按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ve minutes ago； it's my mum's birthday。'
She held up the parcel。
'Right；' said Harry。 His brain seemed to have jammed。 He wanted to say something funny and interesting； but the memory of that terrible winged horse was fresh in his mind。
'Nice day；' he said； gesturing to the windows。 His insides seemed to shrivel with embarrassment。 The weather。 He was talking about the weather：
'Yeah；' said Cho； looking around for a suitable owl。 'Good Quidditch conditions。 I haven't been out all week； have you？'
'No；' said Harry。
Cho had selected one of the school barn owls。 She coaxed it down on to her arm where it held out an obliging leg so that she could attach the parcel。
'Hey； has Gryffindor got a new Keeper yet？' she asked。
'Yeah；' said Harry。 'It's my friend Ron Weasley； d'you know him？'
The Tornados…hater？' said Cho rather coolly。 'Is he any good？'
'Yeah；' said Harry； 'I think so。 I didn't see his tryout； though； I was in detention。'
Cho looked up； the parcel only half…attached to the owl's legs。
That Umbridge woman's foul；' she said in a low voice。 'Putting you in detention just because you told the truth about how … how … how he died。 Everyone heard about it； it was all over the school。 You were really brave standing up to her like that。'
Harry's insides re…inflated so rapidly he felt as though he might actually float a few inches off the dropping…strewn floor。 Who cared about a stupid flying horse； Cho thought he had been really brave。 For a moment； he considered accidentally…on…purpose showing her his cut hand as he helped her tie her parcel on to her owl： but the very instant this thrilling thought occurred； the Owlery door opened again。
Filch the caretaker came wheezing into the room。 There were purple patches on his sunken； veined cheeks； his jowls were aquiver and his thin grey hair dishevelled； he had obviously run here。 Mrs Norris came trotting at his heels； gazing up at the owls overhead and mewing hungrily。 There was a restless shifting of wings from above and a large brown owl snapped his beak in a menacing fashion。
'Aha！' said Filch； taking a flat…footed step towards Harry； his pouchy cheeks trembling with anger。 'I've had a tip…off that you are intending to place a massive order for Dungbombs'。
Harry folded his arms and stared at the caretaker。
'Who told you I was ordering Dungbombs？'
Cho was looking from Harry to Filch； also frowning； the barn owl on her arm； tired of standing on one leg； gave an admonitory hoot but she ignored it。
'I have my sources；' said Filch in a self…satisfied hiss。 'Now hand over whatever it is you're sending。'
Feeling immensely thankful that he had not dawdled in posting off the letter； Harry said； 'I can't； it's gone。'
'Gone？' said Filch； his face contorting with rage。
'Gone；' said Harry calmly。
Filch opened his mouth furiously； mouthed for a few seconds； then raked Harry's robes with his eyes。
'How do I know you haven't got it in your pocket？'
'Because …'
'I saw him send it；' said Cho angrily。
Filch rounded on her。
'You saw him …？'
That's right； I saw him；' she said fiercely。
There was a moments pause in which Filch glared at Cho and Cho glared right back； then the caretaker turned on his heel and shuffled back towards the door。 He stopped with his hand on the handle and looked back at Harry。
'If I get so much as a whiff of a Dungbomb
He stumped off down the stairs。 Mrs Norris cast a last longing look at the owls and followed him。
Harry and Cho looked at each other。
Thanks；' Harry said。
'No problem；' said Cho； finally fixing the parcel to the barn owl's other leg； her face slightly pink。 'You weren't ordering Dungbombs； were you？'
'No；' said Harry。
'I wonder why he thought you were； then？' she said as she carried the owl to the window。
Harry shrugged。 He was quite as mystified by that as she was； though oddly it was not bothering him very much at the moment。
They left the Owlery together。 At the entrance of a corridor that led towards the west wing of the castle； Cho said； 'I'm going this way。 Well； I'll： I'll see you around； Harry。'
'Yeah： see you。'
She smiled at him and departed。 Harry walked on； feeling quietly elated。 He had managed to have an entire conversation with her and not embarrassed himself once： you were really brave standing up to her like that： Cho had called him brave： she did not hate him for being alive：
Ol course； she had preferred Cedric； he knew that： though if he'd only asked her to the Ball before Cedric had； things might have turned out differently： she had seemed sincerely sorry that she'd had to refuse when Harry asked her：
'Morning；' Harry said brightly to Ron and Hermione as he joined them at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall。
'What are you looking so pleased about？' said Ron； eyeing Harry in surprise。
'Erm： Quidditch later；' said Harry happily； pulling a large platter of bacon and eggs towards him。
'Oh： yeah：' said Ron。 He put down the piece of toast he was eating and took a large swig of pumpkin juice。 Then he said； 'Listen： you don't fancy going out a bit earlier with me； do you？ Just to … er … give me some practice before training？ So I can； you know； get my eye in a bit。'
'Yeah； OK；' said Harry。
'Look； I don't think you should；' said Hermione seriously。 'You're both really behind on homework as it …'
But she broke off； the morning post was arriving and； as usual； the Daily Prophet was soaring towards her in the beak of a screech owl； which landed perilously close to the sugar bowl and held out a leg。 Hermione pushed a Knut into its leather pouch； took the newspaper； and scanned the front page critically as the owl took off。
'Anything interesting？' said Ron。 Harry grinned； knowing Ron was keen to keep her off the subject of homework。
'No；' she sighed； 'just some guff about the bass player in the Weird Sisters getting married。'
Hermione opened the paper and disappeared behind it。 Harry devoted himself to another helping of eggs and bacon。 Ron was staring up at the high windows； looking slightly preoccupied。
'Wait a moment；' said Hermione suddenly。 'Oh no： Sirius！'
'What's happened？' said Harry； snatching at the paper so violently it ripped down the middle； with him and Hermione each holding one half。
'〃The Ministry of Magic has received a tip…off from a reliable source that Sirius Black； notorious mass murderer： blah blah blah： is currently hiding in London！〃' Hermione read from her half in an anguished whisper。
'Lucius Malfoy I'll bet anything；' said Harry in a low； furious voice。 'He did recognise Sirius on the platform：'
'What？' said Ron； looking alarmed。 'You didn't say …'
'Shh！' said the other two。
： 〃Ministry warns wizarding munity that Black is very dangerous： killed thirteen people： broke out of Azkaban：〃 the usual rubbish；' Hermione concluded； laying down her half of the paper and looking fearfully at Harry and Ron。 'Well； he just won't be able to leave the house again； that's all；' she whispered。 'Dumbledore did warn him not to。'
Harry looked down glumly at the bit of the Prophet he had torn off。 Most of the page was devoted to an advertisement for Madam Malkins Robes for All Occasions； which was apparently having a sale。
'Hey！' he said； flattening it down so Hermione and Ron could see it。 'Look at this！'
'I've got all the robes I want；' said Ron。
'No；' said Harry。 'Look： this little piece here：'
Ron and Hermione bent closer to read it； the item was barely an inch long and placed right at the bottom of a column。 It was headlined：
TRESPASS AT MINISTRY
Sturgis Podmore； 38； of number two； Laburnum Gardens； Clapham； has appeared in front of the Wizengamot charged with trespass and attempted robbery at the Ministry of Magic on 3ISI August。 Podmore was arrested by Ministry of Magic watchwizard Eric Munch； who found him attempting to force his way through a top…security door at one o'clock in the morning。 Podmore； who refused to speak in his own defence；