Hogsmeade's Help

After leaving the castle, Silvan followed the path along the Black Lake, passed straight through the school gates, and headed for Hogsmeade.

There had once been more convenient secret passages in the castle that could have cut the journey by at least half, but ever since Bellatrix had captured Sirius and used Polyjuice Potion to impersonate him at Hogwarts, those passages were no longer safe.

Sirius believed the Death Eaters had learned of those secret passages through his memories, so after regaining consciousness, he suggested that Dumbledore seal off all their entrances as soon as possible.

Dumbledore agreed.

Now, even the passage beneath the Whomping Willow that led to the Shrieking Shack had been completely filled in with earth and stone.

The knot that controlled the Whomping Willow had likewise been hidden by Dumbledore's magic. Now, if anyone accidentally touched its former location, the Whomping Willow would not stop; it would become even more violent.

By the time Silvan reached the entrance to Hogsmeade, there was not a soul in sight. The shops lining both sides of the main street were tightly locked, making the village seem more desolate than ever.

Yet the occasional rustling from within the shops, along with figures suddenly flashing behind the bushes, reminded Silvan that this place was far from as peaceful as it looked.

If an unfamiliar wizard entered, they would probably be spotted at once by the Death Eaters hiding in the shadows, then watched closely.

Fortunately, Silvan was now a cat—who would pay attention to an ordinary black cat?

Following the list McGonagall had written, Silvan soon arrived in front of Honeydukes.

It was closed as well, and the lock had been enchanted against Alohomora to prevent anyone from breaking in.

But unlike Zonko's former owner, the shopkeepers had not left. They