1.He tried to start a fire but the empty chip bags just
smoked and shriveled up.
shrivel up、 shrink、 wither（使）枯萎，干枯，皱缩
The leaves on the plant had shrivelled up from lack of water. 因为缺水，植物的叶子已经枯萎了。
The grass had withered in the warm sun. 这些草在温暖的阳光下枯死了
2.Harry heard something creak outside. And (two minutes to go) what was that funny crunching noise?
creak crunch嘎吱作响（开门或踩上木地板等时发出的声音）
The table creaked and groaned under the weight. 那张桌子在重压下嘎吱嘎吱作响。
The snow crunched under our feet. 积雪在我们脚下嘎吱作响。
·
3.Was that the sea, slapping hard on the rocklike that?
slap smack（用手掌）打，拍，掴
She slapped his face hard. 她狠狠给了他一个耳光。
I think it's wrong to smack children. 我觉得打孩子不对。
4.“Go to your cupboard — I mean, your bedroom,” he wheezed
at Harry.
wheez喘；喘息；喘鸣
He was coughing and wheezing all night. 他整夜又咳嗽又喘。
‘I have a chest infection,’ she wheezed. “我胸部受到了感染。”她呼哧呼哧地说。
5.With a strangled cry, Uncle Vernon leapt from his seat and ran
down the hall,
strangle掐死 smother使窒息而死 stifle感觉窒闷 suffocate闷死
He smothered the baby with a pillow. 他用枕头把婴儿闷死了。
I felt I was stifling in the airless room. 在那间闷气的屋子里我感觉都快憋死了。
He strangled her with her own scarf. 他用她自己的围巾把她勒死了
The couple were suffocated by fumes from a faulty gas fire. 由于劣质煤气取暖器漏气，这对夫妇窒息而死。
moldy发霉的
lumpy多块状物的
ragged/shabby破旧的
bolt upright笔笔直直
filthy 肮脏的
Dudley snored but Harry stayed awake,
snore打鼾