Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery Year 6

Chapter 11

Back at Hogwarts...

"So Dani, you're convincing me to brew the exact banned potion you stopped Ismelda from giving Barnaby-"

"Penny, listen, it's for-"

"And you're planning to trade it for something to help you do something which can get you thrown in Azkaban?! Dani, this only gets worse year after year-"

"Dude, you're our best shot. You were in the vault, you saw what Rakepick did to Merula, and all of us. Besides, you don't want anyone else to get cursed, like-"

Penny shook her head. "Alright, I'll do it. But can you ask Jae to, I don't know, trade some powdered moonstone and pearl dust back? They're rare ingredients, and they aren't easy to find at Hogwarts."
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"Hey, what are you guys doing here? It's awfully early."

"Don't you think fertilizing bouncing bulbs is particularly funny?" Barnaby pointed at the plant in the trough.

"I'm tutoring students, including Barnaby," said Rowan proudly. "I did tell you about wanting to become head girl, didn't I?"

"I'd better step up my game," said Dani. "Do you think Dumbledore would consider 'voluntarily helping the house-elves make dinner' as a good act for the school, or would he just tell me to leave it to the elves?"

"He just doesn't want you to get in danger, Dani," said Rowan. "You've been through so much for a 16-year-old, you're trying to save the wizarding world while your classmates worry about NEWTs and quidditch, gossip and crushes. You're doing great."

"I hope so. Actually, I don't think I've filled you guys in..."
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"I haven't been here in ages," said Dani.

She'd met up in detention with Jae so he could tell her the rendezvous for Penny's ingredients-Hogesmeade train station, where Rowan accompanied Dani while Barnaby went to Honeydukes.

"Remember when we first came here?" Dani's best friend nudged her. "It was pouring rain, and-"

"It's 10:10, the train should've been here 10 minutes ago," Dani interrupted.

Rowan shoved her watch in front of Dani's face. "It's 9:50, idiot. The station clock stopped."

"Why won't anyone fix it then?! It's a station clock after all!"

"Because that's how they do stuff in small towns?" joked Rowan. "And actually, don't you think broken clocks sort of symbolize... Time stopping?"

"Can't the train just come?"

"You're still the same Dani I know. Maybe YOU'RE the one who needs to slow down."

"Maybe." Dani sat down on the bench. "But you literally said this morning that I was saving the wizarding world."

"I also said that you were 16. You don't have to. You shouldn't be."

The girls went quiet.

"If you could go back in time, Dani, when would you want to go back to?"

"...No idea."

"Really, stop and think more instead of ramming headlong into dead end after dead end."

A train horn tooted in the distance and Dani jumped to her feet. "Yay, the train's early!"

"Well, looks like we've got more time on our hands then, what do you say we catch up over a butterbeer?"

"Won't say no," Dani turned around and said before racing towards the slowing train.