While you are at the magic HQ, click on the bookcases and choose search for tomes. Sometimes you will find magic books, but you can find familiars too. It does have a cool down though. I may have had a potion for finding things when I found the Phoenix. Can't remember for sure. But the Vield was the first thing I found.
Also there is a dragon and a leafbat familiar orb just sitting around on the basement fireplaces. You can bind those too.