Chapter 203 - Hogsmeade Ⅱ

The two of them entered the empty shop as an already beginning to bald man says, "Welcome to Honeydukes!" His eyes crinkle with mirth at seeing the two students' eyes bulge. "Please take all the time you need!" He said, before returning to grab another stock from the back for when the hordes descended upon them.

There were shelves upon shelves of the most succulent-looking sweets imaginable. Creamy chunks of nougat, shimmering pink squares of coconut ice, fat, honey-colored toffees; hundreds of different kinds of chocolate in neat rows; there was even a large barrel of Every Flavor Beans, and another of Fizzing Wizbees, the levitating sherbet balls. Rowan made a face at the Fizzing Wizbees as she knew for a fact a certain magical insect was used in their making. As she was going to eat something like that!

Besides the barrels, there were the other "Special" sweets: Droobles Best Blowing Gum, (which filled a room with bluebell-colored bubbles that refuse to pop for days. And which were rather unsanitary in Rowan's personal opinion.) The strange, splintery Toothfloosing Stringmints, tiny black Pepper Imps, that caused one to become a fire hazard by being able to breath fire. Ice Mice that made one's teeth chatter and squeak. Peppermint cream shaped toads that hopped realistically in the stomach, (as Rowan needed anything else to make her more squeamish.) Fragile sugar-spun quills, and exploding bonbons; (sweets should never explode! A terrible faux pas on the creator's part.)

While James ran about with glee including collecting unusual tasting sweets such as a blood-flavored lollipop or a jar of Cockroach Clusters. Rowan picked out a nice supply of chocolate bars, Toothflossing Stringmints, and a few, honey-colored toffees. Neatly carrying over her purchases to the counter, the balding shopkeeper totals the amount on an old-fashioned metal cash register.

"That will be-," Rowan doesn't even hear the rest as she drops an amount on the counter to gaze at James. Seeing Rowan's pointed look James slows down but runs around again the moment her back is turned. Turning back to pick up her change, Rowan nods her thanks at the shopkeeper before placing her purchases in her enchanted pouch.

Seeing Rowan's rather pointed glaring James finally zooms up to the counter with an armful of sweets and dumps it all on the counter. The storekeeper merely shakes his head and begins to tally up the sweets as the first batch of students rushes in. Seeing the hordes already advancing, the shopkeeper turns back to call out his wife, before finishing up ringing the first of the pesky buggers.

With a large sack full of sweets, James happily emerges as they run straight into the rest of the Marauders. "James, where were you?!" Sirius exclaimed. "We were looking all over for you!" Lupin flashes Rowan a warm smile as Pettigrew dubiously eyes her as Rowan returns the look.

"I thought I'd get here first," James proudly said as he pointed at Rowan. "Besides Rowan here is going to Zonko's with me."

Lupin and Pettigrew blink as though the sky had fallen on them as Sirius beams, "Most Excellent! We can always come back to Honeydukes, let's go!" With Sirius and James leading the pack, Lupin and Pettigrew both linger behind as Rowan reaches into her pouch and hands them each a honey toffee.

"It's a bit early for sweets," Lupin muttered, but nevertheless graciously accepted the sweet as Pettigrew muttered a quick thanks before stuffing his slimmer face. "Though I find it highly suspicious that'd you'd ever want to enter Zonko's."

"You're right, but there's a first time for everything," Rowan innocently shrugged, which did little to change the skeptical looks on Pettigrew and Lupins faces. On their way there, they passed by a Hairdressing salon, the Hogsmeade post office, and a few other shops, before arriving before the brightly colored door to Zonko's. The boys eagerly rushed in as with a resigned sigh she too followed them inside.

The door twinkled as they entered to revel a large shop full of countless jokes and tricks to try out on unsuspecting friends or enemies. The Dungbombs were high up on a shelf to deter the hands of clever students. However, on the lower shelves there were things like Hiccough Sweets, Frog Spawn Soap, Sugar Quills, and Nose-Biting Teacups. The boys instantly surrounded the displays that looked most interesting to them as the door twinkled behind them as the hordes stormed into the shop.

Not one wanting to be stuck in the middle of a horde, Rowan walks straight up to the beaming shopkeeper up at front and asks, "Excuse me, but I'm looking for a costume to wear. Might you point me in the correct direction?"

"A temporary enchantment or an actual costume?" The mustached shopkeeper asked as he rubbed his mustache between his fingers like a cartoon villain.

"A physical costume," Rowan warily said as she took a step back from the fishy man at the counter. Anyone who looked like a cartoon villain couldn't possibly be right in the head.

"They'll be right over there," the mustached shopkeeper pointed to a rather desolate corner of the shop.

Rowan nods her thanks, before hurrying over to the boxes with moving images on the front. Glancing at the costumes she frowns as she reads the titles to some of them: Witch Hunter, Priest, Cardinal, Inquisition Member, Executor, Torturer, etc. But it would make perfect sense that witches and wizards would wear the costumes of things that frightened them.

Not seeing anything that she liked, Rowan was about to turn away when she spotted the costume. Walking over to the slightly old box, she sees the full-length costume of a plague doctor. The flat, brimmed hat along with the black leather, beak-like mask, that had glass over the eyeholes for which to see out of and dark heavy robes that the doctors of that era wore.

Satisfied with her choice, Rowan hurries up to the empty counter and is quickly run up. She didn't even say goodbye to the marauders, before escaping from the incoming rush of boys and girls. Having put her most recent purchase away, she decides to go on a bit of a tour of the town.

Walking through the town Rowan discovers several shops: The Magic Neep, a green grocer's, Tomes and Scrolls, a bookshop, SpintWitches Sporting Needs, The Shrieking Shack, the old abandoned place now rumored to be truly haunted, Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, Cerdiwen's Cauldrons, Potage's Cauldron Shop, Cerdiwen shops rival, a local Ollivander wand branch, J. Pippins Potions, Madam Puddifoots Tea Shop, The Three Broomsticks, Gladrags Wizardwear, Dominic Maestro's Music Shop, Dogweed and Deathcap, a Herbology store, Devish and Banges, a shop that sells and repairs magical instruments.

And last but not least, Rowan made her way to the edge of the town to gaze at the last and rather important pub, Hogs Head Inn. She didn't walk inside but stood a distance away staring before turning away. But just as she was about too, she froze at spotting four figures emerge that shouldn't be there.

Rowan's eyes widened at recognizing the four men, Corban Yaxley, Jugson, Selwyn and Travers. What were they doing here? About to follow them, she shook her head and thought better of it. Who was she fooling? She didn't have an invisible cloak nor would be able to hide her identity in plain daylight! Thinking better of it, she walked back to the Three Broomsticks for a piping hot mug of cider. Clearly there was some part of her brain that needed to be unfrozen.

However, on the edge of town, Corban Yaxley suddenly whirled around, but did not see anyone except for a wandering Hogwarts student turning back the way which they came. "Yaxley?" Jugson impatiently said.

"It's nothing," the tall blond man growled, before rushing away with the three men in tow. They had work to do.