Post by brody christopher dubois on Feb 21, 2019 14:01:12 GMT -7
After his dormitory, one of the first places Brody had found at Hogwarts was its owlery. Being that it was where both the students' owls and the school's owls were kept, he guessed that he would be spending quite a bit of his free time there. He had letters to write home, of course, but he was more concerned about making sure that his owl was comfortable up there. Hoot was in a new place, too, after all, and Brody had no doubt that it would take his feathered friend some time to get used to his surroundings.
It didn't take him long to find some owl treats among the belongings he'd packed for school; he'd kept them towards the top of his trunk so that they would be within easy reach. Then he went off in search of the tower, following the directions that he had been given by one of the other boys in the common area. Eventually, he reached what must have been it: a winding tower with not much to show for it except the scent of birds—plus some owl pellets and a few rodent skeletons as he made his way up. Maybe some people would have become squeamish at the sight, but Brody was more than used to it. His parents were both owlet trainers, so the place almost reminded him of home.
As soon as he caught sight of the owls themselves, the newly-minted Hufflepuff scanned the tower for Hoot, his own great horned owl. Not finding him at first, Brody hoped that the owl had made it to the castle safely and not gotten scared. He could tell that the other owls were curious about him, likely because they had never seen him before. (Brody also had to wonder if his robes made him smell like an owl, though they were brand new.)
He looked to the owls at his eye level. There were owls far above his head, too, but it would be easier to communicate with the ones nearest him, he thought. He made eye contact with one owl who looked like he would be receptive of him. Had any of them met a great horned owl, he wondered? He hooted out his thoughts to the owl—probably one of the Hogwarts birds—and waited for a response.
"Up there," responded the owl he'd asked.
Brody nodded.
"From America?"
Brody nodded again. "Yeah," he said to the owl. "We're from Ilvermorny. Do you think our accents sound weird, too?" he laughed, lifting his head upwards to where Hoot was.
The Hufflepuff switched back to hooting, calling his aptly-named bird to him. "Hoo-h’HOO-hoo-hoo."
After a few moments, one very familiar bird came swooping down in his direction. "Hey, buddy," Brody greeted Hoot, holding out his free arm for the bird to perch upon it while he kept the owl treat in his other hand. He hooted softly at Hoot, making sure that the bird was comfortable before offering him his treat.
"Sorry I didn't bring enough for everyone," he apologized to the room full of owls as he fed Hoot. He'd need to order a whole sack of treats and drag it up into the owlery next time, considering how many owls there were.
"You doing okay up here?" he asked Hoot, who replied with a hoot. So-so, Brody understood, and he smiled reassuringly back at him. "You'll make friends here. Don't worry. And I'm sure some of the other owls from Ilvermorny came, too."
The other owls didn't seem so bad; in fact, a few of them chimed in their welcomes for the new birds on the block.
"See?" Brody's smile widened into a grin. "Nothing to worry about, Hoot! Hoot, everyone. Everyone, this is Hoot." Hopefully, getting the introductions out of the way—at least from Hoot's end—would make the process smoother for him.
As much fun as it was to chat with the owls, Brody knew that he wasn't allowed to stay there all night. He had to go back to his dormitory before curfew hit, so Hoot and the other owls would have to wait until at least morning to see him again. "Okay, Hoot, I've gotta get to bed now," he told his owl gently. "Go on back to where you were sitting, okay?" he asked of him, watching as Hoot begrudgingly flew from his arm and up in the direction from which he had come.
"I know I'm not nocturnal, but I'll be back as often as I can," he promised.
It didn't take him long to find some owl treats among the belongings he'd packed for school; he'd kept them towards the top of his trunk so that they would be within easy reach. Then he went off in search of the tower, following the directions that he had been given by one of the other boys in the common area. Eventually, he reached what must have been it: a winding tower with not much to show for it except the scent of birds—plus some owl pellets and a few rodent skeletons as he made his way up. Maybe some people would have become squeamish at the sight, but Brody was more than used to it. His parents were both owlet trainers, so the place almost reminded him of home.
As soon as he caught sight of the owls themselves, the newly-minted Hufflepuff scanned the tower for Hoot, his own great horned owl. Not finding him at first, Brody hoped that the owl had made it to the castle safely and not gotten scared. He could tell that the other owls were curious about him, likely because they had never seen him before. (Brody also had to wonder if his robes made him smell like an owl, though they were brand new.)
He looked to the owls at his eye level. There were owls far above his head, too, but it would be easier to communicate with the ones nearest him, he thought. He made eye contact with one owl who looked like he would be receptive of him. Had any of them met a great horned owl, he wondered? He hooted out his thoughts to the owl—probably one of the Hogwarts birds—and waited for a response.
"Up there," responded the owl he'd asked.
Brody nodded.
"From America?"
Brody nodded again. "Yeah," he said to the owl. "We're from Ilvermorny. Do you think our accents sound weird, too?" he laughed, lifting his head upwards to where Hoot was.
The Hufflepuff switched back to hooting, calling his aptly-named bird to him. "Hoo-h’HOO-hoo-hoo."
After a few moments, one very familiar bird came swooping down in his direction. "Hey, buddy," Brody greeted Hoot, holding out his free arm for the bird to perch upon it while he kept the owl treat in his other hand. He hooted softly at Hoot, making sure that the bird was comfortable before offering him his treat.
"Sorry I didn't bring enough for everyone," he apologized to the room full of owls as he fed Hoot. He'd need to order a whole sack of treats and drag it up into the owlery next time, considering how many owls there were.
"You doing okay up here?" he asked Hoot, who replied with a hoot. So-so, Brody understood, and he smiled reassuringly back at him. "You'll make friends here. Don't worry. And I'm sure some of the other owls from Ilvermorny came, too."
The other owls didn't seem so bad; in fact, a few of them chimed in their welcomes for the new birds on the block.
"See?" Brody's smile widened into a grin. "Nothing to worry about, Hoot! Hoot, everyone. Everyone, this is Hoot." Hopefully, getting the introductions out of the way—at least from Hoot's end—would make the process smoother for him.
As much fun as it was to chat with the owls, Brody knew that he wasn't allowed to stay there all night. He had to go back to his dormitory before curfew hit, so Hoot and the other owls would have to wait until at least morning to see him again. "Okay, Hoot, I've gotta get to bed now," he told his owl gently. "Go on back to where you were sitting, okay?" he asked of him, watching as Hoot begrudgingly flew from his arm and up in the direction from which he had come.
"I know I'm not nocturnal, but I'll be back as often as I can," he promised.
