Kael and Conna braved the snow and wind to reach the Three Broomsticks Inn.
Compared to the quiet Madam Puddifoot Tea House, this place was much more crowded and noisy. The freshly made Butter Beer was still steaming, and the air seemed smoky.
The bar owner was a strikingly attractive woman with beautiful curves. At the moment, she was attending to a group of noisy wizards at the bar.
"I'll go get the drinks, you find a seat," Kael said. "I hope we're not too late; the seats here are always in short supply."
Conna walked to the back of the bar and found a small table between a window and a Christmas tree, near the fireplace.
Before long, Kael came over, with a large tray floating behind him.
Two bottles of Butter Beer, two plates of roast meat pies, and a dish of freshly baked pine nut cookies filled the table.
Conna cut a piece of pie and put it into her mouth, then took a big gulp of Butter Beer, showing a look of complete satisfaction.
"I knew I still like this..." she murmured indistinctly.
"Me too." Kael ate a pine nut cookie, then raised his glass and said, "Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas!"
Their glasses clinked gently.
Kael took a big sip, feeling as if his body was instantly warmed up.
This stuff is really good, though it would be even better if he could drink something else.
Kael had wanted to order a glass of their signature drink, Ogden's Golden Honey Mead, earlier, but Ms. Rosmerta said it contained whiskey and couldn't be sold to young wizards, so she only gave him Butter Beer.
But this might be due to the current crowd; under normal circumstances, Ms. Rosmerta's standards weren't so strict.
At least Fred and George had bought honey mead containing whiskey from here before.
After putting down the glass, Kael looked around and spotted quite a few familiar faces.
For instance, just behind the Christmas tree sat Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
They were hidden thoroughly by the Christmas tree, with Harry sitting innermost. If Hermione hadn't greeted him proactively, Kael might not have seen them.
It seemed Fred and George had already given the map to Harry.
Just then, a gust of cold wind blew through as the door of the Three Broomsticks opened.
Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick entered the bar with a swirl of wind and snow, followed by Hagrid and the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge.
A clatter of noise came from behind, and Ron and Hermione seemed to press Harry down under the table.
There were no empty tables left in the bar. Upon recognizing Fudge, some wizards immediately wanted to give up their seats, but Fudge just smiled and waved, indicating he was simply an ordinary guest today and that everyone should feel free.
At this moment, not far behind Kael, two wizards quickly finished their drinks, then naturally got up, settled their bill, and left the bar.
Now there was an empty spot.
"What luck, I thought I'd have to stand and drink," Fudge said with a smile as he walked over, greeting different people along the way.
He even recognized Kael.
"So glad to see you here, young Kael," he said familiarly. "The youngest recipient of the Merlin Knight Order emblem, truly an amazing achievement. I still remember that day vividly, as if it were yesterday."
"I remember it well too, Minister," Kael said.
"Pity I couldn't present the award to you personally," Fudge laughed. "They invited me, but I felt it should be left to Dumbledore, the headmaster, since it was at the school."
Behind Fudge, Professor McGonagall pursed her lips.
If she remembered correctly, it wasn't that Fudge didn't want to present the award; rather, no one paid him any mind.
This excuse seemed reminiscent of a certain Defence Against the Dark Arts professor...
After the group took their seats, Ms. Rosmerta came over from the bar, skillfully reciting everyone's preferences.
Professor McGonagall's Violet Water… Hagrid's four pints of honey wine… Professor Flitwick's sugary soda...
"And for you, the Redcurrant Rum, Minister."
"Thank you, Rosmerta," Fudge said happily. "It's good to see you again. Join us, won't you? Have one on me..."
Ms. Rosmerta agreed cheerfully and went to the bar to fetch their drinks.
Kael originally wanted to listen in on their conversation, but the surroundings were too noisy. Moreover, the tables were some distance apart, making it hard to hear.
Only sporadically catching phrases like Sirius Black… Dementor… vile, filthy traitor…
This was largely thanks to Hagrid.
Once he got angry, he couldn't control his volume, and half the bar could hear what he was saying.
And their topic always seemed to infuriate Hagrid.
Especially after a few drinks, he got angrier more often.
"Are they talking about Sirius Black?" Conna asked quietly, clearly having heard Hagrid's words as well.
"Evidently." Kael took a sip of Butter Beer. "Only Blake could bring Fudge all the way to Hogsmeade before Christmas."
"But why…?" Conna asked, puzzled. "Aren't there already Dementors here? Why does the Minister need to come in person?"
"That I can't say," Kael shook his head. "I suppose he's here to see Professor Dumbledore, to allow Dementors to search the castle...
It's Hogsmeade visitor day today, so there aren't many people in the castle. If the rest of the students are gathered and protected, the Dementors can swagger into the castle."
"I bet the headmaster definitely didn't agree," Conna said without hesitation.
"Of course, otherwise, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick wouldn't be keeping our Minister company for drinks at the Three Broomsticks."
Kael shrugged. "But that's just my guess. Perhaps Fudge is here just to check if the Dementors are slacking off; that's another possibility."
"Is the Minister that concerned about Blake?" Conna asked, a bit surprised. "I heard many say this Minister prefers attending parties."
"There's no help for it," Kael said, eating another cookie.
"No one's ever escaped Azkaban so brazenly before; Sirius Black is the first.
The negative impact is too great. If it's not resolved quickly, people will deem him an incompetent Minister."
...
"I ran into him after Lily and James died, that kid was pale and shaking all over…"
At this moment, Hagrid's roar could be heard again from not far away.
"Do you know what I did? I went and comforted that traitor! I comforted him!"