　to　do　。。。　We　thought　you　had　a　real　plan！
He　could　not　hide　it　from　himself：　Ron　had　been　right。　Dumbledore　had　left　him　with　virtually　nothing。　They　had　discovered　one　Horcrux；　but　they　had　no　means　of　destroying　it：　The　others　were　as　unattainable　as　they　had　ever　been。　Hopelessness　threatened　to　engulf　him。　He　was　staggered　now　to　think　of　his　own　presumption　in　accepting　his　friends'　offers　to　accompany　him　on　this　meandering；　pointless　journey。　he　knew　nothing；　he　had　no　ideas；　and　he　was　constantly；　painfully　on　the　alert　for　any　indications　that　Hermione　too　was　about　to　tell　him　that　she　had　had　enough。　That　she　was　leaving。
They　were　spending　many　evenings　in　near　silence　and　Hermione　took　to　bringing　out　Phineas　Nigellus's　portrait　and　propping　it　up　in　a　chair；　as　though　he　might　fill　part　of　the　gaping　hole　left　by　Ron's　departure。　Despite　his　previous　assertion　that　he　would　never　visit　them　again；　Phineas　Nigellus　did　not　seem　able　to　resist　the　chance　to　find　out　more　about　what　Harry　was　up　to　and　consented　to　reappear；　blindfolded；　every　few　days　of　so。　Harry　was　even　glad　to　see　him；　because　he　was　company；　albeit　of　a　snide　and　taunting　kind。　They　relished　any　news　about　what　was　happening　at　Hogwarts；　though　Phineas　Nigellus　was　not　an　ideal　informer。　He　venerated　Snape；　the　first　Slytherin　headmaster　since　he　himself　had　controlled　the　school；　and　they　had　to　be　careful　not　to　criticize　or　ask　impertinent　questions　about　Snape；　or　Phineas　Nigellus　would　instantly　leave　his　painting。
However；　he　did　let　drop　certain　snippets。　Snape　seemed　to　be　facing　a　constant；　low　level　of　mutiny　from　a　hard　core　of　students。　Ginny　had　been　banned　from　going　into　Hogsmeade。　Snape　had　reinstated　Umbridge's　old　decree　forbidding　gatherings　of　three　or　more　students　or　any　unofficial　student　societies。　From　all　of　these　things；　Harry　deduced　that　Ginny；　and　probably　Neville　and　Luna　along　with　her；　had　been　doing　their　best　to　continue　Dumbledore's　Army。　This　scant　news　made　Harry　want　to　see　Ginny　so　badly　it　felt　like　a　stomachache；　but　it　also　made　him　think　of　Ron　again；　and　of　Dumbledore；　and　of　Hogwarts　itself；　which　he　missed　nearly　as　much　as　his　ex…girlfriend。　Indeed；　as　Phineas　Niggellus　talked　about　Snape's　crackdown；　Harry　experienced　a　split　second　of　madness　when　he　imagined　simply　going　back　to　school　to　join　the　destabilization　of　Snape's　regime：　Being　fed　and　having　a　soft　bad；　and　other　people
being　in　charge；　seemed　the　most　wonderful　prospect　in　the　world　at　this　moment。　But　then　he　remembered　that　he　was　Undesirable　Number　One；　that　there　was　a　ten…thousand　Galleon　price　on　his　head；　and　that　to　walk　into　Hogwarts　these　days　was　just　as　dangerous　as　walking　into　the　Ministry　of　Magic。　Indeed；　Phineas　Nigellus　inadvertently　emphasized　this　fact　my　slipping　in　leading　questions　about　Harry　and　Hermione's　whereabouts。　Hermione　shoved　him　back　inside　the　beaded　bag　every　time　he　did　this；　and　Phineas　Nigellus　invariably　refused　to　reappear　for　several　days　after　these　unceremonious　good…byes。
The　weather　grew　colder　and　colder。　They　did　not　dare　remain　in　any　area　too　long；　so　rather　than　staying　in　the　south　of　England；　where　a　hard　ground　frost　was　the　worst　of　their　worries；　they　continued　to　meander　up　and　down　the　country；　braving　a　mountainside；　where　sleet　pounded　the　tent；　a　wide；　flat　marsh；　where　the　tent　was　flooded　with　chill　water；　and　a　tiny　island　in　the　middle　of　a　Scottish　loch；　where　snow　half　buried　the　tent　in　the　night。　They　had　already　spotted　Christmas　Trees　twinkling　from　several　sitting　room　windows　before　there　came　an　evening　when　Harry　resolved　to　suggest　again；　what　seemed　to　him　the　only　unexplored　avenue　left　to　them。　They　had　just　eaten　an　unusually　good　meal：　Hermione　had　been　to　a　supermarket　under　the　Invisibility　Cloak　（scrupulously　dropping　the　money　into　an　open　till　as　she　left）；　and　Harry　thought　that　she　might　be　more　persuadable　than　usual　on　a　stomach　full　of　spaghetti　Bolognese　and　tinned　pears。
