Hedwig
From UnknowableWiki
| Creature profile | |
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| Hedwig | |
| Species | snowy owl |
| Owner | Harry Potter |
| Appearance | large, snow-white owl with amber eyes |
| First appearance in canon | Diagon Alley (PS) |
Hedwig was Harry Potter's snowy owl. She was Harry's faithful pet and companion for six years. She was killed by Death Eaters in the Battle of the Seven Potters (DH4).
Contents |
Characteristics
Hedwig was a large, snow-white female owl with round amber eyes. She was very intelligent, especially when it came to delivering letters. For instance, she was able to track down recipients even if Harry did not have their address. She even found Sirius Black when he was on the run, a feat that the Ministry of Magic never accomplished (GF2). Apparently, she was also able to understand human speech; Harry usually gave her verbal instructions where to deliver letters and she also obeyed other spoken orders such as Harry's command to peck his friends until they answered his letters (OP3, OP4). In turn, she could effectively express her mood and opinion with a variety of hoots, clacks of her beak, expressive looks, and other forms of body language (CS2, CS12, GF18, OP3).
Hedwig was a very dignified owl who took great pride in her talent. She looked down on Ron's owl Pigwidgeon, whom she did not consider a proper, well-behaved post owl. She liked to act superior around him and show off with extremely well-mannered behaviour (PA22, GF3). Hedwig seemed to understand Harry and adjusted to his needs (PA2). However, she was easily offended when Harry failed to notice her, did not treat her well and respectfully, or asked her to do something she did not like (CS2, CS7, PA5, PA14, GF14, GF18, OP3). In some cases, she held long grudges against him (CS7, GF18).
Life
First year with Harry
Rubeus Hagrid bought Hedwig as a present for Harry's eleventh birthday, at Eeylops Owl Emporium in Diagon Alley on the boy's first trip to Diagon Alley on July 31, 1991 (PS5). The boy named her after a name he had found in A History of Magic. She spent the rest of the holidays swooping in and out of Harry's room, bringing back dead mice. Harry took her to King's Cross in her cage, and she attracted a lot of funny looks (PS6).
At Hogwarts Hedwig lived in the owlery with the other owls. She sometimes visited Harry at breakfast to nibble his ear and have some toast. She delivered her first letter to Harry—an invitation for tea from Hagrid—on September 6, 1991. Harry sent her back to Hagrid with his acceptance (PS8).
Several months later, Hedwig also delivered Hagrid's note that Norbert was hatching. Harry sent her on her first long distance journey to Charlie Weasley in Romania to ask for help with Norbert. After a week, she returned with Charlie's answer on a Wednesday night (PS14).
Ron and Hermione used Hedwig to send a letter to Dumbledore after they had to leave Harry in the tunnel where the Philosopher's Stone was hidden. At this time, Dumbledore was already on his way back to the school; he and Hedwig must have crossed in midair (PS17).
Second year with Harry
During the summer holidays of 1992, Uncle Vernon locked Hedwig in her cage to prevent Harry from sending letters (CS1). Hedwig was asleep when Dobby visited Harry in his bedroom; she woke up with a loud screech and beat her wings against the cage bars when Dobby started to punish himself. Harry had to share the scant food rations Aunt Petunia shoved through the cat-flap during his arrest with Hedwig. She was disgusted at the soggy cold vegetables he gave her (CS2).
She kept silent during Fred, George and Ron's rescue mission with the Flying Ford Anglia. Harry almost forgot her; he was about to climb into the car when she gave a loud shriek that woke Uncle Vernon. Harry quickly handed the cage to Ron and started to climb through the window when Vernon entered the room. Vernon grabbed him, but Harry managed to escape. Inside the car, Hary asked Ron to pick the lock on Hedwig's cage. She was glad to spread her wings again and glide beside the car (CS3).
