Always Together

21. Gilderoy Lockhart

Gilderoy Lockhart in the picture! Chapter 4 was just dedicated to @dauntlessem — thank you for voting! And this chappie to @thesummerprincess, because you're my sister and you laughed at that picture we made ... Okay, LOL! Great for me — I updated twice in one day! While watching the end of Emma! Anyone wants a dedication?

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 Chapter 21 | Gilderoy Lockhart

The next day, however, Caitlyn barely grinned. Things started to go downhill from breakfast in the Great Hall. Caitlyn sat on the Slytherin table in between Spencer and Pansy, with Draco opposite to her, all chatting about the previous day's accident.

"I wonder if you'll hear from Father," sneered Draco. "I bet he'll be pissed."

"Well, whatever," said Caitlyn, pouring herself some pumpkin juice. "As long as I'm not expelled, everything else's fine."

"Mail's due any minute — I think Gran's sending a few things I forgot," said Neville from the Gryffindor table.

Caitlyn had only just started her porridge 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 grey fell into Hermione's jug, spraying them all with milk and feathers. Caitlyn received nothing from Uncle Lucius — the relief she felt! However, Ron didn't have the same luck.

"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 many people, 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."

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.

"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.

"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, HARRY AND CAITLYN COULD HAVE DIED —"

Caitlyn had been wondering when his name was going to crop up. She tried very hard to look as though he couldn't hear the voice that was making his eardrums throb.