3.harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban-第64部分

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　　〃How　can　you　stand　this？〃　he　asked　Hermione　fiercely。　〃Just　standing　here　and　watching　it　happen？〃　He　hesitated。　〃I'm　going　to　grab　the　cloak！〃
　　〃Harry；　no！〃
　　Hermione　seized　the　back　of　Harry's　robes　not　a　moment　too　soon。　just　then；　they　heard　a　burst　of　song。　It　was　Hagrid；　making　his　way　up　to　the　castle；　singing　at　the　top　of　his　voice；　and　weaving　slightly　as　he　walked。　A　large　bottle　was　swinging　from　his　hands。
　　〃See？〃　Hermione　whispered。　〃See　what　would　have　happened？　We've　got　to　keep　out　of　sight！　No；　Buckbeak！〃
　　The　hippogriff　was　making　frantic　attempts　to　get　to　Hagrid　again；　Harry　seized　his　rope　too；　straining　to　hold　Buckbeak　back。　They　watched　Hagrid　meander　tipsily　up　to　the　castle。　He　was　gone。　Buckbeak　stopped　fighting　to　get　away。　His　head　drooped　sadly。
　　Barely　two　minutes　later；　the　castle　doors　flew　open　yet　again；　and　Snape　came　charging　out　of　them；　running　toward　the　Willow。
　　Harry's　fists　clenched　as　they　watched　Snape　skid　to　a　halt　next　to　the　tree；　looking　around。　He　grabbed　the　cloak　and　held　it　up。
　　〃Get　your　filthy　hands　off　it；〃　Harry　snarled　under　his　breath。　〃Shh！〃
　　Snape　seized　the　branch　Lupin　had　used　to　freeze　the　tree；　prodded　the　knot；　and　vanished　from　view　as　he　put　on　the　cloak。
　　〃So　that's　it；〃　said　Hermione　quietly。　〃We're　all　down　there。。。　and　now　we've　just　got　to　wait　until　we　e　back　up　again。。。。〃
　　She　took　the　end　of　Buckbeak's　rope　and　tied　it　securely　around　the　nearest　tree；　then　sat　down　on　the　dry　ground；　arms　around　her　knees。
　　〃Harry；　there's　something　I　don't　understand。。。。　Why　didn't　the　dementors　get　Sirius？　I　remember　them　ing；　and　then　I　think　I　passed　out。。。　there　were　so　many　of　them。。。。〃
　　Harry　sat　down　too。　He　explained　what　he'd　seen；　how；　as　the　nearest　dementor　had　lowered　its　mouth　to　Harry's；　a　large　silver　something　had　e　galloping　across　the　lake　and　forced　the　dementors　to　retreat。
　　Hermione's　mouth　was　slightly　open　by　the　time　Harry　had　finished。
　　〃But　what　was　it？〃
　　〃There's　only　one　thing　it　could　have　been；　to　make　the　dementors　go；〃　said　Harry。　〃A　real　Patronus。　A　powerful　one。〃
　　〃But　who　conjured　it？〃
　　Harry　didn't　say　anything。　He　was　thinking　back　to　the　person　he'd　seen　on　the　other　bank　of　the　lake。　He　knew　who　he　thought　it　had　been。。。　but　how　could　it　have　been？
　　〃Didn't　you　see　what　they　looked　like？〃　said　Hermione　eagerly。　〃Was　it　one　of　the　teachers？〃
　　〃No；〃　said　Harry。　〃He　wasn't　a　teacher。〃
　　〃But　it　must　have　been　a　really　powerful　wizard；　to　drive　all　those　dementors　away。。。　If　the　Patronus　was　shining　so　brightly；　didn't　it　light　him　up？　Couldn't　you　see　？〃
　　〃Yeah；　I　saw　him；〃　said　Harry　slowly。　〃But。。。　maybe　I　imagined　it。。。。　I　wasn't　thinking　straight。。。。　I　passed　out　right　afterward。。。。〃
　　〃Who　did　you　think　it　was？〃
　　I　think　〃　Harry　swallowed；　knowing　how　strange　this　was　going　to　sound。　I　think　it　was　my　dad。〃
　　Harry　glanced　up　at　Hermione　and　saw　that　her　mouth　was　fully　open　now。　She　was　gazing　at　him　with　a　mixture　of　alarm　and　pity。
