哈利波特7__哈利波特与死圣英文版-第62部分

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〃Exactly；〃　said　Xenophilius；　as　if　he　had　defeated　them　all　in　reasoned　argument。　〃None　of　you　have　ever　seen　such　a　thing。　The　possessor　would　be　immeasurably　rich；　would　he　not？〃
He　glanced　out　of　the　window　again。　The　sky　was　now　tinged　with　the　faintest　trace　of　pink。
〃All　right；〃　said　Hermione；　disconcerted。　〃Say　the　Cloak　existed。　。　。　what　about　that　stone；　Mr。　Lovegood？　The　thing　you　call　the　Resurrection　Stone？〃
〃What　of　it？〃
〃Well；　how　can　that　be　real？〃
〃Prove　that　is　not；〃　said　Xenophilius。
Hermione　looked　outraged。
〃But　that's　…　I'm　sorry；　but　that's　completely　ridiculous！　How　can　I　ipossiblyi　prove　it　doesn't　exist？　Do　you　expect　me　to　get　hold　of　…　of　all　the　pebbles　in　the　world　and　test　them？　I　mean；　you　could　claim　that　ianything'si　real　if　the　only　basis　for　believing　in　it　is　that　nobody's　iprovedi　it　doesn't　exist！〃
〃Yes；　you　could；〃　said　Xenophilius。　〃I　am　glad　to　see　that　you　are　opening　your　mind　a　little。〃
〃So　the　Elder　Wand；〃　said　Harry　quickly；　before　Hermione　could　retort；　〃you　think　that　exists　too？〃
〃Oh；　well；　in　that　case　there　is　endless　evidence；〃　said　Xenophilius。　〃The　Elder　Wand　is　the　Hallow　that　is　most　easily　traced；　because　of　the　way　in　which　it　passes　from　hand　to　hand。〃
〃Which　is　what？〃　asked　Harry。
〃Which　is　that　the　possessor　of　the　wand　must　capture　it　from　its　previous　owner；　if　he　is　to　be　truly　master　of　it；〃　said　Xenophilius。　〃Surely　you　have　heard　of　the　way　the　wand　came　to　Egbert　the　Egregious；　after　his　slaughter　of　Emeric　the　Evil？　Of　how　Godelot　died　in　his　own　cellar　after　his　son；　Hereward；　took　the　wand　from　him？　Of　the　dreadful　Loxias；　who　took　the　wand　from　Baraabas　Deverill；　whom　he　had　killed？　The　bloody　trail　of　the　Elder　Wand　is　splattered　across　the　pages　of　Wizarding　history。〃
Harry　glanced　at　Hermione。　She　was　frowning　at　Xenophilius；　but　she　did　not　contradict　him。
〃So　where　do　you　think　the　Elder　Wand　is　now？〃　asked　Ron。
〃Alas；　who　knows？〃　said　Xenophilius；　as　he　gazed　out　of　the　window。　〃Who　knows　where　the　Elder　Wand　lies　hidden？　The　trail　goes　cold　with　Arcus　and　Livius。　Who　can　say　which　of　them　really　defeated　Loxias；　and　which　took　the　wand？　And　who　can　say　who　may　have　defeated　them？　History；　alas；　does　not　tell　us。〃
There　was　a　pause。　Finally　Hermione　asked　stiffly；　〃Mr。　Lovegood；　does　the　Peverell　family　have　anything　to　do　with　the　Deathly　Hallows？〃
Xenophilius　looked　taken　aback　as　something　shifted　in　Harry's　memory；　but　he　could　not　locate　it。　Peverell。　。　。　he　had　heard　that　name　before。　。　。
〃But　you　have　been　misleading　me；　young　woman！〃　said　Xenophilius；　now　sitting　up　much　straighter　in　his　chair　and　goggling　at　Hermione。　〃I　thought　you　were　new　to　the　Hallows　Quest！　Many　of　us　Questers　believe　that　the　Peverells　have　everything　…　ieverything！i　…　to　do　with　the　Hallows！〃
〃Who　are　the　Peverells？〃　asked　Ron。
〃That　was　the　name　on　the　grave　with　the　mark　on　it；　in　Godric's　Hollow；〃　said　Hermione；　still　watching　Xenophilius。　〃Ignotus　Peverell。〃
〃Exactly！〃　said　Xenophilius；　his　forefinger　raised　pedantically。　〃The　sign　of　the　Death　Hallows　on　Ignotus's　grave　is　conclusive　proof！〃
〃Of　what？〃　asked　Ron。
〃Why；　that　the　three　brothers　in　the　story　were　actually　the　three　Peverell　brothers；　Antioch；　Cadmus　and　Ignotus！　That　they　were　the　original　owners　of　the　Hallows！〃
With　another　glance　at　the　window　he　got　to　his　feet；　picked　up　the　tray；　and　headed　for　the　spiral　staircase。
