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

Dudley said nothing. The effort of keeping himself from hitting Harry seemed to demand
all his self-control.

'So who've you been beating up tonight?' Harry asked, his grin fading. 'Another ten-year-
old? I know you did Mark Evans two nights ago -

'He was asking for it,' snarled Dudley.

'Oh yeah?'

'He cheeked me.'
'Yeah? Did he say you look like a pig that's been taught to walk on its hind legs? 'Cause
that's not cheek, Dud, that's true.'

A muscle was twitching in Dudley's jaw. It gave Harry enormous satisfaction to know
how furious he was making Dudley; he felt as though he was siphoning off his own
frustration into his cousin, the only outlet he had.

They turned right down the narrow alleyway where Harry had first seen Sirius and which
formed a short cut between Magnolia Crescent and Wisteria Walk. It was empty and
much darker than the streets it linked because there were no streetlamps. Their footsteps
were muffled between garage walls on one side and a high fence on the other.

Think you're a big man carrying that thing, don't you?' Dudley said after a few seconds.

'What thing?'

'That - that thing you are hiding.'

Harry grinned again.

'Not as stupid as you look, are you, Dud? But I's'pose, if you were, you wouldn't be able
to walk and talk at the same time.'

Harry pulled out his wand. He saw Dudley look sideways at it.

'You're not allowed,' Dudley said at once. 'I know you're not. You'd get expelled from
that freak school you go to.'

'How d'you know they haven't changed the rules, Big D?'

They haven't,' said Dudley, though he didn't sound completely convinced.

Harry laughed softly.

'You haven't got the guts to take me on without that thing, have you?' Dudley snarled.

'Whereas you just need four mates behind you before you can beat up a ten year old. You
know that boxing title you keep banging on about? How old was your opponent? Seven?
Eight?'