The Situation

London, an unnamed street.

It was early spring, and the air still carried a lingering chill.

News of the Dark Lord's capture of the Ministry of Magic had spread throughout the wizarding world. Although the mainstream papers had yet to provide any detailed coverage, and Scrimgeour had repeatedly published reassuring statements in The Daily Prophet, unrest had swept across Britain.

As the long-standing political center of the wizarding world, London, where the Ministry of Magic was located, had suddenly grown desolate. Those who could move away did so, while others fled elsewhere. Even Diagon Alley, also located within London, had become much quieter. Even if they were not targets of the Dark Lord or the Death Eaters, people feared being too close and getting killed by a stray Killing Curse.

Half-blood and Muggle-born Wizard residents were filled with terror, pure-blood wizards were uneasy, and families connected to the Death Eaters could not make up their minds. Rumors claimed Scrimgeour was preparing to lead the Aurors in a counterattack, while black-market gossip said Voldemort intended to expand his rule. Every kind of absurd story was circulating.

Heavy clouds had constantly hung over all of London, with storms gathering beneath them.

London probably had several hundred streets. No one could remember all their names, especially when so many were duplicates. The city had twenty-five Albert Streets, twenty-five Victoria Streets, thirty-seven King Streets, twenty-seven Queen Streets, twenty-two Prince Streets, seventeen Duke Streets... There were also sixty-four Charlie Streets, thirty-seven Edward Streets, forty-seven James Streets, and thirty-six Henry Streets...

One of them was a street that was neither prosperous nor well-known, even dirty, chaotic, and run-down. Everything on the street was visible at a glance. Several crumbling buildings seemed completely abandoned, the pub sign was unreadable, and there was no business at all. The