Harry Potter and Los Angeles by Night

1. Something... ...Magic this way comes...

A loud "CRACK" reverberated through the alley, followed by cursing and a figure toppling over a trash bin. Bill Weasley was not a happy man. Not in the slightest. It was bad enough to travel half a planet in what many would consider a wild goose chase, he didn't need to miscalculate the apparition point and fall over the rubbish ridden, humid and smelly pavement.

"Bloody city, damn it!" He cursed inwardly "And new robes too"

"Took you long enough, William" The voice was raspy, stern, yet it came with a smile and a hand to help him up. Bill took the hand with a laugh.

"Only my mother calls me William, Sirius. Coming from you it's almost creepy" he smiled back.

"Yeah well, had you been my son, you'd have inherited this handsome, charming mug and your name would've been something awe-inspiring and impressive like Apollo, or Orion."

"I think that one's even worse, mate"

"It's your name, what's the fun in not using it if I can rile you up a bit by doing so, Billy." Sirius chortled merrily, casting a quick charm on his friend to tidy him up a bit. "There, now you look like a decent enough wizard. A pity we have to get you out of those clothes, hotstuff"

"Are you coming on to me, you old pervert? Because 'almost creepy' doesn't even begin to cover it this time"

"Don't need to go and get all flustered. I'm not about to change my tastes, nor be the target of the scorn and fury of both your mother and your wife. Your chastity is safe, mate. Never liked redheads anyway, too many freckles."

Both wizards continued their argument in a hushed tone, walking at a slow pace.

Bill was given a bag with muggle clothing. Nothing too fancy. A t-shirt, denim trousers and a pair of trainers. "Robes aren't inconspicuous enough for this. We've got to get into a few muggle sites, and they're too crowded for disillusionment or notice-me-not charms"

"It's true, then? Have we found him?" He asked, hopeful.

Sirius drew a heavy sigh. "I don't know. I'm not sure, but I do really want to believe we've made it this time. I just hope it's not another red herring."

"Professor Dumbledore wouldn't have sent us away if he didn't believe the information was reliable enough. You know that, Sirius."

"Albus is a man, Bill, not an icon, not the picture in a chocolate-frog card, nor the bloody hero of a pulp story. Like you and me, he makes mistakes. Sending my godson to those awful people was a mistake. Trusting that poor, little Neville Longbottom would defeat You Know Who with nothing but vague clues about ancient magical relics or old legends was another one"

"The Ministry has held together for almost twenty years thanks to him alone, Sirius. At least give the man some credit. Dad always said he looked out for us, even if he couldn't see where we were" Bill struggled, fumbling with the trousers' fly. "For what it's worth, I'm sure he's sorry for making you go through all this"

"Yeah" answered his counterpart, low enough to not be heard. "By the way, are you done, or do you need help with that fly you're wrestling with?"

"Keep your hands to yourself, you dirty old creep" responded the redhead "There. Done"

Sirius took a look at the other wizard. "It'll do. At least you didn't put your shirt on backwards this time"

They both looked unassuming enough, he thought, at least for wizards trying to get by as muggles in a foreign country.

Bill Weasley was a tall, ruggedly handsome fellow, with a long mane of red hair held up by a low pony-tail and freckles all over his face. The man had to be in his late thirties, maybe even his early forties, but kept in good shape, which gave him a youthful appearance.

On the other hand, Sirius Black was the shorter of the two. He was skinnier, not as bulky as his friend, and held himself up less awkwardly. He had to be pushing fifty, with gray streaks of hair on the sides of his head, along his well-kept beard, and deep lines showing in his forehead, around the eyes and circling the mouth.

They painted an odd picture, but nothing too far removed from any weirdo one might encounter strolling down any muggle street.

"So, where to?" asked the redhead.

"I'm not completely sure. Apparently we have to meet a dealer named Knox in a bar downtown. Everything's very hush-hush."

"Why is it never pretty ladies in fluffy hotel rooms, mate?. Anyway, how did we come across the information this time?"

"Snivellus, again." Sneered the older one. "You Know Who's been growing restless, or so Snivellus says... When Neville didn't die by his hand, the Dark Lord grew obsessed with the prophecy. He believes Harry might still be alive somewhere, so he set his mind to abduct and execute everyone sharing that name all over the world. So far he's got five, but none of them matched Harry's profile. One was an accountant... Can you imagine Harry Potter as an accountant?"

