1. Thanks a lot to FemaleDemon(ffnet) for helping me give a look at this before publishing.
2. Any error here is mine and not from my reviewer. If you spot anything or have a doubt about the grammar used or plot just PM me, I'm always swift to answer.
3. I'm going to start sharing updates at the twitter account TimeTravelFFics
5. This chap is a bit lengthier this time, some ground to cover. Hope it's not too long.
6. Enjoy.
Hedwig came back to herself eventually; slowly at first, and then all at once. Her memories and consciousness were a nasty blur, and if there was something she was certain of, it was that she felt like crap.
Her head hurt. There was this buzzing echo in it, the aching coming from all directions. It was as if someone had been using her head as one of those Quidditch balls, the ones they kept beating from side to side. Her throat felt painfully dry and raspy. She tried to shift a little, only to discover the searing pain on her left wing. It was dreadful. It felt as if her very feathers had been plucked away one by one and the skin underneath was burning.
She let out a wailing hoot, but even that sounded completely off.
After remaining still for a while, the pain subsided. Hedwig took a series of long and slow breaths before she ventured to open her eyes. The light came in violently, pesky and blurry. However, she did notice that the colours were somehow sharper and richer than she remembered them being.
The room around her was plain and empty, considerably smaller to other rooms she had been in. There was next to no decoration and the furniture looked like the bare minimum.
Why, no human would be able to sit in that chair. Not with their gigantic arses.
Somewhere outside, a woman was singing. Hedwig saw a window on the farthest end of the room, where the shape of some small buildings could be distinguished. The window's glass had no signs of having been broken, which shook the memories out of her.
The glass. The purple package. Her wing. The explosion. The crash.
All kinds of emotions came to her in a whirlwind, as she had never felt them before. She thought of her friends back at the Post and got worried about her current situation as well. Was she in that Atlanta house? Had she made it in time? Was the product going to get a 1-star review because it exploded before reaching its destination?
Hedwig wasn't sure.
It was then that the big shock came. She tried to inspect the damage to her left wing, but when she moved it to the front she noticed fingers instead.
What the fuck?!
Hedwig jumped on her place, throwing a weird and loud shriek into the air. Instead of a wing, she had a hand, a human hand... with fingers. That unfamiliar hand even seemed to move at her command. By reflex, it touched her face and things went even weirder. She felt a human face, made of naked skin and hair instead of feathers.
"Haaaaa!" she croaked loudly.
For a moment, she thought she was dreaming. She was no stranger to nightmares. However, those usually involved Lucius Malfoy's exploding head, or Voldemort hitting Harry with a sack of birdseed while repeating over and over again that the boy was dead.
If this was a dream though, why did her pain feel so real?
Hedwig tried to fly in desperation, but all she managed to do was flap her human arms awkwardly. The worthless effort only helped to bring the pain back. She turned to her side in panic, wrestling away the bedsheets that were covering her now human legs. She was in bed and even had some clothes on. She needed to escape, to find safe shelter. After that, she would decide what was going on and what to do about it.
Her human feet found the floor. She stared at them in disbelief. If she couldn't fly then maybe she could run away instead, as humans did.
She couldn't.
The moment Hedwig tried to stand up, she lost balance and fell to the floor face first. The throbbing pain became more intense than ever.
"Oh my goodness!" someone said, as the door opened and the voice of the singing lady outside became louder.
Before she knew it, Hedwig was helped back into bed. She was thankful and scared at the same time. There was a woman in the room now, looking halfway between curiosity and concern. She walked a few steps away once Hedwig was in bed, sitting on the nearby chair. Her wavy hair was short and brown. She had a small round nose and a skin that was of a light tone of brown. The woman's dark eyes seemed to be studying her.
Hedwig was distracted for a moment, because her attention turned to the open door, to the music outside. Noticing that, the woman pulled something out of her pocket. A wand. This woman was a witch.
