On Saturday October 8th, 1994, Hogwarts students in second year and above were allowed to visit Hogsmeade for first time that semester.
Headmaster Lupin was delighted to see the second years taking advantage of the visit. This was the first time that second years had been allowed to go into Hogsmeade and the decision had proven to be a big hit.
Lupin had been quite right in thinking that younger students would appreciate these visits more than their older counterparts. The supermajority of sixth year students and seventh year students had chosen not to go into Hogsmeade that day. The novelty did wear off after so many visits and twelve year olds could enjoy the cool aspects of Hogsmeade with the wonder of a child. Going to Hogsmeade simply wasn't of as much interest to sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen year olds as it was to twelve and thirteen year olds. Those sixth and seventh years who were still interested in Hogsmeade could still go, but now, an extra year on the younger end was being provided.
Lupin, However, did stand by his position of not allowing first year students to go into Hogsmeade. Eleven was still a little too young to be wandering around outside of school without a parent or guardian and Lupin also now liked to think of Hogsmeade privileges as something that Hogwarts students earned once they had successfully completed a year of school.
The previous evening, Harry had called Colin, Dennis, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Susan, Lily, Tracey, Daphne, Astoria, Fleur, and Emily to the Black Lake at 11 P.M. to discuss plans for the next day.
"So," said Harry matter of factly, "Dennis and Astoria, you two aren't allowed to go into Hogsmeade this year."
"It's okay,' said Astoria calmly, "It's no different than Daphne getting to go to Hogwarts three years before me. My time will come."
"So will mine," said Dennis eagerly, "It'll be worth the wait when it comes. It's like Astoria said, this is just part of being a younger sibling."
"OOOH!" piped up Colin, struck by a sudden idea.
"What is it, Colin?" asked Dennis curiously.
"Well," smiled Colin, "Since I've never been to Hogsmeade and you will be allowed to go next year, I'd like to postpone my first trip into Hogsmeade until next year and our first trip can be the same one. I can stay at Hogwarts tomorrow and we can take some one on one brother time."
"Brilliant!" replied Dennis delightedly, "We haven't had a good one on one brother session since the semster started. "
""I did go to Hogsmeade with Tracey and Lily last year, " said Daphne matter of factly, "But I don't mind skipping this year and returning to Hogsmeade next year when Astoria can go. I'd like to stay at Hogwarts too and Astoria and I can spend some one on one sister time."
"Thanks, Daphne, some one on one sister time for us would be nice," said Astoria happily, "We haven't had a good one on one sister session since the semester started."
"Hey, Fleur, Emily," asked Tracey warmly, "Would the two of you like a guided tour of Hogsmeade tomorrow? I'd be delighted to go with you two and be your tour guide if you'd like one."
"I would love zat," beamed Fleur, "You agree, Emily?"
"I do," smiled Emily at once.
"Thank you, Tracey," said Emily sincerely.
"Yea, zanks, Tracey," added Fleur.
"That was a great act of warmth and welcoming," Harry told Tracey proudly.
"You are sweet and kind, Tracey Davis," smiled Lily radiantly, "I guess that leaves Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Susan, and myself to go as a group of six?"
Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Susan all nodded happily.
"That's all settled then," said Harry with a smile, looking forward to going into Hogsmeade without having to resort to sneaking, "And, Lily, I will wear that orange sweater with the Hogwarts crest you sewed me for my birthday to Hogsmeade tomorrow."
Lily beamed and asked, "Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Susan, I have made several more copies of that sweater and I have one for myself as well. What do you say to all six of us wearing these sweaters to Hogsmeade tomorrow?"
There were mutterings of agreement from Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Susan and Lily told Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Susan "I'll have Mario send you those sweaters. You should receive them before I go to bed tonight."
The next morning, as Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Susan, and Lily, all wearing the orange sweaters with the Hogwarts crest that Lily had sewed, prepared to go into Hogsmeade together, it was a cool and overcast day, about sixty degrees with intermittent clouds.
