days at Hogwarts

Chapter 536 Swill Bar
篷！
The orange-red flames of the burning wood in the old fireplace suddenly burst out, and the dark green flames licked the bricks and stones outside that were blackened by the charcoal fire.

Loren walked out of the fireplace and stood side by side with Hermione, looking up at the swill bar.

In front of me is a spacious square hall. The rough rocks have been cut flat to form the four walls. The wooden ceiling has no signs of splicing. The room is tidy, the wooden table is clean, and the small leather sofa is polished to a shine. It looks completely different from the Leaky Cauldron.

There was a small door on the side, through which one could vaguely glimpse seamless wooden barrels lined up in the inner room, emitting a rich aroma of wine.

The bar was directly opposite the fireplace, and a blonde girl who looked to be the same age as them was half leaning on the counter, her head lowered, nodding slightly.

Loren and Hermione looked at each other, both of them had the same doubts.

Could this be the cousin of Old Tom from the Leaky Cauldron? Sirius didn't say that cousin was so young, and there was no magical reaction on his body. He didn't look like a wizard.

No, it’s definitely not a wizard. Wizards of this age should be studying at Hogwarts, there’s no way they don’t know each other.

Loren walked to the front of the bar, and the sound of his footsteps on the wooden floor did not wake her up. Full of doubt, he reached out and tapped lightly on the counter.

dong dong.

The blonde girl was suddenly awakened and looked up angrily. The irritation in her light green eyes turned into surprise and confusion before she uttered some impolite words.

"Are you here to drink and stay overnight?" The girl looked at the two of them carefully, her eyes falling on the coal dust on their shoulders. Her eyes gradually widened, bursting with surprise. "Are you wizards?"

The blonde girl was wearing a denim jacket and jeans, looking lively and active.

"You are wizards!" The girl spoke to herself with a firm tone, and her freckled face gradually became excited. "You came here on fire! That's great, I haven't seen real wizards yet. Do you know magic? Do you have a magic wand? Why don't you wear a wizard hat..."

Hermione was stunned for a moment, a little surprised. She didn't understand why there was a Muggle girl in the wizard tavern and knew so much about the wizarding world.

Loren looked up at the neatly cut stone walls around him, then at the integrated wooden planks above his head, as if thinking about something.

After she asked a long series of questions and then closed her mouth in embarrassment, Loren spoke softly, "You guessed right, we are indeed wizards. I am Loren Morgan, and this is my friend. We want to find the owner of this tavern. We have some questions to ask."

"My name is Hermione Granger, hello."

"Do you know Old Dodd?" The girl slapped her head and muttered, "Look at my brain, you are wizards, and you came here specially, you must know Old Dodd, but you are unlucky, Old Dodd just went out..."

"You misunderstood, we don't know each other."

"Then what did you ask him?"

"Ask about the mountains."

Seeing that she wanted to ask more, Loren continued, "Excuse me, where is your boss and when will he be back?"

"Old Dodd went shopping. He might be buying some food and bacon nearby, or he might be going to the next town to buy materials for brewing." The girl glanced at the wall clock. "If he's fast, he'll be back before lunch. If he's slow, he'll have to wait until before dinner."

Hearing this, Loren and Hermione frowned.

In order to avoid going up the mountain in the dark, they wanted to ask the local wizards about the situation on the mountain, or whether there were any unusual movements recently. It would be best if they could find some clues about Hagrid directly.

but now……

"Are you in a hurry? Are you going back right away today?" The girl seemed to understand the two people's dilemma and actively persuaded them, "If you are not in a hurry, stay here for a day. We also provide accommodation services and three meals. The room is upstairs and it is very clean..."

Hermione turned and looked towards the door.

The mountains are shrouded in mist. If two people search like headless flies...

Stay here for a day or go up the mountain immediately?

"Please open a room for us." Loren said without hesitation. "How much will it cost, Galleons or pounds?"

"Gold Galleons..." The girl blinked, her expression blank.

"How about pounds, then? How much is a room?"

"..."

The two men completed the transaction quickly, and when the girl led the way up the stairs, turned the handle of the first door on the second floor, pushed the door open, and saw the double bed inside, Hermione realized belatedly that something was wrong.

"I've given you the key. If you need hot water, you can call me—"

The girl sent the two into the room and slapped her forehead again. "I forgot my name. My name is Alice. I'm old Dodd's neighbor and friend. I came here to look after the tavern for him when he was out. If you feel bored staying in the room, you can come down and chat with me. I also know some things about the mountain..."

Loren nodded politely, "We'll come down after we put our luggage away."

"luggage……"

Alice looked at the two of them suspiciously. They had nothing in their hands, so how could they have any luggage? Her eyes lit up and she suddenly understood something. She showed an expression of "So that's it, I understand", smiled, and went downstairs.

Loren walked into the room and looked around the balcony and bathroom. As expected, there were no toiletries. So he took out the cup, toothpaste and toothbrush and placed them in front of the mirror, arranging them neatly, with even the toothbrush heads facing the same direction.

Hermione watched him busying around, looking like he was enjoying it, her cheeks slightly hot but she asked in a cold voice:
"Is this also part of your plan, Mr. Morgan?"

"what's the plan?"

Loren looked blank and innocent. "I just thought that this is the first time we go on a long trip alone. You don't have much experience. It will be easier for me to take care of you in a room."

"I think I can have my own room."

"Hey, in case of any unexpected situation, we two can live together so that we can take care of each other."

"What unexpected circumstances could there be?"

"It's said to be an unexpected situation. How can I predict it for you? Is something that can be predicted still an unexpected situation?"

"..."

Hermione glanced at his pretending serious face, and the corner of her mouth twitched: "You'd better think so. You are no match for me in close combat."

"Why do we fight?"

"..." Hermione felt angry and amused, pursed her lips, "Let's go downstairs."

"Ok!"

After closing the door, the two walked down the wooden stairs side by side.

Through conversations with Alice, the two gained a rough understanding of Ben Nevis and the small town at the foot of the mountain.

Ben Nevis is an extinct volcano, majestic and majestic, covering nearly 100 acres, with its highest peak covered with thick clouds all year round, and the weather is changeable. Some mountains are covered with snow all year round, almost turning into permafrost.

The mountainside is shrouded in fog, the terrain is steep, and volcanic rocks are mixed with granite, making climbing difficult. This is why it attracts many adventure enthusiasts who challenge their limits. The vast majority of people return empty-handed, but a small number of people stay here forever and become part of the mountain. This has caused 13 mountaineering deaths in the past five years.

There is a weather station on the mountain in the northeast, and there are staff stationed there, but they rarely show up.

The foot of the mountain is vast, with some scattered households. The village where the泔水吧吧 is located is one of them. The nearest town is Fort William, about 50 miles away.

(End of this chapter)