A broken Hogwarts

The day before Halloween is the day when students go to Hogsmeade. Since early in the morning, Hogwarts has been filled with a sense of impetuousness.

The young wizards who were having breakfast in the auditorium were all talking loudly and happily about what they were going to do in Hogsmeade. The chirping sounds were like ten thousand sparrows crammed into the auditorium. Especially the third-year students who went to Hogsmeade for the first time, everyone had a look of excitement on their faces.

Of course, not everyone is excited. For example, the senior students were much more reserved. They had been to Hogsmeade many times and no longer felt it was new.

Another example is Harry. He was a little disappointed and kept stuffing toast into his mouth, making his cheeks bulging, which was incompatible with the lively and joyful atmosphere around him. Human beings' joys and sorrows are not the same. He only thinks they are noisy.

Owen was also a little uninterested. He drank his breakfast tea slowly and yawned lazily from time to time. Melete squatted on his schoolbag, looking around sharply and vigilantly with a pair of golden cat eyes, as if danger would come at any time.

In fact, this is indeed the case. During this period of time, "Ominous" has not stopped harassing Owen. Four days ago, the dark figure attacked him for the third time while he was studying in the Room of Requirement.

After experiencing the previous two lessons, "Ominous" became much more cautious, and no longer tried to curse Irving, nor did he get into the shadow of debris. It just swung its tail leisurely, and in that particularly cute short-legged cat posture, it calmly tried to approach Owen, looking for his flaws like an experienced and patient hunter.

After Owen tested a few more spells on it, he transformed into black flames and confronted it. After more than ten minutes, the black shadow, unable to find its target, left on its own.

There were three attacks, each occurring three to five days apart. If this is not a coincidence, the latest attack may be in the past two days.

Melete, who firmly believes this, has been nervous since yesterday, following Owen every step of the way, sensing any possible dangers around him, like a dedicated little bodyguard.

Owen was touched and a little amused by this. He drank all the tea in the cup and raised his hand to rub Mao Zizi's little head.

Melete gave him a worried and helpless look, raised her paw and pushed his hand away coldly. She didn't understand. Under such a terrible threat, the cat was so anxious that he couldn't sleep, and even Pu Rongrong was not in the mood to play. Why could Owen still eat and sleep well without caring?

Looking at this nervous guy, Melete sighed softly and tiredly. What else can be done? She can only help and worry more about it. She can't let the cute human being she is covering die.

Owen, who was amused by Melete's performance, stretched out both hands reluctantly, teasing her flexibly, making the proud cat nives change from impatient and cold and arrogant to explosive, and finally completely broke his defense. His four claws were clawing at the sky.

After completing his daily task, Owen took back his hand with satisfaction, picked up his empty schoolbag with a smile, waved to Harry and followed the crowd towards the foyer.

Melet stared at him angrily, and after a while of sulking, she finally jumped down from the chair and followed Owen reluctantly with her head held high.

There was already a long queue in the foyer. Filch, the castle administrator, stood beside the door, checking a long list with a stern face, staring at every face with vigilance, not to let anyone who should not be allowed to pass. Those who were out slipped out of the door.

Mrs. Norris also stared at everyone who came to the door with bulging eyes, as if everyone was a vicious suspect, and her long hair became messy and knotted again. After seeing Owen, it raised its chin higher and waved its airplane ears towards Melet.

Owen resisted the urge to recite a spell to clean up Mrs. Norris. After a long time, he walked out of the castle and walked outside the school with his friends.

The students walked through the gate guarded by the dementors tremblingly, and all the little wizards remained silent, rushing through the bone-chilling chill. The excitement on everyone's face disappeared, like eggplants beaten by frost becoming wilted.

However, once they were far away from the gate, they quickly got rid of the influence of the Dementors and walked on the road to Hogsmeade Village, discussing happily with high spirits.

"To be honest, I really missed the Patronus Charm just now." After Draco came out of the depression caused by the dementors, he couldn't help but have the thought of committing suicide.

"They are commissioners of the Ministry of Magic, Draco, and it is illegal to attack them." Daphne said seriously.

"Taking these unreliable people as employees and sending them to Hogwarts... I think the Ministry of Magic should really open Fudge's head and check whether his brain has been eaten by a troll." Della Coe drawled.

Isn’t having a brain that can flexibly disappear and reappear an essential skill for politicians? Owen wrapped his robe tightly and held Melete in his arms, his cheeks turning a light red due to the cold wind.

"I want to go to Zuko's Joke Shop first! Who will go with me?" Blaise said expectantly when Hogsmeade was in sight.

"Let's go together." Owen showed a slightly interested expression. He also hopes to see the weird gadgets in the joke shop. The collision of various novel ideas can most easily spark sparks of inspiration.

"Draco, do you want to go to Mrs. Puddy's Tea House for tea?" Pansy blushed and whispered to Draco coyly.

"Ah? What's so good about tea? I remember you don't like drinking tea either." Draco tilted his head back slightly and said in surprise, "Do you have the guts to go to the Screaming Shack? It's the most haunted place in the country. Awesome house!”

