jkrowling.harrypotterandgf-第10节

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　　　Percy　went　slightly　pink。
　　　〃You　might　sneer；　Ron；〃　he　said　heatedly；　〃but　unless　some　sort　of　international　law　is　imposed　we　might　well　find　the　market　flooded　with　flimsy；　shallow…bottomed　products　that　seriously　endanger…〃
　　　〃Yeah；　yeah；　all　right；〃　said　Ron；　and　he　started　off　upstairs　again。　Percy　slammed　his　bedroom　door　shut。　As　Harry；　Hermione；　and　Ginny　followed　Ron　up　three　more　flights　of　stairs；　shouts　from　the　kitchen　below　echoed　up　to　them。　It　sounded　as　though　Mr。　Weasley　had　told　Mrs。　Weasley　about　the　toffees。
　　　The　room　at　the　top　of　the　house　where　Ron　slept　looked　much　as　it　had　the　last　time　that　Harry　had　e　to　stay：　the　same　posters　of　Ron's　favorite　Quidditch　team；　the　Chudley　Cannons；　were　whirling　and　waving　on　the　walls　and　sloping　ceiling；　and　the　fish　tank　on　the　windowsill；　which　had　previously　held　frog　spawn；　now　contained　one　extremely　large　frog。　Ron's　old　rat；　Scabbers；　was　here　no　more；　but　instead　there　was　the　tiny　gray　owl　that　had　delivered　Ron's　letter　to　Harry　in　Privet　Drive。　It　was　hopping　up　and　down　in　a　small　cage　and　twittering　madly。
　　　〃Shut　up；　Pig；〃　said　Ron；　edging　his　way　between　two　of　the　four　beds　that　had　been　squeezed　into　the　room。　〃Fred　and　George　are　in　here　with　us；　because　Bill　and　Charlie　are　in　their　room；〃　he　told　Harry。　〃Percy　gets　to　keep　his　room　all　to　himself　because　he's　got　to　work。〃
　　　〃Er…why　are　you　calling　that　owl　Pig？〃　Harry　asked　Ron。
　　　〃Because　he's　being　stupid；〃　said　Ginny；　〃Its　proper　name　is　Pigwidgeon。〃
　　　〃Yeah；　and　that's　not　a　stupid　name　at　all；〃　said　Ron　sarcastically。　〃Ginny　named　him；〃　he　explained　to　Harry。　〃She　reckons　it's　sweet。　And　I　tried　to　change　it；　but　it　was　too　late；　he　won't　answer　to　anything　else。　So　now　he's　Pig。　I've　got　to　keep　him　up　here　because　he　annoys　Errol　and　Hermes。　He　annoys　me　too；　e　to　that。
　　　Pigwidgeon　zoomed　happily　around　his　cage；　hooting　shrilly。　Harry　knew　Ron　too　well　to　take　him　seriously。　He　had　moaned　continually　about　his　old　rat；　Scabbers；　but　had　been　most　upset　when　Hermione's　cat；　Crookshanks；　appeared　to　have　eaten　him。
　　　〃Where's　Crookshanks？〃　Harry　asked　Hermione　now。
　　　〃Out　in　the　garden；　I　expect；〃　she　said。　〃He　likes　chasing　gnomes。　He's　never　seen　any　before。〃
　　　〃Percy's　enjoying　work；　then？〃　said　Harry；　sitting　down　on　one　of　the　beds　and　watching　the　Chudley　Cannons　zooming　in　and　out　of　the　posters　on　the　ceiling。
　　　〃Enjoying　it？〃　said　Ron　darkly。　〃I　don't　reckon　he'd　e　home　if　Dad　didn't　make　him。　He's　obsessed。　Just　don't　get　him　onto　the　subject　of　his　boss。　According　to　Mr。　Crouch　。。。as　I　was　saying　to　Mr。　Crouch　。。。Mr。　Crouch　is　of　the　opinion　。。。Mr。　Crouch　was　telling　me　。。。They'll　be　announcing　their　engagement　any　day　now。〃
　　　〃Have　you　had　a　good　summer；　Harry？〃　said　Hermione。　〃Did　you　get　our　food　parcels　and　everything？〃
　　　〃Yeah；　thanks　a　lot；　〃　said　Harry。　〃They　saved　my　life；　those　cakes。
