哈利波特7__哈利波特与死圣英文版-第53部分

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　back；　that　it　was　all　part　of　some　secret　path　laid　out　for　them　by　Dumbledore：　but　there　was　no　map；　no　plan。　Dumbledore　had　left　them　to　grope　in　the　darkness；　to　wrestle　with　unknown　and　undreamed…of　terrors；　alone　and　unaided：　Nothing　was　explained；　nothing　was　given　freely；　they　had　no　sword；　and　now；　Harry　had　no　wand。　And　he　had　dropped　the　photograph　of　the　thief；　and　it　would　surely　be　easy　now　for　Voldemort　to　find　out　who　he　was　。　。　。
Voldemort　had　all　the　information　now　。　。　。
〃Harry？〃
Hermione　looked　frightened　that　he　might　curse　her　with　her　own　wand。　Her　face　streaked　with　tears；　she　crouched　down　beside　him；　two　cups　of　tea　trembling　in　her　hands　and　something　bulky　under　her　arm。
〃Thanks；〃　he　said；　taking　one　of　the　cups。
〃Do　you　mind　if　I　talk　to　you？〃
〃No；〃　he　said　because　he　did　not　want　to　hurt　her　feelings。
〃Harry；　you　wanted　to　know　who　that　man　in　the　picture　was。　Well　。　。　。　I've　got　the　book。〃
Timidly　she　pushed　it　onto　his　lap；　a　pristine　copy　of　iThe　Life　and　Lies　of　Albus　Dumbledorei。
〃Where　a150a150　how　a150a150　？〃
〃It　was　in　Bathilda's　sitting　room；　just　lying　there。　。　。　。　This　note　was　sticking　out　of　the　top　of　it。〃
Hermione　read　the　few　lines　of　spiky；　acid…green　writing　aloud。
〃　'iDear　Bally；　Thanks　for　your　help。　Here's　a　copy　of　the　book；　hope　you　like　it。　You　said　everything；　even　if　you　don't　remember　it。　Rita。i'　I　think　it　must　have　arrived　while　the　real　Bathilda　was　alive；　but　perhaps　she　wasn't　in　any　fit　state　to　read　it？〃
〃No；　she　probably　wasn't。〃
Harry　looked　down　upon　Dumbledore's　face　and　experienced　a　surge　of　savage　pleasure：　Now　he　would　know　if　all　the　things　that　Dumbledore　had　never　thought　it　worth　telling　him；　whether　Dumbledore　wanted　him　to　or　not。
〃You're　still　really　angry　at　me；　aren't　you？〃　said　Hermione；　he　looked　up　to　see　fresh　tears　leaking　out　of　her　eyes；　and　knew　that　his　anger　must　have　shown　in　his　face。
〃No；〃　he　said　quietly。　〃No；　Hermione；　I　know　it　was　an　accident。　You　were　trying　to　get　us　out　of　there　alive；　and　you　were　incredible。　I'd　be　dead　if　you　hadn't　been　there　to　help　me。〃
He　tried　to　return　her　watery　smile；　then　turned　his　attention　to　the　book。　Its　spine　was　stiff；　it　had　clearly　never　been　opened　before。　He　riffled　through　the　pages；　looking　for　photographs。　He　came　across　the　one　he　sought　almost　at　once；　the　young　Dumbledore　and　his　handsome　companion；　roaring　with　laughter　at　some　long…forgotten　joke。　Harry　dropped　his　eyes　to　the　caption。
cAlbus　Dumbledore；　shortly　after　his　mother's　death；
With　his　friend　Gellert　Grindelwald。
cHarry　gaped　at　the　last　word　for　several　long　moments。　Grindelwald。　His　friend　Grindelwald。　He　looked　sideways　at　Hermione；　who　was　still　contemplating　the　name　as　though　she　could　not　believe　her　eyes。　Slowly　she　looked　up　at　Harry。
〃iGrindelwald！i〃
Ignoring　the　remainder　of　the　photographs；　Harry　searched　the　pages　around　them　for　a　recurrence　of　that　fatal　name。　He　soon　discovered　it　and　read　greedily；　but　became　lost：　It　was　necessary　to　go　farther　back　to　make　sense　of　it　all；　and　eventually　he　found　himself　at　the　start　of　a　chapter　entitled　〃The　Greater　Good。〃　Together；　he　and　Hermione　started　to　read：