Hedwig's cage was perched on top of Harry's trolley when he crashed into the barrier that Dobby had sealed. It fel down and rolled acroos the floor while she was shrieking and causing enough noise to make the onlookers mutter about animal rights. Ron picked her up. The boys put her on the backseat of the Flying For Anglia when they flew to Hogwarts. She panicked and shrieked as they hit the Whomping Willow. The car threw her cage out with the other trunks; it burst open in midair and she flew off with an angry cry (CS5). She was angy with Harry for quite a long time (CS7). By Christmas, she had forgiven him and nibbled his ear affectionately when she delivered the Dursleys' present—a toothpick (CS12).
Third year with Harry
The summer of 1993 brought an improvement for Hedwig: Uncle Vernon allowed Harry to let her out at night after he swore that he would not use her for communication. She left for a long flight two nights before Harry's birthday and secretly visited Hermione, who was on holiday in France, to collect her birthday present for Harry. On her way back, she met a school owl and the exhausted Errol, whom Ron had sent from Egypt. Hedwig and the Hogwarts owl had to carry Errol to number four, Privet Drive. Hedwig was proud of her achievement, and looked immensely pleased with herself when Harry received her (PA1). Harry had to send Hedwig and Errol away the same day because of the arrival of Vernon's sister Marge. He told her to stay with Ron. She shot him a reproachful look before she left (PA2).
After running away from Privet Drive, Harry met her again in his room at the Leaky Cauldron. Tom the barkeep informed him that she had arrived only five minutes after him and complimented her for being so smart. Harry spent a long time stroking Hedwig (PA3).
The morning after Sirius Black broke into the Gryffindor boys' dormitory, Hedwig delivered a letter from HAgrid to Harry. He did not notice her at first because he was occupied by Neville's Howler. She nipped him sharply on the wrist to get his attention and then helped herself to some of Neville's cornflakes (PA14).
On the Hogwarts Express back to London, Hedwig clicked her beak in dignified disapproval when Pigwidgeon merrily soared through the compartment (PA22).
Fourth year with Harry
Hedwig did not approve of the tropical birds which delivered Sirius' letters to Harry at Privet Drive either, and was reluctant to let them drink water from her tray (GF2). Since Harry was forced to partake in Dudley's diet, he sent Hedwig to his friends with pleas for food. She came back with ample supply. Once again, she go annoyed by Pigwidgeon when he delivered a letter from Ron to Harry. She clicked her beak and stared coldly at him. When Harry gave her the letter in which he told Sirius about his scar, she kept uncommonly still, as if she wanted to demonstrate how a proper post owl should behave (GF3).
Hedwig was gone for quite a long time and Harry awaited her return eagerly. She came back to Howarts on September 4, 1994. She settled herself on Harry's lap while he read the letter and was jolted out of her seat when Harry, agitated about the news that Siriusplanned to return to England, stood up abruptly. Harry angrily snapped at her when she clicked her beak for a reward and she took off offendedly, beating him with her wing on her way out of the common room (GF14). Harry sought her out in the owlery the next day to send her to Sirius again. She was still angry at him and pretended to be sleeping. When she had admitted to being awake, she showed him her tal and would not look at him. Only when Harry suggested that she was obviously still too tired and that he could take Pigwidgeon instead did she consent to take the letter. Harry stroked her as he carried her to the hole in the wall and she nipped his finger (albeit a little harder than normally) and hooted softly to indicate that he was forgiven (GF15).
Hedwig returned several weeks later, on the morning of October 30, 1995. She was visibly exhausted and stayed only to eat Harry's bacon rinds and take a nip of his orange juice before taking off for the owlery (GF15).
Hedwig fluttered down onto Harry's shoulder expectantly when he came to the owlery to send another letter to Sirius to notify him that he had been chosen as a Triwizard champion. Harry told her he could not use her as she was too noticeable and she took off angrily with a loud hoot, digging her talons into his shoulder. He tried to stroke her and apologise, but she kept turning her back to him. She refused to come near him for several days (GF18).