The blush on Pansy's cheeks faded away instantly, and she said with a straight face: "I dare you."

"Oh, let's go to Zuko first." Hearing her firm answer, Draco muttered uncomfortably and waved his hand pretending to be free and easy.

Blaise was chuckling, and Owen also curled up his lips. Daphne lowered her head, seeming to be distracted.

"It's a pity that there haven't been any screams in the Screaming Shack for a long time. I think even if there was a ghost there, it would have left long ago." Blaise shrugged and said with some regret. .

Hogsmeade Village is also shrouded in a thick layer of haze. There are some gloomy and dark shadows hidden in the surrounding mountains and forests. There are also two dementors wandering erratically at the entrance, which makes the excited little wizard They fell silent again.

The students couldn't help but quicken their pace and quickly poured into the streets of Hogsmeade Village. The dazzling array of shops on the streets finally allowed them to regain their happiness and enthusiasm.

"Look, there are dementors everywhere!" Draco raised his mouth in displeasure.

"At least it's pretty safe this way, right?" Blaise rubbed his shoulders with goosebumps.

They went to Zuko's Joke Shop together. Draco bought a bag of dung bombs, muttering under his breath about using them on Weasley or Filch, and picked up a bunch of hard-drawn fireworks.

Owen visited the strange little products in the store with great interest, and even spent money to buy a few interesting ones. Many of the products here opened his eyes, and they showed a sense of creativity that doesn't care about people's life and death.

Blaise's schoolbag was almost full, and he also held a nose-biting teapot in his hand. Crabbe and Goyle accidentally ate the burping candy in the store and couldn't stop burping like two squealing turkeys.

After exiting the Joke Shop, they headed to Honeydukes Candy Shop. Along the way, they saw notices from the Ministry of Magic posted outside many stores, telling everyone that dementors would patrol the streets of Hogsmeade from sunset every day, and warning all customers to finish shopping before sunset.

They poured into the candy store, which was crowded with students, and the salespersons struggled to weave through the crowds. There are all kinds of weird candies on the shelves, and the little wizards are willing to spend their pocket money for all kinds of candies.

Owen curiously tasted a pile of cockroaches that Dumbledore had endorsed. They were crawling around like real cockroaches. They tasted sweet and crispy, with a caramel flavor that melted in your mouth. They were not as repulsive as they looked, but Owen thought they were a little too sweet.

Crabbe and Goyle, who had just finished burping, were eating a pack of pepper urchins. Their noses were constantly breathing fire, evolving from turkeys to fire-breathing dragons.

Daphne chewed a piece of Bubble Super Bubble Gum and blew out a bunch of bubbles the color of blue bellflowers. They float leisurely in the sky, with a light and dreamy beauty.

"I think I can get Harry some of everything, especially the pile of cockroaches." As he said that, Blaise bared his teeth and showed a malicious smile, and picked up a new fruit jelly candy to check it out. The male owner of the candy store was hurriedly replenishing the almost empty shelves.

"If you ever play the prank of putting real cockroaches in the pile of cockroaches again, I'm sure Harry will kill you." Draco said lazily, grabbing handfuls after handfuls of candies and stuffing them into his bag. .

"How is that possible! I will never make the same joke twice!" Blaise raised his eyebrows, as if his prank idea was questioned and offended. Owen smiled as they listened to their banter and brought Harry a Pepper Pussy, a Sugar Quill, and an Explode Gummy. He didn't like the crowds and noise here, and the windy weather made him want to find a warm place to stay. The cat in his arms also thought the same.

A group of people each had their own ideas of where they wanted to go, and soon there were differences.

Blaise and Draco planned to stay in Honeydukes for a while and pick out candies. Crabbe and Goyle even showed off that this was their home. Daphne and Pansy were eager to go to a clothing store and were arguing in whispers about which store was better.

"I'm going to a magic equipment store later to see if I can fix my box that likes to curse people from time to time." Blaise said.

"I'm not going." Draco said with his arms crossed. "I'm going to the Three Broomsticks pub for a glass of butterbeer. I heard there are people and non-human things there."

"Why not go to the Pig's Head Bar? You know, that was once the headquarters of the goblin rebellion!" Blaise said exaggeratedly, "There is everything there, there are many dark wizards and even werewolves gathered there!"

"So you're so anxious to go over and deliver food to them?" Draco raised his slender chin arrogantly.

"At times like this, it's best to stay with others and not be alone." Owen reminded. Although the security measures here are relatively tight, they are by no means airtight.

After hearing what he said, Draco impatiently pointed at Crabbe and Goyle with his thumb. The two big guys were holding a large pile of candies and quickly paid the bill. They were popping them into their mouths in synchronized movements.

"I don't think any fugitives dare to break in. So many dementors are not just decorations." He said slowly, "And we are not Harry."

"But it's not impossible to be used." Owen spread his hands.

Blaise raised his eyebrows, waved to Theodore Nott on the other side, and shouted: "Theodore, do you want to go to Devis-Bans Magic Equipment Store together later?"

"Okay." Theodore responded noncommittally, looking listless.

