分卷阅读26（2 / 2）

ThentheplantcrashedintothemandDracostumbledbackward.“What—”Harrylookedaround.

“Isit—”someonenearbystartedtoask.“Itis!It’sHarryPotter!”Thevicinitybrokeoutinmurmursasbodiesstartedflockingtohisside.HarrylookedaroundforDracobuthe’ddisappeared.Allhehadwasthedamnedplantfloatingnexttohim.

“Harry!WhatareyoudoinginEdinburgh?”awomanshouted.Ayoungmancutinfrontofher.“Harry!Isittrueyou’velefttheaurorstobecomeachocolatier?”Someonegrabbedhisshoulderandturnedhimaround.“Harry!WhenisGinevra’sbabydue?Areyougettingbacktogether?”AhandslidintohisfrombehindandyankedHarryoutfromthecenterofthemob.“Harry!?”

DracopulledHarryawayfromthedancefloorandrushedthemtothesideexitandintothealley,theplantfloatingnottoofarbehind.DracopulledouttheTimepieceandbeganadjustingit.“LookslikeLovegoodactuallyhadthestoryrightforachange,”hesmiled.

“Comeagain?”Harryasked.Henestledtheplantinthecrookofhisarm,restingitagainsthiship.

“Earlier,whenLovegoodsaidyou’dbeeninanightclub,”Dracowasgrinningwildly,andHarrythoughthe’dneverseenhimlooksoliberated.“Saidyou’dbeendancingwithamatureficus.”HeleanedforwardandgrabbedHarryforthetimejump.Theyendedupflushagainsteachother.Draco’sbreathdancedagainstHarry’sneck,“Cockblockedbyaficusismorelikeit.”

Andthentheyfell.

HermioneshuffledthroughtheAshtyl’sFlooRoomandheadedtothehotelroomatfivetilelevenintheevening.ShewasstillabitflusteredfromherargumentwithCormacMcLaggenattheMinistry.Hehadinsistedsheleavewithouthim.

“Iwillgiveyouatenminuteheadstart,”he’dsaid.

Hermionereplied,“It’snotapropertailifIknowyou’rethere.Justcomewithme.”

Cormacreplied,casually,“IknowwhatI’mdoing,”andmotionedforhertoleave.Sowithoutanotherthought,sheleft.

Whenshegottothehotelroom,shequietlyknocked.Afternooneanswered,shetriedtheknobandthedoorswungopen.Thatwasnotagoodsign.Wandready,shecreptinside.

Theroomwasdeserted.Shequicklycastafewsecuritychecksandprobes,butnothingshowedupasalarming.Therewasafoodcartinthecorneroftheparlour,twoplatesofpastaandanemptybottleofwine.Shepeeredaroundforanyothersignsofherfriendsandthat’swhenshenoticedabig,leafypottedplantaboutthesizeofasmallchildonthecoffeetable.Afewopenbookswerelitteredaroundit.

Shedivedintothemandsoonfeltsickatthethoughtofwhatinquollisanicorpuscoulddointhewronghands.Theimplicationsofsoul-catchingwerereminiscentofVoldemort’seffortstoachieveimmortalityandgreatpower.Butifsomeonecouldsimplygainpowerbychangingthebodytheyinhabited,theycouldbeanyone,doanything,controlgovernments,industry—holdtheentireworldhostagetotheirownwhims.

Shedesperatelywantedtoknowhowtheothershadfoundit,butquicklymovedontofiguringouthowtoapproachtheransomdrop.Shehadeverythingonthelist:aphonyTimepiece,theGalleonsinabagwithanExtensionCharmandtracker,andnowtheplant.Glancingaround,Hermionestartedtopanicwhensherealizedthekneazlewasnowhereinsight.

Shelookedeverywhere,fromunderthefurnituretoinsidetheshower,untilshefinallynoticedanoteonthewardrobethatsaidPUTONEON.Shethrewopenthewardrobedoorsandwaspracticallyblindedbybright,flashingmulticoloredlights.

HanginginsidewerefouroftheugliestChristmasjumpersHermionehadeverseen.Onedepictedasnowmanmakingseverallewdgestureswhileanother,muchlargerjumpershowcasedFatherChristmasstuckupsidedowninachimneywithhisfeetflailingaboutandhisbuttcrackvisible.AnotheronelavishlyfeaturedmultipleornamentorbsappearinganddisappearingacrossitsfrontwhileflashingJINGLEMYBALLSinbrightgreenletters.Eachonefeaturedbrightenchantedlightsandonehadafireplaceintheareaoverone’snavel,aroaringfirecracklinginitshearth.Therewereevensparks.

Theentirespectacle,noteincluded,wassobizarreshefeltthatunderdifferentcircumstancesitwould’vebeenafunnyjoke.ButthesituationwasdireandifsomeonesaidjumptosaveBertrice,Hermionewouldn’tthinktwicebeforedoingit.Asitwasthesmallestofthefour,shegrabbedthelewdsnowmanjumperandputitonoverherblouse.

Minuteslater,aftershe’dbeenpacingbackandforthinfrontoftheplant,shedecidedtohideatimedSelf-KindlingCharmonthesoul-catcher—justcasetheycouldn’tstopthekidnappersfromgettingawaywithit.Frankly,itworriedHermionethattheplantwasn’tasextinctasthetextshadclaimed.