Harry had only gone upstairs some 20 minutes ago, and no 10-year-old could sleep through the racket that had just gone on downstairs. He slowly crept to the landing, listening to the laughter coming from the sitting room. He crept downstairs, barely getting to the bottom step when he accidentally trod on the cat's tail, which yowled and streaked off. Undaunted, he continued to the sitting room where his parents, godfather, and "uncle" were sitting.
He approached the end of the couch, unluckily just as his father turned his head and laid eyes on him. "Harry," his father sighed. "What are you doing up?"
Harry shrugged. "Couldn't sleep," he said as he walked into the room and sat between his parents.
"Well, I suppose that was inevitable," his father said, "what with your birthday being tomorrow!" he shouted as he gripped Harry tightly and gave him a few affectionate noogies.
"Daaad…" Harry whined, trying to break free.
"What? Not every day your young wizard turns 11, now is it?" James said between his own and Lily's chuckles and Sirius' snorts.
"Oh, that reminds me," Sirius said, reaching behind his chair and pulling out a package. "I know it's a few hours early, but that's fine! Open it," he said as he passed the large, rather heavy package to Harry.
"Sirius," Lily said, looking between him, Harry, and the package, "what did you get him?"
Sirius dodged the question. "You'll see," he answered with a smirk and a wink. Harry began tearing off the brown wrapping to reveal a shining, silver cage with a snowy owl fast asleep with her head under her wing.
"Wow…" Harry breathed, not daring to move or rattle the cage. He peered inside, taking in every glorious inch of his new pet.
"Sirius!" Lily and James gasped, almost in unison. "You shouldn't have!" Remus, however, shrugged and looked at Sirius in mock surprise. "Why, Sirius, I didn't know you had such a great idea like this! I would have thought you'd have gotten him a gag gift!"
Sirius chucked a pillow at Remus, who promptly jerked his head to the right and then caught the pillow, setting it in his lap. "Oh, don't mention it," Sirius added, chuckling as Harry stood up and leaped into his lap to give him a big hug. "Harry needs an owl if he'll be heading off to school in a few weeks!"
Harry, still awestruck by the tremendous gift, looked at Sirius at a loss for words. "Thank—thank you," he stuttered, followed shortly by "What—" he gulped— "what should I name her?"
"I was reading up on that," Sirius said. "This name stuck out above all: Hedwig."
