Chapter Sixteen - The Owl
We were on the road again. Our destination was unknown to me, but it was a very long trip, much longer than the previous day. I didn't know how someone could drive so much with so little sleep. I was actually getting worried about the whole situation, since my mother's death had been because of a car crash...
However, Luna had assured me that the car, being magical and despite its appearance, had some charms that prevented any fatal accident. That made me feel a little calmer.
The sun was almost setting, when Uncle Ron stopped the car abruptly. Both Luna and I looked at him alarmed, but he simply jumped off the car and hurried to the field to our right. "Ronald! What's wrong?" Luna exclaimed, as she ran after him.
Crookshanks and I remained in the car, which was barely off the road. However, in all the hours we drove, we hadn't seen any cars, so it wasn't a dangerous situation. My uncle seemed to have spotted an owl flying in our direction. A white owl, which landed right on his arm. "Hedwig," I whispered incredulously.
Of course, my mother had told me about my father's owl. It was very smart, proud, and unique.
My uncle and Luna returned to the car, the owl still on his left arm. He was expressionless, but Luna seemed hopeful. Once they were back in the car, the owl fluttered its wings, jumping next to me. It looked at me with its amber eyes, studying me as I patted its head. After a few moments, it hooted and carefully nibbled at my fingers.
"She's Hedwig, isn't she?" I asked, turning to look at my uncle. He had been staring at me while I was interacting with the owl. He simply nodded. "Did she bring any message?"
"No, she didn't," he said, his tone was slightly defeated. He turned around, facing the road ahead.
Slowly, we were back on the road.
"It's almost like a mystery novel," I mused, sharing my thoughts with my parents' pets. "Every lead takes us somewhere else, every place has its story... Every story is unexpected..." I looked at Hedwig, almost fearfully. "If you're a new clue, what does it mean? Is my father nearby? Have you been wandering alone for years? Is he dead? Is he already with my mother?"
Hedwig hooted softly in reply, and I wished I could understand her...
Our ride came to an end when Uncle Ron stopped at a small motel in the middle of nowhere. We shared a small room, which was slightly better than the previous one. This one had two large beds.
Luna took one, while my uncle and I had to share another one. Hedwig seemed to be more interested in going out hunting, while Crookshanks slept at my feet.
When we got up the next morning, Hedwig was waiting for us on top of the old car. She hooted at us, as if complaining for not letting a window open for her, and then flew to me. If I hadn't raised my arm, she'd probably have landed on my head or shoulder... Very bossy animal.
We spent most of the morning on the road, and after having lunch in the car, we entered a small forest, where my uncle said Remus Lupin lived. From there, in less than an hour we found ourselves in front of a small hut. It was simple, hidden away in the dark forest.
I got out of the car after my parents' pets did, since they seemed desperate to get out of the small vehicle. "Crookshanks, Hedwig," I said, and both animals turned to look at me. If I hadn't been used to the intelligence of my mother's cat, I would have been freaked out by their attentive stares. "Don't wander too far, we might not stay here for too long." A meow and a hoot were my replies, as the animals dashed away from me.
I realized that my uncle and Luna were already at the front door, waiting for someone to answer. I quickly made my way over to them, just as the door opened. "Ron," I heard a man say. "You just missed him."
Another lead, another story...
Notes: Woot! Know this, if I post this chapter, it means the next one is already finished. I want to avoid so many delays, especially after such short chapters. :)
Edit: Er, took me a month to actually start writing (in general), after finishing high school in May. I'm so lazy. I have it all finished, in my head, but writing it means I have to do something... :P I wish there was something I could plug to my brain, and it would write my stories in a second. :P Now that is the future!