"J. K. Rowling - Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rowling J. K)

'Point it somewhere else!'
'DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?'

'GET THAT THING AWAY FROM -'

Dudley gave an odd, shuddering gasp, as though he had been doused in icy water.

Something had happened to the night. The star-strewn indigo sky was suddenly pitch
black and lightless - the stars, the moon, the misty streetlamps at either end of the alley
had vanished. The distant rumble of cars and the whisper of trees had gone. The balmy
evening was suddenly piercingly, bitingly cold. They were surrounded by total,
impenetrable, silent darkness, as though some giant hand had dropped a thick, icy mantle
over the entire alleyway, blinding them.

For a split second Harry thought he had done magic without meaning to, despite the fact
that he'd been resisting as hard as he could - then his reason caught up with his senses -
he didn't have the power to turn off the stars. He turned his head this way and that, trying
to see something, but the darkness pressed on his eyes like a weightless veil.

Dudley's terrified voice broke in Harry's ear.

'W-what are you d-doing? St-stop it!'

'I'm not doing anything! Shut up and don't move!'

'I c-can't see! I've g-gone blind! I -'

'I said shut up!'

Harry stood stock still, turning his sightless eyes left and right. The cold was so intense
he was shivering all over; goose bumps had erupted up his arms and the hairs on the back
of his neck were standing up - he opened his eyes to their fullest extent, staring blankly
around, unseeing.

It was impossible… they couldn't be here… not in Little Whinging… he strained his
ears… he would hear them before he saw them…

'I'll't-tell Dad!' Dudley whimpered. 'W-where are you? What are you d-do—?'

'Will you shut up?' Harry hissed, I'm trying to lis—'

But he fell silent. He had heard just the thing he had been dreading.

There was something in the alleyway apart from themselves, something that was drawing
long, hoarse, rattling breaths. Harry felt a horrible jolt of dread as he stood trembling in
the freezing air.
'C-cut it out! Stop doing it! I'll h-hit you, I swear I will!'

'Dudley, shut—'