"If you want your dream to come true, what do you need to do first?"
"Wake up!"
As David answered, the door of the common room creaked open.
"Where have you been?"
Walking back to the dormitory, David suddenly heard a deep voice behind him, laced with a hint of resentment.
A chill ran down his spine. Who is this?
He had been too focused on returning to the dormitory to notice anyone else. Besides, no one should be in the common room at this hour.
"Senior sister, please don't scare me!"
Turning around, David let out a sigh of relief when he saw who it was.
"Who's scaring you? I'm standing right here, clear as day."
Penelope folded her arms, scrutinizing him with narrowed eyes. She had noticed that something was off about him lately. He had been waking up late, looking exhausted, and acting secretive.
The first time he claimed he couldn't sleep because he wasn't used to his bed, but that excuse didn't hold up.
Determined to find out the truth, she had waited for him tonight. Since it wasn't appropriate to barge into the boys' dormitory in the middle of the night, she had stationed herself in the common room instead.
"Where were you at this hour?" she demanded.
"Night run!" David met her gaze, his expression unwavering.
Penelope arched an eyebrow. "Night run? It's almost three in the morning, and you're telling me you went for a jog? Do I look like I'd believe that?"
She smirked. "Just admit you were out on a date with that little witch. Maybe I can cover for you."
David felt a headache coming on. He had been caught this time.
Every other night, he had returned by one or two o'clock. But tonight, he had lingered a little longer, thinking he could afford the rest. He hadn't expected to get caught.
"Senior, it's late. You should get some sleep. Staying up late is a woman's worst enemy," David said, attempting to deflect.
"Don't change the subject!" Penelope tapped the class leader badge on her chest. "As class leader, I demand an explanation."
David sighed. He had no choice but to tell the truth—well, part of it.
"I was practicing magic."
Penelope eyed him suspiciously. "Practicing magic? In the middle of the night?"
At Hogwarts, there weren't many dedicated places to practice magic. Spells weren't allowed in the corridors, and while students could use the open space outside the castle, it wasn't necessary. Most spells could be practiced in the dormitory.
"If you don't believe me, come to the common room at ten tonight. I'll show you."
The Room of Requirement wasn't exactly a secret, at least not to him. As long as it didn't become widely known, he had no problem letting Penelope in on it.
Penelope smiled. "Alright. Ten o'clock, then. I'll be waiting."
She turned and disappeared down the passage to the girls' dormitory, leaving David standing there.
David sighed again as he headed to his bed. She's a handful.
But… he didn't really mind.
---
Hogsmeade, 2:30 PM
The dark, narrow secret passage stretched endlessly before them. David and the twins had been walking for nearly an hour, their path shifting from stone walls to damp earth. Water dripped occasionally from above.
This was the passage hidden beneath the one-eyed witch statue, leading to the basement of Honeydukes.
"We're almost there," Fred whispered, his wandlight illuminating the path ahead.
Soon, he reached a wooden cover and pushed it open. David and George followed him, climbing out into a storage room packed with crates of sweets.
After casting a quick Scourgify to clean the dirt from their robes, they made their way to the front of the shop. The familiar scent of sugary treats filled the air.
David inhaled deeply. The smell was enticing, but he wasn't particularly fond of sweets. The cakes and candies here were too sugary for his taste. The only dessert he had truly enjoyed was the ice cream from Diagon Alley.
Still, he followed the twins as they eagerly browsed the shelves.
In addition to the usual toffees, nougats, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, and Chocolate Frogs, they stocked up on jelly slugs, cockroach clusters, ice mice, toad-shaped cream mints, and sour lollipops that could burn a hole in your tongue.
"Why are you buying so much?" David asked, watching them fill their bags.
"Not for us," George grinned. "For business."
Even third-year students needed permission slips to visit Hogsmeade, and those trips were limited. The sweets from Honeydukes were in high demand among students who couldn't go themselves.
Fred winked. "We're not trying to get rich. Just making some pocket money."
David smirked. Now I see why they always had money to bet on the Quidditch World Cup, despite coming from a family with little to spare.
---
Zonko's Joke Shop
After finishing at Honeydukes, they headed to Zonko's. This time, they didn't go on a shopping spree.
Fred grabbed five dungbombs. "Four for us, one for Peeves."
"Peeves?" David asked.
"Yeah, the little poltergeist still holds a grudge. You remember when he got petrified for three days?"
David smirked. He had been the one to do it, though Peeves had never found out. Because he had been under a Disillusionment Charm at the time, Peeves had assumed the twins were responsible.
To smooth things over, Fred and George had promised him a dungbomb as a peace offering.
"Consider it a truce," George chuckled.
---
The Three Broomsticks
Next, they made their way to the Three Broomsticks for some butterbeer.
The pub was lively, packed with students and off-duty professors. The butterbeer itself was rich and frothy, warm but with barely any alcohol.
David enjoyed it. He even bought a few bottles to take back.
"Madam Rosmerta's still got it," Fred remarked, watching the attractive innkeeper.
David had noticed, too. Despite being in her forties, Rosmerta still carried an air of charm that drew a crowd of older wizards.
---
Bruce's Pet Shop
Their last stop was Bruce's Pet Shop.
Fred and George, naturally, knew the owner. With their introduction, David managed to buy every frog in the store—all for live feed.
"Fifteen galleons?" the shopkeeper confirmed.
David nodded. The exact number of frogs was unknown, but there were thousands. He had prepared in advance, transfiguring an oversized fish tank and placing it inside a magically expanded box.
The Undetectable Extension Charm made the box almost as large as his dormitory. It wasn't as spacious as Dennis Creevey's version, but it got the job done.
The tank itself was reinforced with spells and would last for at least two weeks.
---
The Last Purchase
The final item on David's list was simple: potion-grade oil.
It was readily available at the local apothecary, nothing special.
With that, their shopping trip was complete.
As they made their way back to the castle through the secret passage, David reflected on the day.
It had been an interesting trip.
Hogsmeade was lively, as always.
And tomorrow… tomorrow, he had more magic to practice.
---------------------------
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