Chapter 14: Visits to Hogsmead.

As the students and the professors settled into the daily routine of the school term and all that went along with their educations, so too did the usual events start to take place that the students associated with their months at Hogwarts. There was always a lot for the students to look forward to that was extracurricular to their regular classes and all the clubs and teams started to pop up around the castle.

The Quiddich season started with an opener putting Slytherin and Hufflepuff head to head on a cool autumn day. Surprisingly enough, for everyone involved, Slytherin lost their cool, lost their match and pushed Hufflepuff up in the house standings because their pour sportsmanship caused more problems off the pitch then it did on the pitch. Ron was happy to see the lack luster playing of the team he saw as the primary threat to his Gryffindors but he was surprised at the sportsmanship and the ability the Hufflepuffs displayed.

"It's going to be a tough go against Hufflepuff this year," Ron stated one morning as he and Harry walked together into the village of Hogsmead.

The time of year arrived when the students would be taking their spending money and blowing it all on their first round of sweets and butter beers down in the village. The second years were more then excited for their first adventure into the sleepy village and the third years and up were excited to get out of the castle for a change. Winter was coming, the weather was turning colder and everyone needed a day out of the castle for their own sanity. Harry walked with Ron and the first waves of the older students down to the village as instructed by the headmistress and would soon be followed by every other person that was of age or at all interested in a sunny, crisp autumn day out.

"Yeah, they played really well the other day." Harry said, "I didn't think half of those kids had it in them but I was very surprised and the Hufflepuffs were very gracious in their win. It was sad to see that nothing has changed for the Slytherin though."

"Slytherin will never change," Ron said as he rolled his eyes, "but did you see the formation flying by the Hufflepuff chasers?"

"It was pretty intense, they have been studying up," Harry said enthusiastically, "to look at some of those kids, I would have never thought they would even be able to stay on a broom, let alone do some of those maneuvers and on the model brooms they were flying. It was intense!"

"I'm an awesome flying teach," Ron stated.

"Even though most of those students are in their second, through seventh year, so you never taught them to fly," Harry mocked.

"Hey, you sound like my wife!" Ron retorted snidely.

"I'll try harder next time to sound like Professor Snape," Harry stated gloomily.

"You already sound like Snape; you do know the kids call you Snape, right?" Ron said.

"Yeah I know," Harry stated, "we can't all be as jubilant and eccentric as Dumbledore. It's just easier to be moody and distant when you've been through what I have been through."

"Hey man, I have been there, most of the time, I know what you're going through," Ron stated.

"Yeah but I don't have a theme song and you do," Harry mocked. "Plus if I was as happy and jovial as you, I would throw of the universal balance of our friendship, and we can't have that. Now can we?"

"No I suppose you are right." Ron stated as they neared the village, "but you have to know that you can be a real drag sometimes."

"Trust me, Dumbledore has told me this," Harry laughed.

As they walked along they spotted Hermione and Cadence coming down the lane toward them. Harry had planned that he would try and do what Dumbledore had commissioned at the same time he would try to go into depth as to the history that Hermione wanted him to give to the young woman. Hermione had asked him to breach the subject of his history with the girl before she dove any further in depth and he had agreed. As the ladies came forward now, Harry saw his opening and looked into Cadence's eyes before she could look away. For a moment they stared at each other as Hermione and Ron talked and then when she finally broke the stare Harry moved on with his friends. They walked into the Hogs Head together and sat down in a corner of the tavern where they could see all the other patrons that visited the small establishment to make sure that their students were not causing a ruckus.

"So how are your studies going?" Ron asked Cadence as they all settled in together.

"They are going well, I think," Cadence said shyly. "I'm finding all of the history of Hogwarts very interesting. I'm beginning to really relate to Rowena Ravenclaw."

"Not surprising," Hermione said, "I'm sure that the sorting hat would have placed you there, had you been around the school when we were."

"I think I would have loved that," Cadence smiled.

Harry watched the young woman in silence as his friends participated in mindless chatter. He had looked into her mind, found the walls that have been established and was looking for ways around them when he was interrupted by Hermione.

"Harry what, in god's name, are you staring at?" Hermione screeched, "You're off in some land of your own. Are you alright, is it the scar?" she asked he tone changing from annoyance to concern.

"No I'm fine," Harry stated, "just staring down some students that are trying to set off firecrackers in the tavern," he added as he stood, walked across the room and pulled a student by the ear out of the establishment.

When he returned, Harry found his friends deep in conversation. He moved around to take his place again and they all looked up and stared.

"They were from your brother's shop," Harry stated placing the firecrackers on the table.

"Those were one of their best sellers." Ron said sadly.

"What do you mean were?" Harry asked seeing the change in Ron's face.

"Since, the dark times, the shop hasn't been the same. When Fred was killed, George lost all his drive and even though the joke shop did well for a while, it's kinda become a thing of the past now. If George doesn't come up with something soon, well, he's going to have to shut down."

"He hasn't made a single thing," Hermione said sadly. "The life is gone from George. There just aren't any tricks, or jokes left in him."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Harry asked, "I'll lend him some more money if he needs it."

"I think his best bet would be to try his hand at something new, something that he is going to have to learn to do on his own. He can keep trying to pick up the business as many times as he wants but there really isn't anything in it anymore. He has lost his drive to create, his happiness and mischievousness was lost when he lost his better half, or so he says," Ron stated. "It's strange just how much they complimented each other. One without the other just doesn't seem to work."

"He needs to reinvent himself to move on," Hermione said.

"How did your bother die?" Cadence asked sheepishly.

"In the last battle," Ron stated, "we were all fighting at the school and my brothers got caught in the cross fire. George lost his ear, Fred lost his life."

"And we lost so many others," Hermione said sadly.

"Historically speaking, it seems to me that magic had a very violent past." Cadence said.

"Like most histories, there is going to be violence, look at the muggle wars," Hermione stated.

"They were horrible," Cadence stated sadly.

Harry and Ron fell silent again as the two ladies began to discuss the contrasts between the muggle and magic wars throughout history, giving Harry the opportunity to look deeper into Cadence's mind. He found, once he began to prod around again, that the walls had been rebuilt within her mind but they were not as strong as the others. Suddenly the truth flashed before his eyes and Harry stood shock and anger written all over his face.

"What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"I…I just remembered I have to speak with Snape," Harry stated and fled from the table, leaving his friends behind.