I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.

Extended Family

Chapter 127 – Speaking Three: The Hedwig Ultimatum

As tradition, happens all over the timeline with the first part starting in Chapter 92.

Hermione cracked the door open, peering into the sitting room. She did not see Harry and she pushed the door open and took a few steps in, making for the portrait door.

"And where do you think you're going, you sick baby?"

Hermione groaned at the hooting. "I'm fine!" she said nasally and coughed, belying her words.

"No you're not," Hedwig said severely. She glared at Hermione. "Back in your room! You know better!"

"I really need to finish my work and I'm not that sick and-hey!" She had ducked when Hedwig flew over her head and she tried to fight when Hedwig sank her talons into her robes and was dragging her back into her room. "Stop it!"

"No! You're a sick baby and you go back to bed like a sick baby!" Hedwig dragged Hermione to her bed and plopped her down. She waggled her talons at her. "Or else!"

"You and your owner are terrible!" Hermione shouted as Hedwig slammed the door.

"Bless my feathers," Hedwig sighed, plopping down on the couch and mooning Hermione's closed door. "You are so annoying! Go to sleep!"

Later that night when Harry returned, he found a reply waiting for him on the table. "Did she try to sneak out?" he asked.

Hedwig nodded and sighed deeply. "She sure did."

"Did you chase her back in?" Harry asked, smiling.

Hedwig clacked her beak and wiggled her talons gleefully. "I sure did!"

"That's my girl," Harry praised her as he sat on the couch and opened the envelope. He had asked Jean what he could do to help Hermione feel better, if they had any home remedies. Jean had replied with their family's chicken soup recipe as well as thanking him for taking care of Hermione. She had decided against sending mundane medication back with Hedwig, not sure of the legality as well as the efficacy, but had said their chicken soup was one of their favorite things to eat when any of them were ill.

"Hmm, this looks tasty. Chicken of course. Noodles, carrots, onion, classic ingredients. Garlic, sage, ginger, thyme…hey, wait a second." Harry pulled out his Potions books and looked a few things up. "Huh, well, what do you know." He looked at the kitchen with a thoughtful expression. "Might be worth trying actually."

He noticed Hedwig looking at him with a concerned expression. "What," he said defensively. "Lots of people think out loud."

Hedwig cooed at him, patting him gently with a wing in an unmistakably condescendingly soothing gesture. "Uh huh, sure people do. That's okay, I don't think you're mad. Such a good little chick that's perfectly sane."

He snorted and poked her beak, just narrowly avoiding her revenge nip. "You're so funny. Come on then. Let's get you some bacon." He smiled when she barked happily, flying to sit on his head and pulling on his hair playfully as he walked into the kitchen. Soon she was munching on some bacon as he prepared the ingredients.

"Thin slice some onions, rotating chop the carrots here. Slice up some celery. Mince the garlic. Going to tie up the thyme and rosemary and sage into a bouquet garni. Thin slice the ginger, make it into needles actually for a milder taste. Let's do some dark meat and white meat chicken. And here are some egg noodles. Hmm, maybe I'll make a stock first with the bones and other things."

After copious scrubbing and cleaning charms, he set his cauldron on the hob and filled it with water. Then put the chicken bones and parts inside the water along with scraps from the onion and carrots and other vegetable pieces he had saved and simmered it together for a long time, watching the water and things become a stock.

After filtering it through a sieve and cheesecloth, he sautéed the celery, onion, and carrot with the garlic to add some color to the vegetables and did the same with the dark meat. He was poaching the white meat in a separate pot with some other herbs and when the cauldron full of vegetables and dark meat and stock came to a boil, he shredded the white meat into it. He stirred it occasionally, skimming off the scum that rose to the top. As the soup neared completion, he added the noodles to cook in the broth.

The kitchen was filled with savory scents and Harry tasted a bit of the simmering soup. "Hmm, that's really good actually." He filled the spoon with more broth and some meat. "Here Hedwig. What do you think?"

Hedwig dipped her beak into the spoon daintily and licked her beak. She hooted energetically and slurped the last of the broth and gnawed on the bit of chicken with gusto. "Mmm! This is tasty! The broth is light but savory and the veg and chicken are tender but still have a bite. Yum yum yum."

Harry smiled. "Good!" He ladled her out a bowl and he smiled as she ate it enthusiastically, waggling her tail feathers as she did. He filled a second bowl and knocked on Hermione's door. "Hermione? I'm coming in."

She blinked blearily as he entered. "I'm not really hungry," she said weakly.

