Snow had fallen heavily throughout the night, bing the world outside in white.

  From the window, Hogwarts and the distant snoed peaks looked like a se straight out of a fairytale.

  But this fairytale had no evil queen or kind Snow White—just a noseless old man and a boy with a scar.

  While Eda was still in the Great Hall having breakfast with the twins, the entrance hall had already begun filling with upper-year students. They were lining up for the iion that would allow them to head to the snow-covered Hogsmeade.

  After finishing her warm vegetable soup, Eda followed the twins out of the Great Hall. The entrance hall buzzed with the chatter of students, who were animatedly debating whether to visit the Three Broomsticks for a drink first or wander around the vilge.

  The line of students slowly moved forward. From her spot, Eda could already see Professonagall, tall and stately in her emerald-green robes, meticulously cheg the students' permission slips.

  The twins waved at Eda from the stairs, and she turned away from the se, following them up the steps. The three of them made their way to a corridor ohird floor, stopping halfway down where a statue of a one-eyed witch stood.

  Ge the Marauder's Map, o Fred, and then stepped back. Fred pulled out his wand and tapped the statue, whispering, "Dissendium."

  The witch's hunched back opened, revealing an opening just big enough for a slender person to crawl through. Fred went in first, followed by Eda, and finally Gee, who took o look at the map before tug it away and climbing in.

  The three slid down a stone chute, nding on damp soil after a long dest. The chilly, damp air enveloped them immediately. Eda pulled her thied cloak tighter around herself and adjusted her bright red earmuffs—a birthday gift from Mrs. Weasley that were wonderfully warm.

  After tidying themselves up, the trio pressed forward. They navigated through a passage that resembled an enormous rabbit warren aually reached the base of a dipidated stoaircase. Climbing the stairs, they arrived at a trapdoor.

  Fred carefully pushed the trapdoor open, peeking into the basement above. The owner of Honeydukes, Ambrosius Flume, was busy moving stod hadn't noticed the slightly ajar trapdoor.

  Once Flume left the area, Eda and the twins quietly emerged from the basement, blending seamlessly into the crowd of ers browsing the shop.

  Honeydukes Sweetshop sold chocotes and an array of magical dies, making it a beloved spot fwarts students and staff. The air was filled with the sweet aroma of dy, ahought to herself that this must be Dumbledore's version of heaven.

  Eda picked out some chocotes and dies from the shelves. As the broad-shouldered, bald-headed Flume rang up her purchase, she couldn't help but think of Mr. Weasley. Wasn't he bald too?

  With the wizarding world's particur geic quirks in mind, Eda found herself w about the fiery red hair atop the twins' heads.

  After leaving Honeydukes, Eda and the twins strolled along the streets of Hogsmeade. The picturesque vilge, posed of cottages and shops, looked even more enting after the snowfall, bed entirely in shimmering white.

  Hogsmeade was always bustling with visitors, and the addition of Hogwarts students today made the streets even more crowded.

  The quill shop, Scrivenshaft's, was retively quiet pared to the rest of the vilge. However, for the twins, anywhere in Hogsmeade was more eaining than this shop. Eda spent a long time browsing the shelves before relutly buying two quills, for which she handed over fourteen silver Sickles.

  As they left Scrivenshaft's, the twins' steps became noticeably lighter. Eda, however, picked up on the jingling sound apanying their movements.

  She walked ahead, while the twins followed behind, carrying shopping bags. They passed by Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, where couples were steadily filing into the cramped, overly sweet-smelling space.

  The occasional opening of the door released wafts of sugary fragrahe gaudy ce curtains ad the windows were enough to extinguish any curiosity Eda might have had about going inside.

  The twins, who had been rather uhused up until now, finally perked up upoering Zonko's Joke Shop. They wandered eagerly between the shelves, carefully ting their s to figure out how to buy as many joke items as possible.

