Outside, the cold wind was piercing, but inside The Three Broomsticks pub, it was exceptionally warm. As soon as Amanda stepped inside, a wave of heat rushed toward her face.
Subconsciously turning her head to avoid it, Hermione raised her hand and waved it near Amanda's cheek, seemingly trying to help her disperse the excess hot air.
"Thank you, Hermione."
Amanda spoke with a calm expression, turning her gaze back to the interior of the pub.
The style of The Three Broomsticks pub was completely different from the only other pub she had visited before, the Leaky Cauldron.
This place was clean, tidy, and organized everywhere, giving off an innate sense of happiness.
The three seniors led the two juniors to a booth nearby. Cho Chang unbuttoned her overcoat, took it off, and let out a long sigh of relief.
"Finally, it's not cold anymore. Merlin, the weather has cooled down way too fast."
Marietta Eckmore nodded in agreement beside her. Their long-standing friendship made her instinctively reach out to take Cho Chang's coat and set it aside.
"Speaking of which, I've always wanted to ask," Hermione frowned slightly, "since Wizards obviously know the Warming Charm, why don't we see everyone using it in winter and summer?"
Penelope waved to the waitress in the shop. "Because even Wizards, if they don't want to become frail and sickly, must let their bodies adapt to nature. That's what's normal."
"Makes sense."
Hermione clicked her tongue. With both parents being doctors, she certainly understood the logic that experiencing a bit of cold or heat could strengthen the body.
"Hello, Hogwarts Young Wizards. Five cups of butterbeer? As you know, this is the only thing you're allowed to drink."
The waitress walked over, looking at Amanda and the other four with a smile.
"Yes, five cups of butterbeer. Thank you, miss."
Penelope nodded, watching the waitress walk back to the counter.
"When I come of age, I'm definitely going to order a glass of firewhisky. Definitely."
"Why?"
Amanda looked up, her gaze calmly fixed on her senior. Based on her personality analysis, Senior Penelopa didn't seem like the type to indulge in or enjoy alcohol.
"Well..." Penelope paused, seemingly hesitant to show her 'rebellious' side in front of her juniors, but after a moment's hesitation, she gave up and chose to be her true self.
"Sometimes, the more people tell you not to do something, the more you want to do it."
"So when I'm of age and can drink real alcohol, I'll definitely get myself dead drunk on firewhisky at the first opportunity."
"Pfft." Cho Chang and Marietta Eckmore laughed unreservedly, while Hermione beside them covered her mouth to giggle.
"When you... when you come of age in your seventh year, we'll come with you and watch you drink. Don't worry, we promise not to let you get rowdy while drunk, Senior."
Marietta Eckmore laughed cheerfully and patted Penelope's shoulder.
Teased by her junior, Penelope didn't mind at all. She raised an eyebrow and looked at Amanda.
"Sure, but if it's to stop me from getting rowdy, I specifically request that Amanda be the one to knock me out."
"I believe her knocking me out would definitely be the safest choice."
Amanda tilted her head, her face full of seriousness. "Why knock you out? In that situation, perhaps a Binding Curse would be more useful."
Her deadpan participation in the joke sent the other four girls into fits of laughter.
Hermione laughed as she wrapped an arm around Amanda's shoulder, giving the hair on top of her head a gentle rub.
"It's just a joke, Senior Penelopa is kidding."
"Mm-hmm," Penelope nodded noncommittally. "Asking you to knock me out is a joke, but coming to drink when I'm of age is the truth."
Taking the butterbeers from the waitress, Penelope handed one to each of her four juniors.
"You promised to accompany me. When the time comes, none of you better try to run."
"We'll definitely be there." The four juniors, including Amanda, spoke without hesitation.
Their friend Senior Penelopa, the beautiful Prefect of Ravenclaw House, drinking for the first time, drinking firewhisky, and drinking to her heart's content.
With these factors combined, Amanda and the others could only answer by accompanying Senior Penelopa.
Otherwise, if Senior Penelopa were alone, what if she unknowingly got taken advantage of after getting drunk!
With them there, even if someone did have ill intentions, these four top students were absolutely confident they could make that person crawl back home crying.
