"Then… what do you want?"
A sly gleam lit up in Ollivander's eyes. "A promise."
"That the wizarding world will remember… the creations of the Ollivander family from centuries past still hold power."
Ah, Garfield thought, so it's just free advertising. He puffed up his fluffy chest proudly.
"Don't worry. I, Garfield I, fully endorse Ollivander's brand!"
Ollivander watched as Garfield beat his chest and meowed with passion. He didn't quite understand the language, but the intention was clear.
"Then it's settled. But I do recommend you and Dumbledore work seriously on turning you back into a human."
(⊙o⊙) Ah!
Garfield slowly lowered his head, gaze drifting to the base of his stubby feline limbs. A single tear of regret shimmered like the last drop in a leaky faucet.
The chat exploded again.
"tears"
"Hug Garfield tight~"
"I feel bad for him, fr."
"Don't worry, we still respect you."
"You'll stand tall again, King!"
"This is like live-action Catflix."
Annoyed, Garfield shut the stream off with a paw swipe.
Thinking of the audience's panicked cries when the screen went black made him feel a lot better.
After bidding Ollivander farewell, Dumbledore grabbed Garfield, and with a crack of Apparition, they landed at the gates of Carter Manor.
After a brief exchange at the entrance, Garfield was officially home.
As the housekeeper and Carl blinked in stunned silence, Garfield helped himself to half the pantry's contents and then happily waddled upstairs.
He launched himself onto Peggy's bed and immediately passed out.
(～﹃～)~zzzz
His snores echoed through the manor. Servants and animals alike remembered, once again, what it meant to live under the rule of the Orange Menace.
Peggy came home a short while later. Hearing those familiar snores, she raced to her room and squealed.
"Garfield!!!"
Too lazy to resist, Garfield was scooped into Peggy's arms and subjected to an onslaught of hugs and kisses.
Then came the bath.
He protested, of course. He was a proud cat, not a common pet. But the thought of a dirty coat ultimately swayed him.
"I didn't expect you to be that Garfield here." Pandora appeared behind him, bonking him on the head with a conjured stick.
Garfield lay in the warm bath, eyes half-lidded with bliss.
"S'comfy… meow…" he murmured, ignoring her entirely.
Peggy was meticulously scrubbing him with soap, tiny hands working over his fur like a professional crayfish washer.
She dunked him into a basin of warm water, gave him a few rinses, and finally lifted him out.
She wrapped him in a fluffy towel, gently patting him dry.
Garfield, drying off in Peggy's lap, was basically a purring hot water bottle.
✦••┈┈••✦••┈┈••✦
The next morning, Garfield awoke well-rested, stuffed his face with breakfast, and began his daily patrol of the manor.
First: an inspection of the servants.
Then, with his loyal knight Carl at his side, Garfield marched to the barn and summoned the animals.
He leapt onto the head of the largest bull and declared in a booming meow.
"Subjects! Your King Garfield the First has returned from his royal business trip! Rejoice!"
"Chirp chirp!"
"Baa baa!"
"Ngngngng!"
"Woof woof woof!"
"Neigh!"
"QUACK!"
Garfield grinned. Order had been restored.
The barn erupted in lively commotion as the animals bowed in reverence, welcoming their monarch home.
Garfield, perched regally atop the bull's head, gave a satisfied nod.
"Very good. I am pleased. Now… go about your business!"
With that, the animals dispersed.
Garfield, still lounging, turned to Carl. "Where's that plump, round-faced Scottish chicken?"
Carl tilted his doggy head in confusion.
Garfield sighed heavily. "Language barriers... the true bane of my reign."
He waved a paw dismissively.
"Never mind. I'll find it myself. Maybe I'll run into Owl No.12 or that rascal No.13 Jerry."
He dismissed Carl and began scanning the barn. His eyes drifted upward.
The owl loft was at the very top. Probably where they were nesting. Unfortunately, the only way up was either the steep wooden stairs or the pillars.
Garfield narrowed his eyes at the pillars. "Asking an orange tabby to climb like some... jungle cat? Insulting."
He considered using magic.
Too much mana. Not worth it.
Sighing with the weight of a ruler's burden, he resigned himself to the stairs.
As he plodded up one step at a time, straw crunching underpaw.
"Should've kept Carl around. He could've carried me. These stairs are a personal attack. Meow."
His constant grumbling stirred an annoyed presence… Pandora, still half-asleep in his consciousness, materialized with a groan.
"Semeow," She snapped. "You can run laps under the maids' skirts, but you can't handle a few stairs?"
Garfield yawned exaggeratedly.
"If I were taller, I wouldn't need to go under their skirts. I'd gaze from above, drinking in the mountain view."
Pandora snorted. "So that's why you keep climbing cabinets?"
"You see right through me, wise Pandora."
"Sexy cat!" She growled. "Say that again and I'll smack you into next Tuesday."
Garfield hummed louder to drown her out.
"La la la~ I'm a happy orange cat~ Sleeping in all day, spoiled by sweet Peggy~ Fed by Newt, watched by Dumbledore the old honeybee~ But you won't trick me again, meow~!"
With dramatic flair, he climbed into the dusty attic.
The space was filled with old hay, some rat droppings, and feathers. Owls fluttered in and out. He sniffed the air.
A distinct scent lingered.
Owl.
And... James Carter?
Garfield's eyes sharpened. He scanned the ceiling and noticed a hidden upper compartment, roughly a person's height above.
A wooden trapdoor.
"Portal-only entry?" He muttered, lifting a paw to cast a spell.
But before he could complete the gesture, Pandora reappeared with a smirk.
"Garfield, did you know owls sleep during the day?"
"Of course, meow."
"Then do you know how the first owl came into being?"
Garfield tilted his head. "How?"
Pandora leaned in dramatically.
"Legend says an eagle once took a midday nap, legs sprawled. Along came an orange cat, curious and far too bold."
"One thing led to another… and somehow, an owl was born. Hahaha!"
Garfield stared at her.
"...You tricked me again."
He slumped to the floor, rubbing his chin with one paw. Then, with a mischievous glint in his eye,
"Pandora... Do you know where you came from?"
Pandora gasped, eyes wide. "You wouldn't?!"
She pointed accusingly. "You're that big, but actually very small~!"
Garfield fur bristled. Instant petrification.
Pandora struck a dramatic pose, fingers forming a V of victory.
"Score: Dark Lady Pandora 1, Garfield 0. KO!"
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
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