Dear Ginny,
I think it's so wonderful that you and your family are wanting a pet, and I think we can help you out. A few weeks ago our labrador retriever, Cassandra, had some puppies. Why don't all of you come over for lunch next Sunday, and then you can choose a dog? Lorcan and Lysander have been wanting to see your kids for weeks. Let me know if this will work.
Sincerely,
Luna
To the Potter family:
I heard it from my daughter that you are looking for a pet. She said that you were intending to get a "dog", even though I have told her countless times that these so-called "dogs" are, in fact, barwintars - vicious, deadly creatures. Luna is very lucky that neither she nor her children have been attacked yet. We had an article about barwintars in The Quibbler a year ago, but Luna laughed it off and called it rubbish. Please, I entreat you to not get a barwintar as a pet.
- Xenophilus Lovegood
"A 'barwintar?'" Lily asked in disbelief. "Is he serious?"
"I think he is. I never really know what's going on in his mind," Harry said.
"He's crazy. Ignore the letter, and move on," James said with a dismissive wave of his hand.
The Potters had been seated at the table on this Tuesday, eating their breakfast before Harry went to work, when the two owls had flown into, or rather one smashed into while the other flew in, the open window.
"Well then," Ginny said, "we'll write back to Luna, and say we never received Xeno's."
The whole rest of the day the Potter children were in raptures, delighted by the prospect of finally getting a dog. Lily sang songs all day long, or hummed when she didn't have any words to say. Albus cheerily worked in the garden. Even James smiled as he did his chores.
It was a tradition for the Potter's to spend time together relaxing in the living room after dinner and talk about the day. Lily occasionally performed for them when she felt like it. Sometimes their family came over for the evening, but tonight it was just themselves.
"I'm gonna get a puppy, I'm gonna get a puppy, and were going to play all day long," Lily sang as she danced around the living room that night.
"Encore, encore!" Harry cheered for his daughter from his favorite chair near the fireplace. Albus sat on his lap and clapped.
"Thank you, thank you," Lily said, bowing. "That is all for tonight, come again next time!" Then she laid down on the carpet near her mother's feet.
"Dad, what's it like being an Auror? Is it scary going after all the bad guys?" James asked.
"It's hard work, but it's gratifying. To know that we're keeping other people safe makes it worth it. I used to find it a bit scary, but as I've gotten more experience, it's gotten easier."
"I think it sounds like fantastic fun. Do you think I would make a good Auror when I grow up?"
"I'm sure you'd be amazing."
The next Sunday at 11 o'clock, Harry and his family made their way to Luna's home. James wanted to fly on a broom, but Ginny thought this idea unwise, because Muggles could see them. After a few minutes of whining and complaining in James' side, his mother gave in and let him fly with Harry, under the condition that they used a Disillusionment charm to appear invisible.
"But couldn't we just use Dad's invisibility cloak?" James asked.
"No, it's not large enough to cover both of you," replied Ginny.
Although he was disappointed that he didn't get to use the cloak, James was happy again when he got on the broom with Harry.
"Farewell!" James yelled to his mother, brother, and sister as they flew into the air, and he stuck out his tongue at them, although they couldn't see it, on account of his invisibility.
Ginny, Albus, and Lily used Floo powder, the faster and easier method compared to flying, to travel to Luna's house. After stepping into the fireplace they arrived at the house in moments.
Lorcan and Lysander were sitting on the couch impatiently waiting for their arrival. Upon seeing Lily and Albus, they leaped up and hugged them, disregarding that the children had soot on their clothes.
"Hello, Ginny," said Luna, walking into the room. "Where are Harry and James?"
"James wanted to fly on the broomstick, and Harry gave in. They should be here in a few minutes. How have you been?"
"Oh just wonderful. Lorcan has taken a liking to reading, and he does it quite well. He will be an excellent student when he goes to Hogwarts. Oh, did you receive a letter from my father? He said he was going to dissuade you from getting a dog."
Ginny laughed. "Yes we did, and we decided it best to ignore it. 'Barwintars,' he called them."
Shaking her head Luna said, "My father is certainly losing his mind. There are too many Wrackspurts in his head. He refuses to visit unless the dogs are outside the house and locked in a cage."
In the other room, the children played with toys from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Their game of Exploding Snap was interrupted when James burst through the front door with Harry behind him.
"I have arrived!" James shouted, unnecessarily, because his siblings and friends were seated just a few feet away. He sat down to play with them and was given big hugs from the Scamander children.
Lunch was ready a few minutes later, and both families sat down to eat.
"So when can we see the puppies?" Lily asked in between bites of meatloaf.
"As soon as we finish eating Rolf can take you upstairs and show them to you. They're still very young, so they need their sleep," said Luna.
Lily couldn't stop bouncing in her seat for the rest of lunch because of her excitement. She barely touched her food. Albus ate all his food politely, and James made a mess and talked with Lorcan and Lysander in between bites.
"Did you hear that Pole might not play for Puddlemere next year?" James asked Lorcan.
