Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked along the streets of Dragon Valley. It was quite hard to see where they were going because there were so many people walking past them (think of New York). The trio didn't stop until a sign caught their eye: Madame Stoven's Cookery: Bakery, Brewery, Butchery, Eatery, Producery, Sweetery, and more... Actually, the "Sweetery" and the "Brewery" part caught their eye, so they went in.
As soon as they sat down at a table, an owl zipped by, dropping a menu in front each person. The menu listed the drinks and the food they had, but it also mentioned that the produce, meats, and the candy were on the west side of the building.
Harry looked around and recognized a voice. He saw Gale at the bar, evidently and literally drowning himself with Frisky Whiskey (strong for a human as butter beer was to an elf).
"Another mug of that ...what's it called?" Gale asked with some difficulty.
The bartender sighed. "Frisky Whiskey, sir. You already had ten jumbo mugs of it."
"Your point?"
"It's bad for your health."
"And not giving me any more is bad for your business."
The bartender sighed again. "Another jumbo mug or what?"
"I'm in the mood for a lightning mug."
"The mug that enhances flavor? Definitely not for you."
"And 'out of business' is not for you."
The bartender sighed once again. He filled the lightning mug with Frisky Whiskey and watched Gale gulped it down. Gale suddenly jumped out of his chair and sang, "I'm a Little Teapot" and fainted.
The bartender said "Mobilus" with his wand pointing at Gale and took him out the back door.
Harry, watching this, said to the other two, "I'm going to get us some butter beer." Ron and Hermione consented, gave him the money, and continued talking. Harry walked to the bar.
"What did you do with that man?" Harry asked the bartender.
"I took him to where we take our drunks," the bartender replied. "Out in the back until he regains consciousness. We have a lot of them these days, depressed, violent, and wacky."
"Oh, well, okay. And by the way, I'd like three butter beers for my friends please."
"Coming right up."
Harry hurried out the back door to see Gale with some other guys. To Harry's surprise, Gale just woke up.
"Gale?" Harry asked, "You okay?"
"I guess," Gale answered back.
"I wanted to asked you a few questions."
"Like?"
"Were you always like this?"
"Like what?"
"Like being desperate for money and jobs and your family's well being."
"No. My self-esteem kind of went down the drain just a few days ago. Specifically Thursday."
"That's just the day before Hermione changed..."
"Who changed?"
"Never mind that. Was it as if something took over your body?"
"More like my mind. I started failing at my other job. The funny thing is that the night right before this happened, I had a strange dream."
"What was it about?"
"Why all these questions?"
"My friend changed too. I'm kind of concerned for her."
"Ah, a girl! Is she cute?"
"Hell yeah! I mean no, no wait, kind of. I mean, depends."
"Oh well. I dreamed that I was walking down a street to someone's house when suddenly a thick fog formed. I couldn't see a thing except a shadow. It got closer and it took the form of a man. Then suddenly, a magical whip like thingy shot from his head and wrapped me up. He spoke a few words and then I awoke."
"Thanks. I gotta go." Harry ran back inside, grabbed the drinks, paid the bartender, and walked to his table.
"What took you?" Hermione asked.
"I had to talk to someone," Harry answered. "Tell me, the night before you had these mood swings, did you have a weird dream?"
"Are you some kind of dream interpretator?"
"Just tell me."
"Fine. Yes, I did." Hermione explained her dream to Harry and Ron. The dream turned out to be like Gale's.
"Something's going on," Harry concluded. "Gale had the same dream."
"That comedian?" Ron asked. "He's a real loaf."
"But he wasn't always that way!"
"How did you know?"
"Because I asked."
"When and where?"
"Just before I came back. And out back where they keep their drunks."
"You asked some stupid guy about this?"
"You should talk."
"Be quiet. What made you think about asking him?"
"I asked the bartender where he put him. He said there were more drunks than usual these days, violent and depressed."
"How did that help you to conclude that Gale was affected?"
"Hermione's violent and wacky."
"Hey!" Hermione exclaimed. She suddenly felt a jolt go right through her body. "I sense somebody weird around."
"What?" Harry asked. He suddenly felt a pain in his scar. "OW! My scar!"
"What's going on?" Ron inquired. Hermione slightly pointed toward a black-robed man who had just walked in. Harry was in more pain.
"That's the man I saw in my dream," Hermione whispered. "I can tell even though he was hooded in the dream and he's hooded now."
