💎 WEEKLY POWER GOALS 💎
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⏰ Resets Monday!
Students quickly tired of the seemingly endless grey bricks outside the windows. Turned to exploring candy in the cars. Mocked each other's designed Muggle outfits. Or played games brought from school.
Worried about damaging Honeydukes products, Anthony confiscated a deck of Exploding Snap and two sets of Gobstones. But didn't stop students loudly shouting over Wizard's Chess.
Students from different houses, different years mixed together. Walked from car to car. Quickly got to know each other. Anthony saw several oddly dressed students surrounding Hufflepuff's Megan. Begging her to help coordinate reasonable Muggle outfits. Megan's face flushed red. Nodded silently. Agreed to everything.
Though people might not feel it from the clanking sounds and leisurely swaying cars, Honeydukes' freight route was actually quite fast. Just past noon, the group had already appeared in the Diagon Alley branch. The welcoming employee had been waiting at the endpoint early.
"Don't lean out!" Anthony warned students again.
The employee pressed down hard on the control lever. Almost hung her whole body on it. With a harsh sharp scraping sound, the train clang crashed into something. Huge cotton-candy-like things squeezed through windows into cars. Everyone jumped. The train reluctantly wobbled. Stopped.
The soft cushioning thing dissipated like clouds. People saw they'd safely entered the branch's warehouse.
The rosy-cheeked employee smiled broadly as she opened car doors for them. "You must be Professor Anthony! Welcome, welcome! Sweet heavens, what an honor to meet you all!" She thoughtfully placed a small stool under the door. Made it easier for students to disembark. "Come down, gentlemen, ladies. I hope you enjoyed the journey!"
She smiled warmly at everyone. Hands rapidly logged which candy each person ate. How much they'd paid. Students walked out one by one. Almost every person who got off made the employee's cashbox beside her bulge more. The Weasley twins ended up buying nothing. Jumped off the car completely unburdened.
Anthony listened nostalgically to the jingling coin-counting sounds. Held the roster. Counted disembarking students. Changed their clothes according to new plans they submitted.
Several excellent drafts had extremely similar styles. Anthony looked at Megan. Hesitated whether to add points to Hufflepuff. Finally decided against it when she guiltily looked away. Several newly submitted plans also really didn't pass. He had to pull out the textbook. Let them choose from example pictures themselves.
After settling students wearing cotton coats, mink jackets, and tank tops, just as he prepared to lead students onto Diagon Alley, several more came asking if he could add prints to clothes. Add accessories. Raise heels a bit.
Anthony transfigured according to their requests (and looked several times at the afro-sporting Weasley twins). Until no one had opinions about their outfits anymore.
The Honeydukes employee patiently waited beside them throughout. Smiled watching students beg Anthony to print the Hogwarts crest on their fronts. A roaring lion on backs. She timely opened the warehouse door. Invited Muggle Studies practical activity members through the temptingly displayed branch. Toward Diagon Alley's cobblestone path.
Anthony couldn't help reminding a certain student staring at Drooble's Best Blowing Gum to mind their pocket money balance.
If he wasn't mistaken, their bag was already stuffed with candy. Besides, Hogsmeade village's Honeydukes also sold gum. These students could go there almost weekly.
"Once I'm out having fun, I can't control wanting to buy things," the student explained to Anthony. Got pushed quickly out of the shop by friends.
Their outfits attracted quite a few looks on Diagon Alley. Wizards on the roadside examined them subtly or directly. As if not understanding why so many Muggle clothes suddenly appeared on the street.
Students didn't care. Cheerfully discussed the journey and future destinations.
"We're eating first," Anthony announced.
Students with bellies full of snacks and candy made faces. Followed Anthony borrowing passage through the Leaky Cauldron.
Tom had received his letter in advance. Specially came out from the pub to see what Muggle Studies practical activity was about. He laughed when this group of variously dressed students appeared. Raised his glass toward Anthony.
Anthony guarded the entrance. Watched students walk out one by one.
"Your outfit reminds me of when I first met you," Tom said quietly beside him. "More comfortable in Muggle clothes than wizard robes."
"I've changed some, I guess. But not too much," Anthony told Tom. "Wait up—I'll come drink with Hagrid during holiday."
He stuck his head out. Confirmed no students lingered in Diagon Alley. Counted heads. Led them into Charing Cross Road.
Until going to Hogwarts, he hadn't known quite a few wizarding family children had never even stepped onto this Muggle street outside the Leaky Cauldron. If they needed Diagon Alley, they had more convenient methods than walking and counting bricks. Floo powder.
"Today, we all try pretending magic doesn't exist," Anthony reiterated. "Of course, if we really forget to pretend, we can use more magic to solve that problem."
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