TALES of Harry Potter were brought to life for boarding school pupils -- when an owl flew down the chimney in the middle of the night.

But unlike the famous feathered messengers flying around at Hogwarts School of Wizardry, the bird which decided to drop in on the boarders' dormitory came empty-clawed.

The setting of Moorland Independent School, Clitheroe, a majestic stone building, is not dissimilar to that of the secluded wizardry institution made famous by author JK Rowling -- hidden down a tree-lined path.

Head teacher Paul Smith could not believe his eyes when he was greeted by the mature 15-inch tall Tawny owl, which took a liking to the fish tank, picture frames and fireplace in one of the dormitories early one morning.

"The 14-year-old pupils were really quite petrified," he said. "They woke at 3am to hear scratching and fled the room terrified.

"They had to sleep in the common room downstairs, which was hilarious -- our own real-life Harry Potter tale."

After windows were opened, the owl managed to escape. But the next night it came back for more.

So with no magic wands in sight, Mr Smith -- clad in a cardboard box with eyeholes cut out -- did all he could to help.

"We really could not get it out. We tried to persuade it out by throwing paper at it and tried catching it in a net but it was scary coming face to face with a bird with such sharp talons," he said.

And when your pupils have to take cover and sleep in the common room, expert Barn Owl Bill, aka William Higham, was called in.

Mr Higham, who cares for 24 pet owls at his base in Leyland, said: "It took me only a few minutes to catch the bird and let it back into the wild, but they can be understandably scary creatures who can grip 500 pounds per square inch.

"The owl will certainly have been attracted to the heat escaping through the chimney and then just nose-dived straight down.

"Much like the fox, the Tawny owl has learnt to survive in towns and will be living very near by."

If it returns, the children will certainly be ready to devise a nickname. Hedwig and Pigwidgeon, the owls which help Harry Potter, spring to mind.