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！
rn a hedgehog into a satisfactory pincushion。 I might remind you that your pincushion； Thomas； still curls up in fright if anyone approaches it with a pin！〃
Hermione； who had turned rather pink again； seemed to be trying not to look too pleased with herself。
Harry and Ron were deeply amused when Professor Trelawney told them that they had received top marks for their homework in their next Divination class。 She read out large portions of their predictions； mending them for their unflinching acceptance of the horrors in store for them…but they were less amused when she asked them to do the same thing for the month after next； both of them were running out of ideas for catastrophes。
Meanwhile Professor Binns； the ghost who taught History of Magic； had them writing weekly essays on the goblin rebellions of the eighteenth century。 Professor Snape was forcing them to research antidotes。 They took this one seriously； as he had hinted that he might be poisoning one of them before Christmas to see if their antidote worked。 Professor Flitwick had asked them to read three extra books in preparation for their lesson on Summoning Charms。
Even Hagrid was adding to their workload。 The Blast…Ended Skrewts were growing at a remarkable pace given that nobody had yet discovered what they ate。 Hagrid was delighted； and as part of their 〃project；〃 suggested that they e down to his hut on alternate evenings to observe the skrewts and make notes on their extraordinary behavior。
〃I will not；〃 said Draco Malfoy flatly when Hagrid had proposed this with the air of Father Christmas pulling an extra…large toy out of his sack。 〃I see enough of these foul things during lessons； thanks。〃
Hagrid's smile faded off his face。
〃Yeh'll do wha' yer told；〃 he growled； 〃or I'll be takin' a leaf outta Professor Moody's book。。。 I hear yeh made a good ferret； Malfoy。〃
The Gryffindors roared with laughter。 Malfoy flushed with anger； but apparently the memory of Moody's punishment was still sufficiently painful to stop him from retorting。 Harry； Ron； and Hermione returned to the castle at the end of the lesson in high spirits； seeing Hagrid put down Malfoy was particularly satisfying； especially because Malfoy had done his very best to get Hagrid sacked the previous year。
When they arrived in the entrance hall； they found themselves unable to proceed owing to the large crowd of students congregated there； all milling around a large sign that had been erected at the foot of the marble staircase。 Ron； the tallest of the three； stood on tiptoe to see over the heads in front of them and read the sign aloud to the other two：
TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT
THE DELEGATIONS FROM BEAUXBATONS AND
DURMSTRANG WILL BE ARRIVING AT 6 O'CLOCK
ON FRIDAY THE 30TH OF OCTOBER。 LESSONS WILL
END HALF AN HOUR EARLY…
〃Brilliant！〃 said Harry。 〃It's Potions last thing on Friday！ Snape won't have time to poison us all！〃
STUDENTS WILL RETURN THEIR BAGS AND BOOKS
TO THEIR DORMITORIES AND ASSEMBLE IN FRONT
OF THE CASTLE TO GREET OUR GUESTS BEFORE
THE WELING FEAST。
〃Only a week away！〃 said Ernie Macmillan of Hufflepuff； emerging from the crowd； his eyes gleaming。 〃I wonder if Cedric knows？ Think I'll go and tell him。。。〃
〃Cedric？〃 said Ron blankly as Ernie hurried off。
〃Diggory；〃 said Harry。 〃He must be entering the tournament。〃
〃That idiot； Hogwarts champion？〃 said Ron as they pushed their way through the chattering crowd toward the staircase。
〃He's not an idiot。 You just don't like him because he beat Gryffindor at Quidditch；〃 said Hermione。 〃I've heard he's a really good student…and he's a prefect。〃
She spoke as though this settled the matter。
〃You only like him because he's handsome；〃 said Ron scathingly。
〃Excuse me； I don't like people just because they're handsome！〃 said Hermione indignantly。
Ron gave a loud false cough； which sounded oddly like 〃Lockhart！〃
The appearance of the sign in the entrance hall had a marked effect upon the inhabitants of the castle。 During the following week； there seemed to be only one topic of conversation； no matter where Harry went： the Triwizard Tournament。 Rumors were flying from student to student like highly contagious germs： who was going to try for Hogwarts champion； what the tournament would involve； how the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang differed from themselves。
Harry noticed too that the castle seemed to be undergoing an extra…thorough cleaning。 Several grimy portraits had been scrubbed； much to the displeasure of their subjects； who sat huddled in their frames muttering darkly and wincing as they felt their raw pink faces。 The suits of armor were suddenly gleaming and moving without squeaking； and Argus Filch； the caretaker； was behaving so ferociously to any students who forgot to wipe their shoes that he terrified a pair of first…year girls into hysterics。
Other members of the staff seemed oddly tense too。
〃Longbottom； kindly do not reveal that you can't even perform a simple Switching Spell in front of anyone from Durmstrang！〃 Professor McGonagall barked at the end of one particularly difficult lesson； during which Neville had accidentally transplanted his own ears onto a cactus。
When they went down to breakfast on the morning of the thirtieth of October； they found that the Great Hall had been decorated overnight。 Enormous silk banners hung from the walls； each of them representing a Hogwarts House： red with a gold lion for Gryffiindor； blue with a bronze eagle for Ravenclaw； yellow with a black badger for Hufflepuff； and green with a silver serpent for Slytherin。 Behind the teachers' table； the largest banner of all bore the Hogwarts coat of arms： lion； eagle； badger； and snake united around a large letter H。
Harry； Ron； and Hermione sat down beside Fred and George at the Gryffindor table。 Once again； and most unusually； they were sitting apart from everyone else and conversing in low voices。 Ron led the way over to them。
〃It's a bummer； all right；〃 George was saying gloomily to Fred。 〃But if he won't talk to us in person； we'll have to send him the letter after all。 Or we'll stuff it into his hand。 He can't avoid us forrever。
〃Who's avoiding you？〃 said Ron； sitting down next to them。
〃Wish you would；〃 said Fred； looking irritated at the interruption。
〃What's a bummer？〃 Ron asked George。
〃Having a nosy git like you for a brother；〃 said George。
〃You two got any ideas on the Triwizard Tournament yet？〃 Harry asked。 〃Thought any more about trying to enter？〃
〃I asked McGonagall how the champions are chosen but she wasn't telling；〃 said George bitterly。 〃She just told me to shut up and get on with transfiguring my raccoon。〃
〃Wonder what the tasks are going to be？〃 said Ron thoughtfully。 〃You know； I bet we could do them； Harry。 We've done dangerous stuff before。。。〃
〃Not in front of a panel of judges； you haven't；〃 said Fred。 〃McGonagall says the champions get awarded points according to how well they've done the tasks。〃
〃Who are the judges？〃 Harry asked。
〃Well； the Heads of the participating schools are always on the panel；〃 said Hermione； and everyone looked around a