Joshua sighed as he closed the book in front of him. He sat by himself in the mansions library with his school books laid out before him. He was so excited to learn that he decided to pre-read everything in hopes of getting a head start, but this would lead to his boredom while he waited for the day he would leave on the Hogwarts Express. Joshua looked at Athena who was perched on a small pile of his books, sleeping peacefully.
Joshua, again, pulled A History of Magic before him and started to read it once again. There was something about this book that he enjoyed so much. It was because Joshua loved history. He took pride in knowing that he could remember almost every significant event in history. Be it European, American or African, Joshua knew it all. He loved that he could finally learn magic's history. The family library was stocked with tons of books on history, but they were mostly history about the Hedley's and the great feats they had achieved in their time.
Joshua was reading a segment about Gellert Grindelwald when suddenly a white face popped through the book. "Why are you reading this nonsense!" Joshua was startled so much that he tipped over his chair backwards. With the loud crash Athena woke with an annoyed chirp. "Nanna why did you do that?" "You know how I feel about these other nonsense books about magic's history. Why not read the adventures of you grandfather Michael Hedley again? You know full well that that is a good read." "I already have Nanna. Four times to be exact." Joshua's grandmother gasped at that information and glared at her grandson, "You told me that you'd read it 8 times." Joshua realised his mistake and started to run.
He couldn't get very far as his grandmother caught up almost instantly. Joshua tried to move from the spot his grandmother had trapped him but every time he moved, he would feel as though he was in a bucket of ice cold water. Joshua was saved by his father who was walking past the passage leading to the library. "Mom! What are you doing to Joshua!" Thelma Hedley, the ghost of the Hedley estate, stopped swirling around Joshua to answer her son. "Your son needs to understand that the Hedley bloodline is one of the most prominent and longest in the history of the world. I find it is more important that the Hedley children learn the Hedley history." "He has Mom. I can assure you that Joshua knows our history." Thelma narrowed her eyes and lips, "Let's see then." Thelma floated in front of Joshua and began bombarding him with questions. "What did your great – great – great – great grandfather Tiberius Archibald Hedley famous for?" "He was one of the Auror's to first investigate the tower of Azkaban and the only one to return with his mind the most intact." "His wife?" "Ophelia Janet Hedley, she built the small Quidditch pitch just beyond the gardens which she planted in a maze design." "Their houses at Hogwarts?" "Grandfather Tiberius was a Ravenclaw while grandmother Ophelia was a Hufflepuff, she was also the Hufflepuff seeker for five years and the Quidditch captain for three." Thelma moved backwards with a smile on her face. "I suppose he can learn that other nonsense then. I'll be in my room." With that Thelma floated through the ceiling and was out of sight.
Joshua sat back down at his table with his book still open on Grindelwald, he had wrapped himself with a thick blanket. He loved his grandmother, but sometimes she became a little too overbearing with her passion for the Hedley history. It was a tradition that all the children of the Hedley line were to learn about their family history, but now ever since his grandmother became a ghost Joshua had too be more aware and focused on his family's triumphs and failures if he did not want to feel like he was trapped in Antarctica. Joshua closed the textbook feeling tired of history for the day and opened his book on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Joshua slowly opened his eyes, he was still in the library, but the light of the day had been replaced by the moonlight that now shone through the windows. Athena was still sitting on her pile of books but kept turning her head in all directions, looking for prey. Joshua rubbed his eyes and sat up, he moved to the window to open it for the fresh air. Outside! Joshua whipped around to look for whoever had shouted, but no one was there except Athena who was now gazing intently at the window which Joshua almost opened. Joshua turned to open the window when again he heard the voice. The food will be outside, hunting for little mice and birds… ooh I can't wait. Joshua slowly turned around to look into Athena's blue eyes and hesitantly said "Hello?" Athena looked right at Joshua Hello? Why say 'hello'? I've been here this whole time.
Joshua let out a cry of shock, backing into the window almost breaking it. "You… You can talk?" Of course, I can talk… wait you can hear me? Joshua couldn't believe his ears. His owl, whom he bought only a few days ago, could talk. Joshua shook his head, "No it's impossible for birds to talk, I must be going mad, that's the only explanation." Joshua paced back and forth while Athena watched him do so. He was mulling over if he was truly going mad, he would steal a glance at Athena, who would stare back, and stumble into a mental debate all over again. "Okay!" Joshua said clapping his hands together, "we are going to figure this out."
