Fifteen Minutes in London - Dear Diary

Dear Diary

Today, I saw the most beautiful animal you can imagine! Of course father doesn't like it at all, but when do we two ever agree upon anything?

Anyway, it's probably better to start at the beginning of the whole story. Today is my ninth birthday. You know that, of course, after all I have talked about it for days. Hey, you know it means that you are one year old now! Happy First Birthday Diary! Well, back to my story. As always I got a lot of presents. Well most them were rubbish as always. What would I need a magical thumbscrew for? And my cousin got me a book again. Knowing her taste, I better not read it. It is probably about some wizards inventing cruel methods to kill Mudbloods again.

But anyway, each year when it is my birthday, I get to choose where we spend the day. It's the only time of the year I'm allowed to decide anything. So well, this year I chose the zoo. Of course, father didn't really like the idea, but Mom pointed out that it is my birthday and so he had to agree. You know what Mom is like. He would never ever even dream about arguing with her.

So, right after breakfast, we took the floo and went to London's Magical Zoo. Father paid while we looked at the rare owls they keep in the entrance hall. Then father wanted to go to the reptile house and look at the snakes. Why was I not surprised at all by this?

And well, it happened on our way there. We had just left the entrance hall, when I saw them.

They had a huge outdoor enclosure all to themselves. One of them, the biggest one, was lying on top of a huge rock and, I swear, he was looking right at me. Others were moving around. They moved so gracefully, so elegant and so majestically. Another one shook his mane. and roared loudly. All I thought was: WOW! How beautiful!

By now, I had run to the fence pf the enclosure. I think my father called for me to come back, but I didn't listen.

Next to me there was a black-haired boy who was about my age His father who looked a lot like him, was just telling him: "You know, my boy, they are the kings of all animals."

Suddenly, my father grabbed me and spun me around:

"Will you stop watching those dumb animals!"

"But father, the man over there said that they are the kings of all animals."

"No! They aren't! They are just big, fat, lazy, useless and arrogant pussy cats!"

Then I made a mistake. I talked back. One might have thought I had learned not to do that by now, but well, you know me. All I said was: "No, they aren't!" Talk about three words too much!

Father was already seething with rage before I said that, but now things definitely were a lost cause.

he took all of us home at once and locked me in my room. Even though it is my birthday! We haven't even been to the zoo for quarter an hour!

I tried to get help from Mom, but she was angry as well and my little brother, the stupid bastard, pointed out that it's all my fault. Of course, that didn't help me improve my mood.

But you know, dear diary? I won't change my opinion.

I, Sirius Orion Black, officially like lions.