哈利波特7__哈利波特与死圣英文版-第48部分

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　Godric　Gryffindor's　birthplace　…〃
〃Really？　Gryffindor　came　from　Godric's　Hollow？〃　〃Harry；　did　you　ever　even　open　iA　History　of　Magici？〃
〃Erm；〃　he　said；　smiling　for　what　felt　like　the　first　time　in　months：　The　muscles　in　his　face　felt　oddly　stiff。　〃I　might've　opened　it；　you　know；　when　I　bought　it　。　。　。　just　the　once。　。　。　。〃
〃Well；　as　the　village　is　named　after　him　I'd　have　thought　you　might　have　made　the　connection；〃　said　Hermione。　She　sounded　much　more　like　her　old　self　than　she　had　done　of　late；　Harry　half　expected　her　to　announce　that　she　was　off　to　the　library。　〃There's　a　bit　about　the　village　in　iA　History　of　Magici；　wait　。　。　。〃
She　opened　the　beaded　bag　and　rummaged　for　a　while；　finally　extracting　her　copy　of　their　old　school　textbook；　iA　History　of　Magici　by　Bathilda　Bagshot；　which　she　thumbed　through　until　finding　the　page　she　wanted。
〃i'Upon　the　signature　of　the　International　Statute　of　Secrecy　in　1689；　wizards　went　into　hiding　for　good。　It　was　natural；　perhaps；　that　they　formed　their　own　small　communities　within　a　community。　Many　small　villages　and　hamlets　attracted　several　magical　families；　who　banded　together　for　mutual　support　and　protection。　The　villages　of　Tinworsh　in　Cornwall；　Upper　Flagley　in　Yorkshire；　and　Ottery　St。　Catchpole　on　the　south　coast　of　England　were　notable　homes　to　knots　of　Wizarding　families　who　lived　alongside　tolerant　and　sometimes　Confunded　Muggles。　Most　celebrated　of　these　half…magical　dwelling　places　is；　perhaps；　Godric's　Hollow；　the　West　Country　village　where　the　great　wizard　Godric　Gryffindor　was　born；　and　where　Bowman　Wright；　Wizarding　smith；　forged　the　first　Golden　Snitch。　The　graveyard　is　full　of　the　names　of　ancient　magical　families；　and　this　accounts；　no　doubt；　for　the　stories　of　hauntings　that　have　dogged　the　little　church　beside　it　for　many　centuries。'i
〃You　and　your　parents　aren't　mentioned。〃　Hermione　said；　closing　the　book；　〃because　Professor　Bagshot　doesn't　cover　anything　later　than　the　end　of　the　nineteenth　century。　But　you　see？　Godric's　Hollow；　Godric　Gryffindor；　Gryffindor's　sword；　don't　you　think　Dumbledore　would　have　expected　you　to　make　the　connection？〃
〃Oh　yeah　。　。　。〃
Harry　did　not　want　to　admit　that　he　had　not　been　thinking　about　the　sword　at　all　when　he　suggested　they　go　to　Godric's　Hollow。　For　him；　the　lore　of　the　village　lay　in　his　parents'　graves；　the　house　where　he　had　narrowly　escaped　death；　and　in　the　person　of　Bathilda　Bagshot。
〃Remember　what　Muriel　said？〃　he　asked　eventually。
〃Who？〃
〃You　know；〃　he　hesitated。　He　did　not　want　to　say　Ron's　name。　〃Ginny's　great…aunt。　At　the　wedding。　The　one　who　said　you　had　skinny　ankles。〃
〃Oh；〃　said　Hermione。　It　was　a　sticky　moment：　Harry　knew　that　she　had　sensed　Ron's　name　in　the　offing。　He　rushed　on：
〃She　said　Bathilda　Bagshot　still　lived　in　Godric's　Hollow。〃
〃Bathilda　Bagshot；〃　murmured　Hermione；　running　her　index　finger　over　Bathilda's　embossed　name　on　the　front　cover　of　iA　History　of　Magici。　〃Well；　I　suppose　…〃
She　gasped　so　dramatically　that　Harry's　insides　turned　over；　he　drew　his　wand；　looking　around　at　the　entrance；　half　expecting　to　see　a　hand　forcing　its　way　through　the　entrance　flap；　but　there　was　nothing　there。
〃What？〃　he　said；　half　angry；　half　relieved。　〃What　did　you　do　that　for？　I　thought　you'd　seen　a　Death　Eater　unzipping　the　tent；　at　least　…〃
〃Harry；　iwhat　if　Bathilda's　got　the　sword？i　What　if　Dumbledore　entrusted　it　to　her？〃
