April 30th

Where does one start. It's common for kids to disobey their parents, get themselves lost, eat things they're not supposed to ect., all mostly out of curiosity. However,  in Ana's case curiosity and a cat have everything to do with it.

The streets edges were damp and mucky and the knees of Ana's blue jean's were soaking up all of the dirty goodness. Hand outstretched with the other keeping her balance she tried to coax the scrawny, malnourished kitten out of his hiding spot under a broken down wooden cart. " Geewiz it smells worse than my Aunt Nina's outhouse down here.." Crinkling her nose a bit Ana had given up trying to hold her breath, the air around the street even tasted nasty.

Sighing she put her hand down in order give her other one a rest, instantly, she regretted that decision. Now both of her hands felt grimy. Ana lowered her body  a little closer to the ground so she could look the kitten in the eye. "Come on.. Please.." At that time the scrawny kitten mewed once and shakily trotted his way out from under the cart. He was a calico with a black patch around his  right eye. Shaking her head with a smile Anna pushed herself up and back onto her knees. "Took you long enough." laughing she gently scooped up the small animal in her arms, balancing herself carefully she stood up. "Yuck.."

That was two hours ago, and Ana had tried every nook and cranny of streets, and alley's to either find her way back home, or at least some sort of pet clinic all to no avail.

Little did Ana realize that she'd just walked into the right alley, Diagon Alley to be precise. In her goal oriented search she'd  given up  on asking for  directions a while back, they only caused her to become further confused.  So when the cards finally appeared to be falling in her favor in the form of a older looking building with peeling, faded green windowsills, Ana internally jumped for joy.
 
"Ferris Mag-i-zoo!--logy Clinic.. Well Fairfax, it has zoo in the title.. Lets give it a go." at this moment Ana opened her coat a little allowing the Calico to poke his head out and look up at her grumpily. "Well you weren't expecting me to let you sleep in my coat all day did you?" she asked petting his head gently. Following the directions the sign at the front of the building had given her, Ana squeaked her way up the stairs, her sneakers were still a little damp from the puddle she'd sloshed through on accident.

Happily Ana stretched out her small hand and clasped it around the door handle at the top of the stairs. Looking down at Fairfax, who still was to comfortable to care where she was taking him, had gone back to sleep. Smiling softly, Ana turned her attention back to the door and took a deep breath. Giving the knob a twist and a push she entered the waiting room. At this she sighed with relief, it looked like a waiting room, a more comfortable one at that. Crossing the threshold into the room she let the door close behind her she headed directly to the receptionist desk. "Hello? Is there anyone here?"

^Outfit

Kia couldn't believe that of all days todays was the one that Altair would have off, Her father would be in Greece and Coleen would call in sick. The welcome home party was TONIGHT and Kia had yet to figure out what she was going to force Maggie into, let alone what she was going to wear. She had intended on the pair to go on a shopping and spa day, but had to cancel it to come into the Clinic. After all that trouble to get the day off as well. She sighed and closed the file she just finished. Maggie would just have to wear something of hers and Kia would close the place early. It wasn't like there had been any customers that day.

Suddenly the bell rang for the door and Kia sighed, she spoke too soon apparently. Suddenly a small and high-pitched voice rang out "Hello? Is there anyone here?". It was a little kid, obviously, and Kia sighed again. She liked kids for the most part, the well behaved ones anyways, but the last thing she needed was some bored adolescent asking her all sorts of questions because they had nothing better to do. Standing, she looked out to see the little girl standing there, damp and miserable looking.

Her first inclination was to think she was a street kid, considering the grime, but a closer look revealed that the girl had nice clothing that was only dirty in patches. It was pretty damp outside from the earlier rain, so the girl must have been playing around in the puddles. Kia sighed, so she had come in to warm up and probably ask questions. She couldn't turn her away though, it would be rude to say the least "Yes, what can I help you with?"

Just then, a thin reedy meow sounded from the girls jacket and a calico kitten stuck it's head out. Kia raised her brow ".. I see... Sick cat?"

Ana didn't have to wait long before a tall, slender woman came to the front desk. At the same time Fairfax decided he should wake up and be apart of whatever was going to happen to him. Now that he was dry his fur was sticking out in spikes all over and his white patches were almost black from all the dirt and grim he'd been living in.

"Yes, what can I help you with?... I see... Sick cat?"

