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！
'So Macnairs persuaded the giants to join You…Know…Who？' said Hermione desperately。
'Hold yer Hippogriffs； I haven' finished me story yet！' said Hagrid indignantly； who； considering he had not wanted to tell them anything in the first place； now seemed to be rather enjoying himself。 'Me an' Olympe talked it over an' we agreed； jus'
'cause the Gurg looked like favourin' You…Know…Who didn' mean all of 'em would。 We had ter try an' persuade some o' the others； the ones who hadn' wanted Golgomath as Gurg。'
'How could you tell which ones they were？' asked Ron。
'Well； they were the ones bein' beaten to a pulp； weren' they？' said Hagrid patiently。 The ones with any sense were keepin' outta Golgomath's way； hidin' out in caves roun' the gully jus' like we were。 So we decided we'd go pokin' round the caves by night an' see if we couldn' persuade a few o' them。'
'You went poking around dark caves looking for giants？' said Ron； with awed respect in his voice。
'Well； it wasn' the giants who worried us most；' said Hagrid。 We were more concerned abou' the Death Eaters。 Dumbledore had told us before we wen' not ter tangle with 'em if we could avoid it； an' the trouble was they knew we was around … 'spect Golgomath told 'em abou' us。 At night； when the giants were sleepin' an' we wanted ter be creepin' inter the caves； Macnair an' the other one were sneakin' round the mountains lookin' fer us。 I was hard put to stop Olympe jumpin' out at 'em；' said Hagrid； the corners of his mouth lifting his wild beard； 'she was rarin' ter attack 'em： she's somethin' when she's roused； Olympe： fiery； yeh know： 'spect it's the French in her：'
Hagrid gazed misty…eyed into the fire。 Harry allowed him thirty seconds of reminiscence before clearing his throat loudly。
'So； what happened？ Did you ever get near any of the other giants？'
'What？ Oh： oh； yeah； we did。 Yeah； on the third night after Karkus was killed we crept outta the cave we'd bin hidin' in an' headed back down inter the gully； keepin' our eyes skinned fer the Death Eaters。 Got inside a few o' the caves； no go … then； in abou' the sixth one； we found three giants hidin'。'
'Cave must've been cramped；' said Ron。
'Wasn' room ter swing a Kneazle；' said Hagrid。
'Didn't they attack you when they saw you？' asked Hermione。
'Probably woulda done if they'd bin in any condition；' said Hagrid； 'but they was badly hurt； all three o' them； Golgomath's lot had beaten 'em unconscious； they'd woken up an' crawled inter the nearest shelter they could find。 Anyway； one o' them had a bit of English an' he translated fer the others； an' what we had ter say didn' seem ter go down too badly。 So we kep' goin' back； visitin' the wounded： I reckon we had abou' six or seven o' them convinced at one point。'
'Six or seven？' said Ron eagerly。 'Well that's not bad … are they going to e over here and start fighting You…Know…Who with us？'
But Hermione said； 'What do you mean 〃at one point〃； Hagrid？'
Hagrid looked at her sadly。
'Golgomath's lot raided the caves。 The ones tha' survived didn' wan' no more ter to do with us after that。'
'So： so there aren't any giants ing？' said Ron； looking disappointed。
'Nope；' said Hagrid； heaving a deep sigh as he turned over his steak and applied the cooler side to his face； 'but we did wha' we meant ter do； we gave 'em Dumbledore's message an' some o' them heard it an' I spect some o' them'll remember it。 Jus' maybe； them that don' want ter stay around Golgomath'll move outta the mountains； an' there's gotta be a chance they'll remember Dumbledore's friendly to 'em： could be they'll e。'
Snow was filling up the window now。 Harry became aware that the knees of his robes were soaked through： Fang was drooling with his head in Harry's lap。
'Hagrid？' said Hermione quietly after a while。
'Mmm？'
'Did you： was there any sign of： did you hear anything about your： your： mother while you were there？'
Hagrid's unobscured eye rested upon her and Hermione looked rather scared。
'I'm sorry： I： forget it …'
'Dead；' Hagrid grunted。 'Died years ago。 They told me。'
'Oh： I'm： I'm really sorry' said Hermione in a very small voice。 Hagrid shrugged his massive shoulders。
'No need；' he said shortly。 'Can't remember her much。 Wasn' a great mother。'
They were silent again。 Hermione glanced nervously at Harry and Ron； plainly wanting them to speak。
'But you still haven't explained how you got in this state； Hagrid；' Ron said； gesturing towards Hagrid's bloodstained face。
'Or why you're back so late；' said Harry。 'Sirius says Madame Maxime got back ages ago …'
'Who attacked you？' said Ron。
'I haven' bin attacked！' said Hagrid emphatically。 'I …'
But the rest of his words were drowned in a sudden outbreak of rapping on the door。 Hermione gasped； her mug slipped through her fingers and smashed on the floor； Fang yelped。 All four of them stared at the window beside the doorway。 The shadow of somebody small and squat rippled across the thin curtain。
'It's her！' Ron whispered。
'Get under here！' Harry said quickly； seizing the Invisibility Cloak； he whirled it over himself and Hermione while Ron tore around the table and dived under the Cloak as well。 Huddled together； they backed away into a corner。 Fang was barking madly at the door。 Hagrid looked thoroughly confused。
'Hagrid； hide our mugs！'
Hagrid seized Harry and Ron's mugs and shoved them under the cushion in Fang's basket。 Fang was now leaping up at the door； Hagrid pushed him out of the way with his foot and pulled it open。
Professor Umbridge was standing in the doorway wearing her green tweed cloak and a matching hat with earflaps。 Lips pursed； she leaned back so as to see Hagrid's face； she barely reached his navel。
'So；' she said slowly and loudly； as though speaking to somebody deaf。 'You're Hagrid； are you？'
Without waiting for an answer she strolled into the room； her bulging eyes rolling in every direction。
'Get away；' she snapped； waving her handbag at Fang； who had bounded up to her and was attempting to lick her face。
'Er … I don' want ter be rude；' said Hagrid； staring at her； 'but who the ruddy hell are you？'
'My name is Dolores Umbridge。'
Her eyes were sweeping the cabin。 Twice they stared directly into the corner where Harry stood； sandwiched between Ron and Hermione。
'Dolores Umbridge？' Hagrid said； sounding thoroughly confused。 'I thought you were one o' them Ministry … don' you work with Fudge？'
'I was Senior Undersecretary to the Minister； yes；' said Umbridge； now pacing around the cabin； taking in every tiny detail within； from the haversack against the wall to the abandoned travelling cloak。 'I am now the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher …'
Tha's brave of yeh；' said Hagrid； 'there's not many'd take tha' job any more。'
'… and Hogwarts High Inquisitor；' said Umbridge； giving no sign that she had heard him。
'Wha's that？' said Hagrid； frowning。
'Precisely what I was going to ask；' said Umbridge； pointing at the broken shar