Chapter 51 – Reading Letters
I was in detention, but I was not in the castle. It was dusk, and I was missing dinner, accompanying Professor Lockhart in the dull job of patrolling the school's perimeters. To his explanation, it was a new thing that every teacher did in rotation. I guess it was because of the opening of the Chamber of Secrets? I just hoped it didn't mean we would go into the forest again, and he would leave me behind. Again. Not that I would be afraid; I guess no spiders would come close to me now.
"How are you enduring the cold?" He laughed as it was already mid-November, and the first snowfall was getting closer and closer. It always got dark very quickly, and rain was falling more and more. Which always made me angry, reminding me of my failure with the animagi ritual.
"It's not bad... I have no problems with it, to be honest." I answered, pulling my thick winter robes together. "At least it's not raining." Just when I said it, a loud rumble rushed through the air, originating from high above us.
"Look out what you are speaking!" Lockhart chuckled as we headed towards the owlery. "We are going to check the incoming letters! I have a duty to review any suspicious messages!"
"Aren't posts coming in in the morning?"
"They do, but the inspection takes place at night!" He said in a jovial mood while we climbed the long, stone stairs on the road. Hearing a familiar hooting, I looked up and noticed the barn owl following us high above, and I didn't need to think who she was.
It was a chore to climb up to the top of the big tower, where multiple dozen owls were scuttering about, some still clutching letters that we started collecting. Of course, some owls didn't really want to let it go but they had no choice. When I passed by Quincy, she winked at me, following along, curiously looking at the letters.
"Professor, are we going to read them here?" I asked nonchalantly, going for those whose recipients looked the most interesting.
"Yes!" He answered, keeping his back to me, "I will teach you the spell that opens and seals them, no problem!"
"I see..." My reply was drawn out because I noticed that one of the school's owls held a letter. It was addressed directly to me. Sensing that Lockhart was still facing the opposite way, wrestling with a spicier owl, I quickly got it and slipped into my inner pocket. Lucky! Well, Quincy used to come out in her owl form every night nowadays and check for letters... but still. This was the best outcome!
"Little buggers!" Lockhart grumbled, waving his scratched hand. "Are you done, my friend?"