Harry was in too much pain to turn his head. The man finally left the room. He quickly shot a glance at Hermione and Harry before he opened the door.
"The pain's gone," Harry said. "I need to leave this place."
"Now?" Ron asked.
"Right after buying some candy."
As soon as they sat down at a table, an owl zipped by, dropping a menu in front each person. The menu listed the drinks and the food they had, but it also mentioned that the produce, meats, and the candy were on the west side of the building.
Harry looked around and recognized a voice. He saw Gale at the bar, evidently and literally drowning himself with Frisky Whiskey (strong for a human as butter beer was to an elf).
"Another mug of that ...what's it called?" Gale asked with some difficulty.
The bartender sighed. "Frisky Whiskey, sir. You already had ten jumbo mugs of it."
"Your point?"
"It's bad for your health."
"And not giving me any more is bad for your business."
The bartender sighed again. "Another jumbo mug or what?"
"I'm in the mood for a lightning mug."
"The mug that enhances flavor? Definitely not for you."
"And 'out of business' is not for you."
The bartender sighed once again. He filled the lightning mug with Frisky Whiskey and watched Gale gulped it down. Gale suddenly jumped out of his chair and sang, "I'm a Little Teapot" and fainted.
The bartender said "Mobilus" with his wand pointing at Gale and took him out the back door.
Harry, watching this, said to the other two, "I'm going to get us some butter beer." Ron and Hermione consented, gave him the money, and continued talking. Harry walked to the bar.
"What did you do with that man?" Harry asked the bartender.
"I took him to where we take our drunks," the bartender replied. "Out in the back until he regains consciousness. We have a lot of them these days, depressed, violent, and wacky."
"Oh, well, okay. And by the way, I'd like three butter beers for my friends please."
"Coming right up."
Harry hurried out the back door to see Gale with some other guys. To Harry's surprise, Gale just woke up.
"Gale?" Harry asked, "You okay?"
"I guess," Gale answered back.
"I wanted to asked you a few questions."
"Like?"
"Were you always like this?"
"Like what?"
"Like being desperate for money and jobs and your family's well being."
"No. My self-esteem kind of went down the drain just a few days ago. Specifically Thursday."
"That's just the day before Hermione changed..."
"Who changed?"
"Never mind that. Was it as if something took over your body?"
"More like my mind. I started failing at my other job. The funny thing is that the night right before this happened, I had a strange dream."
"What was it about?"
"Why all these questions?"
"My friend changed too. I'm kind of concerned for her."
"Ah, a girl! Is she cute?"
"Hell yeah! I mean no, no wait, kind of. I mean, depends."
"Oh well. I dreamed that I was walking down a street to someone's house when suddenly a thick fog formed. I couldn't see a thing except a shadow. It got closer and it took the form of a man. Then suddenly, a magical whip like thingy shot from his head and wrapped me up. He spoke a few words and then I awoke."
"Thanks. I gotta go." Harry ran back inside, grabbed the drinks, paid the bartender, and walked to his table.
"What took you?" Hermione asked.
"I had to talk to someone," Harry answered. "Tell me, the night before you had these mood swings, did you have a weird dream?"
"Are you some kind of dream interpretator?"
"Just tell me."
"Fine. Yes, I did." Hermione explained her dream to Harry and Ron. The dream turned out to be like Gale's.
"Something's going on," Harry concluded. "Gale had the same dream."
"That comedian?" Ron asked. "He's a real loaf."
"But he wasn't always that way!"
"How did you know?"
"Because I asked."
"When and where?"
"Just before I came back. And out back where they keep their drunks."
"You asked some stupid guy about this?"
"You should talk."
"Be quiet. What made you think about asking him?"
"I asked the bartender where he put him. He said there were more drunks than usual these days, violent and depressed."
"How did that help you to conclude that Gale was affected?"
"Hermione's violent and wacky."
"Hey!" Hermione exclaimed. She suddenly felt a jolt go right through her body. "I sense somebody weird around."
"What?" Harry asked. He suddenly felt a pain in his scar. "OW! My scar!"
"What's going on?" Ron inquired. Hermione slightly pointed toward a black-robed man who had just walked in. Harry was in more pain.
"That's the man I saw in my dream," Hermione whispered. "I can tell even though he was hooded in the dream and he's hooded now."
Harry was in too much pain to turn his head. The man finally left the room. He quickly shot a glance at Hermione and Harry before he opened the door.
"The pain's gone," Harry said. "I need to leave this place."
"Now?" Ron asked.
"Right after buying some candy."