Harry was carrying the Marauder's Map while acting as a leader of the pack of this group of six.
"Let's go to The Three Broomsticks first, " said Harry clearly, "I have a serious butterbeer craving."
Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Susan, and Lily followed Harry to The Three Broomsticks.
As they entered neared the pub, Luna said kindly, "I'll get the door."
Luna walked forward and opened the door, holding it open for Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Susan, and Lily before entering last herself.
"I'll handle any doors today," offered Luna.
"You are sweet and kind, Luna Lovegood," glowed Lily.
Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Susan, and Lily found a table with enough room for six people and Harry piped up, "I'll take care of paying for all of our drinks here."
"You are sweet and kind, Harry Potter, " smiled Lily.
Eventually, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Susan, and Lily each ordered a butterbeer and Harry paid for everyone. The six of them sat drinking them slowly.
"As someone who doesn't drink butterbeer regularly, " said Hermione quietly, "I'd forgotten how good this stuff actually is."
"As a fellow muggleborn," said Lily, "I found drinking butterbeer for the first time to be a stunningly good treat. Warms your insides in a good way."
"Being muggle raised, I felt that same way when I had butterbeer for the first time," agreed Harry, "It's like drinkable warmth."
"Do people from wizarding families drink butterbeer regularly?" inquired Hermione.
"Oh no," replied Susan matter of factly, "In Wizarding Culture, butterbeer is viewed as something to only have once in a while as a special treat."
"That's absolutely the best way to approach it," opined Luna, "Butterbeer is wonderful, but the Law of Diminishing Returns definitely applies to it."
"Hogsmeade trips are the perfect time to drink it," piped up Ginny thoughtfully, "The same point applies to Hogsmeade visits in and of themselves."
When Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Susan, and Lily got up to leave, they saw Tracey, Fleur, and Emily enter The Three Broomsticks and they heard Tracey say, "Now, the most popular thing to order at The Three Broomsticks is butterbeer. I think you'll both find butterbeer a real treat."
Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Susan, and Lily all smiled and felt their insides glow. It was wonderful that Fleur and Emily were getting to enjoy Hogsmeade, and they were very proud of Tracey for being such a wonderful host to Fleur and Emily.
"On to Honeydukes, " piped up Harry clearly.
On the walk to Honeydukes, Harry asked Ginny, Susan, and Luna, "Ginny, Luna, Susan, since the three of you were raised in wizarding households, I'm going to ask for some advice on which candies to get. I don't anything that is overly sweet or overly sugary. I prefer milder candies."
"Avoid Sugar Quills at all costs, " said Susan seriously, "Aunt Amelia told me once that on her first trip to Hogsmeade, she ate a Sugar Quill and that she felt lightheaded for hours afterward from eating something with such a high sugar content."
Harry shuddered and quipped, "That's precisely what I want to avoid, thank you, Susan."
"Boring as it may sound, the Honeydukes Chocolate Slab is the best candy Honeydukes offers," said Ginny bluntly, "Personally, I'm perfectly fine with candies that don't set my tongue on fire or freeze my teeth."
"I, on the other hand, love Ice Mice," cooed Luna dreamily, "The chattering of the teeth and the squeaky mouth are a fun novelty for a few minutes and a few nanoseconds."
When the finally reached Honeydukes and Luna had let them all in, they saw Ravenclaw Marcus Belby walking out having stocked up on Pepper Imps.
"Oh, Belby is addicted to anything hot, spicy, fiery, etc.," said Luna as she stared up at the ceiling, "I doubt any other Hogwarts student has ever gone through Pepper Imps at the rate Marcus Belby does. I see him at it in the Ravenclaw Common Room every night."
Meanwhile Ginny dug her left hand into her left hand pocket and retrieved the ten galleon Honeydukes gift card Susan had given her for her birthday. Giving Susan a meaningful look, Ginny said sincerely, "Susan, thank you for enabling me to acquire some candy from Honeydukes today via this very thoughtful birthday gift."
