3.harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban-第50部分

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t　much　longer。〃
　　〃All　right。。。　but　you'll　need　to　help　me；　Sirius；〃　said　Lupin；　I　only　know　how　it　began。。。〃
　　Lupin　broke　off。　There　had　been　a　loud　creak　behind　him。　The　bedroom　door　had　opened　of　its　own　accord。　All　five　of　them　stared　at　it。　Then　Lupin　strode　toward　it　and　looked　out　into　the　landing。
　　〃No　one　there。。。〃
　　〃This　place　is　haunted！〃　said　Ron。
　　〃It's　not；〃　said　Lupin；　still　looking　at　the　door　in　a　puzzled　way。　〃The　Shrieking　Shack　was　never　haunted。。。。　The　screams　and　howls　the　villagers　used　to　hear　were　made　by　me。〃
　　He　pushed　his　graying　hair　out　of　his　eyes；　thought　for　a　moment　then　said；　〃That's　where　all　of　this　starts　　with　my　being　a　werewolf；　None　of　this　could　have　happened　if　I　hadn't　been　bitter。。。　and　if　I　hadn't　been　so　foolhardy。。。〃
　　He　looked　sober　and　tired。　Ron　started　to　interrupt；　but　Hermione；　said；　〃Shh！〃　She　was　watching　Lupin　very　intently。
　　〃I　as　a　very　small　boy　when　I　received　the　bite。　My　parents　tried　everything；　but　in　those　days　there　was　no　cure。　The　potion　that　Professor　Snape　has　been　making　for　me　is　a　very　recent　discovery。　It　makes　me　safe；　you　see。　As　long　as　I　take　it　in　the　week；　preceding　the　full　moon；　I　keep　my　mind　when　I　transform。。。。　I'm　able　to　curl　up　in　my　office；　a　harmless　wolf；　and　wait　for　the　moon　to　wane　again。
　　〃Before　the　Wolfsbane　Potion　was　discovered；　however；　I　became　a　fully　fledged　monster　once　a　month。　It　seemed　impossible　that　I　would　be　able　to　e　to　Hogwarts。　Other　parents　weren't　likely　to　want　their　children　exposed　to　me。
　　〃But　then　Dumbledore　became　Headmaster；　and　he　was　sympathetic。　He　said　that　as　long　as　we　took　certain　precautions；　there　was　no　reason　I　shouldn't　e　to　school。。。。〃　Lupin　sighed；　and　looked　directly　at　Harry。　〃I　told　you；　months　ago；　that　the　Whomping　Willow　was　planted　the　year　I　came　to　Hogwarts。　The　truth　is　that　it　was　planted　because　I　came　to　Hogwarts。　This　house〃　　Lupin　looked　miserably　around　the　room；　　〃the　tunnel　that　leads　to　it　　they　were　built　for　my　use。　Once　a　month；　I　was　smuggled　out　of　the　castle；　into　this　place；　to　transform。　The　tree　was　placed　at　the　tunnel　mouth　to　stop　anyone　ing　across　me　while　I　was　dangerous。〃
　　Harry　couldn't　see　where　this　story　was　going；　but　he　was　listening　raptly　all　the　same。　The　only　sound　apart　from　Lupin's　voice　was　Scabbers's　frightened　squeaking。
　　〃My　transformations　in　those　days　were　　were　terrible。　It　is　very　painful　to　turn　into　a　werewolf。　I　was　separated　from　humans　to　bite；　so　I　bit　and　scratched　myself　instead。　The　villagers　heard　the　noise　and　the　screaming　and　thought　they　were　hearing　particularly　violent　spirits。　Dumbledore　encouraged　the　rumor。。。。　Even　now；　when　the　house　has　been　silent　for　years；　the　villagers　don't　dare　approach　it。。。。〃
　　〃But　apart　from　my　transformations；　I　was　happier　than　I　had　ever　been　in　my　life。　For　the　first　time　ever；　I　had　friends；　three　great　friends。　Sirius　Black。。。　Peter　Pettigrew。。。　and；　of　course；　your　father；　Harry　　James　Potter。〃
　　〃Now；　my　three　friends　could　hardly　fail　to　notice　that　I　disappeared　once　a　month。　I　made　up　all　sorts　of　stories。　I　told　them　my　mother　was　ill；　and　that　I　had　to　go　home　to　see　her。。。　I　was　terrified　they　would　desert　me　the　moment　they　found　out　what　I　was。　But　of　course；　they；　like　you；　Hermione；　worked　out　the　truth。。。。〃