Something that sounded an awful lot like a gasp came out of Hedwig, as she scurried to the wall behind her. She remembered those men who had attacked her. Did this woman know arse-flipping curses? What was she going to do to her?
"Easy, easy, don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you. Look," said the woman when she saw Hedwig's reaction. She pointed her wand to the door, then the song outside ended and the door closed. After that, the woman smiled and put her wand back away. "Whitney Houston. It's difficult to find new songs these days."
Hedwig relaxed a little. She settled back in her place, throwing cautious looks at this woman.
"My name is Marina, Marina Rivera," the woman said. "I imagine you must have some questions.".
Now that was a big effing understatement. If she had arrived at the office and found Proudwing casually chilling on her perch, she would have some questions. This was on a whole new level. She had bloody legs for Merlin's sake! Even so, Hedwig was too afraid to answer. She didn't even know if she could. Would she be able to talk like a human now?
"You're an owl," Marina said suddenly. It wasn't a question.
Hedwig was able to produce what she considered to be a decent nod.
"Can you understand me? The words I'm saying?" Marina asked.
Hedwig nodded again.
"Great! I'd been thinking, hoping really, that owls might have some understanding of human language. This makes things way easier. Can you talk?"
What followed was a series of embarrassing attempts at speaking, which only produced croaky-like sounds. Hedwig knew the words, but this new voice was something foreign to her, and she couldn't make it work as it was supposed to.
Hedwig didn't like it, any of it. She didn't like the voice or those stupid weak legs that were too difficult to use. She wasn't a fan of the pain either. Her face still hurt from hitting the ground. Hedwig wanted to be an owl again. She liked being an owl.
"Oh, forget about talking. We can sort this out. For now, listen to me," Marina said when it was clear they weren't going anywhere with the talking. "You were delivering a package to me. Remember that part?"
Hedwig nodded again. Marina's name had been on the purple package. That and the destination's city. As usual, the full address wasn't featured in the labels, but that didn't matter. As an owl, Hedwig had known exactly where to deliver the package.
After putting a strand of hair behind her ear, Marina continued, "That package contained a potion to help the transition into an Animagus. To make it quick and easy. You see, an Animagus is a wizard or witch who can turn into an animal. We were really counting on it, to boost our stealth missions. It's unfortunate that you were attacked before arriving here," she lamented, then she hurried to correct herself, "Not only because of the potion, of course. I'm really sorry you got dragged into this."
Well, that had been Hedwig's fault in a big part. She knew every Secure Post in the country was actively involved in the war. If she had decided to live in the forest without seeing any human ever again, then she wouldn't have been dragged into anything. None of this would've happened. Hedwig would still be a happy owl looking for her next prey.
But… Would she though? Hedwig was pretty aware of why she hadn't chosen that life. Black Breakfast still burdened her in some way. She didn't want to see heads exploding or arses being flipped as a way of life, but she didn't want to forget either. It was the only thing she could do for Harry now. Remember. Keep a tab on things.
Which was bollocks, by the way. Harry wouldn't have expected her to be involved in the war efforts after his death. But guilt was a silly little bugger.
After Marina's eager glance was met by silence, the woman continued, "Anyhow, I saw you crash into my window and immediately knew the potion had affected you," she explained. "It didn't take a genius to notice, really. You started changing before my very eyes. It was wild! We didn't know what kind of effect the potion would have outside of humans. Guess we do now."
Marina gave her a warm smile, fidgeting in her place. She promptly spotted a mirror on the nightstand and eagerly handed it to Hedwig. "Here, take a look."
Hedwig almost dropped the damned thing. It wasn't only the fact that she wasn't used to human hands, but she was too twitchy and nervous as well. Mariana noticed, and after she helped her get a better grip at the small mirror, Hedwig saw her human face for the first time. She was stunned.
