A journey to Hogsmeade

"So, Professor Weasley said you were in dire need of supplies," Sebastian said as they walked out the doors of Hogwarts.

"Yeah, poor Talon died in a dragon's maw, so I need another Owl. My wand broke, so that's on the list. Then, all my school supplies as well. It'll be lovely running around buying all I need." William's sarcastic voice permeated the surroundings as they ran past the plants and the fountain decorating the courtyard. 

"I can tell you've never visited the village before by the way you speak, so I'll enlighten you." He said with a pleasant smile as they walked under the gate that separates Hogwarts grounds from the outside world. "Hogsmeade is a beautiful wizarding village that has everything you could need. It isn't some third-rate slum, but a thriving city of wizards."

William responded with a scoff and a smile, "I'm glad you have shown me the error of my thinking, oh mighty Sebastian."

Sebastian's smile was evident as they walked down the brick Street. He put his hands on his hips and shouted, "As you should be!" 

Slight chuckles escaped both their lips as they walked in silence. They took in the cool afternoon air and the sun's warm rays. "I'm actually glad Professor Weasley asked me to guide you to Hogsmeade."

"Oh, yeah. Why's that?" William said, kicking a pebble.

"You're not going to believe it, but you're the only student to beat me in a duel, ever. Therefore, I must keep my eyes on the competition," Sebastian said with a slimy smile as if he were a hornswoggling salesman.

"Really?"

"You're looking at the crossed wands champion!" His smile gleamed, and he spread his arms as if expecting cheers from a crowd.

William released a small laugh, "And that means…"

"Since my second year, there's been a tournament. It's called the Crossed Wands, an invitation-only club that hosts combatants from the first year up until the fifth. Every year since its inception, I've been its champion."

"You beat fifth years as a second year? I call gobbledygook?"

"Nonsense? Do you think I, the great champion, would speak such falsities? Perposterous!"

"Well then, could I join? It'd help me hone my spell casting… plus I need to kick you down from your throne."

"Sure! The club has grown over the years, but we need more tough students to participate. Besides, I'd love to face you in unrestricted combat; you won't get the edge on me this time!"

The two then started to speed up their walking. They were walking, jogging, and then running. It was as if it was a race, a competition that neither mentioned. They ran across a large bridge. The waters underneath flowed from the mountains, creating a violent river that flowed into the 'Great Lake' that surrounded most of Hogwarts.

As they ran, Sebastian said, "I've observed that Professor Weasley has taken a liking to you. Which is quite odd." 

"Take a liking to me? No, she basically kicked me out of her class." 

"Look, she got me out of a possible detention from the librarian, Ms. Scribner. She would have just let you wander with a random student if you weren't important. Plus, she kept addressing you as a 'talented student.'" Sebastian said, falling behind as they ran.

"I still doubt it, but do tell me, why would you get detention?" William asked as they arrived at the top of a hill overlooking a large dark forest. His pace slowed to a walk, but his breathing remained steady.

With deep breaths, Sebastian said, "I guess it's a problem of getting caught. I've had quite the history with detentions, especially from Ms. Scribner." Sebastian's green eyes glowed.

"Ohh, that's her name. I met her but never asked," William's hardy laugh resounded down the road as they walked. "She seemed very nice. What did you do to warrant detention?"

"Just a differing of opinions. She thinks I shouldn't be allowed in the restricted section, and I think otherwise."

"Ah, the locked section in the library. It puzzled me as I recorded books, but I'm quite interested in what's behind those locked doors." William said, looking at the blackened forest ahead with a questioning gaze.

"Recording books? What's that supposed to mean?" 

"Ahh," William pulled out his tome, secured to his waist in a tiny bag. As he held it in his hands, it expanded to the size of a large book. 'Another feature of the book I discovered while in the library was size manipulation. As Natsai tutored me, I used my book to practice transfiguration, changing the color of the cover or the four house emblem on the front, but as soon as I applied the magic to the 'field guide,' it shrunk in size. It's a true wonder if I do say so myself.'

"It's a book, cooked up by the ministry, that lets me collect the simplified knowledge from any book I please."

Sebastian held his mouth agape and stopped walking. He leaned against the brick walls that lined the road and said, "That is probably the most useful item I could ask for." His mouth watered as he looked at the book; it was as if a steak, cooled to perfection, was hung in front of him. "Could I use it," Sebastian said, reaching for the book.

William pulled it away with a somewhat sadistic smile, "You can have it… but only when I'm sleeping-"

"Deal!" Sebastian shouted.

William looked at Sebastian with annoyance as he finished, "And you have to teach me wandless magic."

"But you can't teach wandless magic! It's about skill and repetition." Sebastian then looked around as if desperate. "See that bush over there, past the wall; it holds a whole community of Lacewing Flies. They have a beautiful glow; if you stew them long enough, they make a powerful potion ingredient. You want information," he pointed to the bush, "There's the information. But it's impossible to teach you."

"Alright, fine, but I'm invited the next time you go to the restricted section." William tapped on his tome with Fig's wand, and it shrank again. He placed it into his side bag and started walking.

Sebastian watched William walk away before getting up and running towards him, "it's a deal?!"

"Yes, it's a deal."

