parchment.carefully,.he.climbed.through.the.portrait.hole.and.headed.off.for.the.Owlery..
.I.would.not.go.that.way.if.I.were.you,..said.Nearly.Headless.Nick,.drifting.disconcertingly.through.a.wall.just.ahead.of.Harry.as.he.walked.down.the.passage...Peeves.is.planning.an.amusing.joke.on.the.next.person.to.pass.the.bust.of.Paracelsus.halfway.down.the.corridor...
.Does.it.involve.Paracelsus.falling.on.top.of.the.persons.head?..asked.Harry..
.Funnily.enough,.it.does,..said.Nearly.Headless.Nick.in.a.bored.voice...Subtlety.has.never.been.Peeves.s.strong.point..I.m.off.to.try.and.find.the.Bloody.Baron…
.he.might.be.able.to.put.a.stop.to.it….see.you,.Harry.
.Yeah,.bye,..said.Harry.and.instead.of.turning.right,.he.turned.left,.taking.a.longer.but.safer.route.up.to.the.Owlery..His.spirits.rose.as.he.walked.past.window.after.window.showing.brilliantly.blue.sky;.he.had.training.later,.he.would.be.back.on.the.Quidditch.pitch.at.last..
Something.brushed.his.ankles..He.looked.down.and.saw.the.caretaker.s.skeletal.grey.cat,.Mrs.Norns,.slinking.past.him..She.turned.lamplike.yellow.eyes.on.him.for.a.moment.before.disappearing.behind.a.statue.of.Wilfred.the.Wistful..
.I.m.not.doing.anything.wrong,..Harry.called.after.her..She.had.the.unmistakeable.air.of.a.cat.that.was.ofi.to.report.to.her.boss,.yet.Harry.could.not.see.why;.he.was.perfectly.entitled.to.walk.up.to.the.Owlery.on.a.Saturday.morning..
The.sun.was.high.in.the.sky.now.and.when.Harry.entered.the.Owlery.the.glassless.windows.dazzled.his.eyes;.thick.silvery.beams.of.sunlight.crisscrossed.the.circular.room.in.which.hundreds.of.owls.nestled.on.rafters,.a.little.restless.in.the.early‐morning.light,.some.clearly.just.returned.from.hunting..The.straw‐
covered.floor.crunched.a.little.as.he.stepped.across.tiny.animal.bones,.craning.his.neck.for.a.sight.of.Hedwig..
There.you.are,..he.said,.spotting.her.somewhere.near.the.very.top.of.the.vaulted.ceiling...Get.down.here,.I.ve.got.a.letter.for.you...
With.a.low.hoot.she.stretched.her.great.white.wings.and.soared.down.on.to.his.shoulder..
.Right,.I.know.this.says.Snuffles.on.the.outside,..he.told.her,.giving.her.the.letter.to.clasp.in.her.beak.and,.without.knowing.exactly.why,.whispering,..but.it.s.for.Sirius,.OK?..
She.blinked.her.amber.eyes.once.and.he.took.that.to.mean.that.she.understood..
.Safe.flight,.then,..said.Harry.and.he.carried.her.to.one.of.the.windows;.with.a.moment.s.pressure.on.his.arm,.Hedwig.took.off.into.the.blindingly.bright.sky.
.He.watched.her.until.she.became.a.tiny.black.speck.and.vanished,.then.switched.his.gaze.to.Hagrid.s.hut,.clearly.visible.from.this.window,.and.just.as.clearly.uninhabited,.the.chimney.smokeless,.the.curtains.drawn..
The.treetops.of.the.Forbidden.Forest.swayed.in.a.light.breeze..Harry.watched.them,.savouring.the.fresh.air.on.his.face,.thinking.about.Quidditch.later….then.he.saw.it..A.great,.reptilian.winged.horse,.just.like.the.ones.pulling.the.Hogwarts.carriages,.with.leathery.black.wings.spread.wide.like.a.pterodactyl.s,.rose.up.out.of.the.trees.like.a.grotesque,.giant.bird..It.soared.in.a.great.circle,.then.plunged.back.into.the.trees..The.whole.thing.had.happened.so.quickly,.Harry.could.hardly.believe.what.he.had.seen,.except.that.his.heart.was.hammering.madly..