Harry Potter's Twin Brother Book 2

Chapter 5: Gilderoy Lockhart

The next day we barely grinned. We arrived late in the Great Hall for breakfast. On the four house tables their was porridge, mountains of toast, and dishes of eggs and bacon. Harry,Ron and I sat down at the Gryffindor table next to Hermione, who had her copy of Voyages with Vampires propped open against a milk jar. Their was a slight stiffness in the way she said,'Morning' which made me to think that she still disapproves the way we arrived. Neville on the other hand greeted us cheerfully. Hermione glared at me and continued reading her book I stretched my hand trying to touch Hermione's shoulder but I pulled my hand back.

"She's still mad at me!"I muttered to myself.

Several owls stormed into the Great Hall 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's not that - it's that."Ron was pointing at the red envelope. It looked quite ordinary to Harry and I but 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."

"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, and slit it open. Neville stuffed his fingers in his ears. A split second later, Harry and I knew why. He thought for a moment it had exploded; a roar of sound filled the huge hall, shaking dust in the ceiling.

"HOW DARE YOU REACH TO HOGWARTS BY APPARATION? I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH-"

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 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, HARRY AND ALBARUS COULD BOTH HAVE DIED -"

Harry and I had been wondering when our name was going to crop up. We tried very hard to look as though we couldn't hear the voice that was making our eardrums throb.

"- 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."

The Howler looked at Ginny and said in a soft but loud voice,"-AND GINNY YOUR FATHER AND I ARE SO PROUD OF YOU FOR BEING SORTED IN GRYFFINDOR."

A ringing silence fell. The red envelope, which had dropped.from Ron's hand, burst into flames and curled into ashes. Harry, Ron and I sat stunned, as though a tidal wave had just passed over them.