Allen looked exasperated.
He didn't particularly dislike sweets like ice cream, but still, walking down the street with two large cones in each hand felt a little too childish, even if his body was technically that of a twelve-year-old.
And while the magical climate of Scales Street wasn't exactly freezing, it was still a far cry from ice cream weather.
Wearing winter clothes while eating ice cream just felt... off. But after glancing around at the crowd happily enjoying their treats, Allen gave up on making a sarcastic comment that might earn him the wrath of the ice cream vendor.
Wizards, after all, didn't seem to fear the cold, especially the little girl nearby, blissfully munching on a giant chocolate cookie cone while clutching a teddy bear in her other arm.
Since it was the Christmas holiday, even the youngest wizarding students were off from school, making the already busy Scales Street even more crowded and lively.
Thanks to the chaos, Allen and Annie managed to blend in without drawing attention. Normally, wizards their age would be in school this time of year, and even those who came from families that didn't believe in formal magical education would usually be accompanied by an adult.
Though most wizards were more inclined to worship Merlin than any other deity, that didn't stop them from joining in the festive cheer on this particular birthday of another famous figure, complete with holiday promotions from every magical shop.
Each storefront was decked out with unique magical signage, some lit up with magical fireworks, others exploded into colorful letters, and a few even formed floating, scrolling banners of text. There were even some that deliberately blocked their neighbor's ads, because, well, no city inspectors existed in the wizarding world.
Street vendors were out in full force, peddling all sorts of mysterious potions, newly unearthed magical trinkets, and rare Muggle antiques. Many wizards had a soft spot for historical-looking objects, it made them feel like their bloodlines were ancient and noble, especially those pureblood families who were long on pride but short on gold.
Allen, though recently flush with a bit of spending money, had no intention of wasting it, especially after hearing a wizard try to hawk "authentic Eastern antiques" in a thickly accented English.
"Young wizard! Come take a look! This is fine porcelain from the ancient East, rich with history and exquisite craftsmanship. While it doesn't possess magical power, its heritage alone makes it a perfect match for your noble family legacy! I swear on Old Pete's name, I'm not cheating you, take this precious item home for just three Galleons!"
Allen walked away with a forced smile, he might've believed it if he hadn't spotted the word microwave etched at the bottom of the "antique."
Still, not all the stalls were so dubious. One in particular, run by an Indian wizard selling flying carpets, was drawing quite a crowd with its flash and flair.
"Our finely crafted flying carpets are the best choice for your magical travel needs, forget those broomsticks! Carpets are easier to ride, seat more passengers, and offer unmatched comfort and safety!"
The vendor then had his assistant demonstrate various flight styles, lying down, sitting upright, eating while flying, even reading midair.
"Can a broom do all this? Our carpets are sturdy, long-lasting, easy to operate, and roomy enough for any activity, even a full game of wizard's chess without the pieces falling off!"
"In fact, our most luxurious models come with a full year's worth of Disillusionment Charms, providing maximum stealth!"
"You can do anything you want on them, anything," the wizard said with a wink.
Allen quickly slapped his hands over Annie's ears, especially after noticing a few nearby wizards getting some... ideas.
Wait, why were his hands free?
He turned, confused, and saw Annie looking slightly annoyed, her cheeks puffed out in indignation from having her ears suddenly covered.
Only then did he realize she had already finished the last of the four ice creams... without him noticing.
Right, girls have a separate stomach for sweets, he'd forgotten that.
Then he felt a tug on his hand. Annie, clearly captivated by the demonstration, was trying to pry his hand off her ears.
"Hey, big brother! Don't block the show!" she whined.
"Come on, this isn't exactly kid-appropriate." Allen tried to pull her away, but failed, especially since the vendor had now switched gears.
Some things were better left implied than said, especially with the Ministry of Magic always looking for an excuse to hit them with more taxes.
"To truly demonstrate the strength of our flying carpets," the vendor shouted, "our team will now show you just how much weight these beauties can handle!"
What followed wasn't exactly scientifically sound, and definitely defied logic.
Before Allen could stop her, Annie broke free of his grasp to watch the performance in full. Not that he could blame her, he was equally stunned.
A carpet built for four was first loaded with four wizards. Then eight more climbed on. After that, another four joined, linking arms and standing in a ring formation.
And somehow, the carpet lifted off. Steadily. Smoothly.
Slow as it was, it rose into the air. The team even made it spin, turning it into a carousel made of people.
It wasn't pretty, after all, a bunch of grown wizards twirling midair wasn't exactly elegant, but the stunt drew a larger and larger crowd.
That was Allen's cue to leave. Dragging Annie with him, he muttered, "Alright, that's enough, this guy's ad campaign is going to corrupt the children."
More importantly, they had actual business to take care of. They hadn't come out just to stroll around the shops.
If Allen hadn't begged and pleaded with his professor, there was no way they'd have been allowed out over the holiday.
They were here to gather supplies for Hogwarts Castle's interior, decorations, provisions, and everything needed for the fast-approaching Christmas celebration. Especially during this period of tension with Ilvermorny, they couldn't afford to be outdone.
Originally, this task was meant for senior students, but Allen had convinced their head of house to let them handle it, and conveniently dragged Annie along, claiming her eye for detail would help with the shopping. In reality, he just wanted an excuse to go out and have fun.
As they were walking between shops, scanning for the next item on their list, a hesitant yet eager male voice suddenly called out from behind Allen.
"Excuse me, sir? Is that you, sir?"
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