"For all we know... I don't know, mate, could be. You haven't seen the boy since, well, ever..."

"Mundungus managed to get a few gears moving, and we got the information that brought us to Los Angeles. Once in the city, it was easy enough to follow the trail, though it seems it disappeared suddenly, a few years back. Apparently he was sharing a room with a couple young blokes and a girl, and disappeared one night, after partying in a Club called "Confession". Talk about getting your hopes up... ...After that, just rumors. Sightings, the eventual conversation with his friends, false leads..."

"And this Knox fellow? What do we know about him?"

Sirius harrumphed, stroking his chin softly. "Nothing out of the ordinary. Apparently he deals with drugs and information in town. From what I've heard he's a bit of a small fry, but a very enthusiastic and decent enough bloke. Tends to talk a bit too much, though, so I've been told. Even better for us, I reckon."

Both men kept walking through the alleyways until they reached a run-down looking bar, nearing the end of the downtown area. The place looked uninviting, with a small entrance crowned by a dingy sign reading 'The Last Round'. Nearing the bar, a few street-bums hung out around a makeshift heater, made burning paper in a barrel. Heavy bikes were clumsily parked in front of the entrance, signaling who made up at least part of the clientele.

Bill swallowed. "Are you sure we'll be ok? It doesn't look very... ehm, homely"

"We'll be fine, don't sweat it" Sirius admired the bikes before holding a breath and pushing the door firmly.

They were greeted by a heavy cloud of tobacco smoke, followed by the pungent smell of alcohol and the booming noise of something they decided had to be music. If the outside looked uninviting, the inside didn't bode any better, Bill thought.

It was definitely small, for a bar, and it had to be at least three or four decades old, like an old relic from the late fifties, now transformed into what appeared to be a biker bar. Certainly, time hadn't done it any favors. The wood covering the floors, walls and furniture, seemed old, stained and worn-out, creaking with every step they took. The light was very dim, emanating from a few vintage lamps that hung from the ceiling, covered in dust.

It was not crowded by any means, you could tell that was probably as full as it would always get. The patrons looked as menacing and unfriendly as the locale painted everything else to be. A few of them were sitting on stools, resting their elbows on the bar, chatting around quite a few empty beer bottles. Most of the lot, however, were piled by the rear end, around the pool table and a broken down pinball machine where some stairs were insinuating the existence of another floor. Oddly enough, some of them looked out of place in there, younger than you'd expect, and a lot less hardened in life, but didn't seem to be regarded as outsiders by the rest.

Sirius took a few tentative steps towards the bar, at his left, tended by a shifty-looking old woman. Its surface seemed grimy, dirty and was damp with beer spills and like the rest of the establishment, in dire need of an overhaul. At his right, opposite from the bar, were the remains of what Sirius guessed was an old diner, with moldy looking faux-leather couches, and dusty formica chromed tables. He continued advancing until he got at an arms distance from the barmaid. Behind her, liquor bottles were piling up, most of them half-empty, and a few beer glasses were left untouched at the counter.

"What will it be, hun?" She rasped out scrubbing a beer mug with a brownish rag that Sirius knew it had to have been red, at some point.

"We'll have a couple of those" he said, pointing at the beer bottles from three passed-out guys at the bar. "We'll sit by the couches". Sirius looked at Bill and signaled to follow him. As they passed, gazes fell upon them, sizing them up. Some of the conversations stopped while the wizards made their way through, but other than a dirty look or two, nobody approached them or said anything other than a grunt in their general direction.

"Charming, isn't it? I bet you can find finer places in Knockturn Alley"

They sat down waiting for their order to come.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist, Bill. I'm sure they are a friendly bunch, once you get to know them." Retorted Sirius, smiling at the visible uneasiness of his companion. "Anyway, that Knox bloke will be here soon enough"

Bill responded mumbling "I hope so, it's almost time, and I don't want to spend more time than the strictly necessary in this place. If the beer tastes as rancid as the air smells, I don't think I'll stay and wait for him"

"Worry not, my friend. It'll taste like piss, I'm sure" Said Sirius, wriggling his eyebrows, earning a snort from his companion.

Their chat was interrupted by the barmaid, who brought them their drinks, and left as swiftly as she had come, to adopt her original position behind the bar, watching an old, dusty telly that hung from the ceiling, threatening to fall off at any given time. As they were preparing to take the first sips from their bottles, the door opened once more with a creaking sound. Quickly, a shaky-looking young man entered. By his looks, he couldn't be older than twenty. He had an odd air about him, looking nervous and excited.

