Warning: death of rat, nothing graphic, just letting you know

It wasn't until he had returned to Privet Drive for summer holiday that Harry understood one of the reasons why owls were not a commonly-kept pet outside of the wizarding world.

While humans liked to sleep at night, owls were not so inclined.

Hedwig was something called "diurnal", according to Hermione, which meant she was active day and night. Harry had started to tune her out after that, but from the bits and pieces he gathered, that wasn't something that was common among owls.

He didn't feel so lucky, though, when Hedwig fluttered over to his bed. She had been hopping all about his room for about an hour and had apparently decided to involve him in whatever game she was playing. He groaned and hid his head under his pillow, hoping against hope that she would go away and settle down for the night.

When his hand brushed against something furry and warm on his bed he snapped his head up and had to stifle a shout of horror when he saw the long tail of the rat Hedwig had dropped onto his mattress.

He flailed, caught in his sheets before finally freeing himself and clambering off of his bed and onto the floor. The rat scurried around his bed, finally dashing beneath a fold of the blanket and holding completely still.

"Bloody hell, Hedwig," he hissed between his teeth, upset but trying not to awaken his relatives.

Hedwig cocked her head and cooed at him, concerned about his retreat.

Owlet, honestly, she tsked, you're impossible. If you think I'm going to catch your food for you all the time, you are mistaken, my little owlet. I don't know what they're teaching you at that school, but hunting is something everyone should know. It's very easy. I'm sure you'll get it in no time.

Harry glared at her, not understanding that he was being censured. He looked around him, eyes landing on a spare towel that was tossed over the chair in his room. He grabbed it and tossed it over the rat, trying to contain it. He leaped back when it began to run under the material, finally scurrying out.

Hedwig glided over to the window sill and watched her owlet with amusement. His method was unorthodox, of course, but then she had always sensed that her owlet was something special.

When the rat managed to escape her owlet's clumsy attempt at catching it, she sighed, ruffling her feathers.

Try your front talons, she advised sagely as her owlet chased after the rat, his piece of cloth in his hands. Owlet, you're trying to catch it, not dress it up.

After a few minutes of watching her owlet stumbling about, Hedwig took pity on him. Shaking her head, she pounced smoothly on the smaller creature, catching it in her talons and killing it quickly. She looked up at her owlet, somewhat smug.

See? Simple.

Harry scowled at her, gingerly stepping around the now-dead rat at her feet and climbing back into his bed.

"Keep your dinner to yourself, Hedwig," he whispered grumpily.

Hedwig shook her head again before proceeding to eat her rat.

I wonder if Crookshanks is having this much trouble with Hermione, she thought as she drifted off to sleep. I guess I'll just have to try again tomorrow night.

That's it! Please leave a review and thanks for reading!