He hadn't mentioned that the number of shops in Hogsmeade had practically stayed the same for years.
After all, those weren't just shops—they were people's homes.
It was only after the prank shop moved in that Hogsmeade was expanded a little, creating a rare chance for a new storefront.
That, too, was thanks to the Weasleys—though no one was quite sure how they'd talked those stubborn old wizards around.
"Are you going?" Justin asked, as if casually.
"Mm."
If it was on the way… Sean nodded.
"Even if I can't be there to run the opening myself, seeing my own shop open with my own eyes—that's still something to be happy about."
Justin opened the box. A cloud of steam curled out, like pale morning mist.
So, on the day after Halloween, Sean's schedule was completely packed.
In the morning, they'd go down to Hagrid's hut.
In the afternoon, he'd go to Hogsmeade to watch two shops open, and swing by Gringotts to pick something up.
In the evening, he could finally test his idea.
Opening day for the shops had been set for the holiday right after Halloween, which was honestly perfect timing.
The Hogwarts students would just be getting their first Hogsmeade weekend—and they'd all be quietly panicking about homework.
As for today—
Hagrid's interview was finally about to happen.
…
The interview went unbelievably smoothly. Every reporter left clutching their copy happily.
Sean guessed that had a lot to do with Dumbledore standing nearby, smiling and twinkling at all the right moments.
The reporters all swore in unison:
They wouldn't let the Ministry twist so much as a single line with its so-called "authority"—they'd publish the story exactly as it was.
And in a few weeks, that wave of coverage would sweep across all of Britain.
When Sean walked through the corridors, he saw that Hogwarts was already steeped in the holiday mood.
The Great Hall was decorated, as usual, with live bats.
Hagrid's giant pumpkins had been carved into lanterns big enough to seat three people inside. There was even a rumor that Dumbledore had booked a skeleton dance troupe to perform for everyone.
Just like last year's rumors about a Weird Sisters concert, it was pure invention—students burning off excitement by talking nonsense.
Still, it made the atmosphere feel even more festive.
In the corridors, students were chattering about the Halloween edition of Oddball Wizard Chess. Sean was starting to feel a little uneasy—he'd sort of forgotten about that.
Luckily, there was still time to fix it.
In the Hall, some students were sporting odd partial transformations: suddenly sprouting owl wings, or a mane like a lion's.
These were from a new line of biscuits—"partial animal versions" based on the Magical Creatures Party cookies.
The partial-animal version was the result of Fred and George spending a year studying transformation cookies. They could now turn part of a wizard's body into an animal part, letting them experience an animal's ability without completely losing their minds.
…
Halloween arrived.
At seven o'clock, Sean and Justin slipped through the doorway into the packed Great Hall.
It was blazing with candles and festoons, golden plates gleaming on the tables, incredibly tempting—but they still turned and headed toward the dungeons.
"We'll just go for a bit," Harry said.
He, Ron, Hermione, and Neville were already waiting there.
Together, the six of them walked down the corridor leading to Nearly Headless Nick's party. The candles along this passage didn't make things any more cheerful:
They were all thin, black candles burning with a faint bluish flame. Even when it shone across their lively faces, it made them look ghostly.
With every step, the air grew colder. Harry shivered and tugged his robes close.
Then he heard a noise like a thousand fingernails scraping down a giant blackboard.
"That's supposed to be music?" Ron muttered.
They turned a corner and saw Nearly Headless Nick standing at a door, draped in black velvet.
"My dear friends," he said, in a voice heavy with melancholy, "welcome, welcome… I am most grateful you came…"
He pulled off his plumed hat and bowed them inside.
The sight that met them was nothing short of astonishing.
The dungeon classroom was crammed with hundreds of pearly white, half-transparent figures. Most of them were gliding about on an overcrowded dance floor, waltzing to the eerie, trembling sound of thirty musical saws. The saw-players were perched on a black-draped stage.
Above them, a chandelier held a thousand black candles, all burning with midnight-blue flame. Their breath smoked in front of their faces as they walked in—it felt like stepping into a walk-in freezer.
"Ladies and gentlemen, your attention, please—I shall now say a few words!"
Nearly Headless Nick boomed as he strode to the podium, stepping into a cold cone of blue spotlight.
"My late lords, ladies, and gentlemen, it is with deepest sorrow that I…"
After his opening speech, a group of headless ghosts began playing a game—Headless Polo.
It involved riding spectral horses and tossing your own head up and down in the air, catching and throwing.
Nick desperately wanted to join in, but as "Nearly" Headless Nick, he never got invited. The truly headless ghosts wouldn't let him play.
"They can even be snobs like this?" Ron was aghast when he heard why.
"For Merlin's sake, they're dead!"
"Mm-hmm," Hermione sniffed.
The headless ghosts had completely stolen Nick's thunder; his attempts to pull the attention back with another speech went nowhere.
At one point a ghost's head sailed past to a roar of laughter, and Nick had to admit defeat.
…
Leaving the dungeon classroom, the Great Hall felt wonderfully warm.
It was filled with the rich, sweet smell of roasted pumpkin, which made them think of the pumpkin house Justin was carving back in the Room of Hope.
Who knew how much fun that would be—none of them could even picture it.
Hermione was nibbling a Lucky Cat cookie her parents had sent. Supposedly it would randomly turn one part of your body into a cat's.
When she finished, everyone burst out laughing.
"Oh, Hermione, you'd better eat a reversal cookie quick," Justin said, handing her a mirror while Sean passed her a normal cookie.
Hermione took one look in the mirror and whipped her head down—her face was completely covered in cat fur.
Ron laughed so hard he cried—until Hermione jammed a Rat cookie into his mouth.
He stared miserably at the rat's tail sprouting behind him and stopped laughing at once.
Sean smiled faintly, watching them excitedly test the random biscuits.
This Halloween, there was no rampaging troll.
This autumn, Hogwarts was at peace.