"Think you can manage a little though? I got the recipe from your mum."

"You made me chicken soup?" She teared up when he nodded. "That actually sounds wonderful. Thank you, Harry." She pulled herself into a sitting potion on her bed and accepted the bowl. "I think I can smell it a little. It looks really good." It took her a little time but she ate the entire bowl of soup. "That tasted really good. I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome. Get some rest, okay?" Harry took the bowl out and closed her door behind her. He smiled at Hedwig licking her bowl. "Wow, you really like it. Want some more?"

She nodded and looked pointedly at some bacon on the counter. "Yes please, and add some bacon too."

"Okay, I'll add some bacon for you too," he chuckled. "Watch out for Hermione please. Going to do some delivery."

-0-

Katie stopped and looked down at Dahlia. "Dally, what are you eating?"

Dahlia continued to slowly chew on something, looking up at her mother with large green eyes.

"Don't do that to me, you're too young to distract me by being adorable," Katie smiled. "What are you eating, hey, get back here!" Katie chased after a crawling Dahlia and picked her up and put her in her lap. "Dahlia, open your mouth. Do it. Show Mummy what you're eating! Dahlia!" She fought with her daughter who tried to fend her off, squirming and wriggling. "Harry!"

"What's wrong?!" Harry came running up

"You didn't feed her anything in the last few minutes, right?" Katie sighed when he shook his head. "I was walking past and saw her chewing on something and she won't show me."

"We usually don't drop food but maybe something got away from us," Harry said worriedly. "Dahlia, show us what you're eating, please." Dahlia opened her mouth and let Harry fish out the object without fuss. Harry looked at the chewed bit of food closely. "I…think it's bacon."

"I know I didn't drop any bacon," Katie said. "Where did she get it?" She and Harry looked down at Dahlia who opened her mouth wide and looked up, waiting patiently.

"Oh, don't tell me," Harry groaned. "Hedwig?" He waited for Hedwig to flutter over. "Have you been feeding Dally bacon?"

"Yes," Hedwig hooted.

"She's a baby!"

"I'm aware," Hedwig sniffed.

"I'm pretty sure babies shouldn't have bacon!"

"I'm pretty sure she can," Hedwig argued back, narrowing her eyes at Harry. "I feed her bits and only the well-cooked ones. I know humans have problems with raw meat sometimes." She picked the piece of bacon from Harry's hand and delicately dropped it into Dahlia's open mouth. "See? She likes it."

"That's so adorable," Katie sighed. "And at least it's not like how some birds feed their young. You know, regurgitating."

"That's a good point," Harry sighed. "I better ask the Healer tomorrow at Dally's first check-up to see if it's okay."

"I know what's good for my grandchick, thank you very much!" Hedwig barked indignantly.

"I just want to make sure, I'm not questioning you entirely and-hey don't kick me!" Harry said, glaring down at Hedwig who glared back at him. "Fine, for that, I'm eating your bacon!"

"Don't you dare! I'll fight you!"

Katie shook her head at Hedwig chasing Harry around the kitchen. She smiled down at Dahlia who clapped her hands happily, laughing brightly at the sight. "It is funny," she sighed happily.

-0-

"I'm home!" Katie said, stepping through the Floo.

"Mummy!" Dahlia came toddling towards the Floo room and she squealed when Katie scooped her up.

"There's my baby," Katie cooed and kissed her. "Did she have a good visit at St Mungo's?"

"Yup! Healer Tina is wonderful and Dahlia liked her by the end," Harry smiled. "Here's a copy of her chart and she's very healthy and doing great."

"That's good," Katie smiled, looking through the chart while Dahlia wiggled in her arms, pulling on her hair gently.

"Also, I must report that yes, Dahlia is allowed to have bits of bacon here and there," he said ruefully.

"HA! See?! I told you!" Hedwig made a noise of deep satisfaction and looked superiorly at Harry.

"Yeah yeah, go on then," he said, rolling his eyes at her. He snorted when she mooned him, dancing from side to side and flicking her tail feathers at him while hooting in a condescending way.

"I was right and you were wrong,
So listen now to my victory song,
Look upon my feathers fair,
And moan and wallow in despair!"

"You've been really working on that "I told you so" dance, haven't you?" He snorted again as she expressively wiggled her rear at him, shaking it with even more vigor and energy.

"I am wiggling my booty at you! That means I won! Look at my butt feathers!" she cheeped smugly. "Look at them!"

"I also learned the reason why Dally squints sometimes," Harry said to Katie. He lifted his glasses up and Katie shrieked with laughter when Dally squinted like Harry did.

"That's so cute! Also I have to tell Angelina and Alicia. They told me they've noticed Hailey and Hadley squinting sometimes."

-0-

The tiny flat felt cold and oppressive to her.

It had been a dreadful day. She had spent the morning trying to figure out what happened with a materials and ingredients delivery, and it had taken her hours to find out where the errant shipment went. Then a week's worth of work went up in smoke and sludge when two reagents were misnamed and misapplied to the brewing potions, ruining so much time and effort.

Castor had been in a rage and everyone felt the pleasure of her displeasure.

It was late at night and Alicia had finally gotten back home. Her robes stained and smelling strongly of burnt hair. She was hungry, upset, and when she opened the door of her flat, terribly alone.

A rustling made her pause and she flicked her wand up, trying to force her mind to think of a spell. A pair of familiar amber eyes made her relax, as well as the sound of familiar hooting. "Hey! Don't point your wand at me!"

"Oh, Hedwig, is that you?"

Hedwig nodded, cheeping at her. It was a bit miffed, understandable when someone pointed a wand at you, but it was also soothing. She peered intelligently at Alicia. "Goodness me, you look a fright. Well come over then, I have something that'll lift your spirits."

The witch crossed the floor of her flat and looked at the package on the table. "Isn't Harry still in France?"

Hedwig nodded before butting her head against Alicia's hand, cheeping once more. "Go on, open it. You'll like it."

Alicia tore open the wrapping on the package. As soon as the top came off, she took a deep breath, enjoying the rich scents of butter and bread and meat. She smiled down at the simple looking sandwich that sat in the box, the large slice of cheese nestled against it, at the chocolate pastry that was wrapped alongside. She noticed a small card in the wrapping and picked it up.

Hi Alicia!

We had lunch today at this little café and the food was so good. I remembered you telling Hermione about your trip the last time and how you really liked this sandwich and pastry. When I saw it, I just had to get it for you.

I also saw a really neat potions book that Fleur said was brand new, just published. It came with a little sample case thing so it's included too. Fleur and Colette and Aimee sent along the bottle of wine with it. They said it's really good. I wouldn't know sadly. According to them, I am a barbarian when it comes to wine and I am a child because I like butterbeer more.

Hedwig was getting a little bored and wanted to fly so she delivered the package while I'm still in France. She's such a good owl. Don't let her steal the-

Alicia started laughing through her tears. There was a tiny hole ripped out of the card, one with jagged edges and Hedwig looked at it with wide-eyed insincere surprise, as if she had no idea what happened there. "Uh, that came to me like that. I don't know what that's about. You'll have to ask Chick later," she cheeped.

I hope you're doing okay. I'll let you know when I get back so we can have lunch together and you can teach me some new potions things.

Miss you!

Love,

Harry.

Alicia bit into the sandwich hungrily, ignoring the tears trickling down her cheeks. She smiled at Hedwig. "Some bacon then? And would you like to spend the night?"

Hedwig bobbed her head eagerly and hooted warmly. "Yes please. There wasn't nearly enough bacon in that sandwich and you didn't miss much. It was measly and didn't taste very good."

-0-

"Since you have a patrolling partner, do you really need me along?" Padma asked with a big smile.

Harry chuckled and reached up to scratch Hedwig's belly. "I don't mind if you need the time to do something else."

"No, I don't want to be fussed at by the Head Girl," Padma laughed. "Plus now I get to spend some time with Hedwig too."

Hedwig cheeped thickly, looking plump and proud. "Consider yourself blessed to be in my presence."

"Don't talk with your beak full," Harry chided her gently.

"What is she eating by the way?"

"A newt." Harry grinned. "She's been eating them as snacks more often and sitting on my head to transfer the positive energies."

"Because of N.E.W.T.s?" Padma smiled. "That's so sweet of you," she cooed to Hedwig.

"She sure is the best," Harry agreed.

"I am the best and am very sweet," Hedwig agreed.

"Besides, I enjoy patrolling with you. Terry got a girlfriend and she's all he wants to talk about these days. I'm happy for him but I can only withstand so much terrible poetry." She flushed, "Please don't tell him I accidentally let that loose."

Harry bit back a laugh. "I won't. Good for him though. And maybe he can get better at poetry."

"I hope so, for his and her sake. I'm not that close to the fifth year prefects. For the seventh years, Daniels is okay, snooty and quiet though and for a Ravenclaw, that's saying something. Cho has been really hard to get along with lately though."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. She's under a lot of pressure with all the N.E.W.T.s she's taking and then adding Quidditch responsibility on top."

"Ah, sorry," Harry said sheepishly. "That's partially on me."

"Not really. I mean, yeah, you guys won your game but there's always going to be a loser and a winner." Padma shrugged. "It's not just that. She has something to say about your 'girls'. Whatever that means."

Harry sighed. "Last year, Angelina gave her the eye after trying to Wronski Feint me into the ground."

"You mean when she tried to plow you?" Padma's eyes twinkled.

"No, not that," Harry laughed. "But yeah, Angelina gave her the eye and so did Alicia and this year when she said I didn't have my girls to hide behind, Katie decided to punish her for saying that."

"Oh Cho," Padma sighed. "She's a lovely person most of the time but loses her mind when it's related to Quidditch."

"I don't know anyone else like that," Harry deadpanned and they laughed. "I don't mind really."

"Well sadly, you're the target of her ire lately. She's been a bit rude when she talks about you. Don't worry. Michael, Terry, and I think you're swell and Luna doesn't tolerate it at all. She's been fighting with Cho over it too so Cho doesn't try to say anything when Luna's about. The firsties and secondies you've tutored like you too."

"Maybe I should apologize or something," Harry sighed. "I feel bad for causing trouble."

"You're not," Padma said firmly. "She's venting and it's not entirely fair but you're not the cause. You've got nothing to make up for." They continued walking in companionable silence for a moment. "Is something wrong with Hedwig?" Padma asked, looking up with a concerned eye.

Hedwig was sitting still on Harry's head, the tail of the newt sticking out of her mouth and she was looking at Padma with a serious expression. Once caught however, she hastily gulped the rest of the newt and hooted innocently, opening her eyes wide and blinking slowly. "Hmm what? Oh I was lost in thought and not planning anything, nope, not me."

"Maybe she was eating too fast," Harry said, looking up. "You okay Hedwig?"

"I am, don't worry." Hedwig hooted comfortably and wiggled down, settling firmly on Harry's head. When Padma and Harry resumed their conversation, she looked up where Ravenclaw tower was, her eyes narrowing. "You want to blame my chick for your inadequacies? Alright. Let me give you something to really complain about."

-0-

"Wait." Cho picked something up that fell out of the paper. She held it up to the sunlight and her eyes narrowed. "Wait a second." She whipped her head around, glaring at the Gryffindor table. She got up and stomped over. "Harry Potter!"

Harry turned and flinched at seeing an incredibly angry Cho striding towards him. "Hi Cho. Uhm. Is everything alright?"

"No! Nothing is alright! What game are you playing at?"

Harry looked helplessly at his friends sitting around him. They gave him equally blank looks and shrugs. "Uh…I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."

"What's this?!" She held up the object she pulled from the newspaper.

"It's a feather," Harry said with uncertain confidence. "White and speckled black. Might be one of Hedwig's?"

"So you admit it!"

"Again, I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"You've been setting her on me and harassing me lately!" She jabbed him sharply in the chest.

"YOU BETTER BACK OFF!" A loud screech made everyone flinch and Hedwig dove in and snapped at Cho's finger. She landed on Harry's shoulder, feathers mantled and wings spread wide. She glared at Cho and hissed angrily, clacking her beak. "Poke my chick again and I'm taking that finger!"

"I've never set Hedwig on anyone," Harry said frostily.

Cho gave Hedwig a wary look. "You've never told her to attack or harass anyone?"

"I have never told her to do anything. She's very independent and I ask her to do things for me." He looked up at his owl. "Hedwig, have you been bothering Cho?"

Hedwig tucked her wings in and fluffed her feathers. Her eyes opened wide and she blinked innocently at Harry, tilting her head. "Who, me?"

"She has! She's been…hey…that's my pin!" Cho pointed at a hair pin tucked into the Hedwig's chest feathers. "She's wearing my pin!"

"She probably found it and didn't know who it belonged to," Harry protested. He reached up and took it out. "See? If it's hers, she gets a bit nippy. She probably was waiting for me to get it and see if we can find who owns it. Isn't that right?"

Hedwig bobbed her head up and down and cooed as she nuzzled Harry's cheek with her head. "Don't listen to the crazy lady, Chick. She's crazy. She's two feathers short of a wing. All shell, no egg."

Cho took the pin back. "You swear that you didn't tell her to snatch my breakfast or take my pins?"

"I swear," he said earnestly. "I don't know why she would steal your food. She gets plenty from me and from anyone here. Luna feeds her bacon. Maybe she accidentally took some from the wrong plate?"

"I guess…" Cho glared once more at Hedwig before walking away.

"That girl's insane," Ron said softly.

"See, even you don't think Hedwig would do that," Harry huffed.

"Oh no, I know Hedwig would mess with someone like that. I'm just saying I don't know if Hedwig is actively messing with her right now, and that she's nuttier than a biscuit with nuts in it."

Hermione snorted. "I agree with Ron. We know Hedwig is capable of doing what she has been accused with." She snorted again at Hedwig's look of surprise. "But, it's unfair for Cho to come after you like that and accuse you of it. Everyone that knows you would know you wouldn't sink to that level of interaction."

"He never had to," Ginny snickered. "He had Fred and George to do it for him."

"Hey, I never asked them to do anything like that for me," Harry protested with a laugh.

"No you didn't, but they never shied away from doing it," Ginny giggled.

"That's so rude of her," Mirabelle sniffed. "Blaming sweet Hedwig like that."

Katie had looked coolly at Cho throughout the whole incident. "Still, no reason for her to come over here and yell at you for it." She shook her head and returned to her breakfast. "There's one tiny flaw with your reasoning though, come to think of it."

"What?" Harry asked.

"Luna spends most of her meals here with us," Katie pointed out.

"I still sit at the Ravenclaw table here and there," Luna said, lowering her copy of the Quibbler. "And I do feed Hedwig at any table."

"That's fair," Katie smiled.

"Harry, may I ask Hedwig to deliver something for me?" Luna asked.

"Of course. Do you have any other deliveries to make?" Harry asked. He smiled when Hedwig shook her head and nibbled on his ear some. "Off you go then."

Luna skipped out of the great hall with Hedwig riding on her head. When Luna left however, she walked around the corner and slipped into a small alcove. "If she wants to blame me for something, might as well do the crime to fit the accusation, yes?"

Hedwig bobbed her head eagerly. "Yesssss. I knew you would understand Moon-Song."

Luna giggled. A few moments later, she walked into the Ravenclaw common room and entered her bedroom. Once alone, she lifted her shirt and Hedwig fluttered out and landed on her bed. "Cho's room is up the hall and to the left at the end. Have fun!"

"I will have fun! Thank you, you're the best." Hedwig cooed happily and nipped Luna's fingers lovingly before she silently flew out of Luna's room. She walked up the last few feet and kicked Cho's door open so she could squirm in. She looked about the room disdainfully. "What a boring room. Much like the sleeper." She rooted about before finding Cho's box of pins and accessories. "Ah ha. Here we are. Let's see you try to adorn your hair without these."

-0-

"I like how Hedwig spends more time here in the common room," Mirabelle said happily. "She's a perfect cuddle bud."

"She loves you," Harry smiled. "Especially since you helped make her a little nest here in the team corner."

"She deserves it." Mirabelle got up to fluff the blankets and the pillow that she and Lyla had used to make a nest for Hedwig. As she unraveled a tangle of blanket, she stopped. "Uhm…Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm not saying Cho's right…but she might not be wrong."

Harry looked up at that. He walked over and groaned softly when he saw the collection of pins tucked away in the nest. "Please tell me that you and Lyla have been sharing hair pins with her."

"I wish I could," Mirabelle said. "I might start though. She's really cute in them even if she doesn't need them."

Harry sighed. "Speak of the owl." He waited for Hedwig to flutter into the common room. "Hedwig, care to explain how you got these?"

Hedwig flapped her wings and made grasping motions with her talons and pecking motions with her beak. "I found them."

"Okay. So you found them?"

She nodded. "That is the truth, yes. As long as you don't ask me where I found them."

"All of them?"

She waggled a wing, flipping it up and down like a person would their hand. "More or less."

Harry rubbed his eyes while Mirabelle giggled. "Are they all Cho's?"

Hedwig shrugged and tilted her head. "I have no idea. Just because I found them in her room, doesn't mean they all belong to her."

"Right. Okay. If they belong to Cho, please return them. I'm assuming you did this for me, actually, now that I'm thinking about it, I'm reasonably sure this is some form of payback. I appreciate it and love you but please return them. Will you do that for me?"

Hedwig looked up thoughtfully before nodding. "I guess I can do that. It's starting to get less entertaining because it's not as challenging I suppose. I'll figure out a new way to enact my vengeance."

