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A great buzzing queue of students, Third Years and older, each clutching a permission form passed by a glowering Filch.

"Remember! These visits to Hogsmeade Village are a privilege. Should your behaviour reflect poorly on the school in any way, that privilege shall not be extended again," Professor McGonagall warned.

"Go on Harry, do it now," Iris urged her brother forward, giving him a shove.

Harry stumbled and sent a look back at Iris, who was following him with a smirk, before continuing toward the teacher, but before he could utter a syllable, Professor McGonagall started speaking.

"No permission form. No visiting the Village. That's the rule, Potter."

"Yes, Professor, but I thought if you said I could go--"

Professor McGonagall cut in, "But I don't say so. A parent or guardian must sign, and since I am neither, it would be inappropriate."

A flicker of pity went through her face.

"I'm sorry, Potter. But that's my final word."

Ron and Hermione, who were watching Harry and Iris expectantly from across the way, saw them turn and shake their heads. Their faces fell. Harry raised his hand in farewell and watched them go.

"I'm sorry Harry, I really wish you could go," Iris said with a frown on her face.

She would have faked the signature herself if she didn't know the permission form had an anti-forging spell on it.

"I'll stay back with you, it's fine, I'm sure I won't be missing out on much," Iris tried, but Harry waved his hand at her and said,

"No no, I'll be fine, you go have fun," he mustered up a smile but Iris knew it was fake.

Seeing the doubtful expression on her face he reassured her, "I'm serious, go enjoy yourself. Just bring me back loads of stuff-- and you can tell me all about it when you get back."

"Oh, alright... but I'm not happy about it," she said, bringing him into a tight hug.

"I'll see you at the Halloween feast tonight, okay?" Iris confirmed.

Harry's head nodded into her shoulder.

With a sad smile, they released each other and Iris stepped back turning and walking off toward Ron and Hermione who were waiting for her.

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The trio of friends soon reached Hogsmeade and stood, staring in wonder at the small village.

Their first stop, at Iris's request, was Honeydukes.

There were shelves upon shelves of the most succulent-looking sweets imaginable.

Creamy chunks of nougat, shimmering pink squares of coconut ice, fat honey-coloured toffees; hundreds of different kinds of chocolate in neat rows; there was a large barrel of Every Flavor Beans, and another of Fizzing Whizbees, the levitating sherbet balls that Ron had mentioned; along yet another wall were 'Special Effects' -- sweets: Droobles Best Blowing Gum (which filled a room with bluebell-colored bubbles that refused to pop for days), the strange, splintery Toothflossing Stringmints, tiny black Pepper Imps ('breathe fire for your friends!'), Ice Mice ('hear your teeth chatter and squeak!'), peppermint creams shaped like toads ('hop realistically in the stomach!'), fragile sugar-spun quills, and exploding bonbons.

"If I died in here I would be the happiest girl alive.. or dead I mean," said Iris staring at all the sweets in awe.

Iris, Hermione, and Ron spent the next twenty minutes running around grabbing one of every odd sweet they could get their hands on.

After the three were content with what they had gotten, they left Honeydukes to make their way to Zonkos, the joke shop.

Although, on their way, in the crowd of people walking around Iris lost Hermione and Ron.

Because of her short stature, she couldn't see over the heads of the people to look for them. She bounced up and down trying to gain height to see over all the tall people bustling around her, but it was no use.

Iris started to get overwhelmed, backing up into the throng of wizards and witches, looking around for anything to help her.

I should start my holiday shopping...

I wonder if Jessica will like these shoes...

Oh, there's Alan, better go the other way...

I think I want to get a butterbeer...

Iris clamped her hands around her ears and squeezed her eyes shut, her face scrunching up.

"No no no, not here, please," she muttered, breathing heavily, as the whispers of the thoughts surrounding her kept pounding into her head.

Iris stumbled towards Zonkos hoping to escape the mass of people and find Hermione and Ron.

Her hands remained tightly clamped on her head, though it did nothing to help the noise.

Suddenly, Iris was shoved into and went flailing to the ground. Her eyes flew closed and she threw her arms out to brace herself for the impact but to her surprise, she never hit the ground.

Iris opened her eyes to find a pair of familiar grey ones looking back.

"Uhm.. thanks," said Iris snapping them both out of their trance.

It was then that she realized the whispers had stopped echoing through her mind.

"Oh! Uh, yeah no problem." the boy said hurriedly, helping her stand up.

She recognized him. The boy she had bumped into at the bookstore in Diagon Alley.

Cedric Diggory

"Sorry for knocking into you. I'm --"

"Cedric Diggory." Iris cut him off.

"Uh, yeah. How'd you know?" he asked looking very confused.

"I'm psychic," Iris told him with a straight face.

His eyes squinted a bit in confusion, "Oh..."

Iris let out a giggle and explained, "I'm kidding, I'm a legilimens."

"Oh, that's awesome! I've always thought legilimency was so cool, and that makes a lot more sense than psychic," said Cedric.

"Would that make you like Trelawney if you were?" he continued.

Iris' eyes widened, "I hope not."

There was an awkward moment where they both looked around, neither knowing what to say.

"So... what are you doing alone? Did you not come with friends?" Cedric asked Iris, his eyebrows scrunching together.

"I lost them in the crowd," Iris told him, not disclosing the whole situation of her legilimency panic. "Where are yours?

"They started dating this Summer, third-wheeling is not as fun as one might think," he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, not making eye contact with her, "Well, if you don't know where your friends went... you could grab a butterbeer with me in the Three Broomsticks?" Cedric asked Iris nervously after a small pause.

Iris thought about it for a second, she knew she really should be looking for Hermione and Ron, but Cedric seemed quite nice and she wanted to get to know him.

"Sure, why not," Iris said shrugging her shoulders with a grin.

Cedric showed her the way into The Three Broomsticks where they took a booth in the corner of the room.

The fifth-year boy introduced Iris to Rosmerta, the woman who owned the pub, and ordered them both a butterbeer which Iris instantly fell in love with.

Though not as good as coffee in her opinion, butterbeer was a close second.

The two teenagers wasted away the rest of the day with laughter and rosy cheeks, ordering much more butterbeer.

Iris found herself relaxed in Cedric's company, unlike she had ever felt before.

⌗ ⌗ ⌗

As the sun was setting later that evening, the majority of the Hogwarts students were making their way back to the castle.

Among them were Iris and Cedric, walking side by side.

"Okay, this one's better I swear," Cedric assured.

Iris playfully rolled her eyes at him, holding back a smile, and beckoned him to go on.

The boy grinned, "What do you call an alligator in a vest?" he started.

"What?" Iris mocked.

"An in-vest-igator," he chuckled.

Iris was giggling as she pursed her lips, "That is so bad. So bad."

They reached the doors into the castle and turned to each other.

"I had a lot of fun hanging out with you today, Iris, we should do it again next time," Cedric said smiling down at Iris, who was quite a bit shorter than him.

"Yeah, I had a lot of fun too. I would love to do it again," she grinned, "Thanks for bumping into me earlier... again," she said with a small laugh.

Cedric chuckled with her, "Anytime. I'll see you later then," he said with a dazzling smile.

"Yeah, I'll see you around!" Iris turned around with a dreamy sort of smile on her face and her eyes twinkling brightly.

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