What's So Interesting About That Lousy Hog's Head?

The carriage stopped by the roadside.

A group of young wizards scattered like birds, running wildly through the streets of Hogsmeade.

The doors of all the shops were already open, and stylishly dressed witches stood at the entrances waving handkerchiefs, constantly trying to attract customers.

After William and Hermione got out of the car, they went to Honeydukes first. They hadn't eaten breakfast, so they would save their stomachs to eat there.

We arrived too early; there weren't many people at the Honeydukes, and there was no need to queue.

As William entered the shop, he immediately saw hundreds of different kinds of chocolates, a large bucket of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, and several buckets of Fizzing Whizzbees on the shelves directly opposite the door.

It looks like a chocolate factory.

On the wall, there are various funny photos of guys, the most eye-catching being the animated photo of a guy in the middle:

Late at night, Minister Fudge was still working overtime, strictly enforcing the 996 work schedule.

But he was working too hard and almost fainted from hunger. With great difficulty, he took out Fizzing Whizbees from the drawer, took a bite, and instantly became fully revitalized, turning into 007...

Then comes the scrolling text:

Rich in honey flavor, with a silky smooth texture, indulge in this silky experience.

Merlin, Minister Fudge even accepts this kind of exorbitant allowance... Could it be that he escaped famine as a child and is terrified of poverty?

At that moment, the proprietress Mrs Swan, was holding a piece of black bread. After she ate it, flames shot out of her nose.

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed, tugging at William's sleeve, "William, how did you do that?"

"It's not real flame, just a kind of reddish smoke," William explained after observing carefully.

"There might also be some scales from the Plimpy and blood from the Fire Salamander... To determine the exact composition, we'll need to buy some and study it carefully."

"William, don't do that," Mrs Swan chided. "You've revealed most of my secret recipe, which I've been trying for a long time. That's a trade secret!"

"No way... Hermione and I were just doing pure academic research," William laughed.

Mrs Swan handed over two pieces of bread, and William and Hermione thanked her and each took one.

Then, they breathed flames at each other, like two fire-breathing dragons.

The visual effect is secondary; the bread is truly delicious. So, creating interesting visual effects isn't difficult; the taste of the pastry is the key.

Of course, this can also be said the other way around... For pastry chefs, flavors are easy to come by, but Potions with various special effects are the hardest things to create.

"Little Black Pepper Imps... my latest product." Mrs Swan shook it and teased:

"Seriously, William, have you ever considered coming to work for me after graduation and helping me brew all sorts of candy Potions?"

This sounds familiar; Old Borgin from Borgin and Burkes also said something similar.

"Of course, no salary needed, just teach me how to make these pastries and candies," William said with a grin.

"So you want to learn how to make it for Hermione?" Mrs Swan teased.

Hermione seemed to suddenly become interested in the candy on the table; she turned her head and stared at it, a sly smile playing on her lips.

William grinned.

"Even if you were willing to come, our little shop can't afford a genius like you... Ha, it's been a whole summer since I last saw you, and the newspapers are full of the two of you."

"Don't mention the newspaper, we haven't had breakfast yet," William said with a bright smile.

What would you like to eat?

William and Hermione ordered some phoenix cakes, which would emit Fawkes's cry after being eaten.

This bread was actually endorsed by Fawkes. Dumbledore even opened a vault for Fawkes in Gringotts to store the money he earned from making GG movies over the years.

Fawkes's stage name is Red F, which corresponds to the stage name Black C of the silly cat named Heitan in the alternate dimension.

William suddenly realized that Anne's Dahei could also debut in the adult entertainment industry. Her stage name could be Black B, or...2B for short.

After dinner, William and Hermione, each carrying a large glass of fruit syrup, strolled hand in hand down the street.

William listed many activities for Cedric, but in reality, he himself hadn't visited many of them.

William never took Hermione there.

Is this Troll pole dancing for ordinary people?

Troll jumps around, it might just pull up the steel pipe and unleash a whole set of monkey-stick moves.

Only someone with a taste for the extreme like Hagrid could have a good experience.

As William passed by Zonko's Joke Shop, he saw the twins.

Zonko's Joke Shop is the largest toy store in Hogsmeade and a major supplier to Akali's Mystery Shop.

