Harry Potter: The Rise Of Malfoy

Chapter 52.

On Halloween Eve, the third-year students at Hogwarts were eagerly anticipating their first visit to Hogsmeade. Caretaker Filch held a long parchment as he checked each student against the list to prevent anyone not on it from sneaking out.

A large group of Slytherin students who were in the same year as Soren passed through Filch's scrutiny and arrived in Hogsmeade.

Draco seemed to have visited a few times as a child, but the more reclusive Soren was here for the first time in this only all-wizard village in England, so Draco naturally took on the role of tour guide.

"This is the Three Broomsticks; it has the best butter-beer and is probably the most well-informed and bustling place in Hogsmeade," Draco pointed out, indicating a pub.

Daphne glared at Soren and said, "Madam Rosmerta, the innkeeper, is a famous beauty known far and wide. Even Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge and various professors come to Hogsmeade to drink here. Aren't you going in to take a look?"

"Hehe, with you and Meredith around, do I even need to look at other girls?" Soren, fully aware that he couldn't say what he was really thinking, tried to joke his way out.

"Really?" A strange glimmer flowed in Daphne's eyes. "What about Moray? What about Luna? And Hermione—when you were holding her hand that day, the expression on her face... tsk tsk..."

Daphne ruthlessly exposed Soren's gossip. At this point, even Meredith, Pansy, and other girls gathered around.

Meredith's face was as cold as frost, and her tone had a hint of chill: "I know about Moray, but when did Luna and Hermione come into the picture?"

Draco smirked, "Hermione Granger? That big-toothed girl?" Draco raised an eyebrow. "I'm not saying this to you, Soren. You already have Daphne and Meredith, yet you're still not satisfied. Alright, I admit Moray's conditions are indeed good, worthy of our Malfoy family, but Hermione, with those big teeth... that's just..."

Pansy giggled mischievously, covering her mouth: "Oh, I didn't see it coming, Soren, your moves are really subtle and efficient!"

Blaise and Nott looked on with admiration mixed with a little envy—Soren's charm with women was really impressive!

"I am absolutely innocent with Luna and Hermione!" Soren quickly denied. "We're just friends, not even good friends."

He intentionally changed the subject. "Look! It's the Weasley twins; what does that shop sell?"

The Weasley family was known as pure-blood traitors, long despised by the little snakes of Slytherin. Soren's shout successfully shifted the topic, and everyone looked in the direction he pointed.

"Oh, that's Zonko's Joke Shop," Draco said. They saw the Weasley twins coming out, carrying a large assortment of prank items like tricky fireworks, dung bombs, and fang Frisbees. "Most of the props from the Weasley twins come from there. If I had my way, Filch would love to tear that shop down."

"Maybe we can also check out Honey-dukes!" Pansy said, pulling Draco forward. It was clear that Zonko's Joke Shop wasn't the favorite of the girls. Honey-dukes, on the other hand, was the recognized hotspot for Hogwarts students.

"Muggle Toothpaste!" As soon as they entered Honey-dukes, several girls excitedly rushed towards the candy display. For girls, sweets and body shape have always been a trade-off, a problem even Dumbledore couldn't solve. However, it seemed that Honey-dukes had partially addressed this issue, as Muggle Toothpaste claimed to be sugar-free and lacked the common side effects of substitutes, making it the only candy Hogwarts girls could consume without worry.

Soren wasn't particularly interested in sweets, so he accompanied Daphne and Meredith shopping, aimlessly glancing around the store.

A wizard was spreading a type of milk fudge among the crowd; it appeared to be a sample of a new candy. Students surrounded the shelves, their view filled with all sorts of unimaginable candies.

Huge blocks of creamy peanut brittle seemed to ooze cream; pink coconut ice flashed lightly; hundreds of different flavored chocolates were neatly stacked, but on a day that wasn't Valentine's, very few girls seemed interested; Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and Fizzing Whiz-bees were stuffed into jars, pressing the wooden shelves to the point of squeaking, as if they could topple over at any moment.

"My parents will definitely love this Toothpaste! They are both dentists." A familiar voice pierced Soren's ears. He turned sharply to find Hermione discussing candy varieties with Ron.

"Hi, Soren!" Hermione greeted him, while Ron huffed disapprovingly. Hermione flashed Soren an apologetic smile before returning to her discussion with Ron.

Draco and the other boys weren't particularly interested in sweets either; they bought a little candy and left first, planning to head to the Three Broomsticks to look at girls. They unceremoniously left Soren behind, making him a pack mule, responsible for carrying bag after bag of candy. Fortunately, Soren had Newt's suitcase with him, and he felt confident that even if he had to move the entire Honey-dukes, it wouldn't be a problem.

She had stayed at the Honey-dukes for a full two hours, and finally, a few girls were willing to let Soren go, leaving the Honey-dukes with satisfied smiles. Pansy and her three best friends decided to continue shopping at the Elegant brand wizarding clothing store, while Daphne seemed to have other plans, so Soren, Daphne, and Meredith parted ways with them.