Joshua and Athena sat face to face staring at each other. Neither moving or talking, each considering the best way to start the conversation. Athena broke the silence. Are we going to keep staring at each other or can I go do some hunting because I'm hungry? "You can eat once we figure this out." "Figure what out?" Joshua fell over his chair again as his grandmother appeared suddenly once again. "Nanna! Don't scare me like that!" "I'm a ghost! Can you blame me?" Joshua looked at his grandmother sourly. Her once curious blue eyes stared at him with a silver hue, her round face aged by slight wrinkles, her smile, once wide and happy, a straight line. Her ghostly robes swirled around her, making the realisation that she was a ghost even more prominent. "Sorry Nanna", Joshua sighed but perked up instantly, "Nanna?" "Yes, my child?" "Is there a possibility of a wizard being capable to talk to birds?"
"Yes, when I was a young witch my first fascination was Magical Creatures. I studied all the methods in which we could communicate with. Of course, I discovered some methods which barely allowed communication then I discovered that some species have their own forms of magical languages. Parselmouths, for example have the capability to speak Parseltongue which is the language of serpents." Joshua contemplated for a moment and asked warily, "Has there ever been a record of a wizard communicating with a bird?" "If I recall," Thelma said slowly, "One of your ancestors had a journal on such a manner." Thelma zipped through the many bookshelves of the large ancestral library. If Joshua did the search himself it would have taken him days. Thelma returned and motioned for him to follow her.
Thelma took Joshua to an old part of the library, a part he had yet to explore, when she stopped at what appeared to be the first set of bookshelves and pointed to a book bound in old leather which had a blue hue. "This book was the journal of the first Hedley and his time at Hogwarts. He was also the first Ravenclaw in our family." Joshua picked up the book slowly, not wishing to damage it. He turned the pages and noticed something odd about said pages. Some felt damp, others holding a fine layer of dust and others rather warm to the touch. Joshua turned until he found what he was looking for. The excerpt read: 5 March 995 AD. I have noticed an odd voice in my head, I think nought of it for it may be Peeves the poltergeist taunting my patience. 9 March 995 AD. Peeves continues to try and pester my patience. Perhaps I should ask Mistress Ravenclaw on how one can cleanse a poltergeist, or I can ask Helena. The next several excepts were about Joshua's ancestor's infatuation with Helena Ravenclaw, Joshua kept turning until once again he found what he wanted. 11 November 996 AD. I have concluded that the voice in my mind was none other than my trusty companion Zephyrus, the barn owl I've come to call friend. I approached Mistress Ravenclaw with my finding, astounded and intrigued by my claim I displayed my gift to her and the other founders of Hogwarts. They claim that when I converse with Zephyrus that I exhume a chirping and whistling noise from my mouth. Master Slytherin seemed to be the only founder not impressed by my discovery. They requested me to name this new language and I have dubbed it as Avariamouth and Avariatongue.
Joshua had the widest smile on his face, "Nanna I think I'm an Avariamouth." "Do not joke around with that matter my child. Avariamouth's are extremely rare. So rare that it skips generations in families." "Nanna, I promise you that I am not joking. Here look, Athena! Athena come here quickly." I'm an owl not a dog. Athena fluttered down and landed on Joshua's shoulder. "Okay Nanna, here we go." Joshua began to regularly converse with Athena, talking about anything. Five minutes passed before they stopped, and Joshua looked at his grandmother. "So?" Thelma was quiet for a few moments, a single streak fell from her eye and she started flying around the library, what sounded like a screeching hag was Thelma's cries of joy and happiness.
The disturbance aroused all the members of the household. Craig burst through the library door's, Louise close behind, holding wands at the ready. Melissa came in as well with her wand, next to her Zerum popped into existence holding a large soup ladle. "Mom why are you screaming like that? We were about to eradicate you." "I'm so happy, so happy I almost feel alive again!" Craig arched an eyebrow, he never understood what his mother said when she was happy. "Care to explain." Louise asked grumpily, her hair sticking out on the left side of her head. "It's finally returned, the gift of the birds has returned to our family." "What do you mean Nanna?" Melissa yawned. "Joshua is an Avariamouth, the gift we'd thought was long lost has returned!" Joshua's family all looked at him, his father with glee, his mother with pride, his sister with a grin and Zerum with a very low bow.
Joshua looked at Athena and smiled. Athena appeared to smile too but said Can I hunt now?