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！
he might have got full marks on the question about Polyjuice Potion； he could describe its effects accurately； having taken it illegally in his second year。
The afternoon practical was not as dreadful as he had expected it to be。 With Snape absent from the proceedings； he found that he was much more relaxed than he usually was while making potions。 Neville； who was sitting very near Harry； also looked happier than Harry had ever seen him during a Potions class。 When Professor Marchbanks said； 'Step away from your cauldrons； please； the examination is over；' Harry corked his sample flask feeling that he might not have achieved a good grade but he had； with luck； avoided a fail。
'Only four exams left；' said Parvati Patil wearily as they headed back to Gryffindor mon room。
'Only！' said Hermione snappishly。 'I've got Arithmancy and it's probably the toughest subject there is！'
Nobody was foolish enough to snap back； so she was unable to vent her spleen on any of them and was reduced to telling off some first…years for giggling too loudly in the mon room。
Harry was determined to perform well in Tuesdays Care of Magical Creatures exam so as not to let Hagnd down。 The practical examination took place in the afternoon on the lawn on the edge of the Forbidden Forest； where students were required to correctly identify the Knarl hidden among a dozen hedgehogs （the trick was to offer them all milk in turn： Knarls； highly suspicious creatures whose quills had many magical properties； generally went berserk at what they saw as an attempt to poison them）； then demonstrate correct handling of a Bowtruckle； feed and clean out a Fire Crab without sustaining serious burns； and choose； from a wide selection of food； the diet they would give a sick unicorn。
Harry could see Hagrid watching anxiously out of his cabin window。 When Harry's examiner； a plump little witch this time； smiled at him and told him he could leave； Harry gave Hagrid a fleeting thumbs…up before heading back to the castle。
The Astronomy theory paper on Wednesday morning went well enough。 Harry was not convinced he had got the names of all Jupiter's moons right； but was at least confident that none of them was inhabited by mice。 They had to wait until evening for their practical Astronomy； the afternoon was devoted instead to Divination。
Even by Harry's low standards in Divination； the exam went very badly。 He might as well have tried to see moving pictures on the desktop as in the stubbornly blank crystal ball； he lost his head pletely during tea…leaf reading； saying it looked to him as though Professor Marchbanks would shortly be meeting a round； dark； soggy stranger； and rounded off the whole fiasco by mixing up the life and head lines on her palm and informing her that she ought to have died the previous Tuesday。
'Well； we were always going to fail that one；' said Ron gloomily as they ascended the marble staircase。 He had just made Harry feel rather better by telling him how he had told the examiner in detail about the ugly man with a wart on his nose in his crystal ball； only to look up and realise he had been describing his examiner's reflection。
'We shouldn't have taken the stupid subject in the first place；' said Harry。
'Still； at least we can give it up now。'
'Yeah；' said Harry。 'No more pretending we care what happens when Jupiter and Uranus get too friendly。'
'And from now on； I don't care if my tea…leaves spell die； Ron； die … I'm just chucking them in the bin where they belong。'
Harry laughed just as Hermione came running up behind them。 He stopped laughing at once； in case it annoyed her。
'Well； I think I've done all right in Arithmancy' she said； and Harry and Ron both sighed with relief。 'Just time for a quick look over our star…charts before dinner； then：〃
When they reached the top of the Astronomy Tower at eleven o'clock； they found a perfect night for stargazing； cloudless and still。 The grounds were bathed in silvery moonlight and there was a slight chill in the air。 Each of them set up his or her telescope and； when Professor Marchbanks gave the word； proceeded to fill in the blank star…chart they had been given。
Professors Marchbanks and Tofty strolled among them； watching as they entered the precise positions of the stars and planets they were observing。 All was quiet except for the rustle of parchment； the occasional creak of a telescope as it was adjusted on its stand； and the scribbling of many quills。 Half an hour passed； then an hour； the little squares of reflected gold light flickering on the ground below started to vanish as lights in the castle windows were extinguished。
As Harry pleted the constellation Orion on his chart； however； the front doors of the castle opened directly below the parapet where he was standing； so that light spilled down the stone steps a little way across the lawn。 Harry glanced down as he made a slight adjustment to the position of his telescope and saw five or six elongated shadows moving over the brightly lit grass before the doors swung shut and the lawn became a sea of darkness once more。
Harry put his eye back to his telescope and refocused it； now examining Venus。 He looked down at his chart to enter the planet there； but something distracted him； pausing with his quill suspended over the parchment； he squinted down into the shadowy grounds and saw half a dozen figures walking over the lawn。 If they had not been moving； and the moonlight had not been gilding the tops of their heads； they would have been indistinguishable from the dark ground on which they walked。 Even at this distance； Harry had a funny feeling he recognised the walk of the squattest of them； who seemed to be leading the group。
He could not think why Umbridge would be taking a stroll outside after midnight； much less acpanied by five others。 Then somebody coughed behind him； and he remembered that he was halfway through an exam。 He had quite forgotten Venus's position。 Jamming his eye to his telescope； he found it again and was once more about to enter it on his chart when； alert for any odd sound； he heard a distant knock which echoed through the deserted grounds； followed immediately by the muffled barking of a large dog。
He looked up； his heart hammering。 There were lights on in Hagrid's windows and the people he had observed crossing the lawn were now silhouetted against them。 The door opened and he distinctly saw six sharply defined figures walk over the threshold。 The door closed again and there was silence。
Harry felt very uneasy。 He glanced around to see whether Ron or Hermione had noticed what he had； but Professor Marchbanks came walking behind him at that moment and； not wanting to look as though he was sneaking looks at anyone else's work； Harry hastily bent over his star…chart and pretended to be adding notes to it while really peering over the top of the parapet towards Hagrid's cabin。 Figures were now moving across the cabin windows； temporarily blocking the light。
He could feel Professor Marchbanks's eyes on the back of his neck and pressed his eye again to his telescope； staring up at the moon though he had marked its posi