Hermione Granger and the Chamber of Secrets (Completed)

Chapter 4 - The Howler

Hermione waited until Parvati and Lavender had left before getting up. She wasn't in the mood to join in with their mindless gossip

She went down to the Great Hall and propped open Voyages With Vampires, one of her new school textbooks, against a milk jug. When she had met him at Diagon Alley, Hermione had thought that Professor Lockhart was very good looking, but that was about it, but as she read his books she found out that he was also incredibly talented.

Ron and Harry sat down next to her. She was still annoyed at them, but she didn't have anyone else to talk to
"Morning" she said stiffly. Neville, a round faced, clumsy boy who Hermione had befriended briefly last year, sat down opposite them and said hello brightly
“Mail’s due any minute —" he said cheerfully "I think Gran’s sending a few things I forgot”
This didn't surprise Hermione. Neville, despite being very good at Herbology, was the the most forgetful person she had ever met

As predicted, there was the sound of wings and several hundred owls flew into the hall. Neville had a large packet dropped on his head and a large grey owl which Hermione could just identify as an unconscious Errol fell into the jug, splattering them all with milk and feathers. Ron picked him up by the claw and laid him and the red enveloped letter he was carrying on the table
“Oh, no —” he moaned
“It’s all right, he’s still alive” said Hermione, prodding Errol and watching him roll over
“It’s not that — it’s that.” Ron said faintly. Hermione thought that he was very inconsiderate to his owl, before noticing what he was pointing at. It was a scarlet letter that almost looked like it had teeth. Hermione had seen pictures of them before. It was called a 'Howler', and it was supposed to magnify the writers voice by about ten. Hermione had to stifle a laugh at what she presumed was about to happen
“What’s the matter?” asked Harry incredulously
“She’s — she’s sent me a Howler” Ron whispered, confirming Hermione's thoughts. She was very glad that none of them were looking her way, and saw her grin, which immediately stopped when she realised how close she was to it
“You’d better open it, Ron” said Neville nervously “It’ll be worse if you don’t. My gran sent me one once, and I ignored it and - it was horrible”
“What’s a Howler?” Harry asked. Hermione was about to explain, when the letter started smoking, and she realised he was going to find out in a few seconds
“Open it” said Neville “It’ll all be over in a few minutes —”

Shaking all over, Ron took the Howler and ripped it open. Neville jammed his fingers in his ears and seconds later, Hermione wished she had as well. She had only met Mrs Weasley once or twice, and she had no idea that she could sound that angry, or that loud, in fact. It had said in her book that it made the writers voice ten times louder, but her voice was at least one hundred times louder than normal
"RONALD WEASLEY! 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. WE GOT A 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 —” Harry went red “— 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 envelope burst into flames. The silence was almost as deafening as the Howler, but eventually everyone went back to their conversations. Hermione shut her book
“Well, I don’t know what you expected, Ron, but you —”
“Don’t tell me I deserved it” said Ron
Hermione watched as Harry pushed away his porridge, looking sick, and as Ron stared at the floor, and realised that they did feel guilty. She went back to being friendly to them. Professor McGonagall gave her, Ron and Harry their timetables. They saw that they had double Herbology first and set off in the direction of the greenhouses