The guy stood in the middle of the room, starting to stretch his neck as far as he could to look over the bar, apparently searching for someone. When his gaze fell upon the pair of wizards, he made a sound that, to Sirius, closely resembled a squeal, and made his way towards them.

"It's you, ain't it?!" He asked, excitedly.

"I'm sorry?" Asked Bill, perplexed.

"Ha! I knew it! Oh man, I knew it when I saw you! At first I was like: it can't be, but then I got close and BAM! Oh gee, man, there you are!"

Sirius blinked. Repeatedly. "Knox?" he tried.

"Hell yeah! The one and only! Knox Harrington at your service! You guys totally sound british. I so knew it. First I saw you and said to myself; nah! But hearing you... it was like I could just sense you! Oh man, this will be awesome! What can I do you for, then, what?"

Bill looked at Sirius mouthing 'Is he high?'

Sirius shrugged in response, turning to face the younger man. "Do you know why we're here?"

"Damned if I do! I know you're looking for someone I might know, oh man, or so I'm told. You know a guy who knows about a guy I know, don't you?"

"Ehm... Something like that, yeah. We talked to an acquaintance of yours, Arthur Kilpatrick. He's a bondsman down in Santa Monica, although he does quite a bit of bounty hunting and P.D. Work, from what I heard."

"Arthur, yeah! Cool guy, man! Solid dude! Carson, a friend of mine, used to work for him. We go way back, you know, almost brothers, they say, oh man! It's been ages since I've seen him..."

Bill sighed at his ramblings, turning to look away. He saw some of the patrons were suddenly a bit more interested in their conversation, and were trying, not succeeding, though, to cover their interest in it. He looked at Sirius to try and warn him of the development, but his companion was too engrossed in the conversation to notice him.

Sirius stopped Knox's blabber. "As I was explaining, Mr. Kilpatrick told us he bailed you out of the police station's cells a few years ago. We don't care about why you were detained, but we are interested in the person who employed Mr. Kilpatrick to bail you out. A fellow briton. A young man by the name of Evans"

Knox's demeanor changed at the mention of the name. He stilled. As soon as the shift in attitude occurred, Sirius knew they had hit a nerve. Bill noticed too, but was the only one of the pair who also became aware that the mood hadn't only changed in Knox, but almost the whole bar.

" ...We were hoping you could help us locate him, he might be my long lost son, you see..." Continued Sirius, smiling reassuringly.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about! It's been ages! Could be... man, I don't know man, someone I owed money or something... Yeah, that must be it, yeah!"

Sirius insisted. "Look, I know you're lying. That much is obvious. It's important that you tell me everything you know, he might be..." As he was speaking Knox became agitated.

"I told you, man, ok? I don't know anything about Harry and..." He shut up instantly. Knowing he had screwed up as much as soon as he saw the change in his interlocutor's face.

Sirius' heart jumped in his chest when he heard the name. "I haven't told you his name is Harry, Knox."

They were close, he thought. He was about to continue pressuring the younger man...

"What did Nines tell you about dealing here, Knox?"A new voice joined their discussion, making them both jump in their seats.

Knox looked at the new member of their table with a mixture of fear and relief. "Damsel, my girl! I'm not dealing anything, don't worry, girl. We were just talking, them and me, yeah, talking, that's all!"

In Bill's opinion, Damsel was nothing like her name suggested. Young, he assumed, the girl couldn't have been older than twenty, although as far as Bill could tell, despite her youth, the young woman commanded a lot of authority in the Last Round.

'Damsel', he snorted inwardly. She certainly didn't look the part; She was a redhead, which was a familiar thing to him, petite and very pretty, sure, but she masked it with a very unladylike snarl gracing her soft features, or the way she dressed, wearing shiny black combat boots, green military cargo pants and a tight wife beater. If her clothing was anything to go by, she surely wasn't someone you wanted to mess with and she looked ready for a fight at any given moment. Also, her body language and speech patterns didn't seem tailored for a christmas dinner at mom's. Damsel was aggressive, and she wanted the world to know it.

Despite what she outwardly was showing, there were signs of an underlying girlishness in the way she pouted while trying to sound angry, the manner in which she tousled her hair or how she adjusted her beret from time to time. Amusing as it was, Bill didn't want to risk having her angry with him.

