A CUTE COMPANION Pet

Date: September 10^th, 2026

Location: Magical Menagerie, Diagon Alley

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Bartholomew reached the door of the 'Magical Menagerie', avoiding the crowds of Diagon Alley. As soon as he opened the door, strange animal sounds—the hooting of owls, the rushing of ferrets, and the noise of mysterious creatures—reached his ears. But in the middle of this noise, there was something truly delightful—the sweet aroma of freshly baked sugar cookies floating from inside the shop. In the excitement of getting his first pet, he hadn't eaten anything since morning, leaving him greedily hungry—a feeling only intensified by the aroma of sweet cookies.

Inside the shop, he saw a short-build woman, Anita Witticker, wearing a beautiful floral dress. Her smile was so sweet, and she gave Bartholomew a sugar cookie to eat. Her husband, Ernest Witticker—who was somewhat tall and broad-shouldered, and wore a checked shirt and glasses—was arranging the animal cages. Bartholomew thanked Mrs. Witticker for the cookie, and while observing Mr. Witticker, began looking for a companion for himself.

Bartholomew wanted a quiet pet for his Gryffindor dormitory. He wanted his pet to not disturb him while he composed melodies in his room. He walked past the hopping toads and noisy birds. Finally, he reached a quiet corner of the shop where the cats were kept. He liked these cats because of their quiet nature. He was confused by all the cats there and couldn't figure out which cat would be perfect for him. He wanted a cat that looked cute and was quick to bond with others, and he didn't want one with a coat of just a single colour.

He finally succeeded in shortlisting a few cats. They were:

• Silver Siberian
• Silver Mackerel Tabby
• Egyptian Mau
• Red Classic Tabby
• Gray Mackerel Tabby

Bartholomew wanted to buy all those cats, but he would have to choose just one of them. He finally chose the Egyptian Mau. There were dark-coloured spots on that cat's white fur. Despite all the noise in the shop, she was playing very calmly with her ball of wool. Bartholomew slowly approached the cage and hummed his melody in a very soft voice. Upon hearing the melody, the little cat let go of her ball of wool, gave an affectionate 'meow,' and slowly approached the cage bars to rub her head against Bartholomew's fingers.

He realized that this was the perfect roommate for him. He went back to the counter where Anita and Ernest were, and told them he wanted that Egyptian Mau. Bartholomew took exactly 14 Galleons out of his pocket and handed them over. As he stepped out of the shop with his new friend, Bartholomew looked into her eyes; it seemed as though she was pleading to be let out of the cage. So, Bartholomew opened the cage, and his little friend suddenly climbed onto his shoulder; he found himself imagining how this cat would sleep on his pet bed in Gryffindor Tower and enjoy his music.