哈利波特與魔法石The Midnight Duel(三)

　  Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.

　　No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter.

　　"Did you see his face, the great lump?"

　　The other Slytherins joined in.

　　"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil.

　　"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin girl. "Never thought you'd like fat little crybabies, Parvati."

　　"Look!" said Malfoy, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."

　　The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.

　　"Give that here, Malfoy," said Harry quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch.

　　Malfoy smiled nastily.

　　"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find -- how about -- up a tree?"

　　"Give it here!" Harry yelled, but Malfoy had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. He hadn't been lying, he could fly well. Hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potter!"

　　Harry grabbed his broom.

　　"No!" shouted Hermione Granger. "Madam Hooch told us not to move -- you'll get us all into trouble."

　　Harry ignored her. Blood was pounding in his ears. He mounted the broom and kicked hard against the ground and up, up he soared; air rushed through his hair, and his robes whipped out behind him -and in a rush of fierce joy he realized he'd found something he could do without being taught -- this was easy, this was wonderful. He pulled his broomstick up a little to take it even higher, and heard screams and gasps of girls back on the ground and an admiring whoop from Ron.

　　He turned his broomstick sharply to face Malfoy in midair. Malfoy looked stunned.

　　"Give it here," Harry called, "or I'll knock you off that broom!" "Oh, yeah?" said Malfoy, trying to sneer, but looking worried.

　　Harry knew, somehow, what to do. He leaned forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hands, and it shot toward Malfay like a javelin. Malfoy only just got out of the way in time; Harry made a sharp about-face and held the broom steady. A few people below were clapping.

　　"No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy," Harry called.

　　The same thought seemed to have struck Malfoy.

　　"Catch it if you can, then!" he shouted, and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back toward the ground.

　　Harry saw, as though in slow motion, the ball rise up in the air and then start to fall. He leaned forward and pointed his broom handle down -- next second he was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball -- wind whistled in his ears, mingled with the screams of people watching -- he stretched out his hand -- a foot from the ground he caught it, just in time to pull his broom straight, and he toppled gently onto the grass with the Remembrall clutched safely in his fist.