To change the future

Chamber of Secrets 6

The next day, however, Harry barely grinned once. Things started to godownhill from breakfast in the Great Hall. The four long house tableswere laden with tureens of porridge, plates of kippers, mountains oftoast, and dishes of eggs and bacon, beneath the enchanted ceiling(today, a dull, cloudy gray). Harry and Ron sat down at the Gryffindortable next to Hermione, who had her copy of Voyages with Vampirespropped open against a milk jug. There was a slight stiffness in theway she said "Morning," which told Harry that she was stilldisapproving of the way they had arrived. Neville Longbottom, on theother hand, greeted them cheerfully. Neville was a round-faced andaccident-prone boy with the worst memory of anyone Harry had evermet. Jason was sitting between Terry Boot and Anthony Goldstein, sending disgusted looks at the Lockhart books.

"Worse teacher ever." Blaise says, getting a bunch of nods of agreement from the students and teachers alike "Hopefully this year's DADA teacher isn't terrible." Jason says, immediately getting smacked in the arm by Ginny "Don't jinx us you idiot!"

"Mail's due any minute - I think Gran's sending a few things I forgot." Harry had only just started his porridge when, sure enough, there wasa rushing sound overhead and a hundred or so owls

"Oh boy, I remember what happened that morning?" Jason grimaces

streamed in, circling the hall and dropping letters and packages into thechattering crowd. A big, lumpy package bounced off Neville's headand, a second later, something large and gray fell into Hermione's jug,spraying them all with milk and feathers."Enrol!" said Ron, pulling the bedraggled owl out by the feet. Errolslumped, unconscious, onto the table, his legs in the air and a damp redenvelope in his beak.

"One reason I'm glad I'm not a Gryffindor is that my breakfast isn't ruined by that bloody owl." Jason says "All I have to worry about is Terry and Anthony spoiling my owl."

"Oh, no -" Ron gasped."It's all right, he's still alive," said Hermione, prodding Errol gently withthe tip of her finger."It's not that - it's that."Ron was pointing at the red envelope. It looked quite ordinary toHarry, but Ron and Neville were both looking at it as though theyexpected 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 beworse if you don't My gran sent me one once, and I ignored it and" -he gulped - "it was horrible."Harry looked from their petrified faces to the red envelope."What's a Howler?" he said. Meanwhile, every had heard about the Howler and was trying to see who it had been sent to.

"The worse thing ever." Theo grumbles, having gotten a howler from his mother third year

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

"That doesn't sound safe..." Bruce mutters but was ignored

"Open it," Neville urged. "It'll all be over in a few minutes -"Ron stretched out a shaking hand, eased the envelope from Errol'sbeak, and slit it open. Neville stuffed his fingers in his ears. A splitsecond later, Harry knew why. He thought for a moment it hadexploded; a roar of sound fiIled the huge hall, shaking dust from theceiling.8 _"- STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SUPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GETHOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TOTHINK WHAT YOUR FATHERAND I WENT THROUGH WHENWE SAW IT WAS GONE -"Mrs. Weasleys yells, a hundred times louder than usual, made theplates and spoons rattle on the table, and echoed deafeningly off thestone walls. People throughout the hall were swiveling around to seewho had received the Howler, and Ron sank so low in his chair thatonly his crimson forehead could be seen.

"I'm not kidding some first year's ears started bleeding from that damn Howler." Blaise muttered to Daphne

"- LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHTYOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN'T BRINGYOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU, JASON AND HARRY COULD ALL HAVE DIED -"