Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
EVERYONE IN THE CASTLE was talking about Hogsmeade. Aurora overhead many conversations about how good it was. She had to admit, she was jealous.
"There you go," Ron said. "We got as much as we could carry."
Ron handed a few things to Aurora and Hermione gave her a bunch of stuff.
"Sorry, I went overboard but they were selling muggles books for half price and I saw some books you didn't have so I got you them. Oh, you'll love the Outlander series! The Hobbit series is also amazing - oh and I saw you're into classics now so I got you Little Women!" Hermione beamed with excitement.
Aurora's jaw dropped. Hermione had brought her two full series and one stand-alone book. "I- thank you, Mione. I love you, Mione, you know that right?"
Hermione cheeks went pink as she said, "Well it was your birthday yesterday... and I didn't get you much, so I got you more!"
Aurora smiled brightly and took the books from Hermione, kissing her on the cheek.
"What's Hogsmeade like? Where did you go?" By the sound of it – everywhere. Dervish and Banges, the wizarding equipment shop, Zonko's Joke Shop, the Three Broomsticks for foaming mugs of hot Butterbeer, and many places beside.
"The post office! About two hundred owls, all sitting on shelves, all colour-coded depending on how fast you want your letter to arrive!"
"Honeydukes have got a new kind of fudge, they were giving out free samples, there's a bit, look–"
"We think we saw an ogre, honestly, they get all sorts at the Three Broomsticks –"
"Wish we could have brought you guys some Butterbeer, really warms you up –"
"-What did you guys do?" Hermione said, looking anxious. "Did you get any work done?"
"No," Aurora and Harry said in sync.
"I was with Atlas most of the time. Until -"
"-Lupin made us a cup of tea in his office. And then Snape came in ..." He and Aurora told them all about the goblet.
Ron's mouth fell open. "Lupin drank it?" he gasped. "Is he mad?"
Hermione checked her watch. "We'd better go down, you know, the feast will be starting in five minutes ..."
They hurried through the portrait hole and into the crowd, still discussing Snape. "But if he – you know –" Hermione dropped her voice, glancing nervously around, "if he was trying to – to poison Lupin – he wouldn't have done it in front of you three."
"Yeah, maybe," Harry said, as they reached the Entrance Hall and crossed into the Great Hall. It had been decorated with hundreds and hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of fluttering live bats, and many flaming orange streamers swimming lazily across the stormy ceiling like brilliant watersnakes.
