From Hogwarts to London

"Alright, Hedwig, I want you to take this to Padfoot, okay?"

Hedwig hooted in acknowledgement as Harry tied a roll of parchment to her leg. He patted her head softly, and she gave him a playful nip before flying out the window. Once she was out of the castle, she headed straight for the lake. Hogwarts to London was a long flight, and Hedwig knew, after her first journey there, that it was best for her to drink first as she did not fly over many lakes on the way.

After having a drink, Hedwig took to the skies once more and started her journey. She was joined by a Thestral teaching her young to fly as she passed over the Forbidden Forest, but soon she was away from Hogwarts and alone once more. She didn't mind the solitude; flying alone meant she had some time to herself where she wouldn't be bothered by the younger, more excitable owls in the owlery or by the many creatures in the forest where she hunted.

As Hedwig soared across the country, she savoured the feeling of the air forcing its way through her feathers, ruffling them slightly. It was one of her favourite feelings in the world, second only to the love she felt from Harry and the pride in delivering his messages. She had never failed to deliver a message for him, and that was Hedwig's biggest achievement. She shuddered as she thought about the possibility of failing to send a message.

The warm air from the day was cooling as the light started to fade. Hedwig flew slightly closer to the ground, searching for the mice that she knew would be emerging soon. She raked her eyes across the ground, taking in the trees and focusing hard around the bushes. It wasn't long before she saw a mouse dart out from where it had been hiding under a small bush. Hedwig instantly changed her course, soaring at full speed towards the ground and snapping the mouse up in her claws.

She flew on for a bit, knowing there was a small river nearby where she stopped for a rest and to eat her dinner. While at the river, Hedwig managed to catch two more mice for her own before feeling rested enough to continue her journey.

The night air was sharp, and rain was starting to fall, hitting her face heavily. The first time she had flown in heavy rain, Hedwig had needed to stop and take shelter as it was throwing her off course. However, she was a much stronger and more experienced owl now, and it took a lot more than a little rain to make her stop flying.

She dipped and swerved as she flew, creating patterns in the air and easing some of the boredom she could feel creeping in. She would be nearing the big cities soon, and as soon as she did, Hedwig would have to fly more carefully, so this was the last chance for a bit of fun for a while.

After passing the first lot of big cities, Hedwig let out a couple of soft hoots and was joined by a brown owl that lived nearby. She had met this owl multiple times while making this journey, and she always let him know when she was flying over. Hedwig enjoyed his company, especially as the journey lasted all night and she was used to being surrounded by other owls all the time at Hogwarts.

She flew with him until the sun started to peak and she could see London on the horizon. Hedwig hooted her goodbye to the brown owl and sped off, faster than she had been flying all night as she knew Sirius would always give her a good meal if she arrived before he had breakfast.

As she flew over the first buildings of the city, Hedwig passed an owl she knew from the castle. She was struggling slightly with a package that was slightly too big for her to carry. Hedwig hooted in sympathy and quickened her pace toward the ever nearing Grimmauld Place. She hoped that Sirius would be up and she could rest quickly; no owl should have to transport a parcel too big for them on their own, and Hedwig had decided she would try to help if she caught up with the owl on her way back to Harry.

The window to the drawing room was open as Hedwig reached Number 12 Grimmauld Place, and she soared through the window hooting to let the residents know she was here. She settled herself down on the back of the settee, and a few minutes later, Sirius entered carrying a bag of owl treats and bowl of water. He set them down on the table and Hedwig flew over. She gave him a nip on his finger in thanks and held her leg out as she leaned down to have a much-needed drink.

She had been hoping to rest quickly, but as soon as Sirius had taken the letter from her leg and she had flown onto the perch, Hedwig knew she would be asleep for a while. She let out a disappointed hoot as she realised that she probably wouldn't be able to catch up with the owl destined for Hogwarts. She always forgot just how long the journey was, and it had tired her out more than she had originally thought.

Word Count: 909.

This is for:

Hogwarts Funfair Event – Lazy River;

(character) Hedwig

Chocolate Frog Cards;

Jocunda Sykes: Write about a long journey.

The Valentine-Making Station;

Balloon Sticker: Write about any type of flight.

Bird Sticker: Write about any Hogwarts pet.