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

Extended Family

Chapter 164 – Hedwig Edit: Tiny Terror

Takes place during Harry's fifth year, after the Winter Holiday

Hedwig groaned and shook her head. The last thing she remembered was flying through the great hall to see her chick and colliding with two other owls in mid-air. She had been doused with something and lost consciousness, awakening now. "Ugh, I'm going to get those two fat flying sacks! Stupid birds. Watch your damn flight paths. Flying into me like that." She blinked and coughed. "Wait. Why do I sound like this."

She stood up and fell over, falling on her rear with a feathery thump. "What's wrong with me? I feel strange." She looked down at herself and her eyes widened with horror. "What. The. Fu-"

"Well, she sounds okay," Pomfrey said as she watched and listened to Hedwig's tiny angry hooting. She waved her wand and looked at the results of the Animal Diagnostic Charm. "She seems healthy despite being shrunk and in a younger form."

"Hey! Hey! Fix this! You have to fix this! I can't deliver mail and take care of Chick like this! I don't want to be a bloody owlet again! Big Heart! Life Saver! FIX ME!" Hedwig hopped up and down, beating her tiny wings and hooted and barked shrilly.

Hagrid smiled. "She just sounds a bit miffed so she must be feeling okay."

"That's a bit miffed?"

"Okay, maybe more than a bit. Let me go get Harry, he'll want to see her and know she's okay for the most part."

-0-

Harry sat outside the Infirmary with his head in his hands. He trembled slightly, from nerves and fright. Katie sat at his side, rubbing his back gently and looked up at the sound of running feet.

"What happened?!" Hermione asked, breathless from running. "Someone mentioned an accident at breakfast?"

"Hedwig was flying down and two other owls collided with her midflight and their packages exploded. The other two owls managed to avoid the explosion and mixture of whatever but Hedwig got doused with it. Harry ran her up here with Hagrid and he and Madam Pomfrey are checking her out," Katie explained.

"Oh no," Luna said tearily and sat beside Harry, hugging him. "I'm sure she will be okay," Luna said softly. "She is very tough."

"I can't lose her," Harry said, voice heavy. "She was my first real friend. I got her the day I found out I was a wizard. I can't lose her."

"Do we know what was involved in the explosion?" Hermione asked.

"Professor Snape took samples of the remains," Katie said. "He's trying to figure it out."

The door opened and Hagrid poked his head out. "Come on in," he said, waving a giant hand at them.

"Is she okay?" Harry asked immediately, jumping to his feet."

"She's alright, mostly," Hagrid said. He was fighting a smile and that alone was enough to relieve Harry. "You better see it though. I've never seen anything like it myself."

They followed him into the Infirmary and Harry ran up to his bed. "What's wrong? Is she okay?!"

"She is fine," Pomfrey said. "For the most part. Severus determined that the explosion was an odd mixture of a rejuvenation potion and some materials and reagents that are very magically strong and have shrinking properties. When mixed together violently on a subject that it was not intended for, it created an interesting result."

She moved the blanket aside and a tiny snowy owlet looked up at them. "It became a…de-aging and shrinking potion of sorts apparently."

"Oh my goodness," Katie breathed. "She's so cute."

Hedwig was a fraction of her former size, barely larger than a small ball or a very large Golden Snitch. She was somehow still snow white with black markings, overlarge amber eyes, and a look of intense indignation on her face. She barked, a much higher and squeakier version of her normal voice. "Don't let Chick see me like this! This is embarrassing!"

"Normally snowy owlets are grey," Hagrid said, bemused. "Then again, there really ain't anything normal about this is there?"

"That's Hedwig?" Harry asked, not quite believing his eyes. "Is she alright? Aside from being…an owlet?"

"She's fine as far as we can tell. She seems to be the same mentally, just in a younger body," Pomfrey said. "Though admittedly, that is a giant guess on our part. Like we said, we have not seen this before. She seems to be aging back to her normal age at a swifter rate, but as far as we can tell, nothing permanent has been done and she is not hurt."

Harry lunged and caught Hedwig as she tried to fly off the bed. She barely made it a few inches up before falling off the edge. She puffed up in his hands, looking impotently angry. Harry held her to his face. "Hedwig, are you okay?"

Hedwig peered at him and scooted a little closer, tilting her head as if in confusion. Then she snapped her beak shut on a lock of hair and tugged as hard as she could, scrabbling for purchase in his hand. "Of course I'm okay aside from the fact that I'm tiny and can't do my duties!"

"Ow! Okay yeah, this is Hedwig alright," Harry laughed with relief. "I'm so happy you're okay, mostly," he said and held her to his cheek.

Hedwig softened and cheeped, nuzzling against him. "I mean, I'm mostly okay."

Luna cupped her hands. "Can I hold you, Hedwig?" she asked.

Hedwig rolled her eyes and hooted in resignation before nodding. "If you must." She sat in Luna's hand, preening a little at Luna's cooing and head scratching.

"So, what do we do? Wait for her to age up the normal way?" Katie asked.

"It might not take that long, not like the normal aging process. The mixture's effects are wearing off fairly fast but Severus is working on a counter potion and we should still have her drink it when it is done to stop her from aging prematurely. But she is healthy so as long as she is taken care of until she goes back to normal, she will be fine," Pomfrey said.

Hedwig puffed her chest out and barked at Pomfrey. "I am better than fine!" Spreading her little wings, she launched herself off Luna's hand, flapping mightily but began to fall. Harry caught her easily once more. "Hedwig, you can't go flying around like you normally do," he chided gently.

"Good thing you're a Seeker," Hermione smiled. "Good reflexes."

Pomfey tapped the pocket on Harry's shirt with her wand. "There. Enlarging charm, warming charm, and some cushioning and reinforcement charms. Handy Hedwig pocket."

Harry gently put the owlet into the pocket and Hedwig popped her head out, hooting indignantly. "HANDY HEDWIG POCKET?! THIS IS MORTIFYING!"

"This is way too cute," Luna gasped.

"Hey, imagine how much bigger the bacon will be now," Harry said. He grinned at Hedwig's shocked look. "See? It's not all bad. I'll take care of you until you get back to regular size."

"Now you'll really be a mama bird," Katie laughed.

-0-

"Harry, what are you doing?"

"Hmm?" Harry looked at Daphne. "What do you mean?"

Daphne watched him put a piece of meat into his shirt pocket. "Are you…saving that for later? Surely there is a better way to do that."

"Oh, no it's for Hedwig."

"Saving it later for Hedwig?"

Harry smiled. "No, she's eating it now." He patted the pocket gently. Hedwig popped her head out, her beak full of steak and she looked around.

"What?" she barked peevishly, voice muffled by the large piece of steak.

"Oh my goodness," Daphne breathed. "That is Hedwig?!"

"Yes it is me! There better not be another snowy owl around trying to steal my chick to add to the insult!"

"Yeah, there was an accident this morning and she got younger and tinier as you can see. I didn't want to leave her anywhere so I'm carrying her around."

"She is adorable," Daphne cooed. She started to lean in closer.

"Oh careful," Harry warned. "She's a bit grumpy."

Hedwig glared at Daphne beadily and clacked her beak after swallowing the bite of steak. "I'd like to see you not be 'a bit grumpy' if you get shrunk and can't do basic things!"

"She feels a bit undignified," Harry explained as Hedwig burrowed back down into his pocket. The pocket shook from her hoots and he put another piece of steak inside. "You're undignified!"

"Because she has been relegated to riding in your pocket?" Daphne said with a smile.

"Yeah and she can't fly very well right now."

"How long will it last?"

"No idea honestly. But I have to say, I don't mind it. It's nice having her around all day and I can just feel her in the pocket, you know?"

"You are utterly besotted with her," Daphne grinned.

Hedwig poked her head out again and looked up at Harry. He gently rubbed her head with a finger. "She's my first real friend and link to the magical world. I got her the day I found out I was a wizard. Hagrid gave her to me. In fact, she's also technically my first ever birthday gift. So yeah, I really care about her and love her."

"That is very sweet," Daphne said as she dabbed her eyes. She kept a respectful distance from Hedwig and smiled at her. "Your owner loves you very much."

Hedwig cheeped softly. "I know that and I love him very much too."

-0-

"Oh my goodness," Alicia said as she and Angelina walked up to the team corner.

Harry pulled a small table to it and Hedwig was running around the tabletop. She held her wings out for balance as she scampered up and down and left and right. Lyla and Mirabelle were playing with her, rolling small things for her to chase and kick, playing tug of war with her with quills.

"Just giving her some exercise," Harry said, "since she can't fly right now."

"She is pretty cute like this," Angelina admitted as she sat at the table. Hedwig stopped running and looked up at her, eyes wide and innocent-looking. She cheeped inquisitively and tilted her head. "You are a lot sweeter like this. Maybe you're nicer with you younger and smaller."

"Hedwig," Harry started to say as Angelina reached out with her finger.

"If you think me being like this prevents me from acting, think again!" Hedwig's eyes narrowed and she lunged, biting Angelina hard on the finger. "Ow! Bloody hell!" Angelina shouted and tried to pull her finger back. Hedwig hung on, flapping her wings and digging her talons into the table.