"I knew it would be a fantastic birthday gift for you and it gives me goosebumps to know I was able to help a friend like this," replied Susan joyfully.
"You know, " remembered Harry, "Last year when I wasn't allowed to go on the first trip into Hogsmeade and Fred and George hadn't given me the Marauder's Map yet, Hermione brought me back some candy from Honeydukes. "
"He remembers!" said Hermione meaningfully, "OOH!"
"What have you just realized Hermione?" asked Harry.
"Colin, Dennis, Daphne, and Astoria didn't make the trip into Hogsmeade because Dennis and Astoria couldn't, and Colin and Daphne chose to stay at Hogwarts to take some one on one sibling time with them. I'm going to buy some candies to take back to them!"
"You are sweet and kind, Hermione Granger," piped up Lily.
"By the way, Ginny," said Susan clearly, "You don't have to spend your whole gift card in one shot. Honeydukes products are not overly expensive. My advice is for you to buy two galleons worth of candy today and save the rest for the rest of this year's Hogsmeade visits."
After Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Susan, and Lily looked around a bit, they came to their decisions.
They all got a slab of Honeydukes chocolate, that was a no brainer, their preferences diverged from there.
Harry. being a chocolate lover, also got a few packs of chocolate frogs, since he liked collecting the cards, this a double win for him.
Ginny picked up a few packs of Fizzing Whizbees, Fred and George had introduced Ginny to Fizzing Whizbees when she was five and she loved the effect of floating that occurred upon eating them.
Luna indulged in a few packs of Ice Mice. Ice Mice were her favorite candy, no ifs, ands, ors, or buts.
Susan chose a couple of Pumpkin Patsies as she had a strong taste for pumpkin.
Lily's love of licorice caused her to purchase a few licorice wands.
Hermione got herself a pair of cauldron cakes and then said aloud, "I wonder what would be best to gift Colin, Dennis, Daphne, and Astoria?"
"For Daphne and Astoria, ask Lily, she knows them best of our group here," suggested Harry.
"You are wise and thoughtful, Harry Potter, " beamed Lily, "Daphne and Astoria really love Ice Mice and Honeydukes Chocolate Slabs. I'd suggest a Honeydukes Chocolate Slab and a pack of Ice Mice each for Daphne and Astoria. They have very similar tastes you know. "
"And as for Colin and Dennis, Ginny knows Colin best-" began Harry.
"To be honest," said Ginny in a businesslike voice, "I don't think either Colin or Dennis has much experience of eating wizarding candy. My suggestion is to go with a Honeydukes Chocolate Slab and a pack of Fizzing Whizbees each. You can't go wrong with Honeydukes Chocolate Slabs. And with Colin and Dennis being the bundles of energy that they are, they'll love the floating sensation that eating Fizzing Whizbees produces."
So, Hermione made the purchases of the candy gifts for the Creevy brothers and the Greengrass sisters and as they exited Honeydukes, they saw Seamus, Dean, and Neville approaching the door. It had become very usual to see Seamus, Dean, and Neville hanging out as a trio. Seamus and Dean had been BFFs from the nanosecond they met on the Hogwarts Express. Neville, however, had been mostly a loner in his first three years at Hogwarts. He got along well with people, but it just never broke for him to make any close friends in those first three years. After attending Neville's birthday party over the summer and having gotten on with him like a house of cards on fire there, Seamus and Dean had made it a point to really befriend Neville at the start of the semester and they'd been a very happy trio ever since. Neville was delighted have finally made close friends and Seamus and Dean were the perfect friends for him. Neville also proved to be a wonderful friend for Seamus and Dean as well.
"So," said Harry matter of factly as Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Susan, and Lily walked away from Honeydukes clutching their purchases, "We're going to Zonko's next."
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