jkrowling.harrypotterandgf-第29节

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nd　the　thick　curtain　of　rain。　Lightning　flashed　across　the　sky　as　their　carriage　came　to　a　halt　before　the　great　oak　front　doors；　which　stood　at　the　top　of　a　flight　of　stone　steps。　People　who　had　occupied　the　carriages　in　front　were　already　hurrying　up　the　stone　steps　into　the　castle。　Harry；　Ron；　Hermione；　and　Neville　jumped　down　from　their　carriage　and　dashed　up　the　steps　too；　looking　up　only　when　they　were　safely　inside　the　cavernous；　torch…lit　entrance　hall；　with　its　magnificent　marble　staircase。
　　　〃Blimey；〃　said　Ron；　shaking　his　head　and　sending　water　everywhere；　〃if　that　keeps　up　the　lake's　going　to　overflow。　I'm　soak…ARRGH！〃
　　　A　large；　red；　water…filled　balloon　had　dropped　from　out　of　the　ceiling　onto　Ron's　head　and　exploded。　Drenched　and　sputtering；　Ron　staggered　sideways　into　Harry；　just　as　a　second　water　bomb　dropped…narrowly　missing　Hermione；　it　burst　at　Harry's　feet；　sending　a　wave　of　cold　water　over　his　sneakers　into　his　socks。　People　all　around　them　shrieked　and　started　pushing　one　another　in　their　efforts　to　get　out　of　the　line　of　fire。　Harry　looked　up　and　saw；　floating　twenty　feet　above　them；　Peeves　the　Poltergeist；　a　little　man　in　a　bell…covered　hat　and　orange　bow　tie；　his　wide；　malicious　face　contorted　with　concentration　as　he　took　aim　again。
　　　〃PEEVES！〃　yelled　an　angry　voice。　〃Peeves；　e　down　here　at　ONCE！〃
　　　Professor　McGonagall；　Deputy　Headmistress　and　head　of　Gryffindor　House；　had　e　dashing　out　of　the　Great　Hall；　she　skidded　on　the　wet　floor　and　grabbed　Hermione　around　the　neck　to　stop　herself　from　falling。
　　　〃Ouch…sorry；　Miss　Granger…〃
　　　〃That's　all　right；　Professor！〃　Hermione　gasped；　massaging　her　throat。
　　　〃Peeves；　get　down　here　NOW！〃　barked　Professor　McGonagall；　straightening　her　pointed　hat　and　glaring　upward　through　her　square…rimmed　spectacles。
　　　〃Not　doing　nothing！〃　cackled　Peeves；　lobbing　a　water　bomb　at　several　fifth…year　girls；　who　screamed　and　dived　into　the　Great　Hall。　〃Already　wet；　aren't　they？　Little　squirts！　Wheeeeeeeeee！〃　And　he　aimed　another　bomb　at　a　group　of　second　years　who　had　just　arrived。
　　　〃I　shall　call　the　headmaster！〃　shouted　Professor　McGonagall。　〃I'm　warning　you；　Peeves…〃
　　　Peeves　stuck　out　his　tongue；　threw　the　last　of　his　water　bombs　into　the　air；　and　zoomed　off　up　the　marble　staircase；　cackling　insanely。
　　　〃Well；　move　along；　then！〃　said　Professor　McGonagall　sharply　to　the　bedraggled　crowd。　〃Into　the　Great　Hall；　e　on！〃
　　　Harry；　Ron；　and　Hermione　slipped　and　slid　across　the　entrance　hall　and　through　the　double　doors　on　the　right；　Ron　muttering　furiously　under　his　breath　as　he　pushed　his　sopping　hair　off　his　face。