〃You　will　stay　for　dinner？〃　he　called；　as　he　vanished　downstairs　again。　〃Everybody　always　requests　our　recipe　for　Freshwater　Plimply　soup。〃
〃Probably　to　show　the　Poisoning　Department　at　St。　Mungo's；〃　said　Ron　under　his　breath。
Harry　waited　until　they　could　hear　Xenophilius　moving　about　in　the　kitchen　downstairs　before　speaking。
〃What　do　you　think？〃　he　asked　Hermione。
〃Oh；　Harry；〃　she　said　wearily；　〃it's　a　pile　of　utter　rubbish。　This　can't　be　what　the　sign　really　means。　This　must　just　be　his　weird　take　on　it。　What　a　waste　of　time。〃
〃I　s'pose　this　iisi　the　man　who　brought　us　Crumple…Horned　Snorkacks；〃　said　Ron。
〃You　didn't　believe　it　either？〃　Harry　asked　him。
〃Nah；　that　story's　just　one　of　those　things　you　tell　kids　to　teach　them　lessons；　isn't　it？　'Don't　go　looking　for　trouble；　don't　go　pick　fights；　don't　go　messing　around　with　stuff　that's　best　left　alone！　Just　keep　your　head　down；　mind　your　own　business；　and　you'll　be　okay。　Come　to　think　of　it；〃　Ron　added；　〃maybe　that　story's　why　elder　wands　are　supposed　to　be　unlucky。〃
〃What　are　you　talking　about？〃
〃One　of　those　superstitions；　isn't　it？　'May…born　witches　will　marry　Muggles。'　'Jinx　by　twilight；　undone　by　midnight。'　'Wand　of　cider；　never　prosper。'　You　must　have　heard　them。　My　mum's　full　of　them。〃
〃Harry　and　I　were　raised　by　Muggles；〃　Hermione　reminded　him。　〃We　were　taught　different　superstitions。〃　She　sighed　deeply　as　a　rather　pungent　smell　drifted　up　from　the　kitchen。　The　one　good　thing　about　her　exasperation　with　Xenophilius　was　that　it　seemed　to　have　made　her　forget　that　she　was　annoyed　at　Ron。　〃I　think　you're　right；〃　she　told　him。　〃It's　just　a　morality　tale；　it's　obvious　which　gift　is　best；　which　one　you'd　choose　…〃
The　three　of　them　spoke　at　the　same　time：　Hermione　said；　〃the　Cloak；〃　Ron　said；　〃the　wand；〃　and　Harry　said；　〃the　stone。〃
They　looked　at　each　other；　half　surprised；　half　amused。
〃You're　isupposedi　to　say　the　Cloak；〃　Ron　told　Hermione；　〃but　you　wouldn't　need　to　be　invisible　if　you　had　the　wand。　An　iunbeatable　wandi；　Hermione；　come　on！〃
〃We've　already　got　an　Invisibility　Cloak；〃　said　Harry；　〃And　it's　helped　us　rather　a　lot；　in　case　you　hadn't　noticed！〃　said　Hermione。　〃Whereas　the　wand　would　be　bound　to　attract　troublea150a150〃　〃Only　if　you　shouted　about　it；〃　argued　Ron。　〃Only　if　you　were　prat　enough　to　go　dancing　around　waving　it　over　your　head；　and　singing；　'I've　got　an　unbeatable　want；　come　and　have　a　go　if　you　think　you're　hard　enough。'　As　long　as　you　kept　your　trap　shut　a150a150〃　…Yes；　but　could　you　keep　your　trap　shut？〃　said　Hermione；　looking　skeptical。　〃You　know　the　only　true　thing　he　said　to　us　was　that　there　have　been　stories　about　extra…powerful　wands　for　hundreds　of　years。〃　〃There　have？〃　asked　Harry。　Hermione　looked　exasperated：　The　expression　was　so　endearingly　familiar　that　Harry　and　Ron　grinned　at　each　other。　〃The　Deathstick；　the　Wand　of　Destiny；　they　crop　up　under　different　names　through　the　centuries；　usually　in　the　possession　of　some　Dark　wizard　who's　boasting　about　them。　Professor　Binns　mentioned　some　of　them；　but　a150a150　oh　it's　all　nonsense。　Wands　are　only　as　powerful　as　the　wizards　who　use　them。　Some　wizards　just　like　to　boast　that　theirs　are　bigger　and　better　than　other　people's〃
