擺在麥米奈娃桌上的連署信以及生日會的活動計畫,足以證明這些學生對這件事的認真程度。67Please respect copyright.PENANAg25tSMIK2k
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麥米奈娃板著臉,望向站在她辦公桌前的西追與安琪拉,神情肅穆,眼裡卻有一絲無奈笑意——其實她正努力壓下微微翹起的嘴角。67Please respect copyright.PENANAHZaYX0Jm8f
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「知道了,我會替你們跟聖蒙果申請,但要切記人數不可超過十人。」她說。67Please respect copyright.PENANAxnNKDy4opc
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儘管有些哭笑不得,麥米奈娃仍不得不佩服他們的毅力,也為他們對朋友的忠誠感到窩心。67Please respect copyright.PENANA4AAPAOTW6R
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這些赫夫帕夫的孩子總在這種時候特別突出耀眼——67Please respect copyright.PENANA1gSwGBD3zp
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「請問可以十五個人嗎?大家都想去看她。」西追突然問道,她微微抬眉。67Please respect copyright.PENANAOvDgpft5op
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「⋯⋯我會幫你們問問看。」67Please respect copyright.PENANAgP8UFnypWA
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西追和安琪拉聞言,心滿意足地道謝後轉身離開。這位嚴厲的教授目送他們堅毅的身影關上辦公室大門,終於不再壓抑嘴角的笑意。67Please respect copyright.PENANApko9nrePkD
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——嗯,而且還挺厚臉皮的。67Please respect copyright.PENANAJD2YDetr3M
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雖然西追和安琪拉做到這個份上,心裡是勢在必得,但在不苟言笑的麥教授面前仍難免緊張。關上辦公室大門後,兩人同時鬆了口氣,邁步朝下個目的地走去。67Please respect copyright.PENANAEWgLNxq4hW
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克萊拉和他們約好了,下午五點半在圖書館門口見面。67Please respect copyright.PENANAnrRs41IBxY
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抵達時已近傍晚,館外大廳逐漸點起燈火。兩人走下樓梯就看見克萊拉、安東尼以及諾拉.法利倚在中央雕像噴泉談話。67Please respect copyright.PENANAw78chzKsWF
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氣氛不太對勁。67Please respect copyright.PENANA5l9OF2JYEI
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安東尼雙拳緊握,肩膀繃起,眉頭深鎖,眼中翻湧的怒火幾乎要燒穿他凝視著的那人——雙臂抱胸,神情冷淡的諾拉。克萊拉巧妙站在兩人之間,臉上的無奈表露無遺。67Please respect copyright.PENANAW4WpxrFZqI
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西追和安琪拉腳步一頓,交換了一眼不安。67Please respect copyright.PENANAH69SdZHcAH
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「只是興趣?」安東尼語氣尖銳,「研究黑魔法還真是個高尚的興趣啊。」67Please respect copyright.PENANAQXgaLLWY8w
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「說不上高尚,斯威夫特,興趣就只是興趣。」諾拉的聲音相當平淡。67Please respect copyright.PENANAZdfCrIk2WJ
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這份從容看在安東尼眼中,無異於一份鐵證,更是坐實諾拉的城府深沉。他向她踏出威脅性的一步,克萊拉連忙擋在中間,低聲阻止:「安東尼,諾拉是在幫我們。」67Please respect copyright.PENANAqHYIb8DkcH
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他嗤笑了聲:「幫?你又怎麼知道她可信?把黑魔法當興趣的人能有多善良?你太容易相信別人了,她都對你灌了什麼鬼話?」67Please respect copyright.PENANA8BM3vMBfNE
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「我知道我自己在做什麼。」67Please respect copyright.PENANAPeMBiXhvSf
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「你不知道。」67Please respect copyright.PENANAld3gsaP0qF
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「不要從片面的資訊去評斷一個人,安東尼,這樣不對。」67Please respect copyright.PENANAWGY3GVkdIA