"I don't want to know, Knox. I really don't. If you care about not getting my boots stuck up your ass so far that you'll be able to lick' em from the inside of your mouth, I suggest you take your sorry behind out of here and back to Bertram's. We don't want you ghouling in our turf. I thought Nines made it very clear the last time he spoke with your Master." She pointed at Knox menacingly. "Get out of here, or I'll throw you out".

At her outburst, Knox became even more nervous and fidgety. He kept looking from her to Sirius, alarm showing on his face.

"Da-Damsel, my girl, c-come on! I'm not doing nothing 'bout that, we were just talking, you see? Yeah, talking, man! They don't know anything about that and..."

His excuses were interrupted by the older of the two Wizards clearing his throat. Both Knox and Damsel turned to look at him, one curious, the other nervous.

"Look, ehm... Damsel, right? We don't know what he deals with, or what kind of issue he has with you lot, and personally, we don't particularly care either. We're here with him to talk, that's all. Our business is not of your concern, no offense, and if we do bother you or your companions, we'll take them somewhere else."

Damsel looked at him dismissive but stern. She did show a bit of surprise in the way she had been responded to, as if she wasn't used to be talked in that way but she recovered quickly and responded as acidly as she'd been talking to Knox.

"Oh, don't worry, you'll be taking it somewhere else alright" She smirked. Her knuckes cracked, and she moved to take the younger man's arm, as to lift him up to his feet. "Get the fuck out of here, Knox, we don't want you babbling in here. The last thing we need is one of you Capes coming to clean your fucking mess when word is out you've been giving out shit you weren't supposed to"

At this point, if Knox's face was anything to go by, Sirius knew things were going to get physical very soon. He was reaching for his wand, slowly, when something slammed against his occlumency shields, making him stumble in his seat. It wasn't the subtle, gentle probe of legilimency. This was different, dark, cold and blunt. Bill looked like he felt it too, confirming for both of them that it wasn't the wizarding mind arts. This was something else, but they knew it came from the little, aggressive redhead, whose presence seemed to grow as the room became smaller before their very eyes.

Bill barely noticed Knox retreating, terrified. Damsel's presence had grown even stronger. She demanded attention, somehow, and only their training in occlumency prevented her from getting it. Knox had huddled up in a corner, looking about to wet himself, while Sirius thought of the different things that could go awry should he whip out his wand and start flinging spells.

'Better a few oblivations than a few broken bones', he reasoned. She wasn't a wizard, she couldn't be. For all intents and purposes she should be a muggle. Yet, something was off with her, some kind of 'magic' was permeating the air around her, feeling as if she was actively controlling it. She couldn't be a Wizard, but didn't seem to be human either.

"What are you?" he muttered to himself, low, quietly.

As if she had heard him, she tilted her head towards them, curiously. Damsel stood up and, in a gesture that didn't go unnoticed, looked behind her, as if searching for someone. Bill saw a big, burly black man, in the far back, near the pool table, behind the curious customers, frowning at the younger-looking redhead disapprovingly, but saying nothing.

Damsel turned quickly to look at the magic users again, so fast that Bill thought her neck would snap.

Alarmed by the sudden movement, Sirius sprang up knocking the table down and drew his wand, pointing it at Damsel, who despite not knowing what it was, perceived the thread. "Skelter!" she called out to the beefy guy, who strode over so quickly he could have apparated. Silence reigned in the room. Nobody dared to move a muscle.

"If I were you, I would think carefully about what's to follow, before doing whatever you think you're about to do, dude." Spoke the big guy, Skelter.

Bill rose up, slowly, wand ready, swallowing the lump in his throat. "It's up to you, mate..." He replied. "Sirius, I think we should get out of here, quickly"

"Believe me, I agree"

The stand-off was broken as the sound of the door, being opened suddenly and banging against its frame resounded through the bar, taking everyone out of their reverie. Sirius frantically searched for Knox. He had left.

"Shit, after him, Bill!"

"Fuck this!" Exclaimed the female redhead, charging at Sirius, going for a sucker punch. The older wizard barely managed to dodge, following with a banishing charm that hurled the girl and her companion crashing against the pinball machine. It hit them stronger than intended, and Sirius was sure it had knocked the air out of their lungs.

