Extended Family

Chapter 145: A Union in Parliament

Takes place during Harry’s sixth year at Hogwarts, around chapter 118 of Family

There were many different kinds of people in the world.  Some wear their emotions and their thoughts openly, easy to see and understand.  Others were more guarded, hiding their thoughts and their heart under a façade of civility.  Others wore a mask with some and were more open with others.

This person was just unpleasant in every sense of the word.  Their eyes were beady and narrow.  Their features pinched, as if permanently smelling something unpleasant.  Their robes looked high-class and expensive, and they walked with an air of self-inflated importance.

He looked around the space, his face twisting even more.  “Why is it so cold?  The wind just blows right through!”

McGonagall resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose.  “We are in the Owlery,” she said with as much patience as she could muster.  “Owls fly in and out at will.  So the space is open for them to fly.”

“And why is it so messy?” he continued, glaring at the floor with disgust. 

“Again, this is the Owlery,” McGonagall said through gritted teeth.  “The charms actually keep the space quite clean.  But it will be messier than other places on average.”

“Why do we even have owls here?” he sniffed, glaring at the rows of owls that sat on roosts or in nests. 

“Why do we-“ McGonagall sighed deeply.  “Owls are the traditional form of sending packages and letters and we have owls that serve the school and the owls that belong to the students.  We cannot expect owls not to have a place to rest and eat.  They are living beings and deserve as much for the work they do.”

“It would save costs and be better if they weren’t here,” the wizard sniffed unpleasantly.  “Filthy creatures.  Unnecessary.”  He gasped loudly.  “And that one!  That one isn’t even native to Britain!”

The one he called ‘that one’ felt his look and turned her head.  She looked down at the man and narrowed her eyes, making him grow angry.  “It dares look at me like that?!” he said loudly.

“You are rather insulting,” McGonagall said acidly.  “Owls do understand us.”

“Bah, brainless beasts,” the man snorted.  “I will be bringing this up to the Wizengamot and the Minister.  We need to make some genuine changes and this will be very important.”  He curled his lip at the owl.  “And you will be gone, useless ugly thing.”  He stomped away and McGonagall walked behind him so that the man did not see her expression or the way her fingers twitched, as if they wished to wrap around something.

Hedwig’s eye twitched and she puffed out, swelling from sheer anger.  The owls closest to her inched away from her while others fled from her.  All the owls knew her by now and they knew she would not react well to the direct insult.  Hedwig screeched loudly, her voice echoing all around the roof of the castle and the grounds, making the other owls quail and quiver.

Hedwig flapped her wings and stomped a foot, barking loudly and angrily.  The other owls stopped to listen to her and one by one, they nodded along, hooting in agreement.  Hedwig flapped to the edge of the roof and brooded there, watching the man leave the castle far below.  Her expression was remarkably like one of the gargoyles, only much harder and a lot more dangerous.