　　〃And　they　didn't　desert　me　at　all。　Instead；　they　did　something　for　me　that　would　make　my　transformations　not　only　bearable；　but　the　best　times　of　my　life。　They　became　Animagi。〃
　　〃My　dad　too？〃　said　Harry；　astounded。
　　〃Yes；　indeed；〃　said　Lupin。　〃It　took　them　the　best　part　of　three　years　to　work　out　how　to　do　it。　Your　father　and　Sirius　here　were　the　cleverest　students　in　the　school；　and　lucky　they　were；　because　the　Animagus　transformation　can　go　horribly　wrong　　one　reason　the　Ministry　keeps　a　close　watch　on　those　attempting　to　do　it。　Peter　needed　all　the　help　he　could　get　from　James　and　Sirius。　Finally；　in　our　fifth　year；　they　managed　it。　They　could　each　turn　into　a　different　animal　at　will。〃
　　〃But　how　did　that　help　you？〃　said　Hermione；　sounding　puzzled。
　　〃They　couldn't　keep　me　pany　as　humans；　so　they　kept　me　pany　as　animals；〃　said　Lupin。　〃A　werewolf　is　only　a　danger　to　people。　They　sneaked　out　of　the　castle　every　month　under　James's　Invisibility　Cloak。　They　transformed。。。　Peter；　as　the　smallest；　could　slip　beneath　the　Willow's　attacking　branches　and　touch　the　knot　that　freezes　it。　They　would　then　slip　down　the　tunnel　and　join　me。　Under　their　influence；　I　became　less　dangerous。　My　body　was　still　wolfish；　but　my　mind　seemed　to　bee　less　so　while　I　was　with　them。〃
　　〃Hurry　up；　Remus；〃　snarled　Black；　who　was　still　watching　Scabbers　with　a　horrible　sort　of　hunger　on　his　face。
　　〃I'm　getting　there；　Sirius；　I'm　getting　there。。。　well；　highly　exciting　possibilities　were　open　to　us　now　that　we　could　all　transform。　Soon　we　were　leaving　the　Shrieking　Shack　and　roaming　the　school　grounds　and　the　village　by　night。　Sirius　and　James　transformed　into　such　large　animals；　they　were　able　to　keep　a　werewolf　in　check。　I　doubt　whether　any　Hogwarts　students　ever　found　out　more　about　the　Hogwarts　grounds　and　Hogsmeade　than　we　did。。。。　And　that's　how　we　came　to　write　the　Marauder's　Map；　and　sign　it　with　our　nicknames。　Sirius　is　Padfoot。　Peter　is　Wormtail。　James　was　Prongs。〃
　　〃What　sort　of　animal　？〃　Harry　began；　but　Hermione　cut　him　off。
　　〃That　was　still　really　dangerous！　Running　around　in　the　dark　with　a　werewolf！　What　if　you'd　given　the　others　the　slip；　and　bitten　somebody？〃
　　〃A　thought　that　still　haunts　me；〃　said　Lupin　heavily。　〃And　there　were　near　misses；　many　of　them。　We　laughed　about　them　afterwards。　We　were　young；　thoughtless　　carried　away　with　our　own　cleverness。〃
　　I　sometimes　felt　guilty　about　betraying　Dumbledore's　trust；　of　course。。。　he　had　admitted　me　to　Hogwarts　when　no　other　headmaster　would　have　done　so；　and　he　had　no　idea　I　was　breaking　the　rules　he　had　set　down　for　my　own　and　others'　safety。　He　never　knew　I　had　led　three　fellow　students　into　being　Animagi　illegally。　But　I　always　managed　to　forget　my　guilty　feelings　every　time　we　sat　down　to　plan　our　next　month's　adventure。　And　I　haven't　changed。。。〃
　　Lupin's　face　had　hardened；　and　there　was　self…disgust　in　his　voice。　〃All　this　year；　I　have　been　battling　with　myself；　wondering　whether　I　should　tell　Dumbledore　that　Sirius　was　an　Animagus。　But　I　didn't　do　it。　Why？　Because　I　was　too　cowardly。　It　would　have　meant　admitting　that　I'd　betrayed　his　trust　while　I　was　at　school；　admitting　that　I'd　led　others　along　with　me。。。　and　Dumbledore's　trust　has　meant　everything　to　me。　He　let　me　into　Hogwarts　as　a　boy；　and　he　gave　me　a　job　when　I　have　been　shunned　all　my　adult　life；　unable　to　find　paid　work　because　of　what　I　am。　And　so　I　convinced　myself　that　Sirius　was　getting　into　the　school　using　dark　arts　he　learned　from　Voldemort；　that　being　an　Animagus　had　nothing　to　do　with　it。。。　so；　in　a　way；　Snape's　been　right　about　me　all　along。〃
