Nomads (Homeless)
Hedwig and Harry are on the train back to Kings Cross, supposedly heading back to the Dursleys for summer.
Supposedly.
They’ve come to an unanimous decision that they will in fact, not be going back.
Hedwig, having an owl body with owl instincts, was fine with this and would have no issues.
Harry however, is a preteen boy who has never lived in the woods before.
He thinks some converted pounds, a wand, and a tent will be enough.
Hedwig and Harry quietly slipped away from the hustle and bustle of the train station, sneaking their way to Gringotts.
They needed funds for their new lives as nomads.
Hedwig has never seen goblins before.
As Harry went up to the teller and showed him his key, a goblin standing behind the front teller made eye contact with her.
He never looked away.
So, she didn’t look away.
Harry and whoever start heading towards the vaults. Accordingly, Hedwig perched on his shoulder.
The goblin still stared.
Hedwig would not lose. She swivels her head back as only an owl can do. It was as if her neck was a swivel joint instead of an actual body part.
As Harry walks, her head swivels in an unnatural way, as though she was an ancient animatronic robot that someone neglected to program correctly.
They make eye contact until a wall breaks it.
—
With his blend of wizard and muggle money, Harry bought a big backpack, a couple of muggle outfits, and a white tent.
Harry shoves it all into his new backpack.
They make their way deep into the woods, searching for a good starting point.
They were officially on the run. But it’s not like they had anyone to come looking for them.
While not having a place to call home might be stressful for many, both Harry and Hedwig find peace in their lush and green surroundings. The trees were full and the birds were singing (screaming).
Sure, they’ve passed a couple of unmarked graves, but that’s normal in the woods, right?
Harry and Hedwig decide to settle for a brief moment on a fallen old log.
“Hedwig, look!”
Harry lifts his arm up and points to the left.
Hedwig looks over and sees a cute little deer peeking at a fledgling bird.
Hedwig, having lived outside her whole life, knows what’s coming.
Harry watches in horror as the deer reaches its cute brown neck over the bird, sniffs it, and eats it alive.
The bird was gone, reduced to a pile of bones as the deer continues to devour the bird with as much gusto as a cow seeing spring grass.
There’s a feather sticking out of its mouth.
“Oh.”
Harry decides that it’s time to set up for the night.
—
A month went by with minimal issues.
After this long, one would expect them to be running into all sorts of problems, but things have been relatively quiet… a little too quite…
They jinxed themselves, of course.
The rainstorm came out of thin air. It was like a sudden robbery gone haywire, and all that could be done was to duck and cover.
A shower faucet created by Nikola Tesla was given to a mad scientist hellbent on destroying the world.
Both Harry and Hedwig were far away from where they left their tent.
They attempted to retrace their steps, not realizing that they’re going in the wrong direction.
They squint their eyes to try and make out where the hell they ended up. Unfortunately, they can’t see anything but a blur of water and wind.
“Uh Hedwig? Where are we? Can you make it back? Because I can’t see two feet in front of me!”
How is Hedwig supposed to find a random white tent with no magical signature.
Good thinking, Harry.
She gives him a look.
How embarrassing. Harry feels his cheeks flush in shame, realizing how stupid he just sounded.
“Man… this storm is no joke! I guess we better-“
Harry trips over something unseen. He tumbles down the hillside.
He was holding Hedwig.
They both go down.
Harry tried to grab onto anything to slow their descent and Hedwig tried to use her talons, but nothing seemed to anchor them to the ground.
Hedwig’s wings went everywhere. They flailed like a person trying to run on a treadmill that was set to high speed while wearing a blindfold, with the treadmill also being covered in slick oil.
They made equal loud noises of displeasure.
They land with a comical thud at the bottom of the hill, right into a low rise creek. They’re both covered in dirt and leaves, with Harry’s clothes in a disarray his face covered in a mixture of rain and tears.
Hedwig, still unable to recoup, ends up flailing upside down and is drifted into the big pond.
All of a sudden, a man’s loud voice rings out through the nasty storm.
“Oh goodness kid, you alright!?”
Harry tries to catch his breath and sit upright as he glances over at Hedwig, who is currently floating upside down in the nearby pond, struggling to keep herself afloat but unable to manage.
Harry sighs and coughs out some gross brown crick water he swallowed.
He looks up at the man approaching him and feels his eyebrows raise. Before him stands a man in a boy scout leader outfit.
Harry’s soaked and cold, and maybe just a little bit delirious.
“Uh… Yeah… I think so? Sorry, we just got hit by that rainstorm and lost our way!”
The man seems oddly relieved.
“No worries, I saw you falling while I was looking for the rest of the missing scouts. Let me help you up.”
He holds out a hand for Harry and hefts him up easily.
Hedwig is in the background, drowning.
The man and Harry have to yell back and forth to be heard. If there were no rain storm, it would sound like a screaming match.
The man seems to think that Harry is a missing scout. So, Harry decides to use this opportunity for some shelter.
Harry points out Hedwig and the man fishes her by her leg out of the water.
Hedwig is feeling murderous.
The guy leads them both back to his campsite full of random children.
The boys are certainly taken aback by the sight of the unfamiliar, mud-covered duo. No one mentions anything about not knowing the boy and his owl, figuring that someone here must know him.
They end up spending the night there, waiting out the storm.
They leave before the sun breaks, not even wanting to try and explain this.
But now they face a huge problem. Where the hell is their tent??
—
For the next couple of days, they spend their time living with nothing but the clothes off of Harry’s back.
With no other option, Hedwig has been hunting for Harry.
So far, Harry has eaten bird, squirrel, and a possibly undercooked skunk.
He ate skunk.
It was still better than Aunt Petunias Christmas turkey.
Harry and Hedwig look at each other.
“We’re homeless.”
Hedwig hoots sadly in agreement.