December 23, 2023

Matilde had been wanting a pet she could take with her to Hogwarts for a long time. The idea had started when she had been to Diagon Alley in August. She had passed the Magical Menagerie, and looked through the window to see the cacophony of animals of all shapes and sizes. It reminded her of home. For the first few months of school, she had missed her pets terribly. None of her pets were really Hogwarts proof- she couldn’t exactly keep sheep, dogs, or chickens in her dorm. She was slightly comforted by the occasional visits from her family owl to deliver letters from home, though she always felt bad- he had to fly all the way to Hogwarts from Ireland!

When she’d first asked about a pet in August, her parents had said a firm no. She had so much to worry about as a first year, it would be better to get settled first. Not that they didn’t trust her, but she also didn’t have much experience taking care of animals on her own. Matilde didn’t think that would be a problem, she already helped take care of all the family pets. But Matilde was relentless, until they finally gave in. As long as she used her own money.

When she arrived at King’s Cross, Matilde embraced her parents, smiling so much, her cheeks hurt. After repeatedly exclaiming how much she’d missed them, how excited she was to be going home, and letting her brother talk for a minute, Matilde was unable to hold it in any longer. “Can we go to Diagon Alley?” She burst out. Her parents looked at her strangely. “You said I could get a pet. I think I’ve saved enough.”

“A stór Irish term of endearment,” her dad said, “I don’t think now is the best time. I think we all want to get home…”

“I know,” Matilde said quickly. “It will be really fast I promise. I was just thinking… it would be better to get one now instead at the end of break. Then I’ll have time to get used to taking care of my pet all by myself.” And she wouldn’t have to spend the whole break waiting for it.

Her parents looked at each other, having one of those silent conversations they sometimes did. “Well, alright,” Matilde’s mother said, shrugging. Matilde was slightly surprised, and she hugged them both fiercely.

Later that day, the O’Fionnagans walked into The Magical Menagerie, Matilde leading the way. The old man at the counter smiled at the young witch. Matilde cheerfully smiled back, and wandered around the shop, figuring it was best to look at all the options before deciding.

Matilde had put a lot of thought into this. She already knew a cat was out of the question. Her grandfather, who lived with them, was allergic. She wasn’t too confident the family owl would be able to resist eating a rat or a toad. That left an owl, and a pygmy puff. That's what she thought, until she saw the cutest little ball of fur she’d ever laid eyes on. At first, she wasn’t sure what it was. She picked it up, gently. The grey bunny looked like it had just woken up. Her heart melted as it stared up at her with its sleepy little eyes. The other shopkeeper, the old woman, appeared next to her. “Ah, she’s a tiny little thing. Almost nine weeks old, you know. Let me show you something.” She reached for the rabbit, and Matilde placed her in her hands gently. The woman held up the tiny creature’s front legs, revealing a spray of black speckles on her belly. Matilde giggled. “It looks like someone sprinkled pepper on her.” She gasped. “That’s what I’ll call her!”

What animal do you wish to purchase? Mist hopper
What do you want to name it? Pepper
Is this a boy or a girl? Girl
What is your pet's date of birth? October 31, 2023

Word count: 627/400