"Don't let him escape, I'll inform the Order and obli-" He didn't have time to finish when, in a blink of an eye, both Damsel and Skelter were upon him and he was forced to dodge an incoming blow from the big guy.

As Bill managed to jump over the couches, pass through the door, and follow the escaping informant, Sirius surrounded himself with a shield charm that blocked the blows of his opponents, and kept banishing furniture against them.

They dodged with speed and hit with strength that shouldn't be possible for a muggle.

The rest of the bar was in an uproar, although the people watching didn't seem to be surprised about what was happening. The crowd seemed to be divided between cheering on the fighters, throwing bottles at Sirius or observing excitedly. Some of them looked ready to butt in at any given moment.

"Damn!" Skelter was caught up in a conjured rope while Damsel brushed off a stunner spell that caught her midsection. Surprised, Sirius was forced to be in the defensive, avoiding blows whenever he could. To top it off, the invasive presence assaulting his mental defenses kept striking continuously, posing a permanent mental distraction in the fight.

"Merlin, I can't keep this up" Conjured dogs aided the wizard fending off the girl's attacks, giving him a moment to breathe and prepare an escape.

"What the fuck? Skelter, help!"

With a mighty roar, the bigger assailant snapped the ropes binding him and readied a punch. Sirius trusted his shield, preparing a minor blasting curse to counter, when the Shield Charm snapped under the force of the blow, incapable of absorbing the force behind it. A loud "crack!" echoed through the room as Sirius was blown backwards, crashing through the windows, rolling through the pavement out in the streets. The dogs harassing Damsel reverted to furniture.

"Ouch. Shit, that hurt. In St. Mungo's they won't believe me when I tell them about this" Shakily, he stood up, only to see Skelter jumping over the broken glass and outside. He was sure he had broken a few ribs.

Through the door came Damsel, cracking her knuckles. "Don't think this is over, you asshole. We're gonna get medieval on your ass!"

Sirius swallowed, contemplating his options. "I can't go on fighting. Whatever they are, they're tough." He tried to stand up, his legs wobbly. "I'm sorry Miss, but I believe I overstayed my welcome" He bowed mockingly, trying not to show how injured he was. "I've got to get to Bill"

"Like hell you're leaving now, you pussy motherfucker you. Haven't taught you manners yet" Threatened the girl.

"I'm afraid you don't have a say in this matter" The wizard drew his wand, and with a soft popping sound, he was gone.

Damsel blinked. "What the fuck?"

Skelter strode over to her side, and crouched where the wizard had fallen, grunting. "Beats me" He touched the drops of blood in the ground, examining it on the tips of his fingers with fascination.

"Tremere?" Asked the girl, anxious.

The big guy sniffed his digits, then brought them to his mouth, sucking his fingertips with gusto. "hmmmm..."

"What?"

"Not Kindred. Kine."

The young dealer ran like he had the devil on his heels. He stumbled over a few trash bins, then hit the ground face first after slipping on the wet pavement.

"Dammit!" He cursed "Fuck, fuck fuck fuck..."

Unbeknownst to him, he was being observed by the red-headed wizard, who had been trailing him since he left The Last Round in Downtown.

"Why do you keep getting yourself in this messes, Knox... Bertram tells you, but nooooo... Fuck!" Knox struggled to get back on his feet, looking nervously through the alley. Bill kept observing the young man from a distance, disillusioned and hiding in a dark corner, far back from where the dealer had fallen. He decided to follow him, to see if he was brought somewhere interesting.

"I need to talk about this with Bertram, he'll wanna know, yeah, he will. God dammit Knox, damn! Why did they have to go and ask about HIM"

Knox looked around one last time before crouching beside a sewer entrance. Skillfully, he pried it open, stepping swiftly down the shaft.

Bill made motion to follow, managing to catch the lid between his fingers just before it closed again. He could still hear Knox's footsteps echoing down below "What I do for the Order..."

He jumped down into the darkness, greeted by the smell of something that some time before had been inside a human being. The air was heavy, thick, humid and rancid, and it was very, very dark in there; he couldn't almost see two feet in front of him.

"Lumos" he uttered, whispering. The tip of his wand hued a clear blue light showing a narrow, cylindrical corridor in front of him. It went in two directions, and he didn't know which one to take.

"Point me Knox Harrrington" The wand spun in the palm of his hand as the spell took effect, finally stopping, andpointing behind him. The wizard sighed end turning around, started following the trail.

