Coup de Foudre [Fred Weasley] [4]

⚡️ Chapter 59 ⚡️

Vega, Harry, Ron and Hermione left the castle at noon the next day to find a weak silver sun shining down upon the grounds. The weather was milder than it had been all year, and by the time they arrived in Hogsmeade, Harry, Ron and Hermione had taken off their cloaks and thrown them over their shoulders. Vega wasn't feeling that bothered by it so she kept wearing despite Ron's complain.

The food that Sirius had asked them to bring was in the bag Vega was carrying. She had snuck in a dozen chicken legs, an entire loaf of bread and a flask of pumpkin juice and water from the lunch table. She had wanted to get some more but her friends reasoned that it was enough for now.

"Will the food be okay?" Harry asked, watching the bag that Vega was swaying back and forth. "It's too warm outside," She looked over toward him with a nod.

"It'll be fine, I put a spell on it to keep it fresh," Vega assured him. "Since we still have some time, why don't we go for some shopping? Maybe we can get some new stuff..."

First, the four of them went into Gladrags Wizardwear to buy a present for Dobby, where they much fun selecting the most lurid socks that they could find, including a pair patterned with flashing gold and silver stars – and another that screamed loudly when they became too smelly.

"I think you should get a pair, too," Vega said to Ron. "Since you always conveniently forget to wash them over the summers," He gave her a bland look in response and she smirked.

Finally, once it was half past one, the four of them made their way up the High Street, past Dervish and Banges, and out toward the edge of the village. They hadn't ever been here before. The winding lane was leading them out into the wild countryside that surrounding the village of Hogsmeade.

Here, the cottages were fewer, and their gardens were larger. Vega found that it was a pretty place and that she wouldn't mind living here. It looked like a perfect place to live if she became a teacher.

They were walking toward the foot of the mountain in whose shadow Hogsmeade lay. Then, they turned a corner and saw a stile at the end of the lane. And waiting for them, with his front paws on the topmost bar, was a very familiar and large, shaggy black dog, which was carrying a recent newspaper in his mouth. Immediately, all four of them recognised who this dog was.

"Hello, Sirius," Harry said when they had reached him.

The black dog sniffed Vega's bag eagerly, wagged its tail once, then turned and began to trot away from them across the scrubby patch of ground that rose to meet the rocky foot of the mountain.

Knowing what he meant, the four students followed. They climbed over the stile and followed. Sirius led them to the very foot of the mountain, where the ground was covered with boulders and rocks.

It was easy Sirius with his four paws, and for Vega as she was used to hiking – but Harry, Ron and Hermione were soon out of breath, trying to keep up with Vega and Sirius as they continued up.

They followed Sirius higher and higher, up onto the mountain itself. For nearly half an hour, they climbed a steep, winding and stony path, following Sirius's wagging tail. Vega glanced at her friends, who were already sweating in the sun. For Vega, her bag's strap was cutting into her right shoulder.

"We're quite up," Vega commented, looking over her shoulder to see that they could see the whole of Hogsmeade from here. "I think this place is good for morning exercise,"

At this, Harry, Ron and Hermione all gave her weary looks while Ron muttered something about being friends with strange people and about Fred deciding to date that very strange person.

Then, at last, Sirius slipped out of sight, and when they reached the place where he had vanished, they saw a narrow fissure in the rock. They squeezed into it and found themselves in a cool, dimly lit cave. Tethered at the end of it, one end of his rope around a large rock, was Buckbeak the hippogriff. Half grey horse, half giant eagle, Buckbeak's fierce orange eye flashed at the sight of them.