分节阅读198

  usepra! sectusepra!” but though gashes appeared their dden rags and their icy sk, they had no blood to spill: they walked on, unfeelg, their shrunken hands outstretched toward hi, and as he backed away still farther, he felt ars enclose hi fro behd, th, fleshlcv ars ld as death, and his feet left the ground as they lifted hi and began to carry hi, slowly and surely, back to the water, anil he knew there would be no release, that he would be drowned, and bee one ore dead guardian of a fragnt of voldeorts shattered ul
  but then, through the darkness, fire erupted: crin and gold, a rg of fire that surrounded the rock that the feri holdg harry tightly stubled and faltered they did not dare pass through the fs to t to the water they dropped harry he hit the ground, slipped on the rock, and fell, grazg his ars, then scrabled back up, raisg his wand and starg around
  dubledore was on his feet aga, pale as any of the surround-g feri, but taller than any too, the fire dancg his eyes his wand was raised like a torch and fro its tip eanated the fs, like a vast s, encirclg the all with warth the feri buped to each other, atteptg, bldly, to es-cape the fire which they were enclosed
  dubledore soped the locket fro the botto of the stone bas and stowed it side his robes wordlessly, he stured to harry to e to his side distracted by the fs, the feri seed unaware that their arry was leavg as dubledore led harry back to the boat, the rg of fire ovg with the, around the, the bewildered feri aopanyg the to the waters ed, where they slipped gratefully back to their dark waters
  harry, who was shakg all over, thought for a ont that dubledore ight not be able to clib to the boat he ered a little as he attepted it all his efforts seed to be gog to atag the rg of protective f around the harry seized hi and helped hi back to his seat once they were both safely jad side aga, the boat began to ove back across the bck water, away fro the rock, still encircled by that rg of fire, and it seed that the feri swarg below the did not dare resurface
  ”sir,” panted harry, ”sir, i fot — about fire — they were g at and i panicked —”
  ”ite understandable,” urured dubledore harry was ard to hear how fat his voice was
  they reached the bank with a little bup and harry leapt out, then turned ickly to help dubledore the ont that du-bledore reached the bank he let his wand hand fall the rg of fire vanished, but the feri did not er aga fro the water the little boat sank to the water once ore cnkg and tklg, its cha slithered back to the ke too dubledore gave a great sigh and leaned agast the cavern wall
  ”i a weak” he said
  ”don39t worry, sir,” said harry at once, anxio about dubledore39s extre pallor and by his air of exhation ”don39t worry, i39ll t back  lean on , sir  ”
  and pullg dubledore39s unjured ar around his shoulders, harry guided his headaster back around the ke, bearg ost of his weight
  ”the protection was  after all well-designed,” said du-bledore fatly ”one alone uld not have done it you did well, very well, harry ”
  ”don39t talk now,” said harry, fearg how srred dubledore39s voice had bee, how uch his feet ed ”save your energy, sir  we39ll on be out of here  ”
  ”the archway will have sealed aga  y knife ” 39
  ”there39s no need, i got cut on the rock,” said harry firly ”jt tell where  ”
  ”here  ”
  harry wiped his grazed forear upon the stone: havg re-ceived its tribute of blood, the archway reopened stantly they crossed the outer cave, and harry helped dubledore back to the icy seawater that filled the crevice the cliff
  ”it39s gog to be all right, sir,” harry said over and over aga, ore worried by dubledore39s silence than he had been by his weakened voice ”we39re nearly there i can apparate both back  don39t worry  ”
  ”i a not worried, harry,” said dubledore, his voice a little stronr despite the freezg water ”i a with you”
  chapter 27: the lightng-struck tower
  once back under the starry sky, harry heaved dubledore on to the of the nearest boulder and then to his feet dden and shiverg, dubledore39s weight still upon hi, harry n- centrated harder than he had ever done upon his destation: hogs