My new furry friend
Angel O'Connor opened the door of the Magical Menagerie, the bell above ringing like a delicate charm. The warm and earthy odor of living beings-fur, feathers, and the faint glitter of magic-came to meet her as she entered. Her Ravenclaw scarf was still around her neck; she had been to the bookshops of Diagon Alley directly, and the bundle of parchment was still under her arm. But this stop... this one she had been waiting for.
What if a first-year Ravenclaw didn't have a proper companion, she reflected-somebody to share late-night cram sessions with or to give a reassuring purr during nerve-wracking exams ? And she already had the answer to whose company she was destined to find.
The aisles were so narrow that she could hardly walk through them , but she kept on walking and listening to the noise of the magical creatures that surrounded her. On seeing her, a sleek Kneazle opened its mouth widely, and a Puffskein on the verge of toppling over in its cage gave a little puff. Moreover, a tiny, beautiful green-feathered bird whistled a tune that could hardly have been more like "Hedwig's Theme." But Angel continued her hunt for the Cats & Half-Kneazles section.
When her fingertips grazed the sign, she felt her heart pounding.
There, asleep on the floor of the box in the very place where the sun had hit it, was the most beautiful kitten that she could have ever imagined. To paint the cat's fur pattern vivid red mackerel would not be an exaggeration-there were stripes and swirls that looked like glowing coals of a fire scattering through the flames. When she came closer, his ears were pricked , and his amber eyes, even though they were halfway closed, looked wide open and inquisitive, as if he was already anticipating her.
"Oh," Angel said to herself in a very low voice and came down on her knees. "You are the one."
The shopkeeper, a friendly witch with glasses that were always falling from her nose, saw it. "Ah, that little fellow? Born April second, 2024. Independent, intelligent, and a little bit of a troublemaker-if you are a Ravenclaw, I am sure that he will be the perfect match for you."
Angel put her hand on the bars and slowly slid her fingers in between them. The kitten smelled her, and then, turning his head to her hand, rubbing it, he let out the quietest of purring sounds. The soft sound reached her heart directly, and it felt as if it was making her chest hot from the inside.
"I think he likes you," the witch laughed.
Angel grinned, her cheeks rosy. "If I may, I would like to buy him."
"Eleven Galleons,"
With her small leather pouch, Angel reached the counter and carefully, and with full concentration, counted each of the shiny coins. Her parents had given her enough money for books and school necessities, and if she was prudent, a pet. With a feeling of an event, she pushed the Galleons ahead.
The witch took Blaze off the ground with her hands full of care and put him in Angel's embrace. He was warm, soft, and yet, out of all things, he was a little bit fragile and a little bit fierce at the very same time.
"Have you already decided on his name?" the witch inquired .
Angel was so sure that she didn't even have to think about it.
"Blaze," she said with pride.
Blaze stared at her like he was happy with her decision and then, with a satisfied sigh, wrapped himself around her arm. The wide, bright smile on Angel's face spread in delight .
After she had come back to the crowded street of Diagon Alley with books under one arm and Blaze pressed against her chest, she sensed something inside her coming to rest-a feeling that this year at Hogwarts was going to be the new beginning of something incredible.
"Welcome to the family, Blaze," she whispered.
And Blaze purred, as if to say, let the adventure begin.
WC: 683
What if a first-year Ravenclaw didn't have a proper companion, she reflected-somebody to share late-night cram sessions with or to give a reassuring purr during nerve-wracking exams ? And she already had the answer to whose company she was destined to find.
The aisles were so narrow that she could hardly walk through them , but she kept on walking and listening to the noise of the magical creatures that surrounded her. On seeing her, a sleek Kneazle opened its mouth widely, and a Puffskein on the verge of toppling over in its cage gave a little puff. Moreover, a tiny, beautiful green-feathered bird whistled a tune that could hardly have been more like "Hedwig's Theme." But Angel continued her hunt for the Cats & Half-Kneazles section.
When her fingertips grazed the sign, she felt her heart pounding.
There, asleep on the floor of the box in the very place where the sun had hit it, was the most beautiful kitten that she could have ever imagined. To paint the cat's fur pattern vivid red mackerel would not be an exaggeration-there were stripes and swirls that looked like glowing coals of a fire scattering through the flames. When she came closer, his ears were pricked , and his amber eyes, even though they were halfway closed, looked wide open and inquisitive, as if he was already anticipating her.
"Oh," Angel said to herself in a very low voice and came down on her knees. "You are the one."
The shopkeeper, a friendly witch with glasses that were always falling from her nose, saw it. "Ah, that little fellow? Born April second, 2024. Independent, intelligent, and a little bit of a troublemaker-if you are a Ravenclaw, I am sure that he will be the perfect match for you."
Angel put her hand on the bars and slowly slid her fingers in between them. The kitten smelled her, and then, turning his head to her hand, rubbing it, he let out the quietest of purring sounds. The soft sound reached her heart directly, and it felt as if it was making her chest hot from the inside.
"I think he likes you," the witch laughed.
Angel grinned, her cheeks rosy. "If I may, I would like to buy him."
"Eleven Galleons,"
With her small leather pouch, Angel reached the counter and carefully, and with full concentration, counted each of the shiny coins. Her parents had given her enough money for books and school necessities, and if she was prudent, a pet. With a feeling of an event, she pushed the Galleons ahead.
The witch took Blaze off the ground with her hands full of care and put him in Angel's embrace. He was warm, soft, and yet, out of all things, he was a little bit fragile and a little bit fierce at the very same time.
"Have you already decided on his name?" the witch inquired .
Angel was so sure that she didn't even have to think about it.
"Blaze," she said with pride.
Blaze stared at her like he was happy with her decision and then, with a satisfied sigh, wrapped himself around her arm. The wide, bright smile on Angel's face spread in delight .
After she had come back to the crowded street of Diagon Alley with books under one arm and Blaze pressed against her chest, she sensed something inside her coming to rest-a feeling that this year at Hogwarts was going to be the new beginning of something incredible.
"Welcome to the family, Blaze," she whispered.
And Blaze purred, as if to say, let the adventure begin.
WC: 683
iNPC: Alexander Whitlock