Now　approaching　his　eighteenth　birthday；　Dumbledore　left　Hogwarts　in　a　blaze　of　glory　a150a150　Head　Boy；　Prefect；　Winner　of　the　Barnabus　Finkley　Prize　for　Exceptional　Spell…Casting；　British　Youth　Representative　to　the　Wizengamot；　Gold　Medal…Winner　for　Ground…Breaking　Contribution　to　the　International　Alchemical　Conference　in　Cairo。　Dumbledore　intended；　next；　to　take　a　Grand　Tour　with　Elphias　〃Dogbreath〃　Doge；　the　dim…witted　but　devoted　sidekick　he　had　picked　up　at　school。
The　two　young　men　were　staying　at　the　Leaky　Cauldron　in　London；　preparing　to　depart　for　Greece　the　following　morning；　when　an　owl　arrived　bearing　news　of　Dumbledore's　mother's　death。　〃Dogbreath〃　Doge；　who　refused　to　be　interviewed　for　this　book；　has　given　the　public　his　own　sentimental
version　of　what　happened　next。　He　represents　Kendra's　death　as　a　tragic　blow；　and　Dumbledore's　decision　to　give　up　his　expedition　as　an　act　of　noble　self…sacrifice。
Certainly　Dumbledore　returned　to　Godric's　Hollow　at　once；　supposedly　to　〃care〃　for　his　younger　brother　and　sister。　But　how　much　care　did　he　actually　give　them？
〃He　were　a　head　case；　that　Aberforth；〃　said　Enid　Smeek；　whose　family　lived　on　the　outskirts　of　Godric's　Hollow　at　that　time。　〃Ran　wild。　'Course；　with　his　mum　and　dad　gone　you'd　have　felt　sorry　for　him；　only　he　kept　chucking　goat　dung　at　my　head。　I　don't　think　Albus　was　fussed　about　him。　I　never　saw　them　together；　anyway。〃
So　what　was　Albus　doing；　if　not　comforting　his　wild　young　brother？　The　answer；　it　seems；　is　ensuring　the　continued　imprisonment　of　his　sister。　For　though　her　first　jailer　had　died；　there　was　no　change　in　the　pitiful　condition　of　Ariana　Dumbledore。　Her　very　existence　continued　to　be　known　only　to　those　few　outsiders　who；　like　〃Dogbreath〃　Doge；　could　be　counted　upon　to　believe　in　the　story　of　her　〃ill　health。〃
Another　such　easily　satisfied　friend　of　the　family　was　Bathilda　Bagshot；　the　celebrated　magical　historian　who　has　lived　in　Godric's　Hollow　for　many　years。　Kendra；　of　course；　had　rebuffed　Bathilda　when　she　first　attempted　to　welcome　the　family　to　the　village。　Several　years　later；　however；　the　author　sent　an　owl　to　Albus　at　Hogwarts；　having　been　favorably　impressed　by　his　paper　on　trans…species　transformation　in　iTransfiguration　Todayi。　This　initial　contract　led　to　acquaintance　with　the　entire　Dumbledore　family。　At　the　time　of　Kendra's　death；　Bathilda　was　the　only　person　in　Godric's　Hollow　who　was　on　speaking　terms　with　Dumbledore's　mother。
Unfortunately；　the　brilliance　that　Bathilda　exhibited　earlier　in　her　life　has　now　dimmed。　〃The　fire's　lit；　but　the　cauldron's　empty；〃　as　Ivor　Dillonsby　put　it　to　me；　or；　in　Enid　Smeek's　slightly　earthier　phrase；　〃She's　nutty　as　squirrel　poo。〃　Nevertheless；　a　combination　of　tried…and…tested　reporting　techniques　enabled　me　to　extract　enough　nuggets　of　hard　fact　to　string　together　the　whole　scandalous　story。
Like　the　rest　of　the　Wizarding　world；　Bathilda　puts　Kendra's　premature　death　down　to　a　backfiring　charm；　a　story　repeated　by　Albus　and　Aberforth　in　later　years。　Bathilda　also　parrots　the　family　line　on　Ariana；　calling　her　〃frail〃　and　〃delicate。〃　On　one　subject；　however；　Bathilda　is　well　worth　the　effort　I　put　into　procuring　Veritaserum；　for　she；　and　she　alone；　knows　the　full　story　of　the　best…kept　secret　of　Albus　Dumbledore's　life。　Now　revealed　for　the　first　time；　it　calls　into　question　everything　that　his　admirers　believed　of　Dumbledore：　his　supposed　hatred　of　the　Dark　Arts；　his　opposition　into　the　oppression　of　Muggles；　even　his　devotion　to　his　own　family。
