Silver King

13

"Oh look, here's this morning's entertainment." Daphne commented as a very old owl flew towards the Gryffindor table while carrying a red envelope.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, wondering why all the other Slytherin's at the table were looking in the direction of an owl. In fact, every person in the hall was looking in the same direction.

"It's a howler." Tracy replied, "You'll see in a sec." She said when Harry still looked confused. A second later the owl crash landed on the table, ending up on his back in front of Ron.

"Ha," Malfoy snorted. "how long do you think they've been using that owl for?"

"Probably since Weasley's grandfather was a boy." Nott joked. Before anyone could say anything else, the red envelope rose into the sky, it shifted so it now had a mouth.

"RONALD WEASLEY!" A loud and shrill female voice cut through the silence, causing many people to jump in their seats. "HOW DARE YOU SAY SUCH HORRID THINGS?! YOU'VE NOT ONLY EMBARASSED OUR FAMILY BUT NOW YOUR FATHER IS SUFFERING THROUGH QUESTION AFTER QUESTION AT WORK! ASKING HIM ABOUT WHAT KIND OF SON HE HAD RAISED! I'VE NEVER BEEN SO EMBARASSED IN ALL OF MY LIFE! YOU HAD BETTER FIX UP YOUR ACT OR I WILL PERSONALLY COME UP TO SCHOOL AND BRING YOU STRAIGHT HOME!" The envelope stopped talking - shouting loudly - and instead ripped itself apart, leaving bits of itself on the plate of a red faced and mortified Ronald Weasley.

"That's a howler." Tracy whispered to Harry as many started laughing, causing Ron to scowl before getting up from his seat and storming out of the hall.

"Don't get me wrong, Weasley is a git, but did his mother really just shout at him in front of the whole school?" Harry couldn't help but ask. "No wonder he acts like an idiot if that's what his mother is like." Harry added, shaking his head with disbelief. Harry was not, nor would he ever claim to be, an expert in parenting but he was pretty sure that embarrassing your child in front of the whole school was the last thing that you were supposed to do.

As Harry and the other Slytherin's walked out of the great hall they stopped when they saw Ronald Weasley stood in front of them, glaring at them with pure hatred.

"I bet that made you really happy, didn't it?!" Ron snarled at Harry.

"It's not like I planned that," Harry shrugged. "I mean honestly, how was I supposed to know that your own mother would shout at you in front of the whole school? At worst I thought that she would pull you away from everyone and shout at you."

"Because of you the whole school is laughing at me!" Ron growled.

"How was it his fault?" Daphne scoffed, looking very unimpressed. "You're the one who has been antagonizing him, and you were the one who made that horrible comment after Tracy nearly died. Some 'noble' Gryffindor you are."

"You can shut your mouth, snake!"

"You do realize that that is just a mascot, right?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow. "Like, has nobody told you that you're not actually a lion?"

"Shut up Potter!" Ron spat. "You might think you're so tough but you're not! In a wizard's duel I'd beat you in seconds!"

"I'm sure you would." Harry rolled his eyes. "Now if you're done, we actually have important things to do." Harry said before walking past Weasley with the other Slytherin's following behind him.

"You should have dueled with Weasley," Malfoy said as they walked away. "he's a pathetic wizard, you could have easily beat him."

"Maybe," Harry nodded. "but if I fought him then I risk getting in trouble, plus that would make Weasley think he's important. I'm just going to ignore him."