Silence issued as Sebastian presumably thought about ways to collect information with the tome then consume its knowledge.

"Woah!" Both young men stopped to admire the beauty of the Hippogriffs flying out of the twilight-engulfed forest and into the open valley. The beast had a steed's back legs, and its front legs were deadly talons. They had wings protruding from their backs, which they used to fly, and their heads were that of eagles.

"It's not often you see Hippogriffs outside of the forbidden forest. Their appearance always blows me away." Sebastian said as they observed the creatures flying through the air. The extraordinary sound of their wings flapping and their cries resonated through the air.

William and Sebastian began to walk again, their black and green cloaks blowing in the crisp, soothing wind. The duo continued as flocks of birds flew and animals roamed the fields.

"Afternoon," Sebastian greeted a group of primarily Hufflepuff students. They seemed to be lounging on the side of the road, talking.

"Afternoon," one said to the two Slytherins before returning to their group. "You think Poppy saw the Hippogriffs yet?" The student asked. 

"Yeah, she definitely has. She probably already named them, knowing her." Another commented. 

William and Sebastian eavesdropped as they walked by. Sebastian then commented as they walked over a bridge, "To the left is the entrance to the forbidden forest. It is out of bounds to all students." Sebastian gestured as they walked. 

"Hence the name."

"They think it's too dangerous; I think they should have more faith in the defensive capabilities of their students. Ah! Hogsmeade is up ahead, just past those ruins." Sebastian said as he started to run again. 

The town was built on a hill, just at the foot of a mountain. The lone mountain lies in the center of the northern part of the valley. Its presence divides up the northern regions of the land. To the east, it creates Hogsmeade Valley, and to the west, it blocks the expansion of the Forbidden Forest.

"Have you had a chance to explore the castle?" Sebastian said as he glanced at the ground, making sure not to trip as he ran.

Yes, I have, but it's the largest building I've ever seen. It'll take me months, maybe even years, to fully explore it."

"That it is. I've spent years of my life in those chambers and hallways, but I've only scratched the surface. Although, over time, I've found plenty of the secrets the school has to offer."

"Care to share?" William said as they ran. The road stretched up the hill, with trees scattered around the walkway.

"Perhaps one day," Sebastian said with a chuckle evident in his voice. "I can't reveal my secrets so soon. Plus, you still haven't told me how you got so good at dueling." 

William went silent for a moment, 'Well, I can't tell him about yesterday's events, Professor Fig's orders… maybe I could make up something about the dragon.'

"Pardon!" A stagecoach shouted as he wiped the dark horse-like creatures pulling the carriage. The carriage sped on, but the black, malnourished-looking horses with curled-up wings lingered in William's mind.

"...I've always found the sight of thestrals pulling a carriage to be quite grim, though most people don't see them at all," Sebastian said in a noticeably grimmer tone. "But you can see them too, can't you? You've seen quite the bit firsthand, I imagine… Hopefully, the rest of your year won't be as peralice as the dragon attack."

'Oh, that's what they're called. They were driving our carriage on our way to Hogwarts. When the dragon suddenly attacked.' William thought before he responded with a light smile, "Thanks for the consideration. You know, I almost had piss fill my pants as that dragon attacked."

A genuine laugh billowed from Sebastian's mouth. "I don't blame you. If the first creature I saw were a hungry dragon, I'd probably miss my pants."

"Mr. Moon!" Sebastian called out to a man curled up in a ball on the side of the road. Sebastian's voice was laced with concern. 

"Who's that?" Willian exclaimed.

Sebastian turned to William and elaborated, "He's the Hogwarts caretaker."

"They're everywhere!" Mr. Moon cried from his ball. 

Sebastian looked to the broken man with an uneasy face, "Mr. Moon, are you okay? What's everywhere?"

Sebastian walked over to the old Asian man with measured steps. When Sebastian got close, Moon lunged out of his ball and screamed, "Demiguise! I see them everywhere I go." 

Sebastian backed away, just barely avoiding Moons's grasp. The man fell to the ground with a bang. With a deep sigh, Sebastian continued walking to Hogsmeade, "He had me worried for a moment. Fucking drunkard."

William raised an eyebrow, "I take it you don't like Mr. Moon?"

"My sister Anne loves the old sot thinks he's funny, but I think, at the very least, he needs to do his job better. That's not to mention his alcoholic problems," Sebastian said, a disgusted expression appearing on his face.

"Oh, you have a sister? Is she in Slytherin as well?" William inquired, trying to lighten the mood as they approached the township of Hogsmeade.

"She is—or rather, she was. She's not well at the moment, but she'll get better soon…" Despite Sebastian's upbeat mood towards the end, depression crushed their conversation. 

They walked over the large stone bridge into the township. The bridge's wooden roof was beautiful, but it couldn't compare to the majesty of the settlement standing before William. The houses were large, dwarfing William with their high angular roofs and colossal foundations. The streets were filled with people, who all had smiles adorning their faces; it was as if there were no cares in the world for the town's denizens. While this was a novel sight to William, it didn't stand out much to him. What did, though, was the color. Vibrant reds, blues, yellows, greens, and purples decorated the town's streets, giving a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

"Welcome to Hogsmeade!" Sebastian said with glee.