章节_44

ad shouted, ”gryffindor!”

harry clapped loudly with the rest as rohe

ext to him.

”well do,” said percy ously

across harry as ”zabini, blaise,” was made a slytherin. professor

magall rolled up her sd to hat away.

harry looked doty gold plate. he had only just

realized how huhe pumpkin pasties seemed ages ago.

albus dumbledotten to his feet. he was beaming at the

students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased

him more thahem all there.

”wele,” he said. ”wele to a hogwarts! before

we begin our ba, i would like to say a few words. and here

they are: nitwit! blubber! oddment! tweak!

”thank you!”

he sat ba. everybody d cheered. harry didnt

ko laugh or not.

”is he -- a bit mad?” he asked perly.

”mad?” said percy airily. ”hes a ge wizard in the

world! but he is a bit mad, yes. potatoes, harry?”

harrys mouth fell open. the dishes in front of him were now

piled with food. he had never seen so many thio eat

oable: roast beef, roast , pork d lamb chops,

sausages, bad steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries,

y, peas, carrots, gravy, ketd, for some

strange reaso humbugs.

the dursleys had arved harry, but hed never

bee as much as he liked. dudley had always taken

anything that harry really wa made him sick. harry

piled his plate with a bit except the peppermints

ao eat. it was all delicious.

”that does look good,” said the ghost in the ruff sadly,

watg harry cut up his steak,

”t you --?”

i haveen for nearly four hundred years,” said the

ghost. ”i doo, of course, but o. i dont

think ive in troduced myself? sir niimsy-pton at

your service. resident ghost of gryffindor tower.”

”i know who you are!” said ron suddenly. ”my brothers told me

about you -- youre nearly headless nick!”

”i would prefer you to call me sir niimsy --” the

ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired seamus fined.

”nearly headless? how you be nearly headless?”

sir nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat

wasnt going at all the way he wanted.

”like this,” he said irritably. he seized his left ear and

pulled. his whole head swung off his ned fell onto his shoulder

as if it was on a hinge. someone had obviously tried to behead him,

but properly. lookihe stunned looks on

their faearly headless nick flipped his head bato his

neck, coughed, and said, ”so -- new gryffindors! i hope y

to help us win the house ship this year? gryffindors have

never gone so long without winning. slytherihe cup six

years in a row! the bloody barons beost unbearable --

hes the slytherin ghost.”

harry looked over at the slytherin table and saw a horrible

ghost sittih blank staring eyes, a gaunt fad

robes staih silver blood. he was right o malfoy who,

harry leased to see, didnt look too pleased with the seating

arras.

”how did he get blood?” asked seamus with great

i.

”ive never asked,” said nearly headless ely.

wheen as much as they could, the remains of

the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling as

before. a momehe desserts appeared. blocks of ice cream

in every flavor you k of, apple pies, treacle tarts,

chocolate ed jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, jell-o,

rig -- ”

as harry helped himself to a treacle tart, the talk turo

their families.

”im half-and-half,” said seamus. ”me dads a muggle. mom

didnt tell him she was a witch til after they were married. bit

of a nasty sho.”

the he