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Chapter 463: Gathering at the Three Broomsticks Inn
Chapter 463: Gathering at the Three Broomsticks Inn
Sirius Black's explanation did little to ease the tension, and the Honeydukes owner continued to look at him with a terrified expression.
Anyone who saw a notorious fugitive, accused of murdering over a dozen Muggles, standing right in front of them would naturally feel fear, even if the fugitive claimed to be exonerated.
Fortunately, Dumbledore soon arrived with Ron, and after some explanation, they managed to avoid a misunderstanding.
Although this was just a minor incident, it still cast a shadow over the cheerful mood of Harry and his friends, who were preparing to celebrate in Hogsmeade.
After buying a large amount of peculiar candies, Ivan and the others didn't stay long and decided to head to the Three Broomsticks Inn to find a secluded spot for their gathering.
"Why did the owner treat us like that? We bought so many things from there, and he still wanted to kick us out!" After leaving Honeydukes, Harry was still sulking and complained bitterly.
"That's normal, Harry! It takes time for people to accept my new identity!" Sirius took it in stride; he was used to it.
Even at Hogwarts, the situation was similar. While some Gryffindor students didn't mind his past, students from other houses still avoided him out of fear.
In fact, Sirius was a bit worried that the owner of the Three Broomsticks Inn might also kick them out, which would ruin their celebration.
Fortunately, things weren't that bad. Madam Rosmerta, the owner, was quite reasonable. As a bar owner, she was well-informed and wasn't surprised to see Sirius.
"Mr. Black, congratulations on your new life!" Madam Rosmerta poured a glass of Butterbeer and pushed it toward Sirius with a warm smile.
"This one's on the house."
"Thank you, ma'am!" Sirius was pleasantly surprised, took the glass, raised it in a toast, and drank it in one gulp.
"It's been so long since I've had this. The taste hasn't changed a bit!" Sirius exclaimed, placing the empty glass on the table and wiping the beer from his mouth with his sleeve.
"By the way, we plan to celebrate here. Will it disturb your business?" Sirius glanced around the bar, which was still lively, with most tables occupied, though a few were empty.
However, his arrival had cooled the atmosphere. Everyone turned to look at him with suspicious and wary eyes.
"As long as you pay, I have no reason to kick out my customers!" Madam Rosmerta collected the empty glass with a smile.
"You're right!" Sirius laughed heartily, raised his voice, and looked around the bar.
"Then how about this: to celebrate my exoneration, all expenses at the Three Broomsticks tonight are on me!"
As he spoke, Sirius pulled out a handful of Galleons from his robes and placed them on the counter as a deposit.
These Galleons were some spare change he had taken out when buying the Firebolt, which he had kept in his robe pocket.
When the Ministry of Magic's Aurors searched him, they didn't dare take the money, so it remained with him, and now it came in handy.
Sirius's generosity stunned the wizards in the bar, and soon the place erupted in applause and cheers, the atmosphere becoming lively once more.
"Owner, another three, no, ten glasses of Butterbeer!"
"Hahaha, Mr. Black is so generous! Owner, give me thirty bottles of Rum; I plan to get drunk tonight!"
"Davis will be so jealous when he finds out the drinks are free tonight. But what can he do, he just had bad luck and didn't come today."
For most of the tipsy patrons, as long as they could drink for free, sharing a bar with a murderer was not an issue.
Besides, Sirius seemed to have cleared his name, so there was nothing to fear.
Seeing the patrons' attitudes change so dramatically, Ivan couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time, unsure whether to call Sirius a fool or a smart and flexible person.
For someone who wasn't short of money, the ability to celebrate without disturbance might be more important than a few hundred Galleons.
Amid the cheers and toasts from the drunken patrons, Ivan and his friends found a spot and started piling their snacks on the table.
Sirius grabbed a bottle of honey mead and red currant Rum from a nearby table and was about to pour a drink for everyone.
Harry and Ron were delighted, as they had always wanted to taste real alcohol but never had the chance.
However, after Sirius circled their glasses with the bottle, he stopped and glanced at Dumbledore, then slapped his forehead as if he had just remembered something.
"Oh, right, I almost forgot, you're not old enough to drink!"
Sirius shook his head regretfully, turned to Madam Rosmerta, and called out loudly.
"Owner, bring us some Violet Water and Umbrella Cherry Syrup Soda, no ice!"
"Here, this is what you should be drinking!" Sirius said seriously when the drinks arrived.
Harry and Ron's faces fell in disappointment, but they didn't dare break the school rules in front of Professor Dumbledore.
So, in the end, only Sirius and Dumbledore drank, while Ivan and the others stuck to their drinks.
They ate snacks and drank beverages, congratulating Sirius on his exoneration amidst laughter and cheers.
Initially, the presence of Dumbledore made everyone a bit restrained, but they soon discovered that the old professor was quite fun and even joined in their jokes.
At one point, Sirius secretly added a bit of honey mead to Harry and Ron's drinks, letting them taste it, while Dumbledore pretended not to notice.
During the conversation, Ivan kept a wary eye on Dumbledore's every move, noticing that the old professor deliberately used his left hand throughout and kept his right hand hidden in his sleeve.
This made Ivan increasingly curious. If not for Fawkes, who was perched affectionately on Dumbledore's shoulder, he would have suspected that the Dumbledore before him was an impostor.
Or was there some reason he couldn't use his other hand?
(End of Chapter)
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