Ana nodded, "I found him in the street all alone." unbuttoning her jacket with one hand, she attempted to gently move Fairfax out so the lady could take a better look at him. However, he didn't enjoy the temperature change and dug his claws into Ana's blue cami. "Ow...Come on now Fairfax this is for your own good." petting his head reassuringly she somehow managed to detach him from her cami. Holding him carefully with both hands like you would a hot cup of coco - one hand around the  middle and the other balancing the cup from the bottom -  she turned her attention back to the woman before her.  "I'm Anastacia.. and I'm new here..  So this might be a strange question.." She bit her bottom lip slightly looked down and then met the woman in the eyes. "But I was wondering if this  place is like a Veterinarians office?" Ana assumed that she probably would get a duh sort of look (she'd gotten a lot of those recently), but she needed to be sure. Just because the name of the place had zoo in it meant nothing. 

Ana hadn't been in town long and she was slowly making her way through the informational books she'd been given to read. She was at a disadvantage being more of a hands on sort of girl rather than curling up with a book. So there was still a lot that needed to be learned and soaked up. Hence her tourist like curiosity when she wandered about on her own. In more or less words, Anastacia Rowiian was a total newb to the magical world. Looking back down at Fairfax, who was busy licking his right paw, she rubbed the back of his head with her thumb. 

"I found him in the street all alone."

"Hm.." was all Kia said as she watched the girl remove the tiny thing from her pocket. It was tiny... probably only a couple weeks old if that. She wouldn't be surprised if it still needed its mothers milk. It's tiny body suggested that it also was underfed and the runt. Maybe even sick. Cats were known to abandon or even kill sick kittens (like most animals), so Kia wouldn't be surprised if it was. Although, the little thing was fighting pretty hard to stay in the jacket, harder then a sick one usually would.

"I'm Anastacia.. and I'm new here..  So this might be a strange question..But I was wondering if this  place is like a Veterinarians office?"

"In a manner of speaking..." Kia said, a small smile forming on her face as the girl held up the dingy little ball of fur. "... Muggleborn I take it?... I am surprised they let you run around here by yourself... Isn't there a school rep or someone here with you?" She said quietly, though not unkindly, as she reached out and carefully pried 'Fairfax' from the girls hands. Merlin's knickers, she named it already. Kia sincerely hoped it was not dying. She didn't think she had it in her to tell some poor little muggleborn that even magic couldn't bring back a dead pet.

"Come on, lets get him cleaned up in the exam room..." Kia said, cuddling the kitten to her chest. He immediately started purring and she couldn't help but feel a bit better. His purr was like a motorboat, strong and loud, which she took as a good sign. Opening the door to the exam rooms, she jerked her head towards the entrance "Go on in to room 3.... since you are new here, I will do this one pro bono..."

"In a manner of speaking..."

Ana smiled with relief, that was the best news she'd heard all day. There was hope for Fairfax yet! Looking down at him she almost giggled. There he was almost asleep again in her hands.  Lazy bones.. She thought turning her attention back to the woman.

 "... Muggleborn I take it?... I am surprised they let you run around here by yourself... Isn't there a school rep or someone here with you?"[/i]

A smirk spread across Ana's pale pink lips. "Umm..Well.. They don't," she gave a small shrug "But my Mom is all nervous about the whole magic situation and sucks all the fun out of this place.. So I took a break." she added. Ana just wanted to soak up the culture that she'd already fallen in love with. For the first time she felt as if she really belonged in the place she was living.

Back tracking a moment, Ana was already starting to like this Magizoologist, at least that's what she assumed was the lady's title. She liked the fact that she didn't just treat Ana like a snooty nosed brat. The lady was the real deal, and Ana wasn't reluctant to let go of young Fairfax.

"Come on, lets get him cleaned up in the exam room..."

Ana nodded a smile reflecting out of her eyes at Fairfax's contentedness in the lady's arms.

"Go on in to room 3.... since you are new here, I will do this one pro bono..."

"Wow thankies a bunch!"  Ana replied brightly before slipping off down the hall towards waiting room 3. The office was well kept and had a welcoming feeling to it. In room 3 Ana took a seat in one of the chairs  and waited patiently. I hope he'll be alright. It would be sad if the little guy couldn't make it. He's so feisty in a lazy way. She thought biting her nail.

 "Umm..Well.. They don't, But my Mom is all nervous about the whole magic situation and sucks all the fun out of this place.. So I took a break."

Normally a person would lecture a child who wandered off so carelessly from their parents and was so outright with it. But Kia remembered how she had been at 11, always wanting to be free to explore. She had gotten into her share of trouble, as had her baby brother. At least the girl had stumbled here instead of into Knockturn Alley.  She had done that just a few days before and still had a bruise on her ankle to remember it by. Though it would have been a lot worse had she not been saved by Simon. The little girl might not have been so lucky.

