隔间里安静了一瞬,只剩下火车行进时规律的哐当声和外面走廊的喧闹。弗雷德率先撕开了他的三明治包装,咬了一大口。“So, Smith,”(那么,史密斯,)他嘴里塞得鼓鼓的,含糊不清地问,“Where’re you from? Never seen you around before.”(你从哪儿来的?以前从没见过你。)
乔治也拆开了自己的三明治,接口道:“Yeah, you looked proper lost back there.”(就是,你刚才看起来可真像走丢了。)他的语气是纯粹的好奇,没有嘲笑。
“East End?”(东区?)弗雷德和乔治交换了一个眼神,显然对这个地方有所耳闻,但了解不多。“That’s… Muggle London, right? You a Muggle-born?”(那是…麻瓜伦敦,对吧?你是麻瓜出身?)
“Yeah.”(是的。)索菲亚点点头,咽下干涩的面包,“My family… it’s just my parents, my older brother Tom, my younger sister Lily, and me. Dad’s hurt from work, Mum sews all day… it’s… hard.”(我家…只有我父母,我哥哥汤姆,我妹妹莉莉,还有我。爸爸工伤了,妈妈整天缝纫…日子…很艰难。)她尽量说得平静,但那份沉甸甸的生活还是从她寥寥数语中透了出来。
双胞胎脸上的嬉笑收敛了一些,变得认真起来。弗雷德挠了挠他乱糟糟的红头发:“Blimey. Sounds rough.”(天啊。听起来真够呛。)他把自己咬了一半的三明治往前推了推,“Want a bite? Mum makes loads.”(来一口?妈妈做了很多。)
乔治也立刻把他的三明治推过来:“Yeah, have some. They’re not pumpkin pasties, but they fill the hole.”(就是,吃点。比不上南瓜馅饼,但能填饱肚子。)
索菲亚看着眼前两个虽然简单、却饱含真诚善意的三明治,再看看自己手里干硬的黑面包,一股暖流瞬间涌上心头,冲散了方才的窘迫。她摇摇头,露出一个真诚的微笑:“Thanks, but I’m okay. Got my bread.”(谢谢,不过不用了。我有面包。)她晃了晃手里的黑面包,表示自己习惯了。
“Weasley! Oh, I think my mother mentioned your family! Lovely to meet you both. And Smith… that’s a nice solid name.”(韦斯莱!哦,我想我母亲提过你们家!很高兴认识你们两位。还有史密斯…这是个很好很实在的名字。)艾玛的笑容非常有感染力,“Are you all first years too?”(你们都是一年级新生吗?)
“Yep!”(没错!)弗雷德和乔治齐声回答,带着自豪。 “Me too.”(我也是。)索菲亚点头。
“Oh, splendid!”(哦,太棒了!)艾玛拍了下手,显得很开心。就在这时,售货女巫推着小车又经过了门口。艾玛眼睛一亮:“Oh! Excuse me!”(哦!请稍等!)她像只轻盈的小鹿般跳起来,跑到门口,用她那清脆的声音说道:“We’ll take… oh, let’s see… four pumpkin pasties, two chocolate frogs, and a box of Bertie Bott’s, please!”(我们要…嗯,让我看看…四个南瓜馅饼,两只巧克力蛙,还有一盒比比多味豆,谢谢!)
“Here!”(来!)艾玛热情地拿起一个还在冒着热气的、金灿灿的南瓜馅饼,不由分说地塞到索菲亚手里,“You must try this! They’re simply the best on the train!”(你一定要尝尝这个!这绝对是火车上最好吃的!)接着又给弗雷德和乔治一人塞了一个,“And for you two! Consider it a ‘welcome to Hogwarts’ treat!”(还有你们两个!就当是‘欢迎来到霍格沃茨’的小礼物!)最后自己也拿起一个,满足地咬了一大口,发出幸福的叹息。
艾玛开心地笑着,又拆开了那盒比比多味豆:“Now, who’s brave enough to try a mystery bean?”(现在,谁有胆量尝试一颗神秘豆?)她碧蓝的大眼睛里闪烁着恶作剧般的光芒。
车厢里的气氛瞬间变得轻松而热烈。在香甜的南瓜馅饼和刺激的多味豆挑战中(弗雷德不幸吃到一颗臭烘烘的耳屎味,引得乔治和艾玛哈哈大笑,索菲亚则幸运地尝到了草莓味),四个人很快熟络起来。艾玛大方地分享着她的家庭:母亲是女巫,来自一个古老的纯血家族,父亲是麻瓜,出身于英国的贵族家庭(坎贝尔家族),经营着庞大的产业。“Mum says magic is wonderful, but Daddy’s world has its charms too, like those amazing aeroplanes!”(妈妈说魔法很神奇,但爸爸的世界也有它的魅力,比如那些神奇的飞机!)艾玛兴致勃勃地说。
索菲亚也简单分享了自己的情况,虽然说得不多,但艾玛听完后,碧蓝的眼睛里充满了真挚的同情和钦佩:“Oh, Sophia, that sounds so difficult! You must be incredibly brave.”(哦,索菲亚,这听起来太艰难了!你一定非常勇敢。)她的话让索菲亚心头一暖。
“Hogsmeade Station! First years, this way! Come on now, follow me!”(霍格莫德车站!一年级新生,这边走!快点,跟我来!)一个洪亮如钟、在嘈杂中依然清晰无比的声音响起。隔间门被拉开,一个巨人般的身影几乎堵住了整个门口——是海格!他乱蓬蓬的头发和浓密的胡须在昏暗的光线下像一团黑色火焰,但那双甲壳虫般乌黑发亮的眼睛里却充满了温和的笑意。他提着一盏巨大的提灯,灯光照亮了他身上那件鼹鼠皮做的巨大外套。