Hedwig had already known that she was a human, but seeing it was an entirely different experience. There was no owl looking at her from the other side of the mirror, only a young scared woman. Hedwig was no expert in human looks, but she reckoned she was younger than Marina, though older than Harry the last time she had seen him. Her skin was creamy white, with a handful of dark dots on her neck and shoulders that seemed to continue even under her bandages. Her hair was straight and long, breaking at sharp angles here and there. It was white in colour. Not grey or silver, but truly white, with only a hint of yellow near the tips. Her eyebrows were a tad more yellow, yet still of a lighter tone, like whiteish straw. In contrast, the yellow in her big upturned eyes was deep and almost amber. She had no beak anymore, but her nose was small and hooked as one.
"I imagine it must be quite a shock," said Marina.
That was a way to put it. Hedwig passed a finger carefully over her nose, as she slowly passed a hand over her hair. It was a very foreign face, yet, at the same time, totally her.
Marina gave her a moment to get a grasp on the whole thing, staring at her in plain anticipation. It wasn't like Hedwig could tell her much but she eventually returned the mirror to her. The woman smiled, proceeding to check on her health. After changing her bandages, Marina told her she was almost back to full health. At some point, Hedwig huffed, and was given a pain relief potion. In seconds, almost all of her discomfort went away.
Bless this magic folk! Especially for the brief moments they stop trying to kill each other and come up with these clever potions.
"I was thinking," Mariana started a while after, "It may not be permanent. The change. Maybe if this thing can turn a person into an Animagus, it can go the other way around for you. Perhaps you can turn into a human and back into an owl at will."
Hedwig swiftly moved her questioning gaze at her. Was permanent really an option? She didn't want it to be. She didn't have anything against the human body, but couldn't wait to be herself again. Indisputably, humans had certain advantages to them, like how big they were or the amount of bacon they could eat. Nevertheless, Hedwig still preferred her old body. The freedom flying produced wasn't something the human body could truly match.
"Want to give it a try? Turning back into an owl?"
Hell yes.
Hedwig felt well enough to give a go at it. But, was there a button or something? How was she supposed to turn back into an owl at will?
Marina must have noticed her hesitation, "You can try closing your eyes. Picturing yourself as an owl, maybe? I wouldn't really know. I'm not an Animagus."
Hedwig tried. She really did. She closed her eyes and told herself 'I'm an owl' over and over and over again. It was of no use. No matter how hard she pictured her wings, it just didn't work.
Why couldn't it work? Would it ever work?
"Don't worry. It may take some time to get the grasp of it," Marina encouraged her, "You can always try it again later, but it might be better if you rest for now. You had a crazy night back in Atlanta."
In a very owl-like fashion, Hedwig moved her head sideways, visibly confused.
"You wouldn't expect us to stay there after the attack, would you? I apparated us here before they reached the house. We're in New York, Brooklyn actually."
Hedwig turned to the window once more, expecting to get a glimpse at those famously tall skyscrapers. She did notice several apartments with multiple stories, but they weren't that tall. The buildings even looked smaller now that she was a human. Was this really New York? She wouldn't know. She had never actually been to New York before.
It wasn't like that really mattered though. Hedwig had bigger and more pressing issues, like figuring how the hell was she going to get her feathers back. At least, she wasn't in imminent danger. Marina had not only treated her wounds, but she had taken her to a safe place as well. Was there a reason for that? Or was it just selfless kindness? Hedwig had even been dressed in comfortable baggy clothes. Which the former owl appreciated, despite never really seeing the value in clothes.
"Are you hungry? I can get you some food."
Hedwig hurried to nod enthusiastically. Marina was amused at her eagerness, and left to get her something to eat. With some luck, bacon would be included in the menu.
o0o0o
Bacon was not on the menu. What Marina brought to her consisted mostly of fruits and a hot vegetable broth. There were some cookies and a bouncy colourful thing that Marina called lemon gelatin. At first, it seemed like too much food, but Hedwig didn't have trouble finishing all of it. She was surprised to discover the amount of food this new body demanded. If she had eaten half of it as an owl, she would have exploded for sure.