He　had　also　had　the　foresight　to　suggest　that　they　take　a　few　hours'　break　from　wearing　the　Horcrux；　which　was　hanging　over　the　end　of　the　bunk　beside　him。
〃Hermione？〃
〃Hmm？〃　She　was　curled　up　in　one　of　the　sagging　armchairs　with　iThe　Tales　of　Beedle　the　Bardi。　He　could　not　imagine　how　much　more　she　could　get　out　of　the　book；　which　was　not；　after　all；　very　long；　but　evidently　she　was　still　deciphering　something　in　it；　because　iSpellman's　Syllabaryi　lay　open　on　the　arm　of　the　chair。
Harry　cleared　his　throat。　He　felt　exactly　as　he　had　done　on　the　occasion；　several　years　previously；　when　he　had　asked　Professor　McGonagall　whether　he　could　go　into　Hogsmeade；　despite　the　fact　that　he　had　not　persuaded　the　Dursleys　to　sign　his　permission　slip。
〃Hermione；　I've　been　thinking；　and　…〃
〃Harry；　could　you　help　me　with　something？〃　Apparently　she　had　not　been　listening　to　him。　She　leaned　forward　and　held　out　iThe　Tales　of　Beedle　the　Bard。i
〃Look　at　that　symbol；〃　she　said；　pointing　to　the　top　of　a　page。　Above　what　Harry　assumed　was　the　title　of　the　story　（being　unable　to　read　runes；　he　could　not　be　sure）；　there　was　a　picture　of　what　looked　like　a　triangular　eye；　its　pupil　crossed　with　a　vertical　line。
〃I　never　took　Ancient　Runes；　Hermione。〃
〃I　know　that；　but　it　isn't　a　rune　and　it's　not　in　the　syllabary；　either。　All　along　I　thought　it　was　a　picture　of　an　eye；　but　I　don't　think　it　is！　It's　been　inked　in；　look；　somebody's　drawn　it　there；　it　isn't　really　part　of　the　book。　Think；　have　you　ever　seen　it　before？〃　〃No　。　。　。　No；　wait　a　moment。〃　Harry　looked　closer。　〃Isn't　it　the　same　symbol　Luna's　dad　was　wearing　round　his　neck？〃
〃Well；　that's　what　I　thought　too！〃　〃Then　it's　Grindelwald's　mark。〃
She　stared　at　him；　openmouthed。
〃iWhat？i〃
〃Krum　told　me　。　。　。〃　He　recounted　the　story　that　Viktor　Krum　had　told　him　at　the　wedding。　Hermione　looked　astonished。
〃iGrindelwald'si　mark？〃
She　looked　from　Harry　to　the　weird　symbol　and　back　again。　〃I've　never　heard　that　Grindelwald　had　a　mark。　There's　no　mention　of　it　in　anything　I've　ever　read　about　him。〃
〃Well；　like　I　say；　Krum　reckoned　that　symbol　was　carved　on　a　wall　at　Durmstrang；　and　Grindelwald　put　it　there。〃　She　fell　back　into　the　old　armchair；　frowning。
〃That's　very　odd。　If　it's　a　symbol　of　Dark　Magic；　what's　it　doing　in　a　book　of　children's　stories？〃
〃Yeah；　it　is　weird；〃　said　Harry。　〃And　you'd　think　Scrimgeour　would　have　recognized　it。　He　was　Minister；　he　ought　to　have　been　expert　on　Dark　stuff。〃　〃I　know。　。　。　。　Perhaps　he　thought　it　was　an　eye；　just　like　I　did。　All　the　other　stories　have　little　pictures　over　the　titles。〃　She　did　not　speak；　but　continued　to　pore　over　the　strange　mark。　Harry　tried　again。
〃Hermione？〃
〃Hmm？〃
〃I've　been　thinking。　I　…　I　want　to　go　to　Godric's　Hollow。〃
She　looked　up　at　him；　but　her　eyes　were　unfocused；　and　he　was　sure　she　was　still　thinking　about　the　mysterious　mark　on　the　book。
〃Yes；〃　she　said。　〃Yes；　I've　been　wondering　that　too。　I　really　think　we'll　have　to。〃
〃Did　you　hear　me　right？〃　he　asked。
〃Of　course　I　did。　You　want　to　go　to　Godric's　Hollow。　I　agree。　I　think　we　should。　I　mean；　I　can't　think　of　anywhere　else　it　could　be　either。　It'll　be　dangerous；　but　the　more　I　think　about　it；　the　more　likely　it　seems　it's　there。〃　〃Er　…　iwhat'si　there？〃　asked　Harry。
At　that；　she　looked　just　as　bewildered　as　he　felt。
〃Well；　the　sword；　Harry！　Dumbledore　must　have　known　you'd　want　to　go　back　there；　and　I　mean；　Godric's　Hollow　is　Godric　Gryffindor's　birthplace　…〃
〃Really？　Gryffindor　came　from　Godric's　Hollow？〃　〃Harry；　did　you