"I'm going to take that finger!" Hedwig barked, biting hard.

"Hedwig! Let her go!" Harry scratched her head and Hedwig released Angelina and screeched indignantly at Angelina. ("Why do I have to let go?! She started it!") "So uh, it's not a baby version of Hedwig. It's the same Hedwig, in a miniature form."

"You bloody chicken!" Angelina looked at her bitten finger and then glared at an unrepentant Hedwig. Mirabelle, Lyla, and Alicia laughed at the sight. Angelina ground her teeth as Harry tapped her finger with his wand, healing the wound.

"You deserved it this time," Alicia said, still laughing. "You provoked her!"

"I did not!"

"Yes you did!"

"You did by being really condescending," Alicia continued.

Angelina flipped Hedwig off and Hedwig flapped her wings, trying to fly at Angelina. "Today's the day! I'm taking your braids with me this time and making a nest out of them! Let me go! I can take her!"

"Okay, that's enough," Harry said. He held Hedwig in his hands. "We're all friends here. Just, more belligerent of ones sometimes."

"You're lucky I care about Rabbit," Angelina said to Hedwig.

Hedwig's angry hooting seemed to share the sentiment. "And you're lucky I love Chick and he loves you for some reason!"

-0-

"Mate, I think you've gone around the bend," Seamus said, laughing his head off.

"What'd you mean?" Harry asked.

"You're like one of those old ladies who carry around their little dogs in their purses. Dress them up and talk to them like they're people."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Hedwig is really smart for an owl and I like taking care of her, thank you."

"She's a bloody genius of an owl you mean," Ron said warily. "Seamus, shut it. You do not want to piss her off."

"I've eaten chickens four times her size," Seamus said without concern. "Not worried about her at full size, less worried about her when she's barely bigger than a Snitch."

"Don't mind him," Harry said to Hedwig who stared bloody murder at Seamus. "He's just jealous."

Hedwig glared at Seamus. "I'd be jealous if I was him too. No feathers, no style, no chick or chicks as you lot call them. Flightless, wingless, ball-le-"

"No I'm not," Seamus snorted. "I don't want you caring for me. Now if one of the lasses were, that'd be a different story."

Harry snorted as Seamus, Dean, and Ron started a conversation of who they wanted to take care of them. Neville rolled his eyes but made his opinion known as well. He finished making a small nest out of an old Quidditch jersey and a pillow he shrank. Putting everything together, he set it on the corner of his bead at the head and watched as Hedwig clambered in. "How is it?"

Hedwig hooted happily, hopping up and down until Harry put his hand inside. She nibbled on his fingers lovingly. "I love it! You're good at making nests."

"I'm glad. Don't worry girl. You take good care of me on the regular, I'll take good care of you." He read for a bit longer, watching her fall asleep. By then the others fell asleep as well and he finally turned off his light and put his glasses on the tiny owl that Percy gave him so long ago.

After an hour passed, Hedwig's eyes popped open. She looked around the dark room for long moments, making sure everyone was asleep. With some effort, she climbed out of the nest and gave a sleeping Harry a nuzzle on the cheek before she slowly fluttered to the floor. Scampering across the room, she managed to climb up an errant shoelace into Seamus' trunk and went to work.

"Make fun of me will you? Make fun of my Chick will you?! I'll show you! Let's see what dignity you have left after I fix your clothes you overgrown idiot! I've seen you waggle your rear around. Even if you had tail feathers, you wouldn't be able to attract any mates!"

A while later, a very tired but pleased Hedwig climbed up the curtain around Harry's bed bit by bit and crawled into her nest, finally going to sleep.

The next morning, Harry and Neville went to the great hall first with a sleepy Hedwig still dozing in Harry's pocket. They sat and ate, discussing the herbology work as more of their friends arrived for breakfast. Eventually, Neville looked up and noticed something, nudging Harry with his elbow.

Harry looked up. "Why are you wearing your cloak indoors Seamus?"

"As if you don't know!" Seamus said angrily.

"I really don't. What're you on about?"

"I told you he left before us as he normally does," Dean said and his face was bright red from laughter. Ron's face was bright red as well.

"So you didn't do it?!" Seamus asked.

"Do what?!"

"Every pair of Seamus's pants and knickers have giant rips in the bum area," Ron said and everyone listening exploded into laughter. "Not a single piece survived intact!"

"Hedwig did it!" Seamus yelled, face red from embarrassment.

Harry glared at him. "She's tiny! You really think she was able to fly across the room and go through your things and fly back? She can barely get around."

