Eva Black. Year 2.

Chapter 6

The next day, however, Eva barely grinned once. Things started to go downhillfrom breakfast in the Great Hall. The four long house tables were laden withtureens of porridge, plates of kippers, mountains of toast, and dishes of eggs andbacon, beneath the enchanted ceiling (today, a dull, cloudy gray). Eva, Harry, and Ronsat down at the Gryffindor table next to Hermione, who had her copy of Voyageswith Vampires propped open against a milk jug. There was a slight stiffness in theway she said „Morning," which told Eva that she was still disapproving of theway they had arrived. Neville Longbottom, on the other hand, greeted themcheerfully. Neville was a round-faced and accident-prone boy with the worstmemory of anyone Eva had ever met. 

„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 was arushing sound overhead and a hundred or so owls streamed in, circling the halland dropping letters and packages into the chattering crowd. A big, lumpypackage bounced off Neville's head and, a second later, something large and grayfell 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 hisbeak.

„Oh, no—" Ron gasped.

„Oh, no—" Ron gasped.„It's all right, he's still alive," said Hermione, prodding Errol gently with the tipof her finger. 

„It's not that—it's that."

Ron was pointing at the red envelope. It looked quite ordinary to Harry, but Ronand 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 youdon't. My gran sent me one once, and I ignored it and"—he gulped—„it washorrible." 

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 atthe corners.

 „Open it," Neville urged. „It'll all be over in a few minutes—"

 Ron stretched out a shaking hand, eased the envelope from Errol's beak, andslit it open. Neville stuffed his fingers in his ears. A split second later, Eva knewwhy. She thought for a moment it had exploded; a roar of sound filled the hugehall, shaking dust from the ceiling.

„STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'DEXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSEYOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGHWHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE—"

Mrs. Weasleys yells, a hundred times louder than usual, made the plates andspoons rattle on the table, and echoed deafeningly off the stone walls. Peoplethroughout 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 YOURFATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVELIKE THIS, YOU, HARRY AND EVA COULD  HAVE DIED—" 

Eva and Harry had been wondering when their name was going to crop up. They tried veryhard to look as though they couldn't hear the voice that was making their eardrumsthrob.

„—ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED—YOUR FATHER'S FACING AN INQUIRY ATWORK, IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUTOF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME."