As James waited patiently in his cage for his mistress to return there was a puff of smoke and two figures, both of whom he recognised. The first was only vaguely familiar - Jasper, a wizard he could vaguely recall from when Elspeth purchased him from the pet shop. With him was Nicola, his human friend. He wasn't sure why a parrot like him would ever have been friends with a human but that was definitely how he remembered her. Perhaps she used to be a parrot and the mean wizard had transformed her?
"What are we doing here?" Nicola whispered to the wizard, she had clearly been brought to this house by Jasper against her wishes.
"I already warned you about questioning me" the wizard retorted "Elspeth owes me money and I need to take something of hers to get her to repay me. Something she might have a sentimental attachment to. Something like...that dumb bird there!"
Jasper walked over to the cage and peered into it "Well hello, who might you be!"
"I'm James, I'm Mistress Elspeths' pet parrot" James squawked back proudly "Hello, Nicola! What are you doing here?"
Nicola was shocked at this. How did the parrot know her name? And it was called James? A thought came to her, It seemed to ridiculous to even process but after her recent experiences with a real life wizard she had to ask.
"James? Is that you? I mean, did you used to be human?"
"Of course not, I've always been a parrot" the bird squawked back.
Jasper looked at Nicola as if she were an idiot as she blushed a little at the apparent stupidity of the question. He then picked up the birdcage James was being housed in and the three vanished, re materialising moments later in Jaspers' cottage.