After much arguing, they settled on an Indian fusion café that Hermione
insisted would be a wonderful cross-cultural experience in more than one
way.
"My parents love Indian food," she was saying, "We eat it all the time at home. It doesn't have to be spicy if you ask them to make it mild."
Many people in the group seemed disappointed that they didn't actually get to see the food being prepared.
"I'd love to see Muggle food prep techniques," said Mr. Weasley dreamily.
"The chef is chopping up chicken with a knife, and putting the pieces into a bowl of marinade," said Moody, gazing through his hat and the wall separating the dining room from the kitchen.
"I envy your eye sometimes, Mad-Eye. Where did you get that thing, anyway?" asked Tonks.
"Won it in a duel. I was trying to return a defective package of colaburps to a shop in Knockturn Alley, and the owner took my displeasure in his product personally. A nearby chap noticed our row and offered the eye to me if I would fight the shop owner to settle the disagreement. I accepted, the owner and I dueled, and I won. I got the eye, and the stranger got the satisfaction of seeing the shop owner hang his head in shame. I think there was bad blood between them but he didn't have the courage to fight personally. I wasn't exactly sure what to do with the eye, though, since I didn't have a need for it until several years later, when my own eye got slurped out by a hose-nosed vampire aardvark."
"Ew! I asked how you got your magical eye, not how you lost your original one! Ew." Tonks seemed to have lost her appetite just as their food arrived.
After lunch, they got on the underground. It was very crowded, and Harry found himself squished between two Muggles who reminded him greatly of the Dursleys. Lupin was clinging to a pole for dear life, his frail figure looking as if it could be knocked down with the next lurch of the train.
They hurtled along in the dark tunnel, the train grinding along on its tracks. Ginny looked a bit sick.
Thunk! Something went wrong with the train. It thudded to a stop and the lights went out. The people in their car were thrown to the floor all over each other in a massive heap.
"Arthur! Is this supposed to happen?"
"I don't think so."
"You're on my leg."
"I can't see a thing."
"Help!!!"
"Ew, what's this stuff on the floor?"
"Help! We're trapped! Get off! We need to get out!"
"I don't think we're in mortal danger, dude."
"OUCH! What are you doing to my FINGER?"
"Sorry, Tonks, I thought that was my spare bite-a-light."
"If I start turning into werewolf next full moon, I'll know who to call."
"I don't think it works that way."
"What's going on?"
"I sure hope my wand's not broken."
A bright blaze filled the cabin. Lupin had found what he had been looking for. He took a small bead-like thing out of his mouth and held it up to illuminate the room better.
"Is everyone all right?" he called to the frazzled crowd.
"Remus, that's wizard technology. Put it away," Mr. Weasley hissed at him.
But none of the Muggles seemed particularly shocked at seeing a small, light-producing object, so he kept it in his raised hand.
"It only gives two minutes of light. I just wanted to make sure everyone's all right."
"I could have told you that," said Moody, still planted in the seat a Muggle had yielded to him as they boarded the train. He tipped his hat in reference to his magical eye.
With a lurch, the train started again, and the lights came on just as Lupin's went out. Shaken, the riders stood up again.
They exited the underground, quite happy to be rid of the train. The swimming pool was in a more residential district, and they had to be careful not to attract attention to themselves. A large, haphazard group like themselves could never be too careful.
*** Author's Note: Bite-a-light technology originally appears in Salman Rushdie's book "Haroun and the Sea of Stories." I just thought it would be a fun little thing to throw in here.
"My parents love Indian food," she was saying, "We eat it all the time at home. It doesn't have to be spicy if you ask them to make it mild."
Many people in the group seemed disappointed that they didn't actually get to see the food being prepared.
"I'd love to see Muggle food prep techniques," said Mr. Weasley dreamily.
"The chef is chopping up chicken with a knife, and putting the pieces into a bowl of marinade," said Moody, gazing through his hat and the wall separating the dining room from the kitchen.
"I envy your eye sometimes, Mad-Eye. Where did you get that thing, anyway?" asked Tonks.
"Won it in a duel. I was trying to return a defective package of colaburps to a shop in Knockturn Alley, and the owner took my displeasure in his product personally. A nearby chap noticed our row and offered the eye to me if I would fight the shop owner to settle the disagreement. I accepted, the owner and I dueled, and I won. I got the eye, and the stranger got the satisfaction of seeing the shop owner hang his head in shame. I think there was bad blood between them but he didn't have the courage to fight personally. I wasn't exactly sure what to do with the eye, though, since I didn't have a need for it until several years later, when my own eye got slurped out by a hose-nosed vampire aardvark."
"Ew! I asked how you got your magical eye, not how you lost your original one! Ew." Tonks seemed to have lost her appetite just as their food arrived.
After lunch, they got on the underground. It was very crowded, and Harry found himself squished between two Muggles who reminded him greatly of the Dursleys. Lupin was clinging to a pole for dear life, his frail figure looking as if it could be knocked down with the next lurch of the train.
They hurtled along in the dark tunnel, the train grinding along on its tracks. Ginny looked a bit sick.
Thunk! Something went wrong with the train. It thudded to a stop and the lights went out. The people in their car were thrown to the floor all over each other in a massive heap.
"Arthur! Is this supposed to happen?"
"I don't think so."
"You're on my leg."
"I can't see a thing."
"Help!!!"
"Ew, what's this stuff on the floor?"
"Help! We're trapped! Get off! We need to get out!"
"I don't think we're in mortal danger, dude."
"OUCH! What are you doing to my FINGER?"
"Sorry, Tonks, I thought that was my spare bite-a-light."
"If I start turning into werewolf next full moon, I'll know who to call."
"I don't think it works that way."
"What's going on?"
"I sure hope my wand's not broken."
A bright blaze filled the cabin. Lupin had found what he had been looking for. He took a small bead-like thing out of his mouth and held it up to illuminate the room better.
"Is everyone all right?" he called to the frazzled crowd.
"Remus, that's wizard technology. Put it away," Mr. Weasley hissed at him.
But none of the Muggles seemed particularly shocked at seeing a small, light-producing object, so he kept it in his raised hand.
"It only gives two minutes of light. I just wanted to make sure everyone's all right."
"I could have told you that," said Moody, still planted in the seat a Muggle had yielded to him as they boarded the train. He tipped his hat in reference to his magical eye.
With a lurch, the train started again, and the lights came on just as Lupin's went out. Shaken, the riders stood up again.
They exited the underground, quite happy to be rid of the train. The swimming pool was in a more residential district, and they had to be careful not to attract attention to themselves. A large, haphazard group like themselves could never be too careful.
*** Author's Note: Bite-a-light technology originally appears in Salman Rushdie's book "Haroun and the Sea of Stories." I just thought it would be a fun little thing to throw in here.
