Chapter 391: Madam Puddifoot, the Candy-Making Expert

Christmas was drawing ever closer. One morning, a sparkling frost covered the castle grounds, and a festive buzz filled the air inside Hogwarts. Professor Lupin had set up a few small Christmas trees in his classroom, with various sweets hanging from the branches for students to enjoy—probably his biggest splurge of the term. Over in Charms Class, Professor Flitwick had gone all out with decorations, stringing the classroom with colorful lights that morphed into tiny, winged fairies whenever someone approached, zooming around the room like magical fireflies.

The final Hogsmeade trip before Christmas was set for the last weekend of term. Fred and George opted to stay behind for a bit, deciding it was time to inject Harry with some holiday cheer before they left.

Hogsmeade was enchanting under a fresh blanket of snow, like a Christmas card brought to life: the cottages and shops were dusted with white, doors were adorned with holly wreaths, and trees along the streets glowed with enchanted candles. Having bought most of their essentials on the last visit, Cedric suggested they check out the one spot they hadn't been yet: Madam Puddifoot's Tea House.

As if on cue, Cho immediately agreed, even urging Kanna and Kyle to come along. "Penelope says it's the best spot in Hogsmeade," she added. "And we haven't been there before."

Kanna's interest was piqued, and she joined eagerly. Kyle trailed behind, casting a questioning glance at Cedric.

"Why do you want to go there?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What?" Cedric shrugged, feigning innocence. "I'm just curious. Besides, Madam Puddifoot's and the Shrieking Shack are about the only Hogwarts spots we haven't explored."

"True," Kyle replied, though his voice held a hint of suspicion. "But, as far as I know, that's usually a couples' spot. Haven't you heard?"

"Oh, um…" Cedric stammered, clearly flustered. "I hadn't, actually…" He awkwardly changed the subject, mumbling, "Do you think Fred and George will have any trouble finding us here…?"

Kyle decided to let it go, noticing Cedric's reddening ears. "You don't need to worry about that," he replied, following Cedric's lead. "Their first stop will be Zonkos, and they'll probably spend a good hour in there. They won't be looking for us anytime soon."

Cedric laughed, relief mingling with humor. "You're right about that."

...

So, the group crossed the main road and arrived at the entrance of the quaint, tiny teahouse. A notice was posted on the door, and Cho read it aloud:

"Ministry of Magic Order:

Customers, please be aware that unless otherwise notified, Dementors will patrol the streets of Hogsmeade every day at sunset.

This measure is for the safety of residents and will remain in effect until Sirius Black is captured... Merry Christmas!"

Kyle also glanced at the notice. It seemed the Ministry had received some kind of tip and had deployed most of the Dementors here. Unfortunately, it wasn't likely to help… If Kyle wasn't mistaken, Black had probably left Hogsmeade long ago.

The others didn't pay it much attention either; the notice made it clear that the Dementors would only patrol at sunset, and it was still midday. Cho pushed open the door to the teahouse.

The teahouse was indeed small, with just a few little round tables, and a hazy, almost frilly atmosphere, as if decorated with endless bows and lace. Due to the tiny tables, they had to split up, each pair taking two adjacent seats.

"What would you like to order?" Madam Puddifoot asked as she came over. She was a plump little woman with shiny black hair pulled back in a bun, squeezing herself carefully between the tables.

"Four crème coffees, please," Cho ordered, seemingly prepared. Once Madam Puddifoot had left, she leaned in and whispered, "Penelope said this is the best here."

Kanna, who had been excited about this outing, was now blushing, having noticed the particular atmosphere of the teahouse as well—it was mostly couples holding hands. Still, she'd come all this way, so she shyly took her seat next to Kyle.

Before long, Madam Puddifoot returned with four floating cups. The coffee, topped with a thick layer of white custard, looked delightful.

Kyle took a sip and immediately set the cup down. For a moment, he wondered if Madam Puddifoot had a secret fondness for Dumbledore; the coffee was brewed exactly to the Headmaster's taste—so sweet it was like drinking pure syrup, with barely any hint of coffee flavor at all. Even the faint bitterness resembled concentrated sugar rather than coffee.

Even house-elves would probably feel a bit ashamed of this level of sweetness...

The group lingered in the teahouse for a while longer. Then Kanna leaned over to Kyle and whispered, "Is there anything else here?"

Like Kyle, her cup remained nearly full. She had also taken just a single sip and decided against drinking more. They both had a similar taste, preferring something less overwhelmingly sweet.

Kyle shook his head. He wasn't sure what other drinks were on the menu, but if the coffee was this sugary, he doubted that the black tea or anything else would be any better.

After a moment's thought, Kyle suggested, "Why don't we head over to The Three Broomsticks? We could get a Butterbeer, a plate of chocolate cookies, and two roast beef pies... I left so early today that I haven't even had breakfast yet."

Kanna's eyes lit up at the mention of meat pies. "Yes!"

The two exchanged a look and stood up at the same time.

"Should we invite them?" Kanna asked, glancing at Cedric and Cho nearby.

"Nah," Kyle replied, shaking his head. The two seemed too engrossed in conversation to notice anything around them.

"You're right," Kanna chuckled, covering her mouth.

Kyle paid the bill, and the two quietly slipped out of the teahouse, heading toward The Three Broomsticks. On the way, Kanna eyed the cup of coffee Kyle still held and asked, puzzled, "You don't actually like that, do you? Why are you bringing it along?"

"This?" Kyle looked down at the cup and grinned. "This isn't for me—it's a Christmas present for Professor Dumbledore."

"Professor Dumbledore?" Kanna hesitated. "You really think he'll like it?"

"Of course," Kyle nodded. *If you watch closely, you'll notice that whenever Professor Dumbledore attends a banquet, he always goes for the desserts. And last time I was in his office, he was recommending a Crème Brulee to Professor Snape. It's a new item from Honeydukes—just as sweet and intense as this coffee, so I think he'll love it."

"Really? I never noticed that before," Kanna said, blinking. Then, as if a thought occurred to her, she glanced back thoughtfully in the direction of the teahouse.