IC Date: July 2021, sometime before summer camp

"妈妈，爸爸，我想看一下小宠物！(Mom, Dad, I want to go see the pets!)" the small boy exclaimed, pointing excitedly at the owls through the window of the Magical Menagerie. Hardly waiting for a nod, he rushed in through the door, dragging his mother with him by the hand. "Avery，慢一点！(slow down!)" his mom warned him with a frown, but somehow, she found herself a bit curious as well. It wasn't every day that a muggle shopped at Diagon Alley, after all, and her son's excitement was almost contagious for once.

The Chinese-British boy burst through the door, which rang a merry bell. Immediately, he gazed at the owls in awe, and the wide-eyed avians stared back at him unblinkingly. Shouldn't they be asleep? However, these owls somehow seemed ready for their daily mail service. How diligent they were! Certainly, his own pet owl would judge him for his inability to get out of bed in the morning? "你别买猫头鹰了，我听说学校会有的 (Don't buy an owl, I heard they had them at school)," his mom said, ever prudent and financially conscious. Avery almost rolled his eyes. Now that was a new version of "we have that at home" that he hadn't heard. He ought to make a meme out of that and post it on Subtle Asian Traits.

However, if his mom said he shouldn't get an owl, did that mean he could actually get something else? Dark brown eyes lit up at the prospect, and he didn't even bother to speak Mandarin. "Does that mean I can get something?" he blurted out excitedly. His mom shot him a glare, and he returned a sheepish grin. Right, only speak Mandarin if you expect to be heard. He decided not to repeat himself to pry, in case his mom changed her mind, and instead moved on to see what else the pet store had.

Now, what did these tanks contain? He peered through the glass to see some lizards basking in the warm lights. They looked quite bumpy and wouldn't be very comfortable to pet. He took one glance at the snakes and the spiders and turned the other way. Who could possibly want those in the same room at night!

Avery approached the cats, and they stared back before going back to their naps. No, he wasn't necessarily a cat person, either. The stray cat in their neighborhood set a bad example for what he imagined cats to be like. He had wounds to show for it.

Oooh, how about rat? He watched the small things scurrying about -- weren't they fuzzy and cute! And he'd heard they were quite smart, too! He looked to his parents and pointed with an expectant look on his face, but a frown from his father said everything he needed to know. "老鼠好脏啊！是害兽！(Rats are so dirty! They're vermin!)" his dad said dismissively, and Avery sighed, disappointed, knowing that there was no use arguing. Was he really going to get a pet today?

The old lady by the counter saw the small boy's disappointment, and walked over to help. "Hi dearie, have you seen our Pygmy Puffs?" she asked kindly, and led Avery and his family to a cage nearby. "They're cute and fuzzy, like rats, but have been bred to be excellent pets!" Avery looked at the cage of pink and purple, and immediately smiled. The small things squeaked and rolled, blinking adorably up at him, and pranced around the cage. A purple one merely blinked and looked up at him silently as the others clamored for attention. "我要这个！求求你了！(I want this one! Please!)" he said pleadingly to his parents.

As his parents asked the old woman about how to care for a Pygmy Puff, Avery listened intently. However, his eyes were glued to the Puff that he had already picked out and named in his mind. Yes, they would go on adventures together, and explore the magical world! The purple Puff yawned, and snuggled towards the edge of the cage. Avery pet it softly with a finger. "Are you tired of life already, little friend?" he asked. "But there's so much out there! Won't you come see for yourself?" The purple Puff nudged his finger in response.

Well, there you have it! He was the one!

"Okay, Avery, tell Mrs. Witticker which one you want and we'll get it for you," his dad said, finally convinced that Pygmy Puffs were agreeable pets. "Now, remember to study hard at school! Don't make us regret this."

Hooray! Was he really going to get a pet? Avery jumped for joy. "Yes, I'll study hard! I won't let you down!"

WC: 823

What animal do you wish to purchase? Purple Pygmy Puff
What do you want to name it? Edward
Is this a boy or a girl? Boy
What is your pet's date of birth? August 2, 2020