Meeting Without Recognition

"A family banquet?"

Adam glanced at Klon, who had spoken.

"What kind of banquet is your family holding? Did your sister find a match?"

"Uh… not yet."

Klon recalled their last trip to Hogsmeade and could not help twitching at the corner of his eye.

"But my mother wrote to me. She said that when we go to Hogsmeade this weekend, she, my father, and Kelly will all be there."

The letter from home had been filled, line after line, with longing for good food. Its concern for Klon had been limited to the polite opening sentence. It was painfully realistic.

"Hmm…"

Adam thought it over, then nodded.

"No problem."

The weekend arrived quickly. Adam proved more than capable, conquering Klon’s entire family with a spread of four cold dishes, four hot dishes, two soups, and a dessert. Mr. Berg patted his chest and declared that he would definitely help Adam find a suitable location for a restaurant.

Even if they had to drive away the neighbors, the restaurant had to open right next to their house!

After politely declining Klon’s family’s enthusiastic attempts to keep them, Adam and the others gathered at the Three Broomsticks Pub.

"I think I saw Cedric just now."

Klon stroked his chin and analyzed the matter coolly.

"But he was heading toward Honeydukes Sweetshop… Didn’t Adam already take over that shop? What was he going there for?"

Bernard sighed. "Could it be that there’s another shop in that direction called Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop?"

"He likes tea too?"

"…"

Bernard pinched the bridge of his nose and gave up on continuing the conversation, lest he lead the children astray.

"The Butterbeer is here~"

Adam returned carrying five mugs of Butterbeer. This time, the mugs seemed even bigger than before.

"I remember the little shop hasn’t had any new promotions lately. The Three Broomsticks Pub’s business shouldn’t be taking another hit, right?"

After taking a sip, Adam examined the mug in his hand.

"I think it was probably because…"

Uther was only halfway through his sentence when he suddenly heard a somewhat familiar voice.

"What brings you here, Minister?"

It was Madam Rosmerta’s voice, but it was not her voice Uther had heard just now. He turned around and spotted Professor Flitwick at a nearby table.

Oh, and Professor McGonagall, Hagrid, and Britain’s Minister of Magic.

Uther searched his memory. He vaguely remembered that guy being called… Fudge?

"What else could it be for?"

Fudge took the drink he had ordered and sighed.

"Of course, it’s because of Sirius Black. He appeared at Hogwarts…"

Earlier, when the Dementors had broken into Hogwarts, Dumbledore had summoned him and a group of parents to give him a thorough scolding. Lucius had even blamed him for the reason his son fell off his broomstick…

If he could help it, he did not want to see Dumbledore again for the rest of the year. Unfortunately, Sirius Black was the only person ever to successfully escape from Azkaban. The nature of it was far too serious. Every day Sirius remained at large was a challenge to the Ministry of Magic’s authority, so Fudge had no choice but to grit his teeth and come to Hogwarts once more.

"Oh, the Halloween incident. I heard about it."

"Hagrid, did you tell the entire pub?"

Professor McGonagall’s slightly irritated voice followed closely after Madam Rosmerta’s.

News from inside Hogwarts had leaked. There was practically no other possible suspect.

"Uh, Professor McGonagall, you have to believe me. I didn’t mean to."

Adam turned his head slightly. Hagrid set down the mug that looked rather tiny in his hands and uneasily scratched at his beard with thick fingers.

"That day… I remember I only had a few drinks…"

"All right, Hagrid. What’s done is done. Don’t bring it up again."

Professor Flitwick comforted him for a few moments, moving Hagrid so much that he wiped at the corners of his eyes.

Madam Rosmerta was not particularly interested in the professors’ exchange. Leaning back in her chair, she looked at Fudge with open curiosity.

"So, Minister, you think he’s still here? Still near the castle?"

"That’s right. Although the professors thoroughly searched the castle and found nothing, I believe he is here."

Fudge spoke with certainty.

"Then do you know how many times the Dementors have searched my pub?"

Madam Rosmerta’s expression immediately turned cold.

"Three times… three whole times! They scared away all my customers. Business has already been difficult lately… Are you going to keep searching?"

Hearing this, Uther looked toward Adam.

"That’s exactly what I wanted to say—probably because of the Dementors, business at the Three Broomsticks Pub has gotten even worse."

"Oh… my dear, I don’t like them either… but they are necessary measures, aren’t they? They’re for your pub’s safety too, just like at Hogwarts."

Fudge tried to smooth things over.

"Hogwarts doesn’t welcome Dementors either."

Professor McGonagall snorted coldly, recalling Harry being harmed by Dementors twice.

After being rebuked by two people in a row, Fudge’s expression of absolute confidence and complete control finally cracked. Somewhat awkwardly avoiding Madam Rosmerta’s and Professor McGonagall’s gazes, he lifted his mug and took a few sips, then handed the empty mug to Madam Rosmerta.

"Another Butterbeer, please."

His tolerance was not particularly good. He still had serious business to attend to later, so it was not suitable for him to consume too much alcohol.

Once Madam Rosmerta returned, Fudge finally began to complain.

"I don’t want to see things like this either… Dumbledore told me before that the impact was terrible, but you have to understand me too. Since Azkaban was established, no one has ever successfully escaped from it. If we let him roam free, what will everyone think about the other prisoners in Azkaban?"

"Without question, people will wonder whether the remaining prisoners might also escape, and then question whether the Ministry of Magic has the ability to imprison these criminals and keep everyone safe."

Professor Flitwick sighed.

Yes, without question—by which I mean someone would escape.

Adam silently took a sip of Butterbeer, then frowned. He rubbed his thumb against the mug’s handle, and the clear golden liquid inside instantly turned amber.

Cola still tasted better.

"Exactly! That’s precisely what I’m worried about!"

Fudge took a sip of Butterbeer.

"And you all know what kind of dangerous man Sirius Black is!"

The moment he said that, everyone at the table fell silent.

"Sirius Black…"

After pondering for a long while, Madam Rosmerta sighed.

"Among all the people who sided with The Dark Lord, he was probably the one I found hardest to believe… Who could have imagined it? That he would become that kind of person, killing so many people… Anyone who had seen what he was like as a student would never have believed such a thing."

"Who could disagree? But you know, that isn’t even all of it, Rosmerta."

Fudge frowned.

"In fact, he did something even more serious, even more vile…"

"Is it really okay for us to sit here and listen?"

Klon could not help whispering.

"What’s there to be afraid of? We aren’t eavesdropping."

Bernard looked utterly unconcerned. There was nothing blocking the space between their table and the professors’ table—there had originally been a tree, but a student from another table had moved it away with a spell.

So the professors should have been able to see them. Since they kept talking, that meant they did not mind being overheard.

"How strange. Why does everyone always ignore our existence?"

Adam could not help glancing at the badgers on the chests of their robes. Could it really be because Hufflepuff had such little presence?