Updated: June 19th, 2017

Chapter 11: Hogsmeade

By October, Defense Against the Dark Arts had become pretty much the entire school's favorite subject. Of course, as always, with the exception of the Slytherins. After Boggarts, we studied Red Caps (little goblin-like creatures that liked bloodshed and beating people to death) and then kappas (monkey-like water-dwellers that liked to strangle people who went into their ponds).

I wished my other classes were as cool as my godfather's. Charms was alright; I did okay in that class. I could hardly stay awake in Astronomy so I was pretty sure I was failing that. I told Tonks this and, of course, she had to blab to Andi. I got a three page letter on how I should be passing everything and paying attention in school…blah, blah, blah. History of Magic was a snoozefest. I loved Transfiguration. I was good at Potions too. That was my best class after all. Snape, however, tried to find something wrong with everything I did. He failed most of the time and took points from Gryffindor because I 'cheated'. Herbology was confusing. Care of Magical Creatures was getting old rather fast. Hagrid was a wonderful instructor but the class just wasn't for me. Divination sucked more than anything. Professor Trelawney kept predicting Harry's death and she always looked at me like I was going to kill her. What a freak.

Besides classes, I had other things to occupy my time in October. One thing was the coming Quidditch season. For a whole week, I headed down to the Quidditch Pitch to watch Gryffindor try-outs. It was a lost cause to me. I knew that Oliver would pick the same team members as last year: Harry as Seeker, Fred and George as Beaters, and then Katie, Angelina, and Alicia as the Chasers. Those who tried out were very good…just not good enough. I hardly saw Oliver after our little encounter. He was always holding meetings and discussing tactics with his team. He spent long nights creating plays and going over tricks. Gryffindor hadn't won the Quidditch Cup in seven years and he was dying to win it. It was his seventh year after all.

Halloween was the first Hogsmeade trip. I ran out into the clock tower courtyard, bundled up in my No-Maj clothes against the cold. There was quite a lot of buzzing. Anyone third year and older stood waiting for the much needed trip. I handed Filch my permission form, receiving a glare from him.

"Remember," McGonagall raised her voice. "These visits to Hogsmeade Village are a privilege. Should your behavior reflect poorly on the school in any way, that privilege shall not be extended again." I joined Ron and Hermione as Harry approached our Head of House. She held up her hand, shaking her head. I saw a flicker of pity in her eye.

Filch walked away from the students and lead them to the carriages. As the courtyard emptied, Ron and Hermione threw Harry a sad look. Harry turned to us, shaking his head. At least he tried. Hermione's face fell as Ron lead her away. I looked back at them than ran up to Harry. I pulled my friend into a bear hug.

"I'll bring back something for you," I whispered in his ear. When I pulled away from Harry, Ron and Hermione called my name and I ran off to join them.

Hogsmeade was BEAUTIFUL! Hermione and I gasped as we pulled up in the carriages. There were little thatched cottages and shops all down the main cobbled street. It had snowed the night before so everything was covered in a thin blanket of white fluff. In the trees were strings of little candles. Ron pulled us out of the carriage as soon as it stopped. Hermione and I laughed as he went on about what shops to go in and what to buy. I was excited! Who wouldn't be?

The first shop we went into, by request of Hermione, was Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop. It was a cozy little place with writing supplies all over. Ron, who was bored as soon as we entered the shop, stayed by the door. He looked longingly across the street at Zonko's Joke Shop. It didn't take very long for Hermione to buy her new quills and ink. She got just a standard set while I bought some purple ink to try out. As soon as she and I walked over to Ron, he pulled us out and into the infamous joke shop. It was crowded! Students jam-packed everywhere! I could hardly get through sea of people. I grabbed Hermione's wrist as she kept a firm grip on Ron's shoulder. Looking around, I was mesmerized. The place was multicolored and fantastic. I was sure this was the place where Fred and George got most of their prank items. I think I spent an hour in that store. Most of the time I was looking for Ron and Hermione since we got split up. I was looking at a shelf of Frog Spawn Soap when I heard a familiar voice.

"You know, no one actually buys those."

I turned around, the soap still in my hand. Arms full with joke products, was Fred Weasley. I smiled at him warmly. "Are they really filled with frog eggs?"

"Indeed they are. When warm water is poured over the soap, it hatches."

I giggled, putting the soap back, "That is lame!"

"Where's Ron and Hermione?"

"I don't know," I looked around. By now, Fred and I had moved to the counter. He was paying for the products that filled his arms. I wondered where George was. "I lost them…or they lost me."

We managed to push our way out of the shop. Neither George nor Ron or Hermione were in sight. I sighed. Looked like I was going to spend my first Hogsmeade trip alone. I started to walk off when Fred grabbed the back of my Gryffindor scarf. "Hold on, wait a tick. I am not about to let a little third year such as yourself spend her first Hogsmeade trip alone."

I glanced back at my friend's brother. It was so…un-Fred like. I smiled at the ginger in thanks. He held out his arm, motioning for me to take it. I laughed, looping my arm through his. The first place we went was Dervish & Banges. Well…we didn't actually go inside, just looked through the window. It was a shop that sold and repaired magical instruments. Next was the Herbology shop and the music store. I dragged a protesting Fred into Gladrags Wizardwear. I just had to go in, I mean, it's clothes. It was full of unique, quirky merchandise. I ended up buying three pairs of socks. One pair was electric blue, another pair I got was hot orange with pink stripes, and the last was an ordinary grey. They all screamed when they got too smelly.

For lunch, Fred took me to The Three Broomsticks. It was warm, crowded, and a bit smoky. Despite these things, the Inn was clean and welcoming. Fred and I walked further inside when we heard the voice of his twin, "Oi! You two!"

