Harry and Ginny walked on the forest trial to Hogsmeade, when Hermione and Ron rushed back, slamming into the Harry and Ginny. Harry stared with fake annoyance at Ron, who snickered like a first grader.

“Pan- Pansy told us Malfoy needs to- Merlin,” Ron doubled down with laughter, clutching his stomach. Ginny glanced at his brother with confusion before running out of patience, kicking Ron in the shins. After a weird sound of Ron’s pained cry mixed with laughter, resembling a whining Hippogriff or deflating balloon, Harry couldn’t decide which is more suitable. Ron still hadn’t recovered from whatever Pansy told him and Hermione.

Harry eyed Hermione for help.

“She said, ‘Draco needs to get in touch with his feminine side or else he’ll stop being gay and ruin my aura’, “Hermione snorted a laugh, her shoulders shaking.

Ginny’s mouth hung agape, like a goldfish. Harry wheezed, crouching beside Ron, who already plopped himself on the forest floor, still regaining his breath. Their idiotic behavior didn’t go unnoticed. Some first graders avoided them with wary. Smart kids.

“Blimey, I think I might grow abs from this laughing,” Ron dialed his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, blocking out any unwanted eavesdropping. The two shared a glance before snickering again.

Hermione, patience running out, hauled Ginny away. The girls abandoned them on the forest floor.

When Harry and Ron arrived at Hogsmeade, the others already started a conversation. Harry awed at Pansy as she danced around Quidditch’s latest news with ease. She seemed a bigger fan than Ginny.

Beside them, Hermione debated with Theo. Her frustration evident as she emphasized, clapping her hands together with every word, “Dark Magic is evil by its root. It was made in a way to harm others while maximizing the profits made from it. Think about the blood rituals.”

“Nothing is evil by nature. It was merely perceived as evil because too many cases of unethical wizards and witches used it to exploit,” Theo shrugged, “The Vanishing Cabinets. Imagine how fast travelling can be.”

“We have Floo networks, and Portkeys,” Hermione argued, “Why more?”

“They can’t transport objects, can they?” Hermione sighed, the gears in her head turning for a comeback. Theo grinned, almost smugly.

“Blimey, they’re stealing my sister and girlfriend away,” Ron whispered to Harry. Ron fiddled with his jacket. Harry thought Ron mightn’t meant it as a joke.

Hermione gave up with a reply to Theo’s question. She stated to the group, “We can start with the Pip Parlor.”

The store located somewhere at the end of the High Street, the full name of it was “Pip and Pippin’s Peculiar Parlor”. Students find that as a mouthful, so they settled with “Pip’s Parlor”, much to Pippin’s displeasure. Harry hadn’t been there, but his friends loved it. The owners, rumored to be best friends at Hogwarts, moved to Hogsmeade after the war, growing into popularity among students for their unique trinkets – talking candle sticks, self-changing calendars, dairies that hex other noisy students.

A gust of wind blew, wobbling the signs. At the top, the words, “Pip and Pippin’s Peculiar Parlor” were highlighted with forest green and fire red. Ron once told Harry that the peculiar colors were because the friends shared Hogwarts experience, Pippin sorted into Slytherin while Pip was in Gryffindor.

Below their shop name, a bounty sheets filled nearly half of the glass, Harry squinted as he read the lousy writing, “Niffy, Wanted for 3 Galleons, Death or Alive… Preferably Alive”. A picture of a wooden made niffler was printed. The niffler, Niffy, pocketed a golden coin into her pouch.

Pansy awed at the picture, excitedly claiming it could move. When Hermione starts explaining the mechanics behind it, Pansy simply elbowed her and stepped in the store with fake elegance.

The others followed in. The shop smelled of wood and exotic spices, reminding Harry of the burrow. Ron immediately went to the chess section, caressing the pieces. He checked the price tags and recoiled his fingers sharply.

Theo stepped behind Ron, startling the other.

“You want one?” Theo asked awkwardly, “I could buy it for you as a gift.”

“It’s alright,” Ron winced, “You don’t have to spend so much.”

Theo frowned in puzzlement, “These are relatively cheap for a whole set. My mother used to buy individual chess pieces that cost at least 100 Galleons.”

“I would hex you for subtly flaunting your wealth, but Hermione told me to be nice,” Ron sighed, his cheeks flaring with embarrassment at Theo’s statement. His fingers twitched towards his wand.

“I would have stunted you for just saying that, but Pansy told me to be patient,” Theo mirrored Ron purposefully, earning a small chuckle from the other. Ron relaxed a little, his hand relaxing to the side.

“So, your mother seriously bought 100-Galleon pieces?”

“They have diamonds, and they speak,” Theo huffed, offering no other explanations.

The girls were seen with the jewelries. Pansy tried on a serpent decorated necklace, only to discover the necklace turns to serpents, lions, crows and badgers depending on the angle.

“Does Hogwarts know about this clone?” Pansy pointed at her necklace, earning smiles from the other girls.

“These look good,” Ginny awed at the adjustable hoop earrings, “Useful too.”