"I only got packaged and frozen food, but it should keep us from starving. Do you eat meat? I guess you do, right? I've heard owls eat mice. It's just that I've never owned an owl before," Marina said enthusiastically, then her eyes grew wide and stumbled to correct herself, "Not that I think I could own you or anything. I mean, you're a person now… Gosh, this is weird."
Hedwig was confused, she hadn't thought this could change her situation in any way. Not until now. Having a master had never felt odd to her. That was her purpose, after all. It was what owls were supposed to do. Could she still deliver letters as a human? How would that even work? She couldn't just walk from house to house, no Post Service that was worth its two cents could rely on such an inefficient shipping method.
A keen nod was Hedwig's answer.
"Yes? Yes, what?" Marina looked stunned for a moment, "Yes, you eat meat?"
Hedwig nodded again, as quickly as she could. There was a large smile on her face now that the hopes for future bacon had increased tenfold.
A chuckle came from Marina, as she stared at Hedwig in amusement.
The following days were much better than what Hedwig had expected. There was bacon, but it was previously frozen and didn't come as often as she would've liked. Marina didn't give chicken to her, which was a relief. Even Hedwig's left shoulder, which had been badly injured, was fully recovered and bandage-free before she knew it.
Marina turned out to be a good person. She kept feeding Hedwig and teaching her how to be a proper human. It took some effort, but Hedwig was soon walking easily by herself, and even mastered the use of a fork. Using the loo took a bit more practice, and even when she got a hold of that as well, she still wasn't very happy with the idea. There were a lot of over-complicated rituals involved with common human tasks. Things such as dressing and disposing of her body wastes became adventures of their own. It was worse a week later when she had to deal with other phases of the human female body.
Thankfully, Marina was there every step of the way. She was patient and always showed Hedwig an understanding smile. Something that was very much needed in Hedwig's speech lessons. The former owl wasn't as loud and erratic anymore, but she still had some way to go before producing anything that resembled an intelligent conversation.
All in all, Hedwig sorted it out. She couldn't say that she could pass as a human woman to anyone who would visit, but she could at least function as one. Which was a small reward while she found a way to get her old body back.
Come to think of it; no human visitors ever came to that old apartment. It was only Marina and Hedwig the whole time. The woman appeared glad to have some company, but some days she left to do some secret errands outside. Hedwig imagined those were related to the war efforts.
From the window, Hedwig could tell the streets were a dangerous place. People avoided going out if they could, and at times there were yells and struggles. Some nights, the light of rogue spells reached the fast-food restaurant nearby. It was called Wendy's but for some reason, the sign had a girl that resembled Ron's sister.
"It's their city now," Marina had told Hedwig when she saw her looking out. "Their world."
Hedwig got news about her old home as well, The Secure Post. Marina said the attackers had been few, but being discovered was enough for people to leave the settlement. The inhabitants fled, no one would know where they were until they established a new Post and contacted the rest of the resistance. The old place had gone to the flames though. Hedwig wondered if her Amazon colleagues had made it to the new shelter with their arses untouched, or if they had fallen in that attack.
In a way, Marina reminded Hedwig of Prisha's joyful smile, but with Chad's outgoing humour. She had none of Kevin's goofiness and bad-timed puns, thankfully. Even so, if she was honest with herself, Hedwig had to admit that she had been somewhat fond of Kevin as well.
Her life as an Amazon deliverer seemed to have ended. As suddenly as her life at Hogwarts had ended. It was bewildering how delivering a single package could change the world so much.
A few weeks after her arrival, Hedwig had still to learn how to speak properly. It was in large part a motivation problem. The guilt had taken much of her, feeling it even harsher now than when she was a simple owl. Marina tried to be supportive at times, but she had personal things to deal with herself.
One day, when the woman was out, Hedwig looked around the apartment. She was dreadfully bored and, after a couple of hours, she found an old photo album. Hedwig didn't see anything bad with going through it.
