บท 111: Meeting an Old Acquaintance

"No wonder your hair turned green," Oleandra said mockingly, "Anyone would turn green with the amount of lime jelly you consume."

Oleandra, Daphne and Tracey were having a grand old time on their outing to Hogsmeade, on the last weekend of the term. They were currently visiting the Honeydukes sweets shop, and Daphne was digging through a box of Jelly Slugs, taking care to only select the green ones.

"Come on, Daphne," Tracey said weakly. "You'd be better off buying a variety of flavours. You know, too much of a good thing, and all that. Wouldn't it make your favourite kind taste better after eating a different flavour?"

"Besides, people are watching us," said Oleandra nonchalantly. "Your ice princess façade is slipping, your Highness."

"Since when have I cared about what people thought of me?" said Daphne authoritatively. "Whatever people think of me, that's their business."

"Well said," remarked Oleandra, clapping her hands lightly. "Though you don't look half as cool as you think you do; at least, not with your arm submerged in Jelly Slugs up to the elbow."

Not far away from them, Ron sniggered. He and Hermione were also shopping for sweets, and he had apparently heard everything.

"Why not get a lemon sherbet ball?" Tracey suggested. "There's some floating over there. Lemon's basically the same thing as lime, right?"

Daphne's eyes glittered; just as she was about to light into her friend that no, they weren't the same, she spotted a familiar face emerging from under the counter. Two familiar faces, in fact.

"Harry? Ginny?" she said, confused. "How— Why— What were you doing in Honeydukes' basement?"

Why indeed? Ginny needed an excuse to get to Hogsmeade for the next phase of her plan, as well as a way to find Oleandra and company. After learning that the twins were planning to give the Marauder's Map to Harry on the day of the Hogsmeade outing, she had stalked them until they had done so.

And then, she had "coincidentally" run into Harry, just as he was opening the secret passage to Hogsmeade, map in hand. Caught in the act, he had been forced to reveal the Marauder's Map to her. Ginny had then pleaded with him to take her with him. Second years weren't allowed in Hogsmeade, but then again, he wasn't supposed to go either, so he accepted to take her. Harry rather liked his best friend's little sister, so he didn't need much convincing!

"Wow!" said Ron, looking very impressed, "you've learned to Apparate, just like her!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. How many times were people going to forget that you couldn't Disapparate from Hogwarts?

"Not exactly," admitted Harry, glancing at the Slytherin girls. "I'll tell you all about it later."

"Harry, you shouldn't be here," said Hermione worriedly. "Your uncle didn't sign your form. And how could bring Ginny here? She's just a second year! It's irresponsible; you'll get yourselves both in a ton of trouble! Besides, what if Sirius Black turns up?"

"You worry too much, Hermione," said Ginny, pointing at a notice pasted on the door leading outside. "Just look, the Ministry's got Dementors patrolling the streets at night."

"But it's not nighttime yet," Hermione argued.

"I'd like to see Black find us through this blizzard," Ron scoffed, as he put a dozen Cockroach Clusters in a paper bag.

The Gryffindor and Slytherin Trios, as well as Ginny, finished their shopping and left the candy store. Outside, they were met with blisteringly cold winds as the blizzard raged on.

"You know what would warm us up?" Ginny instantly said. "Butterbeers, at the Three Broomsticks."

"I wouldn't say no to a warm butterbeer," said Ron, his teeth chattering. He didn't notice that his sister didn't even look cold in the slightest, despite not being dressed for winter.

"Girls, do you want to come with us?" Ginny asked Oleandra's group.

They didn't have any reason to refuse, and so all seven of them made their way to the inn.

It was Oleandra's first time entering the Three Broomsticks. It was a cosy sort of place, warm and slightly smoky. At the bar were two extremely pretty barmaids. One of them was doing bar tricks for the clients, making glasses levitate and do the wave in the air.

"That's Madam Rosmerta," said Ron, his gaze lingering over the proprietress's generous chest a little too long, making Hermione scowl at him. "I'll get the drinks, shall I?" he added, blushing slightly.

"Right," said Daphne, slapping her forehead lightly. "I completely forgot to tell you because of Pansy; your friend, the Muggle, she's staying here. She's behind the bar next to Madam Rosmerta."

Indeed, Stacey Pullman, Oleandra's sort of friend from primary school, had been cursed with an unremovable elephant's trunk. Oleandra had rendered it unnoticeable, but since the trunk sometimes went wild and attacked people on its own, she hadn't been allowed to return to Muggle society, as she presented too large a risk to the Statute of Secrecy. And thus, the Ministry had handed her over to Madam Rosmerta's custody, as what else could a Muggle girl armed with next to no education do in the magical world but wait tables? At least, this way, she might meet children her age once in a while.

"I'll go grab our drinks, then," said Oleandra, as she headed to the bar counter.

As the person who had painted the rune of concealment on Stacey, Oleandra could clearly see the girl's elephant trunk. She was using it to deftly play with glasses and tankards, making the bar's patrons think she was wandlessly making them float, as they couldn't see the trunk.

"Hey, Stace," Oleandra said to grab her attention. "How're you doin'?"

Contrary to Oleandra's expectations, tears started streaming out of the girl's eyes.

"Oleandra!" Stacey cried, dropping the glasses and jumping over the counter to hug her. "It really is you! When I saw your twin sister a few months ago, at first, I thought it was you playing a trick on me, but…"

"It must have been hard," Oleandra comforted her by patting her on the back. "Why don't you take a break and drink with us?"