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他被這話堵的一滯,安靜下來,神態不悅,看上去仍難以接受諾拉的加入。67Please respect copyright.PENANAIhK2GzjT7i
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西追和安琪拉站在他們身後,尷尬而僵硬。67Please respect copyright.PENANAZD3vCkGTec
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克萊拉注意到他們,走過去輕碰安琪拉的手肘:「走吧,諾拉可以進去禁書區,她說要給我們看一本書。」67Please respect copyright.PENANA8einhQmYDr
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諾拉讓他們在圖書館一角等著。67Please respect copyright.PENANAg8pLrvyZCj
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他們躲在角落的書架後,眼望她遞出一張石內卜簽名的字條,跟隨平斯夫人瘦削的身影走入禁書區,不久後,她抱著一本書回來。67Please respect copyright.PENANAwbQnYDk3G3
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「不可以抄錄或複製內容。」她將書輕放在桌子中央。67Please respect copyright.PENANAWaRrOOhbmK
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「都能研究黑魔法了,你還怕區區一條圖書館規定?」67Please respect copyright.PENANAaLU073qlyA
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「這是兩回事,斯威夫特,如果你要一直找麻煩,那我也不會客氣,今天我是為了克萊拉才站在這裡,不是為了跟你吵架。」67Please respect copyright.PENANACPicGYUHqg
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克萊拉用力扯著安東尼的袖子,他瞪她一眼,沒再作聲,只將目光轉向那本書。67Please respect copyright.PENANAC3MOU8h75e
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這本書不厚,反倒顯得輕薄。硬布書皮、金屬書角,提醒他們這確實是本書,而非老舊的日記本。67Please respect copyright.PENANAM8rMKjTml6
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封面印著《魔力通道與古代咒術之面紗》幾個字,字體古樸,經年卻仍清晰如新。書封無多餘裝飾,只在底端印有小小一行作者之名。67Please respect copyright.PENANAxVOvqEFrke
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「我聽克萊拉說了,你們在查魔力衝突和詛咒的事,還有柯林斯——不要激動,斯威夫特,她那天發狂我也在教室,就在我的正前方。這不是秘密,大家都在傳她中了詛咒。」67Please respect copyright.PENANAVnzqLPa5PD
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諾拉輕撫書本封皮,臉上隱約流露一抹陷入精神高潮的恍惚。67Please respect copyright.PENANAxC1RssRkKW
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「你們知道的⋯⋯詛咒的本質是『破壞』,用惡念摧毀身體和精神。有的發作快,有的持續時間偏長,無論長短,結局都一樣,就是生命力枯竭。那你們知道67Please respect copyright.PENANA8aTL70qlwe
哪裡奇怪了嗎?」她望向安琪拉,「夏普,平時的柯林斯看起來怎麼樣?健康嗎?」67Please respect copyright.PENANAWx3xqIBknh
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「她⋯⋯偶爾有點虛弱,但氣色一直不錯。」67Please respect copyright.PENANAhn69BMvj0D
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「我看到的她也是這樣,完全不像長年受詛咒折磨的人。」67Please respect copyright.PENANAhJ9PYFrCCR
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「所以?」安東尼催促。67Please respect copyright.PENANAuZepSW8p3t
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「所以,她的『詛咒』可能只是看起來像詛咒的另一種,嗯——狀態。」67Please respect copyright.PENANAbVniiM3IXp
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「你是說,她不是中了詛咒?」西追訝然。67Please respect copyright.PENANAHQkjzimdo5
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「至少不是我們認知的那種,你們說她體內有其他魔力互相衝突。最大的可能是那些魔力調和出一種平衡,她會讓她看起來沒事,甚至還能用魔法——那麼,就只有另一種魔法足夠強大能辦到這點。」67Please respect copyright.PENANAHGEhibS2Sl
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諾拉翻開那本書,一股興奮的潮紅浮於雙頰。67Please respect copyright.PENANA7csYe1Xp6G
