Chapter 377: Mist Gems
Because they'd been so absorbed in teasing the dog, Kyle and Cedric arrived at The Three Broomsticks just as everyone else had settled in. Once they found their seats, Fred slid two bottles of Butterbeer in front of them, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.
"How much did you two buy, and what took you so long?" he asked. "If you'd been any later, we were about to come looking for you."
"Not much," Cedric replied, taking a sip. "But on the way back, we came across a really interesting big black dog. That's what held us up."
"Big black dog..." George muttered, frowning. "Could be bad luck, don't you think?"
"It's probably just a stray that wandered in," Cedric said with a shrug. "Or maybe someone from The Hog's Head brought it in. The shop is right next door, after all."
"Yeah, that sounds likely," Fred agreed. "The people at The Hog's Head are always bringing in strange stuff. Last time we were there, George and I saw someone hide a five-foot bone in their robes."
"We figured it might've been for a Troll..." George added with a grimace. "And the smell was revolting."
Fred wrinkled his nose at the memory, setting his Butterbeer down. "We were planning to check out The Hog's Head one of these days, but we dropped that idea after seeing that."
"Because of the Troll bone?" Cho asked, looking amused.
"No, because the landlord threw us out," George said with a shrug. "He's got a terrible temper, that one."
They continued chatting over Butterbeer, the warmth of the pub and the lively conversation driving away the chill from outside. Later, when Kyle passed Dervish & Banges again, the black dog was nowhere to be seen, and it didn't reappear throughout the rest of the visit.