　　　The　Great　Hall　looked　its　usual　splendid　self；　decorated　for　the　start…of…term　feast。　Golden　plates　and　goblets　gleamed　by　the　light　of　hundreds　and　hundreds　of　candles；　floating　over　the　tables　in　midair。　The　four　long　House　tables　were　packed　with　chattering　students；　at　the　top　of　the　Hall；　the　staff　sat　along　one　side　of　a　fifth　table；　facing　their　pupils。　It　was　much　warmer　in　here。　Harry；　Ron；　and　Hermione　walked　past　the　Slytherins；　the　Ravenclaws；　and　the　Hufflepuffs；　and　sat　down　with　the　rest　of　the　Gryffindors　at　the　far　side　of　the　Hall；　next　to　Nearly　Headless　Nick；　the　Gryffindor　ghost。　Pearly　white　and　semitransparent；　Nick　was　dressed　tonight　in　his　usual　doublet；　but　with　a　particularly　large　ruff；　which　served　the　dual　purpose　of　looking　extra…festive；　and　insuring　that　his　head　didn't　wobble　too　much　on　his　partially　severed　neck。
　　　〃Good　evening；〃　he　said；　beaming　at　them。
　　　〃Says　who？〃　said　Harry；　taking　off　his　sneakers　and　emptying　them　of　water。　〃Hope　they　hurry　up　with　the　Sorting。　I'm　starving。〃
　　　The　Sorting　of　the　new　students　into　Houses　took　place　at　the　start　of　every　school　year；　but　by　an　unlucky　bination　of　circumstances；　Harry　hadn't　been　present　at　one　since　his　own。　He　was　quite　looking　forward　to　it。　Just　then；　a　highly　excited；　breathless　voice　called　down　the　table。
　　　〃Hiya；　Harry！〃
　　　It　was　Colin　Creevey；　a　third　year　to　whom　Harry　was　something　of　a　hero。
　　　〃Hi；　Colin；〃　said　Harry　warily。
　　　〃Harry；　guess　what？　Guess　what；　Harry？　My　brother's　starting！　My　brother　Dennis！〃
　　　〃Er…good；〃　said　Harry。
　　　〃He's　really　excited！〃　said　Colin；　practically　bouncing　up　and　down　in　his　seat。　〃I　just　hope　he's　in　Gryffindor！　Keep　your　fingers　crossed；　eh；　Harry？〃
　　　〃Er…yeah；　all　right；〃　said　Harry。　He　turned　back　to　Hermione；　Ron；　and　Nearly　Headless　Nick。　〃Brothers　and　sisters　usually　go　in　the　same　Houses；　don't　they？〃　he　said。　He　was　judging　by　the　Weasleys；　all　seven　of　whom　had　been　put　into　Gryffindor。
　　　〃Oh　no；　not　necessarily；〃　said　Hermione。　〃Parvati　Patil's　twin's　in　Ravenclaw；　and　they're　identical。　You'd　think　they'd　be　together；　wouldn't　you？〃
　　　Harry　looked　up　at　the　staff　table。　There　seemed　to　be　rather　more　empty　seats　there　than　usual。　Hagrid；　of　course；　was　still　fighting　his　way　across　the　lake　with　the　first　years；　Professor　McGonagall　was　presumably　supervising　the　drying　of　the　entrance　hall　floor；　but　there　was　another　empty　chair　too；　and　Harry　couldn't　think　who　else　was　missing。
　　　〃Where's　the　new　Defense　Against　the　Dark　Arts　teacher？〃　said　Hermione；　who　was　also　looking　up　at　the　teachers。
　　　They　had　never　yet　had　a　Defense　Against　the　Dark　Arts　teacher　who　had　lasted　more　than　three　terms。　Harry's　favorite　by　far　had　been　Professor　Lupin；　who　had　resigned　last　year。　He　looked　up　and　down　the　staff　table。　There　was　definitely　no　new　face　there。
　　　〃Maybe　they　couldn't　get　anyone！〃　said　Hermione；　looking　anxious。
　　　Harry　scanned　the　table　more　carefully。　Tiny　little　Professor　Flitwick；　the　Charms　teacher；　was　sitting　on　a　large　pile　of　cushions　beside　Professor　Sprout；　the　Herbology　teacher；　whose　hat　was　askew　over　her　flyaway　gray　hair。　She　was　talking　to　Professor　Sinistra　of　the　Astronomy　department。　On　Professor　Sinistra's　other　side　was　the　sallow…faced；　hook…nosed；　greasy…haired　Potions　master；　Snape…Harry's　least　favorite　person　at　Hogwarts。　Harry's　loathing　of　Snape　was　matched　only　by　Snape's　hatred　of　him；　a　hatred　which　had；　if　possible；　intensified　last　year；　when　Harry　had　helped　Sirius　escape　right　under　Snape's　overlarge　nose…Snape　and　Sirius　had　been　enemies　since　their　own　school　days。
