Chapter 317 Carnival Before the Holidays
Snowflakes fell, rendering Hogsmeade white. In this pure white, Hogwarts students shuttle back and forth, their black school robes contrasting with the white streets.
The youthful faces, the noisy chatter of friends, and the inexplicable lollipops floating in the air make the increasingly deserted village come alive for a rare moment.
Ada and the twins walked around the village. Black's wanted notices could be seen everywhere in the village, as well as the latest instructions from the Ministry of Magic that had just been posted. This new instruction was one of the culprits that made Hogsmeade not feel Christmassy at all.
With Christmas approaching, the Ministry of Magic decided to intensify inspections of Hogsmeade in order to capture Black as soon as possible. At the same time, it also issued new orders to the small village, strictly limiting people's activity time.
Whether you are a villager living in Hogsmeade or someone who comes here for shopping, you must go home or leave the village before sunset, unless you want to have a close encounter with a dementor.
Beginning at sunset, dementors take to the streets, both to catch Black and to protect the safety of Hogsmeade residents.
However, people here don't buy the Ministry of Magic's blame. Their resentment towards the Ministry of Magic is overflowing. It has been several months since Black escaped from prison, and it has been two or three months since the dementors were stationed in Hogsmeade, but what is the result?
Not only did the Ministry of Magic fail to catch the fugitive, they didn't even see the fugitive's hair, and even allowed the dementors to come to the school to cause trouble. With Dumbledore and so many professors in the school, dementors would dare to break into the school, let alone the residents' houses. During this period, not only did Hogsmeade's GDP drop, but even the life happiness index plummeted.
If there was a big market in the magic world, it would be an endless expanse of green right now, and the highest point of Diagon Alley would be full of people, ready to jump at any time.
This can be seen from Mrs. Rosmerta's attitude towards Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic.
At that time, Ada and the twins were wandering aimlessly. Near the Three Broomsticks pub, they saw Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and Hagrid standing in the snow chatting with the three professors. It was Madame Rosmerta, the bar owner.
Ada was about to go over and say hello, but found that Minister Fudge walked over and talked cordially with Professor McGonagall and Mrs. Rosmerta. Although Ada stopped and did not pass by, Mrs. Rosmerta's voice still spread through the air.
The bar owner complained loudly, complaining that the Ministry of Magic and Fudge didn't catch Black as soon as possible, complaining that the terrifying dementors drove away her customers, and complaining that Black's escape from Azkaban had affected everyone's normal life.
Mrs. Rosmerta complained about all the culprits that made Hogsmeade depressed, and her complaints represented the voice of the residents.
A bar proprietress so bravely criticized the Minister of Magic, criticizing and blaming the Ministry of Magic's decree in front of him. This is not something that can be done with a good relationship. It fully shows how disappointed the residents of Hogsmeade are with the Ministry of Magic. .
Mrs. Rosmerta's loud voice soon attracted the attention of passers-by on the street. She and the Minister of Magic talked about Black in the street without attracting attention. Because Ada was a little far away, she didn't hear Fudge's last words clearly, but Mrs. Rosmerta immediately became quiet and opened the door of the bar herself to welcome the minister and the three professors.
If Ada and the twins had been closer, they would have heard Mrs. Rosmerta's last whispered exclamation and heard the familiar name of Harry Potter. If they could be more careful, or follow the Three Broomsticks, they might see a familiar figure wearing an invisibility cloak.
The three of them didn't stay in Hogsmeade for long. After buying all the things they needed (mainly Ada's needs), they returned to school. The dementors did not appear in front of Ada and the twins, and the Aurors mixed in the crowd did not cause trouble for them, but the three of them were still stopped at the school gate.
Argus Filch stopped them. The school administrator wants to check the items purchased by the three people to prevent them from bringing contraband into the school. This is an impeccable reason. A serious and responsible person naturally stands on the commanding heights, regardless of whether he is really responsible or just wants to make use of the situation.
Unfortunately, Filch was disappointed with what the trio purchased. Ada and the twins accepted the inspection cooperatively and opened the package without saying a word. As a result, there were only some wool balls and textile supplies inside.
If a ball of wool could be considered contraband, Mrs. Norris would definitely hit Filch to death.
Fred and George put away their things and said goodbye to Filch with a smile, but those who saw the smile shuddered.
If Ada has been battling wits with herself and the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for more than four years, then the twins have been constantly battling with Filch for more than four years.
Although Filch is old, stupid, and a squib, his persistence is indeed admirable. He is committed to catching every naughty and disciplined student. The twins and Peeves were his lifelong enemies.
If he didn't know his enemies well, Filch might as well just switch to teasing cats. His suspicions were not unreasonable. The twins did often buy prohibited items, such as big dung eggs and wolf-tooth flying saucers.
But the question is, will the twins return to school through regular channels after buying these things? They knew Filch very well. They knew how much Filch wanted to fire him, so how could he give this kind of information to the other party?
There is not only one way to enter the school. After purchasing contraband, Fred and George will have to find another way to return to the school. By the time Filch found out, those big dung eggs had already completed their mission.
In order to thank Filch for his warm hospitality and to welcome the Christmas holiday, the twins prepared to give the school administrator a special gift to give him an unforgettable Christmas.
After dinner, the twins sneaked to the door of Filch's office. The two brothers took out the big dung eggs that they had collected for a long time and placed them gently at the door. They also set up a simple trap.
After setting everything up, the twins tiptoed back to the corner of the corridor and met Ada who was waiting there for a break. Ada in the corner was only responsible for looking out, but she covered her face with a handkerchief, leaving only her eyes and forehead exposed. She didn't look like a good person.
When they saw Ada's "fully armed" look, Fred and George both frowned. With those eyes and hair, no one can tell who you are. Isn't it fun to hide your behind the scenes? The two brothers expressed their dissatisfaction with their mouths at the same time. From the opening and closing of their lips, it can be read that what they said was: Big traitor!
Ada tilted her head in confusion. She didn't understand why the twins brought this up again. Ada pointed her left hand at Fred and George's eyes, and then pointed at her empty chest, where she usually took off her prefect badge at some point.
The twins curled their lips and did not continue to despise Ada. Instead, they took out the stones they had prepared in advance and threw them at the office door. The sound of stones hitting the door alerted Filch in the office. He shouted loudly in the room: "Who! Who is outside!"
Ada and the twins quickly retracted half of their bodies and hid behind the wall, trying hard not to make any noise to avoid alerting the enemy. Next, the three of them heard a cat meowing, the creaking of the door opening, and Filch's half-said "Who's there?"...
Bang!
A loud noise not only covered up Filch's angry voice, but also covered up Mrs. Norris's shrill scream. A stench filled every corner of the corridor in an instant, and the big feces egg successfully detonated!
Merry Christmas, dear Argus Filch!