Flaming Beauty Pet Finished

~

Time was pretty much never on Thora's side. After joining the house Quidditch team and a few clubs, even finishing her homework at her typical O average had become rather difficult. As a result, it was common to find the young girl simply wandering around, mind on spells or the class she had just attended. Thora did love school, while it was exhausted and often required the utmost concentration.

So even Thora was surprised as she stood in the center of the bustling Diagon Alley, chestnut hair whipping about her face. With no shortage of homework and a Quidditch practice to attend, her schedule was not at all free.

But the simple truth was, Thora was lonely. The Larkston family was indifferent to her well-being, to her social status, her friends, her grades, and pretty much everything else. The parents who had once so cared about their eldest child now regarded her with the coldness one would glare at a nemesis with. Friends, though, had really been her anchor in the storms. They had been her confidants, and for the ones she would consider friends she actually trusted. It was a stretch for the young girl to admit, having lived the previous eleven years a solitary soul.

But humans were humans, and there wasn't enough time in a day--or even a week, sometimes--for Thora to even see one of her friends in passing. And so came the thought of a pet. Never had Thora previously considered owning an pet at Hogwarts, even though she had loved animals from a very young age, having been raised on a farm.

Pets, though, did seem to be rather common. Many a time had a jealous Thora encountered people in the Owlery with their owls, or with the ever-adorable Pygmy Puffs perched on a shoulder. And while she had always envied the people lucky enough to own their own pets, never had it even crossed her radar to get one of her own. But now, standing mere feet away from the place where an owl could be hers, it would be an understatement to say that she sort of wanted a pet if she could just fork out enough Galleons.

No, Thora longed for a companion. She longed for something that she could count on, while it wouldn't understand the pain she was experienced. She longed for something that could forever be her go-to, something that would listen, even if it didn't have the capability to reply or relate. So after months of deny herself a wish, Thora had given in.

It was an overwhelming scene, every time Thora faced the bustling alley. True, the Muggleborn was by no means a frequent visitor, so she wouldn't be sure how many wizards visited each day. But she had been there a few times, and the sheer number of wizards towering over her was still daunting. Even the shift from the private, secluded country life to a boarding school had not been an easy one.

But trying to summon the last ounce of courage in her body--which wasn't much--Thora pushed on. She could be stronger than her fears. Well, stronger than this fear. After all, with all of the post-ball PTSD she'd been facing, one would think that she could brave more irrational fears. However, Thora was the girl that held on. Letting go and writing her own future wasn't easy, despite the creativity she possessed.

Weaving through animated wizards and some who looked suspiciously drunk with some wizarding draught, Thora finally found her place of refuge from the tempest that was Diagon Alley. The Magical Menagerie. One of the stores of her dreams. The yowling and beating of winds that met her as she opened the door wasn't exactly the most amazing sound, but still, it somehow reminded Thora of her hometown of Dingle. The emerald landscape was dotted with small farms, cotton-like sheep, and one of Thora's favorite Irish retreats. The Dingle Falconry. It was easy access to hundreds of beautiful birds, which the young girl had immediately taken to.

As a result, Thora had known exactly what she had wanted so much, the first time she'd visited the Magical Menagerie at the end of summer. With more time that she was used to on her hands, the girl had paid the alley a visit and had been attracted to the Magical Menagerie at once. So now, it was with baited anticipation that the shy girl made her way towards the owls.

"Hello darling," Thora whipped around to see a kindly old lady making her way towards her from the counter, a grandmotherly smile brightening her face. "Oh, I didn't mean to startle you," the lady chuckled as Thora returned the smile, trying to cover up her awkwardness. "I'm Anita. Mrs. Witticker," the honeyed voice was so kind that the neglected girl almost felt tears springing to her eyes. It had been so long since an adult had shown her that kind of love, that kind of care. "Do you need any help?"

"Oh, em, I'm trying to find an owl that I want," Thora stumbled over her words as huge green eyes skimmed the birds' glossy feathers. Choosing was going to be quite hard, as all of the birds were incredibly beautiful. The barred owls were gorgeous, with their brown eyes and brown-flecked feathers. A delighted squeal called everyone's attention to a small redhead who had a huge snowy owl balanced on her head. While fascinating, Thora's eyes continued to wander and fell on the owl she knew would be hers' forever.

With feathers the color of rust and flames and piercingly bright eyes, the tiny Eastern Screech was the picture of perfect. While it seemed that its personality was opposite of Thora's, as evidenced by its perpetual bouncing and chatter, the girl loved it nonetheless. "I-I think I want this one," Thora gestured to the tiny owl who was clearly oblivious that it was about to be freed from its caged bondage.

"Do you have 15 Galleons?" Mrs. Witticker was still smiling as she waited for Thora to frantically dig out the gold coins. She hadn't made such a purchase since she'd bought her Nimbus 1700--her most prized possession--and so, the snek desperately hoped that she had brought enough. Fourteen… Come on, there had to be one somewhere. And as nimble fingers reached for the ever-elusive, last gold coin, they found it.

"Here you go," Thora deposited the handful of Galleons into the older lady's wrinkled but still soft hands. "Thank you ever so much," the girl said sincerely before accepting the owl. As the small bird finally stopped her movement, aware that she was going somewhere, Thora reached a thin finger inside, stroking the silky orange feathers. "Hello, Caoimhe," she whispered.

The name had come out without a second thought, as the old days of Irish folklore had come to mind as Thora gazed at the beautiful owl. Years ago, late spring days had been spent at Thora's grandparents' home. The girl's grandfather seemed to have an endless trove of knowledge, mostly about the Irish culture, and had gifted much of it to his granddaughters by way of stories. Caoimhe was a figure in her culture's mythology and while many of the other figures had little to admire, Thora couldn't help but name her owl after her. Although Caoimhe--or Kiwi, as Thora would grow to call her--was simply a feathered ball of energy, she was everything. She was perfect.

WC: 1249

What animal do you wish to purchase? Eastern Screech Owl
What do you want to name it? Caoimhe
Is this a boy or a girl? Girl
What is your pet's date of birth? 28 July 2019