Sirius Black daughter - Athena Black (Book 2)

Two

The next day, Athena found out that Harry and Ron had used Mr. Weasly's flying car to come to Hogwarts and crashed into the womping willow. The reason they had told were hilarious. They did that because the wall refused to let them through. It was there in the Daily Prophet the next day that seven muggles had seen the car. Athena thought this was amusing. But that doesn't mean that they had to come through a flying car.

The four long House tables were ladenwith tureens of porridge, plates of kippers, mountainsof toast, and dishes of eggs and bacon, beneath theenchanted ceiling (today, a dull, cloudy gray). Athena sat down at the Gryffindor table between the boys and Hermione, who had her copy of Voyages withVampires propped open against a milk jug. There wasa slight stiffness in the way she said " 'Morning,"which told Athena that she was still disapproving of theway the boys had arrived. 

"Errol!" said Ron, pulling the bedraggled owl out bythe feet. Errol slumped, unconscious, onto the table,his legs in the air and a damp red envelope in hisbeak. 

"Oh, no —" Ron gasped. 

"It's all right, he's still alive," said Athena joking, as Hermione was prodding Errol gently with the tip of her finger. 

"It's not that — it's that."

Ron was pointing at the red envelope. Athena looked at it as if it was going to explode any moment. It was a howler.

"What's the matter?" said Harry. 

"She's — she's sent me a Howler," said Ron faintly. 

"You'd better open it, Ron," said Neville in a timidwhisper. "It'll be worse if you don't. My gran sent meone once, and I ignored it and" — he gulped — "it washorrible." 

"What's a Howler?" he said. 

But Ron's whole attention was fixed on the letter, which had begun to smoke at the corners.

"Open it," Neville urged. "It'll all be over in a few minutes —" 

Ron stretched out a shaking hand, eased the envelopefrom Errol's beak, and slit it open. Neville and Athena stuffed their fingers in their ears.

A roarof sound filled the huge hall, shaking dust from theceiling. 

"— STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEENSURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAITTILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOUSTOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND IWENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE —" 

Mrs. Weasley's yells, a hundred times louder thanusual, made the plates and spoons rattle on the table,and echoed deafeningly off the stone walls. Peoplethroughout the hall were swiveling around to see whohad received the Howler, and Ron sank so low in hischair that only his crimson forehead could be seen. 

"— LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, ITHOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME,WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS,YOU AND HARRY COULD BOTH HAVE DIED —"

 Athena tried very hard to look as though he couldn't hear the voice that was making his eardrumsthrob.

"— ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED — YOUR FATHER'SFACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, IT'S ENTIRELY YOURFAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINEWE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME. "

A ringing silence fell. The red envelope, which had dropped from Ron'shand, burst into flames andcurled into ashes. Harry and Ron sat stunned, asthough a tidal wave had just passed over them. A fewpeople laughed and, gradually, a babble of talk brokeout again.Hermione closed Voyages with Vampires and lookeddown at the top of Ron's head. 

"Well, I don't know what you expected, Ron, but you—" 

"Don't tell me I deserved it," snapped Ron.