今年年頭在網上買了哈利波特系列的書,給自己放 career break 時閱讀。 開箱的時候,開心到哭了! 二十年前第一次看這書,是問同學借的,看完就還,從來沒有擁有過。 喜愛了多年,現在手上拿著屬於自己的書,感覺很滿足。 經得起時間考驗的,定必珍而重之。 ❤️

剛剛重讀完第五本,想在這兒記下一些令我感受深刻的句子及重讀的新體會。 (劇透注意!)

 

書名(英): 《Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix》

書名(中): 《哈利波特:鳳凰會的密令》

作者: J. K. Rowling

 

一打開第五本書的目錄,看到的章節不再是新奇趣怪,頓時覺得故事黑暗了很多。 讀第一個 chapter 時,感覺讀的是另一個故事,一個沉重的、大人的故事,或者似作者出的偵探小說吧,完全沒有輕鬆 light reading 的感覺。 故事氣氛的轉變,就代表了角色及讀者的成長。 第二至四本書都會用些方法 re-cap 魔法世界的細節,讓讀者重溫一下才繼續故事,這本書不同的是,一開始已經入正題了。

 

Ch.2 講到 ‘Harry’s two lives had somehow become fused and everything had been turned upside-down’ (P.35),再發展到 Aunt Petunia 承認有與魔法世界的存在,令我想到,有些事(多數是可怕的事)想置身事外也逃避不過! 像 Petunia 逃避了十幾年,到自己的兒子受影響才為意要面對。 社會上有些人,刻意不關心眼前的事,他們知道這樣做所帶來的惡果都要自己承受嗎?

‘Back?’ whispered Aunt Petunia.

She was looking at Harry as she had never looked at him before. And all of a sudden, for the very first time in his life, Harry fully appreciated that Aunt Petunia was his mother’s sister… All he knew was that he was not the only person in the room who had an inkling of what Lord Voldemort being back might mean.’

The furious pretence that Aunt Petunia had maintained all Harry’s life – that there was no magic and no world other than the world she inhabited with Uncle Vernon – seemed to have fallen away. (P.35)

 

我可以學習的寫法:

  • The empty house creaked around him. The pipes gurgled. Harry lay there in a kind of stupor, thinking of nothing, suspended in misery. (P.42)

 

作者很喜歡用 socks 帶出輕鬆的氣氛,整套書多次談到 socks,例如:

  • Dumbledore 說在 The Mirror of Erised 看到自己擁有 woolen socks
  • HP 收到 Uncle Vernon 的殘舊 socks 作為生日禮物
  • HP 用來收藏 sneakoscope 的是 socks
  • 用來釋放 Dobby 的衣物是 socks
  • Dobby 送給 HP 的禮物是 socks
  • HP 回贈 Dobby 的禮物也是 socks
  • 還有 Tonks 第一次出場,幫 HP 收拾行李時就嘗試用麼法摺 socks

 

Ch.3 The Advance Guard 的結尾有兩點我想提一下。 首先,Put-Outer 亮場了,還要帶出是屬於 Dumbledore 的,這小小物件對未來發展很重要!!! 其次,Moody 拿出一張寫了 The Order of the Pheonix 名字及地址的紙,這和在同一張紙寫 ID 及密碼有甚麼分別,還差過 Neville 把 common room 的密碼寫在紙上!

 

不太明白 HP 在 12 Grimmauld Place 見到 Ron 及 Hermione 興奮過後,為何會這樣做:The warm glow that had flared inside him at the sight of his two best friends was extinguished as something icy flooded the pit of his stomach. All of a sudden – after yearning to see them for a solid month – he felt he would rather Ron and Hermione left him alone. (P.59)

 

Sirius Black 是衝動型的人,也直接到不留情面,是本身的性格,還是被 Azkaban harden 了又困在舊屋的原因? 在 Ch.5 The Order of the Phoenix 他和 Molly 的爭拗 (P.81-83),突顯了他性格的缺陷,也同時透露了他想做好 Godfather 的角色,不過就令我不太喜歡他。

 

Ch.6 The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black 入面的 family tree,是在一部像 HP 這樣複雜的故事入面,介紹眾多人物背景的一個好方法! 一些好像毫不相關的人物(Regulus, the Black sisters, Tonks, Lestrange),當中有些更是非常關鍵的,都一起出現了! 這是一個較 dark 的章節,Sirius 情緒低落,唯一 compensate 這負面氣氛的就是他們清屋的趣事。

 

Sirius sustained a bad bite from a silver snuffbox; within seconds his bitten hand had developed an unpleasant crusty covering like a tough brown glove. (P.106)

是反映之後幾本書講 Dumbledore 的手的先兆嗎?

