Chapter 391: Mrs. Paddifoo, the Sugar Master
Chapter 391: Mrs. Paddifoo, the Sugar Master
As Christmas drew nearer, a crisp white frost blanketed the muddy grounds, and a bustling holiday atmosphere filled the castle.
In Professor Lupin's classroom, several small Christmas trees adorned with various candies stood, inviting young wizards to help themselves.
Kyle estimated that this was probably Professor Lupin's biggest expense this semester.
Meanwhile, Professor Flitwick had decorated the Charms classroom with colorful lights that transformed into thumb-sized fairies when someone approached, fluttering their wings as they flew around the room.
The trip to Hogsmeade was scheduled for the last weekend before the end of the term.
Fred and George didn't join the others on this trip, choosing to stay behind in the castle to create a festive atmosphere for Harry.
Hogsmeade at Christmas time resembled a Christmas card, with snow-covered thatched-roof cottages and shops adorned with holly wreaths on the doors and magically lit candles hanging from the trees.
Having already purchased most of what they needed on their previous visit, Cedric suggested visiting the one place they hadn't been to yet—Mrs. Paddifoo's Tea Room.
As if they had planned it beforehand, Autumn immediately agreed and even invited Conna and Kyle to join them.
"Penelope said this is the most worthwhile place to visit in Hogsmeade," she explained. "We haven't been there before."
Conna's interest was piqued.
Kyle followed behind, his eyes scrutinizing Cedric.
"Why do you want to go there?" he asked.
"What?" Cedric turned his head, feigning confusion. "I'm just curious. After all, in the entire Hogwarts, we've only missed out on Mrs. Paddifoo's Tea Room and the Screaming Shack."
"Oh..." Kyle's voice rose slightly. "But as far as I know, only couples go there, right? Haven't you heard about it?"
"No, not really..." Cedric stammered, then awkwardly changed the subject. "Do you think Fred and George will have trouble finding us when they arrive..."
His ears turned red as he said this.
Kyle didn't pursue the topic further, and instead clarified, "You don't need to worry about that at all. The first thing those two will do when they get to Hogsmeade is spend an hour at Zonko's. They won't have time to look for us."
"Haha, that's true."
...
The group made their way through the main road and arrived at the small tea room.
A notice was posted on the door, which Autumn read aloud.
"Ministry Order:
Customers, please be advised that Dementors will be patrolling the streets of Hogsmeade at sunset each day, unless otherwise notified. This measure is in place to ensure the safety of residents and will only be lifted once Sirius Black is captured...
Merry Christmas!"
Kyle also read the content on the notice.
It seemed that the Ministry had received some information and deployed most of the Dementors to Hogsmeade.
Unfortunately, it wouldn't be very useful... if Kyle's guess was correct, Black was no longer in Hogsmeade.
The others didn't seem concerned either.
The notice clearly stated that Dementors would only patrol the streets at sunset, and it was still daytime.
Autumn pushed open the door to the tea room.
The place was indeed tiny, with only a few small round tables, and the room was filled with mist. Everything seemed to be decorated with frills and bows.
Due to the small size of the tables, they had to sit separately at two adjacent empty seats.
"What would you like to order?" asked Mrs. Paddifoo as she approached, her plump figure struggling to squeeze through the narrow space between two tables. Her sleek black hair was tied up in a bun.
"Four cups of jelly coffee, please," Autumn replied, seemingly well-prepared. After Mrs. Paddifoo left, she whispered, "Penelope said this is the best."
Conna, who had been looking forward to the tea room, was now blushing furiously, clearly aware of the unusual atmosphere within. Couples filled the room, holding hands.
Despite her embarrassment, she sat down next to Kyle.
Mrs. Paddifoo soon returned with four cups of coffee floating in mid-air. The brown coffee was topped with a layer of white jelly, looking quite appealing.
Kyle took a sip and promptly set down his cup. For a moment, he wondered if Mrs. Paddifoo had a secret crush on Dumbledore.
The coffee was tailored to the Headmaster's taste. It was so sweet it could have been pure syrup, and he couldn't detect any coffee flavor at all. Even the hint of bitterness seemed more like the taste of concentrated syrup.
After a while, Kyle and Conna stayed in the tea room. Conna leaned over and whispered, "Is there anything else here?"
Like Kyle, her cup was still full, and she hadn't taken more than a sip. Both had similar tastes and didn't enjoy overly sweet drinks.
Kyle shook his head; he wasn't sure what other drinks were available, but if even the coffee was like this, the tea wouldn't be any better.
After a moment of thought, Kyle suggested, "Why don't we go to the Three Broomsticks? We can order some butterbeer, pine nut cookies, and two meat pies... I haven't had breakfast yet today."
At the mention of meat pies, Conna's eyes lit up. "Great!"
They looked at each other and stood up simultaneously.
"Should we invite them?" Conna asked, glancing at Cedric and Autumn.
Kyle shook his head. "Never mind."
The two of them were deep in conversation, oblivious to their surroundings.
"You're right," Conna agreed, covering her mouth with a smile.
Kyle paid the bill, and they quietly left the tea room, heading towards the Three Broomsticks.
On the way, Conna looked at the coffee in Kyle's hand and asked, "Don't you dislike this? Why did you buy another cup?"
"This..." Kyle glanced at the cup in his hand and explained, "This isn't for me. It's a Christmas gift for Professor Dumbledore."
"Professor Dumbledore?" Conna hesitated. "Would he like this flavor?"
"Of course," Kyle nodded. "If you observe carefully, you'll notice that Professor Dumbledore always eats more desserts at banquets. And the last time I visited the Headmaster's office, he was recommending a frosted sugar pudding to Professor Snape.
It was a new product from Honeydukes, equally sweet and cloying. I think this coffee would suit his taste."
"Is that so? I've never noticed it before," Conna blinked.
Then, as if remembering something, she turned back thoughtfully, glancing in the direction of the tea room.
(End of Chapter)
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