Edbert became very close to Harry. In fact, Hedwig thought it was too
close. She was jealous and wanted some attention. She would rattle at her
cage and squawk at nauseatingly high pitches to be let out of her cage,
free to fly in the world outside. Harry never paid attention to her
anymore, he would sit at the table in the common room doing homework,
hearing faint clanging of metal and screeches coming from his room, but he
was too transfixed with Edbert to pull himself away and open her cage.
Hedwig longed for care of some sort.
One night, Hedwig rattled on the cage so loud, it woke half the boys dormitory. Ron sat up, puffy eyed and sleep deprived when the other shaken boys came into their room. Neville kept snoring.
"What's going on, Harry?" one Gryffindor student said. "Why don't you let out your bird, it's been crying for weeks."
"Come on, Harry, let Hedwig out. She must be lonely," Ron said. Harry pat Edbert on the head and finally opened Hedwig's cage. Hedwig dashed through the moonlit room and out the window beside Harry's bed, leaving a flutter of feathers and the cold wind behind her. The students funneled out of the room, some muttering, "That bird has been keeping me up for days," and others, "What's gotten into Harry?" Harry pulled his sheets over himself and Edbert, hugging the animal tightly. Harry shivered as his cold, naked chest began to heat up from Edbert's soft coat, and both fell into a deep slumber.
Harry woke with a bump the next morning, the early sun streaming through his windowpane. He looked down at his arms, appearing as if they were hugging air. Edbert had left again, which is what it did every morning. Harry assumed it was to search for some breakfast, because Edbert never seemed hungry anymore. It had to have been getting its food somewhere.
Lying on the bed allowed Harry to lose himself in deep thought about Hedwig and Edbert. He felt bad he had been neglecting Hedwig for so long, but there was something about his newfound animal that puzzled him. It was almost as if Edbert was human. It would listen to Harry tell about his love for Hermione, and the strange little thing seemed as if it was frowning. He would tell Edbert his deepest secrets, how he loathed the Dursley's and what he hated about Professor Snape, because he felt like it was listening to him. That's all he ever wanted, no one to snap back at him some comment about what he did wrong, or what he should do to fix it. He just wanted someone or something to listen to him quietly. In fact, Edbert was too quiet. It was eerily quiet. When Harry would begin to tell it something, it would sit and stare at him with its round eyes, ears perked tentatively. But something was drawing him to Edbert, and he didn't know what. A wave of nausea deep in his stomach came over him, thinking that he had betrayed his best friend, Hedwig.
A bed squeaked across from Harry's, pulling him back to reality. He turned to face Ron pulling off his pajama bottoms revealing his candy cane decorated boxers underneath. Harry watched intently as he stumbled on one foot trying to get his pants on.
"He's beautiful," Harry thought, staring at Ron's flushed face, who was still attempting to pull his pants to his waist. His red hair was messy and matted from a restless night's sleep. Losing his balance, Ron finally fell onto his bed, tired and gasping for air.
"I tell you, these hand me down robes have never fit me quite right," Ron panted. Harry realized he was caught gazing at Ron and quickly averted his eyes.
"What's wrong with me? Why am I thinking these things?" Harry thought to himself.
"Hey, don't you have a Quiddich match today?" Ron asked pulling off his pajama top to reveal his pasty white torso.
Harry sat straight up. "Oh my God! The Quiddich match! I totally forgot! And we're against Slytherin today! Wood's gonna kill me!" he threw off the covers of his bed and pulled on his clothes as fast as he could, cursing at himself for letting it slip his mind.
When he finally reached the Quiddich pitch, Oliver Wood had already finished his pep talk to the Gryffindor team players. "Harry! Someone's a little late, eh?" Wood said in a tone that said, "It better not happen again". They got out into the playing field, fellow Gryffindors filling the stadium with cheers and hoots, the Slytherins booing and hissing. Harry kicked off the ground and hovered in a line with his teammates just in front of the other team, face to face with Draco Malfoy.
Draco sneered, "I heard you came late today. Almost missed the game," he grinned, "You almost made your team forfeit. That would have been a shame!" he said laughing sarcastically. "I like it better this way, anyway. Now I can kick your ass, Potter, and the whole school can watch me."
Harry ground his teeth together, "Lay off, Malfoy I'm not in the mood."