　　〃Snape？〃　said　Black　harshly；　taking　his　eyes　off　Scabbers；　for　the　first　time　in　minutes　and　looking　up　at　Lupin。　〃What's　Snape　got　to　do　with　it？〃
　　〃He's　here；　Sirius；〃　said　Lupin　heavily。　〃He's　teaching　here　as　well。〃　He　looked　up　at　Harry；　Ron；　and　Hermione。
　　〃Professor　Snape　was　at　school　with　us。　He　fought　very　hard　against　my　appointment　to　the　Defense　Against　the　Dark　Arts　job。　He　has　been　telling　Dumbledore　A　year　that　I　am　not　to　be　trusted。　He　has　his　reasons。。。　you　see；　Sirius　here　played　a　trick　on　him　which　nearly　killed　him；　a　trick　which　involved　me　〃
　　Black　made　a　derisive　noise。
　　〃It　served　him　right；〃　he　sneered。　〃Sneaking　around；　trying　to　find　out　what　we　were　up　to。。。　hoping　he　could　get　us　expelled。。。。〃
　　〃Severus　was　very　interested　in　where　I　went　every　month。〃　Lupin　told　Harry；　Ron；　and　Hermione。　〃We　were　in　the　same　year；　you　know；　and　we　　er　　didn't　like　each　other　very　much。　He　especially　disliked　James。　Jealous；　I　think；　of　James's　talent　on　the　Quidditch　field。。。　anyway　Snape　had　seen　me　crossing　the　grounds　with　Madam　Pomfrey　one　evening　as　she　led　me　toward　the　Whomping　Willow　to　transform。　Sirius　thought　it　would　be　　er　　amusing；　to　tell　Snape　all　he　had　to　do　was　prod　the　knot　on　the　tree　trunk　with　a　long　stick；　and　he'd　be　able　to　get　in　after　me。　Well；　of　course；　Snape　tried　it　　if　he'd　got　as　far　as　this　house；　he'd　have　met　a　fully　grown　werewolf　　but　your　father；　who'd　heard　what　Sirius　had　done；　went　after　Snape　and　pulled　him　back；　at　great　risk　to　his　life。。。　Snape　glimpsed　me；　though；　at　the　end　of　the　tunnel。　He　was　forbidden　by　Dumbledore　to　tell　anybody；　but　from　that　time　on　he　knew　what　I　was。。。。〃
　　〃So　that's　why　Snape　doesn't　like　you；〃　said　Harry　slowly；　〃because　he　thought　you　were　in　on　the　joke？〃
　　〃That's　right；〃　sneered　a　cold　voice　from　the　wall　behind　Lupin。
　　Severus　Snape　was　pulling　off　the　Invisibility　Cloak；　his　wand　pointing；　directly　at　Lupin。
　　CHAPTER　NINETEEN
　　THE　SERVANT　OF　LORD　VOLDEMORT
　　Hermione　screamed。　Black　leapt　to　his　feet。　Harry　felt　as　though　he'd　received　a　huge　electric　shock。
　　〃I　found　this　at　the　base　of　the　Whomping　Willow；〃　said　Snape；　throwing　the　cloak　aside；　careful　to　keep　this　wand　pointing　directly　at　Lupin's　chest。　〃Very　useful；　Potter；　I　thank　you。。。。〃
　　Snape　was　slightly　breathless；　but　his　face　was　full　of　suppressed　triumph。　〃You're　wondering；　perhaps；　how　I　knew　you　were　here？〃　he　said；　his　eyes　glittering。　〃I've　just　been　to　your　office；　Lupin。　You　forgot　to　take　your　potion　tonight；　so　I　took　a　gobletful　along。　And　very　lucky　I　did。。。　lucky　for　me；　I　mean。　Lying　on　your　desk　was　a　certain　map。　One　glance　at　it　told　me　all　I　needed　to　know。　I　saw　you　running　along　this　passageway　and　out　of　sight。〃
　　〃Severus　〃　Lupin　began；　but　Snape　overrode　him。
　　〃I've　told　the　headmaster　again　and　again　that　you're　helping　your　old　friend　Black　into　the　castle；　Lupin；　and　here's　the　proof。　Not　even　I　dreamed　you　would　have　the　nerve　to　use　this　old　place　as　your　hideout　〃
　　〃Severus；　you're　making　a　mistake；〃　said　Lupin　urgently。　〃You　haven't　heard　everything　　I　can　explain　　Sirius　is　not　here　to　kill　Harry　〃
　　〃Two　more　for　Azkaban　tonight；〃　said　Snape；　his　eyes　now　gleaming　fanatically。