Hogsmeade Village isn't very large, with only about a dozen shops. Since the two girls didn't like the Zonko Joke Shop and had no desire to buy clothes, and they had already finished strolling around Honey-dukes, Soren scratched his head and suggested, "Um, aren't you two going to buy any clothes? How about we go to the Three Broomsticks to find Draco and the others?"

A sly look flashed in Daphne's eyes as she pretended to be serious and said, "I heard there's a tea shop nearby with particularly delicious cakes. Shall we go check it out?"

Meredith quickly guessed Daphne's intention and cooperatively said, "You must be talking about Madam Puddifoot's tea shop? I've heard that their refreshments are indeed quite good."

Although it was Soren's first time in Hogsmeade, being well-versed in the original story, how could he not know what Madam Puddifoot's tea shop was? He stifled a laugh and nodded in agreement.

The three of them walked down the street and eventually turned into a side road opposite The Hog's Head Inn, where there was a small pink tea shop. The owner here was undoubtedly long past the romantic period; even Soren, who considered himself not very romantic, felt that way. Nevertheless, Madam Puddifoot's tea shop was still a popular dating spot for couples at Hogwarts.

As soon as they stepped into the tea shop, Soren spotted two acquaintances—Percy and Penelope—sitting in a corner chatting. The two were engrossed in their conversation and didn't notice them.

The tea shop was quite small and foggy, as if everything was decorated with frills or bows. There weren't many customers inside, so there were plenty of seats to choose from. The three of them sat down next to the foggy window, keeping some distance from Percy's table. The surrounding area was filled with Hogwarts students, some of whom looked familiar even if he couldn't name them.

One of them Soren recognized—Ravenclaw's playboy Roger Davies, who had been elected as Ravenclaw's new Quidditch captain this semester, ranking third on the girls' dreamboat list. He was currently sitting with a beautiful blonde girl, their fingers intertwined tightly across the table.

"May I take your order... um, what would you like?" Madam Puddifoot approached, her plump figure sporting shiny black hair in an updo. She initially intended to say her usual lines but quickly changed her words upon noticing the group's distinctiveness.

"Three cups of milk tea, please," Daphne said.

"If this place had a renovation, I think many couples would be willing to visit," Soren mumbled quietly as he surveyed the surroundings. The shop's decor was really lacking, making him wonder if this was the general taste of most wizards.

Once the milk tea arrived, Soren took a sip—oh my, it was incredibly sweet! When Daphne and Meredith saw Soren's brows furrowed in response to the sweetness, they couldn't help but stifle their laughter.

"This tea tastes like syrup," Soren complained in a low voice, dissatisfied.

Daphne seemed a bit gloating, smiling cheerfully as she said, "Madam Puddifoot seems to think that couples should be as sweet as possible. Look, a little angel!"

A creature that looked very much like a human baby flew down from above their small round table, adorned with a pair of pure golden little wings, and its lower half wrapped in a pure golden strip of cloth. The little angel couldn't speak but only giggled, mechanically showering pink confetti over their small round table.

Soren looked at his milk tea, now covered in confetti, and sighed inwardly. Did young female wizards really like this kind of atmosphere?

He took out his wand, waved it lightly over the round table, and the confetti and tea cups disappeared. He then waved at the surrounding air again, silently casting a spell to prevent any sounds from reaching outside. He gently pointed at the little angel, and it stopped giggling, no longer scattering confetti. Instead, it took out a pure golden harp and began to play Richard Marx's "Right Here Waiting."

Although this piece was originally meant to be played on the piano, playing it on the harp added a touch of melancholy. Daphne and Meredith had never been exposed to Muggle music, but that didn't stop them from feeling the deep emotions embedded within the music. The three sat quietly, immersed in the melody.

Suddenly, a series of popping sounds came from Roger Davis and his girlfriend, who began kissing over the candy jar. Their actions seemed to have a magical effect, causing other couples nearby to uncontrollably imitate them, and the atmosphere in the teahouse became enchanting.

At that moment, Soren felt a bit embarrassed. In this lifetime, his first kiss had been with Meredith, and he had also kissed Daphne during a concert in the summer. But now both girls were present, and he didn't know what to do. If he could access the internet here, he would surely have sent out an "Online, urgent!" cry for help.

Daphne and Meredith exchanged glances, then sat obediently on either side of Soren. Daphne leaned close to Soren's ear and whispered, "This is a reward for you. Since you've spent so long with us today, you must be bored, hee hee!"

Soren had no chance to say a word; Daphne's arms coiled around his neck like a serpent, and her fiery lips sealed off any words he might have spoken next.

After a long while, Soren finally came back to his senses from the wonderful feeling, and before he had a chance to catch his breath, he opened his eyes to see Meredith's stunning face just inches away. Her long eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes, like autumn water, glimmered with intense longing. Her slightly parted, full crimson lips seemed to invite him to taste, exuding an indescribable charm and shyness—at this moment, silence spoke louder than words, and through a shared gaze, they confirmed their feelings for each other, prompting Soren to kiss her.

Meredith let out a soft hum, wrapping her arms around Soren's neck, breathing in each other's essence, feeling the delicate and warm touch.

*****

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