Chapter Five: Owlnapped
Harry grabbed some more Floo Powder from Mrs. Weasley, tossed it into the fire, but didn't go in.
"Harry, dear, what's wrong?" asked Mrs. Weasley sweetly.
"Yeah, Harry," said George. "Why didn't you go through?"
"Where's Hedwig," he asked suddenly turning towards Ron. Ron gasped.
"You had her with you when we left the Dursleys," he whispered, holding up his dark red finger. "I remember she bit my finger."
"But she's not here now," said Harry anxiously. He bit his lip. Where was Hedwig? he thought. The last place he had her was –
"DIONY!" he shouted, and sprinted back to the Hogwarts/Beauxbatons store.
"Harry, wait!" shouted Ron. But before he could stop him, Harry had run into the store, past the line, got out his wand, and pointed it right at Diony's face.
"Give me back Hedwig!" he shouted, almost as loud as Diony had before.
"Hedwig?" Diony said.
"Don't act dumb!" said Harry, but in his mind, he knew that Diony didn't need to ACT dumb. He chuckled, but was still angry. "Give me my owl or I'll…I'll…"
"My dear boy, I've done no such thing with your owl. I've been here the whole time, signing books! Ask Gilderoy yourself!" He glared at his older brother, who was sweating.
"No, no owl here!" said Lockhart quickly. Dejected, Harry apologized and walked back to the Leaky Cauldron. When he got there, Ron, Hermione, the Grangers, and Mrs. Weasley were waiting for him.
"Fred, George, and Ginny went back," commented Mrs. Weasley.
"Did you get Hedwig?" asked Hermione.
"No," he said, his hands in his pocket, looking down at his feet.
"Oh, I'm sorry dear," said Mrs. Weasley, giving him a peck on the cheek.
"Yeah, Harry, sorry," remarked Ron. Harry gave an agreeing kind of grunt. Hedwig was a snowy owl, had been there since he found out he was a wizard, five years ago. She was a birthday present from Hagrid, the best present ever. And after losing her for a short time the previous year, Harry wasn't sure whether he could handle losing her again. Sadly, he threw some Floo Powder into the fire, whispered, "The Burrow," and, after whirls of colors and fireplaces, he found himself in the Burrow next to Fred and George
"Ginny's gone upstairs to pack," said Fred.
"Did you find Hedwig?" asked George eagerly.
"No," said Harry sullenly.
"Listen, Harry, you can't let something like this get in the way of your life," piped up Fred. "Some people lose loved ones all the time, but they have to get over it."
"You're right," commented Harry hoarsely. Soon, Mrs. Weasley and Ron appeared by the fireplace, and they were glad to see Harry smiling.
"Harry!" shouted a voice behind him. He turned around to see Mr. Weasley, who apparently had just gotten home from work, as the old grandfather clock said. "How are you doing, my boy?"
"Fine, sir," he replied, shaking his hand. Behind Harry came Percy, who nodded at Harry and ran upstairs to his room as though in a hurry.
"Percy's teaching this year at Beauxwarts."
"Beauxwarts?" laughed Fred from behind.
"Well, I made up a name," said Mr. Weasley, turning pink.
"What's he teaching?" asked Harry, ignoring Fred's remark.
"The Study of Ancient Languages," said Mrs. Weasley, joining her husband.
"It's a regular subject at Beauxbatons," said Ron. "And we have to take it this year, along with Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. But at least we don't have Divination or History of Magic."
"But, if you do the math, we have 3 more classes than usual!" said George, stamping his foot down. "And can you imagine getting taught a class by your older brother? Talk about embarrassing!"
"Oh dear, look at the time," shouted Mrs. Weasley, peeking over at the grandfather clock in the corner. Harry was confused at this remark because the clock did not tell the time, but it told where each family member was. "It's time for dinner!" She hurried them all into the kitchen where they sat down for a meal of roast beef and turkey, and dessert of raspberry pie with whipped cream. Once they were full up, she scurried them upstairs to get packed because "tomorrow is a big day."
"Hey, Ron," said Harry lying in bed under Ron's Chudley Cannons poster.
"Yeah?"
"Do you think I'll ever see Hedwig again?"
"I don't know," replied Ron, half-asleep.
"I mean, she's my only friend at the Dursleys. And I've had her for so long. And, I mean, with you and Scabbers, you know what its like. But you got Pigwidgeon, but I don't know if I could handle getting another one and-"
Harry was interrupted by the biggest snore he had ever heard in his life.
"Good night, Ron," he whispered, and fell asleep.
