Although Lewis had promised he only wanted to study the candy from a potion-making perspective, Flume still handed them two large tins of Pepper Imps.
"This is my newest product," Flume said, shaking the tin with a grin. "How does it taste?"
Lewis and Hermione didn't stand on ceremony. After thanking him, they opened one of the tins and each popped a candy into their mouths.
A moment later, both of them began breathing streams of flame at each other like a pair of genuine fire dragons.
The flames weren't particularly hot.
Lewis only felt a pleasant warmth filling his nose and throat.
Compared to the real dragon breath of his Chimera form, this was nothing.
Then again…
How many wizards in the world had ever actually experienced dragon breath?
Aside from Lewis, probably very few.
The special effect wasn't the candy's only attraction.
Pepper Imps were genuinely delicious—sweet with a spicy kick that crackled on the tongue like popping candy.
In truth, creating magical effects through potion-making wasn't especially difficult.
The real challenge was making the confection taste good while preserving those magical properties.
As it happened, Ambrosius Flume himself was a Potions Master.
He simply specialized in edible potions.
Back when he was a student, he had been one of Professor Horace Slughorn's favorites and had even been invited into the Slug Club.
Even his first job after graduation had been arranged by Slughorn.
"It tastes excellent."
"This is definitely a successful product."
"I can already imagine it becoming a bestseller."
Lewis praised sincerely.
"From your lips to Merlin's ears."
Flume laughed heartily, clearly delighted by the compliment.
"To be honest, more than half the Hogwarts students who came by this morning bought Pepper Imps."
He suddenly looked at Lewis with interest.
"Tell me, Mr. Green."
"Have you ever considered working with me after graduation?"
"With your talent, I'm sure you could invent all kinds of incredible sweets."
Lewis laughed.
"I'd gladly do it."
"I wouldn't even need a salary."
"As long as you taught me how to make all these pastries and candies."
Flume narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Planning to learn my secrets before opening your own sweetshop?"
"Not at all."
Lewis waved dismissively.
"I don't need the money."
"I just want to learn so I can make them for the people around me…"
"…like her."
He smiled at Hermione.
At that moment, Hermione suddenly seemed intensely interested in a tray of pink coconut ice.
She lowered her head and examined it with remarkable concentration.
Yet Lewis could clearly sense the joy bubbling inside her.
Completely oblivious to the flirtation, Flume sighed dramatically.
"What a shame."
"Even if you wanted to work here, a little shop like mine couldn't possibly afford someone of your caliber."
"A dragon slayer…"
"Oh, please stop bringing up dragons."
"We haven't even finished lunch yet."
Lewis complained.
Flume laughed.
"All right then."
"What would you like to eat?"
"It's on the house today."
Together, Lewis and Hermione enjoyed a pumpkin pie…
Two Cauldron Cakes…
A plate of Ice Mice…
Several Chocolate Cauldrons…
A few Licorice Wands…
And two bottles of fruit soda.
Truthfully…
Quite a lot of it disappeared into Aiwu's stomach.
Yet even after devouring an entire Cauldron Cake and several Licorice Wands…
The little dragon still floated happily in the air.
Unable to do anything about it, Lewis and Hermione eventually left Honeydukes while holding onto Aiwu's tail like someone walking a floating balloon, each sipping pumpkin soda as they wandered through Hogsmeade.
"I never imagined…"
Hermione sighed.
"That you'd be so famous here too."
"You'd only just met Mr. Flume, yet he gave us all those sweets."
"He's actually a really nice person."
Lewis mercilessly shattered her illusion.
"Not quite."
"He was trying to curry favor with me."
"Since I could identify most of his candy recipe at a glance…"
"…he was effectively asking for my protection."
Hermione stared.
"So that's how it was?"
After thinking about it for a moment, she nodded.
"Well…"
"I suppose that's just how the adult world works."
As they passed Zonko's Joke Shop, Lewis spotted Fred and George Weasley.
Zonko's was every Hogwarts student's favorite destination in Hogsmeade.
It sold all sorts of prank supplies capable of satisfying the wildest imaginations.
Dungbombs.
Hiccup Sweets.
Frog Spawn Soap.
Nose-Biting Teacups.
The twins' dream of opening a joke shop had originally begun here.
Unfortunately, their current skills still weren't enough to create products on Zonko's level.
That was precisely why they'd sought Lewis's help during the summer.
Lewis guessed they had come both to stock up and gather inspiration.
Just as he was about to continue walking…
Fred suddenly clutched his stomach and whispered something to George.
Then he hurried away, leaving George alone.
The moment he rounded the corner…
Fred immediately straightened up.
There wasn't the slightest sign that he actually had a stomachache.
Instead, he jogged toward another street.
At the intersection…
Lewis saw Ravenclaw Chaser Angelina waiting impatiently.
Both Lewis and Hermione froze.
Neither of them had expected Fred to secretly date Angelina behind George's back.