"Thank you," he said with deep relief.

-0-

"Should we be doing this?" Julius Daltons whispered to his fellow fifth year Ravenclaw prefect.

"I told you, it'll be fine," Leslie Yeens whispered back. "There's no way we'll be caught. We're using a Weasley product and since he was friends with them, he can just blame them or their brother or sister. Don't you want to get back at him?"

"Not really," Daltons hissed back. "And you only want to get back at him for Cho and Quidditch."

"Both are good reasons. Don't you snitch on me."

He glared at her. "I won't."

They entered the prefect offices and using Daltons as a shield, Yeens knelt down and started doing something to a chair.

"What are you doing?" Daltons asked.

"Last night I exchanged the Head Boy's chair with ours," she whispered back. "So I could add the charm parchment. Then later I'll say, 'oh looks like there was a mix up' and move it back. He'll get a big kick out of this when he sits in it."

"This is going to end terribly," Daltons sighed.

"For him," Yeens said smugly.

"What is the matter, Hedwig?" Daphne asked. Hedwig had flown in to deliver a message and was sitting on her desk. She had playfully nipped and bit at Daphne's quill while Daphne was writing, but had abruptly stopped, head turned completely around.

Hedwig's head swiveled back and she hooted softly, blinking benignly but her beak clacked a little in between hoots. "Oh nothing, just a stupid flightless baby thinking she can bother MY CHICK. Hah! If the Weasley idiots couldn't, what makes her think she can? But I won't let her succeed. Over my butt feathers!" Once Daphne went back to writing, Hedwig walked to the edge of the desk and hopped off, spreading her wings and flapping lazily, pushing herself through the air. She wormed her way into the closet and rooted about for a moment before waddling out, dragging something.

"I knew I would find this in here. Alright. Two can play at that game and I'm much smarter than this little Raven idiot."

Flying silently, she delicately placed the thing behind Yeens and then roosted on top of the shelf behind the girl, waiting.

"Done," Yeens said with satisfaction. She rose and took a step back and stepped on the bottle that Hedwig had left behind her. A loud crack broke through the air as the bottle broke beneath her foot. "What the-"

A wave of thick liquid spilled from the bottle, far more than one would expect the small bottle to contain. When Yeens stepped down, she slipped and flew back, knocking Daltons over. The liquid spread and things began to slide about willy-nilly.

Daphne took one look and flicked her wand. The carpet on the ground moved and the edges rose to become dams to block the spreading liquid. "The Slipping Solution! Someone go to the Potions classroom and get the bottle of unsolvent! Everyone else, stem the flow or else we will have no peace for ages!"

In the ensuing chaos, Hedwig fluttered to the back of the chair and cleanly ripped the charm parchment off the chair, completely unnoticed. "You stupid little girl. As if this could fool me and my chick. I'm going to…wait, hold on." She was about to drop it in the wastebasket but wheeled away, a new idea in her mind.

By the time the prefect returned with the unsolvent, Harry came and helped clean things up. "How did the bottle get out here?" he asked, cleaning up the remnants of the bottle and solution. "I thought it was in the evidence closet."

"Perhaps someone was moving things out and dropped it," Daphne offered.

"Hmm, we should try to make sure it doesn't happen again," Harry mused. "That could have been bad. Is everyone okay? Anyone that needs to go to the Infirmary can go. You look a bit bruised, Yeens."

Yeens shook her head, hiding a wince. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You look like you tumbled hard a few times."

"I'll be okay," Yeens said, trying to look tough.

"If you're sure," Harry said.

"I'm sure. Oh wait, looks like our chairs got mixed up. How did that happen?"

Harry chuckled. "All the chairs move about the room. The only reason I know that one is mine is because someone put the Head Boy symbol on it."

"I never get any recognition," Daphne sighed. "Someone indeed."

"I told you I don't need a special chair," he protested, laughing. "But I appreciate it. It's a nice chair." He wheeled over the one behind his desk and exchanged it with his. After he pulled the Head Boy chair back, he sat down easily.

Yeens' eyes glittered with anticipation but when nothing happened, she looked incredibly disappointed. She hissed under her breath, glaring at the chair. "Bloody faulty product. Should have known better than to trust a Weasley item."

"That's odd. Weasley things always work," Dalton said, also staring at the chair. "Are you sure you put it on right?"

