“Very smart owl you’ve got there. Arrived about five minutes after you did.”
—Tom comments on Hedwig’s intelligence.

Hedwig (b. before early 1991 - 27 July 1997) was Harry Potter’s pet Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus). She was a gift to Harry on his eleventh birthday from Rubeus Hagrid, in 1991. Owls are used by wizards to deliver mail but Hedwig was also an important companion as Harry was initiated into the wizarding world, and continued to be one of his closest companions until her death in the Battle of the Seven Potters in 1997.

Hagrid bought Hedwig as a birthday present for Harry when they went to Diagon Alley together. Harry decided on her name after finding it in A History of Magic. Before attending his first year at Hogwarts, Harry routinely stayed in his bedroom with Hedwig, away from the Dursleys, since she was the only living creature in the house that did not hate him. Throughout her life, Hedwig provided Harry with mail service, as well as loyal companionship. Hedwig often showed Harry her affection by gently nibbling his ears and fingers, and seemed fully capable of understanding his wishes (as she faithfully followed Harry’s orders to peck Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger until they responded to him).

While living with the Dursleys, Hedwig was locked in her cage for months at a time to prevent Harry from sending messages to his “freaky little friends.” As a result, the first holidays after Hogwarts were a frustrating and boring time for her, as much as for Harry. When Harry was rescued by the Weasley brothers in 1992, Hedwig was freed from her cage and flew along following behind the flying Ford Anglia all the way to The Burrow. In 1992 when Harry thought his friends had forgotten him, he mused that Hedwig was the only reason he knew that discovering the wizarding world had not just been a dream. Fortunately, her frustrated hooting during her first year with them convinced the Dursleys to subsequently let Harry let Hedwig out for flights so long as he didn’t use her to send messages.

Snowy Owls are not native to Great Britain, and this caused some inconvenience, as she could not always perform tasks for Harry. Specifically, when Sirius Black was in hiding from the Ministry of Magic in 1994, Harry could not send Hedwig to deliver messages to him, as onlookers would remember a Snowy Owl always going to and from a specific location, prompting a brief disagreement between the two when Hedwig resented being neglected in such a manner. During 1995, she was attacked by associates of Dolores Umbridge when Umbridge tried to intercept Harry’s mail, requiring Dobby and Professor Grubby-Plank to nurse her back to health.

“No…NO! Hedwig…Hedwig…”
—Harry to Hedwig, after her death.

In 1997, Hedwig was killed during the Battle of the Seven Potters. While in the air, a Death Eater cast the Killing Curse, which was most likely meant for Hagrid, but struck Hedwig instead, killing her instantly. It was said she fell like a rag doll to the bottom of her cage immediately.
To add to his grief, Harry was forced to destroy the side car with Hedwig’s body inside to slow down the pursuing Death Eaters. Harry was devastated by the loss, for which all of his friends comforted him. Hagrid consoled him by asserting Hedwig lived “a great old life.”

I’m making baby cables instead of the zig-zag ones in the pattern. I prefer them this way. :) I also made the toe a little less pointy.