Harry　considered　this　possibility。　Bathilda　would　be　an　extremely　old　woman　by　now；　and　according　to　Muriel；　she　was　〃gaga。〃　Was　it　likely　that　Dumbledore　would　have　hidden　the　sword　of　Gryffindor　with　her？　If　so；　Harry　felt　that　Dumbledore　had　left　a　great　deal　to　chance：　Dumbledore　had　never　revealed　that　he　had　replaced　the　sword　with　a　fake；　nor　had　he　so　much　as　mentioned　a　friendship　with　Bathilda。　Now；　however；　was　not　the　moment　to　cast　doubt　on　Hermione's　theory；　not　when　she　was　so　surprisingly　willing　to　fall　in　with　Harry's　dearest　wish。
〃Yeah；　he　might　have　done！　So；　are　we　going　to　go　to　Godric's　Hollow？〃
〃Yes；　but　we'll　have　to　think　it　through　carefully；　Harry。〃　She　was　sitting　up　now；　and　Harry　could　tell　that　the　prospect　of　having　a　plan　again　had　lifted　her　mood　as　much　as　his。　〃We'll　need　to　practice　Disapparating　together　under　the　Invisibility　Cloak　for　a　start；　and　perhaps　Disillusionment　Charms　would　be　sensible　too；　unless　you　think　we　should　go　the　whole　hog　and　use　Polyjuice　Potion？　In　that　case　we'll　need　to　collect　hair　from　somebody。　I　actually　think　we'd　better　do　that；　Harry；　the　thicker　our　disguises　the　better。　。　。　。〃
Harry　let　her　talk；　nodding　and　agreeing　whenever　there　was　a　pause；　but　his　mind　had　left　the　conversation。　For　the　first　time　since　he　had　discovered　that　the　sword　in　Gringotts　was　a　fake；　he　felt　excited。
He　was　about　to　go　home；　about　to　return　to　the　place　where　he　had　had　a　family。　It　was　in　Godric's　Hollow　that；　but　for　Voldemort；　he　would　have　grown　up　and　spent　every　school　holiday。　He　could　have　invited　friends　to　his　house。　。　。　。　He　might　even　have　had　brothers　and　sisters。　。　。　。　It　would　have　been　his　mother　who　had　made　his　seventeenth　birthday　cake。　The　life　he　had　lost　had　hardly　ever　seemed　so　real　to　him　as　at　this　moment；　when　he　knew　he　was　about　to　see　the　place　where　it　had　been　taken　from　him。　After　Hermione　had　gone　to　bed　that　night；　Harry　quietly　extracted　his　rucksack　from　Hermione's　beaded　bag；　and　from　inside　it；　the　photograph　album　Hagrid　had　given　him　so　long　ago。　For　the　first　time　in　months；　he　perused　the　old　pictures　of　his　parents；　smiling　and　waving　up　at　him　from　the　images；　which　were　all　he　had　left　of　them　now。
Harry　would　gladly　have　set　out　for　Godric's　Hollow　the　following　day；　but　Hermione　had　other　ideas。　Convinced　as　she　was　that　Voldemort　would　expect　Harry　to　return　to　the　scene　of　his　parents'　deaths；　she　was　determined　that　they　would　set　off　only　after　they　had　ensured　that　they　had　the　best　disguises　possible。　It　was　therefore　a　full　week　later　…　once　they　had　surreptitiously　obtained　hairs　from　innocent　Muggles　who　were　Christmas　shopping；　and　had　practiced　Apparating　and　Disapparating　while　underneath　the　Invisibility　Cloak　together　…　that　Hermione　agreed　to　make　the　journey。
They　were　to　Apparate　to　the　village　under　cover　of　darkness；　so　it　was　late　afternoon　when　they　finally　swallowed　Polyjuice　Potion；　Harry　transforming　into　a　balding；　middle…aged　Muggle　man；　Hermione　into　his　small　and　rather　mousy　wife。　The　beaded　bag　containing　all　of　their　possessions　（apart　from　the　Horcrux；　which　Harry　was　wearing　around　his　neck）　was　tucked　into　an　inside　pocket　of　Hermione's　buttoned…up　coat。　Harry　lowered　the　Invisibility　Cloak　over　them；　then　they　turned　into　the　suffocating　darkness　once　again。