　　　〃And　have　you　heard　from　…？〃　Ron　began；　but　at　a　look　from　Hermione　he　fell　silent。　Harry　knew　Ron　had　been　about　to　ask　about　Sirius。　Ron　and　Hermione　had　been　so　deeply　involved　in　helping　Sirius　escape　from　the　Ministry　of　Magic　that　they　were　almost　as　concerned　about　Harry's　godfather　as　he　was。　However；　discussing　him　in　front　of　Ginny　was　a　bad　idea。　Nobody　but　themselves　and　Professor　Dumbledore　knew　about　how　Sirius　had　escaped；　or　believed　in　his　innocence。
　　　〃I　think　they've　stopped　arguing；〃　said　Hermione；　to　cover　the　awkward　moment；　because　Ginny　was　looking　curiously　from　Ron　to　Harry。　〃Shall　we　go　down　and　help　your　mum　with　dinner？〃
　　　〃Yeah；　all　right；〃　said　Ron。　The　four　of　them　left　Ron's　room　and　went　back　downstairs　to　find　Mrs。　Weasley　alone　in　the　kitchen；　looking　extremely　bad…tempered。
　　　〃We're　eating　out　in　the　garden；〃　she　said　when　they　came　in。　〃There's　just　not　room　for　eleven　people　in　here。　Could　you　take　the　plates　outside；　girls？　Bill　and　Charlie　are　setting　up　the　tables。　Knives　and　forks；　please；　you　two；〃　she　said　to　Ron　and　Harry；　pointing　her　wand　a　little　more　vigorously　than　she　had　intended　at　a　pile　of　potatoes　in　the　sink；　which　shot　out　of　their　skins　so　fast　that　they　ricocheted　off　the　walls　and　ceiling。
　　　〃Oh　for　heaven's　sake；〃　she　snapped；　now　directing　her　wand　at　a　dustpan；　which　hopped　off　the　sideboard　and　started　skating　across　the　floor；　scooping　up　the　potatoes。　〃Those　two！〃　she　burst　out　savagely；　now　pulling　pots　and　pans　out　of　a　cupboard；　and　Harry　knew　she　meant　Fred　and　George。　I　don't　know　what's　going　to　happen　to　them；　I　really　don't。　No　ambition；　unless　you　count　making　as　much　trouble　as　they　possibly　can。。。〃
　　　Mrs。　Weasley　slammed　a　large　copper　saucepan　down　on　the　kitchen　table　and　began　to　wave　her　wand　around　inside　it。　A　creamy　sauce　poured　from　the　wand　tip　as　she　stirred。
　　　〃It's　not　as　though　they　haven't　got　brains；　she　continued　irritably；　taking　the　saucepan　over　to　the　stove　and　lighting　it　with　a　further　poke　of　her　wand；　〃but　they're　wasting　them；　and　unless　they　pull　themselves　together　soon；　they'll　be　in　real　trouble。　I've　had　more　owls　from　Hogwarts　about　them　than　the　rest　put　together。　If　they　carry　on　the　way　they're　going；　they'll　end　up　in　front　of　the　Improper　Use　of　Magic　Office。〃
　　　Mrs。　Weasley　jabbed　her　wand　at　the　cutlery　drawer；　which　shot　open。　Harry　and　Ron　both　jumped　out　of　the　way　as　several　knives　soared　out　of　it；　flew　across　the　kitchen；　and　began　chopping　the　potatoes；　which　had　just　been　tipped　back　into　the　sink　by　the　dustpan。
　　　〃I　don't　know　where　we　went　wrong　with　them；〃　said　Mrs。　Weasley；　putting　down　her　wand　and　starting　to　pull　out　still　more　saucepans。　〃It's　been　the　same　for　years；　one　thing　after　another；　and　they　won't　listen　to…OH　NOT　AGAIN！〃
　　　She　had　picked　up　her　wand　from　the　table；　and　it　had　emitted　a　loud　squeak　and　turned　into　a　giant　rubber　mouse。
　　　〃One　of　their　fake　wands　again！〃　she　shouted。　〃How　many　times　have　I　told　them　not　to　leave　them　lying　around？〃
　　　She　grabbed　her　real　wand　and　turned　around　to　find　that　the　sauce　on　the　stove　was　smoking。
　　　〃C'mon；〃　Ron　said　hurriedly　to　Harry；　seizing　a　handful　of　cutlery　from　the　open　drawer；　〃let's　go　and　help　Bill　and　Charlie。〃
