Harry Potter and Voldemort were locked in a bitter war, with bloody casualties on both sides, and true to the books, director David Yates didn't pull any punches when it came to killing off major characters. Throughout the films, many main characters die, from Dumbledore to Snape, and even Sirius and Lupin; they're all threats to Voldemort, and as Death Eaters take them out one by one, there's a real fear that Harry might not get out of this franchise alive. But as the deaths get more and more significant, and as Voldemort gets closer and closer to Harry, one Death Eater takes the bizarre decision to murder an owl. In the grand scheme of the wizarding war, Hedwig was the most completely needless casualty of the lot, mainly because she was an owl. It wasn't Voldemort that killed Hedwig - it was an unnamed Death Eater - but was there any tactical advantage to destroying a pet bird? Was it not a sign to everyone involved that the dark side had finally lost it, and were now firing evil enchantments at animals rather than wizards? Whilst many Potterheads will be quick to point out that the killing curse was probably meant for Hagrid, Hedwig's untimely death does pose the question of what a snowy owl was doing a battlefield. And can't owls fly away from incoming curses? It's like a magical version of the Austin Powers henchman all over again.
