A Sensible Choice Pet

April 3, 2024 | Early Afternoon Magical Menagerie, Diagon Alley

Interactions: n/a Mentions: @Lindsey Springhall

Solo PV

Cassius was still reeling from his mother’s revelation the day prior. ‘You will be a target’. Why would he be a target? His family made their fortune in trade and shipping. Sure, they would likely have enemies in rival companies but that was just business. Could their competitors really go so far as to personally target him? Surely they lived in more civilized times than that. Regardless, he believed his mother. She had never lied to him and was not one to mix truths. She told him to be careful, and careful he would be. However now, he had a new emotion to reckon with: fear.

He suspected this was why his mother had decided to bring him to Diagon Alley the following day. Shopping would be a distraction and truth be told, it was a welcome distraction.

The streets were understandably crowded given it was the Easter break and many Hogwarts students had returned home. Much like the Christmas crowd, it was difficult at times to navigate the narrow streets as visitors window shopped and bartered with street vendors. More than once Cassius had felt himself get elbowed and unintentionally bumped aside in the press of people. In the past it had barely bothered him but now? What if one of those bumps or shoves had been someone administering a poison? What if one of those sleeves hid a dagger?

Irrational possibilities raced through Cassius’ mind and he found himself breathing quickly. He needed to get off the street. Fast. He turned and entered the first storefront he could see – the Magical Menagerie.

The interior was crowded with families but not as much as the street. It was noisier, however, as animals of all kinds made noises in their cages. Fixing his cloak and catching his breath, Cassius stepped further into the store, dodging a delighted young child holding a purple pygmy puff that their parents had no doubt just given in on purchasing for them. The young Ravenclaw had not been in the market for a new pet, but now that he thought about it, the family owl he had utilized during his time at Hogwarts was getting old. Maybe it would be wise to look for a new pet.

Cassius began to browse through the aisles, bypassing the reptile and arachnid sections. He had little interest in snakes and spiders, finding them creepy. No, he would seek out something less terrifying and much more useful. Like cats. Cats could be quite useful and some were positively elegant, such as his friend Lindsey’s bengal, Napoleon. They were beautiful and cuddly but their range was limiting. A fine companion animal but not too useful in conveying correspondence over long distances.

That left owls of which the Menagerie had plenty. There were owls of all kinds and from all continents. The store even had the rare morepork owl from New Zealand which was particularly expensive due to the import fees. He could afford it of course and it would make a fine status symbol. Plus, it was quite cute. Cassius ran his fingers along the edge of the cage and the owl did not flinch or back away. He was about to reach further in when he got bumped from behind. Again the thoughts returned. ‘You will be a target’.

The morepork was rare and expensive. Two details that made it highly identifiable as belonging, if not to him, then to a family of wealth who could afford such a creature. That increased the likelihood of interception and capture. Unnecessary risks that compromised the confidential nature of correspondence. No, the morepork, as beautiful and exotic as it was, would not do.

Cassius turned away from the owl towards another cage where a barred owl, elegant in the way owls could be but also exceedingly average, eyed him curiously. While technically an import, it was also one of the most common types of owl in the world. Surely that would be a good choice if one was looking to remain unidentified, right? That was at least the thought going through Cassius mind when he began to reach into a pocket within his cloak for his coinpurse.

A hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned his head to see a stately woman with a warm smile nodding her approval. “An excellent choice, Cassius,” she said, withdrawing her own coinpurse and gesturing to one of the shopkeepers for assistance in exchanging payment. “Allow your mother to buy her son an Easter gift.”

Cassius blinked in surprise. Where had she been? Had she been watching him this entire time? And why did she look so proud of him all of the sudden?

“Thank you, mother,” Cassius managed to say, still wondering how she had managed to sneak up on him unawares.

“Do you know what name you will choose for her?” She asked.

The young Ravenclaw thought for a moment, meeting the wise gaze of the barred owl that he would soon call his own. “Verbeia. After the river goddess of Ilkley," he said with a sudden certainty.

His mother smiled knowingly. “I had a feeling you might.”

Word Count: 839/400

What animal do you wish to purchase? Barred Owl
What do you want to name it? Verbeia
Is this a boy or a girl? Girl
What is your pet's date of birth? April 3, 2022