章节_55

; thats always unlocked.”

when malfoy had gone, ron and harry looked at each other. ”what

is a wizards duel?” said harry. ”and what do you mean, youre

my sed?”

”well, a seds there to take over if you die,” said ron

casually, getti on his cold pie. g the

look on harrys face, he added quickly, ”but people only die

in proper duels, you know, with real wizards. the most you and

malfoyll be able to do is send sparks at each other. her of

you knows enough magiy real damage. i bet he expected

you to refuse, anyway.”

”and what if i wave my wand and nothing happens?”

”throun the nested. ”excuse

me.”

they both looked up. it was hermier.

”t a perso ihis place?” said ron.

hermione ignored him ao harry.

”i t help what you and malf --”

”bet you uttered.

”--and you mustnt g around the sight,

this youll lose gryffindor if yht, and

youre bous really very selfish of you.”

”and its really none of your business,” said harry.

”good-bye,” said ron.

all the same, it wasnt what youd call the perfed to the

day, harry thought, as he lay awake much later listening to dean

and seamus falling asleep (neville wasnt ba the hospital

wing). ro all evening giving him advice such as ”if he

tries to curse you, youd better dodge it, because i t remember

how to block them.” there was a very good ce they were going to

get caught by filrs. norris, and harry felt he ushing

his luck, breaking another school rule today. oher hand,

malf faing up out of the darkhis

was his big alfoy face-to-face. he t miss it.

”half-past eleven,” ro, ”wed better go.”

they pulled ohrobes, picked up their wands, and

crept across the tower room, down the spiral staird into

the gryffindor . a few embers were still glowing in the

fireplag all the armto hunched black shadows. they

had almost reached the portrait hole oke from the

earest them, ”i t believe y to do this, harry.”

a lamp fli. it was hermier, ink

bathrobe and a frown.

”you!” said ron furiously. ”go back to bed!”

”i almost told your brother,” hermione snapped, ”percy --

hes a prefect, hed put a stop to this.”

harry t believe anyone could be s.

”e oo ron. he pushed ope of the

fat lady ahrough the hole.

hermione wasnt goi easily. she followed ron

through the portrait hole, hissing at them like an angry goose.

”dont yryffindor, do you o

yourselves, i dont wao win the house d youll

lose all the points i got from prall f

about switg spells.”

”go away.” ”all right, but i warned you, you just remember what

i said when youre oraiomorrow, youre so --”

but what they were, they didnt find out. hermiouro

the portrait of the fat lady to get baside and found herself

fa empty pai lady had gone on a nighttime

visit and hermione was locked out of gryffindor tower.

”now what am i going to do?” she asked shrilly.

”thats your problem,” said ron. ”weve got to go, we 3 re

goie.”

they hadnt evehe end of the corridor when hermione

caught up with them.

”im ing with you,” she said.

”you are not.”

”dyou think im going to stand out here and wait for filch

to catch me? if he finds all three of us ill tell him the truth,

that i was trying to stop you, and you back me up.”<