She seemed somewhat annoyed as she twirled her hair up. The little girl had grown up, her figure now curvy, showcasing feminine grace and elegance.
"Just a nobody."
Ian couldn't wait to head to the Three Broomsticks to redeem his previous humiliation.
Perhaps due to Christmas, the Three Broomsticks Bar was bustling with customers, far more than when Ian had last stayed there, not crowded but incredibly noisy.
Magic lanterns that wouldn't usually be hung were now swaying and shimmering in the bar, with many wizards raising their glasses, using the festive excuse to compare drinking capacities with friends and family.
All wizards.
Cheating methods were naturally not in short supply.
This might be another type of competition among the drinkers.
"Huh, new faces?"
The bar owner, Madam Rosmerta, wasn't particularly beautiful, at least not as beautiful as Aurora, but her voluptuous figure was a definite plus for many people.
Though the crow's feet at the corner of her eyes indicated she wasn't young anymore, the numerous enthusiastic drinkers in the bar still fully demonstrated the charm and allure time had bestowed upon this owner.
It's something that young women generally find hard to possess.
"Is there anything fun here?" Aurora felt a bit uncomfortable with the gazes of the drinkers around her, but fortunately, their gazes didn't linger on her for long.
You could tell.
The Cao bandits eyeing the boss lady were the majority here.
"You'll soon find out what's fun." Ian walked over to Madam Rosmerta's bar, taking out a few Silver Sickles and pushing them toward the bar owner.
"Give her a non-alcoholic butter beer, and I'll have a small glass of whiskey, the smallest kind." Since the ghostly anniversary party, Ian had been quite aware of his drinking capacity.
He just wanted to taste but not indulge.
"Why can you drink and I can't?" Aurora frowned and said to Madam Rosmerta, "I want the same kind of whiskey he wants to drink."
"Give me a large glass."
The German girl said in the most calm voice, expressing her discontent.
"Whiskey is only for regulars. For you... enjoy the holiday with butter beer." The bar owner, Madam Rosmerta, had her own ideas and way of hosting customers.
She only prepared two butter beers for Ian and Aurora. Not stopping there, she even pushed back the Silver Sickle Ian had placed on the table.
"It's on me, after all, no charge means no penalty." The meaningful look in Madam Rosmerta's eyes made Ian, who had already pulled out the ice cola intended to mix with the whiskey, hang his head guiltily. He silently stuffed the magically chilled cola back into his money bag.
"Glug glug glug~"
Aurora had already started drinking.
The taste was indeed not bad; it was a drink that only little wizards in the third grade could order, with very little alcohol content as most alcohol had already evaporated during the making process.
"What are you doing?"
Aurora, still savoring, stared at Ian, seeing him pull out a small bottle and drip a few drops into the butter beer, recognizing it as the Blessing Potion Snape had given Ian.
"You need to seek good luck before unboxing."
Ian looked at the empty glass Aurora had drunk from, then turned to Madam Rosmerta, "Could she have another glass? She secretly drank the butter beer."
Madam Rosmerta didn't move, continuing to wipe the bar.
"Don't overstep your bounds."
There was something in the tone of the smiling bar owner's voice that made Ian sigh. She turned to attend to other customers, leaving Ian and Aurora at the bar.
"I drank it right in front of you."
Aurora put down her glass before retorting.
"Open your mouth."
Ian sighed helplessly.
"For what?"
Aurora didn't act.
Ian directly pressed Aurora's cheeks on both sides, forcing her mouth open, and then dripped a few drops of the Blessing Potion into her mouth as well.
"It tastes a bit like honey cake."
Aurora blinked, seemingly savoring the taste.
"I didn't expect you and Dumbledore to have the same hobby." Ian glanced at the drinkers, his enhanced intuition locking onto two people engaged in a conversation.
"I just want to know why we are drinking Blessing Potion." Aurora once again picked up her glass, tilting it to get the last few drops of butter beer into her mouth.
Her current behavior was entirely contrary to her typically aloof demeanor.
Perhaps Ian's influence?
"When I lived here before, I noticed some things, overheard some intel—there often seemed to be secret dealings going on between black market merchants and wizards here."
"Their goods are good stuff, but even among good things, there are differences. I hope the Blessing Potion will help us find the Christmas gift box with the finest treasures."
Ian evidently regarded the black market merchants as blind boxes, his gaze settling back on the original target among several black market merchants.
"Rob the robbers?"
Aurora's tone became somewhat excited.
"It's about upholding justice! Robbing the rich to give to the poor! Maintaining the peace and stability of wizard society!" Ian corrected Aurora's choice of words, demonstrating an astoundingly thorough understanding of righteousness.
"But you're not poor anymore, are you? Why don't we just say we just don't like them?" Aurora's conscience was apparently a bit clearer than Ian's, but her character was certainly more mischievous.