The significance of Eagle Owls

[fuzzi95]

Well I read the chapterThe Dream, and it said that Harry was riding on the back of an eagle owl. The eagle owl was delivering the message that Crouch was dead. Doesn't Malfoy have an eagle owl that always delivers somethings to him from home? If you think there's a conncetion between Malfoy and Voldemort, please tell me... But....who sent Voldemort the owl in the first place, or did the dream not happen at all?:??:

[Ronman]

Wrong Forum Mate, Try The Great Hall
Jen,
Oh Jen!!!

[Laura Patil]

My thoughts exactly, Ronman. We need to use the Jen signal. *Shines light shaped like a duck into the air* Heeeere Jen!

[Justin Etre]

Jen is message pending apparently, so I will post a reply which is on topic:rasp: :rasp: :rasp:

fuzzi95. :welcome: you look new.
Could you find the quote and type them in here, because I don't remember Voldemort being connected with an Owl of any kind.

But if you are right (and LV is using the Lamfoy's Eagle Owl) then this is evidence that the Malfoys are within licking distance of the Dark Lord, so we should watch them VERY closely in the next book.

[WhiteSlash]

Why is this in Role-Playing? Also, I think Jen has been busy, because she hasn't said yes or no to stuff in a while...

[danswitch8899]

Yeah, i think shes been busy too. Maybe theres a way to transfer this to the great hall, or soemthing, or she can just close it, and you can make it again in the great hall.

[harryton]

someone probably just needs to send a message or report the thread so that they can move it.

[JenBluffheid]

Oh, sorry guys. My computer was in the repair shop for a week and I had no means of getting on here at all. Sorry. :(

Anyway, this is going off to the Great Hall.

[periwinkle-blue]

I think the message was sent from Barty Crouch, Jr., the fake Moody, since he's the one who knew about Crouch immediate death. Most probably fake Moody went to the Owlery and fecth any eagles there, and for some coincident he chose an eagle owl.

[stellaluna]

Well, now that this is finally in the Great Hall, I'll reply to topic...

So, I remember the Eagle Owl- thing too, but I don't think it's revelant.
Both of them have such an owl, but maybe those owls are quite common in the Wiz- World. It doesn't say anything at all.

[fuzzi95]

I believe the eagle owl may represent a type of evil presence, or a voldemort connection!

[NuttyNiffler]

The Eagle owl is the most common type of owl there is so I don't think that Malfoy is the only one with an Eagle owl.
Eagle owl:
http://www.exzooberance.com/virtual%20zoo/they%20fly/owl/Eagle%20Owl%20471079.jpg

[Weatherby]

I always figured Harry's unconcious mind used the Eagle owl to represent evil since Malfoy owns one.

[Jaded_Wanderer]

ummm...i'm just rereading GoF for the 6th time, and i'm fairly sure it says that an eagle brings malfoy his stuff from home...now that i think about it i see that as more of a connection with ravenclaw than voldemort but i highly doubt there's anything in that.

[stellaluna]

Nono, it was an eage owl, not an eagle. I'm pretty sure there... *crossing fingers*

[kit]

The owl was from Crouch Jnr because he is the one who murdered Crouch Snr.

And I don't think it's overly relevant the type of bird he uses.

There is no way that Draco knew that it was Crouch Jnr using polyjuice potion to look like Moody. Even if his father did know, and I don't think he did, he wouldn't tell Draco. He didn't even tell Draco about the diary, or even that it was Voldemort who opened the Chamber the first time in CoS.

It could be a bit of symbolism on JKR's part though. It's possible she wants us to associate Eagle Owls with the dark side, just to enforce that the Malfoys are Voldemorts supporters. I don't think it's major though.

[Starrlight]

When Harry watches Hagrid bury the gold for the nifflers, he sees an eagle owl over Hagrid's hut, it then circles the owlery, and then takes off. In the dream during Divination, Harry rides to Voldemort's on the back of an eagle owl who delivers a message to him. Was this Crouch's eagle owl--did anyone notice any stray eagle owls in OOTP? Perhaps it belongs to Snape.

