OWL POST

Rating: U
Genre: Comedy
Setting: Hogwarts
Main Characters: Erm…none really

Part 1

EVERYTHING STARTS OFF IN AN ORDINARY WAY!

It was morning at Hogwarts. Not just any morning however. It was a beautiful morning. The sun was shining, and the lake was a deep and magical shade of blue. Harry, Hermione, and Ron wandered the grounds before breakfast. Ron and Hermione were bickering about homework, Ron trying to get Hermione to let him copy hers, Hermione saying that he would never learn that way. Harry just wandered along beside them, listening to their argument and staring at the sky. The birds were flying across the sky, enjoying the early morning sunshine just like Harry was. A slight commotion was happening by the lake. It seemed that Fred and George Weasley had enchanted a number of spiders, and were now making them fly at passers by. Harry made a mental note not to let Ron go over that way.

He turned his attention back to the sky. A couple of owls were now flying across it. On their way to deliver the post he supposed. There was no sign of Hedwig, who he had sent off with a letter for Sirius, telling him some of the things that had happened at Hogwarts in the past few weeks. It was strange that it was taking her so long to arrive. Still, maybe Sirius was further away than he knew. Harry glanced at his watch. It was getting late, if they didn't head back to the great hall soon they would miss breakfast. He turned to the other two and mentioned that they should head back. So, with Hermione and Ron still bickering they headed back to the school.

Harry was feeling very hungry as they sat down at their house tables. He quickly piled his plate high, before eating as much food as he could. The owl post began to arrive as he was halfway through his breakfast. Still no Hedwig though. Feeling slightly dejected, Harry finished eating before heading off to divination. Ron and Harry sat down at the back of the class, not looking forward in the slightest to the lesson. Professor Trelawney was always predicting Harry's death, in some way or another. So, they weren't altogether surprised as she walked over to their table, intent on telling Harry how he was going to die this week. As Professor Trelawney stared into Harry's crystal ball, her eyes widened in shock. Harry sighed in exasperation, preparing himself for his death sentence.

"I see… unusual behavior in the pattern of owls. My dear, do you realize what this means?"

Harry stared at Trelawney in anger. Trelawney, taking his silence as a "no" spoke again, in a somewhat confused voice

"It means that… the owls will be delivering… strange mail?" she looked up, surprised. "No that can't be right" She gazed into the crystal again "but it seems to be the only message the crystal is telling me!" She walked back to her desk and collapsed into her chair. "My dears, the lesson is postponed for today, it appears my inner eye is not working very well today!"

Ron leant towards Harry and whispered

"Not just today!" Harry had to stop himself from laughing. They left the lesson, still discussing the unusual prediction.

"The owls will deliver strange mail! What kind of rubbish is that!"

THE NEXT DAY

Harry had overslept. He ran to the hall for breakfast as quick as he could. He arrived at the exact same moment as the owl post arrived. Exhausted, he collapsed next to Ron. An owl landed in front of Harry. It wasn't Hedwig though. Bewildered, he took the package that was tied to the owl. He glanced at Ron and Hermione, noticing that they had both got packages as well. They looked as confused as he was. Looking around, Harry realized that everyone in the hall had a package. Still confused he opened the package he had been given. He stared in surprise. It was a banana! Looking at the others, he realized that they had all received bits of fruit as well. There was an outbreak of angry murmuring. Harry glanced at the teachers. They were all staring dumbfounded at pieces of fruit in front of them as well. Dumbledore glanced at the rest of the staff and stood up. Every face in the hall was staring at him, searching for an explanation. But Dumbledore seemed unable to give an answer.

"An incredibly amusing joke I'm sure. Tell me, who came up with such an original prank?" It was true. Dumbledore did seem amused by the fruit. But no one stood up. Every single student and teacher in the hall had a piece of fruit in front of them. "Very well" said Dumbledore "well, I can understand if you don't want to own up. Well done anyway".

