Aaron and Melly got a connection

Aaron already had everything he needed in hand, but as soon as he stepped into Diagon Alley again, ready to head home, he realized something: something was still missing. He watched the other students, who looked a lot like him—they had books, containers, boxes, robes, and… animals? There were creatures of all kinds: rats, frogs, cats, and even owls. Aaron found it hard to believe people actually owned owls, as he had never seen anyone tame one. But the way they seemed so calm inside their cages, or even perched on the hands and forearms of others, sparked a curiosity in him.

“What are they for?” Aaron wondered. It seemed the wizarding world was very different from the Muggle world—the customs were entirely different. He considered the possibility that owls were simply pets, but he had a feeling that for wizards, they might be more than that.

Feeling a bit out of place, the boy wandered through the Alley. He would never ask anyone such questions to get the answers he wanted; so, he had no choice but to wait for the answers to come to him. He once read in a book that when you’re in a place with others who share a common purpose, you can overhear conversations that contain the answers you need without having to ask. And that’s exactly what he did. It didn’t take long before, through conversations he secretly listened to, he discovered that owls serve as mail carriers, and the right place to find one was the Magical Menagerie.

Once he found the right door, he stepped inside. There were many animals, beyond the species he had seen in Diagon Alley. The atmosphere was calm and cozy, and there weren’t many people around. The young boy found himself in a safe place where he could explore and put his adventurous spirit to the test—you see, he liked to experience and discover things on his own.

After much looking around, the time came to see the owls. He especially liked cats—he had two at home—but he really wanted an owl. Aaron had a great appreciation for things that were both beautiful and useful. Cats were beautiful, but owls were useful too, and from what he’d heard, they made great companions at Hogwarts.

“Goodness, they’re so expensive… and I only have 10 galleons…” he thought to himself. As he passed by the animals and their respective prices, he mentally reviewed the numbers. “17 galleons, 15, 11… 10!?” And he stopped in front of a Tawny Owl. It was facing away, while the others—Aaron noticed—were all facing forward, seemingly eager to be seen. But then something happened. In a split second, the owl turned to Aaron—not in that way owls turn their heads all the way around, but completely—its body and face turned toward the boy. The owl seemed very interested, and among all who had passed by, only Aaron seemed to be worth her attention. The young boy especially liked her.

“Hi, little owl. How are you?” he murmured, so that the dialogue that began could be heard only between the two of them, as the utterance of a good secret should be. The owl didn’t respond, and Aaron had the strange feeling that she considered the question silly, as if only useful questions were appealing to her. Aaron felt familiar with that. “Hey, are you male?” The owl recoiled and—of course, owls tend to have stern faces—but she made a particularly horrid one. “So, you’re female?” And the owl, now known to be a 'she', expanded her body in a gesture of grand confirmation. Aaron understood her way of communicating and continued.

“You know, I’m starting at Hogwarts, a school of witchcraft and wizardry. I’m not familiar with any of this stuff, you know, I grew up as a Muggle…” He wasn’t sure if she truly understood him, but it seemed like she did. “Well, I like you. And you seem like an owl who knows what she wants. And I want to know if you’d like to be my partner on this journey with me.” And then, the owl expanded her body and spread her wings, as if stretching after a millennium-long sleep. Aaron interpreted that as a resounding yes.

“I foresee a good friendship between us. Your name will be Melly.”

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