Chapter 8: Pet Crookshanks
Chapter 8: Pet Crookshanks
"Let's be friends! My name is Hermione Granger!"
Hermione extended her right hand to Jerry. She felt that this young boy was different from the other classmates she had met before; they seemed to get along well.
"Jerry Carmen!"
Jerry was initially taken aback by Hermione's introduction but then smiled and shook her hand.
"Jerry, I'm going to buy my textbooks now. See you at the start of the school year!"
Hermione returned to her parents, waved goodbye to Jerry, and left Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.
"See you at the start of the school year!"
Once Hermione and her parents were completely gone, Jerry's face showed a puzzled expression.
Is Hermione the one with the large front teeth and thick, curly brown hair?
This seemed quite different from the character in the movies he had seen. He remembered that the Hermione in the movies didn't have large front teeth and was quite beautiful.
But come to think of it, if the girl he just met styled her hair a bit and fixed her front teeth, she would probably be quite beautiful too. After all, she had big, expressive eyes, and her features were quite well-proportioned. It was just that her appearance was somewhat marred by her lack of grooming and the large front teeth.
"All done, dear."
Ten minutes later, the plump Madam Malkin arrived beside Jerry, carrying a bag with his Hogwarts uniform.
"Thank you!"
Jerry paid the fee, put the clothes in his suitcase, and pulled his trolley out of Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.
"Professor Mcgonagall!"
As soon as he stepped outside, Jerry saw Professor Mcgonagall approaching him, carrying a bag of magical books. He waved at her.
"Alright, now we just need a pet and a wand. Ollivanders is at the end of Diagon Alley, so let's go to the Magical Menagerie first!"
After putting the magical books in the suitcase, Professor Mcgonagall took Jerry and his trolley and continued down the street of Diagon Alley.
As they passed Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, she bought Jerry a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans (a type of candy that can taste like a hundred different flavors).
"That's Gringotts Bank, a wizarding bank run by goblins. If you ever need to store valuable items, you can come here. It's very secure, well, mostly."
Professor Mcgonagall noticed Jerry's gaze on the tall white building to the right and patiently explained. However, midway through her explanation, she recalled the recent Gringotts break-in and her tone became less certain.
Jerry nodded in understanding.
Actually, he hadn't been looking at the bank but at the two goblins standing guard at the entrance, and he was marveling at how ugly the goblins in this world truly were.
"Oh, right, Mr. Carmen, I must seriously warn you. If you ever come to Diagon Alley alone, remember not to go down that alley!"
Professor Mcgonagall suddenly became serious, pointing to a narrow, dark alley opposite Gringotts.
"What is it?"
Jerry's heart skipped a beat; he already had a guess.
Professor Mcgonagall replied sternly:
"That's Knockturn Alley. Just know that it's a very dangerous place for you!"
"Got it, I'll remember that!"
Jerry nodded earnestly.
He thought Professor Mcgonagall might be one of those people who are strict in words but kind at heart. Although she often looked serious, her concern for young wizards was as strong as any other professor at Hogwarts.
Seeing how understanding Jerry was, Professor Mcgonagall's expression softened, and she continued leading him toward the Magical Menagerie.
The Magical Menagerie is situated between Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes and Gringotts. The shop may not be large, but it is teeming with a variety of pets.
As Jerry stepped into the shop, he immediately noticed the wall lined with densely packed iron cages.
Inside, there was a purple toad devouring dead flies, a giant turtle with a shell that shone like a gem, a white rabbit that could turn into a silk top hat at will, and various colored cats, mice, and ravens.
"Professor Mcgonagall, you're here. What do you need?"
A young witch wearing thick black-rimmed glasses saw Professor Mcgonagall at the door and greeted her with a respectful tone.
"Pavla, I've brought the first-year students to buy a pet for school."
Professor Mcgonagall smiled.
"How's work going?"
"Very well, the boss treats me nicely. If you have a young one who likes a particular pet, I can give you a twenty percent discount!"
The young witch adjusted her glasses and smiled as she asked Jerry.
"Madam, I want a cat!"
Jerry scanned the entire shop and quickly found his target.
"What about this gray short-haired cat? It's very gentle and would make a great pet."
The young witch immediately picked the most attractive British Shorthair and placed it in front of Jerry.
Jerry glanced at it and shook his head, then pointed to a large yellow cat lounging in the highest cage on the wall.
"I like that type of cat!"
He remembered that Hermione's cat seemed to be a yellow long-haired one, and the only one in the shop that fit the description was the one he was pointing to.
"Crookshanks?"
The young witch's face showed surprise.
Crookshanks had been in the shop for years without finding a home due to his appearance, and she was surprised that Jerry had chosen him at first glance.
"Yes, I think it's cute and lovable despite its odd look."
Jerry fibbed.
"That's wonderful. I've always been worried about it not finding a good home. I hope you'll take good care of it!"
Pavla had been a Hufflepuff student at Hogwarts and, after graduation, became a shop assistant at the Magical Menagerie in Diagon Alley because of her love for magical creatures.
She was happy that Crookshanks had found someone who liked him, not just because she had made a sale.
"I'll do my best to take good care of it, even though it's my first time keeping a pet."
Jerry's tone was sincere.
After leaving the Magical Menagerie, Jerry held Crookshanks, who was purring in his arms, and followed Professor Mcgonagall to the last shop at the end of Diagon Alley.
That was Ollivanders, the wand shop with centuries of expertise.
The wand selection process was just like in the movies: the owner took measurements with a tape measure and then had Jerry try out different wands.
There was nothing extraordinary about the process; it was the same as for any other young wizard, as Jerry had chosen a normal Wizard Bloodline.
After trying out a couple of wands, Jerry quickly found one that felt right.
"Alder, dragon heartstring, eleven inches long. It seems you are a very helpful young wizard!"
Ollivander smiled as he watched Jerry wave the wand.
"Alder is a wood that is not easily bent, but I've found that its ideal owner is neither stubborn nor inflexible. Instead, they are helpful, considerate, and well-liked."
"Helpful, huh?"
Hearing Ollivander's explanation, Jerry looked at the wand in his hand with a hint of amusement.
(End of Chapter)
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