THREE DAYS LATER

The incident still hung in his mind. It had caused a lot of talking around the school. Nobody seemed to know what had happened. There was a lot of guessing of who had sent the fruit. Still, it hadn't happened again. Lavender and Parvati had mentioned to everyone Professor Trelawney's prediction. Harry sat down to breakfast again. Hedwig still hadn't shown up. Halfway through breakfast the owls arrived again. And again everyone found a package in front of them. Feeling slightly stupid Harry opened his parcel. There was a shout of laughter from Fred and George.

"That is so good! Why didn't we think of that!" Harry looked down at his parcel. He was amazed! Someone had sent him a lump of cheese! Everyone had received cheese. Hermione was staring at her cheese in bewilderment.

"Who on earth would send everyone in the school cheese? It doesn't make any sense!"

Harry glanced at Dumbledore. He was speechless. Even Dumbledore seemed at a loss for what was happening. He saw Dumbledore look around the room. Breakfast finished, and the students left the hall still discussing the cheese. Harry saw Dumbledore leave silently. The cheese had certainly caused a stir. But nobody knew who had sent it again. It was a mystery plaguing the school. Why hadn't the culprit come forward? The custard trick seemed to have made them famous around the school. It was all anyone was talking about.

THREE MORE DAYS PASS

All anyone had talked about for the last 3 days was the cheese incident. Still, there was no sign of Hedwig. Breakfast came round. Harry sat at the table chatting to Ron and Hermione about Hedwig's absence. The owl post came again.

"I don't believe it!" gasped Hermione. Sure enough, everyone had received another package.

"Surely no one can beat the cheese!" It seemed they could though, judging by the outbreak of laughter around the hall. Harry ripped the wrapping from his parcel. It was a bowl of custard this time. Ron was laughing beside him, and Harry couldn't help it. He burst out laughing as well. Of all the packages to receive, custard had to be the most amusing. Even the teachers found the custard funny. Hermione, through her laughter, mentioned that they needed to go to their lesson. Harry stopped laughing almost immediately.

"Oh no! I forgot, I left my quill in divination yesterday! I'm gonna need o go and get it! Can you let McGonagall know where I've gone?"

"Sure thing Harry"

Harry headed up to the divination room. As he drew near he heard an uproarious laughter from inside. Dumbledore emerged from a side passage.

"Ah, Harry"

"Professor! I just came to get my quill! I left it here yesterday. What's that laughing?"

"That, Harry, is the culprit behind all of these packages."

Harry and Dumbledore ventured up through the trapdoor. There, with Hedwig beside her, laughing her head off, was Professor Trelawney!

"Sybil" Trelawney jumped.

"Pro…Pro…Professor Dumbledore" she stammered.

"A very amusing joke. Care to tell us how you did it?"

"Wait a second! Are you trying to tell me that Professor Trelawney was the one sending all of those things?"

"Indeed I am. And that is because she was" Trelawney looked sheepish

"I am incredibly sorry professor. I didn't mean to take the joke so far."

"By all means, it was fine! Incidentally, the custard amused everyone greatly. So tell us how you accomplished such a feat."

Smiling slightly Professor Trelawney told them how the joke had happened.

"It all started when this marvelous snowy owl came here. I suppose she was attracted by my drink. I hear owls are partial to one of the ingredients in it. She arrived after I had seen a prophecy of the owls delivering strange presents. When this owl arrived here, I realized that I was supposed to make this prophecy come to pass. The owl took orders for fruit, cheese and custard to town, asking for one of each to be delivered to every student personally at Hogwarts. And the good people at the shop sent the owls to them each time." Hedwig flew across to Harry.

"So…Hedwig helped you to play a joke on the whole school?"

"That magnificent owl is yours Potter? Here, she had this letter when she arrived." Trelawney handed Harry a letter from Sirius. Harry still couldn't believe that Trelawney had been the one to come up with all of these jokes. And he knew that no one would believe him. Thanking her for Hedwig's return and the letter, he left, with Dumbledore just behind him.

"The unexpected often happens it would seem. And the most unlikely of people is often the culprit." Dumbledore said, smiling. Harry couldn't think of a reply. He wandered down to transfiguration, Dumbledore words ringing in his head.

THE END