 

Mr Weasley delighted with the way the stile swallowed his ticket (P.114)

在上一本書 The Goblet of Fire 中學過 stile 這字,解作讓人過不讓動物過的木欄杆,今次卻解作火車入閘的裝置。

 

Ministry of Magic 正門前有個大噴泉,中央有幾尊金色的雕像,雕像的組合令我想起白人主義的雕像 – 白人騎馬高高在上,黑人仰慕地向上望著白人。 作者是這樣形容的:

Tallest of them all was a noble-looking wizard with his wand pointing straight up in the air. Grouped around him were a beautiful witch, a centaur, a goblin and a house-elf. The last three were all looking adoringly up at the witch and wizard. (P.116)

原來 goblins 的地位有如僕人,難怪他們擔心 goblins 會投向 Voldemort 了!(後記:故事最尾 Dumbledore 也說這些雕像所表達的是大話!)

 

If I’m not expelled from Hogwarts, I’ll put in ten Galleons, Harry found himself thinking desperately. (P.117)

HP 最後有否放錢入噴泉呢? 答案是有的。 不過這不是重點,重點是作者透過這段帶出 St Mungo’s 醫院(噴泉的捐款會全數撥給醫院),稍後就會揭露 Neville 的父母留醫在這所醫院。

 

‘Ah,’ he said, grinning, as he extracted a copy of a magazine entitled The Quibbler from its midst, ‘yes…’ He flicked through it. ‘Yes, he’s right, I’m sure Sirius will find that very amusing – ‘ (P.122)

Arthur Weasley 的說話介紹了 The Quibbler 這本有趣的雜誌,是為 Luna 出場作準備呢。

 

在 Harry Potter 的審訊中,我們見得到制度的不公平 / 不文明,Minster for Magic 竟然可以做 Head Judge,令現今民主社會的人嘩然。 Fudge身為 Minster for Magic 為了保住自己的地位,用盡一切方法令無辜的 Harry 入罪,幸好 Dumbledore 及時出現解救 Harry。 和 Dumbledore 對話間 Fudge 不小心透露了要趕住即日 close case,後來我們知道原因了 – 他想收到在門口等待的 Lucius Malfoy 口袋中的金子! Dumbledore 這句綜合了這個審訊的不公:

‘But naturally, you would not care how many times you heard from a witness, if the alternative was a serious miscarriage of justice,’ said Dumbledore. (P.136)

 

Ch.9 Mr Weasley 要去處理一個會嘔的廁所(想起都作嘔…),他一句道出一個自古以來人類不停重複犯的錯:

‘but it’s not so much having to repair the damage, it’s more the attitude behind the vandalism, Harry. Muggle-baiting might strike some wizards as funny, but it’s an expression of something much deeper and nastier, and I for one –‘ (P.141)

 

Ch.9 Ron 及 Hermione 收到通知成為 Gryffindor prefects,Harry 有點妒忌 Ron,角色與上一本書的 Triwizard Tournament 剛好調轉。 幸好 Harry 經過內心爭扎後,明白到這是 Ron 第一次比 Harry 優勝,他不應毀了好朋友的快樂。 (P.154)

 

Ch.9 的尾段就知為何這章節叫做 ‘The Woes of Mrs Weasley’,作者用 Boggart 這工具透露了 Mrs Weasley 最害怕的就是家人死去(也包括Harry,因她把他當是兒子)。 讀到這兒我大哭了出來! 此外,Boggart 還帶出:

  • Sirius 的恐懼也是失去 Harry,因他在假的 Harry 遺體消失後還凝望地上
  • Foreshadow 了 Lupin 死後,他的兒子會有朋友照顧

當 Harry 回到睡房,腦裡充滿父母舊照上的微笑以及朋友屍體的影像,突然覺得自己長大了,明白人命遠勝他做不到 prefect 的小顧慮。 作者沒有寫,但我覺得他也應該明白到 The Order of the Phoenix 的人不把行動細節告之他們的原因。

 