“Blimey! He’s huge!”(天啊!他可真大!)弗雷德惊叹。 “That’s Rubeus Hagrid! Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts!”(那是鲁伯·海格!霍格沃茨的钥匙保管员和猎场看守!)艾玛兴奋地小声说道,显然从母亲那里听过不少。
“Welcome to Hogwarts.”(欢迎来到霍格沃茨。)麦格教授的声音清晰有力,带着一种令人敬畏的威严,“The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses.”(开学宴会即将开始,但在你们于礼堂入座之前,你们将被分入各自的学院。)
“The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting.”(分院仪式将在几分钟后,在全校师生面前举行。我建议你们在等候时,尽可能整理一下自己的仪容。)麦格教授的目光扫过新生,在索菲亚那身简单的二手长袍上停留了极其短暂的一瞬,但没有任何异样,随即移开。
‘Hmm… Fascinating! A mind touched by distant lands and ancient ways…’ (嗯…太迷人了!一个被遥远国度和古老方式触碰过的头脑…) ‘The resilience of bamboo bending in the storm… the quiet fire of a dragon… Ah, and this core! Qilin tail hair! Rare! Very rare indeed! Speaks of purity, a clear spirit, and an affinity for the serene and the just…’ (风暴中弯曲的竹子般的韧性…龙之静火…啊,还有这个杖芯!麒麟尾毛!稀有!确实非常稀有!象征着纯净、澄澈的灵魂,以及对宁静与公正的亲和…) ‘Such a unique blend… East and West converging. You possess a sharp intellect, honed by necessity and observation – very Ravenclaw. And oh, the courage! The sheer fortitude to endure what you have, to stand alone at that station… True Gryffindor bravery, though it wears a quieter cloak.’ (如此独特的融合…东西交汇。你拥有敏锐的才智,被需要和观察所磨练——非常拉文克劳。哦,还有那份勇气!那份承受你所经历的一切、独自站在车站的纯粹坚韧…真正的格兰芬多式的勇敢,尽管它披着更安静的外衣。) ‘But… beneath it all, deeper than the intellect, stronger than the quiet courage…’ (但是…在这一切之下,比才智更深沉,比沉静的勇气更强大的是…) ‘…is a profound yearning. For safety. For sustenance. For a place where hard work is valued, where loyalty is the bedrock, where kindness is not a luxury but a given. You seek a hearth , child. A place to heal, to grow strong, to belong without pretense.’ (…是一种深切的渴望。渴望安全。渴望滋养。渴望一个重视努力、以忠诚为基石、善良不是奢侈品而是理所当然的地方。你在寻找一个家,孩子。一个可以疗愈、可以变得强壮、可以真实归属的地方。)
她几乎是本能地、在内心深处对着分院帽呐喊: Please! Hufflepuff! I need it! I need the warmth (求求了!赫奇帕奇!我需要它!我需要那份温暖,那些食物,吃饱饱,变壮壮!)那份意愿是如此强烈,如此纯粹。民以食为天,没办法呀,经济基础决定上层建筑,身体才是革命的本钱,减肥也需要吃饱了才有力气减!
帽子在她脑海里沉默了,似乎在进行激烈的权衡。 ‘Ravenclaw would cherish your unique perspective… Gryffindor would welcome your quiet strength…’ (拉文克劳会珍视你独特的视角…格兰芬多会欢迎你沉静的力量…) ‘But… that core need… the Qilin’s affinity for purity and sanctuary… and your own fierce, unyielding desire…’ (但是…那份核心需求…麒麟对纯净与庇护的亲和…以及你自己那强烈、不屈的渴望…) ‘Yes… The path of the badger offers the grounding you crave, the nourishment your body cries out for, and the unwavering loyalty that mirrors your own. Your choice is clear, and it is rooted in a wisdom deeper than mere knowledge or daring… a wisdom of survival and the heart.’ (是的…獾的道路提供了你所渴望的踏实,你的身体所渴求的滋养,以及与你自身相呼应的那份坚定不移的忠诚。你的选择很清晰,它植根于一种比单纯的知识或胆识更深沉的智慧…一种关乎生存和内心的智慧。) ‘Better be…’ (最好去…)