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「古代咒術。」她聲音輕顫,繼續說:「可能有某種外力打破了她的體內平衡,才讓她突然暴走。」67Please respect copyright.PENANAx13lVJk4YK
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「但鄧不利多說是詛咒。」西追急促地反駁。67Please respect copyright.PENANAEwqhxiZFPb
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「大人的話不能全信,他們常常以愛為名,行欺騙之實。」諾拉的態度斬釘截鐵,眾人都靜下來,面色惶恐。67Please respect copyright.PENANAcvRqyTrbap
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她緩了緩語調:「但鄧不利多也不是真的騙你,廣義來看,柯林斯的確中了『類詛咒』的咒術。」67Please respect copyright.PENANAA4MvSlrwiE
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她指著翻開的書頁上,關於古代咒術如何影響巫師魔力並建立通道的文獻。67Please respect copyright.PENANAhW9Cw7vEK4
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「古代咒術的資料很少,這本書的作者走遍世界各地,才拼湊出這些文獻,推論出古代咒術與通道之間的關係。」67Please respect copyright.PENANAnO7Af9Ok2b
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「我們想知道她為什麼會有魔力衝突,能不能直接講重點?」67Please respect copyright.PENANAUgY5fV5pu5
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諾拉斜睨一眼安東尼,手指點向書頁角落。67Please respect copyright.PENANARHNgglYVRv
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「重點就是這張圖,希臘遺跡裡的壁畫,看到了嗎?」67Please respect copyright.PENANAegXRiKNOy0
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三顆頭的女神將眼珠挖出,植入一名年幼女孩體內。67Please respect copyright.PENANAojkZOreeue
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她的手指輕撫圖下的一列字,低聲唸道:「古希臘泰坦之女神,三叉路的守護者,擁有舉世無雙的法力,萬物變幻僅在她撩指之間。她是咒術之母,她的眼珠亦為靈魂,年幼少女吞噬她黑曜石般的眼珠,使女神永世不滅,少女繼承女神法力,是為黑卡蒂。」67Please respect copyright.PENANANrGagLxmgt
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「——這是黑卡蒂神話,也是柯林斯目前最可能的情況。」67Please respect copyright.PENANAAX2h3aYac4
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安東尼瞪著她:「這只是神話故事。」67Please respect copyright.PENANAYAiIZQ6Gnh
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諾拉抬頭,視線掃過一圈,只見所有人皆神情困惑,她的聲音便回到了平常的冷靜,重新解釋:「古代咒術也是魔法的一種,當中也有能轉移靈魂的魔法。而魔力與靈魂是共生的,所以若有其他魔力存在,代表柯林斯體內還有另一個靈魂。那個靈魂以古代咒術調和兩種魔力,搭建通道,維持住平衡。直到發生了某件事,破壞了通道,裂隙出現,才引發魔力衝突。」67Please respect copyright.PENANABbax4r1EUO
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「不是,這一點都不合理,艾萊妮怎麼會跟這種稀奇古怪的神扯上關係?」安東尼反駁。67Please respect copyright.PENANAe6ui6UM0i5
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「不曉得,當然,這個神只是神話角色。但既然不是真的詛咒,她的狀況就剩這種可能。某個靈魂,曾因為某種機緣使用了靈魂轉移的咒術,附在她身上。」67Please respect copyright.PENANAcOORmmw8iW
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眾人一時無語。67Please respect copyright.PENANAUcqMlOrC7t
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最後,只聽見安東尼低低地吐出兩個字——67Please respect copyright.PENANAXzMklzT1Kn
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「⋯⋯胡扯。」67Please respect copyright.PENANAclcw1RYpLM
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諾拉冷冷瞪他一眼。67Please respect copyright.PENANAGSXtW0DB7z
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「信不信隨你,你們問我問題,我照所知回答,僅此而已。」67Please respect copyright.PENANAyeW1DEUmBS