Ch.10 Luna Lovegood入面講到 Sirius 追著去 Hogwarts 的火車,”… then they rounded a bend, and Sirius was gone.” (P.169) 最後那四個字,令我聯想到 Sirius 的結局,心赤赤痛起來。

 

Luna 在書中的出場跟在 movie 的出場很不同,重讀這章節就好像重新認識她一樣。 作者對演 Luna 的選角很合適,演員完全做到了書入面寫的 dotty 及 dreamy 感覺。

 

‘We’re not going to waste our last year here, though,’ said Fred, looking affectionately around at the Great Hall. ‘We’re going to use it to do a bit of market research, find out exactly what the average Hogwarts student requires from a joke shop, carefully evaluate the results of our research, then produce products to fit the demand.’ (P.211)

兩兄弟真有生意頭腦! 這句話足以證實他們的認真及決心。

 

You’re always having a go at each other, it’s driving me mad. (P.218)

只想令自己學識 “have a go at” 的意思。

 

Taking the mickey (out of someone) 是取笑某人的意思,等於 to make fun of。 詞語在這本書出現過兩次,都是由 Ron 口中說的。

  • ‘Are you taking the mickey?’ said Ron, frowning at her. (P.175, Chapter “Luna Lovegood”)
  • ‘They haven’t stopped taking the mickey out of me since I got made a prefect.’ (P.252, Chapter “Detention with Dolores”)
  • 之後 Fred / George 也有說過一次的,但我未有記下頁數,現在找不到了。

 

Percy 給弟弟 Ron的信,不斷重複自己及魔法部是對的,家人及 Dumbledore 是錯的,忠告弟弟要作出正確的選擇。 以下這句話,在故事最後會回應在 Percy 身上,不過角色就會掉轉了:

I sincerely hope that, in time, they (他父母) will realize how mistaken they were and I shall, of course, be ready to accept a full apology when that day comes. (P.277)

 

‘You think McGonagall was right, do you?’ said Harry angrily to the picture of Cornelius Fudge obscuring Hermione’s face.

‘I wish she hadn’t taken points from you, but I think she’s right to warn you not to lose your temper with Umbridge,’ said Hermione’s voice… (P.296)

記下這句只是想學習 Hermione 的答法。 我平常只會答「我覺得 McGonagall 不對…」,但比較得體的答法是「我希望她沒有…」。

 

The barman sidled towards them out of a back room. He was a grumpy-looking old man with a great deal of long grey hair and beard. He was tall and thin and looked vaguely familiar to Harry. (P.312)

Dumbledore 的弟弟出場了! “Looked vaguely familiar” 是一大線索!

 

隨著 Voldemort 復活,這套書變得越來越黑暗,第一本書那種新奇有趣的事物已很少有,所以第五本書入面出現以下的情節是非常難得:Ron 行去女生宿舍的樓梯想找 Hermione,樓梯探測到他是男生,立刻變成 helter skelter 滑梯,令他滑了出去。(P.327)

 

Neville 聽到 Malfoy 取笑因精神問題入 St Mungo’s 的病人,結果忍不住對付他。 這是本書第二次(好像是)提到 St Mungo’s,為後來在這所醫院的情節鋪路。(P.334)

 

Ch.20 Hagrid’s Tale 入面 Hagrid 訴說他不在 Hogwarts 的日子去找巨人的事,提到以下一段,令我想起人類霸占動物的生活空間,迫使牠們自相殘殺(我在想的是北極熊):

‘They’re not made ter live bunched up together like tha’. Dumbledore says it’s our fault, it was the wizards who forced ‘em to go an’ made ‘em live a good long way from us an’ they had no choice bu’ ter stick together fer their own protection.’ (P.395)

 

來到第五本書,大笑位已經少之又少,這是難得的一個:

Harry arrived early in the Room of Requirement for the last DA meeting before the holidays and was very glad he had, because when the torches burst into flames he saw that Dobby had taken it upon himself to decorate the place for Christmas. He could tell the elf had done it, because nobody else would have strung a hundred golden baubles from the ceiling, each showing a picture of Harry’s face and bearing the legend: HAVE A VERY HARRY CHRISTMAS! (P.418)

 

‘Naturally, naturally,’ murmured Dumbledore apparently to himself, still observing the stream of smoke without the slightest sign of surprise. ‘But in essence divided?’ (P.435)

這發生在 HP 看見 Mr Weasley 被蛇襲擊之後,McGonagall 帶 HP 及 Ron 到  Dumbledore 的校長室,究竟這時 Dumbledore 對 Horcrux 知道多少?

