Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets. I do not own any of the cannon characters nor the plot line of the movie or book in which this may or may not be based upon. I only lay claim to my OC.

The Howler

Lunch time in the Great Hall. At the Gryffindor table, Hermione had her nose buried in Gilderoy Lockhart's Travels with Trolls while Ron runs gobs of Spell-o-tape over his broken wand. Realizing it wasn't gonna work, he shakes his head grimly. "Say it. I'm doomed."

"You're doomed."

"I could have told you that from the start…" Lellian snickered. FLASH! Lellian jumped as light suddenly blinds her and Harry, though mostly Harry. She just had the unfortunate luck to be beside him at the moment. Blinking, they find a first year standing before them with a camera. He seems really excited to be standing there.

"Hiya, Harry. I'm Colin Creevey. I'm in Gryffindor too!" Harry and Lellian glance at each other then look back to him and smile.

"Hello, Colin."

"I'm Lellian Black. It's nice to meet-"

"They're for my dad. The pictures I mean. He's a milkman, you know, a muggle, like all our family's been until me. No one knew all the odd stuff I could do was magic till we got my letter from Hogwarts. Everyone just thought I was mental."

"Imagine that." Ron muttered. Promptly getting elbowed by Hermione and having his shin kicked by Lellian.

"Say, Harry. D'you think your friend could take a photo of me and you standing together? Ya'know, to prove I've met you?" Colin asked with the most adorable and pathetic look ever. Harry spares a pleading look at Lellian, who notes that he looks positively homicidal. Mercifully, Owls begin to stream into the Hall.

"Post is here!" Dean announced pleased. One after another, the birds swoop gracefully down, clutching letters from home. All except one, who plops beak-first into Ron's soup. Errol.

"Bloody bird's a menace," muttered Ron as he helped his owl up.

"He's not a menace, he's just a klutz." Lellian said, petting her own owl. Gulping as she fearfully took the letter from home.

"Oh, no…." Ron squeaked as he paled. Staring at his letter from home.

"Heads up, everyone! Weasley's gotten himself a Howler." Seamus all but shouted in the hall. Drawing attention to their table. Lellian was suddenly very glad that Remus didnt send her a Howler. I'll just read mine in the common room… She quickly decided. Stuffing her letter away into her books for now.

"Go on, Ron. I ignored one from my Gran once, and it was horrible."

"That's not very encouraging, Neville…" Hands shaking, Ron opens it and shudders as Mrs. Weasley's voice thunders out of the letter. Sending plates and spoons rattling on the table.

"RONALD WEASLEY!" The table flinched as the Howler practically got right up into Ron's face. "HOW DARE YOU STEAL THAT CAR! I AM ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED! YOUR FATHER'S NOW FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK AND IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT! IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT HOME!" Ron nods frantically. Hoping it would go away now. The letter turns to Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley speaks with a much softer voice. "Oh, and Ginny dear." Eyes turn to look at the young Weasley girl. "Congratulations on making Gryffindor. Your father and I are so proud." Ginny, who was sitting a bit apart from the others, looks up shyly, then returns to the small black book she's scribbling in. Ron watched the envelope blow him a raspberry before it rips itself to pieces on the table. The room then promptly bursts into laughter as Colin Creevey snaps a few photos. Harry and Lellian look at him sympathetically.

"Look at it this way-"

"How much worse can things get?" Lellian finished for Harry.