Halloween

           Malfoycouldn’tbelievehiseyeswhenhesawthatHarryandRonwerestillatHogwartsthenextday,lookingtiredbutperfectlycheerful. Indeed,bythenextmorningHarryandRonthoughtthatmeetingthethree-headeddoghadbeenanexcellentadventure,andtheywerequitekeentohaveanotherone. Inthemeantime,HarryfilledRoninaboutthepackagethatseemedtohavebeenmovedfromGringottstoHogwarts,andtheyspentalotoftimewonderingwhatcouldpossiblyneedsuchheavyprotection. 

           "It’seitherreallyvaluableorreallydangerous,"saidRon. 

           "Orboth,"saidHarry. 

           Butasalltheyknewforsureaboutthemysteriousobjectwasthatitwasabouttwoincheslong,theydidn’thavemuchchanceofguessingwhatitwaswithoutfurtherclues. 

           NeitherNevillenorHermioneshowedtheslightestinterestinwhatlayunderneaththedogandthetrapdoor. AllNevillecaredaboutwasnevergoingnearthedogagain. 

           HermionewasnowrefusingtospeaktoHarryandRon,butshewassuchabossyknow-it-allthattheysawthisasanaddedbonus. AlltheyreallywantednowwasawayofgettingbackatMalfoy,andtotheirgreatdelight,justsuchathingarrivedinthemailaboutaweeklater. 

           AstheowlsfloodedintotheGreatHallasusual,everyone’sattentionwascaughtatoncebyalong,thinpackagecarriedbysixlargescreechowls. Harrywasjustasinterestedaseveryoneelsetoseewhatwasinthislargeparcel,andwasamazedwhentheowlssoareddownanddroppeditrightinfrontofhim,knockinghisbacontothefloor.