Heart　beating　in　his　throat；　Harry　opened　his　eyes。　They　were　standing　hand　in　hand　in　a　snowy　lane　under　a　dark　blue　sky；　in　which　the　night's　first　stars　were　already　glimmering　feebly。　Cottages　stood　on　either　side　of　the　narrow　road；　Christmas　decorations　twinkling　in　their　windows。　A　short　way　ahead　of　them；　a　glow　of　golden　streetlights　indicated　the　center　of　the　village。
〃All　this　snow！〃　Hermione　whispered　beneath　the　cloak。　〃Why　didn't　we　think　of　snow？　After　all　our　precautions；　we'll　leave　prints！　We'll　just　have　to　get　rid　of　them　…　you　go　in　front；　I'll　do　it　…〃
Harry　did　not　want　to　enter　the　village　like　a　pantomime　horse；　trying　to　keep　themselves　concealed　while　magically　covering　their　traces。
〃Let's　take　off　the　Cloak；〃　said　Harry；　and　when　she　looked　frightened；　〃Oh；　come　on；　we　don't　look　like　us　and　there's　no　one　around。〃
He　stowed　the　Cloak　under　his　jacket　and　they　made　their　way　forward　unhampered；　the　icy　air　stinging　their　faces　as　they　passed　more　cottages。　Any　one　of　them　might　have　been　the　one　in　which　James　and　Lily　had　once　lived　or　where　Bathilda　lived　now。　Harry　gazed　at　the　front　doors；　their　snow…burdened　roofs；　and　their　front　porches；　wondering　whether　he　remembered　any　of　them；　knowing　deep　inside　that　it　was　impossible；　that　he　had　been　little　more　than　a　year　old　when　he　had　left　this　place　forever。　He　was　not　even　sure　whether　he　would　be　able　to　see　the　cottage　at　all；　he　did　not　know　what　happened　when　the　subjects　of　a　Fidelius　Charm　died。　Then　the　little　lane　along　which　they　were　walking　curved　to　the　left　and　the　heart　of　the　village；　a　small　square；　was　revealed　to　them。
Strung　all　around　with　colored　lights；　there　was　what　looked　like　a　war　memorial　in　the　middle；　partly　obscured　by　a　windblown　Christmas　tree。　There　were　several　shops；　a　post　office；　a　pub；　and　a　little　church　whose　stained…glass　windows　were　glowing　jewel…bright　across　the　square。
The　snow　here　had　become　impacted：　It　was　hard　and　slippery　where　people　had　trodden　on　it　all　day。　Villagers　were　crisscrossing　in　front　of　them；　their　figures　briefly　illuminated　by　streetlamps。　They　heard　a　snatch　of　laughter　and　pop　music　as　the　pub　door　opened　and　closed；　then　they　heard　a　carol　start　up　inside　the　little　church。
〃Harry；　I　think　it's　Christmas　Eve！〃　said　Hermione。
〃Is　it？〃
He　had　lost　track　of　the　date；　they　had　not　seen　a　newspaper　for　weeks。
〃I'm　sure　it　is；〃　said　Hermione；　her　eyes　upon　the　church。　〃They　。　。　。　they'll　be　in　there；　won't　they？　Your　mum　and　dad？　I　can　see　the　graveyard　behind　it。〃
Harry　felt　a　thrill　of　something　that　was　beyond　excitement；　more　like　fear。　Now　that　he　was　so　near；　he　wondered　whether　he　wanted　to　see　after　all。　Perhaps　Hermione　knew　how　he　was　feeling；　because　she　reached　for　his　hand　and　took　the　lead　for　the　first　time；　pulling　him　forward。　Halfway　across　the　square；　however；　she　stopped　dead。
〃Harry；　look！〃
She　was　pointing　at　the　war　memorial。　As　they　had　passed　it；　it　had　transformed。　Instead　of　an　obelisk　covered　in　names；　there　was　a　statue　of　three　people：　a　man　with　untidy　hair　and　glasses；　a　woman　with　long　hair　and　a　kind；　pretty　face；　and　a　baby　boy　sitting　in　his　mother's　arms。　Snow　lay　upon　all　their　heads；　like　fluffy　white　caps。
Harry　drew　closer；　gazing　up　into　his　parents'　faces。　He　had　never　imagined　that　there　would　be　a　statue。　。　。　。　How　strange　it　was　to　see　himself　represented　in　stone；　a　happy　baby　without　a　scar　on　his　forehead。　。　。　。
〃C'mon；〃　said　Harry；　when　he　had　looked　his　fill；　and　th