For Millennials, parents of Millennials, and non-muggles, today's feast day will bring to mind memories of a rather generous birthday gift purchased by Rubeus Hagrid at Eeylops Owl Emporium on the occasion of Harry Potter's eleventh birthday. Some may point to other notable Hedwigs, such as the Austrian actress Hedwig (Hedy) Lamarr, or Himmler’s mistress, Hedwig Potthast. But the most well-known Hedwig in the modern era must surely be the brave and loyal companion of the Boy Who Lived.
She served Harry faithfully throughout his years at Hogwarts, delivering letters and affectionately visiting him at breakfast in the Great Hall. She travelled as far afield as Romania, on dragon business, and was a source of constant encouragement during the long summers locked up in Privet Drive. She met her untimely end just six years after being entrusted to Harry when she stood in the way of a killing curse that would likely have struck her original purchaser, Hagrid, instead.
