Loyalty is a rare commodity among teenagers, sometimes because they sell each other out and sometimes because friends were a lot less common than enemies. Elena was currently blessed with some close friends and enough loyalty to make her feel safe. A pet was still a beautiful option and one she was very much looking forward to.

A slight jingling noise heralded her arrival into the shop and the smell of hay, and creature was faint in the air. It reminded Elena of when she first got her cloak, and it made her feel a little more confident as she looked around. There was a very tall man in there, not as tall as Griffith but that appeared impossible at this stage. Nobody could possibly be over seven feet, right? He appeared happy and was making his way over, Elena was glad she wasn't 4'5" anymore, she'd be terrified of being trampled.

"Hello there young lady, and welcome to the Magical Menagerie! How can I help you?" The shopkeeper seemed happy and kind enough that any leftover worries Elena felt evaporated away.

"Hi." Elena blinked a few times, "I um, I came looking for a friend."

Dammit Elena, she probably just confused the hell out of they guy. A friend? She had meant to say a pet but the damage was already done, best to live with it now.

"A friend eh? You seem the kind not to be too much of a fan of the toads. Do you prefer feathers or fur?" Or apparently he did understand what she'd meant, that was good.

Elena thought for a moment, then frowned, "I don't really know, I've never really had a pet before. Small would be good though..."

The girl had said that more to herself than to anyone else, but it seemed the man had heard her and looked like he had an idea of what to do, "Small? We can do that, although you'll have the best luck with an owl. In fact I might have just the perfect one for you..."

He disappeared for a moment before coming back with the tiny owl, maybe about the size of half a ruler, happily resting on a perch. It looked at Elena and the made a very weird noise, like a screech but not quite.

"Hello there." Elena said softly to the little creature and the owl made the noise again.

"He appears to like you." The shopkeeper looked happy with his choice, "Would you like to look at any other options?"

Another look at the owl and Elena knew she didn't need to, "No, I will ask how much for this little... fellow?"

"Fifteen galleons, he's an Eastern Screech Owl, and I think he'll serve you well." The man lead Elena over to the shop counter and the transaction was arranged. Elena walked out of the shop with a spring in her step and an owl in hand. Loyalty is a rare commodity, but nothing made you feel better.

Word Count = 500
What animal do you wish to purchase? Eastern Screech Owl
What do you want to name it? Valek
Is this a boy or a girl? Boy
What is your pet's date of birth? 17th March 2018