Chapter 107: Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop
“I’m sorry; my friend is waiting for me there!”
When she turned to where he was looking, Cho Chang saw Hermione standing in the doorway.
“Oh, well, I’m glad I’ve met you.” Cho looked a bit disappointed. She said in a gentle tone, “Goodbye, Evan!”
“Goodbye!” Evan waved.
“Who is that girl?” Hermione came over and looked suspiciously at Cho’s back.
“Her name is Cho Chang and she’s a fourth-year Ravenclaw student. I just accidentally knocked her over. I helped her pick up her candies, and she invited me to the Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop across the street…..”
“Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop?!” Hermione repeated it in a low voice, with her eyes narrowing. “She looks beautiful!”
“Yeah, she’s really pretty…”
Evan felt that something was wrong. He hadn’t finished his words yet, but Hermione, who was standing in front of him, suddenly looked a bit sad.
“Cho looks really good, but she’s not my type.” Evan said cautiously. “To me, you are always the most beautiful, Hermione!”
When she heard him, Hermione blushed and the tense atmosphere softened.
“This is so unlike you Evan!” Hermione said in a serious tone, but her face grinned. “You must have learned this from Vicky.”
Vicky Frobisher is Evan’s roommate and a handsome boy. He goes around chasing girls a lot, and has bad grades.
“I really think so.”
Evan looked at Hermione seriously, thinking hard and trying to remember Vicky’s tricks that he pulls off when talking to girls every night before going to bed.
“Okay, I’ll believe you for the time being.” Hermione was embarrassed and tried to avoid Evan’s eyes.
The mood was awkward. Evan remembered that Vicky had said that such moments are crucial, and that he should use them to win the girl’s heart. He must not give her an opportunity to sidestep.
But what should he do next?!
Before crossing over, Evan had no romantic expertise. He had no time to think about such a thing with all the studying and exams he had.
Even if he liked a girl, he would just look at her from afar.
Facing Hermione, Evan didn’t know what to do, be he knew he needed to say something!
“Hermione, I…” Evan gathered his courage.
“Wait a minute, Evan!” Hermione seemed to have realized something and her eyes that were dodging Evan’s regard gazed back at him. “You’re too careless. You haven’t been allowed to Hogsmeade by the school. If you’re discovered, then you’d be……”
“Don’t worry, I don’t think that Cho is the kind of person who would go tell on me.” Evan blinked, and the momentum and atmosphere that he had built up all collapsed in a second.
“Of course she wouldn’t, but what would you do if you were seen by Malfoy? You would be in big trouble, especially since we just offended Professor Snape in the morning.” Hermione said worriedly. “Hurry up; you should put on Harry’s invisibility cloak.”
Evan realized that Hermione was right. Right then, he saw from the shop window the trio of Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. He quickly took out the invisibility cloak from his back and put it on his head.
Right when disappeared, he heard Malfoy’s voice getting close.
“This year’s Quidditch Cup belongs to Slytherin. Who would have thought that Potter would be so afraid of the Dementors? The next time they have a game, the three of us could just come in with Capes and scare him, he would fall off again and they’d have to install a parachute on his broomstick!”
Crabbe and Goyle snickered, Malfoy smirked. He felt better about what he said when he suddenly saw Hermione standing alone in the corner, and had a malicious smile on his pale face.
“In addition to that incident, my dad will attend a hearing organized by the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures in January to tell its members that I couldn’t move my arm for three months!” Malfoy deliberately raised his voice. ” I really hope I’ll be able to take part of it when it happens, so I could see that stupid furry behemoth trying to defend that creature: It’s not harmful! Really, it’s safe!”
“Let’s go, Evan!” Hermione ignored Malfoy.
She knew that he was just talking nonsense. With their recent efforts, both Hagrid and Buckbeak should be fine. There was no need to answer Malfoy.
Because of this, Malfoy must actually be Mad.
He squinted as Hermione walked past him. He seemed to have wanted to stop her, but he hesitated and did nothing.
Hermione was on her own here, with neither Evan nor Harry nor Ron by her side. Malfoy didn’t want to look like he was bullying a girl.
“Think about it, when they cut off that stupid big-headed Hippogriff’s head, I think he’d cry, hha!” Malfoy deliberately said that, looking at Hermione’s back as she was leaving.
Hearing Malfoy’s laughter, Evan was in rage. Then he saw a barrel of Jelly Slugs on the side and suddenly had an idea.
“You open the door and wait for me a bit!” Evan whispered to Hermione.
This opportunity is too good to be missed.
He walked quietly behind Malfoy, aimed at his butt, pulled his foot back, and then kicked back with all he had!
Next thing you know, Malfoy was upside down with his head in the Jelly Slugs’ barrel. The green juice was splattered everywhere.
His legs were struggling and he was screaming inside the barrel. Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other in panic, and then went to try to pull him out.
The scene was a mess, and everyone in the shop looked at him in surprise and wondered why he would stuff his head into the slug barrel. After all, even if he likes that Candy so much, there’s no reason for him to take it so far!
Ignoring the chaos behind him, Evan ran out of the Honeydukes Shop laughing, and thinking of how happy Harry and Ron would be when they hear about this. Unfortunately, Colin wasn’t there. Otherwise, this would’ve made the cover of next week’s newspaper.
“You shouldn’t have done that Evan!” Said Hermione, while laughing and being worried at the same time. “If Malfoy finds out you’re here…”
“I have the invisibility cloak on, Hermione. He can’t see me. No one will know that it’s my doing.” Evan shivered, and noticed that he wasn’t wearing a coat. “We need to find somewhere to go. How about the Three Broomsticks Inn? Butterbeer would be perfect in this weather!”
“It’s better not to go there. That shop is so popular. Malfoy could also go there. We’d better go to Hog’s Head Inn or…”
Across her thick scarf, Hermione suddenly saw a small teahouse on the corner that she had never noticed before. The sign on the outside read “Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop”.
She still remembers what Evan said just now. Ravenclaw’s Cho Chang just asked him to go there. Perhaps she should also have a look.
(Translator Note: Vicky Frobisher is actually a girl! She was Gryffindor’s Quidditch Keeper at some point in time.)