Moving pictures of what seemed to be Marina's family greeted Hedwig in those pages. A man throwing sparkles with his wand while a boy cheered from Marina's arms. They were in the park in one, and by the river shore in another. Always happy. Hedwig didn't know them but something compelled her to keep flipping the pages. She understood the need for company. She also kept remembering the fact that she was barren, so she would never get the chance to have offspring of her own. Not like her children would have been as featherless as the happy boy in the pictures, but still.
"Brad was a muggle-born," Marina said suddenly. Hedwig hadn't heard her arrive. "That was his only crime. Apparently my baby's crime as well."
Hedwig didn't know what to say. Marina was obviously sad, but emotions as a whole were different from how she experienced them like an owl. Would peeking her softly with her nose be acceptable human behaviour? Or rubbing her head against the woman's neck?
"They're gone. The resistance is all I have now," Marina said, pursing her lips. "Well, the resistance and you. We're friends, aren't we?"
Hedwig nodded, though she didn't exactly know how to be a friend to her. Apparently humans expected something different from their human friends than they expected from their owls.
Thankfully, Marina understood Hedwig's uneasiness. The woman let out a small laugh, but her eyes still had tears on them. Brushing them away, Marina walked to Hedwig. She put the folder with papers she was carrying on the table and pulled a chair, "Come, let's sit down. I'll tell you about them. If you want to hear."
It was an odd conversation, and Hedwig felt lost in the emotions for most of it. Though, if there was something she could understand, it was how talking was helping Marina. She seemed suddenly sad at times, but at others, the memories brought a new life to her.
"I won't stop fighting. Not until the end," the woman said as she closed the album.
Hedwig frowned, "Why?" she asked. As usual, she spoke slowly and kept the words to a bare minimum.
That drive that Marina had made Hedwig curious. Her friend wouldn't be able to bring her family back no matter how much she fought. Just as Hedwig couldn't bring Harry back. That was one of the reasons she had fled Britain as an owl. If all of their efforts were pointless, why were they still here?
"Oh, it's not revenge or anything. I'll probably never know exactly who did this," Marina said, putting a hand on top of the album. "But I believe that maybe if I help, this won't happen to other people."
Hedwig nodded. It seemed too ruddy selfless, but she decided to accept that. After the woman reminded her of Chad, it was a surprise to find something of Harry in her too.
Marina sighed, standing up as she cleaned the last of her tears. "Too much serious talk for a day. I don't want to bore you with this stuff,"
Hedwig shook her head. She wasn't entirely sure what she felt, but she wasn't bored.
"Anyways, let's get on with dinner."
As the woman turned around, the folder on the table fell to the floor by accident. Marina knelt to pick the papers up, complaining of how clumsy she was that day. When Hedwig's eyes followed the papers though, something caught her attention. A picture that she was quick to pick up.
It was a picture of a young woman. Her hair was shorter, but Hedwig recognized her at once.
Hermione.
Hedwig's eyes widened as she stared at the picture. Marina noticed her surprise.
"Oh, that's nothing. It's just… Wait, you know her?"
"Her— mi—ione."
The woman was gobsmacked, "Hermione Granger, yes. She's on England's resistance."
So she was alive. After all these years Hedwig had thought the girl was dead. But what was she doing now? What had she done to the beautifully tangled nest she had for hair?
"You know her? Like, in person?"
Hedwig nodded.
Obviously there weren't many ways an owl could meet a person that well to react as Hedwig did. Marina understood that. "You… were Hermione Granger's owl?"
"No," Hedwig said. "Harry's."
"Harry? Harry Potter?" Marina asked in disbelief.
"Yes."
Marina's eyes grew wide as she put the papers back on the table. She took a seat again, moving a hand to her forehead. "That's— But— I mean— You? Harry Potter's owl? How… What the hell is Harry Potter's owl doing over here?"
"Es—caped," Hedwig croaked.
