The wand was purchased, and Soren’s first trip to Diagon Alley neared its end.
He trailed behind Snape, walking until he spotted the path they’d arrived on.
Only then did he realize the professor meant to escort him straight home.
Problem was, he hadn’t bought his pet yet, and that animal played a critical role in his plans.
Swallowing his hesitation, he spoke up.
“Professor Snape, there’s one more item on my list.
A pet…”
Hogwarts rules allowed each student to bring either an owl, a cat, or a toad.
Snape, whose thoughts had drifted elsewhere, stopped and turned his head.
Even in full sunlight, his expression carried its usual brooding weight.
He fixed Soren with a glare capable of reducing first-years to tears.
“Do you truly need a pet?
If I were you, I’d save the remainder of your stipend for a rainy day.”
In principle, Soren agreed with the man’s frugal philosophy.
But as someone who’d been roughed up by life, he understood a fundamental truth: money you couldn’t spend was worthless paper, doing nothing but losing value.
Better to put it to work, start a small venture, than let it gather dust in a cupboard.
Saying that out loud would only earn him Snape’s merciless mockery, though.
Time for the art of persuasion, and maybe a few bonus points while he was at it.
“The thing is, Professor, I’d like to buy an owl so I can keep in touch with Director Brent and my friends at the orphanage.
I’ve been at Brent Orphanage since the day I was born.
It’s the closest thing to home I’ve ever known.
Leaving for boarding school so suddenly…
I can’t help worrying about everyone back there.”
Friends and…
home?
Snape latched onto the key words.
Something in his expression softened, almost imperceptibly.
Perhaps this boy wasn’t like You-Know-Who after all.
The latter had never once treated his childhood orphanage as home, never formed a genuine friendship.
Speaking of friends…
Lily…
No.
Not the time.
Snape forced the memory aside and jabbed a finger down the street.
“There’s a pet shop that way.
Make it quick.”
“Yes, Professor!”
Soren hurried to agree and took the lead.
A few minutes of backtracking brought them to Eeylops Owl Emporium.
If memory served, Harry would end up buying his owl here someday too.
True to its name, the shop dealt exclusively in owls.
Faint, not unpleasant.
The proprietor was a cheerful brown-haired woman who greeted Soren with enthusiasm and launched into a tour of the available breeds.
Soren’s gaze swept across the orderly display perches.
The first to catch his eye was a large owl he recognized, the same model as the Hogwarts messenger.
Beside it sat a more striking bird, a snowy owl, though he couldn’t be certain it was the one Harry would eventually own.
Noticing his attention linger on the shop’s star attraction, the owner launched into a practiced pitch.
Snowy owls, she explained, were native to Arctic regions, large and quite rare.
Soren glanced at the price tag.
Rare and expensive turned out to be synonyms: twenty Galleons.
Not exactly friendly to a kid of limited means.
He moved on to the other large owl breeds, most priced between twelve and fifteen Galleons.
The smaller and mid-sized birds cost less, but wouldn’t meet his need to transport sizeable packages.
Reading both his preference and his thin wallet, the shopkeeper guided him to another display case and introduced the discounted options.
“You seem drawn to the eagle owls.
How about this one?
Only ten Galleons, and we’ll throw in free boarding until term starts.”
Tempting, but something gave him pause.
“The owl that delivered my acceptance letter was an eagle owl too.
Looked a fair bit bigger than this one, though.”
“Oh, absolutely!” The woman bobbed her head, a smile tugging at her lips.
“That’s because she’s just reached adulthood.
Still growing.”
She lifted the eagle owl from her perch and brought her closer for inspection.
“Look at her.
A gorgeous little lady.
We measured her yesterday, and she’s already fifty-five centimeters.
With proper care, she could reach ninety someday, larger than most males.
Large owls like this live over twenty years.
She’ll be with you for a long time, one of the best companions you could ask for, and she’ll carry your letters and packages too.
Go on, don’t be shy.
You can pet her.
She has a lovely temperament.
A real lady.”
Encouraged, Soren extended a tentative hand.
He had zero experience with owls.
Falling back on instinct, he did what he’d do with a cat, offering his fingers for the bird to inspect.
The eagle owl’s temperament lived up to its billing.
She cocked her head, studied him, then leaned forward and gave his fingertips a few gentle pecks.
Friendly.
While she explored his hand, Soren conducted his own appraisal.
Healthy.
Striking plumage.
The prominent ear tufts rising from either side of her crown gave her an almost intellectual charm.
Which meant his wallet was about to take another beating.
Before paying, he asked about the boarding service she’d mentioned.
The shopkeeper glanced at his clothes and correctly surmised he was a young wizard from the Muggle world.
“Some young wizards, for various reasons, can’t bring their pets home.
So we offer a boarding service.
We’ll look after your owl and deliver her to the Hogwarts Express on September first, straight to school, no hassle for you.
Of course, if you’re able to care for her yourself, that’s even better.”
She smiled and waited for his decision.
Soren looked at the conspicuous eagle owl, then thought about conditions at the orphanage, and scratched the back of his head.
Did he have the means?
Not really.
Not yet, anyway.
He wouldn’t have much use for owl post before term started anyway.
Boarding her here made sense.
Catching the conflicted look on his face, the shopkeeper couldn’t resist.
She reached out and ruffled his hair, thoroughly satisfying the urge, before proposing a compromise.
“Tell you what.
Term’s still five and a half weeks away.
Leave me your address, and every Friday I’ll have your owl fly over to yours.
Think of it as learning the route.
She can stay a day or two, you bond, and then she flies back on her own.”
Soren wasn’t entirely sure whether he’d just traded on his cuteness factor, but the objective was met.
A better arrangement than he’d hoped for.
He’d take it.
He paid, left his address, and spent a few more minutes bonding with his new companion.
Only when he could no longer withstand Snape’s withering stare did he bid a polite farewell and exit the shop, trailing the scent of bird.
“All finished now?” Snape had been waiting long enough to sharpen his voice into the menacing register he reserved for the classroom.
Soren wasn’t intimidated in the slightest.
As a prophet with a seven-year shelf life, he knew the truth: underneath it all, Snape was a pitiful romantic, spending his entire life pining for Lily.
A pair of green eyes, identical to hers, would be enough to shatter the man’s composure once Harry arrived.
This tragic figure deserved a pat on the shoulder, a drink, and the word “PATHETIC” stamped across his forehead in green ink.
Naturally, Soren kept those thoughts strictly internal.
Outwardly, he maintained his good-boy persona.
“That’s everything on my list.
Thank you so much for your help, Professor Snape.
I’m really looking forward to starting term.
I can’t wait to take your Potions class!”
Snape’s lips pressed into a thin line.
He turned and walked away, tossing one last remark over his shoulder.
“Then you’d better not be the kind of blundering fool I encounter all too often.”