Cats, Owls, and Ravens

"Come on, let's go to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions first. You need to have a school uniform made."

Horatio followed Dumbledore to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions in the northern part of Diagon Alley.

As they pushed open the shop's creaking wooden door, the smell of aged camphor mixed with magical dust rushed into their noses. The display windows were filled with an array of robes.

A woman in purple robes poked her head out from a pile of fabric. "Welcome to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions." Seeing the elderly visitor, she said in surprise, "Headmaster Dumbledore, why are you personally bringing a new student this year?"

Dumbledore stroked his beard. "I can't keep troubling Minerva all the time. I had nothing to do this year, so I thought I'd take a stroll." He rubbed Horatio's head. "Please make a school uniform for this little fellow."

"Is this year's new student? He's so adorable." Madam Malkin walked over to Horatio and pinched his cheek.

"Hello, Madam Malkin. My name is Horatio Quibble, and I'm a new student enrolling this year." Horatio gave Madam Malkin a gentlemanly bow.

"Hahaha, how polite. I'm sure the little witches will like you once you start school. Come, let me take your measurements." With a wave of Madam Malkin's right hand, a measuring tape flew toward Horatio as though it had come alive. Horatio cooperated as it measured his figure, while a feather quill automatically recorded something in a notebook.

"All right, child." Madam Malkin looked over the notes. "Once the clothes are ready, I'll send them to you by owl."

"Wait a moment, Madam Malkin. May I ask whether you take custom orders here?"

"I do. What sort of clothes do you want made?"

Horatio picked up the feather quill and drew a trench coat on a sheet of paper, with cloud-like patterns on it.

"Like this. Please make it black, with the cloud patterns red with white edging."

Madam Malkin looked at the clothes on the paper, thought for a moment, then replied, "No problem. I'll send it along with your uniform once it's finished."

"Thank you. How much will it be?"

"That'll be 50 Galleons."

Horatio counted out 50 Galleons and paid Madam Malkin, then followed Dumbledore out of the robe shop.

Once they were outside, Dumbledore could not help asking, "Child, does that custom-made coat have some special meaning?"

"Mm, I mainly just suddenly wanted the world to feel pain."

"???"

"Just kidding. It's mostly for showing off. Think about it: everyone else will be wearing school uniforms, and I'll have a trench coat like that over mine. Isn't that cool?"

"..."

Following the speechless Dumbledore, he entered a bookstore bearing the sign of Flourish and Blotts. This time, Horatio did not pull any strange stunts. He obediently bought the books on the list. Besides, the system inventory already contained books that had been around longer than he had, so he had no interest in buying anything else.

After that, he bought an advanced cauldron with automatic stirring and telescopic functions at Potage's Cauldron Shop.

Following Dumbledore to the Magical Creatures Shop, Horatio immediately took a liking to a black cat in the display window. It seemed to have stepped out of the night itself, its fur gleaming faintly like satin. Every black hair seemed steeped in starlight, while its emerald-green eyes gazed down upon all living things around it, like an elegant queen inspecting her subjects. It was as though even time would slow its pace for her.

"You've got a good eye, little wizard. This black cat has a Nekomata bloodline, but she's very expensive, and her personality is aloof. She hasn't been sold yet. You can give it a try." A clerk led Horatio to the display case holding the black cat, opened it, and gestured for him to see whether he could earn her approval.

Horatio cautiously extended his hand before the black cat. She sniffed his scent, licked the back of his hand, then buried her head in his palm and let out a string of contented meows.

"Congratulations, little wizard. You've gained her approval. That'll be 200 Galleons."

"I'll give you 300 Galleons. Please prepare all her supplies for me, the best of everything. If it isn't enough, come to me for the rest."

"Certainly. I'll prepare them immediately."

Horatio held the black cat in his arms and gently stroked her smooth fur. "From now on, your name will be Hathor."

He placed the supplies delivered by the clerk into the complimentary cart, put Hathor in the cart as well, and followed Dumbledore out of the shop.

As he pushed the cart past Eeylops Owl Emporium, Horatio suddenly thought of the Snowy Owl named Hedwig from the original story. Her death had been an enduring regret for countless Harry Potter fans; her sacrifice represented Harry Potter's growth. Hedwig should still be in the shop at this time. Should he snatch her up first?

After thinking it over, Horatio decided against it. After all, Hedwig meant guardian in German, and she was meant to protect Harry Potter as he grew. But he could buy another owl of the same kind. The shop should have more than one Snowy Owl, right?

With that thought, Horatio stopped walking. "Professor, may I buy another owl?"

Dumbledore stopped as well. "Child, you already have one pet. I'm afraid you won't be able to take care of them all..." Seeing Horatio's aggrieved, sorrowful expression—which was completely fake—he considered that Horatio had grown up in an orphanage and did not have many friends. Perhaps he needed some companionship, to keep him from following that person's old path. "All right, but you must promise me that you'll take good care of them."

Horatio's expression instantly went from gloomy to bright, and he eagerly pushed the cart toward the owl shop.

Dumbledore slapped his forehead. He had been careless and let the brat fool him. He could only shake his head and follow.

The moment they entered the shop, they found two Big Birds fighting. A clerk was trying to pull them apart. One was the Snowy Owl Horatio had been thinking about, while the other was a raven that seemed to radiate Colorful black from every feather.

"Hey! Boss, what's going on here?"

"I have no idea why, but these two have been fighting nonstop in the shop. We don't normally deal in ravens, but my cousin consigned this raven to me. For some reason, the Snowy Owl attacked her the moment she saw her, like they were enemies." The shopkeeper sat behind the counter, looking troubled.

Horatio looked thoughtfully at the two birds fighting. "Boss, keeping these two in the shop will only cause trouble. Why not sell them to me? I'll find a way to take good care of them."

The shopkeeper glanced at Hathor in Horatio's cart and shook his head. "Little wizard, you already have a pet. I can't sell them to you."

"Slap!!!" A handful of Galleons landed on the table. "Can you sell them now?"

"Still no. You can't take care of them all."

"Slap!!!" Another handful of Galleons landed on the table. "Can you sell them now?"

"I can sell you one. Only one."

"Slap!!!" A white-bearded old man was slapped onto the table. "What if you include this?"

Dumbledore: "..."

The shopkeeper cupped his hands toward Horatio. "May I ask who you truly are, sir?"

"This one is a Hogwarts New Student."

The above scene was purely imaginary. In reality, the moment Horatio slapped the Galleons onto the shopkeeper's table, the shopkeeper had already instructed the clerk to quickly pack up both birds and toss them into the cart. Then he politely escorted Horatio to the door and said that next time, Horatio could slap the Galleons directly onto his face. He wanted to experience the feeling of being insulted by money.

Standing at the entrance, Horatio stared wide-eyed at the two birds and one cat, while they stared back at him, all of them utterly bewildered.

"Ahem, how about I let you out so you can keep fighting?"

"Forget it. Let's give you names."

Horatio pointed at the Snowy Owl. "You'll be called Assault Raptor—Isis." He then pointed at the raven. "You'll be called Assault Raptor—Nephthys."

[...]

[Received, Host. I will contact our comrades in the Yu-Gi-Oh! world and have them mail you an Assault Raptor and Phantom Knights deck.]

"Ahem, no need to thank me."

"What normal person plays PKRR? The Knights went bankrupt on the spot after getting soaked. Please switch them to the powerful, beautiful, ageless, immortal Tearlaments and Marryce. Thank you."

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