Amethyst Rosewood and The Joys of Independence by Melissa Nichols (ebooks that read to you .TXT) 📕

Percy smiled, nodded and led her across the street, gently taking her hand to ensure that she wouldn't get lost in the crowd. It was only a few more steps before he was opening a door for her.

A bell went off above her head, and the comforting sound of kitten mewls, adult meows, and toads croaking filled her ears. Reminded of home, she took a breath and felt her muscles relax as if by magic.

"Welcome to the Magical Menagerie! Percy, so good to see you again!" A voice chirped across the shop. A woman made their way toward them. Amy could see that she was of middle age and her smile was bright, her hair was unkempt, and she had a few wrinkles. But she seemed nice.

"Hello, Hildy. I've got a first year here. Looking for a cat."

"Hello, dearie. We've got an excellent selection of felines that would do perfectly at Hogwarts. Right this way." The lady, Hildy, guided Amy to the next floor of the shop, past the toads and the... whatever those were.

"Do you know what you're looking for, sweetie?" She asked as they approached the cages where the cats were kept.

"Well, just the personality really. I want a cat that is very cuddly and will stick near me during class but independent enough to care for itself."

"Do you have a preference to age or coat color or gender?"

"I don't care about gender and fur so much, only the personality. But I do know I want a kitten so we both go to Hogwarts for the first time together."

"I'm certain we have a kitten you'll like. Wait right here while I fetch our cuddliest kittens." She gestured to a small room, leaving Amy once she was seated on the floor. Hildy closed the door, leaving Amy alone.

In front of her, she could see a plexiglass wall that let her see into another room with a cat tree, but there wasn't anything else to look at. No windows, no clocks, no decorations. Just white walls, and white linoleum floor.

Finally, the door to the cat room opened, and Hildy appeared carrying a basket of kittens. She gingerly took each kitten out of the basket and left it outside the door. Amy watched eagerly as Hildy seemed to deliberate for a moment, then picked up a tortoiseshell and brought it to Amy, careful to keep the other kittens from getting caught in the door.

"Oh, hello, sweetie!" Amy cooed as she reached for the kitten.

"I picked the kittens that are what you wanted, and you're welcome to hold each of them as much as you want, but the hard part falls to you. Picking a partner is no easy task, so trust your instincts and take your time deciding. If you decide you don't want this kitten, I'll put it with the others and grab the next."

Amy nodded and accepted the kitten, speaking quietly to it as it tried to climb her clothes. She held it up to her face and looked deep into its green eyes. Reaching for the same energy she used to speak to her animal friends, she let her mind go quiet.

"Hello, little one." She spoke and the kitten quieted in confusion. "Aren't you adorable! I'm Amy, and I'm going to Hogwarts tomorrow. Hildy says you're very cuddly." The kitten mewled, flashing a pink tongue. "I bet you love being petted, and held, and stroked, hmm?"

The kitten mewled again.

"That's good. But Hogwarts is a big school, and it'll take up a lot of my time. So I won't have time to cater to a very needy kitty. You'll need to care for yourself for most of the day, but I can play with you and spoil you at night. I'd also like my kitten to be with me during class, so you'd need to sit still. Can you do that?"

The kitten was silent for a moment, then mewled sadly.

"I know, it’s a hard thing to admit. You've done well by answering honestly. I'm proud of you." The kitten mewled happily, and Amy nuzzled it, now petting it as a reward.

"Do they have names?" Amy asked Hildy, who had been silently staring.

"Not officially. But I can differentiate two identical kittens, so I know exactly who is who. You can talk to animals, dearie?"

"Yes. This one has admitted it wouldn't be a good fit for me. It’s too hyper to sit in class all day."

"I'll make a note of that. Are you going to ask each kitten those questions?"

"More or less."

"If you could tell me what they say, I'll make notes for each kitten. That information will help me find them better homes."

"I'd be happy to help with that." She nuzzled the kitten again and held it out for Hildy to take. "Can I meet the next one?"

"Of course." Hildy accepted the tortie, and Amy waved goodbye to it, then the older witch brought out the next kitten.

Amy repeated the same process for each kitten, making sure to properly greet and stroke the feline before she asked it her questions. She stayed calm, quiet, and kind to each one, even as her heart dropped when kitten after kitten admitted to not being a good fit. Meanwhile, Hildy had produced a notebook and quill, and had been taking notes on what each kitten had to say. At least Amy was helping to find each kitten a better home, and she was happy with that.

Kitten after kitten was asked and returned. Before Amy knew it, all of the proffered kittens had been asked, and none had been what Amy had been looking for. Was she doing this wrong? Was she being too picky? No. Her magic had helped her make several animal friends, and not one of them was bad. Her magic wasn't the problem. And she was being clear that a lot of her time would be dedicated to her schoolwork and couldn't care for a needy kitten in the way she wanted to. They had all said they were needier than most cats. The problem wasn't her expectations; it was the kittens she'd been offered.

