Chapter 4

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"Does this make me look fat?"

Benjamin looked over his shoulder and saw his friend standing in front of a giant magnifying glass. It was about half a meter wide, propped with a metal stand. Jacob proceeded to twist sideways to show his friend his magnified backside.

They were looking through a new shop in Hogsmeade and Jacob had been itching to visit it. It was filled with muggle trinkets and inventions, toys and mechanical things called appliances. Jacob, who had muggle relatives in America, had been pointing at things that he recognized and talking non-stop.

"The shopkeeper said that it's from an old television." He explained while Benjamin laughed in amusement. "Televisions are where muggles watch games, Benjamin. He said that muggles sometimes use the glass to set things on fire. What's the word? Ex-exp... expelliar-"

The shopkeeper interrupted, "Experiments."

Jacob grinned at the middle-aged shopkeeper, "Thank you, Oscar." He went to stand next to Benjamin and placed an arm over his shoulder. "Oscar is muggle-born, I like him. We just have so much in common."

Benjamin chuckled at his friends antics and played along, "You better make sure no one takes him from you then."

"I'm on it." He then proceeded to talk with the shopkeeper, throwing jokes here and there and sharing about his plans to immerse himself in the muggle world.

When it was time to leave the shop, Jacob was practically bouncing next to Benjamin in excitement. "It's good to familiarise ourselves with muggle things, Benjamin," he said. "If we're going to explore the muggle world, we have to know more things about them so they won't know we're wizards."

"I still have to discuss the trip with my parents, Jacob." Benjamin answered, crossing his arms across his chest tightly because of the cold.

It was the first week of December and snow had started blanketing everything in sight. He and Jacob didn't bother wearing a hat and he was greatly regretting it because his hair would be covered in icicles soon. It was the second to last weekend they have to go to Hogsmeade and buy presents before they went home for Christmas break.

"I know that," Jacob answered. "They'll let you come because your parents like muggles too."

Benjamin nodded as he looked at the half snow-covered shop signs, making sure to find the right one that Belle asked him to go to. Belle wasn't allowed to go to Hogsmeade yet because she was a first year, so she asked her brother to buy the things in her list that she would give as presents. In her list were specific shops and objects that he was to buy. How had Belle known about the shops and what were in them, he didn't know.

"In here," he told Jacob, dusting his snow covered hair off before opening the door and stepping in. It was a new shop in front of the Three Broomsticks.

The pair welcomed the warmth of the small jewelry shop. The walls were lined with shelves protected by glass doors, sitting inside them were tiny, twinkling jewelries. The shop was lit with candles atop a chandelier and occasional torches on wall posts.

"Good afternoon, boys. What can I help you with?" The shopkeeper greeted them from behind a glass counter. "Jewelries for your ladies? My, that's just lovely." She said airily as she eyed them and winked. She seemed to be floating.

Benjamin kept quiet while his usually smart-mouthed friend laughed nervously beside him. He nudged Benjamin forward, not wanting to deal with the lady.

Her hair was pinned on top of her head and the rest of her was covered in pink fur. She beckoned him with pink-gloved hand.

Benjamin took a tentative step, before pulling out Belle's list. He approached the lady and pointed to the words. Sky blue bracelet with small sweets, her rounded cursive scribble read. The lady smiled widely, her thin lips stretching.

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