Edge of Reality // Oliver Wood

✧˖* 5 *˖✧

The sun is slowly setting behind the little shops and houses while Hannah and I walk through Hogsmeade. The sound of soft Christmas songs fills up my ears, yet there aren't any music players in sight. Even though there isn't any snow yet, Hogsmeade truly feels like the most festive place in the entire world. Real live Fairies fly past my face and start to align themselves on both sides of the road, lighting up the street with their glowing wings. So, that's where the word "Fairy Lights" comes from!

"Let's go in here!" Hannah grabs me by the sleeve of my coat and pulls me inside Zonko's.

Upon entering the joke shop, we are greeted with many familiar faces. Fred and George are elaborately explaining the concept of Hiccough Sweets to Dani. George throws candy into Fred's mouth who in turn starts to hiccup vigorously without even having a second to catch his breath. Through a burst of laughter, George reassures her that the effects will slowly wear out. Dani stares at George with wide eyes; she must be heavily interested in his thorough explanation. Or perhaps she's just interested in him.

In the back of the shop, a part where not many young wizards or witches dare to go (wink wink), I see Nova and Draco standing very closely together, secretively inspecting a small device. She catches me staring at them and immediately hides the object behind her back as her face goes bright red. I guess they're not fighting anymore.

"Oh. Hi, Lizzie! Hi Hannah!" She says through an embarrassed smile.

Draco reaches his hand behind Nova's back and takes the mysterious item out her hands.

"I'm just going to pay for this. I'll let you all catch up," He says and awkwardly walks away.

"I don't want to talk about it," Nova says, dramatically looking away and avoiding eye contact.

Hannah is having a very hard time holding in her laugh and struggles to form a sentence, "F- Fine! We won't talk about it..."

We talk for a bit and even Draco eventually joins us in our conversation after he has finished his purchase. We're all checking out a new deluxe variety of Sugar Quills when suddenly the whole shop fills up with a cloud of dark smoke and blocks my sight.

"It seems like we've got a bit of a situation... Everyone get out!" The owner, Bilton Bilmes, shouts.

We all try to run outside while coughing from all the smoke that has entered our lungs. After bumping into, and knocking over, a few of the set-ups in Zonko's, I finally make my way out. My eyes have to adjust to the bright daylight again for a bit, but I eventually see that all my friends have managed to get out of the shop. Fred and George have sneaky grins on their faces as they tell us they have to leave to test out the new joke items they just bought.

After that strange happenstance, we decide to head to the Three Broomsticks for some butterbeer. Hannah, Draco, Nova, Dani, and I sit down at a table in the middle of the café and wait for Madam Rosmerta to come take our order.

I notice that Dani's hand is covering her face and that she can't seem to stop giggling.

"What is it, Dani?" I ask confusedly.

"All right, fine! I can't keep it a secret any longer! It was my fault! What happened at Zonko's! George dared me to use some Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, but I didn't expect the whole shop to go completely dark!" she admits.

We all burst out laughing at her confession. Dani is normally never the kind to pull any pranks. She likes rules and believes they are meant to be followed, not broken. She just doesn't want to get on a professor's bad side, which is why we often call her a teacher's pet. I guess hanging out with George is changing Dani, and I actually don't mind this new, more adventurous, side of her.