哈利波特7__哈利波特与死圣英文版-第54部分

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ster！
No　doubt　those　determined　to　keep　Dumbledore　on　his　crumbling　pedestal　will　bleat　that　he　did　not；　after　all；　put　his　plans　into　action；　that　he　must　have　suffered　a　change　of　heart；　that　he　came　to　his　senses。　However；　the　truth　seems　altogether　more　shocking。
Barely　two　months　into　their　great　new　friendship；　Dumbledore　and　Grindelwald　parted；　never　to　see　each　other　again　until　they　met　for　their　legendary　duel　（for　more；　see　chapter　22）。　What　caused　this　abrupt　rupture？　iHadi　Dumbledore　come　to　his　senses？　Had　he　told　Grindelwald　he　wanted　no　more　part　in　his　plans？　Alas；　no。
〃It　was　poor　little　Ariana　dying；　I　think；　that　did　it；〃　says　Bathilda。　〃It　came　as　an　awful　shock。　Gellert　was　there　in　the　house　when　it　happened；　and　he　came　back　to　my　house　all　of　a　dither；　told　me　he　wanted　to　go　home　the　next　day。　Terribly　distressed；　you　know。　So　I　arranged　a　Portkey　and　that　was　the　last　I　saw　of　him。
〃Albus　was　beside　himself　at　Ariana's　death。　It　was　so　dreadful　for　those　two　brothers。　They　had　lost　everybody　except　for　each　other。　No　wonder　tempers　ran　a　little　high。　Aberforth　blamed　Albus；　you　know；　as　people　will　under　these　dreadful　circumstances。　But　Aberforth　always　talked　a　little　madly；　poor　boy。　All　the　same；　breaking　Albus's　nose　at　the　funeral　was　not　decent。　It　would　have　destroyed　Kendra　to　see　her　sons　fighting　like　that；　across　her　daughter's　body。　A　shame　Gellert　could　not　have　stayed　for　the　funeral。　。　。　。　He　would　have　been　a　comfort　to　Albus；　at　least。　。　。　。
This　dreadful　coffin…side　brawl；　known　only　to　those　few　who　attended　Ariana　Dumbledore's　funeral；　raises　several　questions。　Why　exactly　did　Aberforth　Dumbledore　blame　Albus　for　his　sister's　death？　Was　it；　as　〃Batty〃　pretends；　a　mere　effusion　of　grief？　Or　could　there　have　been　some　more　concrete　reason　for　his　fury？　Grindelwald；　expelled　from　Durmstrang　for　the　near…fatal　attacks　upon　fellow　students；　fled　the　country　hours　after　the　girl's　death；　and　Albus　（out　of　shame　or　fear？）　never　saw　him　again；　not　until　forced　to　do　so　by　the　pleas　of　the　Wizarding　world。
Neither　Dumbledore　nor　Grindelwald　ever　seems　to　have　referred　to　this　brief　boyhood　friendship　in　later　life。　However；　there　can　be　no　doubt　that　Dumbledore　delayed；　for　some　five　years　of　turmoil；　fatalities；　and　disappearances；　his　attack　upon　Gellert　Grindelwald。　Was　it　lingering　affection　for　the　man　or　fear　of　exposure　as　his　once　best　friend　that　caused　Dumbledore　to　hesitate？　Was　it　only　reluctantly　that　Dumbledore　set　out　to　capture　the　man　he　was　once　so　delighted　he　had　met？
And　how　did　the　mysterious　Ariana　die？　Was　she　the　inadvertent　victim　of　some　Dark　rite？　Did　she　stumble　across　something　she　ought　not　to　have　done；　as　the　two　young　men　sat　practicing　for　their　attempt　at　glory　and　domination？　Is　it　possible　that　Ariana　Dumbledore　was　the　first　person　to　die　〃for　the　greater　good〃？
The　chapter　ended　here　and　Harry　looked　up。　Hermione　had　reached　the　bottom　of　the　page　before　him。　She　tugged　the　book　out　of　Harry's　hands；　looking　a　little　alarmed　by　his　expression；　and　closed　it　without　looking　at　it；　as　though　hiding　something　indecent。
〃Harry　a150a150〃
But　he　shook　his　head。　Some　inner　certainty　had　crashed　down　inside　him；　it　was　exactly　as　he　had　felt　after　Ron　left。　He　had　trusted　Dumbledore；　believed　him　the　embodiment　of　goodness　and　wisdom。　All　was　ashes：　How　much　more　could　he　lose？　Ron；　Dumbledore；　the　phoenix　wand　。　。　。
〃Harry。〃　She　seemed　to　have　heard　his　thoughts。　〃Listen　to　me。　It　a150a150　it　doesn't　make　a　very　nice　reading　a150a150〃
〃Yeah；　you　could　say　that　a150a150〃
〃a150a150　but　don't　forget；　Harry；　this　is　Rita　Skeeter　writing。〃
〃You　did　read　that　letter　to　Grindelwald；　didn't　you？〃
〃Yes；　I　a150a150　I　did。〃　She　hesitated；　looking　upset；　cradling　her　tea　in　her　cold　hands。　〃I　think　that's　the　worst　bit。　I　know　Bathilda　thought　it　was　all　just　talk；　but　'For　the　Greater　Good'　became　Grindelwald's　slogan；　his　justification　for　all　the　atrocities　he　committed　later。　And　。　。　。　from　that　。　。　。　it　looks　like　Dumbledore　gave　him　the　idea。　They　say　'For　the　Greater　Good'　was　even　carved　over　the　entrance　to　Nurmengard。〃
〃What's　Nurmengard？〃
〃The　prison　Grindelwald　had　built　to　hold　his　opponents。　He　ended　up　in　there　himself；　once　Dumbledore　had　caught　him。　Anyway；　it's　a150a150　it's　an　awful　thought　that　Dumbledore's　ideas　helped　Grindelwald　rise　to　power。　But　on　the　other　hand；　even　Rita　can't　pretend　that　they　knew　each　other　for　more　than　a　few　months　one　summer　when　they　were　both　really　young；　and　a150a150〃
〃I　thought　you'd　say　that；〃　said　Harry。　He　did　not　want　to　let　his　anger　spill　out　at　her；　but　it　was　hard　to　keep　his　voice　steady。　〃I　thought　you'd　say　'They　were　young。'　They　were　the　same　age　as　we　are　now。　And　here　we　are；　risking　our　lives　to　fight　the　Dark　Arts；　and　there　he　was；　in　a　huddle　with　his　new　best　friend；　plotting　their　rise　to　power　over　the　Muggles。〃
His　temper　would　not　remain　in　check　much　longer：　He　stood　up　and　walked　around；　trying　to　work　some　of　it　off。
〃I'm　not　trying　to　defend　what　Dumbledore　wrote；〃　said　Hermione。　〃All　that　'right　to　rule'　rubbish；　it's　'Magic　Is　Might'　all　over　again。　But　Harry；　his　mother　had　just　died；　he　was　stuck　alone　in　the　house　a150a150〃
〃Alone？　He　wasn't　alone！　He　had　his　brother　and　sister　for　company；　his　Squib　sister　he　was　keeping　locked　up　a150a150〃
〃I　don't　believe　it；〃　said　Hermione。　She　stood　up　too。　〃Whatever　was　wrong　with　that　girl；　I　don't　think　she　was　a　Squib。　The　Dumbledore　we　knew　would　never；　ever　have　alloweda150a150〃
〃The　Dumbledore　we　thought　we　knew　didn't　want　to　conquer　Muggles　by　force！〃　Harry　shouted；　his　voice　echoing　across　the　empty　hilltop；　and　several　blackbirds　rose　into　the　air；　squawking　and　spiraling　against　the　pearly　sky。
〃He　changed；　Harry；　he　changed！　It's　as　simple　as　that！　Maybe　he　did　believe　these　things　when　he　was　seventeen；　but　the　whole　of　the　rest　of　his　life　was　devoted　to　fighting　the　Dark　Arts！　Dumbledore　was　the　one　who　stopped　Grindelwald；　the　one　who
always　voted　for　Muggle　protection　and　Muggle　born　rights；　who　fought　You…Know…Who　from　the　start；　and　who　died　trying　to　bring　him　down！〃
Rita's　book　lay　on　the　ground　between　them；　so　that　the　face　of　Albus　Dumbledore　smiled　dolefully　at　both。
〃Harry；　I'm　sorry；　but　I　think　the　real　reason　you're　so　angry　is　that　Dumbledore　never　told　you　any　of　this　himself。〃
〃Maybe　I　am！〃　Harry　bellowed；　and　he　flung　his　arms　over　his　head；　hardly　knowing　whether　he　was　trying　to　hold　in　his　anger　or　protect　himself　from　the　weight　of　his　own　disillusionment。　〃Look　what　he　asked　from　me；　Hermione！　Risk　your　life；　Harry！　And　again！　And　again！　And　don't　expect　me　to　explain　everything；　just　trust　me　blindly；　trust　that　I　know　what　I'm　doing；　trust　me　even　though　I　don't　trust　you！　Never　the　whole　truth！　Never！〃
