章节_87

or this?

harry didnt sleep all night. he could hear neville sobbing

into his pillow for what seemed like hours. harry t think

of anything to say to . he knew neville, like himself,

was dreading the daould happe of gryffindor

found out what theyd done?

at first, gryffind the giant hlasses that recorded

the house poihought thered been a mistake. how

could they suddenly have a hundred and fifty poihan

yesterday? aory started to spread: harry potter, the

famous harry potter, their hero of two quidditch matches, had lo st

them all those points, him and a couple of other stupid first years.

from beihe most popular and admired people at the

school, harry was suddeed. even ravend

hufflepuffs turned on him, because everyone had been longing to

see slytherihe house cup. everywhere harry went, people

pointed and didnt trouble to lower their voices as they insulted

him. slytheriher hand, clapped as he ast them,

whistlihanks potter, we owe you one!”

only ron stood by him.

”theyll all fet this in a few weeks. fred and gee have

lost loads of points iheyve been here, and people

still like them.”

”theyve a hundred and fifty points in one go,

though, have they?” said harry miserably.

”well -- no,” ron admitted.

it was a bit late to repair the damage, but harry swore to

himself hings that werent his business from

now on. hed had it with sneaking around and spyi so

ashamed of himself that he went to wood an from

the quidditch team.

”resign?” wood thu goodll that do? how are we

goi any points back if we t win at quidditch?”

but even quidditch had lost its fuhe team

wouldnt speak t prad if they had to speak

about him, they called him ”the seeker.”

hermione and neville were suffering, too. they didnt have as

bad a time as harry, because they werent as well-known, but nobody

would speak to them, either. hermio attention

to herself in class, keeping her head down and w in silence.

harry was almost glad that the exams werent far away. all the

studyio do kept his mind off his misery. he, ron, and

hermiohemselves, w late irying

tredients in plicated potions, learn charms

and spells by heart, memorize the dates of magical discoveries and

goblin rebellions....

then, about a week before the exams were due to start, harrys

ion not to ihing that didnt

ut to a. walking ba the library on his

owernoon, he heard somebody whimpering from a

up ahead. as he drew closer, he heard quirrells voice.

”no -- no -- not again, please --”

it souhough someohreatening him. harry moved

closer.

”all right -- all right --” he heard quirrell sob.

sed, quirrell came hurrying out of the

straightening his turban. he ale ahough he was

about to cry. he strode out of sight; harry didnt think quirrell

had even noticed him. he waited until quirrells footsteps had

disappeared, thehe . it ty, but

a door stood ajar at the other end. harry ard it

before he remembered what hed promised himself about not meddling.

all the same, hed have gambled twelve sorcerers sto

s left the room, and from what harry had just heard,

snape ith a new spring in his step -- quirrell

seemed to have given in at last.

harry went back to the library, where hermioing ron

on astronomy. harry told them what hed heard.

”snapes dohen!” said ron. ”if quirrells told him how

to break his anti-dark force spell --”

”theres still fluffy, though,” said hermione.

”maybe snapes found out how to get past him without asking

hagrid,” said ron, looking up at the thousands of