Гарри Поттер и тайная комната
The Worst Birthday
Nocards,nopresents,andhewouldbespendingtheeveningpretendingnottoexist. Hegazedmiserablyintothehedge. Hehadneverfeltsolonely. MorethananythingelseatHogwarts,moreeventhanplayingQuidditch,Harrymissedhisbestfriends,RonWeasleyandHermioneGranger. They,however,didn’tseemtobemissinghimatall. Neitherofthemhadwrittentohimallsummer,eventhoughRonhadsaidhewasgoingtoaskHarrytocomeandstay.
Countlesstimes,HarryhadbeenonthepointofunlockingHedwig’scagebymagicandsendinghertoRonandHermionewithaletter,butitwasn’tworththerisk. Underagewizardsweren’tallowedtousemagicoutsideofschool. Harryhadn’ttoldtheDursleysthis; heknewitwasonlytheirterrorthathemightturnthemallintodungbeetlesthatstoppedthemfromlockinghiminthecupboardunderthestairswithhiswandandbroomstick. Forthefirstcoupleofweeksback,HarryhadenjoyedmutteringnonsensewordsunderhisbreathandwatchingDudleytearingoutoftheroomasfastashisfatlegswouldcarryhim. ButthelongsilencefromRonandHermionehadmadeHarryfeelsocutofffromthemagicalworldthateventauntingDudleyhadlostitsappeal-andnowRonandHermionehadforgottenhisbirthday.
Whatwouldn’thegivenowforamessagefromHogwarts? Fromanywitchorwizard? He’dalmostbegladofasightofhisarchenemy,DracoMalfoy,justtobesureithadn’tallbeenadream...
NotthathiswholeyearatHogwartshadbeenfun. Attheveryendoflastterm,Harryhadcomeface-to-facewithnoneotherthanLordVoldemorthimself. Voldemortmightbearuinofhisformerself,buthewasstillterrifying,stillcunning,stilldeterminedtoregainpower.