 

讀者終於在 Ch.23 Christmas on the Closed Ward 遇見 Neville 的嫲嫲,也從 Ron 等人的角度,首次聽到 Neville 父母的事跡,並親眼看到 Neville distressed 的反應。 我讀完這段沒有哭,但心頓頓的痛。 還有,我終於發現為何作者要在 Umbridge 監 Hagrid 堂時問 Neville 見過誰人死亡(當時我覺得 Umbridge 的問題格格不入)。 他當時答祖父,讀者知道 Neville 不是由父母帶大的,所以會有疑問他父母身在何方。

 

只想學習這句的寫法:

‘I’ll get to the point then,’ said Sirius, standing up. He was rather taller than Snape who, Harry noticed, balled his fist in the pocket of his cloak over what Harry was sure was the handle of his wand. (P.480)

 

聖誕過後他們要離開 Sirius 的大宅回 Hogwarts 了,Harry 有以下感覺,然後書中用大篇幅講 Harry 想提 Sirius 小心,但最後都沒有機會開口。 是否暗示這是他們二人最後相聚的時刻? 還是只是想讀者相信 Harry 將會看到 Sirius 遇害的 vision?

  • Harry had an unpleasant constricted sensation in his chest; he did not want to say goodbye to Sirius. He had a bad feeling about this parting; (P.483)
  • … it was his last chance to tell Sirius to be careful; he turned, looked into his godfather’s face and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could do so… (P.484)

 

故事敘述 Snape 精通 Occlumency,在他給 Harry 的課堂中,有以下重要的解釋。 重要是因為在最尾一本書會透露 Snape 的真正身份,但早在這段已道出答案。

‘It is true, however, that those who have mastered Legilimency are able, under certain conditions, to delve into the minds of their victims and to interpret their findings correctly. The Dark Lord, for instance, almost always knows when somebody is lying to him. Only those skilled at Occlumency are able to shut down those feelings and memories that contradict the lie, and so can utter falsehoods in his presence without detection.’ (P.490)

 

縱使 Harry 和 Cho 互生愛意,他們的成熟程度是 match 不到的。 明顯 Cho 思想更成熟,而 Harry 只能用缺乏經驗及 consideration 來形容。

 

在 HP 夢見 Sirius 之後,不得不讚 Hermione 的邏輯思考。 要是有人想到 phishing 的可能性,這人不得不是 Hermione。

 

Ministry of Magic 對 Dumbledore 及 HP 的打壓,ungrounded、不合理、不合比例。 可怕的是,這些事現實也有發生。 以下是一小部份有記下的:

  • ‘Oh, so that’s why he wasn’t prosecuted for setting up all those regurgitating toilets!’ said Professor McGonagall, raising her eyebrows. ‘What an interesting insight into our justice system!’ (P.566) 有人向魔法部通報有助打壓 HP 的消息,這人的刑事罪可以不用負責。
  • Umbridge 在沒有證據下,在半夜帶同多人捉拿無辜的 Hagrid,只因她歧視及討厭 half-humans。 Umbridge 一眾人更使用不合理暴力,鬼鼠偷襲 McGonagall 令她受傷,麼法部考官目賭也大叫 “outrageous behaviour”。 (P.663)
  • Umbridge 身為校長,為了追擊 Dumbledore 竟想對學生濫用 Cruciatus Curse 的私刑。 她做校長只是一個政治任務,並不是為了改革教育。 學生正是她要保護的人,她卻不惜一切傷害他們以達成政治目的。 很可怕,也很像現實的一個人。 (P.687-688)
  • 原來 dementors 是 Umbridge 私自派出來追擊 HP 的,在審判時她還刻意提問是否有人暗示是麼法部的指示! 身為麼法部代表,竟知法犯法,只為了打壓與她意見不同的 HP,務求令他受傷或退學。 (P.688)
  • Umbridge 說得很清楚了,與自己想法不同的人就是命賤的。 ‘The Ministry places a rather higher value on my life than yours, I’m afraid.’ (P.692)

 

以 Hermione 一個聰明、有知識、logical 的人,竟在面對人馬時說錯話,激怒他們,實在有點牽強,作者是為了帶出 Grawp 嗎?

