The morning before Halloween, nearly all the third-year students and above gathered outside Hogwarts' main entrance, eager to set off for Hogsmeade. Harry, however, stood alone in the foyer, under Filch's watchful eye. With no signed permission form, he was the only third-year not joining the trip, which made him Filch's primary target.
Professor McGonagall arrived shortly after, leading the procession of students out of the castle. Harry forced himself to appear casual as he waved goodbye to Ron and Hermione.
"Don't worry about me," he said, trying to sound unconcerned. "I'll see you at the banquet later—have fun."
"Staying behind, Potter?" Malfoy called, approaching with a sneer. "Afraid of the Dementors?"
Harry ignored him, heading instead toward the Marble Staircase.
"Shame he can't go to Hogsmeade—he's going to miss out on so much," Fred whispered to George, glancing back at Harry. "He can't stay locked in the castle for the next seven years. That'd be miserable."
"Exactly," George nodded. "We've got to help him out…"
"How?" asked Kyle, who was walking beside them. "Are you thinking about giving him the Marauder's Map?"
"Not a bad idea," Fred said thoughtfully. "We've memorized all the secret passageways by now, so giving it to Harry wouldn't be the worst plan."
"But it'd be tricky for nighttime excursions," George added. "Actually, we could use the map we made last year, as long as we mark the secret passages on it."
"We'll just have to make sure it's discreet, so Filch or any professor can't stumble upon it," Fred pointed out.
"How about something like the Marauder's Map—a password to reveal everything?" Kyle suggested.
"Exactly what I was thinking," Fred replied.
As they discussed this, the group reached Hogsmeade Village. Fred and George promptly abandoned thoughts of Harry when they spotted the pointy roofs of Zonko's Joke Shop. Before anyone could mention it, they were already hurrying toward shelves stocked with Stink Pellets, Belch Powder, and Fanged Frisbees. Harry who?
Meanwhile, Cedric was headed to Dervish & Banges to buy a Broomstick Servicing Kit, and Kyle decided to join him. The shop's owners, a pair of brothers with a knack for magical gadgets, often had something unique in stock.
Kanna and Cho, on the other hand, were more interested in visiting Madame Puddifoot's Tea House. They all agreed to meet at The Three Broomsticks in an hour before splitting up to explore.
Dervish & Banges was located at the far end of the village, close to The Hog's Head, and looked smaller and more worn than the other shops. Kyle and Cedric pushed open the door and stepped inside.
Inside, the shop was a chaotic maze of stacked magical objects, some towering and swaying dangerously as if they might collapse at any moment. Kyle had only ever seen such a cluttered setup in the Room of Requirement's hidden storage area.
"Welcome..." A blond wizard popped his head out from behind the counter. "What can I get for you...?"
"Do you have any tools for pruning broomsticks?" Cedric asked.
"Of course," the shopkeeper leaned out, pulling a square box from amidst the towering stacks of magical items. Cedric took a cautious step back as the entire wall behind the shopkeeper swayed slightly from the movement, but the shopkeeper seemed unfazed. With a casual motion, he opened the box on the counter.
"Nine Sickles for the Tail-Twig Clippers. The complete Broomstick Servicing Kit is two Galleons, and that includes a bottle of wood wax oil and a convenient carrying case. Which would you prefer?"
"The complete set—it's more economical," Cedric replied, counting out two Galleons and placing them on the counter.
"Thank you for your purchase." The shopkeeper then turned to Kyle. "And what can I help you with?"
"Before that, I've got a question." Kyle pointed toward the shop door. "Is that dog outside yours?"
"What?" The shopkeeper looked up and saw a large black dog lying by the door, clearly visible through the glass. "Of course not. Not many wizards would go for a big, black dog as a pet."
The shopkeeper shook his head and continued, "It probably wandered over from The Hog's Head next door. The folks who frequent that place are always a bit unusual. Wouldn't surprise me if someone brought along something like that."
He chuckled suddenly. "Last time a Runespoor got loose, I could hear Madam Rosmerta screaming all the way over here."
"Really... sounds like Madam Rosmerta isn't a fan of three-headed snakes," Kyle said with a slight smile. Then, shifting his attention back to the shop, he asked, "Do you have any interesting new items?"
"You're in luck," the shopkeeper replied, reaching under the counter and pulling out a small gray bead. "Just got this in yesterday. It's called the Mist Gem. Crush it, and it'll create a thick fog that can't be dispersed, lasting about two hours."
"Not even a Windy Spell can clear it away?" Kyle asked, intrigued.
"Not unless the Windy Spell was cast by Mr. Dumbledore himself," the shopkeeper joked. "Otherwise, the fog will just linger in place."
Kyle's eyes lit up. "How much?"
"Twenty Galleons," the shopkeeper replied. "It's a bit pricey, but these are imported from Uagadou, and we've only managed to acquire three."
...
After some haggling, Kyle managed to buy all three Mist Gems for 55 Galleons. The shopkeeper only knocked five Galleons off the price but threw in a pair of Spectrespecs and a few irregular Opals, likely just clearing out unsold stock. Still, Kyle wasn't one to turn down freebies.
Half an hour later, Kyle and Cedric left Dervish & Banges, their hands full. The large black dog they'd seen earlier was still lying outside the shop, its gray eyes following the flow of students along the main road, as if searching for someone or something.
As Kyle passed by, he suddenly stopped, an idea forming. Pressing his tongue against his upper teeth, he made a series of small, quick noises—"Sniff, sniff, sniff!"
Without a second's hesitation, the black dog's head whipped around toward him.
Kyle grinned. Guess this trick works on all dogs.
He crouched down, raising a finger in the air. "Sit!"
The black dog responded with a look that could only be described as a sneer, completely ignoring him and resuming its position, tail wagging lazily.
Cedric had been a bit wary of the dog at first, aware of the dark omen associated with large black dogs in the wizarding world. But now, seeing Kyle snubbed so effectively, he couldn't help but stifle a laugh. "Seems like it's a good dog after all."
Undeterred, Kyle pulled out a small bag of jerky and waved it enticingly. "Sit!"
This time, the black dog perked up immediately, sitting with both front paws on the ground, eyes fixed intently on the bag.
"Roll over..." Kyle instructed, holding the bag just out of reach.
The dog hesitated briefly but, after catching a whiff of the jerky's aroma, rolled over on the ground without further resistance.
Amused, Kyle continued to test other commands: Run...spin in place...stand and jump...walk through an imaginary hoop...circle... The black dog dutifully performed each trick, its tail wagging enthusiastically.
"Not bad, not bad," Kyle said approvingly, finally placing the jerky in front of the dog. "Here's your reward. Eat."
"He's so clever," Cedric said, crouching down beside him in amazement. "It's like he understands you perfectly."
The black dog paused momentarily, almost as if caught off guard by the praise, then resumed munching on the jerky as if nothing unusual had happened.