PRINCESS ➳ harry potter , draco malfoy (OLD VERSION)

40 || Hogsmeade

Katie's spirits had been exceptionally high as the end of term approached. She had plenty of things to distract herself from her endless thoughts about what Ollivander had said (which she thought about an unhealthy amount). Slytherin had flattened Ravenclaw in their Quidditch game, and another positive was that there was going to be another Hogsmeade visit on the final weekend of the term.

While this made Katie giddy, it made Harry rather gloomy, so she and Hermione done their best to cheer him up on the days leading up to the visit.

On the crisp morning of the Hogsmeade visit, Katie wrapped up well with her cloak and a scarf, as did Ron and Hermione. They bid farewell to Harry and then set off to Hogsmeade with the rest of the school.

"We need to get something extra special for Harry," Katie told her friends. "He's been really upset lately and, well, it's Christmas!"

Ron quirked an eyebrow. "You seem very cheerful today."

"It's Christmas!" Katie repeated before merrily skipping ahead of her friends.

Ron leaned across to Hermione. "Bets on she snogged Harry."

"Ronald!" Hermione scolded.

"What?" Ron held his arms up in surrender. "It would explain why she's so happy."

"Or maybe she's just excited about Christmas." Hermione suggested with a hint of a scoff.

By the time they reached the village, light snow was beginning to fall, dotting the ground in a thin frosting of white.

"Come on, let's get inside before the snow gets bad." Ron said. The girls followed Ron into Honeydukes. The rest of the school seemed to have the same idea as Ron, as Honeydukes was packed with Hogwarts students. Katie browsed the shelves for something sweet to eat. She picked up some chocolate and Fizzing Whizzbees for herself before joining Ron and Hermione at the Unusual Tastes section of the shop.

Hermione and Ron were examining a blood-flavoured lollipop closely. Hermione shivered.

"Urgh, no, Harry won't want one of those, they're for vampires, I expect." she said.

"How about these?" Katie suggested, shoving a jar of Cockroach Cluster under Hermione's nose.

"Definitely not."

Ron shrieked and Katie almost dropped the jar.

"Harry!" Hermione squealed. "What are you doing here? How — how did you—?

"Wow!" Ron exclaimed, looking impressed. "You've learned how to Apparate!"

"Don't be silly, Ronald," Hermione said. "You can't Apparate in or out of Hogwarts."

"Actually, I got here thanks to this."

Katie watched with her head cocked to the side as Harry reached his hand into his cloak and pulled out a piece of old parchment. Katie stared at it in bewilderment, and Ron almost laughed. Harry hustled his friends into a corner so that they were hidden from sight, pulled out his wand, tapped the parchment and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Katie gasped in astonishment as ink lines begun to spread from the spot in which Harry's wand had touched. They twisted and looped and fanned into every corner of the parchment, then swooping green words began to form. They read, "Messers Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are proud to present the Marauder's Map."

Hermione gasped as Katie as done before. "Hang on, is this—?"

"Hogwarts," Harry nodded proudly. "Fred and George gave it to me. Look, they showed me these secret passages. I think they said there was seven — there's one underneath the Whomping Willow. I used one of them to get here."