Chapter 111: Hogsmeade Week
On the lawn behind the castle, three students wrapped in thick robes stepped out once more.
They paid no mind to the rumbling thunder overhead, the howling wind battering the castle walls, or the sharp crack of branches snapping in the distant Forbidden Forest.
In a few hours they would be wrestling with this gale and rain outside the greenhouses.
But their gazes were steady. They even joked now and then. Mostly it was Justin talking, Shawn nodding, and Neville smiling shyly.
Doing something difficult alone was painful and hard to bear. But when the number grew, the moments of shared laughter were enough to cover the present hardship.
Before they even reached the greenhouse, they heard the older students' raucous voices.
"Bruce, you damned git! Get away from that Snargaluff!"
Leon was waving his wand, levitating other plants, when Bruce provoked the Snargaluff and darted behind Pester.
Behind him, the Snargaluff's vines flailed wildly. It looked furious.
Through the stained glass of Greenhouse Three, Shawn guessed Bruce had touched its pods. One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi mentioned:
The Snargaluff is a vine plant that looks like a stump covered in knots. It produces pods the size of grapefruits. The moment anyone tries to take its pods, it lashes out with whip‑like tendrils.
Before Bruce could hide behind Pester, Pester dodged smoothly, as if he had eyes in the back of his head. The Snargaluff's vines whipped Bruce squarely on the shoulder. He yelped twice and immediately settled down.
Professor Sprout watched the three of them, eyes crinkling with laughter, then strode briskly out of Greenhouse Three.
Ah, her new seedlings were arriving. Thanks to them, Greenhouse One was as tidy as it was now.
Yes, because the greenhouses posed certain dangers, the professor, the Hufflepuff seventh‑years, and Shawn's group had always divided the work differently.
The professor handled the most dangerous Greenhouse Seven alone. Rumour had it there was even a baby Whomping Willow inside, though who knew if that was true.
Bruce and the others usually worked in Greenhouse Three, while Shawn's group naturally took charge of the plants in Greenhouse One.
At the entrance to Greenhouse One, Shawn saw Bruce and the other two file out of Greenhouse Three. Behind them, the Snargaluff's vines swung wildly.
"Aha!" Bruce made a face at the greenhouse.
"Idiot," Leon muttered, looking at Bruce's tangled hair and mud‑covered robes. He was at a loss for words.
This guy just loved looking for trouble.
"Oh, look! It is little Green!" Bruce spun around, eyes lighting up at once.
"I bet you are full of anticipation for Hogsmeade village, yes?" he said mysteriously, leaning in with a grin.
"…"
Not really. If Bruce had not mentioned it, Shawn would have forgotten entirely. After all, it had nothing to do with younger students.
"Yes."
Seeing the eager look in the older student's eyes, Shawn tried hard to muster some anticipation himself.
"Oh, I told you, little Green, I would repay you. Not just for the bet, or the Howler…" Bruce raised an eyebrow. His features were sharp, radiating an edge that clashed entirely with his friendliness.
"Take this. Pick whatever you want!"
With that, he hummed a tune and dragged away Leon, who was still drinking pumpkin juice, and Pester, who had just received seeds from Professor Sprout.
Leon choked on a mouthful of pumpkin juice. Even from a distance, Shawn could hear Bruce's subsequent yelp.
…
As Shawn entered the greenhouse, he casually opened the letter. Actually… he had been feeling like he had been getting too much post lately.
What the young wizard had not noticed, however, was that this seemed to be because he talked too little.
Not a Knut of profit! little Green, surprise – you have received this Hogsmeade shopping list.
I would have loved to pay for all of you, but sadly Leon would not let me use his wallet…
It would be stranger if Leon agreed, Shawn thought.
He read on:
But the good news is, Pester has agreed to let me use his wallet to pay for your purchases in full.
So feel free to shop boldly – no need to worry about the cost!
Pester…
Shawn recalled that honest, gentle face.
You can share the list below with your friends – remember?
The Hufflepuff motto is: SHARE!
Do not worry about whether I can carry it all. I will not let Leon and Pester's hands, shoulders, or necks sit idle.
But do not go overboard with numbers, or Pester's neck will not hold up under the weight.
Attached is a list:
Dervish and Banges: Magical repair tools
Honeydukes: Sugar Quills, Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans…
Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop: Self‑Correcting Ink, Self‑Writing Quills, Homework Planners…
Hogsmeade Week suddenly had something to do with Shawn after all. Looking at the attached list, he felt a spark of anticipation.
The wizarding world had plenty of interesting things. Shawn planned to stock up on parchment, ink, and the like.
There were a few items he was particularly interested in. The Homework Planner, for instance – a magical notebook that tracked student progress. Each page reminded students to finish their homework on time. Only after completing assignments could they do what they liked.
That would save Shawn a lot of recording time. He would only need to flip through it.
Then there was Everlasting Ink – a special ink that enchanted any writing done with it so the text would never fade.
In short, it was a thoughtful surprise. Shawn was a little dazed.
October grew colder. Rain increased. The nights grew darker. But mud, wind and storm could not dampen the joy the three felt as they left the greenhouse.
"You are saying – Shawn, the older students are willing to buy things for us in Hogsmeade?" Justin could hardly believe it. They had only just been envying the upper years, and now this luck had fallen straight into their laps?
The three squelched through the wet ground, splashing mud with every step.
"Goodness, we have to tell Hermione the good news right away. She has read the introduction to Hogsmeade village over and over!" Justin whispered excitedly.
When they saw the seven sheets of parchment Shawn pulled from the back of the letter, Neville and Justin's eyes went wide and did not move.