On Friday morning, the fifth day after Professor Flitwick killed the basilisk, Harry received a letter delivered by Hedwig while he was eating breakfast. This rather surprised him.
Although it was called the Daily Prophet, it was actually a weekly newspaper. After all, the wizarding world did not really have enough news to fill eight pages every day. Of course, special editions were published when something major and urgent happened.
The discovery of a thousand-year-old basilisk at Hogwarts, for example, had made a special edition, which had arrived the day before yesterday, on the same day Ron received that soulless Howler from Mother.
So who had written to him today? Harry certainly did not believe his aunt and uncle had finally decided, after much hesitation, to write a family letter praising him.
Once Hedwig landed, Harry fed her some meat floss while removing the envelope from her leg. Hedwig affectionately rubbed her head against Harry's hand, then spread her wings and flew away.
Watching the composed, unhurried Hedwig made Ron, who was beside him, very envious. His family's owl was so old that practically every delivery involved an "air disaster."
Percy did have an owl of his own, but whatever he used it for, he never let Ron and the others use it during the holidays.
Fortunately, Ron had been rather popular lately, and the few times he had asked Percy, the latter had readily agreed.
This had even given Ron a little affection for his third-eldest brother. Still, he secretly told Harry and the others that Percy's attitude probably would not last past Christmas.
After Hedwig flew away, Harry opened the letter. Strictly speaking, it was a note, though a rather exquisite one.
"Not another love letter from some little girl, is it?" Hermione remarked snidely from Ron's other