 

來到 Ch.35 Beyond the Veil,對上一次讀這書已事隔多年,我對 Department of Mysteries 入面激戰的事忘記得一乾二淨,現在就像第一次讀一樣。 Department各種奇怪的房我完全無印象,覺得非常新奇。 其間 Hermione 阻止 HP 攻擊變成嬰兒的 Death Eater,事後這「嬰兒」轉移了其他 Death Eater 的視線而短暫令他們脫險,令我想起 The Lord of the Rings 入面 Gandalf 說 Gollum 生存是命運的安排這一句。

 

(P.737) Bellatrix 向 Neville 施用 Cruciatus Curse,盡顯她兇殘成性,而 Neville 在受威脅時絕不低頭,就顯出他的堅強。 其實 Neville 真是有本事和 HP 對調位置的。 在先前(沒有記頁數)對戰時 Neville 的魔杖斷了,他說祖母一定會怪責他因它是父親的遺物。 這句正正反映了為何 Neville 在頭幾本書好像一事無成,原因有二:(1) 他用的是別人的魔杖,(2) 祖母令他沒有自信。

 

正當 Fudge 準備說 “Seize him” (叫其他 Aurors 捉拿 Dumbledore),Dumbledore 作出這樣的回應,我覺得答得很好,特此記下:

‘Cornelius, I am ready to fight your men – and win, again!’ said Dumbledore in a thunderous voice. ‘But a few minutes ago you saw proof, with your own eyes, that I have been telling you the truth for a year. Lord Voldemort has returned, you have been chasing the wrong man for twelve months, and it is time you listened to sense!’ (P.752)

 

來到 Sirius 死的一幕,我看書及看電影時也不明白是怎樣一回事,上網查才知道 dais 上的 archway 是靈界的出入口,穿過了就永遠不能回來,連屍體也不會留低。 Sirius 一個有重量的角色(對 HP),穿過一塊紗就走了 (P.742),消失得像沒有生存過一樣,死法令我有種莫名的唏噓。 HP 回到校長室後內心非常難過,作者這樣描述:

  • The silence and the stillness, broken only by the occasional grunt or snuffle of a sleeping portrait, was unbearable to him. If his surroundings could have reflected the feelings inside him, the pictures would have been screaming in pain. (P.755)
  • … there was a terrible hollow inside him he did not want to feel or examine, a dark hole where Sirius had been, where Sirius had vanished,… (P.756)
  • The guilt filling in the whole of Harry’s chest like some monstrous, weighty parasite, now writhed and squirmed. (P.756)

 

以下這段也寫得令人心酸呢,他在不久前才稱呼 Sirius 做 worthless,現在得知 Sirius 死了,可惜作者沒有提及他回來後反應 (P.756):

‘Am I to understand,’ said Phineas Nigellus slowly from Harry’s left, ‘that my great-great-grandson – the last of the Blacks – is dead?’

‘Yes, Phineas,’ said Dumbledore.

‘I don’t believe it,’ said Phineas brusquely.

Harry turned his head in time to see Phineas marching out of his portrait and knew that he had gone to visit his other painting in Grimmauld Place. He would walk, perhaps, from portrait to portrait, calling for Sirius through the house… (P.760-761)

 

Dumledore這番說話是人類的寫照:

‘Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike… the fountain we destroyed tonight told a lie. We wizards have mistreated and abused our fellows for too long, and we are now reaping our reward.’ (P.767)

 

Dumbledore 向 HP 解釋為何自己做錯了那一段,與他平時很不同,甚至有點不真實,因為他說自己過份關心 HP 的快樂,甚至可以犧牲無數無辜的人和生物。 但是為甚麼他對 HP 有這種感覺呢? 是真實的還是說給別人聽的? 我不太明白。

  • ‘I cared about you too much,’ said Dumbledore simply. ‘I cared more for your happiness than your knowing the truth, more for your peace of mind than my plan, more for your life than the lives that might be lost if the plan failed. In other words, I acted exactly as Voldemort expects we fools who love to act.’ (P.772)
  • ‘What did I care if numbers of nameless and faceless people and creatures were slaughtered in the vague future, if in the here and now you were alive, and well, and happy?’ (P.772)
  • Harry looked up at him and saw a tear trickling down Dumbledore’s face into his long silver beard. (P.777)

 

到了最後的 chapter,HP 收拾行李時發現 Sirius 給他的 two-way mirror,如果當初有用它來接通 Sirius,便不會中計成為 phishing 的受害人了。