With her slow and stumbling way of talking, it took Hedwig an awful lot of time to tell her story to Marina. The woman believed her of course, yet she was still stunned by it. Mariana turned serious and barely said a word throughout dinner. After a couple of drinks, the woman sighed and voiced her thoughts.
"Do you want to meet her?" she asked.
Hedwig was confused at first since they had stopped talking about Hedwig's life at Hogwarts an hour ago.
"Hermione Granger. Do you want to meet her?"
Did she?
Of course, she did. Hermione was one of the few people out there who could still remember her, aside from Ron and Hagrid — if they were still alive. But even so, what would Hedwig say to Hermione? "Surprise! I can use the loo now!"?
Hedwig nodded either way.
"I can make it happen," Marina told her. "You see, I have told a few trusted people about you, and they're curious. The potion that turned you into a human was supposed to help us, but it exploded in Atlanta and the guy who invented it is missing — probably dead now. So, we were thinking that maybe someone could figure out the recipe from you."
Hedwig's eyebrows went up, she croaked and even flapped her arms briefly. It felt weird doing that as a human.
"Oh, no need to worry. Nothing painful or dangerous. Just some basic tests," Marina assured her. "The thing is, considering your story, the plan might change. I could take you to some experts in England, talk to Granger while there. Would you be up for that?"
Two worlds collided in Hedwig then. One that craved for Hogwarts, for the times when it seemed to her that nothing could go wrong. There was already talk of Voldemort then but that had been almost foreign to Hedwig, and not like something that could actually happen. It was a time of innocence and joy. The other world was one of fear, one of being cautious and running away from a past that had taken so much from her.
It took Hedwig awhile to make up her mind and nod.
"That's great! I'll sort it out. We can leave in a couple of days," Marina announced.
And, just like that, Hedwig's world turned around completely.
o0o0o
In two days time, and with everything packed, Hedwig left the only home she had known as a human.
"This might feel a bit nasty, but it's the safest way," Marina said as she took Hedwig's hand, "It's better if you close your eyes."
The moment she did so, Hedwig saw the whole world spin around her. Her stomach twisted, and turned, then it twisted again. Hedwig was starting to wonder if the feeling would ever end when she collapsed on a dark alley, throwing out most of her breakfast in front of someone's back door.
"Sorry. Side-along apparition is never easy at first," Marina said apologetically, cleaning the mess Hedwig had made with a flick of her wand. Then, she produced a glass with fresh water out of thin air.
Hedwig turned to her with a murderous glare, still, she took the water. How could humans really think this was an acceptable way of travelling? Did they truly believe that it was better than flying? Were they nuts?
If only I had my old wings.
"Come on, we have to move. It's just across the street, but we need to be careful either way."
They got safely to the other side, no attacker hopped on them as they walked the mostly deserted road. Hedwig could've sworn she saw the smallest of movements at the upper floors of some buildings, but the ground levels gave the impression of being abandoned.
Marina led them downstairs, through a boarded-up passage in the middle of the pavement. There they found a dark and reeking place with ugly letters on the walls and old newspapers on the floor. A cave of concrete in the middle of the city.
"This used to be the subway," Marina said once inside, "They would have a hard time looking in here. They barely touch anything that feels too No-Maj for them."
Hedwig knew they were headed to a resistance hideout, but she couldn't really see the charm of it. The air was dry and unmoving, nothing like the forests in the Northwest. There were rails over a long and echoing tunnel, where an underground train used to pass a few years ago. The place was dreadfully neglected now, or maybe it had always looked like this.
"Lumos," Marina said and the point of her wand lit up. The cavernous tunnel where Marina guided them to was illuminated shyly, but was still silent and gave Hedwig goosebumps. A sensation she hadn't been familiar with as an owl. "This way. Watch your step." Marina encouraged her, as she jumped onto the train tracks.
Well, now that looked like a place where could get murdered.
It was weird to jump there willingly, however, Hedwig trusted Marina, so she did so. The tunnel seemed to go on forever. Even with the light coming out from Marina's wand, the tracks got lost in the dark not ten feet away from them. There were some rats creeping along the edges, but Hedwig was an owl so she wasn't afraid of them. She used to eat mice for breakfast.
