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[23] fudge combinations and last days

"Crap on a cracker, that's sweet!" Alex exclaimed, shuddering as she looked away from the fudge-attack combination. "How have you eaten one hold piece already?"

Jordan cackled in his most evil impression and shoved another chunk into his mouth. "Istsh a matter of," he swallowed and immediately gagged, "Training."

"Maybe you should get your stomach pumped," Bear remarked with a smirk, "That fudge didn't sound like it went down well."

"It went down fine—" Jordan said defensively, until he had to chug an entire glass of water to combat the dryness of fudge and sugar.

Alex refilled his cup with a laugh and set it back down to continue with her lunch. It was their last full day in Hogsmeade, and lunch at the Three Broomsticks was a nice way to round off the morning. They'd finished up any tidbits of shopping around Hogsmeade, planning how to fill the gift bags for family and friends.

There was the staff at Akarnae, Bear's village, their friends at Akarnae, Bear's family, Alex's parents, Dix's family, and basically an entire army to clothe and feed with Freyan 'delicacies'. She was pretty sure they had double their luggage purely from the gifts, but Alex didn't mind since she was already anticipating their reactions.

The tavern was bigger than it looked from the outside, with crooked paintings on the walls, wooden banisters and beams, and help servers who dropped off all their food. Alex, Declan, Jordan, and Bear had decided to try and eat The Great Feast dish the Three Broomsticks offered, and she was currently making her way through the second course of deliciously smoked rotisserie chicken and spare ribs.

Jordan was attacking the corn, Declan the potatoes, and Bear was finishing the last of the salad. Dix had opted for the beef pasties, and Kaiden the turkey leg. Everyone had a round of potted Butterbeer cream for dessert and a warm apple pie to share. It was safe to say they'd need to walk around a bit before any rides.

DIX'S ULTIMATE HOGSMEADE REVIEW (CLASSIFIED SECRET)

written late at night on their last day of hogsmeade

I'm going to be honest, Hogsmeade was mostly Jordan, Alex, and Bear trying to make gut-destroying combinations with the candy we bought while Kaiden, Declan, and I watched on and made sure they didn't go too far. Aside from that, I can say that it's a really pretty village. It reminds me of a town up in the north, called Mestaline. It's very pretty during Kaldoras, and I've taken Jordan there once before. The same snow and quaint feeling, and the people there are the kindest.

I really like the shops here at Hogsmeade and how some are even like 'branches', although I'm not sure if that's an excuse to fill slots, but it's nice continuity. I can appreciate that. While Rowling isn't my favourite author, the world of Harry Potter is one that is cherished world-wide. We bought a lot of merchandise to fill the gift bags; I know it's going to take a long time to sort all of them out but it will be worth it in the end. I want to remember this trip through everything possible, the photos, the videos, the scrapbook, and the gifts. I never got out much as a kid as my identity was the most important thing there.

Even shadow-touched cloaks couldn't conceal me all the time, so being out, in a place that has no idea who I am, is really freeing. I know my parents are worried about me, and I'd be surprised if they weren't. I'm staying safe for the future of Medora, but I also know I have to acknowledge my limits. A Queen cannot rule if she has no idea what the world is like.

Onto the rides: the Hippogriff one is really good for after lunch, trust me, because I swear no matter how much you eat you always seem to be getting extra snacks. My favourite ride is Hagrid's Motorbike Adventure, since Hagrid has always reminded me of one of my nicer tutors. Camelon walked in on his first day and I was terrified, practically how Harry felt when Hagrid broke down the door.