Parker led Wizet and the others into the inn. The ground floor was laid out much like the Leaky Cauldron, though its decor was far rougher, and the rich smell of fried food filled the air.
The bar counter was a massive cross-section of a tree trunk. Another half of a cross-section stood against the wall, with round holes carved into it to display bottles of liquor—a rather practical use of it.
Further inside was the common room, furnished with around a dozen tables.
Several M.S.C. employees were seated there. The moment they saw Wizet and his group enter, they rose in unison and greeted them enthusiastically.
Listening to the warm, coordinated greetings, Parker grinned. "Quite the reception!"
"Honestly, with this kind of display, it really has the air of a Mafia godfather receiving his followers..."
"I won't keep you from your meeting. Help yourselves to whatever drinks you want from the bar. I'll head to the kitchen and bring out your lunch!"
Wizet went up to the second floor of the inn, where one of the guest rooms was being used to store werewolf-related materials.
Remus Lupin was a very meticulous man. He had already sorted the materials into categories, including all kinds of records concerning werewolves, as well as hand-drawn illustrations depicting their exact appearance.
Wizet used this time to quickly look through the materials. Only when Sirius Black called him downstairs for lunch did he follow Sirius down.
Just as Lupin had said, Parker had prepared a hearty lunch.
He had turned one of the round tables into a long table and piled it high with food: a huge steaming pot of beef stew, a large platter of roasted ribs, fried potatoes stacked almost into a tower, and three large apple pies.
From arriving in New