The bond between a pet and its owner is one extremely hard to replicate. It isn't like the relationship between siblings. Oh, no, that is much too aggressive. Parent and child? No, that one is a lot like boss and an employee. The only way that even mildly does justice to this special bond, is friendship. A friendship so deep, filled with so much trust, so much love, that sometimes it doesn't feel like a friendship at all. This is why it is described only as a pet-owner relationship, and nothing else.

Ophelia had only ever felt this feeling with one creature before, and that creature was none other than her dear childhood companion, Galleon. A black, white, and brown royal Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with the curliest hair and cutest bark, this creature was the most wonderful dog in all of the world, according to Ophelia.

The only problem was, she wasn't allowed to take him to Hogwarts. And though this didn't mean that she would never get to see the little dog ever again, it did mean that she didn't get to see him for very, very long periods of time, which just broke her heart.

And so, on that day when Ophelia and her mother, Cecelia, went shopping in Diagon Alley, they stopped by in the Magical Menagerie. "Go on in," Cecelia said with a wink. She'd made sure to block her daughter's view of the storefront. "Take the bag of galleons and buy whatever you want."

Ophelia nodded dutifully, taking the little bag from her mother's open palm and skipping into the store without a second thought about what would be inside. She realized immediately, however, Cecelia's plan as soon as she walked in.

The Magical Menagerie was one of the places Ophelia would've loved to be in for hours. Feeding the animal residents, bathing them, and just learning about all of them. At the counter, which at first wasn't visible due to the mass amount of bird cages and fish tanks on it, was a kindly-looking old lady. She wore a comfy-looking but stylish sweater and a warm smile.

"Hello, dear. Welcome to the Magical Menagerie." She got out from behind the desk, walking closer to Ophelia. "My name is Anita. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"I'm just looking around, ma'am." Ophelia answered with a polite smile before resuming her searching. First was the fish section. Raised as a Muggle, she'd heard many of her friends talk about how great their pet fishes were, though she'd never gotten the point of them. Not that she hated fishes, she loved all animals equally, but pets were meant to be animals that cared for you back.

Bypassing the fish section, she headed over to the cat section where she was immediately immobilized. While she loved Galleon very, very much, she'd never gotten to interact with cats much because of his fear of them. Now, as she looked at them, she realized how beautiful they were. Long, graceful backs and sleek tails, whiskers twitching with amusement at the world and sharply pointed ears.

As she looked through her options of cats, her eyes stuck onto a certain little kitty. The feline was tiny, much smaller than the rest of her species, but still beautiful. She stared back at Ophelia with her fierce blue eyes.

"Is that the one?" Anita asked from behind her. Ophelia started with surprise before remembering the kind face of the woman.

Ophelia nodded. She'd come into the Menagerie thinking that she was getting a replacement for her beloved spaniel, Galleon. Now she realized that this new cat was much more than a replacement.

612 words

What animal do you wish to purchase? Silver Mackerel Tabby
What do you want to name it? Dove
Is this a boy or a girl? Girl
What is your pet's date of birth? July 6th, 2023