As members of Goblin Finance and the Red-Nosed Wizard Investment Alliance, it was not strange for Goblins to appear at family gatherings, though the Smith family did not seem to have anyone married to a Goblin.
But Pomona had run into one of her buyers here. She usually sold the magical plants she grew to him, though he always disguised himself whenever he appeared in Hogsmeade.
Now word that Hogwarts was selling off the Basilisk in pieces had spread like wildfire. She wanted to slip away before he noticed her, but Amos Diggory from the Goblin Liaison Office headed straight over, so they could only split up.
After passing through the crowd dancing together on the lawn, she reached a tent with almost no one inside. Though it had rained a few days ago and cooled things down somewhat, it was still rather hot. In no time at all, she was drenched in sweat.
She picked up a cocktail from a pyramid of glasses and drained it in one gulp. It tasted of cherries, so she could not help having another. Then she let out a long breath.
She had learned that from Mr. Evans. The first thing he did when he got home from work was take an ice-cold beer from the refrigerator. He always did that after drinking.
She thought it was a Muggle "custom."
"Alone?"
Pomona turned toward the voice and found that it belonged to a Muggle in a grey summer suit.
She did not like the way he looked at her, as though she were some sort of prey.
So she decided to leave, only to nearly trip over the hem of her robe.
Her robe had become longer—or rather, her body had shrunk—so the clothes that had once fit her perfectly now hung loose