"Yes," Yeens said shortly. "I'm going to write a letter and get a refund." She pulled her chair out and sat moodily. She shrieked when the chair made a loud roaring sound, shaking violently. Then it bounced up high and when it landed, it bounced higher and launched her out of it. She flew into the air and landed on her rear heavily. The chair then spun and cackled loudly, shooting off lights and colored smoke.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHA! YOU DUMB BABY! AHAHAHAHAHA!" Hedwig fell off her perch, shrieking with laughter, the sound and sight of her rolling on the floor with deep merriment lost on most of the people inside the room.

"Are you okay?!" Harry asked, jumping out of his chair while the majority of the prefects there laughed uproariously.

Yeens teared up, partly from pain and mostly from humiliation. "I think so." She could not hide the wince when she felt pain shoot up her spine. "Actually, no I don't."

Harry waved his wand. "Looks like you fractured your tailbone. I can do a temporary heal and some pain numbing but you really should go to Madam Pomfrey."

"Yes please," she whispered. "Thank you."

"There you go," he said kindly when he finished casting the spells. "Daltons, take her to the Infirmary please. Everyone else, head out on patrols. I'll check the other things in here with Daphne to make sure there aren't any more surprises."

"I do not believe I have ever seen her so amused," Daphne said, smiling down at a still laughing Hedwig. The owl was rolling back and forth, kicking her legs wildly.

"She tried to fly and fell like a stick! A dumb stick! Graceless in brain and body! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

Harry flipped the chair over and saw the piece of parchment stuck to the bottom. He sighed when he inspected it. "The Catapulting Chair Charm, guaranteed to send the sitter flying." He shrugged when Daphne gave him a look. "They send me a catalogue."

"Hmm, so someone was hoping to embarrass you," Daphne mused as she bent down and scooped up a still giggling and kicking Hedwig. "Yeens would be the most obvious culprit, considering how her chair was switched with yours."

"Why didn't she booby trap my chair then? Why did she agree to swap them back?"

"That is the question." Daphne's eyes opened wide when Hedwig hopped out of her arms and flew to the chair in question. "Oh! Hedwig caught her and swapped them?" she gasped when Hedwig ripped the parchment off the chair easily.

Hedwig dropped the parchment onto the ground and nodded, waving her tail feathers moodily at the Ravenclaw desk. "She thought she could get the best of me. Obviously, she could not."

Harry's grin was from ear to ear and he picked her up and hugged her tightly. "My hero," he gushed with utter sincerity. "I love you."

Hedwig cheeped back and tugged on his hair lovingly. "I love you! You are my chick and only I can bother you!"

"Someone deserves a very big dinner," Daphne praised, scratching Hedwig's head. "Should we do something to Yeens then?"

"Failing the prank and getting pranked so obviously in front of everyone is punishment enough I think," Harry said. He opened his arms a little and Hedwig waddled up his arm and climbed onto his head. "I'll just try to be a bit more careful just in case. Plus I have my watcher with me."

Hedwig hooted importantly, fluffing up her feathers and looked smugly vigilant. "I am She-Who-Watches! I am the Taloned Terror! I am the one who punishes those I deem needing punishing!"

"I'm going to make you a BL-no-T for dinner, a really big one." He smiled at her happy hooting and her wiggling dance.

"That's a bacon and lettuce sandwich without tomato," he explained to Daphne. "It's a sandwich from the States, a lot like a regular bacon sandwich of ours. Hedwig likes toast with mayo and butter and crunchy lettuce with her bacon sandwiches sometimes. She doesn't like tomatoes normally. Would you and Tracy like to join us?"

"That sounds delicious. Yes please."

-0-

"This is a trap," David said, looking at the final hole. It was a simple incline leading to a stone tower. The hole was at the top with a little flag sticking out. "No way this is as simple as it looks." He looked at the sign. "The Last Guardian. Is the tower going to come to life and we're going to have to fight it?"

"Oooh, good idea," Harry said. "I'm saving that for next time. But no, the tower isn't the last guardian."

"Hmm, seeing how I'm already at the bottom, I'll go first to test it." Sirius lined up his shot and hit the ball. At first it seemed like it would go up the ramp into the tower but at the last moment, a blur of white knocked the ball aside and the ball trundled back to the tee without problem.

"You're a monster," Sirius said to Harry.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, eyes opened wide with feigned ignorance.

Sirius pointed his putter at Hedwig dancing on top of the tower, hooting smugly and flicking her tail feathers at him. "There's no way in hell we're going to get a ball past her!"

"Nyeh ha ha!" Hedwig cackled, waggling her tail feathers. "I am the Last Guardian! Protector of the Tower Nest! None of you will get your eggs in here without my assistance and permission!"

