Bruce had given Sean seven small parchnt slips. On the back of each, in Bruce's surprisingly neat script, was written: A friend of Green's is a friend of ours. Happy to help.
Justin and Neville were still buzzing with excitent in the hidden classroom, poring over the order forms and debating potential purchases.
"Oh, Hermione, guess what Sean got from the greenhouses?" Justin called out, grinning at Hermione, who was attempting to practice the Levitation Charm non-verbally.
She was deep in The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 6, trying to unravel the mystery of silent casting. She barely looked up. "Hmm? Dittany seeds?"
"One hundred tis better than that!" Justin proclaid. Sean silently placed one of the small, Hufflepuff-yellow-and-black-bordered parchnt slips on the desk in front of her. Her eyes snapped to it, and her practice was instantly forgotten.
"Is this…?"
Hermione was imdiately drawn into the enthusiastic discussion.
Sean, anwhile, settled onto a soft, sky-blue cushion by the fireplace. (Since the fireplace's discovery, Justin had furnished the alcove with a cozy circular table, which now held three steaming mugs of milk.) Sean took a sip and began the arduous task of reading Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms. Nearby, his friends huddled around the other wooden table, their voices bright with anticipation.
"I simply must get so decorations from Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop," Justin declared. "I've heard they hang enchanted candles in the trees all over Hogsade during the holidays. I wonder if Madam Puddifoot sells them? They'd look wonderful in here. Oh, and Dervish and Banges! I want to see their Sneakoscopes. How are they different from a magnifying glass? It's so exciting!"
Justin scribbled furiously on his list, then looked over, suddenly worried. "Sean, are you sure the prefects can carry all this?"
Sean thought of Pister's neck, but then recalled Bruce's note, which had assured him not to worry – they were wizards, after all. "Yes," he nodded.
"Brilliant! Hermione, what about you?"
"Scrivenshaft's has so many things I want… a black-and-gold pheasant-feather quill, rainbow ink, extra-large parchnt rolls…" Hermione agonized over the list, clearly overwheld by the choices.
"Alright, Neville, your turn," Justin said, seeing Hermione lost in thought.
"Gloves… flowerpots…" Neville mumbled.
Of course. Justin felt he shouldn't even have asked. The three of them were so wonderfully predictable. If they actually went to Hogsade, he knew Hermione and Sean would make a beeline for Scrivenshaft's, while Neville would lose himself among the planters at Dervish and Banges. As for himself, despite his grand pronouncents, he really just wanted to go to Honeydukes.
The fire crackled rrily. Sean finally surfaced from the dense, symbolic world of ancient runes. He looked at the three remaining parchnt slips in his hand, wondering who to give them to.
Hogsade was the only all-wizarding village in Britain, founded by Hengist of Woodcroft. It was a short walk from the school, making it the perfect weekend getaway for older students. It was filled with fascinating shops: Zonko's Joke Shop (seller of Dungbombs, Hiccup Sweets, and Frog Spawn Soap), the Owl Post Office, Gladrags Wizardwear, Dervish and Banges, and many more.
The excited chatter in the classroom continued until curfew. His friends reluctantly departed, pressing their carefully curated, though not overly long, order forms into Sean's hand. He glanced down the lists, seeing requests for Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Ice Mice, and Fudge Flies.
"Oh, and Sean," Justin said at the door, "please thank the prefects for us."
Sean nodded.
He didn't see Sir Cadogan on the way back; the knight was probably still struggling with his sword. He looked at the three remaining order forms in his bag, an idea beginning to form.
Ravenclaw Common Room.
It was the last night before the Hogsade weekend. The upper-years were excitedly planning their trips, while the younger students looked on enviously.
"rlin, I heard so Hufflepuff prefects are taking orders for the younger years," Michael grumbled, his face buried in a book. "Why don't we have nice traditions like that?"
"It's a hassle," Anthony replied, not looking up from his own text. "No one wants to spend their day off running errands for first-years, not unless you're paying them a hefty fee. I heard a Slytherin offered a whole Galleon just for so sweets, and soone actually took him up on it."
A whole Galleon... Michael sighed. It wasn't worth it.
Until—
"What's this, Sean? Your Quidditch technique guide?" Michael's expression brightened. Ever since Sean had passed his flight test, Michael had been dreaming of flying up to the tower himself. Climbing the stairs was agony; watching his roommate fly past the window while he climbed was pure torture. He'd been thrilled for Sean, of course, but his envy was profound.
He took the parchnt Sean offered. "...Hogsade. Order. Form." He read the words aloud, slowly, as if they were in a foreign language. Then he shrieked.
"RLIN'S FIZZING WHIZZBEES!"
In the end, Sean distributed all the lists. The small, thick parchnt slips now carried the hopes of his friends. Justin was ecstatic, planning to buy decorations for their hidden room (an idea everyone supported). Hermione, prompted by Justin, had added an impressive variety of magical sweets to her list. Neville, whose funds were limited, had spent all his allowance on new, magically reinforced flowerpots.
As for Sean, whenever he thought of his friends' excited, grateful faces, he couldn't help but smile.
(End of Chapter)
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