A/N: I still do not own Harry Potter.
A/NII: Thank you to all of those who have read so far. The plot will start picking up shortly. I promise!
It was Hannah's second day working at the Leaky Cauldron. The first had been uneventful, even after Tom had returned. She had learned how to count inventory and order certain products.
Most of the common items were auto shipped. There were, however, a few rarer drinks that had to be special ordered and kept very close track of, as they had a habit of walking away.
"There will always be thieves," Tom told her. "Most of them don't bother wit me, but now...this is a new world Ms. Abbott. Things have really changed since the war. People are still scared. Many of them have lost so much."
"I understand. I've lost people I cared about. I was there, at the final battle. I watched my classmates fight and watched them die. It was horrible, but we won. I have to keep reminding myself that it is finally over. How can I help people?"
"The most important thing a barkeep can do is listen. You might not agree with what everyone has to say, but everyone needs someone to at least listen. Sometimes you might be able to solve at least part of the problem. Drinks, lodging, a finger pointed in the right direction. Those are the things you can do. If you're comfortable with it, comforting people also can be part of the job."
Hannah had taken Tom's words to heart. She had opened shop and was just serving the witches and wizards who had stayed the previous night.
"Were you there?" a witch in a green cloak asked. "When..."
"The battle of Hogwarts? Yes, I was there."
"My nephew was there too. He told me a bit of the horrors. I'm glad it's over. He's going to be working for the ministry." Hannah nodded.
"You'd like him, studious, smart," the witch continued causing Hannah to laugh softly.
"I'm not interested in meeting anyone right now. It's too soon."
"I'll keep you in mind for him though. Maybe in a month or two, once he's established at his job I'll bring him by." Hannah served her a cup of coffee and moved on to the next customer.
"How can I help you today?"
"Just a bite to eat, oh and a copy of the Daily Prophet." Hannah handed him the paper. The wizard shook his head.
"Still printing nonsense," he muttered taking his muffin and sitting down at a table outside. Hannah watched him for a second. She made a mental note to have the Cauldron start carrying a larger selection of newspapers and magazines. Hannah was busy most of the morning getting breakfast and coffee for her new clients. She barely noticed the door opening as the clock started chiming ten.
"Can I help you?" she asked not looking up from the glass she was currently cleaning. She could do it all magically, but it felt good to dry them by hand.
"We're looking for information," a deep voice stated. Hannah raised her head. Two wizards, both in dark robes were standing before her.
"We're from the ministry," the second wizard stated pulling out an official looking badge. Hannah set the cup and rag down on the counter.
"What would you like to know?" she asked. She had never dealt with anyone from this branch of the ministry. She could feel her palms starting to sweat and her heart begin to pound in her chest. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the bar had mostly cleared out.
"We're investigating a string of robberies in this area. Have you noticed anything missing recently?"
"I'm sorry, I only took over this job two days ago. Tom was helping me with the inventory, but so far nothing seems to have come up missing."
"I know Tom. If he says nothing's missing, then I believe him," the shorter of the wizards said giving Hannah a glance.
"Thank you for your time, Miss. If you think of anything that might be able to help us, just send an owl to the ministry. They'll make sure we get the note." Hannah nodded watching the pair leave. Once they were gone she sighed loudly and leaned against the counter. This job had just gotten slightly more interesting.