A/N: So I was bored and there was nothing else to do besides write. I also had some ice-crem and I was suddenly inspired. Don't ask why since the chapter had nothing to do with ice-cream. Also, sorry in advance for any mistakes I made and such. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: The characters all belong to J.K. Rowling. Its ok guys. I have my ice-cream to drown my sorrows so I should be good for another day.

It had been a week since that night. The voice had been strangely quiet. Harry had wondered often if he had just imagined it. That the voice had been some inner commentary on his part. While it had been a convincing explanation, Harry had dismissed the idea just as soon as he had thought it up. The voice hadn't been his. 'Besides,' he said to himself, 'that voice had sounded different.' But then why hasn't he heard it since then? That could only mean...

"That's it Hedwig!" he suddenly said loudly, startling the owl. Hedwig hooted at Harry, reprimanding him for scaring her. "Oh sorry about that," he apologized, "but I have finally figured it out!"

Hedwig, who had been helping herself to Harry's breakfast, looked up and have him her full attention.

"I know what happened. After much abuse from Voldermort, dementors, and homework, I believe my mind has finally cracked. But not completely to where it has taken a permanent vacation and I blubber about anything. No no. Rather, I think I now have another voice in my head."

Hedwig made a noise that came out sounding like a mix of a sigh and a whistle. She then turned back to the food as if she expected much more out of him.

"Hey!" Harry said indignantly, "It could happen! I mean..I wasn't referring to something where the voice belongs to somebody real. More like it belonged to my subconscious or other. It stands to reason that after everything I could be completely bonkers."

Harry looked back at Hedwig. She was in the process of swallowing a piece of ham and didn't appear to be in any rush to finish. Harry huffed impatiently at her and said, "Well?"

Hedwig looked up again and began a series of angry clicks with her tongue. "Wait wait," Harry cried out quickly, "hold up. I need to perform the spell to understand you."

Hedwig ignored him and continued to click away angrily. 'Way to go Harry,' he thought, 'Good job. Had to go and anger the owl.' Closing his eyes, he tried to shut out the sounds Hedwig was making. 'Okay relax,' Harry told himself, 'you've done this before!'

Letting go of his magic, he felt it flow outwards.

"Quid ego audio, audire me

Quod dictum est mihi"

Feeling the magic surge for a few seconds, Harry focused on calling it back into himself. Opening his eyes, he realized that Hedwig had stopped her angry sounds. Harry smiled slightly, honestly relieved that she was no longer angry with him.

"So you found out how to do it, did you? Good. It was about time," she trilled.

"Did you always know there was a way?" Harry asked her in awe. She ducked her head at him. Harry gaped at for a few minutes. 'How does she know so much...' Harry thought to himself. Filled with so many questions, he momentarily forgot the reason he had cast the spell.

Gathering what was left of his wits, he finally let out, "Wow. There is so much I want to ask. But first, what did you just call me?" Harry tried to look like he was offended.

Hedwig let out a barking sound. "I thought you couldn't understand me," she said sounding amused. Harry let out a small laugh. "Okay, you caught me," he told the bird bashfully, "but I am sure you did call me something."

Letting out another barking sound, Hedwig motioned for Harry to go sit by her. Harry walked towards the chair in front of his desk and sat down. Clearly, the owl was now amused and Harry concluded that the barking sound he had heard her make was laughter.

"I called you foolish, you silly boy," Hedwig trilled. "I have known you for years now. I have watched you grow. No one has seen you the way I have. You are strong, Harry. Stronger than you know and far stronger than others would have you believe."

"What do you mean," Harry asked her, confused.

"Harry there is so much I want to tell you...that I must tell you. First, you are not...what was the word you used...bonkers. Second, and listen carefully because this is important, never ever huff at me, neno," Hedwig said slowly, stressing the importance of both points.

Harry laughed, but quickly sobered up when Hedwig gave him an angry hoot. "How do you know I'm not crazy," he asked her, his voice distant and unsure.

"You are my master," she said simply, "and my master is not crazy. My master is powerful,kind, strong, fair, and loyal." At the mention of what her master was, Hedwig puffed up with pride. However, a few seconds later she added, "though loyal to a fault."

"You mean to say that those I am loyal to are not worthy of my loyalty," Harry asked warily.

"Not unworthy...no," she hooted, "Dishonest." The word sounded as if she had to force it out. Looking down, Hedwig hooted softly, "I dislilke dishonest people. Loyalty should not be abused. You show loyalty, neno, that I can be proud of in my master. A loyalty I can reciprocate unconditionally."

Harry led out a small sigh and shut his eyes. Yes he knew that there were people who abused his kindness and his loyalty, it was not new to him. He had believed that being who he was, it was inevitable and had therefore resigned to it. And yet here was one, albiet an owl, who was proud of his loyalty and was loyal to him for a change. His heart stirred. He felt warm. He hadn't felt like that in a long time.

Sitting there for several moments, Harry finally whispered, "What does neno mean?"

"Neno means child in my language. That is what you are, silly boy. You may be my master, but you are also my child. And as such I shall do whatever you ask of me," she cooed at him. "However, I will have you know now that unless it is your wish, I shall take orders from no other,"

"But why take orders at all, Hedwig? You are so intelligent...why is that actually?