　　　On　Snape's　other　side　was　an　empty　seat；　which　Harry　guessed　was　Professor　McGonagall's。　Next　to　it；　and　in　the　very　center　of　the　table；　sat　Professor　Dumbledore；　the　headmaster；　his　sweeping　silver　hair　and　beard　shining　in　the　candlelight；　his　magnificent　deep　green　robes　embroidered　with　many　stars　and　moons。　The　tips　of　Dumbledore's　long；　thin　fingers　were　together　and　he　was　resting　his　chin　upon　them；　staring　up　at　the　ceiling　through　his　half…moon　spectacles　as　though　lost　in　thought。　Harry　glanced　up　at　the　ceiling　too。　It　was　enchanted　to　look　like　the　sky　outside；　and　he　had　never　seen　it　look　this　stormy。　Black　and　purple　clouds　were　swirling　across　it；　and　as　another　thunderclap　sounded　outside；　a　fork　of　lightning　flashed　across　it。
　　　〃Oh　hurry　up；〃　Ron　moaned；　beside　Harry；　〃I　could　eat　a　hippogriff。〃
　　　The　words　were　no　sooner　out　of　his　mouth　than　the　doors　of　the　Great　Hall　opened　and　silence　fell。　Professor　McGonagall　was　leading　a　long　line　of　first　years　up　to　the　top　of　the　Hall。　If　Harry；　Ron；　and　Hermione　were　wet；　it　was　nothing　to　how　these　first　years　looked。　They　appeared　to　have　swum　across　the　lake　rather　than　sailed。　All　of　them　were　shivering　with　a　bination　of　cold　and　nerves　as　they　filed　along　the　staff　table　and　came　to　a　halt　in　a　line　facing　the　rest　of　the　school…all　of　them　except　the　smallest　of　the　lot；　a　boy　with　mousy　hair；　who　was　wrapped　in　what　Harry　recognized　as　Hagrid's　moleskin　overcoat。　The　coat　was　so　big　for　him　that　it　hooked　as　though　he　were　draped　in　a　furry　black　circus　tent。　His　small　face　protruded　from　over　the　collar；　looking　almost　painfully　excited。　When　he　had　lined　up　with　his　terrified…looking　peers；　he　caught　Colin　Creevey's　eye；　gave　a　double　thumbs…up；　and　mouthed；　I　fell　in　the　lake！　He　looked　positively　delighted　about　it。
　　　Professor　McGonagall　now　placed　a　three…legged　stool　on　the　ground　before　the　first　years　and；　on　top　of　it；　an　extremely　old；　dirty　patched　wizard's　hat。　The　first　years　stared　at　it。　So　did　everyone　else。　For　a　moment；　there　was　silence。　Then　a　long　tear　near　the　brim　opened　wide　like　a　mouth；　and　the　hat　broke　into　song：
　　　
　　　A　thousand　years　or　more　ago；
　　　When　I　was　newly　sewn；
　　　There　lived　four　wizards　of　renown；
　　　Whose　names　are　still　well　known：
　　　Bold　Gryffindor；　from　wild　moor；
　　　Fair　Ravenclaw；　from　glen；
　　　Sweet　Hufflepuff；　from　valley　broad；
　　　Shrewd　Slytherin；　from　fin。
　　　They　shared　a　wish；　a　hope；　a　dream；
　　　They　hatched　a　daring　plan
　　　To　educate　young　sorcerers
　　　Thus　Hogwarts　School　began。
　　　Now　each　of　these　four　founders
　　　Formed　their　own　house；　for　each
　　　Did　value　different　virtues
　　　In　the　ones　they　had　to　teach。
　　　By　Gryffindor；　the　bravest　were
　　　Prized　far　beyond　the　rest；
　　　For　Ravenclaw；　the　cleverest
　　　Would　always　be　the　best；
　　　For　Hufflepuff；　hard　workers　were
　　　Most　worthy　of　admission；
　　　And　power…hungry　Slytherin
　　　Loved　those　of　great　ambition。
　　　While　still　alive　they　did　divid