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Chapter 619: Fudge's Letter
Chapter 619: Fudge's Letter
By Friday, the weather remained as gloomy and damp as it had been for the past few days. The rain showed no signs of letting up, but that didn't stop the Hufflepuff Quidditch team from persevering with their training sessions.
As Fred had observed, Cedric was becoming more and more like Oliver Wood. He wouldn't let a little rain stop him, let alone a downpour.
At half-past eight in the evening, the tired team members returned to the warmth of their common room.
Kyle removed the waterproof badges from his clothes and took a sip of the hot cocoa that Connor had thoughtfully prepared and left on the table.
Cedric, too, was holding a cup of hot tea that he had just fetched from the kitchen.
"Tomorrow's the Hogsmeade visit," said Midaan Kona, the new third-year Keeper, as he carefully removed and stored his badges before asking, "What's it like there? I've never been."
At school, only students in their third year and above were allowed to visit Hogsmeade on designated weekends. Younger students had to stay within the castle grounds.
"It's quite interesting," Cedric replied. "I'd suggest starting with Honeyduke's, the most popular shop in Hogsmeade. It's always bustling with people."
"Dervish and Banges is great, too," Connor piped up. "You can find all sorts of intriguing magical items there, like self-inking quills and reusable parchment."
"Of course, if you're looking for something a little less conventional, you mustn't miss Zonko's," Kyle added.
"Then you can head to The Three Broomsticks for a cup of butterbeer," someone else suggested. "You have to try it, along with the pumpkin juice and cherry-flavored honey soda. They're much better than the drinks we have here."
Midaan's eyes lit up at the descriptions, wishing he could fly to Hogsmeade immediately.
The conversation naturally shifted from training to the upcoming Hogsmeade visit.
Unlike Midaan, Kyle, Cedric, and the other older students had been to Hogsmeade numerous times. With only a handful of shops, they had frequented them so often that the novelty had worn off.
Most of the time, they found themselves recommending places for Midaan and the other new third-year player to visit, guiding them on which shops were worth their time.
The most mentioned places were Honeyduke's and The Three Broomsticks, both food-related establishments.
Kyle had another place in mind to recommend—the Shrieking Shack.
Sirius Black had bought it some time ago, intending to open a new shop with Lupin.
However, Voldemort's resurrection had disrupted their plans. Lupin now had his hands full, and Sirius had been taken away by the Ministry for interrogation.
Consequently, the newly renovated Shrieking Shack remained dormant, and no one knew when it would open its doors again.
As the clock approached ten, the group, overcome by sleepiness, finally retired to their respective dormitories.
The next morning, during breakfast, most of the young witches and wizards excitedly discussed their impending trip to Hogsmeade, eagerly planning which treats to buy first.
However, Cedric, a seventh-year student, wasn't particularly interested in the visit. He decided to stay behind and take advantage of the empty pitch for some extra training while the others were away.
He was confident about facing the other Houses, except for Gryffindor.
Harry's Firebolt was a force to be reckoned with. Its threat was too significant to ignore, even though Kyle also owned one. Their positions on the team were different.
Kyle was a Chaser, relying on scoring goals to gradually gain an advantage. In contrast, Harry was a Seeker, and the game would end as soon as he caught the Golden Snitch.
Although they had once managed to hold off Harry's Firebolt with an unexpected strategy, it was a success due to the element of surprise.
On the other hand, Kyle hadn't planned to go to Hogsmeade either.
However, it wasn't because of Quidditch, but because he didn't have any particular shops in mind that he wanted to visit. He figured he might as well stay in the common room and play a game of Wizard's Chess.
That was Kyle's initial thought, but just as breakfast was coming to an end, a brown barn owl delivered a short letter to him.
There was only one sentence in the letter.
【See you at the Three Broomsticks】
There was nothing else, not even the name of the sender.
As Kyle wondered who had sent it, he suddenly noticed Umbridge at the staff table, staring at him.
At that moment, he understood.
The day before, he had been thinking that a week had passed since his last detention, and there hadn't been any further action from the Ministry. He had thought Fudge was truly biding his time, but now it seemed that he had received a response.
After breakfast, Kyle set off with the others to Hogsmeade, accompanied by Professor McGonagall and Umbridge.
"I thought you said you weren't going to Hogsmeade today?" Connor asked curiously as they walked across the grounds. "What changed your mind?"
"I'm meeting someone," Kyle replied.
"Who? Professor Black?"
"No." Kyle shook his head. "You'll see when we get there."
Seeing Kyle's mysterious expression, Connor didn't press the issue further.
Upon arriving in Hogsmeade, Kyle made his way directly to the Three Broomsticks. As they had arrived relatively early, there weren't many people around, including Fudge.
Usually, people treated the place as a resting spot, taking a break from their shopping and stopping by for a drink.
Kyle ordered a glass of pumpkin juice and sat down at an empty table to wait.
About half an hour later, the door to the Three Broomsticks opened.
"Oh, Minister Fudge..." Madame Rosmerta exclaimed, "What brings you to Hogsmeade? I thought you'd be busy with work."
"Of course, I had to pay a visit to your fine establishment and sample your fine redcurrant rum. To be honest, I find myself craving a glass at the end of each workday."
"Why, thank you, Minister Fudge." Madame Rosmerta seemed pleased, turning to glance at Umbridge, who had followed him in.
"And for you, Professor Umbridge? What can I get you?"
"Mead with cherry syrup, please," Umbridge replied in a sickeningly sweet voice.
Sitting at a nearby table, Kyle could clearly see Madame Rosmerta's hand tightly gripping a glass under the bar, her face maintaining a forced smile.
"Please give me a moment," she said before turning to prepare their drinks.
With the pub being relatively empty, Fudge made his way over to Kyle's table.
"It's been a while, Kyle," he greeted enthusiastically, as if their meeting was purely coincidental. "Your performance at the Triwizard Tournament last year, defeating both Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, was truly remarkable. To be frank, it's been a long time since we've had such a glorious victory in an international magical event."
"It was my duty, Minister Fudge," Kyle replied.
Connor, sitting beside Kyle, glanced at him and then at Fudge, who seemed to be choosing his words carefully. She suddenly understood the situation.
"I'm going to buy some sweets," she said, standing up and leaving the pub.
"She's a smart one," Fudge said as he took the seat Connor had vacated, placing his striped hat on the table beside him.
Umbridge sat down on the other side.
"Connor is indeed very smart," Kyle said with a smile.
(End of Chapter)
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