As night deepened, lights came on again in the abandoned Shelter. Carrying midnight snack bought from a Muggle shop, Nelson Tobin climbed the stairs toward the lit room, faintly hearing the noise coming from inside.
The moment he entered, Nelson set down the food, greeted the two girls playing Wizard's Chess by the door, then poked his head in and called to the people inside enjoying a rare peaceful night, "Anyone want a midnight snack?"
The next moment, the chatter in the room stalled. A large crowd surged over, devouring the still-steaming fried chicken and french fries he had just bought.
"Here!"
Susan Bones placed a mug of Butterbeer in front of Nelson.
Nelson took the mug and drained more than half of it in one go. "Where'd this come from?"
"There was still a lot left here, so it was all dumped in the Shelter. Works out well for us." After hesitating for a moment, Susan decided to talk to Nelson about something deeply unpleasant that had happened a few days ago before things got worse.
"Oh, looks like we're lucky. Another one." Nelson held out his mug, smiling. "Just say what's on your mind."
Susan drew a deep breath. "You shouldn't have taken that risk last time!"
The people who had been enjoying their midnight snack swallowed their food and turned to look over.
The room immediately fell into a terrifying silence, with only Lee Jordan's voice still coming from the radio on the table.
"Like you could let go of your hatred."
Nelson Tobin took another huge gulp of Butterbeer and spoke openly about the two major incidents from a few days ago.
That was right. They had been the ones who burned down Kingsley's home and retaliated against that poor Director of Magical Law Enforcement.
As