Watch the birdie

[Talisman]

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, "Barry Arrowsmith" 
<arrowsmithbt at b...> wrote:
>  <snip>
> That Owl Post thingy, for instance. What  a boon that'd be. 
> <snip> And then I got to thinking - why'd she choose owls?
><snip> Why stick to any one Order at all <snip> Spread it about a 
bit, get the fans discussing the significance of 
> Lockhart's cuckoo, <snip> what does this mean for vol. 6?
> > Kneasy

Talisman, adjusting her binoculars, responds: 

Well,Sirius does use those "large, brightly colored tropical
birds 24) to communicate with Harry in GoF.  Possibly an elaborate 
ruse to throw the Aurors off his trail. What hit- wizard in his 
right mind would think that flamingo flapping over Norfolk has 
anything to hide?  

Of course the Cockatoo's a classic symbol of treachery, so 
Sirius's preference here resolves the question of SAD DENIAL,
once and for all. Well spotted.

On the other hand, this owl lore seems rather prolific and a bit 
dodgy.  

Decided to dig up a little research, myself.

Quite a surprise.  I've lived in the states all my life and yet
only just found out that, in America, hearing an owl-cry obliges the 
citizen to either return the call or strip down, turn clothes inside 
out, and put them on again.  I confess to being unsure which is the 
more patriotic course.   

The same, possibly overexcited, source, informs me that 
Transylvanian farmers will try to scare owls away by walking round 
their fields with their pants off--evidence that they once visited 
Americans who hadn't mastered hooting.

The Welsh are said to believe that an owl will call out to alert the 
community to the loss of an unmarried girl's virginity. 
In reality,the owl's just trying to avoid those hyped-up naked 
farmers, whom you should have known better than to let anywhere near 
the virgins.  

Less titillating sources have it that, while Muggles might tack poor 
Errol to the cow shed, pre-Christian Scots associated the bird with 
the Cailleah, a crone manifestation of the Triple Goddess. Here the 
owl's desirable magical attributes included such gifts as dream 
messages, prophecy, and the ability to reveal deception or hidden 
spiritual truths.     

However, modern-day Scottish Muggles continue to consider it bad 
luck to see an owl in daylight.  Several sources cite instances of 
afternoon owl sightings closely followed by unpleasant incidents 
involving a lot of Transylvanian cellulite and the outraged fathers 
of deflowered virgins.

Talisman, who can now see that Book 6 will come in a plain brown 
wrapper.