"What's that? Couldn't get here because you had that nasty little mudblood stuck on your mind?" Draco grinned, as the other Slytherin team members sniggered. Harry felt his face go red.
"I said, lay off, Malfoy," He repeated.
Draco hissed out a snide laugh, "too bad your stupid cousin Dudley isn't here to make fun of you. I'd die to see that." Realizing what he had just said, Draco's face went completely pale, and his cheeks turned red like fire. He sat on his broomstick stiff like a statue, without moving. In fact, it looked to Harry as though he had entirely stopped breathing. The color in Draco's face seemed to return to normal when Madame Hooch entered the stadium. She stood directly beneath them and began the game by throwing the quaffle high into the air.
Harry drifted in the air on his Nimbus 2000, dazed and confused about what Draco had said earlier. How did he know that his cousin's name was Dudley? And more importantly, how did he know that he had a cousin in the first place? His thoughts were soon brought to a halt when the golden snitch appeared right in his face, darting around as if to tease him. Harry swung his arm around like he was trying to swat a fly. The snitch soared to his right, and Harry swooped after it, stretching out his free arm. To his left, he noticed Draco had spotted the snitch also, and dived down towards it. Harry was determined to get the snitch, pushing himself as far as he could.
Then suddenly, like lightning, a bludger shot straight into his side sending Harry careening into the stand beside him. Wood splintered, and Harry came to a stop when his broom got wedged in between two supporting boards almost jerking him off his broom. Pain seared through his body, his side burning and aching from the crash. Despite the sting, determination flared in Harry's eyes, and he tugged his broom out and flew into the stadium where a loud cheer awaited him. He caught sight of Draco helplessly flailing his free arm at the golden snitch, which was gleaming in the sunlight. Harry shot like a bullet straight to the snitch, taking Draco by surprise and he staggered off to the side. Harry heard a group of kids scream and out of the corner of his eye, he could see that Draco had fallen helplessly into a stand filled with students.
Harry spun around a stand and headed straight towards the snitch, stretching his arm so far out he almost stumbled over his own broomstick. And suddenly, he felt the snitch inside his hand. He grasped it tightly and swooped down towards the middle of the arena, holding it high above his head triumphantly. He had caught the snitch in the air, like it was from a dream. His side still ached in pain, but the cheer from the crowd drowned out all the throbbing.
Looking around at the other players, Harry was expecting to see Draco snarling under his breath, but instead, he saw the same, paranoid face he had seen before the game.
One night, Hedwig rattled on the cage so loud, it woke half the boys dormitory. Ron sat up, puffy eyed and sleep deprived when the other shaken boys came into their room. Neville kept snoring.
"What's going on, Harry?" one Gryffindor student said. "Why don't you let out your bird, it's been crying for weeks."
"Come on, Harry, let Hedwig out. She must be lonely," Ron said. Harry pat Edbert on the head and finally opened Hedwig's cage. Hedwig dashed through the moonlit room and out the window beside Harry's bed, leaving a flutter of feathers and the cold wind behind her. The students funneled out of the room, some muttering, "That bird has been keeping me up for days," and others, "What's gotten into Harry?" Harry pulled his sheets over himself and Edbert, hugging the animal tightly. Harry shivered as his cold, naked chest began to heat up from Edbert's soft coat, and both fell into a deep slumber.
Harry woke with a bump the next morning, the early sun streaming through his windowpane. He looked down at his arms, appearing as if they were hugging air. Edbert had left again, which is what it did every morning. Harry assumed it was to search for some breakfast, because Edbert never seemed hungry anymore. It had to have been getting its food somewhere.
Lying on the bed allowed Harry to lose himself in deep thought about Hedwig and Edbert. He felt bad he had been neglecting Hedwig for so long, but there was something about his newfound animal that puzzled him. It was almost as if Edbert was human. It would listen to Harry tell about his love for Hermione, and the strange little thing seemed as if it was frowning. He would tell Edbert his deepest secrets, how he loathed the Dursley's and what he hated about Professor Snape, because he felt like it was listening to him. That's all he ever wanted, no one to snap back at him some comment about what he did wrong, or what he should do to fix it. He just wanted someone or something to listen to him quietly. In fact, Edbert was too quiet. It was eerily quiet. When Harry would begin to tell it something, it would sit and stare at him with its round eyes, ears perked tentatively. But something was drawing him to Edbert, and he didn't know what. A wave of nausea deep in his stomach came over him, thinking that he had betrayed his best friend, Hedwig.