Fred grinned. He rushed us to the booth were George, Lee, Angelina, Alicia, and Katie were seated. They all greeted us and scooted over so we could sit. An order of Butterbeer went around and the five started asking me how I liked Hogsmeade so far. When I mentioned I hadn't been into Honeydukes yet, they all talked at the same time, telling me how awesome it was.

The hours passed and I had yet to step into the sweet shop. Since I still couldn't find Ron and Hermione, the six friends took turns taking me to the shops I hadn't gone in yet. Katie took me into Tomes and Scrolls which was a bookshop. I bought a book on magical geography. Why? Because I felt like it. Alicia and Angelina pulled me inside a sporting goods store called Spintwitches. Lee pointed out the other shops as we finally made our way to the one store I wanted to see the most. Honeydukes.

As soon as I entered the shop, my nose was attacked by the sweet aroma of chocolate and other mouthwatering sweets. There was candy everywhere! The walls were lined with multicolored boxes and wrappers. Display trays were filled with sweet smelling items and jars were filled to the brim. The girls and Lee split off from me, Fred, and George as the two gave me their personal grand tour. There were Acid Pops, Bat's Blood Soup, and millions of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. Blood-flavored lollypops (yuck), fat Cauldron Cakes, Charm Choc, and hundreds of different kinds of chocolate lined the walls. There were crystallized pineapples and packages of Droobles Best Blowing Gum. Toffees and Fizzing Whizzbees, Fudge Flies, Ice Mice, and Jelly Slugs too. I saw boxes of Liquorice Wands, Pepper Imps, Peppermint Toads, and Pink Coconut Ice. Multicolored Pixie Puffs hung from the ceiling. A Salt Water Taffy maker was in full swing in the window, pulling on sticky purple goodness. Everything about Honeydukes was amazing. I never wanted to leave.

We spent another hour in the sweet shop, buying and eating. When it was time to go I was weighed down by my purchases and bags of candy. I had promised Harry I'd get him something so I bought him at least one of everything I could get my hands on. Back at the pickup site, I was waiting with the twins and Lee when I heard someone call my name. It was Hermione. She was waving to me from across a sea of people. She and Ron were in a carriage already with Neville, Dean, and Seamus. I looked back at the twins.

"Guys, thanks so much for today. I had a great time."

"No problem…"

"…always a pleasure to help the lost."

I giggled at the two. I hugged both twins before running off to catch the carriage holding my fellow third years. As soon as I jumped in I looked out the window and saw George push Fred a little. He grinned and shoved his brother back. I smiled at the sight. I really had fun today.

That night, the Halloween feast was just starting. The Great Hall was adorned with hundreds of candlelit pumpkins and fluttering bats. Orange and black streamers hung from the torches on the walls. The whole Hall was buzzing with tales of Hogsmeade as students swapped stories, eating sweets from Honeydukes and off their House tables. Over at the Ravenclaw table, some seventh years were having fun blowing soap bubbles of all shapes and colors into the air.

The food was delicious; I was bursting with Honeydukes sweets but I still managed to get second helpings of pretty much everything. I couldn't help myself from looking down the Gryffindor table. Fred was talking animatedly with George. I couldn't help but think about our time together. He was so sweet to me and that was very rare of the ginger twin. Usually, George was the nicer of the two. My attention was taken away from Fred when a strand of light hit my face. A marionette of a Harlequin pranced atop the table, moving its limbs in response to Neville's fingertips. Seamus passed his hand through the beam of light and the Harlequin collapsed.

Across from me, Harry was eating the mountain of Honeydukes chocolate Ron, Hermione, and I gave him. Between the four of us was an even higher pile of brightly colored sweets. Harry asked us how our day was and I told him about Dervish and Banges, Zonko's Joke Shop, Gladrags Wizardwear, and the other places I saw.

"And don't forget the post office, Cora! Oh, Harry, it was wonderful! It's about 200 owls, all sitting on color-coded shelves, depending on how fast you want your letter to go!"

"And Honeydukes is brilliant," Ron put in. "They've got everything from Sugar Quills to blood-flavored lollipops for Halloween! And this new fudge that's wicked sweet! And I think we saw an ogre at the Three Broomsticks…"

"The butterbeer was amazing! It really warms you up," I told Harry. He nodded, picking through the bright candy in front of him. "I wish I could have brought some back for you."

"But, I mean, after a while it got a bit boring. Don't you think, Ron…Cora?"

"What? No way! It was –" Hermione kicked me from under the table. She shot me a look. "Oh, yeah…like after a few hours it wasn't so cool."

"What did you do," Hermione asked Harry, trying to get him to look up. "Did you get any work done?"

"No," he replied, opening a package of Pepper Imps. "Lupin made me some tea in his office and Snape came in…"

"Oh," Ron suddenly cut Harry off. "I almost forgot, I got you something wicked at Dervish and Banges. It's a pocket Sneakoscope." Ron stuck his hand in his pocket and placed a small glass spinning top in front of Harry. "If there's someone untrustworthy around, it's meant to light up and spin. Mind you, Fred and George said its rubbish, sold for wizard tourists, but I thought, you know, it can't…"

"Sirius Black's trying to kill me," Harry nodded again. He looked up at Ron and grinned. "I'm glad you had a fun time. Hermione, I'm glad you liked the post office and Cora, I'm sorry you got split up from these two but I'm happy you had a good time anyways."

The feast finished with entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts. They popped out of the walls and tables, gliding in formations. The Gryffindor ghost, Nearly Headless Nick, reenacted his own failed beheading. It was a hoot. At the end, Dumbledore clapped his hands and the tables cleared of all plates and trash. Our Headmaster sent us all off with well wishes and a goodnight. It had definitely been a day to remember.