With Christmas in full swing, Hogsmeade looked like something straight out of a holiday card. A fresh layer of snow blanketed the thatched-roof cottages and shops, wreaths of holly adorned the doors, and the trees were strung with enchanted candles flickering warmly in the winter air.
Wentworth first accompanied Cassandra to Gladrags Wizardwear. Though she usually carried herself with an air of cool detachment, the moment they stepped into the shop, Wentworth caught a flicker of something in her eyes—a spark, like flames dancing to life.
Cassandra moved from rack to rack, trying on one outfit after another. Each time, she would stand before the mirror for a long moment, admiring the reflection before casually strolling past Wentworth, as if gauging his reaction to the fit.
Wentworth, for his part, remained silent throughout her parade of outfits. However, every so often, as Cassandra passed by him, he would let out an exaggerated gasp of surprise.
And at other times, he would simply shake his head without a word.
Whenever that happened, Cassandra would, without hesitation, toss the rejected garment back to the shop assistant and move on without a second glance.
After selecting a few outfits, she instructed the assistant to have them sent to Hogwarts.
Seeing that Cassandra had finished her shopping, Wentworth was about to make his escape when he felt a tug on the hem of his robe.
He turned to see Cassandra, who, without a shred of courtesy, plucked a set of wizarding dress robes from a nearby rack and thrust them against his chest.
"Try it on!" she commanded.
There was no room for negotiation.
Thus, with a sigh of resignation, Wentworth found himself shuttling back and forth between the fitting room and the main hall. Every time he emerged, Cassandra would circle him once before issuing one of two verdicts:
"Wrap it up!"
"Next one!"
And so, despite her apparent efficiency, Wentworth soon realized that he had spent even more time in the shop than Cassandra had.
As he finally stepped out of Gladrags Wizardwear, a familiar, suppressed dread surfaced in his mind—the haunting memory of being dragged through endless shopping trips in his past life.
His moment of relief was short-lived, however, as they passed Zonko's Joke Shop. Ignoring Cassandra's protests, Wentworth adamantly dragged her inside.
Cassandra watched with barely concealed disdain as Wentworth explored the shop with childlike excitement, embodying the very essence of the phrase boys will be boys. Of course, in Wentworth's case, he was still a boy.
The chaos reached its peak when Wentworth, after consuming a Hiccup Sweet, "accidentally" flung a Nose-Biting Teacup straight at Cassandra. The teacup latched onto her nose with a firm bite, much to her horror. Only then did Wentworth, still grinning mischievously, allow himself to be dragged out of the shop by an irate Cassandra.
Even as they stepped out onto the street, he called back over his shoulder to the shop assistant, "Send everything I picked out to Hogwarts!"
After an eventful morning of shopping and mischief, both Wentworth and Cassandra were feeling quite hungry.
However, when it came to choosing a place to eat, the two found themselves at an impasse.
Cassandra was adamant about going to the Hog's Head, eager to experience the mysterious ambiance of dining among cloaked and masked patrons. She was even curious to try the pub's infamous Butterbeer.
Wentworth, on the other hand, was acutely aware that the owner of the Hog's Head was none other than Aberforth Dumbledore—the younger brother of his own headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.
Blatantly breaking Hogwarts rules by bringing a female classmate to a pub owned by his headmaster's brother? Wentworth wasn't that reckless.
Instead, he insisted on visiting the Three Broomsticks. He swore—truly, he did—that his interest lay solely in trying the pub's signature Red Currant Rum and had absolutely nothing to do with Madam Rosmerta, the still-radiant owner in her forties.
Cassandra, however, was having none of it. No matter what Wentworth said, she refused to agree.
In the end, after much back-and-forth, the two reluctantly compromised. They went neither to the Hog's Head nor to the Three Broomsticks but instead found themselves at Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop.
As they stepped inside, weaving past the golden cherubs that occasionally scattered handfuls of confetti, they were met with the sight of a small, misty tea shop decorated with frilly lace and soft pink hues.
All around them, young couples sat in pairs, leaning close—foreheads touching, shoulders brushing—whispering sweet nothings to one another in hushed voices. The air was thick with a saccharine sort of intimacy.
Cassandra's cheeks deepened in color. Wentworth, too, looked visibly uncomfortable.
And yet, neither suggested leaving.
Thus, they sat in uneasy silence, each occupied with their own thoughts as they made their way through their meal.
As they were about to leave, Madam Puddifoot herself appeared at the door, smiling as she handed them each a heart-shaped cloud confection.
And so, as Wentworth and Cassandra walked through the streets of Hogsmeade once more, each carrying a fluffy, heart-shaped treat, they couldn't help but attract curious glances from passersby.
Just as they were about to make their way to Honeydukes to stock up on sweets before returning to Hogwarts, something unexpected caught their attention.
Not far from Honeydukes, a brand-new marble building was under construction.
In a village dominated by thatched-roof wooden structures, the stark contrast of gleaming white marble stood out like a misplaced piece of a puzzle.
Both Wentworth and Cassandra felt an eerie sense of familiarity, as though they had seen this building somewhere before.
Their suspicions were confirmed the moment two goblins stepped out from within, barking orders at the construction workers.
Wentworth and Cassandra exchanged a stunned glance before exclaiming in unison:
"Gringotts?!"
After confirming with a shop assistant at Honeydukes, they learned that the construction site indeed belonged to Gringotts—it was a branch of the wizarding bank, newly established in Hogsmeade.
Wentworth found this curious. As far as he remembered, the original timeline never mentioned Gringotts opening a branch in Hogsmeade.
But on second thought, it made perfect sense. Hogsmeade was the largest wizarding settlement in Britain. Opening a branch here was hardly an unreasonable move.
Satisfied with this explanation, Wentworth set the thought aside.
After purchasing an ample supply of sweets from Honeydukes, he led Cassandra through the secret passage in the Shrieking Shack, quietly making their way back to Hogwarts.
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