分卷阅读6（1 / 2）

“Readyaswe’lleverbe.”Ronwastakingthelead,seeminglythinkingthatifhisgirlfriendsaiditwasreadytobeopened,thatshouldbetheendofdiscussion.

“Alright.”Hermione’shandwasshakingalittle,enoughthatDracoknewthatshewasafraid.(Andwhendidthathappen,thatshestoppedbeingGrangerandstartedbeingHermione?)“Onthreethen.”

“Wait.Letme.”Dracosteppedinfrontofher,easedherhandsoffthelatch.Shedidn’targuetoomuch,andwhenRonsteppedinfrontofher,Dracosawsomethinginhiseyesthatfeltlikeitwasaflickerofgratitude.“Wandsout?”

ItwasHermionethathadbeensteeringthiswholeproject,butitwasHarrythatDracolookedto.“Wheneveryou’reready.”Harrysaid,andDracodidn’tfeellikeanythingtoworryabout,whenhehadHarrywatchinghisback.“Justtakeyourtime.”

“Onthree.”Dracosaid,andhefeltthetensioninhisarmsbuilding,themagicpoolinginhiswristsandhisfingertips,thatfamiliarfeelingofwhenhewasreadytotakeaction.“One.Two.”Thelastsyllableseemedtostretchout,andwhenhefinallydidopenit,itwaswithaloudbangandapuffofdust.“Three.”

“Youknowwhatthismeans,don’tyou?”

Thereweren’ttimesthatDracohadthoughtthathebelonged,thathewaspartofthings,butasHermioneleanedintoRon’sopenarmsandHarryturnedtohim,itwasoneoftheraremomentsofhislifethatDracogottofeellikehehadbecomeacentralpartofateam.Thiswasateam,ateamofthree,andherehewas,beingpulledalongfortheride.

Hedidn’tknowwhatitmeans.AllhewaslookingatwasblueprintsandnotesscrawledinthehandwritingofMad-EyeMoody,afactthathadsentHermioneintotearsassoonassherealizedit.Theywerenamesofdeatheaters,andsuspecteddeatheaters,andwerewolfdens,andterroristcellsinothercountriesjustwaitingtobeunleashed.

Anditfeltbad.ItfeltlikewhentheannouncementcamethroughthecorridorsthatallstudentsweretoreturntotheirhousesandDracohadtowaittohearthenews,whenhesatoutsidethecourtroomwaitingfortheverdictforhisfather,whenhewasmeetingtheDarkLordforthefirsttime.Itwasthefeelingthatcamewithallbadthings,thatanimalinstinctthatservedonlytotellthemwhentheyshouldstartrunning.

Hermioneknew.AndsodidRon.AndevenHarry,reachingoutandgrippingRon’sshoulderwhenHermionelefthimtoflipthroughthejournalswritteninsomeone’sspideryhandwriting(Dumbledore’s,hewouldlearnlater),seemedtoknowit.AndreallysodidDraco,thetruthsettlingsomewhereinhisstomachevenbeforeHermionespoke.

“It’snotover.”Thismarkedthebeginningofsomethingnew,thefirstbattlecryoftheend,markingthemomentwhereowlsflittedfromhousetohouseandthecalltoarmswassentthroughalltheold,wearysoldiers,theoneswithenoughscarstolastalifetimebutwerenowhereneartheend.“We’vestillgotalongfightaheadofus.”

Chapter6

Harry

Heknowsheshouldn’thavedoneit.

Hehadfeltitwhenhedraggedhimselfoutofbedthismorning,theeffectsofonetoomanysleeplessnightsfinallycreepinguponhim,theacheinhismusclesandthefogfillinguphismind.Hewassoclosetocallinginsick,butthatwouldhavekepthimstuckathome,andthefightseemedveryimportantagain,nowthathehadthatboxtothinkabout,theonethatheandRonandHermione(andDraco,Dracoisapartofthethreeofthemnow,too,howeverreluctanttheyallaretoadmitit)stillhaven’ttoldanyoneabout.

Sohewenttotraining.

Andwhentheytoldhimitwastimetopracticefightingwithrealspells,withatrainedhealerstandingonthesidelines,hedidn’ttellanyonethatmaybeitwouldbebetterifhesatthisoneout.

Andwhenitwastimeforhisturn,hesteppedintothering,facedhisopponent,ignoredthethumbsupthatRongavehim,didn’tlistentoallthesafetywarningsthatHermionehadforcedheandRontositthroughwhentheyfirstdecidedtochoosethisastheircareerplan.(Becausereally,youthinkthetwoofyouwouldn’thavekilledyourselvesbythethirdyearifyoudidn’thavemewithyou?)Hejuststoodthere,adjustedhisgriponhiswand,gaveanodtotheinstructor,andthenwaitedforthespelltocomeathim.

Onlywhenitcame,hedidn’tblockit.Hedidn’traisehiswandtodefendhimself,ortrytomoveoutoftheway.IfHarrywasbeinghonest,hedidn’treallyevenseeit,orifhedid,hedidn’tregisterit,justsawaflashoflightandthentheshockwavethatwentthroughhischest,blastinghimbackwardsintothewall.