Chapter Eight: Hogsmeade Trip
"Harry!" a shrill shout sounded up the stairs but he ignored it, curling deeper into bed and cursing his muggle magic-hating aunt, uncle, and cousin. Most of the school would be out in Hogsmeade, the nearby all wizard village, but because his guardians didn't sign the needed permission slip he couldn't leave campus.
"Harry!" Julie came into the dorm, throwing open the curtains around his bed, "What're you still doing in bed, are you feeling alright?" gently she felt his cheeks and forehead for a fever. When he was fine on that front she frowned, "Is your scar bothering you or your stomach hurting?"
"No…"
"Then why are you in bed?"
"Go away, have fun in Hogsmeade…"
"Aren't you coming?"
He turned over and glared at her, "No, I'm not. Uncle Vernon didn't sign the paper."
She giggled, "Nobody told you yet?"
When she saw his expression the giggles stopped and she sat down, saying softly, "Kevin and Gwen have taken over guardianship of you, permanently. Or at least until Voldemort is dead and then the Weasleys have agreed to adopt you if you're still underage when he does kick the bucket. You're coming home with us, to America, for the breaks and summer. The Dursleys have no say in your life anymore. Kevin and Gwen have signed your permission slip for Hogsmeade…" she stood up, "now get dressed; the carriages are going to leave soon. Oh and the three of them swear up and down that the carriages are not moving by themselves but are really being pulled by big black skeletal winged horses but nobody else can see them…just smile and nod okay? They're allowed a couple mental breakdowns a year. We're waiting down in the common room so hurry up."
She laughed, as he jumped from his bed and began to get dressed, leaving the dorm and descending into the common room.
"Nobody told him, anything." She told their waiting companions.
Gwen turned to Ben, "You said you'd tell him!"
"I forgot okay?" he sputtered back, "that stupid kappa thing nearly drowned me, remember?"
"Don't fight guys," Julie stepped between them, "or I'll call Grandpa Max."
They fell quiet just as Harry came jogging down from the boys' dormitories, fastening his cloak as he moved.
"C'mon guys! Whatcha waiting for, an invite? Let's go let's go let's go!"
He grabbed Hermione and Ron, Hermione by the hand and Ron by the collar, and began dragging them towards the portrait hole.
"Calm down Harry!" Hermione ordered, barely able to move fast enough as he, almost literally, stuffed her through the portal hole.
"The carriages are leaving soon, come on, come on come on." He stuffed Ron through and then jumped through himself, feet first and by gripping the rim.
His four bodyguards laughed at his excitement, following after him.
They hurried down to the driveway/ carriage loop, grabbing one of the last carriages.
The wind whistled as the group strolled down the crowded street, talking and glancing at the shops around them.
"I want to go to Honeydukes," Ron declared finally, pointing out a rather large and busy looking shop.
"Honeydukes?" the Americans raised eyebrows.
"It's a candy shop," Hermione explained with a roll of her eyes, "I want to go to Rawlings."
"You have enough books Mione. Live a little."
"I do not want my teeth to rot out of my head, Ronald, thank you very much. I'd much rather spend my money on a long term investment."
"What do you what to do Harry?" Ben asked.
The boy shrugged, "Honeydukes's too packed for my tastes and Rawlings…I'm not that into books, sorry Mione…do they have a pet shop, I should get Hedwig some treats…"
"Right next to Rawlings." Hermione informed them.
"Alright, let's do this," Julie spoke up, "I'll take Ron to the candy shop, you three take Harry and Hermione to their shops."
"You sure you can handle him on your own?" Ben asked worriedly, eyeing Ron.
"I keep up with you don't I?" she smiled, "Don't worry so much, I've got my wand and Ship, we'll be fine…"
"Alright." He pulled his wand from his pocket and made a large glowing X where they stood, "We meet up in an hour and a half, here, fair?"
"Fair." They all agreed before Ben pinned Ron with a stern glare, "You better behave for her, understand?"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Ron grabbed his chaperone's arm and dragged her off.
