Prologue
Harry is not little, thank you very much! His Daddy says if he eats all of his vegetables he will grow big, just like him. Maybe not as big as him but as big as his other daddy, who waves at him in the picture. Daddy gets sad sometimes when they look at old pictures. He said that if it wasn’t his time to watch him, he would have been gone too. It always makes him sad when he says that. Daddy promises that what happened would never happen again because Pappy caught the bad guy and he was kissed, but not the good kind.
Pappy and Minny are coming today because it is his birthday. He turned 5 today; he asked his daddy for a puppy. Harry jumped out of bed, knowing his daddy will be in soon to wake him. He could smell breakfast. He looked at the mirror in his room, his raven-colored hair stuck up everywhere and his green eyes shone through his black round glasses. His red pajamas had flying hippogriffs on them; they were his favorite.
He stood on his tiptoes as he reached for the doorknob, but before he could turn it, the door opened and there was his daddy. His curly beard and hair were extra crazy this morning.
“Daddy!” Harry jumped up and down until his daddy picked him up. He was so high now, he loved when his daddy held him.
“Happy Birthday Harry!” His Daddy kisses all over his face, making Harry giggle.
“Thanks, Daddy! Are Minny and Pappy here yet?” They don’t visit that often because they live far, far away and when it’s morning here, it’s later there.
“No, they will be here after breakfast. Now come on, let’s get ya something to eat. I’ve made your favorites.” Harry and his daddy lived in a cabin. It was huge. He had his own room, Daddy had his own room, and they had a family room and a gigantic kitchen. Harry’s favorite part was the outside, where they had a garden and a swing set.
After Harry finished all of his pancakes and sausage, Daddy said that he could open his present. Daddy had little money right now because he was saving to open up their very own magical zoo! Daddy said he will have enough for it when he turns 5. That’s one more year!
“Alright Harry, I need you to sit still on the couch, okay, and close your eyes.” The little boy nodded his head as he jumped on the couch and closed his eyes. Hearing his daddy scramble around, he finally felt something being plopped on his lap.
It was heavy and moving. “You can open ya eyes now, Harry.”
Green eyes popped open. Looking down, he saw a wrinkly black puppy. The puppy was happy and licked all over his face.
“A puppy! Daddy a puppy!” Harry wanted a puppy, so he asked his daddy for one. He knew he would get one!
“His name is Fang. I’ll teach ya all the things you need to know about how to take care of ya puppy, Harry.” His Daddy sat down next to him on the couch, quickly. The little boy with a puppy in hand jumped onto his daddy’s lap.
“I want to be just like you Daddy! I’m going to take care of animals at our Zoo and everyone is going to be happy!” Harry cuddles into his daddy’s chest with Fang, who is curled up next to him.
“Oh Harry, our zoo will be perfect. Now let’s go get cleaned up before Pappy and Minny get here.” Harry didn’t want to move yet.
They both didn’t know they fell asleep until they heard Pappy Albus come through the Floo. “Harry! Hagrid!”
——
Harry sat down and looked at the letters that he received today. It was his 11th birthday. He knew it was coming, but it still makes it harder. Should he go to Pappy’s school with Minny or go to Ilvermornie, which will be closer to his dad? He hasn’t ever been that far from his dad and he wants to come over for each holiday to help with the Zoo and not worry about time differences like he does when he goes to visit his grandparents.
Fang rested his head on his lap. The boy rubbed in between his dog’s ears. “I don’t know what to do, boy. I don’t want to hurt Pappy’s feelings, but I don’t want to go that far.” Fang looked up and licked his face. “You know you are not that helpful.”
“Harry?” His dad yelled through the house.
“In my room, Dad.” Hearing his dad walk down the hallway, Fang lifted his head as his dad appeared in the doorway.
“Are you ready to go? We don’t have to go to the Zoo today if ya don’t want to. It’s your special day.” The older wizard sat down on the chair in his room. It groaned underneath the strain.
“No Dad, I want to go to the Zoo. You know I love it there. I... I’m just having a hard time. I don't want to hurt Pappy’s feelings, but I don’t think I want to go to Hogwarts. I received both of my letters today. I don’t want to be that far from you, Dad. I want to stay here, I want to go to Ilvermorny. Is that okay?”
A gigantic hand rested on his cheek. “Of course, Harry, I would love for ya to stay near me. When you have breaks, you can come home and we can work at the zoo. It will be fine, Harry, I promise. We will go into town and pick up the supplies that you need next week”
Harry nodded as he threw his arms around his dad and hugged him tightly. “You know Dad, they said that I could bring a familiar.” His Dad’s brown eyes sparkled. He loved he shared the love of animals with his dad.
“I see you read that. Well, I was going to give her to you a little later, but come on, I have something for ya, Harry.” The older wizard walks out of the room, with Harry and Fang following. Harry had a feeling he was getting a new pet this year. He didn’t get a pet every year. He helped his dad get animals for their zoo. At 11, he helped name and take care of all the animals in their zoo.
They walked out of their cabin and walked towards their barn. Harry couldn’t help but be giddy. What was he going to get? He wouldn’t dare get another dog. He loves Fang. Maybe he was getting a cat, a toad, he could even bring a Hippogriff. Not that his dad would let him bring Buckbeak. Ilvermorny had fewer restrictions on pets, and well, a lot of things.
When they walked into the barn, Harry’s eyes went towards a beautiful white owl sitting perched, preening itself. “Oh, Dad! Is that beautiful owl for me?!” Harry squealed as he walked cautiously up to the owl. He didn’t want to spook it.
“Yes, she is just for ya! I figured ya would need an owl for all of those letters for me. I hope to get one at least once a week.” The older wizard smiled down at him.
“I’ll write to you every day! I have to know how the zoo is going! I will miss all of my animals. Most of all, Dad, I’ll miss you!”