Backdated 🕮 October 10th

Robyn had been working at Hogwarts for just over a week. A solid 8 days. While she was getting to know the other staff, and more importantly to her the students... There was something that still felt lonely about the castle. About having to fit in, in a place where she never felt like she belonged in the first place. Not among wizards, but among people in general. It's why she preferred the comfort of a library, familiar, systematic, calm (for the most part). One Saturday she found herself wandering Diagon Alley in the morning, just as everything was starting to open up. She didn't want to be away from the library with all of the weekend studiers for too long. This was supposed to be a quick trip for a couple things that she needed before heading back.

Her eyes caught wistfully on the sign above the entrance to the Magical Menagerie. As a child she was never allowed to have a pet, despite nearly every one in school having one in her time at Hogwarts. They were seen as frivolous, a nuisance to studies. Well, she was 27 now. There were no studies to do be done. Only a job. Which could actually benefit from having a pet around for moral support, possible taught how to fetch different items. Before she consciously made the decision it seemed like she was opening the door to the shop, slowly peeking in and entering. She was immediately greeted by a kind older woman. "Welcome into Magical Menagerie! Can we help you find anything today?" Robyn's head swiveled around, trying to find who it was before spotting her stepping out from behind the counter. "Oh hello, uh. I'm not quite sure actually. I was, I suppose, possibly thinking about a pet of some sort." The older woman let out a small laugh. "Well, that is what most people come in here for. So I guess it's your lucky day."

As the woman kept talking, Robyn slowly started to wander the store. She wasn't interested in anything where they were generally kept in some kind of container. Things like frogs, the lizards, and spiders were ruled out. Briefly her steps halted in front of the cats but she moved on. They had a tendency to enjoy knocking things over. The pygmy puffs were in no shape to fetch books with their tiny limbs. The same could be said for the rats. After a couple of anxious rounds around the shop, considering every option she landed on the owls. Which weren't much better because then she had to make a second decision on which breed of owl. There were nine in total. All varying in size and color. They all seemed to gaze at her with huge, all-knowing eyes. There was one, the Eastern Screech Owl, a beautifully small red owl. Huge eyes, incredibly adorable. She moved closer to it, and it hopped closer to the doors of its cage. "Are you looking for a friend too?" She whispered into the cage, not wanting the shopkeepers to hear her hushed confession of loneliness.

There was no response to the question, no movement or noise to answer what she had asked. There wouldn't be, because she was talking to an owl. It seemed like the best choice. It would have a large library to fly around, it would be trained, she could provide it a good life while keeping up with her work. She knew she could, despite what her parents told her from such a young age. She picked up his cage gently and brought it to the counter. "I-I'd like to get this one please." Anita nodded happily, "And what is this one's name?" A name. She hadn't thought of the second step of this, naming a pet. But one seemed to pop right into her mind from Greek mythology. "Artemis. Goddess of the hunt." She didn't know much about owls, but knew they were incredibly skilled hunters. She slid Anita the 15 galleons, and walked out to head back to the castle.

Robyn was leaving Diagon Alley having done none of the shopping that she wanted, but possibly the shopping that she needed.

Word Count 🕮 701