A Hogwarts Legend: Round Two [2]

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight- "Ron the Radish!"

The next day, however, I don't laugh as much. It starts at breakfast in the Great Hall.

The four long house tables are laden with foooooood, breakfast food.

Maya, El and I sit down next to the other three, Hermione has her copy of Voyages with Vampires propped open against a milk jug.

There's a slight stiffness in the way she says "Morning." I guess she's still being all disapproving of what we did.

Neville, on the other hand greets us cheerfully. "Post's due any minute - I think Gran's sending on a few things I forgot."

I've only just started my toast, when there's a rushing sound overhead and a hundred or so owls stream in, circling the Hall and dropping letters and packages. A big, lumpy parcel bounces off Neville's head, and a second later, something large and grey falls into Hermione's jug, spraying us all with milk and feathers.

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

"Oh no -" I mutter.

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

"It's not that - it's that."

Ron points at the red envelope. Harry and Hermione blink, confused, but the rest of us look wearily at the letter.

"What's the matter?" says Harry.

"She's - she's sent me a Howler," says Ron faintly.

This should be interesting....

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

Tell me about it! I've done that before. I do not recommend it.

"What's a Howler?" Harry asks.

"You'll see," El says, hiding her smile.

"Open it," I urge. "It'll be over in a few minutes ..."

Ron goes to take the letter but hesitates.

"Oh for merlins sake!" May sighs. "Hurry up, your only drawing out the embarrassment!"

Ron stretches out a shaking hand, eases the envelope from Errol's beak and slides it open. Neville stuffs his fingers in his ears.

A split second later a roar of sound fills 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 HAD GONE ..."

Mrs Weasley's yells, a hundred times louder than usual, makes the plates and spoons rattle on the table, and echoes deafeningly off the stone walls. People throughout the Hall are swivelling around to see who has received the Howler and Ron sinks so low in his chair that only his crimson forehead can be seen.