His　voice　cracked　with　the　strain；　and　they　stood　looking　at　each　other　in　the　whiteness　and　emptiness；　and　Harry　felt　they　were　as　insignificant　as　insects　beneath　that　wide　sky。
〃He　loved　you；〃　Hermione　whispered。　〃I　know　he　loved　you。〃
Harry　dropped　his　arms。
〃I　don't　know　who　he　loved；　Hermione；　but　it　was　never　me。　This　isn't　love；　the　mess　he's　left　me　in。　He　shared　a　damn　sight　more　of　what　he　was　really　thinking　with　Gellert　Grindelwald　than　he　ever　shared　with　me。〃
Harry　picked　up　Hermione's　wand；　which　he　had　dropped　in　the　snow；　and　sat　back　down　in　the　entrance　of　the　tent。
〃Thanks　for　the　tea。　I'll　finish　the　watch。　You　get　back　in　the　warm。〃
She　hesitated；　but　recognized　the　dismissal。　She　picked　up　the　book　and　then　walked　back　past　him　into　the　tent；　but　as　she　did　so；　she　brushed　the　top　of　his　head　lightly　with　her　hand。　He　closed　his　eyes　at　her　touch；　and　hated　himself　for　wishing　that　what　she　said　was　true：　that　Dumbledore　had　really　cared。

pC0=〃Chapter　Nineteen：　The　Silver　Doe〃
bChapter　Nineteen
iThe　Silver　Doeib
It　was　snowing　by　the　time　Hermione　took　over　the　watch　at　midnight。　Harry's　dreams　were　confused　and　disturbing：　Nagini　wove　in　and　out　of　them；　first　through　a　wreath　of　Christmas　roses。　He　woke　repeatedly；　panicky；　convinced　that　somebody　had　called　out　to　him　in　the　distance；　imagining　that　the　wind　whipping　around　the　tent　was　footsteps　or　voices。
Finally　he　got　up　in　the　darkness　and　joined　Hermione；　who　was　huddled　in　the　entrance　to　the　tent　reading　iA　History　of　Magici　by　the　light　of　her　wand。　The　snow　was　falling　thickly；　and　she　greeted　with　relief　his　suggestion　of　packing　up　early　and　moving　on。
〃We'll　somewhere　more　sheltered；〃　she　agreed；　shivering　as　she　pulled　on　a　sweatshirt　over　her　pajamas。　〃I　kept　thinking　I　could　hear　people　moving　outside。　I　even　though　I　saw　somebody　one　or　twice。〃
Harry　paused　in　the　act　of　pulling　on　a　jumper　and　glanced　at　the　silent；　motionless　Sneakoscope　on　the　table。
〃I'm　sure　I　imagined　it；〃　said　Hermione；　looking　nervous。　〃The　snow　the　dark；　it　plays　tricks　on　your　eyes。。。。　But　perhaps　we　ought　to　Disapparate　under　the　Invisibility　Cloak；　just　in　case？〃
Half　an　hour　later；　with　the　tent　packed；　Harry　wearing　the　Horcrux；　and　Hermione　clutching　the　beaded　bag；　they　Disapparated。　The　usual　tightness　engulfed　them；　Harry's　feet　parted　company　with　the　snowy　ground；　then　slammed　hard　onto　what　felt　like　frozen　earth　covered　in　leaves。
〃Where　are　we？〃　he　asked；　peering　around　at　the　fresh　mass　of　trees　as　Hermione　opened　the　beaded　bag　and　began　tugging　out　the　tent　poles。
〃The　Forest　of　Dean；〃　she　said；　〃I　came　camping　here　once　with　my　mum　and　dad。〃
Here　too　snow　lay　on　the　trees　all　around　and　it　was　bitterly　cold；　but　they　were　at　least　protected　from　the　wind。　They　spent　most　of　the　day　inside　the　tent；　huddled　for　warmth　around　the　useful　bright　blue　flames　that　Hermione　was　adept　at　producing；　and　which　could　be　scooped　up　and　carried　in　a　jar。　Harry　felt　as　though　he　was　recuperating　from　some　brief　but　severe；　an　impression　reinforced　by　Hermione's　solicitousness。　That　afternoon　fresh　flakes　drifted　down　upon　them；　so　that　even　their　sheltered　clearing　had　a　fresh　dusting　of　powdery　snow。
After　two　nights　of　little　sleep；　Harry's　senses　seemed　more　alert　than　usual。　Their　escape　from　Godric's　Hollow　had　been　so　narrow　that　Voldemort　seemed　somehow　close