Professor Snape had waited patiently for his chance to harm Potter and now his patience had paid off. The Dark Lord had ordered him to send a message to Potter. To say he was not safe. To say he could die at any time. To make him properly afraid. No order the Dark Lord could have given would have pleased Severus quite so much. He stood outside the Gryffindor 5th year boys dorm with his hand on the door knob and listened. It was silent. He wondered if the room had been silent before the two seventh years had entered last month. Their attempt to 'send a message' had been a brutal beating but something in Alastor's protections had sent them to the infirmary where Pomphrey protected them even from his own questions. Alastor's gloating at the Order meeting had been enough though. The old auror had let slip several details about the protections: most importantly that he couldn't use or even draw a wand, gun, knife, club, or other weapons. Such limitations might have daunted another man but they inspired Snape to new creativity and left him free to use his speciality - potions.
The dorm room inside was quiet. He slipped inside, closed the door gently behind him, and let his eyes adjust to the darker room. Impatiently fingering the potions on his belt, he scanned his eyes back and forth and listened intently as his eyes adjusted and the room sharpened into focus. The minutes crept while he remained immobile and silent. The soft breathing of the boys remained steady. The only movement was the the gentle wisp of the curtains as the rustled in the breeze flowing through the open window. They were amateurs leave a window open in this supposedly secure room. Potter deserved what he got for such stupidity. Harry's bed curtains were open and he was easily identifiable in the faint light of the waxing moon. Snape had prepared for every possibility with a variety of potions, tinctures, and ointments but changed his mind quickly. Moody's wards would protect the boys but they would do nothing for the white owl that sat on the perch beside his bed. Why on earth the boy insisted on keeping his owl in his room instead of in the owlrey like a normal student Snape couldn't fathom. The animals would foul a room unless cleaned regularly and their nocturnal comings and goings would keep everyone awake.
This evening the owl had chosen to stay inside facing the window and with her back to the door. Some time ago he had seen a muggle cinema where one muggle put the head of a dead horse in another's bed. For Potter wake with his dead owl in his bed would surely send the message Voldemort was looking for. Mindful of an owl's keen sense of hearing he slowly stalked it across the carpeted room. Each step was gentle and shifted his weight onto the next slowly so that the floor would not creek. As he approached the perch it occured to him that the owl was quite a bit larger than he'd remembered. The owl did not twitch a feather as Snape approached from behind. No weapons could be used but he didn't need any for a worthless animal like this. Quickly he grabbed the owl's head with both hands and twisted it around to snap it's neck but instead of finding a dead owl in his hands he found pale yellow eyes sizing him up. He had a moment to remember that owls could twist their heads 180 degrees before his vision was filled with feathers. There was a moment of agonizing pain; he didn't even have time to scream.
"Harry, wake up."
"whasit mmm. goway"
"Harry, get up. Snape's dead."
"hmm, good. What? Who? Snape?" Harry sat up in bed bleary eyed and confused. "Ron, what?"
Ron looked at him and grinned. "Amazing how good news wakes you up."
"Yeah, whatever. What'd you say? Snape?"
"See for yourself." Ron pointed. Harry rolled over to look and gagged at the sight of the bloody, mangled corpse on the carpet with Hedwig perched on top. A strip of dripping flesh hung from her mouth. She glanced at Harry, let out a muffled "Hoot", and turned sluggishly back to her meal. "Merlin, look how much she's eaten already."
"Yep. It might make her sick, you know."
Harry looked back at him questioningly.
"Grease poisoning." They both laughed then looked back at the corpse of their most hated professor. "We should probably tell someone."
"Yeah."
Fascinated, they watched the owl consume the Death Eater.
"Harry, are you at all surprised that the owl Hagrid got you turned out to be a Welsh Guard owl? Instead of a common messenger owl he got you something bred to defend sheep against wyverns."
"Honestly, I'm surprised it never occurred to me earlier. You know, he dodged the question when I asked him how big she'd grow."
"Huh. I wonder."
"Me too."
They heard a bed creak behind them and saw Dean stumbling out of bed. "Don't bother, Dean. Morning potions class is cancelled."
Dean stared at them in confusion for a moment then turned and collapsed back into his bed.
Potions was cancelled indeed.