Fudge's Letter

Friday arrived, and the weather remained as cold and damp as the previous days. The rain hadn't stopped for days, but the Hufflepuff Quidditch players hadn't missed a single training session.

Just like Fred said, Cedric is becoming more and more like Oliver Wood. He probably wouldn't stop training, let alone in a light drizzle, or even in a downpour.

At 8:30 p. m., everyone returned wearily to the warm common lounge.

Kyle removed the Impervius badge from his clothes, picked up the hot cocoa that Kanna had prepared in advance from the table, and took a sip.

Cedric was also holding a cup of hot tea, but he had just gotten it from the kitchen himself.

"Tomorrow is Hogsmeade Visiting Day." Mida Ancona, the newly joined third-year goalkeeper, took off his badge and carefully put it away before asking, "What's it like there? I haven't been yet."

At the school, only students in the third grade and above are allowed to visit Hogsmeade on designated weekends; younger children must stay in the castle.

"That's interesting," Cedric said. "I suggest you go to Honeydukes first; it's the most popular shop in Hogsmeade, and it's always packed with people."

"Dervish and Banges is also a good option," Kanna suggested. "You can buy a lot of interesting magical items there, like Quick-Quotes Quill and rewritable parchment."

"Of course, if you like something a little less conventional, you definitely can't miss Zonko's," Kyle said.

"Then go to Three Broomsticks and get a Butterbeer." Someone else suggested, "You absolutely have to try it, and the Pumpkin Juice and cherry honey soda are way better than the Pumpkin Juice at school."

Midian's eyes lit up; he wished he could fly to Hogsmeade right then and there.

The conversation naturally shifted from training to Hogsmeade.

Unlike Midaan, Kyle, Cedric, and other older students had been there many times. Plus, there were only a few shops, and they'd been there countless times; the novelty had long worn off.

Most of the time, they were recommending travel guides to Midan and another third-year new member, telling them which shops were worth visiting.

The most frequently appearing items are Honeydukes and Three Broomsticks, both related to food.

Kyle had another place to recommend, which was the Shrieking Shack mentioned earlier.

Sirius had bought the place earlier and was planning to open a new shop with Lupin.

However, Voldemort's resurrection disrupted their plans. Now Lupin has many things to do, and Sirius has been taken away by the Ministry of Magic for investigation.

So, the Shrieking Shack, which had just been renovated, was left unused, and nobody knew when it would reopen.

Around 10 o'clock, everyone finally returned to their dormitories, overcome by sleepiness.

The next day at breakfast, most of the young wizards were excitedly discussing their upcoming trip to Hogsmeade in the Great Hall, and had already planned what to buy beforehand.

However, Cedric, a seventh-grader, wasn't very interested in this. He didn't plan to go this time and decided to stay at the castle to take advantage of everyone's visit and practice on the field for a while longer.

The other houses were all fine; Cedric was confident he could beat them. Gryffindor was the only exception.

Harry's Firebolt was not to be underestimated; it posed a significant threat. Although Kyle also had a broom, their positions were different.

Kyle is the Chaser, needing to score goals to slowly gain an advantage, but Harry is the Seeker; once he catches the Golden Snitch, the game is over.

Although they had successfully stalled Harry's Firebolt once a year ago with an unexpected plan, that success was due to the element of surprise.

Now that they're on guard, the same plan can't be used a second time... Harry isn't that naive; he must have already figured out a way to break it.

So we need to think of other solutions...

Meanwhile, Kyle hadn't originally planned to go to Hogsmeade.

However, he wasn't there for Quidditch; rather, he simply didn't have any shops he wanted to visit and preferred to stay in the lounge and play Wizard's Chess.

Kyle had been thinking that, but as breakfast was coming to an end, a brown barn owl delivered a short letter to him.

The letter contained only one sentence.

[See the Three Broomsticks]

That's all there was, including the sender's name.

Just as Kyle was wondering who had sent it, he suddenly noticed Umbridge on the classroom floor looking at him.

Now Kyle understood.

He was thinking last night that a week had passed since the last detention, but the Ministry of Magic hadn't made a move. He thought Fudge was really good at keeping his cool, but he didn't expect to receive a letter today.

So, after breakfast, Kyle and the others went to the Entrance Hall, where Professor McGonagall and Umbridge led them to Hogsmeade.

"Didn't you say you weren't going to Hogsmeade today?" Kanna asked curiously as they walked across the grounds. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

"I'm going to see someone," Kyle said.

"Who is it, Professor Black?"

"No," Kyle shook his head, "You'll see when we get there."

Seeing Kyle's mysterious expression, Kanna didn't ask any further questions.

Upon arriving at Hogsmeade, Kyle went straight to the Three Broomsticks. Because he had arrived early, there weren't many people there, including Fudge.

Generally speaking, people treat this place as a rest stop, and only come here to have a drink when they're tired from playing.

Kyle ordered a Pumpkin Juice and sat down at an empty table to drink it while waiting.

About half an hour later, the door with the Three Broomsticks was pushed open.

"Oh, Minister..." Madam Rosmerta exclaimed, "What brings you to Hogsmeade?"

"Of course I miss your redcurrant rum. To be honest, I crave a sip every time I get off work."

"Thank you for your compliment, Minister." Madam Rosmerta seemed pleased, and she turned to look at Umbridge, who had come along with her.

"And you, Professor Umbridge?"

"Mead and cherry syrup," Umbridge said in a sweet, coquettish voice.

Sitting to the side, Kyle could clearly see that Madam Rosmerta was gripping a glass tightly under the bar, barely managing to maintain her composure.

"Please wait a moment," she said, then turned to leave.

Since there weren't many people in the bar, Fudge naturally went to Kyle's table.

"Long time no see, Kyle." He greeted him warmly, as if it were a chance encounter. "You did a fantastic job beating Beauxbatons and Durmstrang in the Triwizard Tournament last year. Honestly, it's been a long time since we've had any success in an international event like this."

"It's all I should do, Mr. Minister," Kyle said.

Kanna, standing to the side, glanced at Kyle, then at Fudge, who seemed about to speak but remained silent, and suddenly understood something.

"I'm going to buy some candy," she said, standing up, and then left the bar.

"What a clever girl." Fudge walked to her previous seat, sat down, and took off her striped hat, placing it beside her.

Umbridge sat down on the other side.

"Kanna has always been very smart," Kyle said with a smile.