Amanda picked up her butterbeer and took a sip, slowly swallowing it.
Although it was called butterbeer, just as the seniors had said before, there was no alcohol in it at all.
It simply had a hint of alcoholic flavor, combined with some buttery taste; it was actually quite pleasant to drink.
Amanda pondered the mouthfeel she had just experienced, roughly analyzing the ingredients that might have been used in this bottle of butterbeer.
By the time she had finished refining her thoughts, she had already drunk more than half of the butterbeer.
Hermione and the three seniors were intensely discussing their studies, but as soon as Amanda turned her head, they instantly reacted and changed the topic to small talk.
Amanda had finally come out for a trip; how could they still bring up studying?
It was really quite improper.
"It's so warm," Cho Chang leaned back comfortably against the chair, squinting her eyes in enjoyment. "No matter how cold the day is, after finishing a bottle of butterbeer, you can feel yourself warming up."
"Where are we going next?"
Marietta Eckmore turned to Cho Chang, unsure, and asked for her opinion.
Cho Chang hardly hesitated before looking at Amanda and Hermione opposite her. "Since we have two juniors visiting Hogsmeade for the first time today, our second stop must be Honeydukes Sweetshop."
Penelope, sitting on the other side, nodded vigorously in agreement, and Marietta Eckmore also quickly reacted, raising her hand to indicate the plan was perfect.
"So, is going to Honeydukes okay? Or if there's somewhere else you want to go, you can tell us, and we'll accompany you."
Cho Chang spoke softly, her voice gentle and refined.
Amanda nodded with a calm expression, indicating she was fine with anything and would follow the group's decision.
"No problem."
With the final statement from Hermione, the five girls, now thoroughly warmed up, stood up again and walked out of The Three Broomsticks pub.
Amanda walked beside Hermione, her eyes rapidly scanning the surrounding buildings, comparing them with the blueprint of Hogsmeade she had just mapped out in her mind.
After confirming there were no errors or omissions, Amanda silently withdrew her gaze and followed Hermione and the other three toward what could be called the busiest shop in Hogsmeade.
"That's Honeydukes Sweetshop over there," Marietta Eckmore pointed to a shop not far away that was bustling with crowds. "It's one of the two most popular shops in Hogsmeade."
"The other one is Zonko's Joke Shop, a place that specializes in selling prank items."
"Harry and Ron would definitely be very interested in that shop."
Hermione clicked her tongue inwardly. After spending nearly three years with Harry and Ron, they all knew what each other was like.
Just as she understood Harry and Ron, those two understood her as well.
For those two boys, if they knew about this joke shop, they would definitely browse in there for a long time.
Perhaps they would even buy a few items to play with back at Hogwarts.
"Let's go, let's head inside and take a look."
Penelope spoke as she nudged Amanda and Hermione from behind, pushing them into Honeydukes Sweetshop.
Looking at the rich variety and countless amount of candy in the shop, Hermione felt as if she had fallen into a giant candy jar.
She could hardly imagine how her parents would react if they knew she was in a shop like this right now...
They would probably let out a few sharp cries of alarm and worry about their daughter's dental health.
"Welcome, Young Wizards! Welcome to Honeydukes Sweetshop!"
The owner of Honeydukes Sweetshop stood on a platform behind the counter, waving his arms to those below.
"Everyone who wants to buy candy, please queue up in an orderly fashion. It's fine if you don't buy anything; the shop has prepared plenty of samples for you to try. Please enjoy!"
"Enjoy your Hogsmeade tour! Happy Halloween, Young Wizards!"
Cho Chang reached out and took a piece of her favorite Droobles Best Blowing Gum from the nearby sample rack. This kind of gum, once in the mouth, allowed one to blow bluebell-colored bubbles that could stay unpopped in a room for days.
The fact that it was both delicious and visually appealing made Cho Chang absolutely love it.
Tossing the gum into her mouth and chewing a few times, Cho Chang opened her mouth and blew out several bluebell-colored bubbles.
These bubbles slowly rose, gathering under the shop's ceiling to join the bubbles blown by others.