"Can I see where the other kittens are kept? I'd like to see if they are more to my liking, and see them in person."

"Yes, of course." Hildy gathered the kittens in the basket and led Amy down the hallway to the feline wing. She passed a giant room of adult cats, then several large cages with nursing mothers and tiny newborns. The next proper room held every kitten old enough to be away from its mother, and Hildy invited her inside.

The kittens in the basket were only a third of the kittens in the room, ranging from two months to six months in age, and most didn't spare her a glance. Keeping her magic active, she looked from kitten to kitten, and her eyes fell upon a tiny white-and-black tabby female with black half socks, black ears and tailtip. This cat was assessing her in the same way. They locked eyes, the kitten stayed still for a moment, then padded forward and let Amy pick it up.

"Hello, darling." Amy greeted, starting the process again. "I'm going to Hogwarts tomorrow, and I'd like to bring a cat with me. I'm looking for a kitten who can take care of itself, but is still cuddly, and who can sit still during classes. Do you think you are that kitten?"

The kitten kept eye contact and mewled once, solidly, and affirmatively. That one sound said everything Amy needed to know; she was independent but was devoted and loyal and wouldn't leave her side. She was more intelligent than the other kittens - which Amy had already seen for herself - and was eager to go new places. Her senses were sharper than her siblings', and her mother was a trained witch's assistant. This kitten was her ideal match.

Amy smiled and nodded. "Yes, you are. I'm sorry it took so long to find you." The kitten mewled again, saying every moment had its purpose. "Such a wise kitten. Hildy, I'd like this one."

"That one! Why didn't I think of it earlier? It has always seemed so standoffish to me, it never crossed my mind. I think you've found the perfect cat for yourself. Now, let's head back downstairs and get you sorted with her supplies." Hildy carefully herded the kittens away from the door and let Amy go out first. She waved goodbye to the kittens she'd met, who mewled happily back at her.

"All right then." Hildy sighed. "And since you're a student, you get our complete kitten care package and a kitten travel carrier for free. As a first year, you'll also receive a comprehensive item catalogue, complete with item pictures and descriptions so reordering supplies will be easier. You'll find the same is true in every shop except Ollivander's." Hildy smiled as she grabbed a basket with assorted cat products inside and led the way back downstairs.

"Oh, thank you! That's very generous, and the catalogues are quite ingenious." Amy smiled as she went over to Percy, gently prying her kitten off her shoulder to hold her up, noticing her deep green eyes. "Isn't she adorable, Percy?"

"Yes, she is! Hello, there, little one." He smiled and petted the kitten who reached her head forward to accept the scratches. "What are you going to name her?"

"I think... Arcane."

"That's an interesting name."

"I gravitate to unusual and rarely used names. What do you think of it?" She asked the kitten, who mewled happily. "Arcane it is. I should go pay for her." She held tiny Arcane close to her chest and hurried to the counter. Hildy had laid the basket and a purple travel carrier out, and now she had her back turned to Amy.

"All cats get a free collar and personalized name tag." Hildy explained as she turned around and laid several collars on the counter. A moment later, an equal number of blank name tags slid to a stop in front of her in a large variety of shapes and colors.

"Really? Oh my gosh, that is so cool!" Amy squeaked excitedly and set Arcane down on the counter. "Which collar would you like, Arcane?" Amy asked, tapping the counter near one collar. Arcane looked at Amy and then at the collars. She paused for a moment, looking between them, and padded over. Deliberately, she placed a paw on the purple leather collar. Hildy and Percy laughed, Amy stood there, beaming with pride.

"That's quite an intelligent kitten you picked, Amy. That's good. She'll be a big help during your classes, and she'll be easy to train." Percy explained as Hildy picked up the purple collar.

"Actually, she chose me. Good job, Arcane. Now, which nametag do you like?"

Again, the kitten chose her favorite; a silver heart-shaped tag bordered by purple stones. Amy smiled and petted her again. "And she's got great fashion sense, too." She picked up the kitten as Hildy collected the nametag. She set it on a small desk that Amy couldn't see, waved a stick and a quill flew - by itself - to write on the nametag. While the quill was doing its job, Hildy put away the rejected collars and tags. Amy was so confused as she watched the quill move, and Hildy quickly explained.

"The quill is like a Muggle engraving machine. It’s engraving Arcane's name onto the tag." The tag flipped itself over, on cue, and the quill wrote out Amy's given name of Amethyst. "Now it's engraving your name. That way, if Arcane is lost, or the collar comes off, then she can be returned to you."

"How did it know my given name?"

"That's a question that I don't have the answer to. It's one of those that can't be explained, just accepted. That's a beautiful given name. Amethyst."

"Thank you. I love it too. It's just a pain to say every time so I go by