I recently ventured into Diagon Alley for a quick weekend shopping trip. I was on an outing to find the perfect present for my dorm mate's birthday gift. I had decided on a magical creature of some sort and, though I looked around Eeyelops Owl Emporium, I quickly realized I was looking for something a bit more unique.

I searched the shop, taking in the noisy cage of ravens (too loud), the giant jewel crusted tortoise (too big), and quickly passed the tank of poisonous orange snails (WAY to dangerous). Nothing seemed particularly fitting. Then, I spied a small cage full of incredibly strange creatures. They were quite small, about 4-5 inches long. They had the head of a lion and the body of a mouse. One of the shop attendants must have noticed my interest, and quickly came to offer information.

They were originally named lice. A combination of the names lion and mice, but some of the muggle children had shied away from purchasing creatures named after a nasty muggle parasite. Then the shop renamed them mions. I thought that sounded right. I thought I had the perfect gift, but I needed to be sure. I asked a bevy of questions, and the patient shop clerk answered them all. It turns out that mions were found in the great temples of Egypt. They were set at the foot of tombs to guard the mummies from rodent infestations. They must have taken their work seriously, because we have many mummies to study after thousands of years.

Mions are omnivorous, and can also feed off of almost any type of grass, hay, or weed (so you don't have to worry about getting "meat" to feed to them). I think this would be a great pet for anyone with a garden! Mions also are fairly quiet. They roar occasionally, but only when they feel what they are protecting is in danger. They also tend to bite if they feel like their roar hasn't caused the intimidation they tried to get with the roar! Watch out, they have needle sharp teeth (but, then, it was my fault for grabbing a sleeping one without introducing myself).

I highly recommend these loyal little companions if you are limited on space, are looking for an unusual pet, or you have been wanting to own a lion or a mouse, but can't decide between the two. I also highly recommend placing an order straightaway, for I think this will quickly become one of the most popular magical pets of the year!