This was Harry's first time in Hogsmeade, and he felt like he was actually getting a little excited.
Honeydukes is indeed a popular shop among the little wizards, and there are people everywhere here. Harry looked around and pushed his way through the crowd.
Then, Harry was delighted to see Ron and Hermione standing under a sign - they were carefully examining a plate of lollipops that smelled like blood.
Harry snuck up behind them.
"... Well, no, Harry won't want it, I think it's for vampires." Hermione was talking to Ron.
"What about this?" said Ron, thrusting a jar of squished cockroaches under Hermione's nose.
"Definitely not." Harry couldn't help but said.
Ron heard Harry's voice and almost dropped the jar in his hand.
"Harry!" Hermione screamed, "What are you doing here? How-how did you get here?"
"Wow!" Ron's eyes lit up and he said in surprise, "You've learned how to hide!"
"Of course I didn't," Harry said, lowering his voice so the other students wouldn't hear.
Then he told them in detail about the Marauder's Map.
"How come Fred and George never gave it to me!" Ron was furious, "I'm their biological brother!"
"But Harry won't occupy it for a long time!" Hermione said hesitantly, "I think it's better to give it to Professor McGonagall..."
Hermione's habit of being stubborn seemed to have returned.
"No, I won't hand it over!" Harry said.
"Are you crazy?" said Ron, glaring at Hermione, "for handing over such a good thing?"
"If I hand it over, I'll have to tell where I got it! Filch will know that Fred and George got it!"
"But what about Black?" Hermione asked worriedly, "He may have used a secret passage to enter the castle! If Professor McGonagall has this map -"
"He couldn't have come in through the passage!" Harry immediately retorted, "There are seven secret passages on the map, right? Fred and George estimate that Filch may know four of them."
"Of the other three, one has collapsed, and no one can enter through that passage; the entrance of one has the whomping willow planted, and you can't get out. And the one I just walked through... Well... It's really hard to see where the entrance is in the cellar... So, unless... he knows there is this secret passage... "
As he spoke, Harry began to hesitate.
What if Blake did know about this passage
However, Ron cleared his throat seriously and pointed to a notice posted on the inside of the candy store's door.
———
By order of the Ministry of Magic, patrons please:
Dementors will patrol the streets of Hogsmeade every day after sunset until further notice. This move was purely for the safety of the residents of Hogsmeade and would be canceled once Sirius Black was captured again. It is best for customers to complete their purchases before evening.
Merry Christmas!
———
"See?" Ron spread his hands and said, "There are dementors everywhere here. I would like to see how Black can break into the candy store in this situation. No matter what, Hermione, the candy store owner always You'll hear someone breaking in, right? They live above the candy store!"
"Yes, but... but..." Hermione seemed to be trying to find something else to criticize, "Look, Harry still shouldn't come to Hogsmeade. He didn't hand in a signed application form! If someone Harry will be in big trouble if he finds out he's here! And it's still daylight - what if Sirius Black shows up today, now?"
"Actually, I'm more concerned about the open-air party that Maka held tonight - look at the notice, there will be dementors patrolling at night!" Ron's heart seemed to be better, at least he could take the initiative to mention Maka.
The three Harrys were arguing with each other, but they didn't realize that Maka was actually watching them in an alley not far away!
At this moment, a slovenly-dressed wizard turned around seemingly casually and slipped naturally from the crowd on the street into the alley where Maka was.
"Tarino, how's it going?" Maka said calmly.
"We are indeed waiting, my old buddy is following you over there, don't worry!"
This sloppy male wizard is the same Tarino whom Maka met in the Three Broomsticks bar last time. At this moment, he still looks carefree and out of place.
"Hasn't it been discovered?" Maka asked again.
"Impossible. If you don't have this ability, how can you dare to hang out in the underground world?" Tarino said with a smile.
"That's okay..." Maka nodded and said, "It's almost time. I'll go over there and take over. Tomorrow you go to Tyrande's store to collect the other half of the reward. This transaction will be considered completed."
"Thank you for your patronage. You can always come to me if you need anything next time - you already know the place."
Maka waved her hand and turned back to go deeper into the alley. Although Tarino was walking in the same direction, after turning a corner, he discovered that Maka's figure was no longer in front of him.
