Since she was already in Diagon Alley, Pomona naturally had to do some shopping. She first went to Mrs Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover, where she picked up the order Hagrid had placed earlier. Though there were still two days until the scheduled delivery date, the clerk had prepared everything for her, then summoned a small lorry—the sort often seen on Muggle streets—and had the goods packed into boxes and delivered to Hogwarts.
It had to be said that the "small lorry" enhanced with an Extension Charm could hold an astonishing amount. Seeing that there was still plenty of room, Pomona bought some other things as well, intending to have them all shipped back in one trip.
Mrs Skower had not entered the Prince Prize this time, supposedly because she had fallen ill. But her absence did not mean Severus had no other competitors, such as Madam Primpernelle's beauty potions. Her shop in Diagon Alley was always doing brisk business.
There was also Mulpepper's Apothecary, a shop that had existed for more than seven hundred years—longer even than Ollivander's. The potion commonly used in the Hogwarts vegetable garden to eliminate flesh-eating slugs was bought there.
Not every shop in Knockturn Alley had anything to do with dark magic. Mulpepper's Apothecary did not sell unicorn blood either. They had already posted a notice stating that this year's entry would be a fireproofing potion, which could prevent burns from the Floo Network.
It had been some time since a rising talent had emerged in Britain's potion-making circle. Becoming a Potions Master was only the first step; to be remembered by people or by history books, one needed a creation of one's own.
"Hi, Pomona!"
She looked toward the person greeting her. It was Shina, the healer.
"What a coincidence," Pomona said at