The Trio agreed to use Hedwig for their letter to Percy Weasley after the second task, as she had not had a job for a long time. She returned at the end of the Easter holidays, bringing Easter eggs from Mrs. Weasley as well as Percy's answer (GF28).
Fifth year with Harry
On the night that Harry was attacked by Dementors in the summer of 1995, Hedwig was hunting. Harry waited anxiously for her to return. When she flew in with a dead frog in her beak, he told her impatiently to put it down and gave her three letters for Sirius, Ron and Hermione. He ordered her to peck them until they answered. Hedwig, still holding the frog, made a muffled sound and took off at once. Harry quickly felt sorry for treating her badly (OP3).
Hedwig found all three addressees at number twelve, Grimmauld Place. When none of them answered the letters (Dumbledore had forbidden this), she went frantic and started to peck them violently. She stayed at Grimmauld Place for several days until Harry arrived. She was obviously glad to see him again; she swooped onto his shoulder from the wadrobe in his and Ron's room and nibbled his ear affectionately. Harry stroked her while arguing with his two best friends. When he started shouting, she was frightened and flew away to settle on the wardrobe, from where she hooted glumly. She grew restless as the evening drew on; Ron fed her and Pigwidgeon some Owl Treats and explained that they could not be let out to hunt every night because it would be suspicious (OP4). Consequently, Hedwig spent most of her time at Grimmauld Place on top of the wardrobe (OP4, OP9).
On the last day of the holidays, Hermione borrowed Hedwig to send a letter to her parents after she got her prefect badge (OP9). The owl returned the next morning and accompanied Harry to Hogwarts in her cage (OP10).
After his scar hurt in detention with Dolores Umbridge, Harry sent Hedwig to Sirius on the morning of September 7, 1995. She had just departed when Filch came to confiscate the letter (OP14).
Sixth year with Harry
Death
During the summer of 1997, Hedwig was again angry with Harry for she could not leave her cage as often as she wished. Harry suspected that she pretended to be sleeping (DH2). She ignored the nuts he offered her (DH3). She sullenly kept her head under her wing when Harry took his last look at number four, Privet Drive, telling her about the memories he connected with different parts of the house. After the arrival of the Order members, Harry carried Hedwig's cage into the back garden and perched it on his knees in the sidecar of the flying motorcycle.
The Order members were surrounded by Voldemort's Death Eaters immediately as they took flight. The motorcycle rolled over and Harry's Firebolt, his rucksack and Hedwig's cage fell out. Harry managed to catch the cage and the rucksack as the motorbike swung up again. But just a second later, Hedwig was hit by a Killing Curse. She dropped dead in her cage. Harry screamed out her name in shock. At first, he refused to believe that she was dead. Hagrid accelerated and the motorcycle sped away from the main fight, but several Death Eaters followed them and were shortly joined by Voldemort himself. During the fight, the sidecar broke loose from the motorbike. Hagrid lifted Harry onto the back of the motorcycle before the sidecar started to fall, and Harry made it explode with Confringo. He felt a gut-wrenching pang on account of Hedwig, whose cage was still inside.
Hagrid enquired after Hedwig when he and Harry were about to take the Portkey to The Burrow. Tears welled up in Harry's eyes as he told Hagrid what had happened. Hagrid comforted him, saying that Hedwig had had "a great old life" (DH4).
Trivia
- J. K. Rowling has said that Hedwig's death was necessary because it "represented a loss of innocence and security" and marked the end of Harry's childhood (BLC).
- In her original draft of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Rowling intended Hedwig to catch the Snitch in Harry's first Quidditch match. In that case, Hedwig would have been the one with the power to open the Snitch at the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which means that she would have had to survive longer. However, Rowling thinks that even in this version, Hedwig "was going to die anyway, eventually." Her British editor objected to Hedwig catching the Snitch in book one (V27), and Rowling made Harry swallow it instead (PS11).
