Nimue had looked a little sad as Anders walked away. Although they have maintained a respectful distance during the last few weeks of his tenure at Hogwarts, she had been used to seeing him on a daily basis around and about the school. Coupled with no Marcus Falconer to accompany her on her morning walks in the grounds she felt her life at school was going to be very different this year.

Her aim to become the top Fourth Year student for Gryffindor, even given Marvo's magical eye, was the sort of goal she could happily throw herself into. Her intention was to speak with McGonagall about taking the sixth option. She silently fretted about her studies while Marvo was talking to Kat, glancing at the bookshelves and wondering whether she should buy extra books on this or that subject.

"I'm OK for robes." Said Nimue uncharacteristically, "Marvo, come help me with choose an owl will you? It's an important decision and I'm worried about an impulse buy. Be nice if it was one that Pippin would get on with."

Marvo groans but smiles. "Okay okay Lizzy! I know there is no arguing with you!"

He wanted to go along anyway, he knew Nimue was a bit sad about Anders. He turned to Kat, completely ignoring Andy's presence.

"Like to come along Kat? At least to save me from the horrors of the robe shop?"

Andy was hurt. He had been completely ignored, and wasn't invited to buy robes. And it was all Marvo's doing! He felt like someone had just ripped out his self-esteem, threw it on the floor, and danced all over it. What was Marvo's problem?

Even though Andy wanted to strangle Marvo, he just stood there and said nothing.

With Marvo turned towards Kat, Nimue pulled a face at him and mouthed 'An owl not robes!' She also thought he was being very impolite towards Andy!

Kat looked at Andy. She had no idea what to do to make things ok. On impulse she gave him a quick hug and whispered, "It will be ok eventually, I promise."

Then she wandered in the direction that Nimue had been heading. "Ok then... I guess 'robes' it is." She treated Marvo to her normal cheeky grin.

Nimue smiled warmly at Andy. They had talked a few times before the end of term about his predicament and Marvo's attitude. Things weren't getting any better.

"I'll see you soon." she said to him before leaving Flourish and Blotts.

Andy smiled. He was glad that Kat and Nimue were supporting him. He needed all the reassurance he could get. Being in this situation was difficult and he often found himself struggling to stay in a solid state. Sometimes if he didn't concentrate to keep his "body" solid, he would walk through walls or fall through the bottoms of chairs. He continued to look around at the different things on the shelf, seeing if he had enough money to buy everything he needed for school.

*Robes?* Nimue wondered. Somehow Marvo had got it into his head that the only thing she ever thought about was clothing and Kat had followed his lead. It was true that Nimue tended to be somewhat interested in fashion though this year she'd obtained her new robes and casual wear while in Italy.

Therefore, exiting Flourish and Blotts, rather than heading next door to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, she went across the street to Eeylops Owl Emporium.

The shop was dark just as the owls liked it and there was an amazing assortment of owls - small and large. There was an amazing choice to be had. No wonder she needed assistance!

She smiled at the proprietor and waited for Marvo and Kat to come in.

Marvo follows Nimue into the owl Emporium, smiling that it was not a Robes Shop.

"So? You're looking for an Owl? or something more Exotic Lizzy? Is this because Marcus is staying in London? I heard at the Ministry he was"

"More exotic? No, the reason I came to the Owl Emporium is because I want an owl. You know for messages - one of my own - not one of Daddy's birds."

There was a fair amount of soft hooting noises in the shop and many yellow and dark eyes watching them. The range of owls was amazing.

"Oh, you heard about Marcus? At the Ministry? I guess he had pretty much made up his mind about it but I didn't hear until yesterday. I can't blame him it is more exciting to work alongside Daddy than to 'baby-sit' a teenager." That Nimue felt slightly abandoned by the dashing young chevalier was quite obvious as well as a slight annoyance that she was almost the last to know of his decision.

"Yes, also Calliope grew up and decided she wasn't a witches' cat after all. Not like your cats, Kat. So I thought an owl would be best."

She looked around, there were barn owls, snowy owls, screech owls, long eared and short-eared owls, grey owls, little owls, medium owls, large owls. If it were not for the need for the owls to move discreetly through the muggle world carrying owl post - then undoubtedly there would have also been owls of many colours - but for the most part they were owls of normal owl colours.

"Where to begin though?"

"Well, I know, with 'you know what' happening at School this year, he probably felt you don't what to have him hanging around. Any anyway" He Smiled "You have me to look after you"

He looked around the Emporium. "Ohh how about that one?" Marvo pointed at a rather sleek looking Grey Owl.

*You know what happening?!?! What did that mean?* Nimue hated to say to Marvo that she hadn't a clue what he was on about.

She looked at Kat and tried to catch her eye to ascertain whether this was just Marvo being Marvo or was there something happening that she should know about. She didn't pass comment on his remark about looking after her. That was definitely Marvo being Marvo! The owl he had pointed out was beautiful but then they all were.

Kat looked back at Nimue. She had no idea what Marvo was talking about either. He was probably trying to impress them or something. She shrugged her shoulders at Nimue in an 'I don't know' kind of way, and looked around the shop at the different owls. However, she liked cats far more.

Reaching out to a small tabby cat that was also in the shop she suddenly found a hissing furball confronting her. She gently patted his head trying to soothe his temper. "You are a brave little tiger aren't you?" She asked the small kitten.

