𝙮𝙤𝙪 || 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐬𝐢𝐱: 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬

The next day during breakfast, you kept glancing at the Gryffindor table while nibbling on your toast. The ceiling was a dull gray today, mirroring the cloudy skies outside the castle.

Delilah and Fiona were having a bet on who could make the tallest stack out of their toasts. So far, Fiona was ahead with four slices. Beside her, Susan was busy with her copy of Voyages with Vampires. She wasn't reading it but rather stared at Lockhart's face on the cover.

You hear Delilah screech. Her tower of toasts came toppling down on the table. Hannah Abbott—who was appointed as judge—clicks her tongue in dismay.

"I declare Fiona Lucille Porter the winner," she announces, gesticulating to Fiona's flawless stack of toasts. "I bestow upon you the title 'Queen of Toasts'."

The nearby first-years clapped for her victory. Justin Finch-Fletchley, with a mouthful of bacon, used his fork to point at the stack and said, "brilliant display of balance, Porter!"

The sounds of hundreds of wings flapping fill the air and various owls stream in, dropping off their packages to their respective recipients. Your owl came back from delivering a letter yesterday and fluttered closer to your table, landing on your shoulder before dropping a small parcel in front of you.

"Thank you, (O/n)," you said while giving him a few pets. He nips your fingers affectionately before taking off.

A letter from your parents was attached to it and inside the package were your favorite sweets. You let Delilah and Fiona snag a few while you had to shove Susan's share in her pockets, since she was too busy admiring Lockhart. You don't know why she was fawning over him.

He's good-looking, but he's not as handsome as Ced—

"RONALD WEASLEY!"

You flinch at the sudden loud yell that seemed to bounce off the stone walls. Fiona's stack of toasts falls over and Susan jumped in her seat, accidentally knocking over her goblet. The plates and utensils on the table rattled at the noise and people were turning their heads to see where it came from. That sounded awfully like Mrs. Weasley.

"Looks like somebody received a Howler," Susan grimaced as she covers her ears.

"My brother used to get those all the time," said Fiona wistfully. "I forgot how loud they were."

"Howler?" You and Delilah asked in sync.

Fiona just nodded at the Gryffindor table with a smile and you follow her gaze. Ron was staring at a red letter floating in front of him, horrified, as it kept berating him. It even looked like it was snarling.

"—HOW DARE YOU STEAL THAT CAR! I AM ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED. YOUR FATHER IS NOW FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK AND IT IS ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT! IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE, WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT HOME!"

"Oh and Ginny, dear," it added sweetly while turning to Ginny. "Congratulations on making Gryffindor. Your father and I are so proud."

Ginny turns pink in the face and just smiles awkwardly.

The silence afterwards was loud. The letter rips itself apart until it was no longer in sight. The students bursts into laughters, but eventually it was forgotten as the people talked amongst themselves again.