The Art Of Magic.

Chapter 2: Diagon's Alley.

I've never met anyone besides muggles. I've always had to keep my, abnormalities, to myself. But Diagon's alley is filled with muggles, and witches, wizards, trolls, dwarves, and creatures I've never even seen. I look down at my letter, at my supply list. First, I require a familiar, a toad, cat, bat, rat, or owl. So I make my way to a store called Mededto's animal emporium.
I walked in, half expecting to be hit by a wave a rancid animal stench, but instead, I smell roses, literally. The first thing I saw, was the hundreds of owls, that were all shades of browns, golds, greys, and creams. I continue to walk towards the cashier. Walking through a maze of cages. I walk up to the long, slender, horse faced woman at the desk, reading a book of hexes through triangular glasses.
She looks down on me, with eyes that not only scaled me, but ripped me apart, showing all secrets I've ever owned. I gulped nervously, and continued. " which is the cheapest animal you have?" I asked her. She grinned, and took off her glasses, stuffed them down her shirt and disappeared into the back of the store, leaving me with the roses.

I pulled my messenger bag over my shoulder, and sighed in boredom. I notice a plant on the woman's desk. I squinted my eyes, and investigated closer. It has a large pink flower, just like a rose, but only it had a hole right in the middle, filled with needle like teeth. I stick my finger in the hole, and jerk back, when the plant snapped shut, catching the tip of my finger.
I heard a thump in the back of the store, and jolted to attention. The lady pulled out her glasses, and place them casually on the bridge of her nose. She folded her arms, and smiled at me with crooked teeth.
"I have three available for you, all for free, but you most only pick one. Hogwarts discount for first years. Choose wisely. You only get one in a lifetime." She said.
I looked at her, confused. She pulled out the cage, animal number one. It was a baby bat the size of a beanie baby. It had a pig like nose, wings that were pink and black, and eyes that pierced the soul. I shivered, and shook my head rapidly. The woman grinned at me, it was almost as if termites crawled in her teeth. She turned away, and retrieved something up from underneath her desk. She places it on the desk, crossed her arms and nodded towards the box. I looked at the box in curiosity and in fear. My hands trembled, as I opened the box. A kitten, a black, shaggy cat, with one eye missing , and the other gushed with infection. The stomach of the poor creature, called with fleas, and was swollen with worms. I held my mouth to keep from vomiting, and looked at the woman and shook my head, holding on to the desk so I wouldn't fall over. The woman must of saw that I was about to pass out because she asked me if I was alright. I gained consciousness, and nodded my head. She smiled and rubs her hands together, and left the room again.

She came back, still smiling. She had a small cage. She placed it on the desk, and opened the hatch. "Lemme see you hand." She demanded. "What!?" I asked looking up. "Oh, just trust me!" She continued. I gulped and gave her my hand, she gently pulled it to the cage. I flinched when I heard wings flap. I closed my eyes.
I hear a....hoot....I feel tiny sharp pressures on my hand. I open my eyes... It's an owl. The smallest owl I've ever saw. There, sat a midnight black ball of feathers. I looked at it, and it looked at me. Both fascinated. The woman releases her grip, and looks at me. I smile, and the owl bobs up and down, then crawls onto my shoulder. The lady nods her head, smiled and squints her eyes.
"Thank you for shopping at Madetro's animal emporium." She says.
I smile, and look down. "No tha..." I began, but when I looked back up, the woman was gone. All that was left....was a rose.