"It's really..." Tarino couldn't help curling his lips, "Fortunately, he doesn't steal food from us."
Of course, Maka was already invisible. After turning a few turns, he returned to the avenue from another alley. Immediately, he hurried towards the post office.
Following the secret mark left by Tarino's partner, he soon saw an ordinary-looking wizard at the entrance of a deep alley.
Maka threw a piece of paper at his feet. The other person looked around calmly, and then a strange look flashed in his eyes.
He picked up the note, read it, and then glanced wordlessly down the alley. The next moment, he decisively blended into the crowd and soon disappeared.
"Shizune."
After Maka muttered something silently in her heart, she ran quickly deeper into the alley, but miraculously, the sound of his footsteps completely disappeared.
It has to be said that the assassin's abilities are indeed very practical. Although they are not of much use in a head-on battle, they can play a very big role in the current situation.
Soon, he found a slightly thin black dog at the end of the alley. It was walking in the shadows, but its hind legs did seem a bit unflexible.
"It seems that the last blow did leave some injuries on him."
Black had few healing options, and for some reason, Maka's wand seemed to refuse his use. So until now, he is still dragging out his injuries.
"Perhaps few people are stronger than him in terms of determination." Maka couldn't help but think so.
At the same time, Maka’s hands were not idle. He pointed at the corner of the wall next to him with Black's wand, and a broken plate that was abandoned here by an unknown person immediately began to deform, and in the blink of an eye it turned into a big, lively rat.
If you look carefully, the mouse and Ron's Scabbers look exactly the same.
Maka waved her magic wand again, and the big rat scurried past a corner not far from the black dog. After deliberately making some noise, it immediately ran into another alley at an extremely fast speed. Got it!
But Blake's level of vigilance was always within Maka's judgment. The black dog suddenly turned his head and immediately saw the figure of the big rat flashing past.
Blake could no longer use the word "familiar" to describe the appearance of that mouse. It really only left a strong impression of "hate to the bone."
At that moment, Blake seemed to have forgotten about the injury on his leg, and chased him down the alley. When he passed by the invisible Maka, his pair of angry and crazy dog eyes left a deep impression on Maka.
"Are you too hateful?" Maka also quickly caught up with him. He was thinking calmly while running, "I hope it won't affect the plan for a while."
Blake was moving very fast and didn't look injured at all. The distance between him and the mouse conjured by Maka was constantly shortening.
Fortunately, the destination is almost there!
When they turned a corner again, Maka controlled the mouse and dived into a trash can next to a certain window. Just as Blake was about to knock over the trash can and catch the mouse, he heard Harry's voice.
Although Blake was stunned for a moment, he didn't hesitate much, but immediately overturned the trash can and scattered the garbage inside all over the floor - but the mouse had long since disappeared.
Of course he couldn't find it, because the moment the mouse got into the trash can, it had already turned back into the broken plate.
Maka walked past the furious Black and glanced out of the alley, just in time to see Harry, Hermione and Ron walking into the door of the Three Broomsticks pub.
It turns out that where Blake is now is under the side window of the Three Broomsticks.
Maka glanced at Blake and saw that he was standing up and lying by the window looking at Harry's figure, and then nodded with confidence.
At this point, the plan is more than half successful.
…
The Three Broomsticks bar was still so crowded and noisy.
There were many customers, and the room was warm and smoky. A mature woman with a graceful figure and a beautiful face was tending to a group of noisy wizards at the bar.
"That's Ms. Rosmerta." A blush suddenly appeared on Ron's face, and he added, "I'll go get some drinks, okay?"
Harry and Hermione walked to the back of the room, where a small table stood empty between the window and the beautiful Christmas tree, and near the fireplace.
But Harry didn't know that Sirius Black was secretly watching him outside the window!
Five minutes later Ron returned with three large mugs of frothing hot butterbeer.
"Merry Christmas!" he said happily, raising his big cup.
Harry raised his glass and took a long sip.
He thought it was the best-tasting drink he had ever had, and it seemed to warm him from the inside out. He immediately took another swig.
Suddenly, a breeze blew through his hair, and the door of the Three Broomsticks opened again. Harry looked from the edge of the big cup to the door, but the sight almost made him choke.