The sewers were starting to feel like an impossibly long and complicated maze. The corridor had stretched out a bit, so Bill was able to walk up straight, but there were tons of crossings, doors or water accesses. He was starting to regret following the dealer down here. If not for his wand, he would be thoroughly lost.

Bill kept advancing in silence, following the motions of his wand, accompanied only by the sound of the water falling through the drains and the creaking of the few rats that crossed his way.

BANG!

Suddenly, a loud banging sound rebounded on the drain pipes with force, making him jump out and let out a scared yell.

Stumbling, the older wizard appeared before Bill, falling to his knees in the process. "You won't believe what happened back there..."

"Bloody Hell, Sirius. Merlin-fucking-dammit! You almost gave me a heart attack, mate!"

"He, he, you're such a girl, Weasley". Bill gasped when he saw the state his friend was in. "Merlin, they got you well. Are you alright?"

"Nothing a good healing charm won't cure. Can you perform one on me? I'm rubbish at them anyway, and I'm exhausted. Lucky you were broadcasting your magic off like a radio signal, would've had to use the emergency portkey to locate you otherwise.

"Here you go mate" The younger wizard healed the older one. As the wounds mended, Sirius took a look at the scenery.

"How did you get so banged up anyway"

"Ouch! Be careful, Weasley!

"sorry, but it was necessary"

"Anyway, the big guy made it through my shielding charm with one blow. With his bare hands"

"pheeeew" Whistled the younger one. "Did it blow you back when the charm snapped, then? That hurts"

"Yeah, went straight through the window. I don't think they were muggles, Bill. The way they moved..."

"yeah, I saw. Couldn't be wizards either, though. They didn't seem to recognize the wands or cast any spells, for that matter. I think they were something else."

The older wizard got serious. "They know about Harry..."

"They seem to. Got awfully defensive when he was brought up, and I don't think it was coincidence." Bill cleared his throat "Either way, Knox escaped through these sewers and I've been following him for half an hour straight. This conduits seem to go on forever.

"How are you tracking him?"

"Point me charm"

"hmmmm" harrumphed Sirius, looking around. We should keep going then.

They continued walking together through the old sewage system, twisting and turning following the directions of the charm.

"you don't think he's gotten himself into something like... the mafia, don't you?"

"Who?"

"Harry"

"I don't know mate. Could be anything. We should be sure he's safe, whatever he's gotten himself into."

"I hope we find him soon"

"We will Sirius, we will"

The minutes became hours, and the conduits in that cesspool seemed to get longer and longer. Both wizards were starting to tire out. "Are you sure we're not going in circles?"

"Pretty sure. I'm following the point-me charm all the time and..." As if called by its name, the charmed wand spun once and stuck up rigidly to their right, pointing there straight. The wizards gazed towards the pointed direction, discovering only darkness, broken by a tiny ray of light filtering through the lower part of a door.

"Must be it"

The wizards followed the wand, arriving rapidly at the gate. Bill fumbled in the dark, looking for the knob. He clasped it strongly and pushed. It didn't bud. " I don't know why I was expecting it to open"

The older wizard pointed the wand at the lock and whispered "Alohomora". With a little flash of yellow light and a slight clacking sound inside the mechanism, it opened before them.

What greeted them, left them almost speechless.

Before them, laid a large room, seemingly constructed in a cave. At the center of it was a large, fancy table, light by candles giving off the smell of burning wax, with a feast prepared to surprise the guests. At the table, waiting for whomever it was that had to join, were three sharply dressed, skeletal cadavers, clasping their forks and knives with strength, and with expressions of terror. Elegant wine glasses and fancy wine bottles crowned the table, surrounded by fancy decorations and two enormous bookshelves.

"What in merlin's name..."

"Sirius!" Bill approached the table, drawing his hands in front of his mouth, to avoid vomiting. On closer look, the feast was not so palatable. Instead of pheasant and beef, there were rats in the plates, and wine looked like dried blood. The blood was everywhere, giving off a pungent and strong metallic smell, staining everything on the table.

"Shite, mate, let's get out of..."

The doors closed behind them with strength. The wizards contemplated in horror as the only exit they knew out of that room closed itself magically before their eyes.

Out of nowhere, a voice...

"By The Clack-Smack Cracking Of My Thumbs, Something... ...Magic... This Way Comes"