The Young Wizards in the shop were discussing eagerly, laughing freely, and tasting their favorite candies. The owner stood behind the counter, watching the scene with a face full of smiles.
Honeydukes Sweetshop did business across the entire British Wizarding World, with branches distributed in wizarding settlements all over the country.
However, this shop here in Hogsmeade remained her favorite branch.
One reason was that it was right next to Hogwarts, and the strong purchasing power of the Young Wizards certainly earned her a lot of money.
The other reason was also its proximity to Hogwarts; being able to see these Young Wizards often made her mood very pleasant.
It even made her feel over a decade younger, as if she had returned to her own school days.
Indeed... Young Wizards are the true treasures of the Wizarding World.
No, it should be said that children are the true treasures of the entire world.
And now, as one of those treasures, Amanda was looking calmly at The Twins standing before her, their faces clearly sporting mischievous micro-expressions.
"Good morning, Senior Fred, Senior George."
"Good morning, Amanda." Fred gave a gentlemanly wave and a bow.
"Happy Halloween, Amanda."
George followed up immediately, while handing out a blood-red lollipop.
"Allow us to present this gift."
"A candy for you to enjoy a happy Halloween."
Amanda blinked mechanically. "Your micro-expressions tell me that while you're thinking of greeting me and wishing me a Happy Halloween, you also want to prank me."
Being exposed before they even had a chance to do anything, Fred and George didn't show a hint of surprise on their faces.
"As expected of Miss Amanda."
"The Miss Amanda who could deduce You-Know-Who's origins."
The two spoke in tandem, finally merging their two voices into one in perfect harmony.
"So, can Miss Amanda guess how we want to prank you?"
The expression on Amanda's face didn't change at all, and her voice was as calm as ever. "The lollipop you're holding emits a faint scent of blood. It should be the Blood-flavored lollipop specially prepared for Vampires by Honeydukes Sweetshop."
"Oh, well, it seems our prank was destined to fail, George."
"I suppose so, Fred."
The Twins stood with their arms around each other's shoulders, while Amanda, without blinking, reached out, took the lollipop from George's hand, and put it in her mouth.
"You just said you were giving me this candy to wish me a Happy Halloween."
"According to the rules of etiquette, I should accept this lollipop."
A faint taste of blood spread in her mouth, but Amanda's expression remained unchanged.
"Hey, girl, a prank like this isn't fun at all."
Fred turned serious, signaling for Amanda to take the lollipop out of her mouth.
"Yes, a prank is only a prank if both parties are happy and can share a knowing smile. The rules of etiquette don't fall within the scope of a prank."
George joined in, and from the corner of their eyes, they saw Hermione and the other three Ravenclaw ladies approaching.
"Oh... I hope we won't get beaten too hard."
Fred clicked his tongue and exchanged a look with George. Both boys shrunk their necks simultaneously.
Amanda tilted her head and reached out to take the lollipop out of her mouth.
"Amanda, did the two... seniors prank you?" Hermione walked up, still speaking politely.
"It's just a candy to wish me a Happy Halloween. The flavor is quite unique, so it counts as a prank."
Amanda gestured with the Blood-flavored lollipop. Seeing the unfamiliar candy, Hermione breathed a slight sigh of relief; at least Amanda hadn't been turned into a canary or some other animal.
Hermione, who had once seen the Canary Creams made by the Weasley Twins, thought secretly to herself.
However, she was actually quite at ease, as the Weasley Twins were good-natured at heart, and their pranks usually had a sense of proportion... well, they had a sense of proportion now; it might not have been the case when they were younger.
Ron probably had deep personal experience with that.
"Oh..." Penelope, who had walked over with Cho Chang and Marietta Eckmore, looked at the lollipop in Amanda's hand with a look of distaste. "You two gave my junior a Blood-flavored lollipop to eat?"
"Ahem... well, you see."
Fred and George laughed it off, looking like they wanted to make an escape.
Amanda raised a hand and waved it, speaking the simple truth. "It's fine, Senior Penelopa. The blood flavor of this lollipop is very faint. Compared to the taste of blood I've had in my mouth before, it's very easy to accept."
"I didn't have any reaction of repulsion."
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