"Nimue are you sure you want an owl. I mean cats are so much more friendly."

Nimue smiled at Kat and the kitten. Yet there was a world of difference between cats like Mulder and Scully, Kat's familiars and Calliope, who as she had grown had just wanted to be a normal moggy.

"It's tempting but I need a bird that will be reliable to carry messages and don't really want to use a school owl. Though it would be nice to have a pet that could curl up on the bed and say hello to me in the morning."

Nimue hated these sort of decisions! In this she was very much in tune with her birth sign: Libra - who were notorious for not being able to decide even the simplest things.

The proprietor perked up. "Well Miss our owls do make excellent pets. They may not be cuddly like a cat but generations of witches and wizards have not been disappointed in them as a choice of familiar."

He moved towards some of the perches in the rear of the shop. "This is one of my imported owls. A highly intelligent bird with a distinguished pedigree."

He indicated a large grey-brown owl with white markings on its chest and belly, a yellow beak and dark brown eyes. It looked very alert bobbing its head in curiosity at the visitors and making 'Hoo-hoohoo-hoo; hoo-hoo-hoo-hoowah' noises.

Marvo looks closely at the Owl Nimue was looking at. "Ah yes. The Barred Owl, Strix varia. One of the largest owls, 16 to 23 inches tall with a 38 to 45 inch wingspan. See its large rounded head, lack of feather tufts, and dark brown eyes? That's how to recognise it. It's predominantly nocturnal and likes to live in deep woods and swamps. Its a very vocal owl, heard more often than seen. It has a wide variety of calls, many impossible to describe. The most often heard call is the "eight-hooter," given in two groups of four, which I think we have just heard."

Marvo looks up and smiles, his eye very briefly gleams red.

The proprietor smiled, "Ah your young friend must be an ornithologist. Yes, indeed he is a Barred Owl. This one is not quite mature yet is at a perfect age for bonding to a young witch or wizard."

He gestured for Nimue to move closer and she tentatively reached out her hand to touch the featured head. Her experience 'flying' Marcus when he was in falcon form gave her confidence in handling a bird of prey. The wizard, who looked more than a little owlish himself, encouraged her to move the owl onto her arm and gave Nimue a few owl treats to feed him.

"He's beautiful." she said. It seemed fairly obvious there was some serious bonding going on. After a couple of minutes, she turned back to her friends with a huge smile on her face. "Oh, he's the one definitely!"

The proprietor smiled and started the paperwork bringing out a selection of travelling cages for Nimue to choose from.

Kat smiled up at Nimue with the new owl. She had never seen the fascination with owls. Now the little tabby kitten in front of her was a different matter. She was torn about leaving it there. He was now happily rubbing up against her hand and butting it, purring as if there was no tomorrow.

She couldn't leave it there... but she knew she couldn't take it to Hogwarts. She had already had to get special dispensation for having the twins. Dumbledore wouldn't be the only one to not approve of an extra cat either. She wondered if there was anyone she knew that needed a familiar... She thought of her brother...

"Nimue, you don't know if Anders was planning to get a familiar do you? I just can't leave this little thing here. Or maybe you know someone else?"

The kitten meanwhile had jumped onto Kat's leg where she had knelt down and curled up to sleep, still happily purring. Kat looked pitifully down at it unsure what to do. Perhaps she could use one of her dad's tricks...

Marvo looked over to Kat, seeing 'that look' in her eyes, "What are you planning now Kitten?"

Nimue also watched Kat play with the little kitten an adoring look on her face. Her heart was melting. She had already started wondering if she could get special dispensation to keep a cat as well as the owl as she had the previous year. She couldn't stand the idea of leaving it behind.

When Kat mentioned Anders her face lit up. "I'm not sure if he was planning to but what a wonderful idea Kat! I am sure he'd adore it. Maybe we could look after it sometimes when he's away as cats tend to like their territory rather than flooing about. Oh yes, yes. You must!"

Kat looked up at Nimue. If she was happy with the idea then Kat needed no persuading. "Oh, I'm not planning anything..."

She gently lifted the little, now sleeping tabby kitten. She headed for the desk and handed over the money. When the shopkeeper asked her if she needed a box to put him in she shook her head and gently put the kitten in a pocket in her robes. As she did so the pocket glowed a white colour slightly.

"I've been learning a few tricks from dad over the summer. This one is not quite as polished as when he does it... but still very useful." Once she took her hand out of her pocket there was no sign that the kitten was even in there. "Shall we go then?"

Nimue arranged with the shopkeeper to pick up the owl with its cage just before leaving for Kings Cross. She was delighted that Kat was getting the kitten. She couldn't wait to see Anders' face!

Marvo watched as Kat made the small kitten disappear. "I'm very impressed Kat. you did that ever so well"

"Where to now then? Leaky cauldron - back to Flourish and Blotts or shall we go to ..... the robe shop?" Nimue said this with a straight face yet winked at Kat and waited for Marvo to comment.

Marvo smiled... Until Nimue mentioned 'Robe Shop' "Leaky cauldron! Leaky cauldron!"

He regained his composure. "That is, If you two young Ladies would give me the honour of Escorting you to the Leaky cauldron, then I would be honoured to but you both a Butterbeer" He hoped that would work.