[ThruTheVeil]

Well, we know for sure that Draco Malfoy has an eagle owl, or if he doesn't, his family does because that's what always delivers his mail to him. The idea of the owl being Crouch's is interesting. That would point to a lot of foreshadowing and symbolism in Harry's dream. It would have been a signal that the owner of the owl was going to be the one to hand-over Harry to Voldemort. Are there any instances in GoF of Moody using an owl? That could be a strong supporting detail.

[Cat]

The owl was delivering a letter and Voldemort's insider at Hogwarts was Crouch Jr. It's common sense, therefore, the think the owl might have been his.

Actually, just to be technical, I'd say it was probably Moody's. But Crouch Jr. was inhabiting Moody's existence at the point.

[ThruTheVeil]

The owl was delivering a letter and Voldemort's insider at Hogwarts was Crouch Jr. It's common sense, therefore, the think the owl might have been his.

Actually, just to be technical, I'd say it was probably Moody's. But Crouch Jr. was inhabiting Moody's existence at the point.

Right, but I think Crouch, Jr. would have been using his own owl even though he was "Moody." I'm not positive on that, but I think the owl would know that it wasn't really Moody some way.

[hesdead-dealwithit]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the dream occur on the same day as the niffler class? So isn't it a little stretch to say that an owl went from Hogwarts to LIttle Hangleton in just a few hours, considering LIttle Hangleton, an made-up place, is probably as far from Hogwarts as London?

[padfootgrim]

Well, we know for sure that Draco Malfoy has an eagle owl, or if he doesn't, his family does because that's what always delivers his mail to him. The idea of the owl being Crouch's is interesting. That would point to a lot of foreshadowing and symbolism in Harry's dream. It would have been a signal that the owner of the owl was going to be the one to hand-over Harry to Voldemort. Are there any instances in GoF of Moody using an owl? That could be a strong supporting detail.

Maybe Eagle owls are a sign of the dark side?/... eh thats a strech...

[BoonBoon5]

The night before the niffler class (GoF p.540 US version), Harry sees the eagle owl as Hagrid is burying the gold. The next day, after the niffler class, Harry and Krum meet Crouch Sr. in the woods. Maybe these events are somehow related? Just a thought...maybe Voldemort or Crouch Jr. knew that Crouch Sr. was coming?? Any ideas?

[Cat]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the dream occur on the same day as the niffler class? So isn't it a little stretch to say that an owl went from Hogwarts to LIttle Hangleton in just a few hours, considering LIttle Hangleton, an made-up place, is probably as far from Hogwarts as London?

What makes you think it's near London? Surrey (where Harry resides with the Dursleys) is close to London and that was two hundred miles away from Little Hangleton according to the narration.

ThruTheVeil, Moody's owl might not be as vigilant as he is :D. I think he would have used Moody's owl because, well, an esaped criminal can't easily pop into a shop to buy a new owl and people might have known what Moody's owl looked like anyway. But this isn't really important.

[MotherBear1975]

I don't believe the owl was Moody's... animals are smarter than humans in that respect... they can smell ill intentions. Moody's owl would *know* Crouch wasn't *his* person. I really think it was Dracos owl. JKR wouldn't have bothered being specific about the type of owl he had if it weren't going to be important later.

[ThruTheVeil]

ThruTheVeil, Moody's owl might not be as vigilant as he is :D.

:rotfl: I don't know... Moody seems to be preaching "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" to everyone!

I really think it was Dracos owl. JKR wouldn't have bothered being specific about the type of owl he had if it weren't going to be important later.

That does make sense. She probably didn't just want us to know what Draco's owl was, she had intentions of showing us the owl again later.

[Cat]

I don't believe the owl was Moody's... animals are smarter than humans in that respect... they can smell ill intentions. Moody's owl would *know* Crouch wasn't *his* person.


Maybe so, but there's nothing evil or harmful about sending a letter. That's all he used the owl for.

Anyway, Pigwidgeon's none the wiser for being a owl.

[MotherBear1975]

Maybe so, but there's nothing evil or harmful about sending a letter. That's all he used the owl for.

Anyway, Pigwidgeon's none the wiser for being a owl.

Mmm... well as Hagrid is fond of saying, "ya get wierdos in all breeds." My point was that Moody's owl would have no reason to come to crouch much less deliver a letter to Voldemorts house... even if he didn't sense ill intention from Crouch, it would have been absolutely pouring out of the Riddle house, Or crouch... wherever he was.