“Pip really is a genius when he wants to be,” Hermione complimented. The whole jewelry section was made by him. The two owners completed each other. The store wouldn’t be as unique if one of them were gone. When Pip specialized in jewelry and interior decorations, Pippin specialized in chess pieces and adding hexes to anything that needs guarding – diaries, boxes, even bottles to ensure no one accidentally drinks the wrong potions.

A small clinking of coins was heard from the counter. Harry leaned his head in, a wooden niffler perched in the drawer. The drawer was stashed with golden coins, which the niffler relentlessly stuffed into her pouch with ease. Harry guessed that she was the infamous Niffy.

A loud bang was heard from upstairs, Niffy scurried away to a corner down the staircase. Harry flinched and looked up.

Moments later, a shrieking voice cursed, “Bloody Salazar, how many times have I told you stop to sneak into my room! Polyjuice doesn’t work with the protection spells!”

A beat of silence, a surprisingly short, stubbly man, somewhere around his late-30s, trudged down the stairs with vigor as if he was antagonized by the world. His hair exploded, tangled in all directions like an octopus. Some ashes landed on his brows, as a piece of tree root latched at his leg. His round face and subtly showing chubbiness lessened the villainess demeanor. Pippin walked right passed the stunned crowd, ignorant of their presence.

Another man floated behind him, similar in clothing. Tree roots tangled on Pip’s body, His brows were not furrowed like his friend as he appeared to be quite at leisure, despite his tied legs. He saw the crowd and muffled, giving an apologetic expression before he floated into the basement behind Pippin.

Pip and Pippin came back eventually. Pip apologized profusely for making the students wait. After every apology, Pippin grumbled, “And whose fault was that”, which made Pip apologize even more.

Theo bought the chess set for Ron, ignoring the other’s threats not to. Ron later whispered to Harry Theo wasn’t a complete scrounge. Pansy had planned to pay for at least ten necklaces and five bracelets. She pouted as she abandoned most of them when Hermione and Theo reasoned she wouldn’t be needing that many. Ron bought an extra box of Tree-flavored crackers, though Harry sworn he’d seen identical ones under Ron’s bed. When he questioned it, Ron bit back by asking what he was doing under his bed. Harry vaguely remembered something about putting his invisibility cloak the wrong way, so it became invisible. Harry took a whole week of searching before Neville tripped on the cloak.

They’d spent quite a long time at the counter. It turned out Pip was a verbose talker when his mouth wasn’t clamped by cursed plants.

Harry hadn’t found anything from the shop. However, when the group left, a bracelet caught his eyes, a golden one with a Lion symbol and the words, “Fortune favors the bold”. The lion looked more like a blob, but Harry didn’t mind. The others waited for him outside.

Pip appeared quite emotional when Harry handed him the Galleon, “This was made by Pippin. He never really touched jewelry before, and he told me he won’t make another one again. We had a pair though. It’s the only matching thing in our shop. I get bored with making pairs. Pippin too. He made the bracelet for me; I made a necklace. This lion meant Gryffindor, as you can see, just don’t judge the weird proportions, Pippin doesn’t usually do these kinds of things. The snake I made for him was much more elegant. I guess we’re too obsessed even with our houses. It doesn’t matter though. There’s also a quote of encouragement for each other. It’s like confirmation that we know we both care for each other. Could you imagine Pippin giving out compliments? I’d think he was a clone.”

Pippin grumbled, appearing uncomfortable, “Just give him the necklace already.”

Pip didn’t appear fazed as he pointed at the phrase, “Fortune favors the bold”, “I’ll let you encipher this message yourself. They’re made to sound vague, so that everyone can use it for their personal and different situations. I can clearly see you just align with these words. The other Slytherin necklace though, someone bought it months ago, saying a friend might need those words. I advised her to get this bracelet as well. She refused saying her friend’s social circle hadn’t expanded to Gryffindors yet. Looks like an opportunity wasted there. Anyway, you want to know what I wrote on there? Cracks are where the light shines in.” Pippin emphasized the quote, “Got it from some newspaper, something called the Quibbler. Those papers can be a bore, but, once in a while, you can find wise sayings. Thought of Pippin the second I read it.”

“Idiot,” Pippin mumbled under his breath. Harry thought Pippin, too, was starting to grow emotional.

“You should keep this,” Harry decided after hesitation, “It means so much.”

“It’s alright, curios like these are supposed to be passed on,” Pip stated lightheartedly, “Maybe it doesn’t serve as a pair anymore. But I hoped it could inspire people. It’s the spirit of a craftsmen!” Pip almost shouted the last sentence.

Pippin lightly bumped Pip away from the counter, and turned towards Harry, he gave Harry the bracelet, wrapped in a bag, and took the Galleon, “Pip does this for money, just so you know.” Harry chuckled nervously as Pip gasped. He exited the shop, leaving the friends to their own bickering.

The others appeared comfortable with waiting. To Harry’s delight, Ron seemed more relaxed as he carried his new crackers box, smiling occasionally.

“Where to next?” Harry asked.

“Three-broomsticks, we’re hosting a chess tournament,” Pansy exclaimed with way too much enthusiasm.