The　very　same　summer　that　Dumbledore　went　home　to　Godric's　Hollow；　now　an　orphan　and　head　of　the　family；　Bathilda　Bagshot　agreed　to　accept　into　her　home　her　great…nephew；　Gellert　Grindelwald。
The　name　of　Grindelwald　is　justly　famous：　In　a　list　of　Most　Dangerous　Dark　Wizards　of　All　Time；　he　would　miss　out　on　the　top　spot　only　because　You…
Know…Who　arrived；　a　generation　later；　to　steal　his　crown。　As　Grindelwald　never　extended　his　campaign　of　terror　to　Britain；　however；　the　details　of　his　rise　to　power　are　not　widely　known　here。
Educated　at　Durmstrang；　a　school　famous　even　then　for　its　unfortunate　tolerance　of　the　Dark　Arts；　Grindelwald　showed　himself　quite　as　precociously　brilliant　as　Dumbledore。　Rather　than　channel　his　abilities　into　the　attainment　of　awards　and　prizes；　however；　Gellert　Grindelwald　devoted　himself　no　other　pursuits。　At　sixteen　years　old；　even　Durmstrang　felt　it　could　no　longer　turn　a　blind　eye　to　the　twisted　experiments　of　Gellert　Grindelwald；　and　he　was　expelled。
Hitherto；　all　that　has　been　known　of　Grindelwald's　next　movements　is　that　he　〃traveled　around　for　some　months。〃　It　can　now　be　revealed　that　Grindelwald　chose　to　visit　his　great…aunt　in　Godric's　Hollow；　and　that　there；　intensely　shocking　though　it　will　be　for　many　to　hear　it；　he　struck　up　a　close　friendship　with　none　other　than　Albus　Dumbledore。
〃He　seemed　a　charming　boy　to　me；〃　babbles　Bathilda；　〃whatever　he　became　later。　Naturally　I　introduced　him　to　poor　Albus；　who　was　missing　the　company　of　lads　his　own　age。　The　boys　took　to　each　other　at　once。〃
They　certainly　did。　Bathilda　shows　me　a　letter；　kept　by　her　that　Albus　Dumbledore　sent　Gellert　Grindelwald　in　the　dead　of　night。
〃Yes；　even　after　they'd　spent　all　day　in　discussion　a150a150　both　such　brilliant　young　boys；　they　got　on　like　a　cauldron　on　fire　a150a150　I'd　sometimes　hear　an　owl　tapping　at　Gellert's　bedroom　window；　delivering　a　letter　from　Albus！　An　idea　would　have　struck　him　and　he　had　to　let　Gellert　know　immediately！〃
And　what　ideas　they　were。　Profoundly　shocking　though　Albus　Dumbledore's　fans　will　find　it；　here　are　the　thoughts　of　their　seventeen…year…old　hero；　as　relayed　to　his　new　best　friend。　（A　copy　of　the　original　letter　may　be　seen　on　page　463。）
iGellert　a150a150
Your　point　about　Wizard　dominance　being　FOR　THE　MUGGLES'　OWN　GOOD　a150a150　this；　I　think；　is　the　crucial　point。　Yes；　we　have　been　given　power　and　yes；　that　power　gives　us　the　right　to　rule；　but　it　also　gives　us　responsibilities　over　the　ruled。　We　must　stress　this　point；　it　will　be　the　foundation　stone　upon　which　we　build。　Where　we　are　opposed；　as　we　surely　will　be；　this　must　be　the　basis　of　all　our　counterarguments。　We　seize　control　FOR　THE　GREATER　GOOD。　And　from　this　it　follows　that　where　we　meet　resistance；　we　must　use　only　the　force　that　is　necessary　and　no　more。　（This　was　your　mistake　at　Durmstrang！　But　I　do　not　complain；　because　if　you　had　not　been　expelled；　we　would　never　have　met。）
Albusi
Astonished　and　appalled　though　his　many　admirers　will　be；　this　letter　constitutes　the　Statute　of　Secrecy　and　establishing　Wizard　rule　over　Muggles。　What　a　blow　for　those　who　have　always　portrayed　Dumbledore　as　the　Muggle…borns'　greatest　champion！　How　hollow　those　speeches　promoting　Muggle　rights
seem　in　the　light　of　this　damning　new　evidence！　How　despicable　does　Albus　Dumbledore　appear；　busy　plotting　his　rise　to　power　when　he　should　have　been　mourning　his　mother　and　caring　for　his　sister！
No　doubt　those　determined　to　keep　Dumbledore　on　his　crumbling　pedestal　will　bleat　that　he　did