Courage

-18-

Book: Courage
Chapter 18
Word Count: 3761

The next day, Layla woke up and said good morning to Tom in her diary, and after their short conversation, Layla headed down to breakfast.

The four house tables were laden with tureens of porridge, plates of kippers, mountains of toast, and dishes of eggs and bacon, beneath the enchanted ceiling (today, a dull, cloudy gray). Layla sat down beside Ron. Harry sat opposite her and Hermione sat opposite Ron.

Neville Longbottom greeted the four of them cheerfully.

"Mail's due any minute — I think Gran's sending a few things I forgot."

Layla had only just taking a bite out of her toast 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 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. Layla couldn't help but laugh when she realised what it was.

"What's the matter?" said Harry.

"Ron's been sent a Howler," said Layla, still laughing.

"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."

"What's a Howler?" asked Harry.

"You'll find out in a sec," smirked Layla. "Open it, Ron. 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. A roar of sound fiIled 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 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 — 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. Harry, Layla, Ron, and Hermione all sat stunned, as though a tidal wave had just passed over them. A few people laughed and, gradually, a babble of talk broke out again.

"Well, I don't know what you expected, Ron, but you—"

"Don't tell me I deserved it," snapped Ron, cutting Hermione off.

Professor McGonagall was then moving along the Gryffindor table, handing out course schedules. Layla took hers and saw that they had double Herbology with the Hufflepuffs first.