A few days after receiving the Hogwarts letters, Mrs. Weasley took the whole family to Diagon Alley, and Eda took a day off just for the trip.
Mrs. Weasley held little Ginny's hand tightly to prevent her from getting lost in the bustling crowds of Diagon Alley, while Ron clung to Mr. Weasley's robe. Charlie stayed with the twins and Eda.
Percy didn't join them; as soon as they arrived in Diagon Alley, he rushed off to Flourish and Blotts to look at books.
The twins had always wanted to check out Knockturn Alley, as they were full of curiosity about the place. However, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley forbade them from going there, as it was full of shady characters and stores that sold Dark magic items. It was not a place for young wizards!
Mr. Weasley took Charlie, Ron, and the twins to the secondhand bookstore to buy books, while Mrs. Weasley took Eda and Ginny to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, as Eda needed new school robes.
Madam Malkin still remembered Eda from a month ago when she had come looking for a job. She warmly welcomed them into the shop.
Eda once again stood on the footstool as Madam Malkin took her measurements to adjust the size of her school robes. Afterward, Eda picked out two additional robes in different styles. While she originally chose darker colors, Mrs. Weasley suggested she opt for lighter shades, believing that someone Eda's age should wear brighter colors.
In the end, Eda followed Mrs. Weasley's advice and changed the color of one of the robes to sky blue.
After leaving Madam Malkin's, Mrs. Weasley headed to Flourish and Blotts to find Percy, as she needed to take him to buy his robes.
Eda took Ginny to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, as she had been craving the ice cream there for a long time. The sun was bright, and they sat under a parasol enjoying the delicious treats like a family, fulfilling one of Eda's small wishes.
Other customers also enjoyed their cold desserts, showing off their recent purchases to each other. Many parents with children took a break there as well. With the school year approaching, Diagon Alley was filled with families buying school supplies.
After a while, Fred and George, who somehow got wind of Eda's whereabouts, arrived at the ice cream shop with Ron in tow. Without hesitation, the twins ordered a large raspberry ice cream.
Florean Fortescue, the shop's owner, gave Eda and her group a complimentary serving of a new flavor he had just developed, which had yet to be added to the menu.
After paying for the ice creams, the five of them crossed the street and headed toward the Magical Menagerie.
The twins suggested that Eda spend ten Galleons on an owl, but since she had no one she needed to send letters to, they decided to skip Eeylops Owl Emporium and instead visit the Magical Menagerie to look for another pet.
The shop was small, with cages crammed along the walls, and the air smelled bad and was filled with noise. The store sold a wide variety of animals: venomous colored snails, a giant tortoise with a jeweled shell, showy black rats, and rabbits that could transform.
The shop certainly lived up to its name, as the animals sold there were all magical and extraordinary. The most ordinary-looking creatures were the cats—except for a large ginger one that looked more like a small tiger.
Eda didn't want a cat, nor did she want any of these strange animals. Her eyes scanned the cages, but none of the creatures gave her the urge to bring them home.
"Ginny, what are you looking at?" Fred asked as he walked over to his little sister, noticing she had been staring at one of the cages for a long time.
"This puppy seems sick. It's been ignoring me the whole time," Ginny said, looking at the cream-colored puppy lying motionless in the cage in front of her. The puppy looked about three or four months old.
"Hey, little guy. Look at me, or at least move a bit!" Fred said, tapping his fingers against the cage.
The cream-colored puppy didn't respond to Fred, not even opening its eyes. If its small belly hadn't been rising and falling with its breaths, Fred would have thought the puppy was already dead.
Hearing the commotion, Eda came over as well. The puppy looked like a Labrador, but instead of being sunny, cheerful, or energetic, it was aloof, not at all like the typical image of a Labrador.
"Maybe it's sick..." Eda remarked. The puppy briefly opened its eyes to glance at the noisy group, then closed them again.
"It's not sick. It's always like this," said the witch who managed the shop. "It's been a month, and no one wants to take it home in this state."
