14.

"Hey Ginny, pass me the bacon?" A girl in front of me asked.

Her name was Marcella; she was one of the 15 girls I shared a dormitory with. I really liked her, unlike the other girls, she hadn't mocked me when I fell, the staircase incident, remember?. Perhaps that was because she was a bit of a klutz herself. This morning, on the way to the great hall, she had tripped at least six times, and knocked over one of the knight's in the corridors.

We just managed to escape Filch and his cat, by telling him it was Peeves who did it.

"Sure" I responded. Without looking, I reached out an arm to the plate in question. But instead of the silver plate, my hand came in contact with something else, something soft and warm. Another hand.

Slowly, I followed the arm of the person and gasped. My fork clattered on the table.

It was Harry's !

Quicker than you could say "Quidditch" I jerked my arm back. A loud shattering noise could be heard as the silver plate fell over. Bacon flew everywhere, on Neville's head included. Several students looked up from their conversations.

My face turned beet red, and I threw a quick glance at Harry. He hadn't even looked up from his conversation with Hermione. Ron was stuffing his face in his plate that was filled with tons of bacon.

I felt sad and relieved at the same time.

My stomach tightened as I watched Harry and Hermione talk. Harry was laughing at something she had said.

Why couldn't I be in her place, talking and laughing with Harry. At that moment, I envied Hermione more then anyone in the world.

When she laid a hand on his arm, I felt the urge to slap it away. Harry was mine !

I shook my head, what was happening to me ? Looking around, I saw other girls looking at Harry too. A dreamy expression on their faces. I was sure they only liked him because he was famous.

Biting my lip, I returned to my food, pushing the eggs around with my fork. I wasn't hungry at all. Would Harry ever notice me, at all ?

"Ginevra Weasley?" Someone waved a hand in front of my face.

"Huh?"

"Ah finally, I've been calling you for five minutes, now!" Marcella raised an eyebrow."What were you thinking of ?" She asked, curiously.

"Nothing." I said quickly, too quickly because I could see she didn't believe me at all.

"Out with it !"

OH NO ! I heard someone gasp. I turned and saw Ron holding a blood red letter in his hands.

I turned white, yes I knew what it was. A howler.

I couldn't help but listen in on their conversation.

"It's all right." Hermione who sat next to him, said. "He's still alive !" She gently prodded Errol, our owl, with her finger.

"No." My brother shook his head."It's not that." He was very pale. "It's that !" He pointed at the envelope.

"What's the matter?" asked a confused Harry, he's so cute when he looks like that.

What? Ginny concentrate on the conversation ! I scolded myself.

"What's the matter ?"

We'll soon find out what's the matter, I thought, preparing my fingers to put them in my ears when the letter would explode.

"She's" Ron swallowed, "She's sent me a howler." Hermoine, who was still stroking Errol, stared at the envelope.

"You'd better open it, Ron." Neville said in a timid whisper, the bacon had glided of his head. "It'll be worse if you don't. My Gran send me one once, and I ignored it and,- ..." he gulped, "It was horrible!"

Harry glanced from their petrified faces to the envelope, that cute confused expression still on his face. Smoke was beginning to emerge from the corners of the red letter.

"Open , open open" I chanted under my breath.

I wondered what Ronald had done to deserve a Howler.

"Open it !" Neville urged. "It'll be over in a few minutes" with that said, he stuffed his fingers into his ears.

A great idea, if you asked me. I followed his example and urged Marcella, who was Muggle- Born, to do the same.

"Trust me." I said grinning, "you'll be glad to have followed my advice when it's over."

Somewhat reluctantly, she did as I said.

A second later, the envelope exploded, a roar of sound filled the whole great hall.

Professor Snape who was currently patrolling around the house tables, tripped and fell face first into a bowl of cereals.

Dust shook from the ceiling, ugh, better not eat that bacon anymore.

"...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 WEN'T THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT HAD GONE..."

So that's why they weren't on the Hogwarts express !

I pushed my fingers even tighter in my ears, mum had such a lovely voice .

And look, it even makes spoons and plates rattle on the table. People around the hall where swivelling around to see who had received the howler.

Ron sank so low in his chair, that only his crimson forehead could be seen.

Ah finally, humiliation, but not for me !

"... 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..."

So, Harry was with him ? I saw he was trying to pretend he hadn't heard his name.Hermione was staring at both Ron and Harry with an I-told-you-so expression on her face.

I was pretty sure she already knew of their little car-trip.

"...ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED, YOUR FATHER'S FACING A INQUIRY AT WORK, IT'S ENTIRELY YOU FAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK AT HOME"

A ringing silence fell over the hall. The red envelope dropped from Ron's hand and burst into flames, then curled into ashes.

Harry and Ron sat stunned, as if a tidal wave had just past over them.

It was a funny sight.

A few people laughed, and eventually, a babble of talk broke out again.

I whistled silently, so that's what they've been up to ! The only question was why. Surely, there must have been a problem, Ronald would never steal the car if there was no reason to.

I knew my youngest brother better than to think he just wanted to make a grand entree.

"What was that !" Marcella had removed her fingers out of her ears, a shocked expression on her face.

"That" I said calmly, "was a Howler." I looked over at her, the same bewildered expression lingered on her face.

"Glad you took my advice, eh?" I grinned while taking a gulp from my orange juice.

But soon I stopped laughing, dad was facing an inquiry at work.

OOh this definitely didn't look good.

However I hadn't much time to linger on it, McGonagall was handing out timetables and I grabbed mine.

Immediately my eyes searched the paper,

"Double DADA and after that, double potions " Great, two hours on a MONDAY with GILDEROY BLOODY LOCKHART. What had I done to deserve this?

Next to me, Marcella did the same. Her eyes lightened up. "Great ! Double DADA with THE GILDEROY LOCKHART." she exclaimed, a blush creeping onto her face.

I sighed, this where going to be the two longest hours of my live.

" Oh joy." I muttered darkly.