This place sells a variety of materials for pranks and magic tricks, including Dungbomb, Hiccough Sweets, Frog Spawn Soap, and Nose-Biting Teacup.

Fred and George have always wanted to open a shop, Zonko's Joke Shop is one of their targets. This is also Akali's Mystery Shop's next move.

They definitely have enough funds to open a store; the only thing they lack is manpower.

Unfortunately, William and the twins were all in school, and even if they opened a shop, they didn't have a reliable wizard to manage it.

Let alone opening chain stores and building a brand effect. We have to give up on that for now.

As William and Hermione were about to leave, they saw Fred clutching his stomach, seemingly in pain.

Then, he said goodbye to George, left the shop, and departed with Angelina was waiting impatiently at the alley entrance.

"..." William was dumbfounded. It turned out that Fred was still fighting on two fronts, while George was completely unaware and was still chatting with his boss.

William even suspected that by the time George discovered that his beloved Fred already had someone he liked, by then... they'd probably already have children.

They crossed an intersection and stopped at the Hogsmeade Post Office.

This is an Owl Post where you can send things to various places.

The two took out the snacks they bought at Honeydukes and sent them out separately via owl mail.

The snacks included large chunks of creamy yellow almond candy, sparkly pink Coconut Ice, honey-colored toffee, fruit juice milk jelly balls that made you feel like you were floating in the air, and Drooble's Best Blowing Gum.

However, the two were quite cunning; although they bought the same items together, they sent the letters under different names.

The letter sent to Hermione's parents was signed William; the letter sent to Roy and his family was signed Hermione.

Isn't that obvious? The sentiment behind two people giving a gift is definitely different from that of one person giving a gift!

After they finished sending the gifts, they saw an old man appear across the street. He was tall and thin, with strands of gray hair and a beard that looked like metallic wires.

It was almost as long as Dumbledore's, but not as well-groomed as the headmaster's.

The headmaster's beard is regularly groomed with essential oils. When it comes to meticulous grooming at Hogwarts, few can rival Professor Dumbledore!

The long-bearded old man appeared to be blind, wearing large sunglasses, leaning on a long cane, and leading a long-bearded goat as a guide goat.

A witch in her early twenties politely approached him and helped him cross the street.

They must be rich to dare help an old man; they've probably never been scammed before.

"Could you take me to the Hog's Head?" The old man's voice was surprisingly strong as he loudly requested the witch to take him to the Hog's Head.

"The liquor there is the strongest; go and try it," the old man said.

The witch didn't seem to be a local, and she asked excitedly, "Excuse me, are you a native of Hogsmeade?"

"Yeah, right!" the old man exclaimed. "Are you going or not? The drinks at Hog's Head are really good."

The witch asked, "And how much do you know about the history of this Hog's Head?"

"Hog's Head? What's there to know about that lousy Hog's Head?" the old man muttered.

"Look at those foreign wizards, they just keep taking pictures, hardly any of them go in to buy wine, and they keep saying they'll definitely do it next time."

"Let me tell you, the liquor there is really strong."

Every word he uttered involved alcohol; it seems this old man was a bar scammer.

This was the first time William had ever encountered a bar girl of such an advanced age... She's really going all out!

"I'm also a foreigner, from United States," the witch said shyly.

"Oh... United States journalist? Wait a moment, just a moment."

The old man moistened his beard with saliva and combed it.

He cleared his throat, and even his dialect changed, replaced by a standard London accent:

"The Goblin Rebellion broke out in 1612, when Goblin Larak the Lout launched the famous Hog's Head Riot."

The riot took place at Hogsmeade's Hog's Head, which was also the headquarters of the Goblin Rebellion and had witnessed countless bloodshed and tears.

Hog's Head not only boasts a long history and rich culture, but also a hospitable owner, the strongest liquor in the United Kingdom, affordable prices, amazing taste, and even international shipping services.

Foreign tourists are also welcome to visit the bar and buy drinks.

"..."

One second he's a blind old bar tout, the next he's an elder of Hogsmeade.

This art style... is quite a sudden change.

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(Thanks to "Deep Sea Turtle" for the generous donation.)