The stars above twinkled overhead like sequins on a velvety, midnight blue dress. Below the ocean was beating repeatedly against the beach as I flew by. I hooted seeing if maybe there was a fellow of flight I might be able to communicate with. Sometimes these trips got awfully boring without someone else to talk to. One of these days I was gonna find a way to tell Harry just how mind numbingly long my flights are at times.

As the sun came up I swooped down to grab a snack. While they are a rather common thing, there was something to be said about field mice. I continued to fly for a couple hours before nesting in a spruce tree and catching some shuteye.

It must have been noon when I took off again because while the streets below were hardly what you’d call busy, the restaurants and drive-thrues were packed.

It was another day before I started to see familiar lands. I didn’t stop till I was a few hours’ flight away from home. As I rested I looked forward to getting a goodnight’s sleep in a familiar place and catching up on the latest gossip.

My eyes squinted as rays of light washed over me and glinted through the feathers of the wings. I stretched and took off eager to get home, maybe in time to grab a piece of toast.

As I flew closer and closer I started to see fellow messengers. Then I realized there was something odd about the way they were flying…it was as if they were dodging something… Randomly owls would disappear from view as others would fly out to join the throng surrounding the high placed windows, fighting and struggling to deliver their letters. One closer inspection I noticed that some of the owls’ feathers were oddly ruffled as if they had been in some sort of tussle.

All of a sudden I felt a jerk as if a giant hand had grabbed me and was pulling me down. I hooted wildly as I struggled against the iron grip dragged me back. The more I moved the harder the invisible vice held me. I screeched as the force pushed a handful of my feathers the wrong way. I realized I wasn’t the only one being ambushed, all around me owls were hooting in alarm as they were grabbed by the same force had a hold of me.

I felt hands gripping me, preventing any chance of escape, as I was pulled through a window and into a classroom.

“You’re Potter’s owl, aren’t you?” I heard a cold voice sneer.

I turned my head round to see that Malfoy boy smirking at me. If only his hand was just a little closer! I’d seen him taunt my master on numerous occasions on the school train and during the morning delivery. I didn’t like his owl either. Always strutting around the Owlery, acting like he owned the place, picking on smaller owls like Pig, pisses me off he does. And what’s more he seems to have a thing for me, the pervert. I swear next time he comes near me I’m gonna rip out a few of those glossy feathers he’s always going on about.

“I’ve got one, ma’am! Looks like its Potter’s owl too!”

“Oh, pass it here, Draco, pass it here.”

I felt Malfoy’s hands loosing on me but before I could escape I was passed into the clutches of what appeared to be a human toad or a spell gone bad. It wasn’t a very smart toad though when it came to where it put its hands on me.

“Ouch! Why you little…” Toady muttered as she tapped a bleeding finger with her wand.

I let out an awful screech as she grabbed my wing and yanked it the wrong way.

“Quick! Shut it up before someone hears!” She croaked as she ripped the letter from my leg.

Hands held me still as a piece of string was put round my beak.

“I’ve got what I need. Re-attach the note and release her.”

“Professor, won’t Potter notice that his owl looks like it’s been attacked. I don’t think it can fly on a wing like that.”

“Well that’s too bad isn’t it? The dirty little thing shouldn’t have bit me.”

Damn right, I bit you! I wanted to tell her. What I wouldn’t give for a set of human vocals right now. In a few taps of a wand the string had vanished and the note re-attached as though it had never left my leg. A breeze whipped around me as I was forcefully thrown from the window. Wincing slightly in pain, I took off to find my master.

It turned out I had missed the morning delivery as I found Harry sitting in class, looking as though he might fall asleep at any moment and doodling on a piece of parchment. I tapped at the window. I tapped again… and again. Good God man, window! Look at the window! Will you just look at the window you stupid git?! Finally that Granger girl seemed to notice me. I watched as she fought to get Harry’s attention. Sometimes I worry for that boy… Finally he opened the window. ‘Bout time I thought as I hopped inside.

I swayed as he rushed back to his desk. My mind swam as he moved me to his lap.

“She’s hurt!” Harry whispered, bending his head low over me. Granger and Weasley bent closer too. “Look- there’s something wrong with her wing-“

Thank you Captain Obvious! I shivered as I realized just how cold I was. Harry moved to touch my wing. Ah hell no! I puffed out trying to ward him off. Do you ever think before you act? I attempted to ask him with my eyes.

“Professor Binns,” Harry said loudly, and everyone in the class turned his way. Obviously not, I thought. “I’m not feeling well.”

“Not feeling well?”

“Not at all well,” Harry said moving me behind him as if I was a quaffle.

And then I was on his shoulder as we walked down the hallway. Harry looked around and switched directions as if he had no clue where he was going. As he started down some stairs I felt as if I was going to fall off his shoulder at any moment and gripped him harder. We stopped outside a pair of gargoyles.

“You should be in class, sunny Jim.”

Who’s Jim? I thought wearily. Things were starting to sway in front of me.

“This is urgent.”

“Ooooh, urgentis it?”

And then we found ourselves face to face with a stern looking lady with a lopsided hat.

“You haven’t been given another detention!”

“No, Professor!”

“Well then, why are you out of class?”

“It’s urgent, apparently,” that stupid gargoyle said.

A lady with a pipe and paper stood just behind the doorway as Harry and the hat lady talked.

“I’m looking for Professor Grubby-Plank.”

“Injured owl, did you say?”

“Yes,” Harry said as he lifted me off his shoulder. “She turned up after the other post owls and her wing’s all funny, look-”

I was once again passed along. What am I, a bleeding parcel?!?!
“Hmm, looks like something’s attacked her. Can’t think of what would have done it, though…Thestrals will sometimes for birds, or course, but Hagrid’s got the Hogwarts thestrals trained not to touch owls…”

All this was mumbo-jumbo to my brain as I watched the pipe smoking lady swim before me.

“I should be able to sort this out if you leave her with me, Potter,” the lady with the pipe said. “She shouldn’t be flying long distances for a few days, in any case.”

“Er- right- thanks,” Harry said. A loud sound echoed down the hall just then.

“Just a moment, Wilhelmina! Potter’s letter!”

“Oh yeah!”

I felt the note taken from my leg. As the lady walked away with me I came to my senses. Where was I going now? I turned to see Harry standing there. What are you doing you dunderhead clout?! I hooted but the door closed as the hat lady entered the room.

“So what do you think is wrong with her?”

“I haven’t the foggiest, but if I were to take a wild guess why it looks like something plucked her from the sky as she was flying.”

“Like a spell, perhaps?”

“Maybe, Minerva, but who?”

“I have an idea.”

I looked up to see the lady peering at me through a monocle. “It’s alright love. Just go to sleep and we’ll get you fixed up.” I fought to keep my eyes open, but before I knew it, I was asleep.