Diving, Dancing, and Time-Blinded
It was too late for Hedwig to make it to her boy before he was stuck inside the limp-haired man’s class by the time the big man finished talking at her, and finally gave her the letter he wanted her to take to Harry.
“Take this to Harry for me, will you? I thought he’d visit on his own, being in Hufflepuff ‘n all, but I suppose he migh’ not know I’d like him to.” Hagrid told her, and left the owlery.
Hedwig didn’t know how her boy would react when she met him as planned after his class so she could accompany him to the short man’s one, but hoped his eyes wouldn’t be vulnerable and disbelieving like they had the first time she had proven to him she wished to stay at his side.
Harry had picked up a concerningly unsure look to himself every morning while he ate, and since it only dropped when he spotted her flying at him to give greetings, she wondered if he worried she would leave him now they were surrounded by other wixen for one more privileged. Of course, that would never happen, but Hedwig couldn’t tell him that.
Time continued, and an itch to visit her boy grew in her wings. Hedwig knew going into the limp-haired man’s classroom would only spur him into taking the points her boy had skillfully earned in other classes for failing to keep “the animal” out of his classroom– something that had put Harry in a crestfallen mood for an entire day when Hedwig had joined her boy against the man’s wishes to test his boundaries– but knowing so only made it worse.
Hedwig needed to fly. She was constantly shifting on her perch in the owlery, but with Hagrid’s letter to Harry tied around her ankle she couldn’t go hunting, and she didn’t dare begin to make her way to the potions classroom, where the temptation to find and give comfort to her boy might put too much power into which the itch had over her, and lead her to do something she knew better than to do.
So she made laps around the owlery, joined up by a couple other antsy owls who had no desire to fly through the strong winds of the Scottish Highlands, tampered as they were by the castle’s wards. The itch in Hedwig’s wings died down to a manageable level as they dove and danced through the air, at one point scaring an older student who had come to deliver their mail at the wrong time.
Hedwig had inadvertently made herself blind to the sun’s position in the sky while she did her best to create a decent distraction from her desire, and when she noticed the class she could not join her boy in had certainly ended, the next had certainly already begun.
Hedwig promised herself she wouldn’t leave her boy’s side until after his first meal the next morning as she left the owlery through a window. It was the fastest way to get to any classroom with such access from the outside, clear of any confusing hallways or landmarks that liked to move around and confuse everyone who traversed them; as the walls were older than anyone’s time and had not been formed naturally, they did not cede to her nor anyone else, forcing all to make their way through them under their own power.
The short man had indeed started his lecture before Hedwig had flown in through the large, perpetually open window, but Hedwig could hear his rush to finish in. The itch that had left her the moment she left to join her boy came back as a small twinge in her chest.
:Harry isn’t here.
“Hedwig!” She heard the red-haired girl, Susan Bones, call out to her. Hedwig looked to see she had panicked eyes, and the friend who was always next to her was picking the skin around her nails without remorse. Hedwig swooped down in one large circle to land in front of her, and hooted with distress.
“Oh, dear,” the short man said at her entrance. “You aren’t with Mr. Potter?” He asked, abandoning his lecture. Hedwig had never been in this classroom without him, and as such the professor’s voice was laced with worry since she was alone.
“Ms. Bones, you told me Mr. Potter had waved you and Ms. Jones on the last you had seen him, yes?” Both the red-haired girl and her friend nodded at this.
“We left him standing not too far from the potions classroom.” Susan informed him. “It’s not the first time he’s seemed to want us to leave him alone.” Hedwig hooted, drawing attention to herself again.
:I will find him.
She lifted herself back into the air and circled around their heads a couple times. Hedwig thought the short man might want to follow her as she searched for Harry.
“The blooming charm is on page 34 of your textbooks, flowers are on my desk. Mr. Finch-Fletchley and Mr. Rosmeld, you are not to attempt it until I am back. Ms. Bones–” The professor quickly instructed.
“I’ll keep an eye on everyone.”
Hedwig left the room, and Flitwick followed without another word. Goblins were used to following birds through their caves to recover injured friends and workers, and even if they were usually of the kinds born in the darkness, wixen owls had the same follow-tell.