Wonder if I can still do that as a human. Marina might even approve, as that would help them save precious frozen provisions.
Hedwig wasn't sure how long they walked, but the farther they went, the colder the tunnel seemed to get. After Hedwig shivered, Marina did something with her wand that made the cold go away. The witch smiled warmly, continuing to guide them through the tunnel.
In a way it felt unnatural to Hedwig. She was an owl, for fuck's sake. A creature of the sky. Why was she underground again?
Hermione better have good treats waiting for her back home. Bigger treats.
A few steps further inside, Marina stopped. At their left there was a wall with more of those big, ugly letters. After making sure they were alone, Marina tapped her wand to some bricks and a door came out of it. The woman gave Hedwig a reassuring smile.
"Remember, your name is Shannon," the woman repeated, as she nodded forward.
Marina knew her real name now, still, she had thought a more common name was a better way to avoid too many questions. The people of the rebellion were on their side, but only few were on the loop with that strange potion and Hedwig's condition. A shame, as telling people that she was an owl sounded like the perfect conversation starter.
Hedwig let out her first human sigh ever. Then, followed Marina into the darkness.
Whatever Hedwig was expecting of the mysterious door, it was certainly not what she found. A blinding light attacked her senses, as sudden as the boisterous crowd that welcomed her into a hectic market of sorts. It was a carnival of colours, hidden under the grays of the decaying subway station. There were food stands, racks of clothes and magical artefacts as well. Cauldrons and telescopes, dancing brooms and talking clocks. There were shouts promising the best deals in town, and others arguing how that was a lie. The lines of shops extended as far as Hedwig's eyes could see, and people were singing or playing musical instruments at the sides. A man was buying flowers nervously at her left, and a bunch of kids ran by Hedwig's side, almost making her stumble on her new set of legs.
Next to her, Marina seemed amused at her befuddlement. "Shannon, I welcome you to the Secure Post 6."
Hedwig blinked, still awestruck by the whole of it. A couple of owls swooped over her head, making her jump on her place, feeling as if she was in the wrong body again. Hedwig followed them with her human eyes until she realized there was something odd above them. It didn't even feel like a tunnel anymore, because the sun was shining bright all over their heads.
"It's enchanted," Marina told her, noticing what she was looking at, "It would be a downer to see the bricked ceiling all the time."
Hedwig nodded before Marina then dragged her through the place. The whole experience was a confusing mess, and yet a splendid mess nonetheless. Marina hurried to show her all of her favourite places, got her the best food around, and even bought a scarf and a colour-changing jacket for her that would be handy in England's weather. All in all, there was plenty Hedwig wouldn't have found useful as an owl, but that for some reason was pleasant to experience as a human.
At one point they approached a plant shop, where a woman was arguing with her customer. The woman got so exasperated that she took her wand out and threw a spell at the prattling man.
"Herbifors," she shouted, and the next moment flowers sprung out of the man's head.
"Wendy! Take these off! I don't know the counterspell!"
"You can just trim them while you pay me back for those spices you took," the woman said, as the customer walked away begrudgingly. People around him laughed at his flower hair.
"Weren't you too harsh there, Wendy?" asked Marina.
"None of it. Larry has always been kind of a pothead either way."
The woman then turned to Hedwig, which didn't go unnoticed by Marina.
"This is my cousin, Shannon," Marina introduced her, then she turned to Hedwig. "Shannon, this is Wendy Bloomsmith. An old friend."
Wendy. Like the fast-food restaurant.
"Your cousin, you say?" Wendy asked, raising an eyebrow. She was looking between Shannon's creamy white skin and Marina's darker one.
"From Brad's side of the family. I'm looking after her."
"Oh, that's very nice of you," Wendy gave Hedwig a kind smile. "How are you finding the good old Post, dear?"