"Maybe your arse grew," Neville suggested with a surprisingly straight face.

"Nope," Parvati and Lavender said at the same time, increasing the hilarity at the table.

"I still say she did it!" Seamus insisted. "My pants were fine last night before bed. I make some remarks about her, and this morning they were all shredded!"

"You were making fun of Hedwig in her state?" Hermione asked incredulously. "That's just pathetic."

"Hedwig is a sweet owl and wouldn't do that!" Lyla said indignantly.

"Even I'll agree with that. Not the sweet part but she'd sooner bite the shite out of you first," Angelina deadpanned.

Harry watched with satisfaction as more people upbraided Seamus and he tucked several pieces of bacon into his pocket. "That's my girl," he said softly and smugly.

Hedwig's sleepy hoots sounded like bacon being eaten and merriment. "What an idiot," she hooted smugly.

-0-

Angelina rifled through her bag. "I thought I had some spare quills in here. I just opened a new pack of them."

"Clearly not, if you did they would be in there," Alicia said, not looking up from her notes.

"Gee thanks. For that, I'm taking one of yours." She opened Alicia's bag and looked inside. "You don't have any spares either."

"What?!" Alicia took her bag back and looked through it. She opened it wide and shook it upside down. "I had spares! I know I did!"

"Clearly not," Angelina said snidely.

Alicia scowled at her snickering friend. "Harry, may I borrow some quills and Angelina not borrow any?"

"Hey!"

Harry smiled. "I have enough for both of you." He opened his bag and looked inside, eyes widening in surprise that he managed to smooth away swiftly. He handed three to each girl.

"Oh thanks Rabbit," Angelina said with relief.

"Of course. I'll be right back, going to swap out a few things." He walked up to his dorm room with his bag and when he entered, he sighed loudly. "Hedwig, don't go around stealing things like that."

Hedwig sat on a pile of quills in his bag and she looked smugly up at him. She hooted, flapping her wings. "I didn't steal! I took to prove my superiority even in my shrunken state. Besides, it was well-deserved revenge."

"Actually, yes. I'm very impressed that you manage to steal them in your state without getting caught." He rubbed her belly and she cheeped at him. "What am I going to do with you?"

She tugged on his finger and when his hand stilled, she climbed up his arm. She then nestled into the crook of his neck and sighed contentedly. "Love me for being the best. Also I guess there are some nice things about being small."

"This is good too," he smiled.

-0-

Snape handed the potion vial to Harry. "This will undo the shrinking properties and ensure that she does not age prematurely."

Harry poured out a spoon full and Hedwig drank it, making a face as she did. "Ugh, that tastes terrible and I eat frogs and newts willingly!"

"How long will it take to work?" Harry asked

"She should be back to normal in three days' time. If she seems unwell before then, tell me or Hagrid or Madam Pomfrey. I doubt it will make her ill, however, I was careful to follow the guidelines that animal healers set for owls."

"Thank you, Sir," Harry said sincerely. "I really appreciate it."

"You are welcome. It was an interesting situation and I was able to brew something new. I appreciated the opportunity."

Snape was correct. Hedwig grew in size and stature steadily and after three days, she was back to normal size. Harry hugged her gratefully, burying his face into her feathers as she cooed and cheeped at him, nibbling his ear and pulling on his hair. "Glad you're okay!" he said, deeply relieved.

"I'm better than okay!" Hedwig flew around the common room a few times to prove she had her full flight capabilities back, diving and putting on an aerial display that delighted the watchers. She landed primly on Harry's lap and puffed her chest at him. "I'm even better at flying than I was before!"

He scratched her belly. "Very good," he praised. "I did like carrying you around in a pocket though. That was rather nice."

"Okay, I'll admit that was nice. Hmm, too small now. But I have an idea!" Hedwig peered at the pocket and then squirmed under his shirt. "Hey that's ticklish!" Harry laughed as Hedwig moved around under his shirt. She finally popped her head out of his shirt front and plumped up comfortably against him.

"Okay, this is nice too," he said and she hooted in agreement, snuggling closer to him.

"It's very nice," she cheeped.

-0-0-0-

Arnie1701 - Some things should not be mixed.

odonnellzoo99 - Glad you enjoy despite not being interested in DnD.

Ghostwriter - Glad you like it.

DOOOOOOM Lord of Waffles - I try to make my series have similar titles so it'll be easier to catch on and follow continuity. Hope you had a good session.

poka - More will come eventually.

TheSphynx - DnD can be so much fun with the right people and downright terrible with the wrong people. I havent had a regular game in so long and hope to one day soon.