A cutting room floor piece that did not make it into Unintended Consequences or Core Wars. It's too bad Ludo just can't cash in the right way.

Ludo Bagmans' hard luck tale:

"Come on Tom, I need a room."

"Listen Ludo, I already told you, you have to have a reservation and the first slot is in four days at 3 O'clock in the morning. I can put you in the book but you will have to pay in advance to hold the reservation."

"Come on Tom, I can't wait four days, I need a shower and I need my laundry done. I've got nowhere to go?"

"What about your flat Ludo? Or that wizard's tent you was trying to chisel at Wiseacres down the alley?"

"How'd you know about that?

"It was in the Quibbler."

"Wiseacre didn't have one. And my flat were in a wizard building, it collapsed on itself and burned to the ground. I was away looking for food and I lost everything but what I was wearing."

"I can't help you, I'm not gonna bump someone for you. You still owe me your tab."

"I'm down on my luck Tom, can't you spare me a meal?

"Spare me a meal? Last time you came in I asked you to pay your tab because I'd not seen a knut from you in months and you threatened me with a Ministry "health" inspection. Maybe if you didn't gamble your money away you could pay your bills and I'd cut you some slack. Maybe if you weren't a total ARSE when you had a Ministry job, I'd be inclined. But listen up deadbeat: I owe you nothing. Most everyone who comes in here for a room to shower and have laundry done is down on their luck. And you; you've been skiving off paying me for months. I told you no more credit a month before the wands disappeared." Ludo get out now;" said Tom as he pulled a wand out and pointed it at him.

"How'd you get a wand Tom? Just give me a freshening charm! A scrungefy? Please Tom!"

"Get out now!"

Bagman backed out the front door of the Cauldron onto Charring Cross road. He scuffled along the sidewalk towards St James Park.

Ludo was not the brightest bulb in the pack. He'd read the article about the need to dress muggle in muggle areas but totally ignored it. He was wearing the only thing he owned, a Wliborn Wasps quidditch robe. He's lost a great deal of weight these past weeks and it actually fit him now, unlike when he announced the first event at the TriWizard tourney.

Arriving at the Park well after dark, he wandered the pathways and came to the Blue Bridge and stopped on the center of the span. He leaned over the railing and looked at the water and towards the Duck House cottage.

"Too bad its' not a freaking Pub", thought Ludo.

Just then Ludo was aware of a group of young rough looking men. "What do we have here? Another weirdo boys, look he's wearing a dress!"

"Stop laughing at me;" answered Ludo with his nose in the air. "Stupid muggles. This is not a dress, it's a fine Robe."

"Stupid Muggles? Robe? You are daft old man, insulting us. Were six to your one. What the hell are the Wasps? Some has been, footie team"?

"What's a footie? Stop talking in riddles."

"Hey mates, do you smell that;" as he sniffed the air with his nose up in Imitation of Ludo's earlier pose? He's not only daft but he smells like a sewer. I think boys we need to help this man take a bath! Anyone got soap? No? Then get him mates!"

They rushed him and grabbing legs tipped him up and over the railing.

The group had already started a fast walk off the bridge with Ludo's scream and when they heard the splash they laughed.

Ludo fell headfirst into the water and was driven to the bottom of the eight foot deep channel by the fall, knocking his head on a rock. The dule impact of the 15 foot drop, impact of the water and rock stunned Ludo. Never having learned to swim, weighed down by his voluminous robes and stunned, he settled swiftly on the bottom. It would be several days before he became a "Floater" in the parlance of the police and several months before the wizarding world noticed that Ludo had disappeared.