Led by Lupin, Vizet and the others left the noisy downtown area where the Woolworth Building stood and appeared on a crisscrossing street.
Gray haze filled the sky above the street. The pale winter sunlight shone down, struggling to pierce the layer of smog and casting dim light and shadows on the ground.
The road had long since become pitted and uneven. Occasionally, a car drove past, its body jolting up and down.
The walls on both sides were covered in faded graffiti. Piles of discarded tires and garbage bags sat in the corners, and a few stray cats wove through them, playing as if they had already claimed the place as their amusement park.
"Vizet, this is Hunts Point Community in Brooklyn..." Lupin introduced it to Vizet. "When I lived in New York before, I stayed here for a while."
"Over there..." He raised a hand and pointed toward the end of the street. "There's a wizard inn. During these days in New York, the M staff and I have all been staying there."
"The main reason that wizard inn opened here is because this community is chaotic enough. The Muggles have plenty of their own troubles, so it's hard for them to spare any attention for us, and that makes it less easy to violate the Statute of Secrecy."
"The innkeeper's name is Parker. He's a very warm person. His cooking is pretty good... at least the portions are generous. The taste probably can't compare with restaurants in France."
"Yeah! Too warm!" Sirius Black nodded in agreement. "I clearly said I was full, but he still forced a huge piece of apple pie on me, like he wouldn't stop until he'd fed me into a ball."
"Parker stuffed two pieces into me..." Harry added helplessly. "He said I