"Did you think me dumb, Harry," Hedwig hooted and pecked at his finger. "I am not your common owl, neno. Truth be told, it is you humans we find to be so slow." Ignoring Harry's "hey", she continued, "Many choose not to respond. We are quite proud and unless it is earned or deserved we will not tolerate much of a conversation."

Once again Harry was left awestruck. "And I have earned it?" he asked quietly. He waited patiently until he heard Hedwig coo, "Yes, neno."

"You more than earned it, neno, you deserve it. Rather," she trilled quickly, "you deserve more of me and if had not been for that old fool I would have given it to you."

'Old fool,' Harry thought. 'Humph, does she mean..."Dumbledore," he whispered. Harry was unprepared for the string of what he only assumed were unpleasant words being clicked by Hedwig. 'I was right,' he thought derisively, 'One for Harry.'

"You don't like him, girl," Harry stated. It wasn't a question. He could tell.

"The man is a meddling fool. What he did...has done...I was brought to shame," she replied. Hedwig let her head fall. Harry had not expected that response. He was almost afraid to ask but the thought of someone causing her to feel like that...his hackles rose. Who would dare? "What did he do?"

Hedwig kept looking down. She was making no move to respond to his question. "What did he do, Hedwig?" he asked a little more forcefully.

Lifting her head, Hedwig hooted softly, "I am your familiar, Harry. Always have been. It was no mistake on Big man's part to buy me. The old man told him to. He knew what I was. And I was given to you."

'Big man...Hagrid,' he realized. 'My familiar...' Harry shook his head. "Why?" he asked. "Even so, what was the point?"

"Don't you read your textbooks, neno?," Hedwig hooted reproachfully. "A familiar acts as a focus, a tool. They allow excess magic be dispersed into harmless energy, making it safer for a young one to practice magic without much harm. The witch or wizard becomes more accustomed to their magic so their need for their familiar lessens."

"Okay..," Harry said trying to process the information. "But Ron and Hermione don't have one," he pointed out.

"No and they wouldn't need one," the owl said. "A familiar allows the wizard to use their magic more efficiently to make that wizard more powerful than if he had learned without one. They also keep the wizard from using raw magic so that damage is kept at a minimum. Think Harry. You were always powerful. More so whenever you were not with me."

Harry thought about it. He was startled to realize it was true. Whenever he had been here at the Dursley's his always felt subdued. As though all the energy that burned through him while in Hogwarts was gone. All his cases of raw magic had been away from Hedwig. Harry looked back at his owl. She had kept him safe from imploding, he was sure. "You kept me safe, Hedwig," he said. "How does that bring shame?"

"I did take the excess magic to keep you safe...but I have failed you, neno," she hooted sadly.

"How?"

"A familiar turns the excess magic and turns it into energy. The magic is then returned to your core," she said softly.

Harry suddenly got a sinking feeling in his stomach. This was not going to go well. Taking his silence as permission to continue, Hedwig said, "I was prevented from giving you back your magic."

Harry knew there was more. "How were you prevented," he asked quietly.

"The old man. Before I was given I was spelled. I was to take your excess magic and keep it bottled inside until it was deemed necessary to give it away," she hooted with obvious disgust at the old man. "But it belongs to you! How could I as a familiar keep it from you! Such pain, neno."

Harry was stunned. Dumbledore had spelled his owl to take his magic and keep it from him. The sinking feeling turned into the beginning of a rather hot rage. "Why?" he asked, trying to keep his anger down.

"I don't know, neno," she hooted, "but there is more. Through the spell, I'm sure, he knows things...things I don't think he should know."

Harry, quite livid, was quick to agree with her on that one. Looking back at Hedwig, he grimaced. He knew there was more, but how much could he take before he exploded with rage.

Hedwig suddenly cooed sadly as if in pain. "I am not an ordinary familiar, master. I have other gifts...skills that would have helped you and kept you safe. I could have told you about black dog. Could have saved him..."

Harry went cold. "What," his voice breaking with pain.

"I have power, master," she trilled, "Power that should be yours to command. You are not the one that should have done something, neno. I should have done more...been better." With that said, Hedwig began to shrill in what looked to be grief.

Harry felt her pain all too well. How many times had he thought the same. Felt as if the blame had been his. But he needed to know...

"Why weren't you?" he asked. He knew he sounded like he was accusing her, but he had to know.

"Sometime after forming the familiar bond, I was visited by old man. He knew I was different than others. Knew I had gifts. He cast a spell. Said I was dangerous. Nonsense. I would never hurt my master. I fought the bind he placed. I fought...but I lost. He bound my gifts away. Took from me what I could have given you. Black dog...family...wanted to save him. I couldn't do anything. It hurt too much to feel master's sadness. Know my shame, neno." Hedwig shrilled again.

Harry saw her. Waves and waves of pain hit him. He felt her pain. Her sadness. Her shame, as she called it, was that she had failed to give him what he wanted and needed. But she hadn't failed. She had been forced. She had been bound against her will. Forced to betray herself as well as him. He had done nothing for her and she had been in pain. He had failed her. In his own shame, Harry saw red...

A/N: On a side note, I kinda need some reviews to see if the story is making sense. The beginning is important and I want to know that it isn't just blah. Please? I'll give you ice-cream. Oh and the next chapter has cookies. I just spotted them on my kitchen table. Dont you just love when food gives you ideas?