They raced through the halls, Hedwig taking every turn she should have earlier with her boy on his way to charms. If she didn’t find him on this path, the infirmary would be her next stop. She’d think of her third on her way there if that ended up being the case.
The further Hedwig got without sight of her boy, the more she had to push down a distressed hoot in her throat. If Harry was near, she didn’t want to put him in a panic, so she would wait until she could see him to let out her call.
When her boy’s messy hair finally came into view, she was horrified to see it was down on the stone floor.
Harry uncurled from his protective position on the ground when he heard Hedwig’s worried hoot, and Hedwig’s heart beat less wildly when he made eye contact with her after sitting up and lifting his head, proving he was in good enough condition to move. He audibly sniffed and raised his arm for her to perch on, but ungloved as it was, Hedwig chose the floor for her landing instead.
“Hedwig,” her boy said snottily, nose clogged and eyes rimmed red. Another tear fell and traced the path of ones fallen previously as he continued, “Where were you?” Hedwig didn’t have enough time to respond to the question before the professor who had dutifully followed her shouted.
“Mr. Potter!” Harry flinched, and looked down at his owl friend with widened eyes and a reddening face. He didn’t want any of his professors to see him like this!
Harry jumped to his feet and slung his bag over the shoulder opposite of where it lay, and bolted past Professor Flitwick. He knew there was no way he could keep up with Harry, even with his running slowed with the weight of his things, and he was betting on him and the glances of wonder he still occasionally shot at Harry that he wouldn’t use magic to stop him from getting away.
When Harry turned a corner, he figured he was safe, but didn’t further slow down his speed until he’d gone around at least three. He wasn’t sure where he should go, but it had to be somewhere Professor Flitwick and anyone he told wouldn’t think to try and find him.
The Forbidden Forest.
Harry had never been there before, and as far as he knew, no one beside Ron’s twin brothers had been either.
He wouldn’t go in very far, just enough into the tree line to lose sight of the quidditch pitch, which he had seen for the first time during the match of Gryffindor vs Slytherin, and the grounds beyond it. Hedwig, who had pursued him in favor of collecting Professor Flitwick a second time before going after him, was likely to make it known she was upset by his chosen hiding place the moment it became clear to her. Harry didn’t want to increase her unease anymore than he absolutely needed to, but right now, the forest fit the bill neatly.
He wasn’t close enough to the forest when Hedwig evidently understood his plan. She hooted, and tried to steer him back to the opposite direction. Harry didn’t let her stop him, and kept running across the open ground, anxiety-ridden with the thought of anyone seeing him before he could make it in, and barreled through the trees on the edge of it.
Harry slowed to a near stop, and turned around to walk backwards, keeping his eyes on the outside of the forest until he could no longer see it. He put his hands above his head and breathed deeply, and watched Hedwig circle the air to tell him this is not where she wanted him.
“I’m nor going any further.” Harry told her. He set his bag down and rifled through it to find his glove. He held his arm out for her. “I promise.”
Hedwig narrowed her eyes at him, and kept her wings puffed away from her body when she perched.
:You know it is not safe here.
Harry nodded at her obvious disapproval, and Hedwig wished so much in the moment that she could verbally scold him. She settled for huffing at him while he stroked her feathers.
Harry blinked. “Is that a letter?” Hedwig almost didn’t hold her foot out to him. “It’s from Hagrid! Is this why you weren’t there while I was walking to potions?” Hedwig hooted, losing her sharp glare.
:I won’t disappoint you without reason.
Harry rubbed his eyes as he read the big man’s note to him, and smiled excitedly. “He wants me to visit.” Harry dropped to the ground and pulled out a quill and inkpot from his bag.
His reply was short, only five words long, and written on the back of the big man’s letter.
“You should take this to Hagrid,” Harry held out the paper to Hedwig, smiling less after telling her she should leave him again. “I don’t want him to wait for too long.” Hedwig huffed at her boy, and stomped her foot on the glove, refusing to take back the letter. “But he’ll be sad if I don’t respond.”
:And you are sad right now, silly boy. Hedwig brushed her wing across Harry’s shoulder. :I am not leaving you.