The One For Me Pet

A gift. That's what Neptune's parents had decided to let them choose as a completion of their first official year at Hogwarts. They had done the same with their brother Jasper, also letting him choose a gift after he completed his first year. So now, the two siblings and their mother were out in Diagon Alley, letting Neptune buy what they wanted.

There were lots of stores that they could have walked into. The book store, Flourish and Blotts, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, a joke/prank store, or even a quidditch supply shop. But none of those had called to them. So the trio kept walking down the brick road, many other witches and wizards crowding the street, getting some shopping in. It wasn't until they had passed a store with owls and other animals in a window, that they felt intrigued.

"Hey mum, what about that one?" Neptune asked pointing to a store with the sign, Magical Menagerie.

"A pet?" Their mother said, "You would like a pet to take care of as your gift?"

"I mean, I don't know." They mumbled, "Maybe there isn't one I like there. Can we please just look around?" Neptune pleaded, elbowing their brother in the side, a clear message they wanted his help to persuade their mother.

Jasper shot a glare at Neptune before giving in and stating, "Yeah mum, please? Even I don't have a pet."

Both the siblings pleaded, hoping that their mother would give in and allow them to look around.

"Alright fine!" She said as the two siblings cheered, "But if you do end up getting an animal, it is your responsibility to feed it, take care of it, and be responsible for it."

The two siblings vigorously nodded in agreement to their mother's terms before rushing to open the doors of the shop. Inside, there were many types of animals Neptune didn't even know were allowed at Hogwarts, like snakes, rabbits, ferrets, and more. But there were also the typical animals, like toads, cats, and owls. At the front desk, Neptune could see a tall, elder man with wide shoulders helping out a student with their purchase of a toad. Another adult, a shorter, elderly woman, was helping another student out with the cats, giving lots of information about each breed. Neptune assumed the woman was the wife of the elderly man at the counter.

When Neptune looked back towards their brother, they realized Jasper had disappeared, looking around only to see him near the owls, reaching through some of the bars to pet one. Neptune shook their head a bit at their brother's antics before walking away toward the cats.

Neptune looked at a few of them, none of the breeds really calling out to them.

"Hello, there dear." A kind voice spoke, "Do you need some help?"

Neptune turned around to see the elderly woman. She was shorter than them and wore a floral dress. The scent of sugar cookies also seemed to loom in the air around her.

"Actually, yes." Neptune responded, "That would be wonderful. I'm not really sure which pet I should get. The cats here don't really seem to call out to me."

"Well, that seems a bit of a situation." The woman spoke, "I'm Anita Witticker. So, what type of pet are you feeling like?

"Neptune Emory and I don't really know. I know I don't want an owl or a toad. They seem too basic. I would opt for a cat, but none of these here really seem to call to me. A pygmy puff just seems like something I personally wouldn't want and I definitely don't want a spider. Those are creepy."

"Well, have you tried looking at our fish, snakes, or lizards?" Anita questioned, gesturing over to where each one was.

"I don't really feel like a reptile, and a fish just seems too simple," Neptune replied, shaking their head. "What about something fluffy, and sweet?"

Anita stood for a second in thought before replying again, "Well, we also have mice/rats and bunnies! We actually had a few bunnies just born about 2 weeks ago. Would you like to see them?"

"You know what, that would be great!"

Anita led Neptune over to where the baby bunnies were, a cage separated from the larger one, with a small gate that could open and close manually.

"Here we have about 7 new bunnies with 12 older rabbits," Anita said as Neptune mentally awwed.

"Am I allowed to pet one through the bars?" Neptune asked, a simple nod from Anita giving them an answer.

Neptune carefully put two fingers in between the bars, reaching for the nearest rabbit, which just so happened to be a golden color. Neptune carefully pet the soft fur coat of the rabbit for a few seconds before it flinched away.

Removing their fingers from the cage, Neptune spoke with a little laugh, "Well, I don't think a bunny is for me."

"Well then, that just leaves ferrets!" Anita spoke before walking towards the ferrets, Neptune following.

"Here we have about 8 European Ferrets. They sleep most of the time and are fairly active during dusk and dawn. They are great companions to humans and can be quite active. They even perform a little dance when they get excited. Recently, no one has really shown much interest in them, so that's why we have so little compared to other creatures." Anita listed off as Neptune smiled.

Neptune once again reached their fingers through the bars and reached to pet one of the ferrets. Unlike the rabbit, it didn't flinch away, enjoying the feel of someone giving it love. They looked to the side to find Anita smiling.

"You seem to be one of the first to actually bond with that particular one. It always seems to dislike certain people. You seem to be one that particular ferret likes. Would you like to hold it?"

"Oh, that would be wonderful!" Neptune said.

Anita made her way to the back of the cage, checking on the paper to see what the gender of the ferret was and make sure it was the correct one. She soon came back with a little crate and the ferret inside. Anita set the crate down, opening it and taking the ferret into her arms before handing it to Neptune.

Neptune grabbed the ferret from Anita, its fur glinting in the light as Neptune pet the ferret.

"This ferret seems to be a male and fairly young. Once again, he seems to have taken a strong liking to you." Anita said as the ferret snuggled into them.

"Good." Neptune said, putting the ferret back into the crate and picking it up, "Because I think that this is the one for me."

What animal do you wish to purchase? A European Ferret
What do you want to name it? Jupiter
Is this a boy or a girl? Boy
What is your pet's date of birth? 3/2/2022
Word Count~ 1,130