Continuing where we left off, Honeydukes was overflowing with Hogwarts students, so no one paid any extra attention to Kate.
It was Halloween, and everyone was dressed up in various monster and ghost costumes. Kate walked along the perimeter, frantically searching for Penelope.
The shop was crammed with shelves holding the most delightful candies imaginable: large chunks of creamy fudge, shimmering pink coconut ice cubes, hundreds of meticulously arranged chocolates of every variety, a giant barrel of Every-Flavored Beans, a vat of Fizzing Whizzbees, and syrupy drinks floating independently in mid-air. Along another wall sat various "special effects" candies: Drooble's Best Blowing Gum (which could fill an entire room with lilac-colored bubbles that wouldn't pop for days), strangely ribbed Toothflossing Stringmints, tiny Black Pepper Imps ("Make your friends breathe fire from their noses!"), Ice Mice ("Hear your teeth chattering and grinding!"), frog-shaped Peppermint Toads ("They really bounce in your stomach!"), crispy sugar quills, and exploding bonbons.
Yes, this was Hogsmeade, the legendary wizarding village that only third-year students were permitted to visit, and this was the famous Honeydukes. For a moment, Kate completely forgot she was supposed to be tailing Penelope as her mouth began to water.
Yet, as the old saying goes, the harder you try to avoid something, the more suddenly it appears right before you.
Penelope stood tucked away in a quiet corner, half her face illuminated by an expression Kate had never witnessed before. Standing directly opposite her was a striking boy—not only because he was the sole person not wearing a costume, but also because he was impossibly handsome. He wore a plain black wizard's robe, possessed pitch-black hair, gleaming white skin, deep and brilliant silver-white eyes, and a slight touch of boyish baby fat that only added to his charm.
So, Penelope did have a secret boyfriend after all.
The focus now shifts to Ryan.
It was a bright, sunny morning, and Ryan had woken up early. His breakfast consisted of chickpeas, fried sausage, eggs, and a cup of hot milk—a classic, simple English breakfast. Following a relaxing meal, Ryan began his morning regimen.
"One, two, three, four, two, two, three, four... that doesn't count, let's go again."
Accompanied by these silent repetitions, Ryan's movements flowed continuously, shifting seamlessly until a galaxy-like glimmer of light rippled around him. His breathing possessed a unique, mesmerizing cadence—sometimes rapid, sometimes slow, at times piercingly clear, and at others deep and sonorous. This gymnastics routine was so suffused with anomalous visual phenomena that even its original creator would have failed to recognize it.
As his Body Modification skill continued to evolve, the routine had undergone a complete transformation.
It was no longer a simple sequence of physical movements. The rhythm of his respiration, the silent hymns whispered in his mind, the emotional expressions tied to each motion, and even the subtle circulation of his magic had all integrated into the practice. To execute a single complete cycle required not only Ryan's extraordinary talent, but a foundation so rigorous that even Dumbledore would likely struggle to finish it. This was a custom skill Ryan had forged specifically to outpace everyone else in the wizarding world.
Paired with the Black Knight revolver, very few individuals could hope to survive even a single round against him.
A refreshing bath followed his workout as a matter of course. While it wasn't his first time using it, Ryan couldn't help marveling at the space. This was a bathroom George Smith had never been permitted to enter during his lifetime. Ryan's own personal bathroom, however luxurious, paled by comparison.
Upon stepping inside, one was greeted by a dreamlike, ethereal dome of starlight featuring every constellation visible to modern astronomy—unmistakably the masterpiece of an ancestor passionately devoted to stargazing.
The twinkling stars cast a warm, gentle glow across the entire chamber. Plumes of mist rose from the central pool like drifting clouds, and the floor was carpeted in lush green artificial turf interspersed with miniature rockeries and unfamiliar exotic flowers.
Though synthetic, the turf felt wonderfully cool beneath his bare feet, like tiny, soothing hands massaging his soles.
The central bathing pool was built directly against a rock garden resembling a natural hot spring. Integrated into the stonework were roughly a hundred inconspicuous holes acting as water jets, accompanied by a small diving board.
A massive pile of soft white towels, stacked like a snowdrift, sat waiting on the dry stone platform beside the spring.
Directly opposite the rock garden hung a single painting framed in gilded gold. It depicted a stretch of sea bordered by jagged rocks. Captured at a moment of perfect tranquility, a blonde mermaid slept soundly upon the stones, her long, beautiful hair brushing her cheek and trembling gently with each rhythmic breath.
Ryan had no intention of wasting time. After a quick wash—careful not to disturb the sleeping mermaid on the rock—he donned a plain black wizard's robe and prepared to depart.
With a series of soft cracking sounds, escorted by Jack, they finally materialized within the village of Hogsmeade.
It was still far too early for his 2 PM appointment, hovering around 11 in the morning. Ryan decided to scout the area beforehand to map out his afternoon. Sending Jack off to run errands, he made his way directly to the famous Three Broomsticks Inn—primarily a pub, but one that served hearty, simple meals.
Stepping inside, he found the tavern already humming with a festive holiday atmosphere. A voluptuous woman in vibrant attire drifted between the tables. If his memory served him right, this was Madam Rosmerta, the very woman Ron would later crush on.
Spotting Ryan enter, the experienced Madam Rosmerta's face lit up at the sight of such a remarkably handsome young customer.
"Happy Halloween, young gentleman! What can I get started for you?" Madam Rosmerta purred, drifting closer with a soft, gentle smile.
"Madam Rosmerta! Another Butterbeer!" bellowed a bald, middle-aged wizard from a nearby armchair.
"Right away, give me just a moment!" Madam Rosmerta barked over her shoulder. Her tone wasn't necessarily unpleasant—indeed, it was quite cheerful—yet compared to the dulcet tones she had used on Ryan, it felt jarringly abrupt.
The bald wizard instinctively shrank back into his collar.
"Now, young gentleman, today is Halloween, and we have some wonderful special treats," Madam Rosmerta cooed, instantly snapping back into her honeyed voice.
Ryan offered a polite, measured smile. "Just a Butterbeer for now. What do you recommend to eat?"
"Food? We have sausage rolls, fried pork rinds, and Yorkshire pudding." Perhaps surprised to find someone so genuinely interested in a proper meal at a pub, Rosmerta rattled off the menu items in a breathless rush, completely ignoring the prominent blackboard menu hanging right beside the bar.
"Then I'll take a sausage roll and a steak with potato salad," Ryan replied, politely pretending he hadn't noticed the menu either.
With his modest order placed, Ryan pulled out his only source of entertainment—Gilderoy Lockhart's Journeys with Vampires—and settled in to read, occasionally exchanging light pleasantries with Madam Rosmerta.