"Are you sure it's not sick? Why does it look like it's on the verge of dying?" George asked, turning to the witch.
The witch shook her head. She didn't know either.
The puppy had great features, and if it were even a little more energetic, it would have sold long ago. "We've checked many times. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it. Maybe... it's just lazy!" she said.
'Is it suffering from Down syndrome?'
"How about we buy it and take it home?" Eda asked, placing her hand on Ginny's shoulder.
The twins, worried that Eda was about to make an impulsive purchase, quickly stepped in to stop her. "We know you've got some money, but you can't just waste it like this!" They were afraid she would run over to the witch and hand over the money for the dog on the spot.
"Yeah! Did that ice cream freeze your brain? Buying a sickly puppy like this is just a waste of money," Fred whispered in Eda's ear.
"Oi! This is the only one in the whole store that looks pleasing to me. Plus, it's well-behaved and won't run around. The other animals are way too energetic, and I don't like that."
'What the..' Hearing this, the black rat that had been showing off its tricks stopped its jumping games. The shape-shifting rabbit ceased turning into a satin top hat, and the pudding-colored puffskein stopped making its buzzing noise.
Suddenly, the cream-colored Labrador, which had been as quiet as a dead dog, stood up. It began pacing back and forth in its small cage, emitting low growls.
The once lethargic dog had completely transformed, catching everyone's attention. Now, it looked nothing like the sickly puppy from before. Its deep growls seemed to tell Eda, "You can't force things."
"See, it's perfectly healthy!" Eda laughed, looking at the group. "I've made up my mind, we're buying it."
The puppy stopped growling and tilted its head, staring at Eda with its tiny eyes full of confusion.
After leaving the Magical Menagerie, the five of them walked along the street, heading back to the Leaky Cauldron to meet up with the Weasleys.
Fred carried the cage and dog food, George held the dog bed, and little Ron had the puppy's toys, all three walking quietly behind Eda and Ginny.
Eda cradled the puppy in her arms and named it "Garlon," though Ginny wanted to call it "Little G." The Labrador seemed to prefer the name Ginny had come up with.
The puppy lay limply in Eda's arms, not struggling, as if it had resigned itself to its fate. Despite Ginny's attempts to play with it, it remained unresponsive, reverting to its lethargic state.
In the afternoon, after returning to the Burrow, Eda and Ginny placed Garlon's dog bed in the corner of the room. Eda spent the entire afternoon training him.
Mainly teaching him not to relieve himself indoors.
After that shopping trip, Eda's coin pouch had shrunk considerably, which motivated her to work even harder at the bar. She no longer stuck to her usual routine of leaving the Leaky Cauldron at 5 p.m., much to Tom's delight, whose toothless grin widened even more.
During this time, Garlon proved to be well-behaved. He didn't bark unnecessarily or make a mess inside the house, and everyone grew fond of him. Ginny would take him for a walk twice a day, in the morning and afternoon. In the evening, Eda and the twins would also bring him along when they went for their walks.
The only person in the Burrow who didn't like Garlon was Percy.
Garlon was always interested in Percy's pet rat, Scabbers. If Percy hadn't noticed in time, Scabbers would have already fallen prey to Garlon's paws.
It was understandable that Garlon wasn't fond of Percy, since Percy was always stern with him. But strangely enough, Garlon wasn't particularly close to his owner, Eda, either.
Whenever anyone else called him, Garlon would happily trot over, shedding his aloofness from the pet shop entirely. Eda, on the other hand, got the exact opposite treatment.
Unless she ...threatened him, Garlon would completely ignore his owner, maintaining an aloof and indifferent demeanor.
Eda had no choice but to accept it—she had bought the dog, and now she had to raise him, even if it was frustrating.
Perhaps it was because there were so many people in the Burrow that Garlon couldn't distinguish who his real owner was...?
Eda comforted herself with the hope that things might improve once they got to Hogwarts.
_
12 Chaps ahead:
Patreon.com/Dragonel