By the time Kael returned to Hogsmeade, it was already getting dark. The lights from the shop windows on both sides of the street shone brightly or dimly, creating a serene and tranquil atmosphere.
Kael didn't rush back to school since he was already here, he decided to drop by the Three Broomsticks to buy some drinks that weren't available at school.
A large barrel of Butterbeer, a bottle of Pumpkin Soda, and two bottles of cherry soda that Conna liked.
After placing the order, Kael waited beside the counter.
Although it wasn't a visiting day, the Three Broomsticks was still crowded, and there were no empty seats to be found.
Not far away, two wizards were drinking and complaining about the current situation.
From their conversation, it was clear that they didn't dare go to the Leaky Cauldron recently, so they chose the Three Broomsticks which was closer to Hogwarts.
People generally believed that Voldemort and the Death Eaters wouldn't dare come near places where Dumbledore was present.
But that was indeed the case, at least so far, Kael hadn't heard of anyone disappearing or being killed by Death Eaters near Hogsmeade. It was understandable that they would choose to come here for a drink and relaxation.
"Here's what you wanted..."
Soon, Ms. Rosmerta returned, and most of the wizards in the bar shifted their gaze along with her, occasionally grinning foolishly and downing a full glass of drink.
This was the second perk of coming to the Three Broomsticks: watching the beautiful and charming owner, Ms. Rosmerta, was far better than facing the old and ugly hunchback Tom. You could even drink two more large glasses.
"Rosmerta, another pint of Honey Wine!" someone shouted loudly, "Quickly!"
"Hang on!" Ms. Rosmerta shouted impatiently, then turned towards Kael.
"Here's what you asked for." She handed over a few packed bottles. "I really hope Hogwarts' visiting day comes sooner, then I won't have to deal with these boring people."
"They're all customers..." Kael said with a smile, "Here to deliver Galleons."
"Ha, just a bunch of cowards who don't dare face the Death Eaters and only think of escaping." Ms. Rosmerta pursed her lips and lowered her voice, "With such a big incident happening at the Ministry of Magic, which capable wizard would come for a drink now?"
"Of course, I'm not talking about you," Ms. Rosmerta added, "Running out from Hogwarts at this time also takes some courage, though I personally do not endorse such behavior."
"You just mentioned the Ministry of Magic, did something happen?" Kael blinked and asked, not caring about her latter comment.
"You'll find out tomorrow."
Ms. Rosmerta didn't seem willing to reveal much to Kael, "By then, you'll be glad you stayed at Hogwarts. It's probably the safest place right now. With Dumbledore there, no Death Eater would dare break in."
"Alright," Ms. Rosmerta raised her voice, "Hurry back before it gets dark."
After speaking, she took out a bottle of Honey Wine and casually tossed it to the group of noisy wizards.
The bottle swayed in mid-air and was caught by a wizard.
"Hey, that's the drink I ordered!"
"I got it first, you can order more..."
The bar erupted with the sound of noisy arguments, but by this time, Kael had already left the bar and was back on the streets of Hogsmeade.
He followed the path back to school, passed through the gate engraved with boars, and walked along the Black Lake grounds to the front of Hogwarts Castle.
It was almost dinnertime, and a few playful lower-year young wizards were hurrying into the castle.
Filch, as usual, was standing at the entrance with a bizarre instrument, inspecting every student passing by.
That was a device for detecting Dark Arts Items. If anyone were carrying anything dangerous, the device would emit a piercing alarm.
"Where have you been, why are you back so late!" When it was Kael's turn, Filch asked with a fierce demeanor.
But he didn't jab the instrument at Kael as he did with others, he just made a standard check around him.
Actually, it wasn't just Kael; every seventh-year student received different treatment from him.
Filch wasn't foolish. He knew well that these soon-to-graduate seventh-year students were different from the others, fearless, with the least respect for school rules and professors. If provoked, they might indeed hit him.
The reason Filch knew this, of course, was because he had had similar experiences before, more than once.
"Ah, I was with Hagrid," Kael said calmly.
"Hagrid..." Filch let out a disdainful sneer.
He looked down on Hagrid, thinking of him as a foolish big oaf, though Hagrid also called Filch an old scumbag; they mutually disliked each other.
"Are you done with the check?" Kael urged, "I'm planning to have dinner."
Filch glanced at the unfazed instrument, saying, "Go on in, but I'll be asking Hagrid afterward. If I find out you're lying... you'll be in for some detention."
"Suit yourself," Kael shrugged indifferently, confident Hagrid would cover for his lie, even if they hadn't communicated beforehand.
Kael first went back to the common room and located a notebook he had once used from a drawer on the table.
Since it hadn't been opened for a long time, a layer of dust had settled on the notebook, but this was easily solved with a simple cleaning charm.