Hedwig was caught off guard. She wasn't used to people talking to her, especially strange people. "Loud."
Marina put a hand on Hedwig's shoulder. "She doesn't talk much. She had an accident recently. I'm looking after her."
She didn't reveal the true nature of Hedwig, but she didn't lie either.
"An accident? You mean…?" Wendy started. "Those bastards! I'm telling you, one of these days I'm going to get back at them."
"I know you will, Wendy," Marina answered.
Hedwig wondered what a person like Wendy could do to the attackers who destroyed Amazon. The flowers on the head didn't seem as fearsome as the arse-flipping curse. Could she make flowers grow out of your arse? Hedwig didn't want to find out.
They soon said their goodbyes and went on with their day. Wendy wasn't the only person to greet them, as Marina appeared to be well-known. There was even one boy who knew Bobby, Kevin's brother.
The day turned out to be better than Hedwig had anticipated. It was fun in a way Hedwig really hadn't experienced as an owl. Wherever they went, Marina always introduced Hedwig as Shannon, and always insisted on her being delighted with her company. Which sounded quite honest to Hedwig.
"It has been great, but I think it's almost time for our trip," Marina said eventually and guided her through a different zone of this bigger Post.
Houses were more common than shops on the street where they headed next. Plenty of people still walked around though, and — as back at the shops — a few of them waved at Marina from a distance.
"I really enjoyed your company today. It was like having a little sister," Marina said, pulling Hedwig closer from the shoulder. She was a hugger. "I hadn't had this much fun since… well, you know."
Marina's smile dropped momentarily as they walked towards a small brown house on the left.
"I liked it," was all that Hedwig said, a genuine answer. It was enough to brighten Marina's mood again.
Once inside the house, Marina talked to some people from the resistance. Marina exchanged plans with them and talked freely about Hedwig being an owl. They eyed her curiously, and even tried to start a conversation, though they dropped most efforts for it once they realised Hedwig's speaking obstacles. More than anything, they were intrigued by the fact that Hedwig had been Harry Potter's owl.
When the time was right though, a man took Marina and Hedwig to a small room. The only thing there was a small table with what seemed to be a toy of a lighthouse sitting on top of it.
"You leave in ten minutes," the man said, "Get as many updates from Granger as you can. Good luck."
Marina turned to Hedwig with a smile, "This is an international Portkey. It's not easy to hijack them, but we have talented people here. Don't worry, it's not pleasant, but nowhere near as bad as apparition."
A Portkey? Was that what took Harry away back then? That's what Hermione had said. Hedwig couldn't forget. She stared at the little lighthouse apprehensively, her breathing quickened.
Marina noticed Hedwig's reaction. "You don't have to go if you don't feel like it," she reassured her.
"But the Portkey— It's not like they fall from trees," the man started to argue.
"She won't go if she isn't ready," Marina told him.
"We're not harming her! It's only a Portkey," he grumbled, "You're being too accommodating for an owl."
"Hedwig is my friend, and a person now. We won't force anything upon her," Marina stated firmly with a frown. Her expression softened as she turned to Hedwig once more, "Do you want to stay? It's okay if you do, we could try some other day."
Did she? Hedwig wasn't sure. After the wonderful day she just had, she might have considered that staying with Marina was a good option for her. She really enjoyed her company and the woman took care of Hedwig as if she was part of her family. However, Hedwig couldn't afford to not meet Hermione now. Not when she was so close.
Hedwig shook her head.
A half-smile appeared on Marina's face. "Are you sure?"
Hedwig nodded.
Once convinced Marina led her to the small toy on the table. "Well then, I guess Granger is up for a surprise." When the time was right, she lifted the little lighthouse and asked Hedwig to put her hand on it. "Now hold on to it and don't let go. You will feel a pull."
Trembling, Hedwig kept her human fingers on the toy. She was nervous, she had spent a good chunk of her life in America already. A moment later, and in a much more sudden way than last time, Hedwig made the trip across the ocean.