Daphne and Pansy were whispering, and then Pansy looked at Owen up and down for a while with an inexplicable smile on her face: "Would you like to go shopping with us in a clothing store? Daphne thinks your aesthetic level is pretty good." Daphne turned her head away , moved and hid himself behind the shelf.

"Okay." Owen thought for a moment and said. Anyway, he didn't have anywhere he wanted to go, and the environment in a clothing store was always cleaner and quieter than in a bar.

Although he prefers that everyone can be together, so that he can ensure that his friends will not go wrong. But now that they have planned to separate, Owen is not a nagging old woman. He has always been happy with the situation and never forced himself to be responsible for the safety of others.

What's more, there are so many students in Hogsmeade, and it's impossible for him to keep an eye on everyone. Since there is no way to prevent someone with serious intentions from taking advantage of the loophole, let's just let it happen and trust the dementors' business capabilities.

Owen waved to the few people who were still lingering in the candy store, walked out of the store with Daphne and Pansy, and wandered around several clothing stores, occasionally making some pertinent suggestions.

Although Daphne always seemed a little embarrassed at first, she soon let go. The two little witches were shopping tirelessly arm in arm, which made Owen feel like an eyesore, but he was content to have Melete by his side.

They walked around until noon and ordered their signature pan-fried veal steak in a restaurant, which tasted very good. Through the bright windowpane, Owen could see many little wizards coming and going tirelessly on the streets.

The sky quickly became dark in the afternoon, and rolling dark clouds gathered overhead, brewing strong winds and heavy rain.

It will be dark in an hour or two, and the cold wind is blowing damp moisture. Some senior students have returned to school one after another, but more people are still not satisfied and plan to stay here until they have to return.

The three of them came to the Three Broomsticks Bar and drank a cup of hot butterbeer. The warm feeling spread through their bodies and dissipated the damp cold air. Although it is full of noisy noises, the warm temperature and clean environment always make people feel much happier.

The bar owner, Ms. Rosmerta, was able to entertain a group of noisy wizards at the bar. She was a beautiful and curvaceous witch, and every move she made was very coquettish. It is said that many wizards came to this lady.

When Owen was about to finish his glass of butterbeer, Draco walked in from outside the shop, followed by Crabbe and Goyle. He sat down next to Irving and the three of them with a glass of drink, looking very tired.

"The rumors were so outrageous that the Shrieking Shack turned out to be just a broken wooden house!" Draco complained breathlessly, his chin raised high showing pride.

"Did you really go?" Owen said with some surprise. This was not consistent with Draco's usual boldness.

"Not for cowards," Draco said lightly, even though he didn't get very close. He glanced at Crabbe and Goyle lightly. The two big guys usually seemed tall and strong, but at critical moments, they were less courageous than him.

"Speaking of which, where did Blaise go?" Owen turned the crystal glass in front of him.

"Isn't he with Theodore?" Draco said nonchalantly.

"But Theodore is sitting over there." Daphne pointed to the corner of the bar. Theodore was sitting with some boys.

"Hey, Theodore, where's Blaise?" Draco asked, raising his voice.

"He went back first." Theodore, who was in a daze with his chin in his hand, said lightly when he heard this.

"When did you go back?" Owen narrowed his eyes.

"Ten minutes ago. We picked up the repaired items from the magic equipment shop. I planned to visit the Three Broomsticks. Blaise didn't want to continue shopping, so he went back to school by himself, saying he wanted to give Harry a big surprise. ." Theodore said, looking over, "What's wrong?"

"Hmph, that guy Blaise likes to be alone." Draco snorted and crossed his shoulders.

Owen squeezed Melete's paw gently and looked thoughtfully at the tip of the paw protruding from the soft flesh pad. This is not in line with Blaise's character. Although Blaise often has random thoughts, he likes Hogsmeade very much and is unlikely to leave early.

He went back early... to give Harry a surprise?

Well, it seems that the principal is not at Hogwarts today, so he can't be counted on. Professor Snape and Sirius are both in the school, so they should be relatively reliable.

Owen thought for a while, then turned to look through the window at the increasingly dark sky outside. After he raised his cup and drank all the butterbeer in it, he glanced at the remaining drinks in other people's cups and said with a smile: "It's getting late, do you want to go back together?"

"I haven't finished my drink yet," Draco said reluctantly.

"Then I'll go back first, and you guys can stay here for a while." Owen stood up with Melete in his arms, picked up his backpack, and sighed softly: "You know, I don't like this weather very much. "

"Isn't it like this all year round?" Draco joked slowly, "I really don't know how a picky and delicate guy like you can survive in this place. Maybe the greenhouse in the Herbology class is more suitable for you. "

"No, I don't like the smell of dragon dung there..." Owen said with a smile.

Daphne opened her mouth but hesitated to speak, looking at Owen with some worry. She was always attentive and felt that Blaise's behavior was not normal.

Owen gave her a reassuring look, then waved his hand briskly, moving nimbly through the noisy crowd in the bar, and walked alone into the howling cold wind outside. (End of chapter)