My little Malfoy Girl

The Howler

The next morning, everyone was down in the dumps. Harry had come to me yesterday apologizing, though what for, I had no idea. Unless he was saying sorry for getting all the attention. I don't mind, because they got in trouble and I didn't, so I think it evens out.

"Hey, Hermione." I said the next morning. 

"Hello, Leila. Congratulations on getting into Gryffindor!"

"Thanks!! First ever Malfoy! Huge accomplishment!"

"Mmmhmm."

"Hey, have you seen Harry and Ron this morning?"

"No," Hermione said flatly. Then she walked out of the common room.

Wow, I thought. Don't mess with her today.

Just then, Harry and Ron came out from the boys dorms, and looked at me. 

"So, a Malfoy in Gryffindor, huh? Bet you'll get a lot of crap from Mal- oops, Draco."

"Nah," I said, "he likes to act like he cares what house I get into, but he really doesn't. As long as I'm happy."

"He told you that?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"Yep. Before we left home. Let's go eat, shall we?"

We walked out of the common room, and to the Great Hall. This morning, the ceiling reflected a dark, cloudy day.

"Ugh. Do we have to go outside today for any of our classes?" Ron asked in disgust.

"I like the rain, what's wrong with you, Ron?" I ask jokingly. Just then, about a thousand owls swooped in from the open windows, carrying parcels and delivering them. 

I gasped.

"Whoa!"

Harry noticed my reaction and said, "That's how the mail arrives. We do it by owl."

"Well, yes, we do too, there's just never this many! And it's delivered in private, just in case anyone gets a...a...howler...."  I trailed off, noticing that Ron had just gotten one.

"You'd better open it, Ron," said the boy named 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."

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.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, 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 AND HARRY COULD BOTH HAVE DIED —"

I wondered if she was going to mention me or not. Maybe she didn't know. But I was still feeling guilty. Harry was looking like he was trying very hard to look as though he couldn't hear the voice that was making everyone's eardrums throb, but I could tell he was feeling guilty as well.

"— 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."

A ringing silence fell. The red envelope, which had dropped from Ron's hand, burst into flames and curled into ashes. 

I didn't know what everyone else was thinking, but my heart had sunk. Now, I don't know Mr. or Mrs. Weasely, but I still felt terrible.

An inquiry? That means he could get fired! Even if I don't know them, I don't want to be the cause of someone getting fired! I pushed my food away, not able to eat anymore. Harry did the same.

And Mrs. Weasely was completely and utterly correct. It was entirely my fault.