　　〃Harry；　your　dad's　　well　　dead；〃　she　said　quietly。
　　〃I　know　that；〃　said　Harry　quickly。
　　〃You　think　you　saw　his　ghost？〃
　　〃I　don't　know。。。　no。。。　he　looked　solid。。。。〃
　　〃But　then　〃
　　〃Maybe　I　was　seeing　things；〃　said　Harry。　〃But。。。　from　what　I　could　see。。。　it　looked　like　him。。。。　I've　got　photos　of　him。。。。〃
　　Hermione　was　still　looking　at　him　as　though　worried　about　his　sanity。
　　I　know　it　sounds　crazy；〃　said　Harry　flatly。　He　turned　to　took　at　Buckbeak；　who　was　digging　his　beak　into　the　ground；　apparently　searching　for　worms。　But　he　wasn't　really　watching　Buckbeak。
　　He　was　thinking　about　his　father　and　about　his　father's　three　oldest　friends。。。　Moony；　Wormtail；　Padfoot；　and　Prongs。。。。　Had　all　four　of　them　been　out　on　the　grounds　tonight？　Wormtail　had　reappeared　this　evening　when　everyone　had　thought　he　was　dead。。。。　Was　it　so　impossible　his　father　had　done　the　same？　Had　he　been　seeing　things　across　the　take？　The　figure　had　been　too　far　away　to　see　distinctly。。。　yet　he　had　felt　sure；　for　a　moment；　before　he'd　lost　consciousness。。。。
　　The　leaves　overhead　rustled　faintly　in　the　breeze。　The　moon　drifted　in　and　out　of　sight　behind　the　shifting　clouds。　Hermione　sat　with　her　face　turned　toward　the　Willow；　waiting。
　　And　then；　at　last；　after　over　an　hour。。。
　　〃Here　we　e！〃　Hermione　whispered。
　　She　and　Harry　got　to　their　feet。　Buckbeak　raised　his　head。　They　saw　Lupin；　Ron；　and　Pettigrew　clambering　awkwardly　out　of　the　hole　in　the　roots。　Then　came　Hermione。。。　then　the　unconscious　Snape；　drifting　weirdly　upward。　Next　came　Harry　and　Black。　They　all　began　to　walk　toward　the　castle。
　　Harry's　heart　was　starting　to　beat　very　fast。　He　glanced　up　at　the　sky。　Any　moment　now；　that　cloud　was　going　to　move　aside　and　show　the　moon。。。。
　　〃Harry；〃　Hermione　muttered　as　though　she　knew　exactly　what　he　was　thinking；　〃we've　got　to　stay　put。　We　mustn't　be　seen。　There's　nothing　we　can　do。。。。〃
　　〃So　we're　just　going　to　let　Pettigrew　escape　all　over　again。。　said　Harry　quietly。
　　〃How　do　you　expect　to　find　a　rat　in　the　dark？〃　snapped　Hermione。　〃There's　nothing　we　can　do！　We　came　back　to　help　Sirius；　we're　not　supposed　to　be　doing　anything　else！〃
　　〃All　right！〃
　　The　moon　slid　out　from　behind　its　cloud。　They　saw　the　tiny　figures　across　the　grounds　stop。　Then　they　saw　movement　
　　〃There　goes　Lupin；〃　Hermione　whispered。　〃He's　transforming
　　〃Hermione！〃　said　Harry　suddenly。　〃We've　got　to　move！〃
　　〃We　mustn't；　I　keep　telling　you　〃
　　〃Not　to　interfere！　Lupin's　going　to　run　into　the　forest；　right　at　us！〃
　　Hermione　gasped。
　　〃Quick！〃　she　moaned；　dashing　to　untie　Buckbeak。　〃Quick！　Where　are　we　going　to　go？　Where　are　we　going　to　hide？　The　dementors　wilt　be　ing　any　moment　〃
　　〃Back　to　Hagrid's！〃　Harry　said。　〃It's　empty　now　　e　on！〃
　　They　ran　as　fast　as　they　could；　Buckbeak　cantering　along　behind　them。　They　could　hear　the　werewolf　howling　behind　them。。。。
　　The　cabin　was　in　sight；　Harry　skidded　to　the　door；　wrenched　it　open；　and　Hermione　and　Buckbeak　flashed　past　him；　Harry　threw　himself　in　after　them　and　bolted　the　door。　Fang　the　boarhound　barked　loudly。
