Chapter 46

"She's the most beautiful creature I have ever seen," Harry breathed as he inspected the silvery scales that ran down the creature's belly; his words and appreciating glance eliciting a crooning hum of approval and satisfaction from the occamy. "How much are you asking for her?"

"I can't in good conscience sell her to you as you are far too young to care for…"

"How much?"

"Three hundred galleons and your parents would need to be the ones to actually purchase her on your behalf."

"My parents are dead and I was given permission by a Hogwarts' professor to purchase a companion before I return to the castle in order to start my lessons. I'll take her."

"I don't think…"

"There is no need for you to think. I am here to purchase a companion and she is the companion I have chosen to purchase. I have the amount you are asking plus enough to purchase any supplies needed to care for her and that is all you need to know."

"Fine but if she claws your eyes out and dines on your heart while you scream don't come running to me for a refund," the clerk grouched irritably as he rang up the sale and irritably accepted Harry's money.

Harry ignored the NPC's dire pronouncements as he gathered up a depressingly thin guide book on how to care for his new pet, a sturdy perch for her to sit on, and a dozen white feeder rats (non-magical) after checking the guide book to see what kind of diet occamies ate. The clerk had then grabbed a travel cage and a pair of thick gloves before he unlocked the door to the cage in order to transfer the creature into the cage. The occamy dodged the man's hands and dove out of the glass enclosure before she flew herself up to Harry's left shoulder, promptly wrapped her tail around Harry's neck, and propped her head on top of Harry's head.

The clerk stared at Harry for a full minute before he shook his head and walked away muttering under his breath about insane brats and annoying creatures giving him headaches.

"You certainly made quite an impression on the man, beautiful," Harry declared with a soft laugh as he stepped outside of the store where Professor Sinistra was waiting for him.

The woman took one look at Harry's new companion and stuttered, "Th…that's not an owl!"

"Correct, she's much better than any old owl in my opinion."

"Only owls, cats, or toads are permitted as pets at the school," Professor Sinistra protested.

"I'm not returning her and if I am not allowed to keep her with me, then I will not return to the school with you. You did not mention a restriction on the type of companion I could purchase before you sent me into the store alone and she is the only companion I found suitable and I refuse to be told what kind of creature I can or can't be allowed to keep."

"I don't get paid enough to deal with your stubbornness," Professor Sinistra deadpanned as she reached up to massage her temples as if to ward off a headache. "Headmaster Dumbledore can deal with you and your new pet. One word of precaution; bring her to my classes and I will deduct house points and assign detentions as I will not allow her presence to disrupt my classes. Do you understand?"

"Perfectly, professor."

"Good. We're officially finished here."

As the woman grabbed hold of his wrist and dragged him back towards the entrance to the market place, the soft crooning of the occamy filled his ears and soothed some of the aching loneliness that had filled him since he'd woken up several days earlier. Unconsciously, Harry began humming softly in response; his boyish tones easily harmonizing with those of the occamy as her crooning swelled in volume in response to his hums; their impromptu duet drawing attention from nearby witches and wizards that either stared at him in disbelief or ran in fear once they realized he was carrying an unfettered occamy on his shoulder.

Ten minutes later, the two of them were once more standing just outside of the gates of Hogwarts and Harry was once again trying not to vomit from the unpleasant mode of transportation the woman used. Being stretched out like a rubber band and pulled through a straw the size of a shish kabob skewer was never fun as far as Harry was concerned. The occamy hadn't enjoyed the experience either if her irritated hisses were anything to go by.

They were met on the steps leading up into the castle turned school by Professor McGonagall (one of the NPCs that had supposedly taught his parents) and Headmaster Dumbledore. Both NPCs had paled slightly the moment they got a good look at the creature seated on Harry's shoulder but neither of them remarked upon the occamy's presence to Harry's surprise; he would have expected at one of them to make a fuss about the non-standard pet based upon the reaction the occamy's presence had solicited from Professor Sinistra.

"Please follow me, Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall instructed as she flicked her eyes to the occamy's head where it was once again propped on Harry's head before gesturing for him to follow her into the castle. "I will be taking you to be sorted into a house before you join the rest of the students for lunch. After the meal, your new Head of House will see to it that you are settled in your assigned dorm, provide you with a class schedule, and introduce you to one or more students of his or her choice who will help you catch up on the curriculum that you missed while you were indisposed."

"Thank you for taking me to gather my supplies, Professor Sinistra; it was a most informative expedition," Harry stated as he opened his Menu and ended his party with the dark haired woman before accepting the automated party invitation from Professor McGonagall.

As he stepped into the castle, he heard the woman loudly start complaining to the Headmaster, "Never again, Albus! The entire trip was a nightmare! He spoke of killing goblins, he stubbornly refused to get a trunk, questioned the quality of each and every piece of equipment he purchased, demanded to be allowed to purchase a ridiculous number of non-school related books, and you saw the creature he came out of the store with!"

"It sounds like you had a productive morning, Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall dryly quipped with a trace of amusement coloring her voice.

"It was a trying morning but I suppose I can't complain too loudly knowing that the end result was finding my beautiful friend here. I had not expected to find such a lovely companion when I had left this morning; do you know if occamies are related to wyverns or dragons in this world?"

"I am not aware of a connection between those creatures; your best bet would be to ask Professor Kettleburn, who is the professor of the Care of Magical Creatures class or Hagrid, who is the school's gamekeeper."

"Thank you for the suggestions, I will seek out one of them first chance I get. Can you tell me more about the houses you and the others keep mentioning?"

"You're welcome, Mr. Potter, it is always nice to see our students taking an interest in learning; even if the subject in question is rather obscure," Professor McGonagall replied with the slightest upturning of her mouth that Harry thought might be her attempt at a smile. "As for the school houses, there are a total of four houses into which all students are sorted based up their personalities and they are called…"

Harry listened attentively as McGonagall explained how the house system worked and what would be expected of him once he'd been sorted into a house. She then went on to list the school rules that he would be expected to follow (which included a few that only applied to his pet since her species was well known to be highly aggressive) and the typical punishments he could expect to face for breaking the various rules. It was a lot of information to take in and Harry hoped that the book that had been recommended by the store clerk, Hogwarts; A History, would have the same information so that he could use it as a reference later on.

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