"Oh yes I heard something about that. Do you think he'll really switch to the Tornados?"
Lysander piped in, "The Tornados don't deserve Pole; he's too good for them. Now, Whimble could play for them, and I'd be fine."
After everyone had finished eating Luna and Ginny went to the sitting room to talk, and Rolf led Harry and the children upstairs to see the puppies. The kids trampled up the stairs quite loudly until they got to the landing.
"Now be very quiet," Rolf said to the kids right before he opened the door, "they're still young and need their sleep, so we don't want to wake them up."
Lily only half-listened to his speech, so as soon as the he opened the door she ran inside the dimly lit room and flopped down on the rug next to the dog's cage.
"Shhh," Harry whispered to his daughter.
There were five puppies of various colours and sizes asleep next to their mother. The smallest dog was a female with hair so light it was almost white and looked like a smaller version of her mother. Even though she was sleeping her energy could be seen in her restlessness. Rolf, seeing Lily eyeing the dog, gingerly kneeled down next to the cage, picked her up, and laid her carefully into Lily's arms.
"Oh Daddy, look at how wonderful they all are! Look how pretty she is! Imagine how much fun this dog will be when she wakes up! Can we get this one? Oh please, Daddy, please?"
"I don't know. We'll have to see which one your brothers like best." Harry sat down on the sofa followed Rolf, and they happily watched their children play with the dogs.
James, upon seeing the largest dog with drool running out of its mouth, immediately scooped him up and swung the black puppy around. Albus looked flabbergasted at the act, but after ascertaining that the dog was okay, relaxed and examined the dogs for himself.
Albus put his hand into the cage and pet all three of the remaining dogs. One was mostly black except for grey paws and a grey dot on its ear. The second had white hair that was quite long for it's young age, and its eyes was nearly completely covered by the fur. The third dog was grey. It had floppy ears, short legs, and big eyes. Albus found that it was the softest of the three, and suspected that it was also the gentlest.
Harry quietly left the room and went downstairs.
"How are the dogs?" Ginny asked him when he sat down.
"They're really nice. Well-behaved, too, even if they were barely awake. Now, I know we had only intended to get one dog," Harry paused, then continued, "but you should have seen their faces."
Ginny sighed, then looked at Luna. "What do you think?"
"You can have as many of the puppies as you want! Take them. They love being together."
"They've all chosen their favorite puppies," Harry said with his voice trailing at the end.
"I'll go see them and think about it."
So Ginny walked upstairs and went into the room and watched the children play. The dog Lily had been holding had woken up, and was feebly trying to chase Lily around the room. Albus was laying on the ground scratching the grey dog's stomach. The puppy looked blissful to have such attention. James was trying to spar, it seemed, with his dog. He held a toy wand in one hand and was attempting to poke the dog's nose, but the puppy danced around and narrowly avoided being turned into a stuffed animal. Lorcan and Lysander held the other two dogs, and Cassandra, who had been resting in the sunlight from the window, walked over to Ginny and laid down.
"They do look so happy," Ginny thought to herself.
"Mummy!" Lily yelled, momentarily forgetting to be quiet, "come pet Chrysanthemum!"
"Chrysanthemum? That's a pretty name. Did you choose it yourself?"
"Yes. She is as beautiful as a Chrysanthemum," said Lily as she stood up and danced around the room with the dog in her arms.
James stopped his battle and ran to his mum with the dog trotting at his heels.
"Can we keep them all? I don't want to get that prissy Chrysanthemum. Remus," James said, referring to his black dog, "is much better."
"I don't know," Ginny said teasingly. "After your match with Remus a moment ago, do you think you could really take care of him? I rather think Chrysanthemum would be a much better dog to have around the house."
"But Lily's going to want to dress her up in princess outfits and tiaras!"
Laughing, Ginny said, "Well what does Albus think about the dogs?"
Albus walked over carefully with the grey puppy.
"I really like this one. He's so nice. I think I'll call him Leopold. Can we please keep him? Please?" He clasped his hands in front of him pleadingly, and Lily and James stood next to him and did the same.
Harry came inside the room at this moment to hear the question, and with a look at his wife's smile and his children's faces, said with a sigh, "Yes, we can get the three dogs."
That night the Potter family was joined by three new members: Remus, Leopold, and Chrysanthemum. The children took good care of their dogs and had many fantastic adventures.
Their parents at times regretted the decision to get three new-born puppies, but Lily and Albus always cleaned up their mess whenever Ginny threatened to take the dogs away. James, on the other hand, was, well, James, and took every opportunity to create more trouble.
Dogs became the have-to-have pet in the Wizarding world when word got out that Harry Potter had three. Xenophilius Lovegood was distraught at the thought, and dedicated an entire issue of The Quibbler to the subject, but of course, no one paid him any attention.
The End
A Puppy for the Potters by Miss B
Chapter Endnotes: I had originally intended "A Puppy for the Potter's" to have one more chapter, but due to lack of time, I had to cut it short.
Thank you everyone for reading my little story; I sincerely hope that you have enjoyed it. Please leave a review!