　　〃Shh；　Fang；　it's　us！〃　said　Hermione；　hurrying　over　and　scratching　his　ears　to　quieten　him。　〃That　was　really　close！〃　she　said　to　Harry。
　　〃Yeah。。。〃
　　Harry　was　looking　out　of　the　window。　It　was　much　harder　to　see　what　was　going　on　from　here。　Buckbeak　seemed　very　happy　to　find　himself　back　inside　Hagrid's　house。　He　lay　down　in　front　of　the　fire；　folded　his　wings　contentedly；　and　seemed　ready　for　a　good　nap。
　　〃I　think　I'd　better　go　outside　again；　you　know；〃　said　Harry　slowly。　〃I　can't　see　what's　going　on　　we　won't　know　when　it's　time　〃
　　Hermione　looked　up。　Her　expression　was　suspicious。
　　〃I'm　not　going　to　try　and　interfere；〃　said　Harry　quickly。　〃But　if　we　don't　see　what's　going　on；　how're　we　going　to　know　when　it's　time　to　rescue　Sirius？〃
　　〃Well。。。　okay；　then。。。　I'll　wait　here　with　Buckbeak。。。　but　Harry；　be　careful　　there's　a　werewolf　out　there　　and　the　dementors
　　Harry　stepped　outside　again　and　edged　around　the　cabin。　He　could　hear　yelping　in　the　distance。　That　meant　the　dementors　were　closing　in　on　Sirius。。。。　He　and　Hermione　would　be　running　to　him　any　moment。。。。
　　Harry　stared　out　toward　the　lake；　his　heart　doing　a　kind　of　drumroll　in　his　chest。。。。　Whoever　had　sent　that　Patronus　would　be　appearing　at　any　moment。。。。
　　For　a　fraction　of　a　second　he　stood；　irresolute；　in　front　of　Hagrid's　door。　You　must　not　be　seen。　But　he　didn't　want　to　be　seen。　He　wanted　to　do　the　seeing。。。。　He　had　to　know。。。
　　And　there　were　the　dementors。　They　were　emerging　out　of　the　darkness　from　every　direction；　gliding　around　the　edges　of　the　lake。。。。　They　were　moving　away　from　where　Harry　stood；　to　the　opposite　bank。。。。　He　wouldn't　have　to　get　near　them。。。。
　　Harry　began　to　run。　He　had　no　thought　in　his　head　except　his　father。。。　If　it　was　him。。。　if　it　really　was　him。。。　he　had　to　know；　had　to　find　out。。。。
　　The　lake　was　ing　nearer　and　nearer；　but　there　was　no　sign　of　anybody。　On　the　opposite　bank；　he　could　see　tiny　glimmers　of　silver　　his　own　attempts　at　a　Patronus　
　　There　was　a　bush　at　the　very　edge　of　the　water。　Harry　threw　himself　behind　it；　peering　desperately　through　the　leaves。　On　the　opposite　bank；　the　glimmers　of　silver　were　suddenly　extinguished。　A　terrified　excitement　shot　through　him　　any　moment　now　
　　〃e　on！〃　he　muttered；　staring　about。　〃Where　are　you？　Dad；　e　on　〃
　　But　no　one　came。　Harry　raised　his　head　to　look　at　the　circle　of　dementors　across　the　lake。　One　of　them　was　lowering　its　hood。　It　was　time　for　the　rescuer　to　appear　　but　no　one　was　ing　to　help　this　time　
　　And　then　it　hit　him　　he　understood。　He　hadn't　seen　his　father　　he　had　seen　himself　
　　Harry　flung　himself　out　from　behind　the　bush　and　pulled　out　his　wand。
　　〃EXPECTO　PATRONUM！　〃he　yelled。
　　And　out　of　the　end　of　his　wand　burst；　not　a　shapeless　cloud　of　mist；　but　a　blinding；　dazzling；　silver　animal。　He　screwed　up　his　eyes；　trying　to　see　what　it　was。　It　looked　like　a　horse。　It　was　galloping　silently　away　from　him；　across　the　black　surface　of　the　lake。　He　saw　it　lower　its　head　and　charge　at　the　swarming　deme