Chapter 10: Hogsmeade Troubles

"Her Ladyship wishes me to tell you that the raid on Hogsmeade shall occur on Saturday, ready the plans and the people."

"It shall be as she wishes."

.:X:.

I ventured downstairs one morning to find a huge crowd gathered around the message board. Being much to short to see over people and much to lazy to fight my way through the crowd I did the only truly sensible thing, flicked my wand and had the sign come flying over to me. Sure a couple of people may have been irked, but those near me were extremely happy. The sign read as follows:

HOGSMEADE TRIPS:

Students 3rd Year and up are allowed to visit Hogsmeade this Saturday if they have turned in their parent permission form. Please see Professor Delacour if you have not turned in your permission form or if you have any questions.

"Oh, great, just what I've always wanted, to go to Hogsmeade with all my buddies," I commented sarcastically and flicked my wand sending the sign back, much to the dismay of a couple students.

"Did you say Hogsmeade?" Lauran asked eagerly, coming up behind me.

"Yeah, we can go on Saturday. Thrilling, isn't it." I replied with no enthusiasm whatsoever. I had been to Hogsmeade plenty of times already, sometimes with permission other times by sneaking out of the castle with the invisibility cloak.

"That's great! I've got to go tell Dean!" Lauran squealed and rushed off.

I rolled my eyes at her eagerness and went down to an uneventful breakfast to start an uneventful day.

"Potter, I still don't have a date to Hogsmeade if you want to change your mind!" Andrew Notch called across the Great Hall on Saturday morning.

"No!" I replied firmly and rather loudly too, "Gag me with a spoon! I'd rather go out with a vampire in a blonde wig!"

"I can arrange that!" Notch had recently taken an interest in me, I found him rather annoying and childish but I do admit he's very cute.

"Oh, go eat a bloody pizza!" I yelled back, much to the amusement, and confusion, of most of the student body. Notch threw me a dejected look and left the Great Hall hurriedly as the students returned to their previous conversations.

"Poor, Notch. He takes an interest in you and you kick him where guys are most susceptible to pain," Lauran commented sympathetically.

"No," I replied, "I'm pretty sure I kicked him in the shin and slapped him in the face."

"I was speaking metaphorically you dolt," Lauran replied shooting Celeste, who had sprayed all her pumpkin juice out of her mouth and snorted into Lauran's plate of breakfast food simultaneously, a nasty look.

"Notch is an idiot. He has no maturity, no self control. He's a filthy toe-rag. Jut because I saved his life doesn't mean that I have to like him."

I stood up and went into the Entrance Hall with Celeste close behind me. Neither of us fancied watching Lauran and Dean's ritual morning face-sucking. Now that was something that would gag you with ten spoons, narsty!

"Hey Riley! Hey Celeste!" Colby called as he hurried down the stairs. He joined us in line to leave Hogwarts, "Didn't change your mind about Notch I see."

"Uh, no, I did not change my mind," I replied, "Are you two going on a date? I can find someone else to go to Hogsmeade with. I do have other friends you know."

"Nope, you can stay with us. There will be no PDA on this Hogsmeade trip, although I would enjoy a nice laugh at Madame Puddle-butt's Tea House, or whatever that awful place is called," Celeste replied cheerfully.

"I couldn't agree more," I replied, linking arms with her and skipping off to the waiting carriages.

.:X:.

"We shall go as soon as the sun starts to set. Everything is ready my Lady, your servants are in place."

"Thank you, Malfoy. Your hard work will be rewarded very soon, and yours too Moresby. We leave at sunset!"

.:X:.

"Well this was a amusing day and all but I'm thinking that after we visit the Shrieking Shack we should go back up to the castle, I've got Quidditch practice at 9:00 tonight," I commented after a long, interesting day of Celeste and I taunting any couples that happened to walk by showing any signs of PDA.

"I quite agree," Celeste replied, "Besides I really don't fancy watching Dean shove his tongue down her throat one more time and you know Lauran won't go anywhere near the Shrieking Shack."

"It's getting dark," Lauran protested, "I'm not going to be outside of the castle grounds after dark!"

"Technically the Shrieking Shack is still on Hogwarts grounds," I responded slyly.

"By Riley's reckoning," Celeste added as she and I walked away from the others.

"I'm going back with them," Colby called nervously, I think he's afraid of the dark.

"Whatever floats your skirt up," I called over my shoulder, much the general amusement of my friends, well other than Colby anyways.

Celeste and I walked along the path, which was deserted since most students had long since taken refuge in the Three Broomsticks or gone back to Hogwarts. We didn't even notice that the sun was disappearing behind the hills on the far side of Hogsmeade as we walked along. Neither of us would admit it but it was getting eerily quiet in this part of town.

All of a sudden I head several loud pops that sounded like muggle cars backfiring. I spun around towards the noise, wand out and ready. There, blocking the path towards both Hogsmeade and Hogwarts, stood Lily and several masked and hooded figures with their backs to us.


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Love From,

MotherCrumpet