"Wow thankies a bunch!"

Kia nodded as Ana went towards the room obediently, her hand absentmindedly scratching the head of the kitten as it nuzzled in her arms. Once the girl disappeared into the room, Kia took the kitten into the bathroom in preparation to give it a bath. But then she realized that, since the girl was a muggleborn, it would be more educational to bathe the kitten in front of her with magic. Maybe teach her a few spells in the process. A small smile touched on her lips at the idea and she turned around sharply, grabbing a towel on her way out.

"I decided to show you how we do this sort of thing here in the wizarding world..." Kia said as she entered the room, kitten cradled in one arm and towel in the other. Placing the towel off to the side, Kia put the kitten onto the exam table and motioned Anastacia over. "First things first, he needs to go to sleep... we use a sleeping potion for this..." She waved her wand at a nearby cabinet "Accio sleeping potion" A second later a small vial floated towards her. Uncapping it, she dabbed some on her finger and held it under Fairfax's nose. He licked it off obediently, or hungrily (she couldn't tell), and seconds later fell into a furry lump, snoring softly.

"Allright... now to clean him up.... Its a very simple spell... Tergeo!" She waved her wand in slow circles over him, the dirt and grim siphoning from his matted fur. Once she was done, he was a fluffy lump with white spots so bright they could blind you. She paused for effect before getting down to business "Now, the next one might be a little scary for you, but rest assured that he is not being hurt.... We need to make sure he has no internal problems."

"Animadverto" Kia chanted, flicking her wand over him. A beam of light shone out and enveloped his top half like she was shining a flashlight on him. Seconds later and his skin seemed to fade from view, leaving just muscle. "Further" She ordered, having decided there was no muscle damage. Now the muscles faded and the blood vessels and organs appeared. Again, no issues. "Further" She said again, and the organs disappeared, leaving just bones. "Looks like he is not going to die... But he needs a lot of good food and warmth to keep him that way... He is obviously very young and probably the runt at that..."

Wrapping him up in the towel, she held him out to Anastacia "... Since you already named him, I am assuming you are keeping him?... Maybe as a familiar when you go to Hogwarts...?"

Ana was sitting patiently in one of the chairs, her legs swing back and forth. All of the possibilities of as to what Fairfax's condition might be played through her head, the majority of which all had a good ending. She would hate it if he was deathly ill, but by the way he acted she was seriously doubting that he was that bad. Then again what did she know? Her head turned as she heard Kia coming down the hall and into the room.


"I decided to show you how we do this sort of thing here in the wizarding world..."

With that she motioned Ana over to the exam table where she had placed Fairfax. Sliding out of her chair Ana took a place beside Kia.

" First things first, he needs to go to sleep... we use a sleeping potion for this...Accio sleeping potion"

Ana's eyes almost popped out of her head as the potion floated it's way towards them. She made a brief note of the spell the lady had uttered in her mental roll-a-dex. That was, by far, the coolest thing she'd seen all day. Once the potion made it to lady''s hand she put some of the liquid on her finger and once Fairfax had licked it off he was completely zonked out.   "Wow.." Ana softly muttered under her breath.

"Allright... now to clean him up.... Its a very simple spell... Tergeo!"

Ana looked up at the lady briefly as she said this, then back down as the spell cleaned Fairfax so well that his white patches were bleached as white as a fluffy nimbus cloud on a sunny day. So she had to admit that the spells lady was using were defiantly getting cooler by the second.

 "Now, the next one might be a little scary for you, but rest assured that he is not being hurt.... We need to make sure he has no internal problems."

"Oh, ok." Ana replied with a nod. She trusted the lady for the most part, even though she had yet to learn her name.

"Animadverto"

If it was at all possible for Ana's jaw to be on the floor it might just have been. She was awe struck by what happened next. Instantaneously Fairfax's fur faded from view and what was left behind was his skin.

"Further...Further"

And each time the lady muttered further the top layer disappeared to reveal muscles and then bones. Needless to say Ana wasn't scared in the least, and she was defiantly amazed by all of this. 

"Looks like he is not going to die... But he needs a lot of good food and warmth to keep him that way... He is obviously very young and probably the runt at that..."

Ana managed a nod before snapping out of her amazement. " That's great news! And by the way, that was soo amazing." She grinned widely happy that Fairfax was going to be alright and at the fact that she just witnessed her first true taste of what good magic could do. Her mother had been skeptical, and there is truth to every aspect of life has a good and a bad side. But this was surely proof that magic was truly good and no matter what Ana would not have any regrets in deciding to go to Hogwarts to learn all she possibly could, and more.