[Cat]

Mmm... well as Hagrid is fond of saying, "ya get wierdos in all breeds." My point was that Moody's owl would have no reason to come to crouch much less deliver a letter to Voldemorts house... even if he didn't sense ill intention from Crouch, it would have been absolutely pouring out of the Riddle house, Or crouch... wherever he was.

How was the owl supposed to know it was for Voldemort? Owls don't read letters. They don't know where dark overlords spend their time, either. It's not like Voldemort is even a threat to the owl population.

I still don't see why it couldn't have thought Crouch Jr. was Moody. He looked no different and the only thing that might have smelled different is that the body had been taking Polyjuice Potion, which an owl wouldn't recognise having no reason to turn into other owls. Spiritual connections? Bit too flimsy a debate to make me believe that Crouch actually bothered to buy a new owl.

If it wasn't Moody's it could have been a favourite from the school Owlery, of course.

Anyway, this is walking off the path and stumbling upon a badger. I'll get back on track. I don't think the fact that the owl was given a species is necessarily relevant. She can't give a different species for every owl mentioned in the books.

[MotherBear1975]

How was the owl supposed to know it was for Voldemort? Owls don't read letters. They don't know where dark overlords spend their time, either. It's not like Voldemort is even a threat to the owl population.


No, it wouldn't have known who the letter was for... he simply would have sensed the evil as he approached his destination and turned away out of a sense of self-preservation. *Unless* it was an owl who had been *raised* around such evil, like Malfoys Eagle Owl. Malfoys owl would be used to such emenations and not tend to shy away from them.

[Alastor D]

It seems to me that all owls have a magical ability to always know who the recepient is and also to find him/her.
I seriously doubt that he used Malfoy´s owl. Lucius wasn't informed and there was no reason to let Draco smell something fishy. It might have been a school owl, as Cat already said, or the Crouch's family owl.

[GryffindorGr]

Interesting thread about the significance of the eagle owl. Isn't the Ravenclaw's house mascot the eagle? Maybe in Harry's dream, it has to do with something closely related to the house itself? And owl in a dream usually warns dreamers that death creeps closely (As Trelawney always likes to predict for Harry.) but usually when it comes close, it's in the wake of health and joy. Also that the owl itself in a dream means you will be in danger from your enemies. Wierd how only Draco in the series has the eagle owl. You'd think there were others mentioned? The barn owl is the Hogwarts usual owl (I think I read that in PoA?)

[ginnybatbogeysyou]

If Draco has an eagle owl and it is Harry that rides one in his dream to Voldemorts, then could it be symbolic for a union between Harry and Draco.
Wasn't a package of candy delivered to Draco bu an eagle owl? I can't remember which book it was, but I guess it was PS/SS or CoS.

If I'm right, your symbolical meaning could be true.

[giantsquid28]

Isn't the Ravenclaw's house mascot the eagle? Maybe in Harry's dream, it has to do with something closely related to the house itself? And owl in a dream usually warns dreamers that death creeps closely (As Trelawney always likes to predict for Harry.) but usually when it comes close, it's in the wake of health and joy. Also that the owl itself in a dream means you will be in danger from your enemies.

Could this foreshadow Cedric's death? It would probably be stronger evidence if he had been in Ravenclaw, but: more death was coming into Harry's life, Cedric was an athlete in excellent health, and was really happy that he had just won the tournament. The owl was in a dream, and Harry appeared to be in danger from someone and the odds were about 2:1 that it was a personal enemy of his. Is there anyway that the eagle owl could somehow represent Cho?




Wierd how only Draco in the series has the eagle owl. You'd think there were others mentioned? The barn owl is the Hogwarts usual owl (I think I read that in PoA?)

How often does Harry look at other people's owls? Do we even know what type Errol and Pig are? Draco's owl could be significant later (unless it was just another way of showing how much money the Malfoy's had.)

[GryffindorGr]

Could this foreshadow Cedric's death? It would probably be stronger evidence if he had been in Ravenclaw, but: more death was coming into Harry's life, Cedric was an athlete in excellent health, and was really happy that he had just won the tournament. The owl was in a dream, and Harry appeared to be in danger from someone and the odds were about 2:1 that it was a personal enemy of his. Is there anyway that the eagle owl could somehow represent Cho?

I dont really know if it was about Cedric's death,(probably was--there's always a foreshadowing in the beginning of the book like what happened with Sirius's death in OotP: Dead rats, house felt like a dying person,etc) but it would be in relation to Cho (because she's in ravenclaw) and Cho loved Cedric.
I dont think it has anything to do with Cho's possible death though but her connection to Cedric.



How often does Harry look at other people's owls? Do we even know what type Errol and Pig are? Draco's owl could be significant later (unless it was just another way of showing how much money the Malfoy's had.)

Yes, thats why it's odd that he'd notice his enemy Draco's owl so much more than Neville's or Seamus or Dean Thomas's....and do we even know the owls owned by Parvati and Lavender?
I think so too...about what you said about how much galleons the Malfoy's have for owning the eagle owl. Maybe it's only for richer households, like owning a house elf?
That's why JKR doesn't put things in for no reason. There's a significance why she only wrote in for Harry to see that Draco has the eagle owl...in all 5 books, it's only been Draco who we know owns one. Errol is a Grey owl, here is a good site for HP owls:

http://www.lauraerickson.com/Birds/HarryPotterOwls.html
(I added this site because of the pictures of the owls :))
excerpts:The Weasley family has a very clumsy owl named Errol. He's a Great Gray Owl. Measured from head to tail, Great Gray Owls are the biggest owl in the world. But even though they're a few inches longer than Snowy Owls and look just as big, they weigh only HALF as much as Snowy Owls

But here is an HPlexicon on the Weasley's owl:
http://www.hp-lexicon.org/wizards/weasley.html
and in canon Pig is a tiny brown owl :)

JKR would definitely make note to say if they were eagle owls, she'd write it as one. I mean why wouldnt she? If Harry can see an eagle owl with Draco, why not others?

[rotsiepots]

I think Harry probably took greater notice of Malfoy's owl because it's more unusual. I believe there have been references made to how unusual Hedwig is, so perhaps Snowy Owls and Eagle Owls are less prominent in the magical community than, say, Barn Owls.

I also believe that Eagle Owls are the largest and most powerful of their kind, which is comparable to how the Malfoys regard themselves.

[Alastor D]

Yes. Among European owls the Eagle Owl is largest, 60 - 75 centimeters (or up to 30 inches) Compared to the Tawny Owl's 37 - 39 cm that's quite big and easy to notice.
As the Eagle Owl isn't native in Britain, it probably is quite expensive.

[lxs234]

This is what I think:

The owl's is Draco's but Lucius used it to send a letter to Barty Crouch because: The school would be used to the owl coming to Hogwarts because it's Draco's. If anyone saw it flying around on the grounds, they probably wouldn't be too suspicious.

It could have presented a problem if Draco had seen it. I think that owners can almost always see their owls, and tell which one is theirs. If he saw his owl flying to crouch, he might have wondered "What the heck is my owl doing with that ferret obsessed ba*****?" or something to that nature. I think that if it was Draco's owl, it was pretty stupid of Lucius to use it. Unless Voldemort was the one using it.

[Alastor D]

The main reason why I don't think this owl could have been Lucius' is that in the graveyard Voldie very strongly gives us the impression that he had not been in any contact whatsoever with Lucius between his downfall and this graveyard event. I don't think he knew more than anyone else about Voldie's return and the fake Moody.

Barty jr, in his confession, told that "Wormtail returned to care for my master, in my father's house, and to keep watch over my father." In that situation it would have been natural to use Crouch's owl. It was there (if Crouch owned an owl, which he probably did) ready to use. Wormtail was still supposed to be dead. He couldn't go around borrowing owls.

[Fleur du mal]

Is there a possibility to collect all quotes where eagle owls are mentioned?

I don't think that Crouch jr. used Draco's owl, or that Lucius contacted him like that. Don't forget, Crouch hated Lucius more than anybody else (a Death Eater that is free, and in what a position that man is!), and I'd claim that he's Draco's most hated teacher as well after the ferret incident.
Lucius could have written to him, sure, complaining about his son's treatment, that is quite likely, but why would Jo show us how the letter is delivered, that'S little sense.

I think, Draco's eagle owl is for distracting us. For anytime, we read now >eagle owl<, we connect it with him, who's supposed to be on the dark side anyway, and stop wondering who else might have one.

[MadMagic]

The Eagle Owl mentioned in GoF, I don't think belongs to the Malfoys. I'm sure there are more people than just them with Eagle Owls.
Presumably the Eagle Owl mentioned (just a few pages or chapter before the Madness of Mr. Crouch), came from Voldemort/Wormtail/The Crouch House. It's possible that the Eagle Owl belonged to Mr. Crouch and Voldemort used it, but I think it is clear that Mr. Malfoy had no knowledge what Voldemort was plotting at Hogwarts with Barty Crouch, therefore there is no reason to connect his Eagle Owl to this event.
Perhaps Eagle Owls are popular among the rich, pure-blood wizard families so Mr. Crouch had one that Voldemort used.

[Silkeng]

I don't think it is a sign of evil, I think Harry Dreamed the eagle owl was delivering him to Voldemort because the owl was being used by Voldemort and Barty Jr. I think he subconciously knew this, like in Ootp where he was getting more clear images and feeling since Voldemort was now returned to a body. I don't think it makes Eagle Owls evil it may just be common to use them as someone has said before they are not a rare bird.

[Fleur du mal]

is there a possibility to find out when exactly in all five books they've been mentioned?

[Weasleytwin]

I doubt that eagle owls represent the dark side, though they may have some significance as a symbol. The connection with Ravenclaw is interesting, as a symbol of cleverness-Lucius Malfoy is certainly clever, as is Voldemort, though they are both evil. As for myself, I'm forcibly reminded of Tolkien's use of eagles...any ideas on that?

[Knut4UrThghts]

Ooh, I thought I would be the first person to catch it! I think the significance of the eagle owl is very important! Harry sees an eagle owl flying over Hagrid's cabin and later dreams he is riding on an eagle owl's back and sees LV. I have read the books several times, and JKR very rarely mentions a particular breed of owl, but she always refers to Draco's owl as an eagle owl. I think the owl that Barty was using belonged to Lucius Malfoy!! He was sending messages back and forth to LV using it. Right after Harry sees the real owl, he dreams about LV receiving word that Wormtail's blunder was fixed. Barty killed his father and sent LV Malfoy's eagle owl with a letter. I also think it was Malfoy's owl that attacked Hedwig in OofP.

[Fleur du mal]

How do you combine Crouch jr.'s true hate for those Death Eaters still on large with that theory?

[Knut4UrThghts]

How do you combine Crouch jr.'s true hate for those Death Eaters still on large with that theory?


Simple. Lucius Malfoy gave his owl to LV to use to communicate with "his spy in Hogwarts." It's true that Barty Crouch hated the Death Eaters "who walked free" but he followed LV's orders no matter what. If LV said, "Use this owl to communicate with me," he would have done it even if the owl had belonged to Cornelius Fudge!

I forgot to mention......I don't think Malfoy or any of the other Death Eaters knew that Crouch Jr was the "spy" inside Hogwarts. I think they believed him dead as well. During the graveyard scene, he was never mentioned by name.

[Fleur du mal]

But Lucius was thoroughly dumb-funded when seeing Voldemort at the graveyard. If he didn't know that Voldemort was about to get his body back, why should he have lent him an owl then? And why should Voldemort not take ANY other owl, one that has NO connection to Hogwarts like all the average post owls and therefore could not be recognised?

[Knut4UrThghts]

But Lucius was thoroughly dumb-funded when seeing Voldemort at the graveyard. If he didn't know that Voldemort was about to get his body back, why should he have lent him an owl then? And why should Voldemort not take ANY other owl, one that has NO connection to Hogwarts like all the average post owls and therefore could not be recognised?


You're right! I can't believe I didn't see that! I think the Eagle owl belonged to Crouch and Barty was using to communicate with LV and that is why he dreamed he was riding on the back of an Eagle owl. I think Harry's dreams ARE prophetic -- like when he dreamed he showed up to play Quidditch and the Slytherins were on dragons -- he later had to face the Horntail on his firebolt.