Meanwhile…
Poor George remained inside Zonko's, happily browsing merchandise, completely oblivious.
Lewis seriously suspected that by the time George discovered Fred had a girlfriend…
The two of them might already have children.
The twins' little romance was merely one amusing episode during their Hogsmeade trip.
After touring the village, Hermione eventually grew tired.
Lewis therefore suggested they rest at The Three Broomsticks.
The moment they entered the pub, he spotted several familiar faces.
"Oh."
"Professor Flitwick."
"Professor McGonagall."
"Hagrid."
"Good afternoon."
Lewis greeted them together with Hermione.
Flitwick, McGonagall, and Hagrid were sitting at the bar with several other people, chatting.
Seeing Lewis and Hermione, both professors happily invited them over, while Hagrid enthusiastically gave each of them a hug.
"Oh!"
"Good afternoon, Mr. Green."
Lewis turned toward the unfamiliar voice.
It was the Minister for Magic…
Cornelius Fudge.
Because Hagrid's enormous frame had blocked his view, Lewis hadn't noticed him sitting farther inside.
"Good afternoon, Minister Fudge."
Lewis greeted politely.
The two already knew each other fairly well.
Fudge had personally presented Lewis with awards twice.
First, the Order of Merlin, First Class, for slaying the Chimera.
Second, a Ministry commendation for participating in the dragon-hunting operation.
"Two Butterbeers."
"And two sandwiches."
Lewis calmly ordered from Madam Rosmerta as though everyone around him were perfectly ordinary people.
Hermione, on the other hand…
Found herself drinking beside two professors and the Minister for Magic.
She was so nervous she barely dared speak.
Madam Rosmerta—a beautiful, graceful woman with an elegant figure—quickly brought over their order.
Rather than leaving afterward, she remained behind the bar and joined everyone else's conversation.
"You know…"
she said with obvious irritation,
"Those Dementors have searched my pub twice already."
"They've scared away my customers."
"That's terrible for business, Minister."
"Rosmerta, my dear…"
Fudge answered awkwardly.
"I dislike them just as much as you do."
"But these precautions are necessary."
"In fact…"
"They're furious with Dumbledore for refusing to let them enter the castle grounds."
"I agree with him completely."
Professor McGonagall said sharply.
"How are we supposed to teach with those horrible creatures floating around everywhere?"
"They've already attacked students more than once."
Flitwick added angrily.
"If Mr. Green hadn't intervened on both occasions, my students would have suffered terribly."
"Cornelius…"
"You ought to be thanking my student."
"A-All right…"
Fudge admitted reluctantly.
"Mr. Green certainly has rendered great service to the Ministry…"
"But Black…"
Once again, he steered the conversation back toward Sirius Black.
No one made any attempt to avoid discussing confidential matters in front of Lewis.
In their eyes, his accomplishments had already earned him the right to know these things.
Hermione wisely pretended not to exist, quietly sipping Butterbeer while listening with rapt attention.
"You know…"
Madam Rosmerta said thoughtfully.
"I still find it difficult to believe."
"Sirius Black…"
"One of You-Know-Who's followers…"
"I remember him when he was just a student at Hogwarts."
"If someone had told me back then what he'd become…"
"I would've said they'd had too much to drink."
"You don't know the half of it, Rosmerta."
Fudge replied stiffly.
"Very few people know the worst thing he ever did."
"The worst?"
Rosmerta asked curiously.
"You mean…"
"Worse than murdering all those people?"
"Do you remember who his closest friend was?"
Fudge asked instead.
"Of course."
Rosmerta smiled.
"Sirius Black and James Potter."
"They were inseparable."
"They always had me in stitches."
As everyone continued talking…
Lewis quietly glanced toward one corner of the pub.
"You would've thought they were brothers."
Flitwick nodded in agreement.
"Inseparable."
The conversation gradually turned toward James naming Sirius as Secret Keeper for the Fidelius Charm.
McGonagall sighed sadly.
"Who could've imagined…"
"…that someone so close to James would ultimately betray him?"
By the end, even the normally composed Transfiguration professor sounded slightly choked with emotion.
Hermione was completely stunned.
She could already imagine how Harry would react upon hearing all of this.
Knowing his personality…
He would almost certainly rush off to confront Sirius Black.
Should she tell him?
As she wrestled with that question…
The conversation continued.
They discussed Black's capture…
Peter Pettigrew…
And many other secrets.
Roughly an hour later, the professors and Minister Fudge finally left the pub.
Hermione was about to leave together with Lewis…
When he suddenly led her toward a secluded corner.
Looking directly at what appeared to be empty air, he calmly said,
"You can come out now, Harry."
"I know you're there."
The next second…
Harry Potter appeared beneath his Invisibility Cloak, his face flushed bright red.
Standing shoulder to shoulder beneath the cloak with him…
Was an equally furious Ron Weasley.
They had heard…
Every single word.
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