A bed squeaked across from Harry's, pulling him back to reality. He turned to face Ron pulling off his pajama bottoms revealing his candy cane decorated boxers underneath. Harry watched intently as he stumbled on one foot trying to get his pants on.
"He's beautiful," Harry thought, staring at Ron's flushed face, who was still attempting to pull his pants to his waist. His red hair was messy and matted from a restless night's sleep. Losing his balance, Ron finally fell onto his bed, tired and gasping for air.
"I tell you, these hand me down robes have never fit me quite right," Ron panted. Harry realized he was caught gazing at Ron and quickly averted his eyes.
"What's wrong with me? Why am I thinking these things?" Harry thought to himself.
"Hey, don't you have a Quiddich match today?" Ron asked pulling off his pajama top to reveal his pasty white torso.
Harry sat straight up. "Oh my God! The Quiddich match! I totally forgot! And we're against Slytherin today! Wood's gonna kill me!" he threw off the covers of his bed and pulled on his clothes as fast as he could, cursing at himself for letting it slip his mind.
When he finally reached the Quiddich pitch, Oliver Wood had already finished his pep talk to the Gryffindor team players. "Harry! Someone's a little late, eh?" Wood said in a tone that said, "It better not happen again". They got out into the playing field, fellow Gryffindors filling the stadium with cheers and hoots, the Slytherins booing and hissing. Harry kicked off the ground and hovered in a line with his teammates just in front of the other team, face to face with Draco Malfoy.
Draco sneered, "I heard you came late today. Almost missed the game," he grinned, "You almost made your team forfeit. That would have been a shame!" he said laughing sarcastically. "I like it better this way, anyway. Now I can kick your ass, Potter, and the whole school can watch me."
Harry ground his teeth together, "Lay off, Malfoy I'm not in the mood."
"What's that? Couldn't get here because you had that nasty little mudblood stuck on your mind?" Draco grinned, as the other Slytherin team members sniggered. Harry felt his face go red.
"I said, lay off, Malfoy," He repeated.
Draco hissed out a snide laugh, "too bad your stupid cousin Dudley isn't here to make fun of you. I'd die to see that." Realizing what he had just said, Draco's face went completely pale, and his cheeks turned red like fire. He sat on his broomstick stiff like a statue, without moving. In fact, it looked to Harry as though he had entirely stopped breathing. The color in Draco's face seemed to return to normal when Madame Hooch entered the stadium. She stood directly beneath them and began the game by throwing the quaffle high into the air.
Harry drifted in the air on his Nimbus 2000, dazed and confused about what Draco had said earlier. How did he know that his cousin's name was Dudley? And more importantly, how did he know that he had a cousin in the first place? His thoughts were soon brought to a halt when the golden snitch appeared right in his face, darting around as if to tease him. Harry swung his arm around like he was trying to swat a fly. The snitch soared to his right, and Harry swooped after it, stretching out his free arm. To his left, he noticed Draco had spotted the snitch also, and dived down towards it. Harry was determined to get the snitch, pushing himself as far as he could.
Then suddenly, like lightning, a bludger shot straight into his side sending Harry careening into the stand beside him. Wood splintered, and Harry came to a stop when his broom got wedged in between two supporting boards almost jerking him off his broom. Pain seared through his body, his side burning and aching from the crash. Despite the sting, determination flared in Harry's eyes, and he tugged his broom out and flew into the stadium where a loud cheer awaited him. He caught sight of Draco helplessly flailing his free arm at the golden snitch, which was gleaming in the sunlight. Harry shot like a bullet straight to the snitch, taking Draco by surprise and he staggered off to the side. Harry heard a group of kids scream and out of the corner of his eye, he could see that Draco had fallen helplessly into a stand filled with students.
Harry spun around a stand and headed straight towards the snitch, stretching his arm so far out he almost stumbled over his own broomstick. And suddenly, he felt the snitch inside his hand. He grasped it tightly and swooped down towards the middle of the arena, holding it high above his head triumphantly. He had caught the snitch in the air, like it was from a dream. His side still ached in pain, but the cheer from the crowd drowned out all the throbbing.
Looking around at the other players, Harry was expecting to see Draco snarling under his breath, but instead, he saw the same, paranoid face he had seen before the game.