"There's a way," Harry insisted.

"She can't stop all of us," Thomas said. "Let's all take our shots in succession and one of us have to get through."

"I absolutely can stop all of you!" Hedwig took the comment personally and showed that she in fact could stop them all. She knocked the balls aside with talon and wing, hooting and barking all the while. She would kick them back, snatch them off the ground and drop them on the putter's head, and each time she would cackle and hoot condescendingly, especially so at Thomas with each blocked shot. She even turned her back on him and stopped the shots with ease and grace and malicious glee.

"Oh try again! You almost got it and ha! Not today! Do it again, I'll even turn my back to it. Come on, you can do it. Ha! No you can't! Come on, you all need to try harder!"

"I recant my statement," Thomas sighed later. He snorted when Hedwig blew a raspberry at him. "She doesn't have lips! How does she do that without lips?!"

"Hedwig is very talented," Harry said proudly and Hedwig blew an even louder raspberry.

"PPPPBBBBBBBBTTTTTT!"

"Do you two know how to get past her? You helped make the course," Lyla asked Luna and Tracy.

"I have an idea but would never interfere with Hedwig's fun," Luna said seriously. "But no, we did not help in planning this hole."

"Beats me," Tracy shrugged. "I've been thinking of how to hit it into the hole too but I've no idea."

Jean had been holding Dahlia while taking a break and thinking about how to get the ball in. She looked down when Dahlia pulled on her long hair gently. "What is it Dally?" Dahlia pointed at a side table and when Jean carried her over, she leaned down and picked up a slice of bacon off a sandwich. Then with more pointing, Jean carried Dahlia over to the tower.

Hedwig delicately took the slice of bacon from Dahlia and munched on it happily. "Thank you grandchick, such a good little Potterlet. I was feeling peckish too. Hehehe. Peckish. Get it?" Then she took Jean's ball and dropped it neatly into the hole.

"You've got to be kidding me," Sirius said while everyone roared with laughter.

"Honestly, it makes sense," Lyla laughed as she rushed to the table to grab a slice of bacon. It became a sort of bidding floor where Hedwig deigned to deposit a person's ball into the hole if she received what she deemed to be ample compensation.

"Yes, praise me and give me offerings befitting my station and majesty! I will not deposit your ball without due consideration! Hey! Only one rasher? No! No low score for you!"

"That was a lot of fun," David said once the last ball, Sirius', was popped into the tower. "I'd play this course again. What's the final scoreboard?"

"Jean wins by a stroke," Harry said. "Then you and Thomas, then Katie, Ted, Hermione, Dora, Lyla, and then Sirius."

"Thank you, Dally," Jean cooed and kissed a giggling Dahlia on the cheeks. "Grandmama Jean loves you so much! Yes I do! Someone is getting extra snuggles and a big ice cream treat later!"

"I got robbed!" Sirius grumbled.

"You were doing the worst up to the last hole," Tonks said, rolling her eyes.

"No not that, Hedwig robbed me at the end! I had to go buy more bacon and bring it back!" Sirius narrowed his eyes at the owl who returned the expression.

"Then don't be stingy!" Hedwig barked.

"That is what you get for being the slowest," Andromeda chortled.

Sirius ducked when Hedwig flew at his head, retaliation for the hand gesture he threw at her. "This was a lot of fun though! Hey, let's turn the rooftop garden at Grimmauld into a course one day. We can make a really fun one with all the space I got."

-0-

Harry yawned. He looked down at Dahlia and Iris snuggling him, also napping. He blinked slowly and reached up slowly to pick up Hedwig who was napping on his head. She struggled a bit, nipping at his fingers until he settled her against his face and he rested his head against her pillowy feathers.

"I knew you didn't find all those hair clips out and about," Harry said sleepily before falling back asleep.

Hedwig cheeped back and fluffed up, happy and content.

-0-0-0-

odonnellzoo99 - I thought it would be fun to explore how people get into the League when they don't get a direct team invite. Plus it was nice to see Angelina highlighted.

Ghostwriter - Thank you.

Thundramon - It was time where she got a highlight chapter again. She's a great character.

alix33 - I knew Angelina would love a pic like that.

DOOOOOOM Lord of Waffles - You are right. I went back and looked and that is what happened. The dangers of not writing sequentially and having many chapters separated. Good catch. We'll chalk that up to writer error.

poka - I like heartwarming moments, as you have seen. I like her as a character a lot and it's always nice to see characters rewarded for their hard work.