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Emma had been begging her parents for practically the entire time she had known that the magical world used owl’s to communicate for one. She felt that while cats were cute, and she would like one, that owls were majestic and so much more useful. Emma sent letters frequently, sometimes because she was homesick, other times because she just had so much to share. While there always was a school owl around, Emma felt guilty at the amount she was using them, potentially removing that resource from someone else. If she could have an owl, then not only would she have a furry friend to hopefully bond with, but then she could also send letters without guilt. And she could send letters to her newly made friends over the holidays when they weren’t at school. While the other muggle-born students would know how to use other forms of communication, her friends that had grown up in the wizarding world did not have that same knowledge and she didn’t want to go three full months without talking to them.

It had been that, she thought, that was the deciding factor in her parent’s mind. Well, and that she had done so well in her classes. Emma was determined to be one of the best students Hogwarts turned out, and her marks reflected that. Whatever arguments had worked, she was glad that she had learned how to create a pro/con list, and had spent quite a bit of time working on strategies to nullify the cons. It had finally worked, and Emma’s parents had brought her to Diagon Alley to the Magical Menagerie before sharing that she would finally be able to purchase an owl. Emma had been almost overcome with emotions, struggling to thank them profusely through what felt like a ball in her throat. The shopkeepers had come to offer their assistance, but Emma just shook her head with a whispered ”No, thank you.”

Striding around the shop, Emma carefully considered her options. It seemed that all of the owls looked so serious or angry, but Emma could tell that they were not angry at least. She saw a Barred Owl, and a Tawny owl side by side, and she shivered. The Tawny owl especially had eyes that seemed to look right through you, or were staring into the future and that just made Emma a little frightened. It wouldn’t do for her to be frightened of her new friend. Dismissing them, she turned around to observe the other side of the shop. She saw a smallish ball of feathers that seemed to be frantically trying to get her attention, but she ignored it, not wishing for something that looked so cute and fluffy. Emma wanted a majestic owl.

After much consideration, she had narrowed it down to an Artic Owl or Morepork Owl. She liked the brown and white mixture of feathers on the Morepork Owl, and its round eyes with inclined eyebrows, although she was sure that wasn’t the right term gave it the properly serious look she was looking for. The Artic Owl looked a bit more mean than serious but still she wasn’t afraid of it and she liked the bright white plumage, however she also could imagine that that would stand out when flying in any place that did not have snow.

Going back and forth between the two, she was surprised when she was pelted in the head with something. Shaking her head for a moment, she looked to the floor where she presumed the projectile would have fallen, very curious what could have been thrown in the shop. But….there was nothing there. She looked up in confusion when she heard a high pitched trill above her head. It was the Eastern Screech Owl that she had dismissed from the start! It made no sense though, had it been the thing to hit her? The owl, seeing as it had caught the girl’s attention, started diving in a swooping kind of pretty dance, chattering and trilling at her and then swooping by Emma’ head, catching her hair, causing it to fly about her head and some stray strands to catch on her lips. Emma couldn’t resist the cute owl who seemed most determined to get her attention, laughing at its behavior.

She gestured to her shoulder, saying quietly, “Come here, you silly.” The owl landed slightly clumsily on her shoulder, but delicately, if the two words could even describe the same action. Bringing her hand up tentatively, Emma moved to use just one figure to brush down the owl’s head. The owl closed its eyes and made that odd trilling sound again, shoving it’s body closer to Emma’s neck. “Well then, I obviously must take you. You’ve claimed me yourself really. Now the trouble becomes what to call you.”

Emma thought for several moments. She could go simple and just call him Owl, like the Winnie the Pooh character who she had so adored as a child, but that seemed foolish and not something she would like to call the poor dear. Then she recalled a show that she had only watched a few times, but the owl had been used as a thief but more importantly a distraction. It seemed that this owl had a talent for grabbing attention, so it seemed the perfect name. And then she’d just go simple and use Tiny as a middle name, and her own last name for the dear. “Do you like Owlbert Tiny Wynn? Is that your name?” She asked the tiny, fluffy creature, in a cooing manner. The bird nuzzled against her she took that as a yes. ”Well then, that shall be your name.” Moving towards her parents, she was happy to show off her new friend, and could not wait to see what adventures they would have together.

Form:

What animal do you wish to purchase? Eastern Screech Owl
What do you want to name it? Owlbert Tiny Wynn
Is this a boy or a girl? Boy
What is your pet's date of birth? May 5, 2021
Word Count: 976 Words

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