Weighed & Measured {HP}

5. a familiar bond

"I suggest you purchase a vivarium for her, so that she has a warm place to go while at Hogwarts," Professor Snape continued. "While she seems to like being around your waist," and here, there was a note of amusement to his voice, "there might come a time when you need to leave her in your dorm."

"Okay," Harry said, letting Persephone slither back under his shirt. "That sounds like something she'd like."

They entered the Magical Menagerie, Draco immediately making a beeline for the owl cages, his mother and father following him. Harry went over to the reptiles. There were several lizards and snakes. He could hear the snakes talking to each other, but it was the simple speak that Persephone had used when he had first found her.

He had thought that it was just him teaching her, but maybe his magic had made her smarter.

The proprietor came over to him, and Professor Snape spoke up.

"We need a vivarium suitable for a large snake," he said. "She's three feet long now, but she may grow larger."

"Certainly," the woman said genially. "We have a very nice model that's four times the size inside and provides magical sunlight during the day."

"Will she mind being in an extension charm?" Harry asked, having picked up on the term at the trunk shop.

"No," the saleswoman said kindly. "It's just the same as a non-expanded space. She won't even notice when you move the cage around. There's a large window to look inside, as well, and it comes fully furnished with plants and substrate."

That sounded nice to Harry.

"Okay, I'll buy it for her," he said with a decisive nod. "Only - how big is it, on the outside?"

"Quite small. Only about thirty centimeters long and half as wide when it's shrunken. Easy to carry."

She brought out the vivarium, and Harry encouraged Persephone to enter it. The snake started to explore the large space, and Harry closed the lid.

"Would you like some preserved mice or rats for her?"

"Will she like to eat them, if they aren't live?" Harry would have asked Perse, but she was busy. Besides, he was keeping his ability a secret, for now.

"Most snakes do. Why don't you buy half a dozen, and I'll give you a catalog. You can order more by owl post."

"Okay," Harry said agreeably, and the small vivarium was placed in his trunk, where Professor Snape assured him Persephone would be perfectly safe and happy.

Draco appeared with a handsome looking bird in a cage.

"He's an eagle owl," he said to Harry proudly.

"He's big," Harry, who had never seen an owl up close before, said. "Will you write to me?" he added impulsively. "Over the rest of the summer, I mean."

Draco grinned.

"Yeah, of course!"

So reassured of their new friendship, Harry followed Draco out of the shop.

Harry was quite reluctant to leave Diagon Alley and step back into the muggle world, as Draco called it. But they had purchased everything they needed for Hogwarts, and so there was no more reason to stay.

Narcissa kissed him on the cheek when they parted, and Harry looked up at her with such reverence that she smiled. After all, he had never been kissed before, like from a mother.

"If the muggles give you any trouble," Mr. Malfoy had said, shaking his hand firmly, "You must tell Draco."

"I will, sir," he said, and Mr. Malfoy nodded at him, apparently satisfied.