discontinued, re-write titled "Mind Over Matter".
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❞𝐘𝐨𝐮❜𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞. . .❞
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Liliana Granger never sought out the adventures of life, she'd grown comfortable in what she knew and applied...
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"What's a howler?"
The next day, Harry seemed to be in a bad mood, not even grinning once, and it all started going downhill from breakfast in the Great Hall. The four long House tables were laden with tureens of porridge, plates of kippers, mountains of toast, and dishes of eggs and bacon, beneath the enchanted ceiling (today, a dull, cloudy gray).
Harry and Ron sat down at the Gryffindor table next to Hermione, who had her copy of Voyages with Vampires propped open against a milk jug, and Liliana, who was busy eating a piece of toast trying her best to read along with Hermione.
There was a slight stiffness in the way Hermione said "Morning", which told Harry that she was still disapproving of the way they had arrived. Liliana on the other hand gave the boys an apologetic smile before reaching for her goblet to pour herself some juice. Neville Longbottom, on the other hand, greeted them cheerfully. Neville was a round-faced and accident-prone boy with the worst memory of anyone Harry had ever met.
"Mail's due any minute 一 I think Gran's sending me a few things I forgot."
Harry had only just started his porridge when, sure enough, there was a rushing sound overhead and a hundred or so owl streamed in, circling the hall and dropping letters and packages into the chattering crowd. A big, lumpy package bounced off Neville's head and, a second later, something large and gray fell into Hermione's jug, spraying them all with milk and feathers.
"Errol!" said Ron, pulling the bedraggled owl out by the feet.
Errol slumped, unconscious, onto the table, his legs in the air and a damp red envelope in his beak.
"Oh, no 一" Ron gasped.
"It's alright," said Hermione.
"He's still alive," added Liliana, prodding Errol gently with the tip of her finger.
"It's not that一 it's that".
Ron was pointing at the red envelope. It looked quite ordinary to Liliana, Harry, and Hermione, but Ron and Neville were both looking at it as though they expected it to explode.
"What's the matter?" said Harry.
"She's 一 she's sent me a Howler," said Ron faintly.
"You'd better open it, Ron," said Neville in a timid whisper. "It'll be worse if you don't. My gran sent me one once, and I ignored it and" 一 he gulped 一 "it was horrible."
Harry looked from their petrified faces to the red envelope.
"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 一"
Ron stretched out a shaking hand, eased the envelope from Errol's beak, and slit it open. Neville stuffed his fingers in his ears. A split second later, Harry knew why. He thought for a moment it had exploded; a roar of sound filled the huge hall, shaking dust from the ceiling.
