Caput Quartum: Custos Clavium
BOMBUS. iterum pulsaverunt. Dudley repente excitatus est somno.
‘ubi est tormentum?’ inquit stulte.
tum fragor post tergum auditus est et Avunculus Vernon pedum
impotens in conclave lapsus est. pyroballistum manibus tenebat- nunc
sciebant quid fuisset in fasciculo longo et tenui quem secum attulerat.
‘quis adest?’ clamavit. ‘cave – armatus sum!’
intervallum erat. tum –
FRAGOR!
ianua tanta vi percussa est ut tota a cardinibus avulsa crepitu maximo
in solum prona ceciderit.
stabat in limine vir giganteus. vultus paene omnis celatus est crinibus
longis et incomptis atque barba horrida et inculta, sed discernas oculos,
splendentes more scarabeorum nigrorum sub crinibus promissis.
gigas se aegre in casulam inseruit, caput ita inclinans ut tectum modo
stringeret. corpore demisso ianuam facile rursus in forma inclusit. sonitu
tempestatis externae paulo minore facto, conversus omnes intuebatur.
‘an potest fieri ut nobis potionem theanam paretis? difficile enim erat
iter…’
spatiatus est ad grabatum in quo sedebat Dudley metu gelidus.
‘fac loco cedas, o res ponderosa,’ inquit ignotus.
Harry Potter Commentary
bombus, -im booming, humming, buzzing
pulso, -are, -avi, -atum to batter, strike, knock
Dudley nominative form of the name Dudley, Harry’s cousin
stulte adv. foolishly
fragor, -oris m. crash, din; disintegration
Avunculus Vernon nominative form of Uncle Vernon
pyroballistum pyro = Greek for fire, ballistum = Greek for catapult = shotgun
lapsus, -us m. fall, slide, course, flight; error, failure
scio, -ire, -ivi, -itum vt. to know, to have skill in
fasciculus, -i m. bundle, packet
longe adv. far, far off; (time) long; (compare) by far, very much
adfero, adferre, attuli, adlatum, allatum vt. to bring, carry to; to bring to bear, use against; to bring
news; (explanation) to bring forward; to contribute
adsum, -esse, -fui vi. to be present; to support, assist; to come, to appear before
caveo, -ere, cavi, cautum cave- look out!!! (imperative form)
intervallum, -i nt. space, distance, interval; (time) pause, respite, difference
percutio, -tere, -ssi, -ssum vt. to strike, beat; (feeling) to shock, impress, move; to trick
cardo, -inis m. hinge
avolsus, avulses ppp of avello
*avello, -ellere, -elli, -ulsi, -ulsum vt. to pull away, tear off, to take away (by force), remove
crepito, -are vi. to rattle, creak, snap (fingers)… vt. to make rattle, clap; to chatter about
pronus adj. leaning forward; headlong, downwards; sloping sinking inclined, disposed
ceciderat perfect tense of cado, -ere, cecidi, casum
limen, -inis nt. threshold, lintel; doorway, entrance; house, home; beginning
giganteus adj. see gigantes- giants
crinis, is m. hair
longus long, vast
incomptus inelegant, undressed wild
barba, -ae f. beard
incultus adj. uncultivated, neglected, wild, uneducated, rude
diserno, -ernere, -revi, -retum vt. to divide, separate; to distinguish between
splendeo, -ere, vi. to be bright, shine; to be illustrious
niger, -ri adj. black, dark
scarabaeus n. a beetle; to be beetle-like
casula, -ae f. little cottage
insero, -ere, -ui, -tum vt. to let in, insert; to introduce, mingle, involve
inclino, -are, -avi, -atum vt. to bend, turn, to turn back; to incline, direct transfer
inclusit ppp of includo = to shut in, keep in, enclose, obstruct, block
factio, -onis f. making doing; group, party, faction
potio, -onis f. drink, draught
theanam tea
spatium nt. space, room
grabutus, -i m. camp bed, low couch
gelidus adj. cold, frosty; stiff, numb
ponderosus adj. heavy, weighty
Dudley stridorem edidit et ruit se post matrem celatum quae, perterrita ipsa post Avunculum Vernon subsidebat.
‘en Harrius!’ inquit gigas.
Harrius in vultum eius ferocem, barbaricum, obscurum suspiciens vidit oculos illos scarabaeicos contortos esse et
sibi subridere.
‘infans eras cum te novissime vidi,’ inquit gigas. ‘simillimus es patri, sed oculos habes matris.’
Avunculus Vernon sonitum fecit mirum et asperum.
‘tibi impero, domine, ut statim discedas!’ inquit gigas. manum supra posteriorem partem grabati porrexit, subito
motu pyroballistam e manibus Avunculi Vernon eripuit, in nodum flexit, haud aliter quam si e cummi facta esset, in
angulum conclavis abiecit.
Avunculus Vernon iterum sonitum mirum fecit similem muri pede alicuius obtrito.
‘sed ad rem – Harri,’ inquit gigas, a Dursleis aversus, ‘felicissimus sis die natali. ecce! habeo aliquid tibi. potest
fieri ut aliquando in eo consederim, sed sapor erit iucundus.’
de sinu interiore lacernae nigrae cistam paulo deformiorem deprompsit quam Harrius digitis trementibus aperuit.
intus habebat libam magnam et glutinosam e socolata factam et saccharo viridi inscriptam Felix Sis Die Natali, Harri.
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