　　　They　left　Mrs。　Weasley　and　headed　out　the　back　door　into　the　yard。
　　　They　had　only　gone　a　few　paces　when　Hermione's　bandy…legged　ginger　cat；　Crookshanks；　came　pelting　out　of　the　garden；　bottle…brush　tail　held　high　in　the　air；　chasing　what　looked　like　a　muddy　potato　on　legs。　Harry　recognized　it　instantly　as　a　gnome。　Barely　ten　inches　high；　its　horny　little　feet　pattered　very　fast　as　it　sprinted　across　the　yard　and　dived　headlong　into　one　of　the　Wellington　boots　that　lay　scattered　around　the　door。　Harry　could　hear　the　gnome　giggling　madly　as　Crookshanks　inserted　a　paw　into　the　boot；　trying　to　reach　it。　Meanwhile；　a　very　loud　crashing　noise　was　ing　from　the　other　side　of　the　house。　The　source　of　the　motion　was　revealed　as　they　entered　the　garden；　and　saw　that　Bill　and　Charlie　both　had　their　wands　out；　and　were　making　two　battered　old　tables　fly　high　above　the　lawn；　smashing　into　each　other；　each　attempting　to　knock　the　other's　out　of　the　air。　Fred　and　George　were　cheering；　Ginny　was　laughing；　and　Hermione　was　hovering　near　the　hedge；　apparently　torn　between　amusement　and　anxiety。
　　　Bill's　table　caught　Charlie's　with　a　huge　bang　and　knocked　one　of　its　legs　off。　There　was　a　clatter　from　overhead；　and　they　all　looked　up　to　see　Percy's　head　poking　out　of　a　window　on　the　second　floor。
　　　〃Will　you　keep　it　down？！〃　he　bellowed。
　　　〃Sorry；　Perce；〃　said　Bill；　grinning。　〃How're　the　cauldron　bottoms　ing　on？〃
　　　〃Very　badly；〃　said　Percy　peevishly；　and　he　slammed　the　window　shut。　Chuckling；　Bill　and　Charlie　directed　the　tables　safely　onto　the　grass；　end　to　end；　and　then；　with　a　flick　of　his　wand；　Bill　reattached　the　table　leg　and　conjured　tablecloths　from　nowhere。
　　　By　seven　o'clock；　the　two　tables　were　groaning　under　dishes　and　dishes　of　Mrs。　Weasley's　excellent　cooking；　and　the　nine　Weasleys；　Harry；　and　Hermione　were　settling　themselves　down　to　eat　beneath　a　clear；　deep…blue　sky。　To　somebody　who　had　been　living　on　meals　of　increasingly　stale　cake　all　summer；　this　was　paradise；　and　at　first；　Harry　listened　rather　than　talked　as　he　helped　himself　to　chicken　and　ham　pie；　boiled　potatoes；　and　salad。
　　　At　the　far　end　of　the　table；　Percy　was　telling　his　father　all　about　his　report　on　cauldron　bottoms。
　　　〃I've　told　Mr。　Crouch　that　I'll　have　it　ready　by　Tuesday；〃　Percy　was　saying　pompously。　〃That's　a　bit　sooner　than　he　expected　it；　but　I　like　to　keep　on　top　of　things。　I　think　he'll　be　grateful　I've　done　it　in　good　time；　I　mean；　its　extremely　busy　in　our　department　just　now；　what　with　all　the　arrangements　for　the　World　Cup。　We're　just　not　getting　the　support　we　need　from　the　Department　of　Magical　Games　and　Sports。　Ludo　Bagman…〃
　　　〃I　like　Ludo；〃　said　Mr。　Weasley　mildly。　〃He　was　the　one　who　got　us　such　good　tickets　for　the　Cup。　I　did　him　a　bit　of　a　favor：　His　brother；　Otto；　got　into　a　spot　of　trouble…a　lawnmower　with　unnatural　powers…I　smoothed　the　whole　thing　over。〃
　　　〃Oh　Bagman's　likable　enough；　of　course；〃　said　Percy　dismissively；　〃but　how　he　ever　got　to　be　Head　of　Department　。。。when　I　pare　him　to　Mr。　Crouch！　I　can't　see　Mr。　Crouch　losi