Chapter 3 — Cats, Owls, and Ravens
"Come along, child. First stop is Madam Malkin's Robes—your school uniform needs to be fitted then we can go to the Olivanders."
Horatio followed Dumbledore north along Diagon Alley until they reached the familiar purple sign of Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.
The wooden door creaked as they stepped inside.
A wave of old camphor, fabric dye, and magical dust hit Horatio square in the face.
Robes of every style and color floated gently in enchanted displays.
A plump witch in a violet robe popped her head out of a sea of fabric.
"Welcome to Madam Malkin's—oh! Headmaster Dumbledore! What a surprise to see you escorting a new student this year."
Dumbledore chuckled, smoothing his beard.
"I can't trouble Minerva every year. Besides, I felt like stretching my legs."
He nudged Horatio forward.
"This little fellow needs a full set of school robes."
"What an adorable boy," Madam Malkin cooed, squishing Horatio's cheeks gently.
Horatio bowed elegantly.
"Pleasure to meet you, Madam. I'm Horatio Quibble—first-year."
"Oh my, what manners! The young witches will adore you."
With a flick of her wrist, a measuring tape sprang to life and began circling Horatio enthusiastically while a quill scribbled notes on its own.
"Alright, dear," she said a minute later. "Once the robes are finished, I'll send them to you by owl."
"Wait, Madam Malkin—do you take custom orders too?"
"I do. What would you like?"
Horatio grabbed a quill and quickly sketched a long black trench coat, decorated with red cloud patterns outlined in white.
"Something like this, please. Same colors."
Madam Malkin examined the design thoughtfully.
"Unique, but doable. I'll send it with your robes."
"How much?"
"Fifty Galleons."
Horatio paid immediately.
When they left the shop, Dumbledore couldn't help asking:
"Child… does that coat have any particular meaning?"
Horatio nodded with deep seriousness.
"Yes. I thought the world should experience pain."
"...Excuse me?"
"Just kidding! It's mainly for style. Imagine everyone else in school robes while I glide by dramatically in this. Cool, right?"
Dumbledore sighed into his beard.
Next After picking up textbooks from Flourish & Blotts—Horatio behaved himself this time—and buying a high-end self-stirring, collapsible cauldron at Potage's Cauldron Shop, they headed toward the Magical Menagerie.
The moment Horatio saw the black cat in the display window, he stopped breathing.
It was like a piece of midnight had turned into silk and taken shape.
Its fur glowed faintly like starlight caught in obsidian.
Emerald eyes gazed out with regal disdain, judging the world like a queen surveying her subjects.
Even time seemed to slow for her.
"A fine eye for magical creatures, young wizard," a clerk said, approaching.
"This one carries Nekomata blood—a rare magical lineage. Very expensive, and she doesn't accept just anyone. But you're welcome to try."
The clerk opened the display case.
Horatio slowly extended his hand.
The cat sniffed him… then licked his knuckles.
Then she lowered her head into his palm and purred softly.
The clerk nearly dropped dead.
"Congratulations—you've earned her approval! Two hundred Galleons."
"I'll pay you three hundred," Horatio said immediately.
"Prepare all her supplies—the best you have. If it's not enough, come back to me."
"Yes, sir!"
Horatio gently gathered the black cat into his arms, stroking her sleek fur.
"I'll call you Hathor."
They placed her in the complimentary little pushcart with her supplies. Dumbledore and Horatio stepped back onto the street.
They passed Eeylops Owl Emporium when Horatio suddenly froze.
Hedwig.
The most beloved snowy owl in the whole fandom.
The symbol of Harry's childhood.
Her sacrifice marking his adulthood.
She should still be in the shop right now.
Should he… intercept destiny?
He hesitated.
Hedwig meant "guardian" in German.
She belonged with Harry.
"…But nothing says I can't buy a similar snowy owl."
He cleared his throat.
"Professor, may I buy an owl too?"
"You already have a pet," Dumbledore said gently. "I'm not sure you can—"
Then he caught Horatio's exaggeratedly sad expression.
Lonely orphan. No friends. Needs companionship.
Dumbledore instinctively feared he might grow up like that one student.
"…Fine. But you must promise to care for them properly."
Horatio brightened immediately and sprinted into the shop.
Dumbledore sighed.
"I've been tricked," he muttered, following after him.
Inside, chaos reigned.
Two large birds were locked in aerial combat—one snowy owl, one enormous raven shimmering with iridescent black.
A clerk shouted while trying to separate them.
"What's going on?" Horatio asked.
"These two have been fighting ever since my cousin dropped off that raven for consignment," the shopkeeper groaned.
"No idea why, but the snowy owl attacks it on sight."
Horatio stared at the battling birds thoughtfully.
"Sir, keeping them here is dangerous. Why not sell them both to me? I'll handle it."
"Sorry, young wizard," the shopkeeper said. "You already have a pet—"
CLACK!
Horatio slammed a fistful of Galleons onto the counter.
"What about now?"
"No, you won't be able to—"
CLACK!
Another pile of Galleons.
"What about now?"
"…I can sell you ONE."
CLACK!
Horatio slammed—
—a surprised old wizard onto the counter.
Dumbledore: "…"
(Imaginary scene only. In reality, the moment Horatio dropped the first pile of Galleons, the shopkeeper had already told staff to pack everything immediately. The two birds were tossed into Horatio's cart, and the shopkeeper personally escorted him out, saying he'd gladly let Horatio slap Galleons on his face next time—just to feel the luxury.)
Outside the shop, Horatio stared at the three animals—cat, snowy owl, raven—who stared back at him.
"…Right. Maybe if I let you two out, you can continue fighting?"
The owl and raven glared.
"…Okay, okay. Names it is."
He pointed at the snowy owl.
"You'll be Raptor Strike — Isis."
Then at the raven.
"And you'll be Raptor Strike — Nephthys."
A mechanical ding sounded in his mind.
[…]
[Understood. I will contact the Yu-Gi-Oh world and have our colleagues send you a full Raidraptor + Phantom Knights deck.]
Horatio coughed.
"No need. Honestly."
"A real man doesn't play PK.
Give me Songstress of the Immortal Tears and Maris of the Eternal Seas instead."
---
T/N:
He named his owl & raven after "Raidraptors", a Yu-Gi-Oh bird deck.The system jokes it will send him a RR + PK deck (a real deck combo).
MC roasts PKRR because "you get negated once and the whole deck collapses."
MC instead asks for Tearlaments and Marincess, two extremely strong or beautiful archetypes.