"Ladies first," Harry spoke quietly, "let's go to the book store." Hermione smiled and the five took off.
The shop was dusty and musty smelling but Hermione was in her element. She danced about the shelves, running her fingers along the spines and bindings. She immediately honed in on the Charm and Defense books sections. Harry was drawn to the Quidditch books although he too looked through the Defense books.
As soon as they crossed the threshold Kevin had pecked Gwen on the cheek, whispered something in her ear, turned and left.
"Where's he going?" Ben asked.
She smiled and leaned over, whispering what was going on and then her cousin began to smile, saying lowly, "And he came up with it?"
"Yep. All by himself, no poking or prodding needed."
"You've un-corrupted him."
"Maybe, but he's corrupted me just as much…"
"Ew."
"What do you mean 'Ew'?" she shoved him playfully, "From the way I've heard things you and Julie have done quite a bit of…shall we call it corrupting yourselves."
He went bright pink, coughing, "How would you know about that?"
"I talk with the Head Boy and Girl and the Prefects, here's a hint; find a deeper alcove and it shouldn't be on the third floor…"
He pulled at his collar uncomfortably, redder than the Gryffindor banners.
"Well, well, well," a voice said loudly, causing Ben to jump but Gwen had sensed them long beforehand, "Looks like Little Bro needs the Room."
Fred and George appeared, each clapping a hand onto Ben's shoulder.
"The Room?" the brunette's eyebrow went up in interest.
"Oh yes," George nodded gravely, "The Room is a magical place within Hogwarts that appears, equipped with whatever you need for a given situation…" he lowered his voice, glancing to the owner of the bookshop warily, "It's on the seventh floor, across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy trying to train trolls to dance and getting clubbed as a reward."
"But there's no door there, no painting, no niche, nothing. Just an empty wall." Ben protested."
"Ah, my impatient little Yank," Fred chuckled, "You have to walk past the wall three times, thinking of the room you need and it appears and once you're inside it hides again until you're ready to come out."
"And it'll turn into any room you think about?"
"Yes siree, be it a loo…"
"A broom closet…"
"A broom closet filled with cleaning supplies…"
"Or somewhere to hide someone who's very very pissed until they've sobered."
"Pissed?"
"Drunk."
"Oh." Ben spun around, grabbed the twins' hands, shook them enthusiastically, thanked them profusely for the help and sprinted off.
"Great! THANKS A LOT BEN! YOU'RE REALLY BEING HELPFUL RUNNING OFF!" Gwen shouted after him angrily only for Kevin to pop back up. The twins took off.
"It is done." He said cryptically.
"It is?"
"Yep."
"Sweet."
"He's gonna shit himself, you know that right?"
"Probably, then we get to remind him for as long as we're in contact. Now, 'cuse me…"
She went to see what kind of household spellbooks they had to offer. Kevin leaned against the door, not being a big fan of books, keeping watch.
"AHHHH!" Harry hid behind Hermione as the orange monster hunted him.
"Calm down Harry," Hermione said, "It's just a Persian cat…and he's gorgeous, yes you are…" she picked up the beast and turned him onto his back in her arms in order to rub his stomach. The monster began purring.
Harry straightened, watching the girl and kitty. "Do you want to buy him?"
She frowned, "I don't have the money to…"
"Happy Birthday then Mione." He smiled.
"I can't let you—"
"Mione you buy me birthday gifts every year, and Christmas. Time for payback. So do you want the cat?"
"Yes."
He nodded, motioning to the proprietor of the shop.
She was a black woman, heavy set but very kind looking.
"May I help you?" she asked.
"Yes, I'd like to buy this cat," he motioned to the orange beast.
The owner smiled; "Crookshanks, you've finally found someone you like!" she turned to Harry, "Two Galleons for Crookshanks and everything you'll need."
"Fair enough."
"Follow me please."
Crookshanks began to purr louder.
Meanwhile Ben, who had come back soon after running off, stocked up on Sugar Mice for birds and cats. They were gummy sweet meat flavored rodent shaped confections that were charmed to squeak and run around in the presence of a bird or cat. Sixteen boxes were piled in his arms, each containing four three inch long and inch and a half wide candy mice in an assortment of flavorings.
Gwen and Kevin were posted at the door; Gwen looked at her watch, calling, "Fifteen minutes guys."
"Let's go to the Three Broomsticks, after we meet up with the other two," Harry called.
"Three Broomsticks?"
"It's a pub," Harry answered, "Students go there all the time."
"Oh, alright."
"How did they become so pissed?" Ron shouted as he and Harry carried a totally sloshed Ben back to the carriages.
"Our systems must have converted something in those butterbeers to alcohol," Gwen replied coherently, with a giggle, even though she was drunk as well. Hermione was at her side, helping keep her steady.
"Then why aren't you barmy like him!"
Ben giggled, slurring his words, "You speak funny."
"Benji's a flyweight, can't hold his liquor you see." Kevin explained, equally as drunk as the other two. He was helping Julie carry the group's purchases, "Me an' Gwen can so we aren't as loopy." He stumbled a little but recovered.
"You sure you're okay Kevin?" Hermione asked worriedly. He nodded shortly, "Yeah so long as I don't have ta drive, fight, or write anything I'm good."
"I don't understand," Harry puffed, "didn't you guys drink butterbeer at the party?"
"Nope." Julie answered, she was carrying the wicker basket holding Crookshanks along with a satchel of candy and a bag of books on her back, "Ben had pumpkin juice, Kevin had soda and Gwen and I had water."
"Right." The inebriated redhead confirmed the story with another giggle, "Juice, soda, and waters."
"And why aren't you drunk?" Ron demanded of Julie.
"Oh, I'm just human like you three," she smiled softly.
"What have you been feeding him?" Ron cried out as he and Harry hit a wall, starting to collapse under Ben's weight.
"Hold on," Hermione went for her wand, "hold the wall Gwen."
"O…kay Mione." She did as told.
Hermione made a complicated motion and intoned, "Mobilicorpus Ben, Gwen, and Kevin."
"Whoa!" the three drunk Yanks were lifted from their feet, to hover a few feet off the ground.
"Harry, Ron, grab the stuff," Hermione ordered, orchestrating their procession expertly.
"Locomotor shopping bags," Harry mimicked Hermione's motions flawlessly and the items began floating along.
They arrived at the carriages. Hermione shrunk the bags and pocketed them.
"Here," Julie set down Crookshanks and moved to Ben, messing around with his watch until she found the form she needed and then she activated it. In a flash of green light Ben went from human to a small white alien that seemed to have electrical jacks on his back. Once he was changed Hermione let him drop only for Julie to catch him and carry him in an arm.
It was this way that they had the room for Crookshanks and his basket.
"We'll take them to Hospital Wing," Harry said and his sober friends nodded, "she can clean out their systems."
Ben, now sleeping as an alien in Julie's lap, hiccupped and rolled over, holding onto her thumb. Gwen and Kevin were similarly dozing, collapsed together. His arm was about her waist, his cheek on the crown of her head. She was turned towards him, holding his free hand tightly with her head on his chest.
"My word," Gryffindor Head of House Minerva McGonagall swore as the group came staggering home, "What happened here?"
"We got-hic-drunk off of-hic-butterbeer ma'am." Gwen giggled happily and it was clear she was losing coherency. The drunk Yanks were once again floating along.
"How?"
"Their alien systems changed the contents of the drink," Hermione explained as she moved them up the stairs, walking backwards. Ron was taking their purchases up to the common room with the help of Ship.
"Yay!" that was the still loopy drunk Ben, without any prompting.
"Why did he just shout 'Yay'?" McGonagall asked, now escorting them up to the fourth floor.
"He's a barmy boozer, Professor," Harry said lowly, "the other two are much better off."
"Poppy!" McGonagall called as they entered the wing, "Poppy! Poppy come quickly!"
"What's all the fuss about then?" the matron came bustling out from her office.
"The new students had an allergic reaction to butterbeer, they're completely pissed!"
"Lay them down, lay them down then!"