 "... Since you already named him, I am assuming you are keeping him?... Maybe as a familiar when you go to Hogwarts...?"

"Yes I intend to. I've always wanted to raise a puppy or a kitten, and it would be a good practice in responsibility for me. It would help put my mothers mind at ease as well. " She replied with a nod. "And thank you so much! This was both helpful as well as educational."

" That's great news! And by the way, that was soo amazing."

Kia couldn't help but blush when she complimented her like that. Although she knew that Anastacia was just a kid and a muggleborn to boot, so any sort of even simple magic would entertain her, she couldn't help but be pleased by the look of adoration and wonder that came across the child's face. Kia had always worked very hard on her wand work, and still had some trouble with more complex spells, so it felt nice to have someone think she was doing well.

"Yes I intend to. I've always wanted to raise a puppy or a kitten, and it would be a good practice in responsibility for me. It would help put my mothers mind at ease as well. And thank you so much! This was both helpful as well as educational."

"Heh... You will learn a lot more at Hogwarts, I promise you..." Kia said, cracking a rare smile as she gazed at the sweet little girl. Scratching the kittens head, she said thoughtfully "... You should get a familiar collar for him... it makes it a lot easier to control him..." Standing, she started to rustle around in a nearby drawer "I think I have one in here, just in case... Ah here we are..." Pulling out a leather coller with an oval metal clasp, she held it out to Anastacia.

"If you want, we can set it up now... It is always good to start when the animal is young.. that way they get a closer bond..." She smiled lightly, remembering her first time getting a familiar. That familiar was now a fat old cat that was nearing 11 years old. Remembering what it was like to be so young, and how badly she wanted to be seen as an adult, Kia realized that she had forgotten to introduce herself, as adults were prone to do. Holding out her free hand, she gave Anastacia another rare smile "My name is Kia by the way."

Ana scratched Farifax behind the ears cradling him in her right arm.  Purring and shutting his eyes she felt his body relax.  Having Fairfax with her would help ease her way through her first year at Hogwarts.

"Heh... You will learn a lot more at Hogwarts, I promise you..."

Smiling back Ana nodded, "I hope so! I'm really excited about all of this!" 

"... You should get a familiar collar for him... it makes it a lot easier to control him...I think I have one in here, just in case... Ah here we are..."

Ana watched as Kia moved to dig in a nearby drawer, looking down briefly at Fairfax as he snoozed in her arms. Making sure he was carefully balanced in her right arm, she reached out her free hand and took the leather collar.  " Is Familiar what we call animals here instead of pets.. Sort of like a more respectful title for them?" She asked looking the collar over.

"If you want, we can set it up now... It is always good to start when the animal is young.. that way they get a closer bond..."

Ana's brown eyes flickered back up to the lady with a glimmer, "That would be great! This collar is going to look great on him," She replied with a brief nod, softly petting Fairfax's back. Whatever a Familiar collar was, as long as it would help bring her and Fairfax together, why not.

"My name is Kia by the way."

"Kia.. That's a pretty name.. It's very nice to have meet you Kia," Ana replied slipping the collar onto her index finger, and grasping Kia's outstretched hand in her own, giving a slight shake. Ana was glad she'd happened upon this place, it was nice to finally have met someone older who wasn't apprehensive about helping her out in some way.

"That would be great! This collar is going to look great on him, Kia.. That's a pretty name.. It's very nice to have meet you Kia,"

"... As it is you Miss Anastacia..." Kia said, her smile growing a little as she shook the girls small hand. It was nice meeting a polite child for once. Too many of the children slated to start in the next year were spoiled, rude or just plain obnoxious. A child who was kind and polite was a rarity. Apparently it was Kia's lucky day.

"... Now a familiar collar is much more then just a decoration... Do you know what a familiar is?" She paused for a second before continuing, without waiting for an answer, knowing that as a muggleborn, Anastacia most likely didn't know. "... A familiar is like all those black cats you see with muggle representations of witches... They are... magical companions... mostly used to carry messages or, in the case of students, practice magic on..."

She slipped the tip of her finger along the edge and hooked some sort of clasp, flipping the little oval buckle open. She showed it to Anastacia, pointing at the inscription "There is a magical inscription here that you have to recite and then drop a single drop of your blood into the locket... This will seal the animals loyalty to you..." She trailed off finally, realizing that this was the most she had spoken in what seemed like years, and smiled gently at the girl. She felt sorry for her, this had to be a lot. Poor Anastacia must be overwhelmed.