Both Harry and Ron overslept the next morning. It was Ron who awoke first and sounded the alarm, bounding out of bed less than thirty minutes before classes were scheduled to begin.
“Harry!” he cried, frantically shaking Harry’s shoulder. “Oi, get a move on! We’re late.” Yanking off the sheets as Harry finally began to stir, Ron grabbed his sponge bag and hurried out the door for a quick wash.
Harry sat up slowly, moving at a much more languid speed than Ron, and reached for his glasses, the grin from the night before still very much in evidence on his face. He had barely climbed out of bed and started searching for his school robes before Ron came striding back into the room, horrified at Harry’s obvious lack of progress.
“Come on!” he bellowed, throwing on his clothes. We’re going to miss breakfast!” Without waiting for a response to this awful forecast, he slung his school bag over his shoulder and dashed from the room, tying his tie as he went.
Despite Ron’s dire prediction, Harry managed to make it down to the Great Hall only a short five minutes later and there were yet some platters of toast and bacon remaining on the Gryffindor table, although Ron was apparently trying his hardest to rectify that situation.
Harry, still in a fantastic mood, smiled to himself at the sight of his friend wolfing down food at such an alarming rate and approached the table. Hermione and Ginny, long finished breakfast as indicated by the empty plates pushed aside in front of them, were chatting animatedly together, their conversation interspersed with long glances at Ginny’s new ring. Hermione squealed as soon as she saw Harry and she jumped up to fling her arms around him.
“Oh, Harry!” she shrieked with delight. “It’s such wonderful news. Congratulations!”
He muttered his thanks, covertly attempting to snatch a piece or two of bacon behind her back. He was starving now that he could smell the food.
Hermione gave him another squeeze before releasing him and returning to her seat. Harry followed suit, dropping down next to Ron, and eagerly grabbing a plate. Without a word, Ginny passed him a platter of bacon and he took it from her gratefully.
“ ‘Morning,” he murmured, grinning at her.
She grinned back but before she could speak, the Weasleys’ new owl, Zephyr, soared down the table and landed directly in front of her, a vivid red envelope clutched in its beak. Harry’s heart sank. That sight never boded well.
He heard Ron swear under his breath, and Hermione whispered, “Oh dear.”
Ginny merely plucked the Howler from the young Tawny Owl’s grip. “Was wondering when this would arrive ...” she remarked grimly, and cautiously opened the message. Mrs. Weasley’s voice thundered through the Hall, echoing off the stone walls, resounding in Harry’s ears. He gobbled his toast frantically, hoping a full mouth would somehow muffle the deafening sound.
“GINEVRA WEASLEY!” the Howler screeched, faithfully living up to its name. Necks all around the Great Hall craned to see who had received the squawking letter. “HOW ON EARTH COULD YOU DO ANYTHING SO FOOLISH AS TO PLACE YOUR NAME IN THE GOBLET I’LL NEVER KNOW. I“ I“ I JUST CANNOT BELIEVE“”
The din mercifully subsided momentarily as Mrs. Weasley’s voice dissolved into angry spluttering, apparently Ginny’s mother had been uncharacteristically at a loss for words. The reprieve was short-lived. The clamour soon began again anew.
“AFTER EVERYTHING WE’VE BEEN THROUGH. BILL AND GEORGE’S INJURIES, THE LOSS OF GOOD FRIENDS, NOT TO MENTION THE DEATH OF YOUR OWN BROTHER. HOW YOU DARE TO EVEN THINK OF PUTTING YOURSELF IN ANY DANGER IS BEYOND ME. YOU WILL MARCH YOURSELF STRAIGHT UP TO YOUR HEADMISTRESS AND WITHDRAW YOUR NAME. IMMEDIATELY!” The last word rang horribly in Harry’s ears as the Howler burst into flames and disintegrated onto an empty platter.
The silence was almost as deafening as the Howler had been. Ron and Hermione, embarrassed for Ginny’s sake, chuckled nervously and started talking about the classes they were assisting with that day. Ginny, though, stared at the spot where the Howler had been only moments before. She then raised her head to look at Harry beseechingly.
Harry wished she wouldn’t. Truth was, he agreed with everything Mrs. Weasley had said. What could he possibly say to her? Fortunately for him, another owl arrived at that moment.
“If this keeps up, we’re going to be late for classes,” Hermione remarked uneasily, making a big show of looking at her watch. Harry figured she was thinking the same thing he was: what if this were another Howler?
Ginny, though, was already untying a very normal, and therefore quiet, letter from the owl’s leg. It was then that Harry noticed that the owl in question had been transfigured to sport some stripes of maroon down its back. Also, on close inspection, he could see the small banner tied to the bird’s other leg, stating in bold, maroon letters: ‘Shop Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes for all your joking needs!’
“That’s one of Fred and “” Ron stopped himself and quickly tried again, “That’s from George’s shop.”
“I know,” Ginny said, and unrolled the small bit of parchment as the owl hooted mournfully and with a great flutter of wings, rose into the air, and soared away. Harry watched it go, suddenly wondering where Zephyr had gone. He hadn’t seen it leave. Guessing that it had gone as soon as the Howler had begun earlier, he turned back to Ginny to see her eyes were filled with tears. When she passed him the letter, though, she was smiling as well. Puzzled, he took it from her.
It read:
Dear Ginny,
I’ve just heard (from Mum, who else?) about you putting your name in for the Tournament. Gotta tell you, scares me to death. The thought of something happening to you, too ...
But, you don’t need to hear that from me, right? You’ve probably already gotten a Howler or three from Mum. So I guess all I can really say is what I’d like to think Fred would have told you in this situation.
GIVE ‘EM HELL, GINNY!
Make him proud.
George
As Happily Ever After As They're Gonna Get by cjbaggins
Chapter Endnotes: A shorter chapter, but more is on its way, I hope. Stay tuned! cj