Grindelwald's Burden (Books 1-7)

17. Gilderoy Lockheart

The next day, Things started to go downhill from breakfast in the Great Hall. The four long house tables were laden with tureens of porridge, plates of kippers, mountains of toast, and dishes of eggs and bacon, beneath the enchanted ceiling which today was a dull, cloudy gray. Y/n, Harry and Ron sat down at the Gryffindor table next to Hermione, who had her copy of Voyages with Vampires propped open against a milk jug. There was a slight stiffness in the way she said "Morning," which told Y/n that she was still disapproving of the way they had arrived. Neville Longbottom, on the other hand, greeted them cheerfully.

Neville was a round faced and accident prone boy with the worst memory of anyone Y/n had ever met. "Mail's due any minute, I think Gran's sending a few things I forgot."

Y/n just returned to his bacon and eggs when, sure enough, there was a rushing sound overhead and a hundred or so owls streamed in, circling the hall and dropping letters and packages into the chattering crowd. A big, lumpy package bounced off Neville's head and, a second later, something large and gray fell into Hermione's jug, spraying them all with milk and feathers.

"Errol!" said Ron, pulling the bedraggled owl out by the feet. Errol slumped, unconscious, onto the table, his legs in the air and a damp red envelope in his beak.

"Oh, no..." Ron gasped.

"It's all right, he's still alive." said Hermione, prodding Errol gently with the tip of her finger.

"It is not that concerns him Hermione, but that." Y/n pointed at the red envelope. It looked quite ordinary to Harry and Hermione, but Y/n, Ron and Neville were both looking at it as though they expected it to explode.

"What's the matter?" said Harry.

"She's....she's sent me a Howler." said Ron faintly.

"You'd better open it, Ron." said Neville in a timid whisper. "It'll be worse if you don't. My gran sent me one once, and I ignored it and..."he gulped. "It was horrible."

"Grandmother did the same thing to Atticus once. He was quiet for the rest of the day..." Y/n said secretly hoping he wouldn't get one.

Harry looked from their petrified faces to the red envelope. "What's a Howler?" he said.

But Ron's whole attention was fixed on the letter, which had begun to smoke at the corners.

"Just open it Ron and get it over with." Y/n urged now.

"It'll all be over in a few minutes..." Neville tried to say bravely to Ron.

Ron stretched out a shaking hand, eased the envelope from Errol's beak, and slit it open. Y/n closed his eyes and Neville stuffed his fingers in his ears. A split second later, Harry knew why. He thought for a moment it had exploded, a roar of sound filled the huge hall, shaking dust from the ceiling.

"...STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE..." Mrs. Weasley's yells, a hundred times louder than usual, made the plates and spoons rattle on the table, and echoed deafeningly off the stone walls. People throughout the hall were swiveling around to see who had received the Howler, and Ron sank so low in his chair that only his crimson forehead could be seen.

"...LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU, Y/N AND HARRY COULD HAVE DIED..."

Y/n just looked down at the table for a moment at the mention for his name.

"...ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED, YOUR FATHER'S FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME."