The Ferret Who Chose Her PET

Piper walked through the streets of Diagon Alley, excited that, finally, finally her dad was letting her get a pet. He had told her to get through a year at Hogwarts and then she could get something, whatever she wanted. Her dad had decided to take her and Mason to London for the week before school started as to allow Piper time to collect what she needed and for all of them to wander around a little bit.

Stopping in front of a shop with the sign ‘Magical Menagerie’ hanging above the door, Piper took notice of the variety of creatures through the windows. From owls to cats to a creature that Piper had learned was called a pygmy puff. She stood there in awe not wanting to move for fear of losing this sight before her. Yes, she had stopped briefly outside the shop on her first trip to Diagon Alley, but she’d never actually gone inside. Pulling herself out of her daze, Piper walked forward with a grin spreading across her face as she reached the door.

Walking into the shop for Piper was like a kid going into a candy store. She could’ve stayed in there for hours, petting the creatures, talking to them softly, just walking around. But today? Today she was on a mission, find a pet, get school supplies, eat lunch, go home. That was what her dad told her anyway.

As she was scanning the shop, trying to find a good place to start, she noticed a smiling elderly couple behind the counter. The man, Piper noticed, was about a foot taller than his wife. He had broad shoulders and was wearing a pair of wire framed glasses and a flannel shirt. His wife on the other hand was in a beautiful floral dress that Piper would probably never wear, not because she didn’t want to but because it would get in the way of her inventing.

They seem lovely, Piper thought to herself as she decided to get on with choosing a pet.

First she looked at the owls figuring they’d be the most practical. She loved all of them, but found they weren’t quite right for her so she moved on.

Next she looked at the cats, after all she had two at home. Piper sat with them and looked at all the different breeds the Menagerie had to offer. A Gray Mackerel Tabby and Silver Mackerel Tabby both stood out to her but she decided to keep looking.

Piper looked at bunnies and Pygmy Puffs, then moved to toads and lizards. She looked at spiders, but thought that one of those was enough already so moved on. She skipped the rats but had a quick look at these creatures called a Half-Crup. Piper had never heard of these before so they intrigued her. Stopping only briefly, for she knew her dad wouldn’t like her having a magical creature at home “too high maintenance” he said, she saw that it had a forked tail but overall looked like a Jack Russell Terrier. It’s kind of cute, she thought as she forced herself to continue on.

Then she got to the ferrets. They were cute, cuddly and like none of the animals Piper had seen so far. At that moment Piper’s eyes fell on a beautiful cinnamon ferret. This ferret seemed far calmer than her counterparts and she was looking up at Piper, almost expectantly. And that was when she decided, this was her ferret, her pet, her new companion at Hogwarts.