Phoenix Hawk Chapter 3
Disclaimer: I make no claims to this universe; it all belongs to JKR. I do have a lot of fun playing in the sandbox!
AN – My attempts to write Hagrid's accent are choppy, I know. My brain hates me enough for House Elf speech patterns *hands head*. Please forgive me?
"'Arry!", booms the gravelly voice of the Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts, Rubeus Hagrid.
"'Lo, Hagrid, how are you?", Harry asked approaching his large friend just outside the restaurant. They hugged and went inside. Rosmerta saw them and waved, welcoming them.
"You boys want a table, or a private room", she called from her spot at the bar. Harry looked around, checking on business at that moment. Of ten tables, and six booths, not even half were filled, but he knew that could change once people realized he was still in town. He looked up at Hagrid.
"Your choice, my friend," he said.
Hagrid looked at his young wizard friend and around the main room as well. "How about a private room?", he suggested. Harry agreed and Rosmerta showed them to a private room.
They sat down to lunch, catching up with each other over their food. Over firewhiskey, they talked about the coming school year, and changes McGonagall was implementing.
"She's gotten Binns ta retire, finally," Hagrid rumbled.
"Good, he could never teach anything beyond the Goblin Rebellions. Still shock my accountants that I'm not a typical wizard," Harry replied, smiling.
"Ha!", Hagrid boomed, laughing. "Now the real reason I ask'd ya 'ere, 'Arry," he said, reaching into a pocket of his great overcoat. Harry had wondered. The coat had a tendency to move on it's own in little twitches and the oddest sounds came from the depths of it's folds and pockets.
Hagrid pulled out a smallish, white and fluffy object that hooted sorrowfully. "'Ere ya go, little man," he said, letting what turned out to be a young owl, just out of fledging, right itself on his fingers. The little bird fluffed its feathers out, transforming into a puffball, clacking its beak at the indignity of riding in a pocket. Harry looked on with amusement.
"It's a snowy, isn't it?", he asked, voice barely above a whisper.
"Yep, but the best part," Hagrid began chortling with glee, "He's Hedwig's baby!"
Harry's eyes went wide behind his glasses. "No", he breathed, shocked. "I never realized she'd taken a mate."
"Usually post owls mate for life, but Hedwig didn't. I think she chose her familiar bond over a mating one," Hagrid speculated.*
Harry's mouth formed an 'o' of surprise. Meanwhile, the young owlet had oriented himself and turned his head to listen to the voices he heard. The owl laid golden eyes on Harry, and chirruped an inquisitive note. Harry made a small 'prrt' noise in his throat, not quite calling the bird, but just making a sound. The owlet flapped his wings and lifted off Hagrid's forefinger, and flew the very short distance to Harry's shoulder.
"Hello there," Harry whispered, not daring to move as the owl settled into his new spot. The bird turned his head and immediately began preening Harry's hair. An action that Hedwig always indulged in.
"Yeah, he's yours now, 'Arry. If you want 'im as a post owl, you'll 'ave to take 'im to Eeylops for banding*," Hagrid said, wiry beard bristling as he beamed a smile at the new pair of friends.
"Hm, I guess so!" Harry affirmed, reaching up a hand to scratch at the owl in places he vaguely remembered his first best friend preferring such attention. The young owl leaned into Harry's attentions so much, he fell off his perch, making Harry laugh even as as he held a now disgruntled owl in his hands.
"All right, mate. Sorry. Your enthusiasm is wonderful. We'll have to come up with a name later, huh?", Harry apologized. The owl hooted, clearly accepting Harry's apology.
Harry and Hagrid talked for only a little longer, before Harry had to leave for another appointment. He transferred the owlet back to his shoulder on his way out of the Three Broomsticks. And that distraction cost them both.
*1 – Okay, I'm speculating a hell of a lot on magical owls in this world, making up a ton of stuff I'm sure is tripe. Owls have 2 bonds, familiar and mating. If they are a person's owl, it's usually the familiar bond, otherwise they have a mating bond with another owl (continuation of the species). Alternately, they can "drop" the familiar bond for the mating one later, or not, as Hedwig did, when choosing a mate (usually when their person grows up, gets a family of their own, or belongs to a larger family and has many owls, like the Malfoys).
*2 – How do you think the wizards really know how to tell the difference between all these look a like owls? The bands are like typical birding bands, but have a tiny magical signature embedded in them to let the owls use magical entrances and such for the post.