  Eda didn't care much for items like dungbombs, but she did take an i in frog spawn soap and biting teacups. Giving those to Snape would undoubtedly be amusing—though she wondered if the biting teacup would even dare to p on his er seeing his droopy face.

  The twins bought a mountain of joke products, far more than what Eda had purchased. Feeling satisfied with their haul, they left Zonko's in high spirits.

  "Want to warm up at the Three Broomsticks?" Eda suggested.

  The Three Broomsticks was a cozy pub frequently visited by Hogwarts students and staff, known for its warm atmosphere and delicious butterbeer.

  A strikingly beautiful woman with an alluring figure was standing at the entrance, seemingly waiting for someone.

  This woman was her than Madam Rosmerta, the owner of the Three Broomsticks.

  pared to Tom, the barte the Leaky Cauldron, the differeweewo proprietors was night and day.

  With her charming looks and curvaceous figure, Madam Rosmerta effortlessly drew the attention of young patrons. Her role as a pub owner added yers of intrigue to her character, making her more than just a pretty face.

  Madam Rosmerta was the dream woman of many young Hogwarts students experieng their first crushes. She was far beyond the reach of the small sprouts still attending school.

  Though slightly older, many boys still flocked to the Three Broomsticks, just for the ce to exge a few words with her while or paying.

  In their hearts, Madam Rosmerta might have been the kied "cool aunt" type or perhaps their mom's worldly, fasating friend.

  "No!"

  The twins ftly refused Eda's suggestion, shaking their heads emphatically like rattles.

  Eda thought their standards must be quite high, and she was about to pliment them when Fred spoke up. "We see Madam Rosmerta ime. This time, we're heading somewhere else."

  "We're going to the Hog's Head. I've heard you find all sorts of people there," Gee added in a whisper, though his gaze still lingered on Madam Rosmerta.

  "...ok."

  Eda, exasperated by their ck of self-preservation instincts, relutly led the way to the Hog's Head.

  Following the main road, they passed the Hogsmeade Post Office, where owls occasionally flew out with letters in tow. Then, they turned into a side path, where a small, shabby-looking pub stood.

  The Hog's Head was exactly as its name suggested. Its dipidated wooden sign, hanging from a rusty bracket, depicted a severed boar's head with blood seeping through the white cloth ed around it. As they approached, the wind blew the sign, making it creak ominously.

  "Are you sure you want to e here?" Eda asked doubtfully. "I still prefer Madam Rosmerta's Three Broomsticks."

  "We're very sure. Hagrid said there are lots of iing characters here," Fred said as he pushed open the door aered first.

  The interior of the Hog's Head was cramped and dim, with a pervasive filth that made Eda hesitant about where to step. The windows were coated in thick grime, blog out the sunlight, and the only source of light inside was the dles flickering on the wooden tables.

  The patrons were a shady bunch, each with their face obscured, and their peculiar appearances made them look anything but trustworthy at first gnce.

  Behind the bar stood the owner, wiping a gss with an impossibly filthy rag, making the gss dirtier with every swipe. He had a mass of long, gray hair and beard, was tall and gaunt, and didn't look like the frie of individuals.

  "What'll it be?" the owner asked gruffly, his tone anything but weling for a businessman.

  "Three Butterbeers, please," Fred said at the ter.

  The owner reached uhe bar and pulled out three bottles covered in dust. Eda handed over six silver Sickles to pay for the drinks but hesitated when it came time to take them—the bottles were so dirty she didn't know where to hold them.

  Eda gingerly pinched one by the bottle cap with her thumb and forefinger and carried it to a table in the er, which looked retively pared to the rest.

  "This pce is filthy!"

  Sitting down, she muttered quietly.

  pining in someone else's establishment wasly polite, but she couldn't hold it in.

  "That's why repared!"

  Fred said with a sly raise of his eyebrows.

  "Look what we brought!"

  Gee said proudly, pulling something out of his robes like he was showing off a treasure.

  _________

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