Sophia dragged her grandma through the bustling streets of Diagon Alley. She hadn’t been here since before the school year started, but she could easily remember the way to her destination.

‘Magical Menagerie.’ It wasn’t just a pet shop. No, for students of Hogwarts it was the pet shop. The place to find that special friend that you couldn’t normally find elsewhere, even at Hogwarts.

When she was buying her school supplies, Sophia remembered watching the owls longingly from outside the shop while the scary wizard had dragged her around and helped her in getting the correct supplies and books, but she’d never been given long to browse. She certainly wasn’t given the option of a pet at the time.

Now, though, things were different. She’d saved up as much money as she could since the year started, and now she was confident that she had the money. The difficult part was getting to Diagon Alley from her home in Ireland.

Luckily, since Spring bread had just begun at Hogwarts, her grandma was eager to spend time with her. Even on a trip to London. It made for a very early morning for the two, and despite a long train ride and a ferry ride, they made pretty decent time. Sophia finally understood why wizards opted for brooms and carpets instead of muggle travel systems, even if she didn’t like heights.

“Sophia, sweetie, are you quite sure about this?” her grandma asked with her thick Irish accent making her harder to understand than usual. She was clearly nervous, being surrounded by wizards and magic. Sophia had been too, during her first time here.

“Mamaw, I promise it’s safe! Come on, you’re gonna love the owls!” she promised as she dragged her grandma into the shop.

She smiled at the elderly couple behind the counter and offered a shy greeting before making her way over to the owls, her grandma stood back near the entrance and attempted small talk with the old man at the counter.

She approached a beautiful Great Horned Owl and smiled at it, “Oh you’re such a big girl, aren’t you? Yes, you are! Look at those eyes! I bet you can see a field mouse from miles away.”

As she cooed at the owl, whom she noted was quite vain, it spread its wings as if to show off. She smiled an uncharacteristically toothy smile and reached out as if to ask permission from the owl itself to pet it.

“Would you like to feed her?” one of the shopkeepers asked holding up a treat. Sophia laughed happily and ran to the counter.

“Yes, please!” she laughed, reaching into her pocket and handing a sickle to the nice old woman. The woman shook her head.

“This one’s on us, dear,” she said with a smile.

“Thank you so much!” Sophia beamed as she accepted the treat. She returned to the owl from before and noticed it was preening its almost-golden feathers.

She smiled at the owl and held up a treat. When the owl was finally focused on it, she readied her arm and prepared to throw the treat. This was one of the games she liked playing with the owls at Hogwarts. She would throw the treat, and the owls would take turns catching it. Though, admittedly, none of the owls at Hogwarts were quite this proud.

She tossed the treat into the air and, to her surprise, the owl didn’t dive for it. It simply craned its neck in the direction the treat was headed. This owl really was proud.

To Sophia’s astonishment, the treat didn’t reach the Great Horned Owl at all.

No, instead, what could only be described as a flying, fiery ball of floof swept in at an incredible speed for its size and snatched the treat from right in front of the Great Horned Owl’s beak.

The bigger owl just scoffed and went about its business but the tiny one perched upon Sophia’s head and lightly tapped her forehead in a motion far too light to be considered a peck. It was obviously an act of affection.

Sophia couldn’t see the tiny owl clearly, since it was perched on top of her head, but she estimated the little girl was only a few inches tall.

The shopkeeper from before walked over to Sophia and grinned mischievously, “She’s an Eastern Screech Owl. They usually live in North America, but we happened upon her egg here in England. Very adaptable. This one’s still quite young, and very mischievous.”

Sophia drank every word the old woman said and smiled. This owl was just like her. It was young, it had reddish feathers, and it almost came from the same region as her. Kind of.

“She’s perfect,” Sophia gushed, reaching up to gently scratch the owl’s head, “What’s her name?”

“She doesn’t have one yet,” the old lady said with a twinkle in her eye, “Have you any ideas?”

“Me?” Sophia asked timidly. Her mind raced to think of a name until one finally came to mind. She meekly offered her suggestion, “Maybe Amelia? Like the pilot?”

The older woman laughed and held out a her arm. Amelia hopped onto the arm with a slight flap of her wings. The old woman beckoned Sophia to the counter.

“My husband will get you sorted with a cage and some treats, provided your guardian here approves?”

Sophia’s grandma looked to Sophia, to the new owl, and to the shopkeepers before sighing.

“Well, I suppose if the worst that comes out of you going to that magic school is a pet owl to take care of, I should see it as a blessing.”

Sophia squealed in joy and pulled her grandma into a tight hug.

“You’re gonna love her, Mamaw, you’ll see!”

What animal do you wish to purchase? Eastern Screech Owl
What do you want to name it? Amelia
Is this a boy or a girl? Girl
What is your pet's date of birth? July 18, 2021

Pet Granted

Look after Amelia well.