Led by Remus Lupin, Wizet and the others left the bustling downtown area around the Woolworth Building and emerged onto a maze of crisscrossing streets.
Gray haze filled the sky above the street. Pale winter sunlight shone down, struggling to pierce the gloom and casting dim shadows across the ground.
The road had long since become riddled with potholes. The occasional passing car bounced violently over them.
The walls on both sides were covered in faded graffiti, while discarded tires and garbage bags were piled in the corners. Several stray cats darted and played among them, seemingly treating the place as their playground.
"Wizet, this is Hunts Point in Brooklyn..." Lupin introduced, "I lived here for a while when I was in New York."
"Over there..." He raised a hand and pointed toward the end of the street. "There's a wizarding inn. During these days in New York, the M.S.C. staff and I have been staying there."
"The inn was opened here mainly because this neighborhood is chaotic enough. Muggles have plenty of troubles of their own, so they rarely spare any thought for us. That makes it less likely for us to violate the International Statute of Secrecy."
"The innkeeper is named Parker. He's a very enthusiastic man. His cooking is quite good... or at least, the portions are generous. The taste probably can't compare to a restaurant in France."
"Yeah! Far too enthusiastic!" Sirius Black nodded in agreement. "I clearly said I was full, but he insisted on stuffing a huge slice of apple pie into me. It was like he wouldn't stop until he'd fed me into a ball."
"Parker gave me two slices..." Harry added helplessly. "He said I was still too skinny and should eat more, so I could grow up to be a tough