〃But　how　do　you　know；〃　said　Harry；　〃that　those　wants　a150a150　the　Deathstick；　and　the　Wand　of　Destiny　a150a150　aren't　the　same　want；　surfacing　over　the　centuries　under　different　names？〃　〃What　if　they're　all　really　the　Elder　Wand；　made　by　Death？〃　said　Ron。　Harry　laughed：　The　strange　idea　that　had　occurred　to　him　was　after　all；　ridiculous。　His　wand；　he　reminded　himself；　had　been　of　holly；　not　elder；　and　it　had　been　made　by　Ollivander；　whatever　it　had　done　that　night　Voldemort　had　pursued　him　across　the　skies　and　if　it　had　been　unbeatable；　how　could　it　have　been　broken？　〃So　why　would　you　take　the　stone？〃　Ron　asked　him。　〃Well；　if　you　could　bring　people　back；　we　could　have　Sirius。。。Mad…Eye。。。Dumbledore。。。my　parents。。。〃　Neither　Ron　nor　Hermione　smiled。　〃But　according　to　Beedle　the　Bard；　they　wouldn't　want　to　come　back；　would　they？〃　said　Harry；　thinking　about　the　tail　they　had　just　heard。　〃I　don't　suppose　there　have　been　loads　of　other　stories　about　a　stone　that　can　raise　the　dead；　have　there？：　he　asked　Hermione。　〃No；〃　she　replied　sadly。　〃I　don't　think　anyone　except　Mr。　Lovegood　could　kid　themselves　that's　possible。　Beedle　probably　took　the　idea　from　the　Sorcerer's　Stone；　you　know；　instead　of　a　stone　to　make　you　immortal；　a　stone　to　reverse　death。〃　The　smell　from　the　kitchen　was　getting　stronger。　It　was　something　like　burning　underpants。　Harry　wondered　whether　it　would　be　possible　to　eat　enough　of　whatever　Xenophilius　was　cooking　to　spare　his　feelings。　〃What　about　the　Cloak；　though？〃　said　Ron　slowly。　〃Don't　you　realize；　he's　right？　I've　got　so　used　to　Harry's　Cloak　and　how　good　it　is；　I　never　stopped　to　think。　I've　never　heard　of　one　like　Harry's。　It's　infallible。　We've　never　been　spotted　under　it　a150a150〃　〃Of　course　not　a150a150　we're　invisible　when　we're　under　it；　Ron！〃　〃But　all　the　stuff　he　said　about　other　cloaks；　and　they're　not　exactly　ten　a　Knut；　you　know；　is　true！　It's　never　occurred　to　me　before　but　I've　heard　stuff　about　charms　wearing　off　cloaks　when　they　get　old；　or　them　being　ripped　apart　by　spells　so　they've　got　holes；　Harry's　was　owned　by　his　dad；　so　it's　not　exactly　new；　is　it；　but　it's　just　。。。　perfect！〃　〃Yes；　all　right；　but　Ron；　the　stone。。。〃　As　they　argued　in　whispers；　Harry　moved　around　the　room；　only　half　listening。　Reaching　the　spiral　stair；　he　raised　his　eyes　absently　to　the　next　level　and　was　distracted　at　once。　His　own　face　was　looking　back　at　him　from　the　ceiling　of　the　room　above。　After　a　moment's　bewilderment；　he　realized　that　it　was　not　a　mirror；　but　a　painting。　Curious；　he　began　to　clime　the　stairs。　〃Harry；　what　are　you　doing？　I　don't　think　you　should　look　around　when　he's　not　here！〃　But　Harry　had　already　reached　the　next　level。　Luna　had　decorated　her　bedroom　ceiling　with　five　beautifully　painted　faces：　Harry；　Ron；　Hermione；　Ginny；　and　Neville。　They　were　not　moving　as　the　portraits　at　Hogwarts　moved；　but　there　was　a　certain　magic　about　them　all　the　same。　Harry　thought　they　breathed。　What　appeared　to　be　a　fine　golden　chains　wove　around　the　pictures　linking　them　together；　but　after　examining　them　for　a　minute　or　so；　Harry　realized　that　the　chains　were　actually　one　work　repeated　a　thousand　times　in　golden　ink：　friends。。。　friends。。。　friends。。。　Harry　felt　a　great　rush　of　affection　for　Luna。　He　looked　around　the　room。　There　was　a　large　photograph　beside　the　bed；　of　a　young　Luna　and　a　woman　who　looked　very　like　her。　They　were　hugging。　Luna　looked　rather　better…groomed　in　this　picture　than　Harry　had　ever　seen　her　in　life。　The　picture　was　dusty。　This　struck　Harry　as　slightly　odd。　He　stared
around。　Something　was　wrong。　The　pale　blue　carpet　was　also　thick