Chapter 376: Cat and Dog
Chapter 376: Cat and Dog
On the morning before Halloween, almost all students from the third year and above gathered outside the main gate, ready to head to Hogsmeade.
Only Harry stood alone in the Entrance Hall, watched closely by Filch as if he were a thief.
Among all the third-year students, Harry was the only one who hadn't submitted an application form, naturally becoming the focus of Filch's attention.
Soon, Professor McGonagall arrived, and the group began to depart.
Harry tried to appear nonchalant and bid farewell to Ron and Hermione in a casual tone.
"Don't worry about me. See you at the banquet later, have fun."
"You're staying here, Potter?"
Malfoy intentionally took a detour and ran in front of him, shouting, "Afraid of passing through those Dementors?"
Harry ignored him and turned towards the marble staircase.
"He can't go to Hogsmeade, he'll miss out on a lot of good things..."
Fred, who was at the back of the group, looked back at Harry's figure and said softly, "He can't stay in the castle for the next seven years, that's too boring."
"That's right," George agreed, nodding deeply, "We need to help him..."
"How?" Kyle asked, "By giving him the Marauder's Map?"
"That's a good idea too," Fred said, "After all, we've already memorized the locations of all the secret passages. Giving it to Harry is not a bad idea.
"But then, it won't be convenient for night outings..." George thought for a moment, "Actually, the map we made last year is also good. We just need to add the secret passages to it."
"But we need to make it more discreet, to avoid being discovered by Filch or the professors."
"Like the Marauder's Map, it should only reveal its locations with a password."
"That's what I meant..."
As they discussed, they soon arrived at the village of Hogsmeade.
Upon seeing the pointed roofs, Fred and George immediately forgot about Harry and rushed straight to Zonko's Joke Shop.
In front of Stink Pellets, Belch Powder, and Screaming Yo-Yos... Harry? He wasn't familiar with them.
Cedric wanted to go to Devlin-Banks to buy flying broom care tools, and Kyle decided to join him.
The shop owner was a pair of well-connected brothers who always managed to get their hands on some novel little gadgets.
As for Conna and Qiu, they were more interested in Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop.
The group agreed to meet at The Three Broomsticks in an hour and then went their separate ways.
Devlin-Banks was located at the very back of Hogsmeade, right next to The Hog's Head, and compared to other shops, it looked much smaller.
Kyle and Cedric pushed open the door and walked in.
Inside the shop, various magical items were stacked high, teetering precariously, looking as if they might collapse at any moment.
Kyle had only seen this kind of arrangement in the Room of Requirement, where things were stored.
"Welcome..."
A blond wizard poked his head out from behind the counter, "What can I get for you..."
"Do you have flying broom care tools?" Cedric asked.
"Of course." The shop owner leaned forward and pulled out a square box from among the stacked magical items.
Because of his movement, the entire wall shook slightly, scaring Cedric, who quickly took two steps back.
But the shop owner didn't seem to mind and casually placed the box on the counter.
"Pruning shears, nine Sickles.
"The complete flying broom care kit, two Galleons, plus an extra bottle of wood wax and a portable case.
"Which one do you want?"
"I'll take the full kit, it's more cost-effective..." Cedric counted out two Galleons and placed them on the counter.
"Thank you for your patronage." The shop owner looked at Kyle, "And what can I get for you?"
"Before that, I'd like to ask something." Kyle pointed towards the door, "Is the dog outside yours?"
"What?"
The shop owner looked up and saw a large black dog lying just outside the door, visible through the glass.
"Of course not, to be honest, not many witches and wizards would choose a pure black dog as a pet."
The shop owner shook his head, "I think it might have come from the Three Broomsticks next door. Their customers are always eccentric, and I wouldn't be surprised by anything they bring."
As he spoke, the shop owner suddenly laughed.
"I remember the last time a Runesnake escaped. I heard Mrs. Rosmerta's scream loud and clear."
"Oh... it seems Mrs. Rosmerta doesn't like snakes with three heads."
Kyle withdrew his gaze and asked nonchalantly, "Do you have anything new and interesting?"
"You're in luck."
The shop owner took out a gray bead, "A good item I just got yesterday, a Fogstone... When crushed, it creates an immovable fog in a specific area for about two hours."
"Not even the Whirlwind Charm can disperse it?" Kyle asked.
"Unless it's cast by Professor Dumbledore himself," the shop owner joked, "otherwise, you'll find that the fog remains in a specific area and doesn't get blown away."
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Kyle's eyes lit up, "How much?"
"Twenty Galleons," the shop owner said, "It might be a bit expensive, but this is a rare item from Wagadu. We managed to get only three of them."
...
After some haggling, Kyle bought all the Fogstones for fifty-five Galleons.
The shop owner agreed to a discount of five Galleons but also gave him a pair of Demiguise Goggles and several irregularly shaped Opals.
Although Kyle suspected he was just trying to clear out unsold inventory, he took the free items without hesitation.
Half an hour later, the two left the Devlin-Banks Shop with their hands full.
The black dog they saw earlier was still lying at the entrance, its gray eyes constantly scanning the main road as if searching for something.
As Kyle passed by, he suddenly stopped and used his tongue to push against his upper teeth...
"Suck, suck, suck!"
Without any hesitation, the black dog instinctively turned its head.
Sure enough, this trick worked on all dogs.
Kyle squatted down and raised a finger, "Sit!"
The black dog's face showed a hint of human-like mockery, but it ignored him and continued lying there, wagging its tail.
"Pfft..." Cedric covered his mouth.
He had been resistant to this dog earlier, as in the magical world, the image of a black dog was an omen that all witches and wizards tried to avoid.
But now, seeing Kyle being mocked by a dog, he couldn't help but laugh. Yes, it was a good dog.
Kyle didn't mind. He took out a bag of jerky and waved it in his hand, "Sit!"
This time, the black dog instantly straightened its body, standing on its front paws, its tongue hanging out as it stared intently at Kyle's hand.
"Roll over..."
The black dog hesitated for a moment... until Kyle opened the bag.
After smelling the strong scent of meat, the dog rolled over without hesitation.
Kyle then tried several other commands.
Run... spin... jump... hoop... Wronski Feint...
The black dog completed them all.
"Good boy, here's your reward." Kyle placed the jerky in front of it, "Eat."
"It's so smart." Cedric squatted beside it, amazed, "It's as if it understands every word you say."
The black dog paused for a moment, but then continued eating as if nothing had happened.
(End of Chapter)
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