Chapter Three

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Tony holds onto Pixie's hand as they follow Tatiana out of the pub and into a small walled-off courtyard, there is nowhere for them to go from here. Tatiana pulls her wand out of her sleeve and moves to the wall. The motions with her fingers as she tries to remember the right way to do this, it's been a while since she's had to use this entrance. She taps her wand to her lip and then nods, more to herself.

"Three up...two across" She whispers and then motions for Tony to move back from the wall. He takes a couple of steps back and pulls Pixie with him. Tatiana then taps the wall three times with the tip of her wand before she steps back to Tony's side. The brick she'd tapped begins to shake and tremble before a small hole appears, gradually getting bigger and bigger until it created an archway for them to step through. "Welcome to Diagon Alley" Tatiana whispers to Tony who can't take his eyes off the view beyond the hole in the wall. Pixie hurries forward first, her excitement barely contained. Tony smiles watching her go as he and Tatiana step through the wall to follow her.

...........

One of the first things that Pixie wanted to do, was to find her animal. She was determined and stubborn so her parents caved and did just that. Before Gringotts which is where Tatiana wanted to go first so Tony could exchange some muggle money, just so he could feel involved. Her mother has enough on her to cover the costs but she wanted Tony to feel included in this. Pixie is his daughter too. But Pixie comes first, and her choice was animals. That is why Tony is now stood in the Magical Menagerie looking around at all the animals in cages and tanks and pens. Tatiana holds out a cage towards Tony, a great big black owl with almost glowing red eyes inside. He frowns a little.

"It's for you," She tells him, Tony takes the cage from her. "You want to keep in touch with her whilst she's away, right?" Tony nods.

"Of course I do"

"Then you need an owl"

"Can't I just text her, you know, like a normal person?"

"Hmm no," Tatiana offers and then leans closer to him. "Technology doesn't work at Hogwarts because there is too much magic, it interferes with the mechanics of modern technology...." Tony lifts his eyes from the owl and to his friend who gives him a small smile.

"No tech?" He asks her, she nods. "Have you told her?"

"Nope" Tatiana answers. "And I am not going to...she can figure that out herself and we will have four months before she comes back for the holidays to prepare an argument"

"Oh that's smart" He agrees. "She is going to be so pissed" Tatiana nods in agreement. "And it's not my fault" Tony then offers, brighter. "I didn't know...but you did" Tatiana gives him a look and shakes her head. "This is going to be your fault...." He then chuckles. "That's going to be fun to watch"

...........

Pixie weaves her way through the other animals in the shop, she's never really been one for animals, Tony was never big on the pet thing and her mother has her owl but Pixie never wanted one. She supposes she doesn't have to get one, but it's part of the whole experience. Right at the back of the shop is a collection of snakes. And no one is paying any attention to the snakes. They would much rather have something more attractive. An owl. A cat. Pixie is drawn to the scaled animals. There are some very large snakes in the tanks, and some very small ones. She peers into the glass of a tank but sees nothing in there. She leans back and moves onto the next one.

"Wait" She frowns and glances around for the source of the voice. "Come back..." She then looks into the tank she'd just been looking in to find a two-headed snake slithering towards the glass. "It's so lonely in here"

"Excuse me?" The other head asks the first. "What am I?" Pixie moves closer as they start to bicker between themselves. They both stop when she chuckles, turning to look at her.

"You can understand us?" One of the heads asks her, she hums and nods. She brushes the dust from the little sign on the corner of the tank. Two-headed albino Honduran milk snake. She taps the little sign, two sets of beady eyes watching her.

"She's going to pick us, brother" The other head whispers. Pixie glances at the snake. Or snakes. She's not sure what it would be. One body but clearly two brains.

"Are you sure?" The other head asks Pixie. "You wouldn't rather a nice fat cat or..."

"No" Pixie stops it. "No...I wouldn't" Tony and Tatiana make their way over to where Pixie is.

"Well?" Tatiana asks. "Did you pick one?"

"The snake" Pixie answers.

"Snake wasn't on the list" Tony points out as he looks down at the list of supplies in his hand. "Cat. Owl. Or Toad...."

"But I want the snake" Pixie counters, firmly, she's as stubborn as he is, he knows this, and when she really wants something, there is no talking her out of it. "It spoke to me"

"It spoke to you?" Tatiana asks, Pixie nods.

"Yeah" She looks back at the two-headed snake. "This one...is the one I want" She smiles at the snake and nods. She is sure.

"But it's got two heads" Tony points out and looks at Pixie who gives him a look, he sighs. "Fine..." He caves.

"The runespoor is a giant snake with three heads" Tatiana whispers to Tony who's eyes widen with that information. "Be grateful this one is small and only has two" Tony nods and then touches Pixie's cheek, she beams up at him, happy she's getting her snake. That look is why he usually caves when she asks for anything, it makes her happy.

"I'm going to call him Kaa" She admits. He softens and brushes her hair back from her face. He knows why she's chosen that name. He reads her the Jungle Book every year, it's their little Christmas tradition. It's her all-time favourite book and movie. "Or do I have to come up with two names because it's got two heads?" She asks with a frown.

"I don't think it matters, Pixel" Tony answers. "It doesn't care, either way, it's a snake"

"What is that?" She asks and points at the owl in the cage in his hand.

"Owl" Tony deadpans back, she shoots him a look and he smirks. "Your mother thinks I should get one..." He looks at the owl and shrugs.

"Why?" She asks him.

"Just...in case" He answers and looks at Tatiana for help with the answer.

"You know the magical community prefers owls over cell phones" Tatiana informs her daughter. "He is going to need one to send parcels and letters to you" Pixie hums a little, narrows her eyes at them and then shrugs.

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