Harry grabbed some more Floo Powder from Mrs. Weasley, tossed it into the fire, but didn't go in.
"Harry, dear, what's wrong?" asked Mrs. Weasley sweetly.
"Yeah, Harry," said George. "Why didn't you go through?"
"Where's Hedwig," he asked suddenly turning towards Ron. Ron gasped.
"You had her with you when we left the Dursleys," he whispered, holding up his dark red finger. "I remember she bit my finger."
"But she's not here now," said Harry anxiously. He bit his lip. Where was Hedwig? he thought. The last place he had her was –
"DIONY!" he shouted, and sprinted back to the Hogwarts/Beauxbatons store.
"Harry, wait!" shouted Ron. But before he could stop him, Harry had run into the store, past the line, got out his wand, and pointed it right at Diony's face.
"Give me back Hedwig!" he shouted, almost as loud as Diony had before.
"Hedwig?" Diony said.
"Don't act dumb!" said Harry, but in his mind, he knew that Diony didn't need to ACT dumb. He chuckled, but was still angry. "Give me my owl or I'll…I'll…"
"My dear boy, I've done no such thing with your owl. I've been here the whole time, signing books! Ask Gilderoy yourself!" He glared at his older brother, who was sweating.
"No, no owl here!" said Lockhart quickly. Dejected, Harry apologized and walked back to the Leaky Cauldron. When he got there, Ron, Hermione, the Grangers, and Mrs. Weasley were waiting for him.
"Fred, George, and Ginny went back," commented Mrs. Weasley.
"Did you get Hedwig?" asked Hermione.
"No," he said, his hands in his pocket, looking down at his feet.
"Oh, I'm sorry dear," said Mrs. Weasley, giving him a peck on the cheek.
"Yeah, Harry, sorry," remarked Ron. Harry gave an agreeing kind of grunt. Hedwig was a snowy owl, had been there since he found out he was a wizard, five years ago. She was a birthday present from Hagrid, the best present ever. And after losing her for a short time the previous year, Harry wasn't sure whether he could handle losing her again. Sadly, he threw some Floo Powder into the fire, whispered, "The Burrow," and, after whirls of colors and fireplaces, he found himself in the Burrow next to Fred and George
"Ginny's gone upstairs to pack," said Fred.
"Did you find Hedwig?" asked George eagerly.
"No," said Harry sullenly.
"Listen, Harry, you can't let something like this get in the way of your life," piped up Fred. "Some people lose loved ones all the time, but they have to get over it."
"You're right," commented Harry hoarsely. Soon, Mrs. Weasley and Ron appeared by the fireplace, and they were glad to see Harry smiling.
"Harry!" shouted a voice behind him. He turned around to see Mr. Weasley, who apparently had just gotten home from work, as the old grandfather clock said. "How are you doing, my boy?"
"Fine, sir," he replied, shaking his hand. Behind Harry came Percy, who nodded at Harry and ran upstairs to his room as though in a hurry.
"Percy's teaching this year at Beauxwarts."
"Beauxwarts?" laughed Fred from behind.
"Well, I made up a name," said Mr. Weasley, turning pink.
"What's he teaching?" asked Harry, ignoring Fred's remark.
"The Study of Ancient Languages," said Mrs. Weasley, joining her husband.
"It's a regular subject at Beauxbatons," said Ron. "And we have to take it this year, along with Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. But at least we don't have Divination or History of Magic."
"But, if you do the math, we have 3 more classes than usual!" said George, stamping his foot down. "And can you imagine getting taught a class by your older brother? Talk about embarrassing!"
"Oh dear, look at the time," shouted Mrs. Weasley, peeking over at the grandfather clock in the corner. Harry was confused at this remark because the clock did not tell the time, but it told where each family member was. "It's time for dinner!" She hurried them all into the kitchen where they sat down for a meal of roast beef and turkey, and dessert of raspberry pie with whipped cream. Once they were full up, she scurried them upstairs to get packed because "tomorrow is a big day."
"Hey, Ron," said Harry lying in bed under Ron's Chudley Cannons poster.
"Yeah?"
"Do you think I'll ever see Hedwig again?"
"I don't know," replied Ron, half-asleep.
"I mean, she's my only friend at the Dursleys. And I've had her for so long. And, I mean, with you and Scabbers, you know what its like. But you got Pigwidgeon, but I don't know if I could handle getting another one and-"
Harry was interrupted by the biggest snore he had ever heard in his life.
"Good night, Ron," he whispered, and fell asleep.
