The Butcher of Hogsmeade

(Disclaimer before reading: Based on the world setting of this book, all descriptions of the geographical locations of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade are taken from the map of the game "Legacy of Hogwarts".)

Fabian Prewitt stepped out of the Three Brooms pub, looked up at the gloomy afternoon sky, and seemed to hear the young bar owner's complaints still echoing in his ears: "Business is getting harder and harder, Mr. Prewitt..." He sighed inwardly, walked onto the street, and not far away, he met his brother, Gidion; his slightly stout, solitary figure stood out conspicuously on the almost deserted street.

Upon seeing his brother, Fabian immediately drew his wand and pointed it at him, as if he had encountered an irreconcilable enemy. The other man's reaction was exactly the same as his, and neither of them showed any surprise.

"What happened the last time I visited the Weasleys?" Fabian asked gruffly.

"Fred smeared ketchup on his face and lay down at the bottom of the stairs, while George crouched beside him crying, pretending he'd fallen down the stairs and died; finally, the two brothers got a beating from a terrified Molly." Gideon's voice sounded a lot like his brother's. "Am I right?"

Fabian shook his head repeatedly: "No, the one who pretended to be dead with ketchup on his face was George, and the one crying was Fred; moreover, they weren't just beaten up by Molly, but also by Arthur when he came home from get off work."

"That's right." Gideon put away his wand. "I made the 'mistake' we agreed on, and you corrected it as agreed. You really are my stupid little brother who can be fooled into crying by a two-year-old."

"Two and a half! And soon to be three!" Fabian also put away his wand. "That's right, it seems you really are my not-so-bright older brother, and not some Death Eater who drank Polyjuice Potion and almost sent someone to the hospital over half a bottle of ketchup. But shouldn't we change the question to verify your identity? I always feel that because of us, the Weasleys' reputation has become a little strange—especially among the Order of the Phoenix."

"Let me think... It's their fault for having two troublesome little devils! Merlin's beard, aren't those two brothers even three years old yet?"

"Yes, not even three years old, and they already know to dilute ketchup with oil, not water, so it looks more like blood... It's hard to imagine how Molly will manage to get those two boys to behave in the future. They'll grow up and go to school..." Fabian changed the subject, asking, "How's the situation in the east, Gideon?"

"It's very quiet, and we haven't seen anyone suspicious so far; in fact, we've hardly seen anyone at all," Gideon said. "Christmas is just a few days away, but everyone's too scared to come out. Have you ever seen such a deserted Christmas holiday?"

Fabian sighed, "Yeah, I heard Professor McGonagall locked all the students staying at school in the castle and forbade them to come out. Rosmerta was just complaining to me, saying she should have just stayed home today."

"So you've been in the bar the whole time?"

"Ah, Ms. Rosmerta is so hospitable. I love her butterbeer, especially at times like this." Fabian wasn't embarrassed at all.

Gideon offered no comment, and pulled Fabian along as they walked westward down the street from Hogsmeade. "The Longbottoms are patrolling the east and southeast with their Aurors; they have plenty of manpower, and the train station is under their control. To the north, Alastor is leading the way, with Sirius and James providing support; that should be fine too. I'm more worried about the southwest..."

Fabian scoffed, "Are you crazy? That's the road to Hogwarts, and Apparition is forbidden for a long stretch of it. Professors take turns patrolling, and there's Dumbledore too. Besides, students can't even leave the castle now."

"But that road is too close to the Forbidden Forest. I'm worried that Death Eaters might come around from the edge of the Forbidden Forest and stab us in the direction we think is safest. And it's not just me who's worried; Alastor is too, and Frank and James have both warned us about it."

"Hagrid's in the Forbidden Forest too... But Alastor said so too? Well, let's go check it out, at least it'll put our minds at ease." Fabian shrugged, still feeling everyone was worrying too much. "You just said James's here too, what about his family? Lily and the baby? Is little Harry only five or six months old?"

"Lily didn't come; she stayed home to take care of the children. Their son must be five months old, born several months after Ron." Gideon thought of his newborn nephew, who had just been born in March of this year.

"Speaking of Ron, I just don't understand how Molly got pregnant again. What are she and Arthur thinking?"

"They've always wanted a daughter, didn't you know?" Gideon smiled for the first time since they met. "They started wanting a daughter after Percy was born, and then their next child was another son, and twins at that, Ron was their sixth; I don't think they'll give up until they have a daughter."

"What if it's another son?"

"No, I think this time it should be a daughter."

Why?

"Because this is the seventh Weasley child, and 'seven' is a magical number, which might make their wishes come true."

"Let's hope so!"

The two brothers stood on the stone bridge at the village entrance, gazing south. Nearby stretched a vast, frozen lake; the Black Lake, a wide expanse, extended eastward and northeastward from the south gate of the castle, nearing the southern edge of Hogsmeade Village. Further away, the snow-covered roads were deserted, save for two deep footprints etched into the snow, leading from the other end of the stone bridge into the distance. They knew they were left by Hogwarts professors on patrol, but couldn't identify which professor.

"I'm pretty sure those aren't Professor Flitwick's footprints," Gideon said.

"See, I told you it would be quiet here, even quieter than the ice of Black Lake," Fabian whistled, a way for him to pass the time during his demanding security work.

After confirming that it was safe, the two turned around and walked back the way they came.

"Do you think this intelligence is accurate? The Death Eaters are planning to attack Hogsmeade on Christmas Day to purge all wizards of impure blood?" Fabian asked casually, not out of doubt, but more like making conversation out of boredom. "I don't doubt that those lunatics might have such a thought. The problem is that Dumbledore is in the castle, and how did the Death Eaters leak the information?"

"The intelligence was brought back by Dumbledore, so it should be true; moreover, the Death Eaters have a good reason to attack Hogsmeade. Too many Muggle wizards have moved here in the last two years, increasing the village's population by more than a third. Everyone knows that the Death Eaters like to attack Muggle wizards and often accuse pure-blood wizards of being traitors. Everyone also knows that Dumbledore treats Muggles and pure-blood wizards equally, so everyone wants to be close to him. The Death Eaters want to create panic, to make wizards feel that they are not safe no matter where they live, unless they actively seek refuge with Void."

"A bunch of lunatics, utterly incomprehensible!" Fabian muttered fiercely. "I heard from Frank that the Ministry of Magic has granted Aurors permission to use the Unforgivable Charm 'when necessary' in the investigation and capture of Death Eaters. To be honest, Barty Crouch did a good job, but it's a pity that this decree was issued too late; it should have been issued sooner."

The streets, shrouded in gloom, were nearly deserted, deathly silent and oppressive. Suddenly, a commotion erupted from ahead, interrupting the two brothers' conversation. They looked up and saw that the noise was coming from in front of the Pig Head Bar.

A long-bearded, slovenly old man, wielding a wand, chased a young man dressed in Muggle clothes out of the shop; several spells in quick succession sent the young man stumbling and falling, propelled by an unseen force. The Prewitt brothers recognized the slovenly old man as the owner of the Hog's Head, but they didn't recognize the disheveled young man.

Behind the bar owner, several oddly dressed patrons either followed him out or leaned out of the window to watch the commotion. However, these people either covered their heads with hoods or wore masks or veils, and even while watching the excitement, they exuded a sneaky and sleazy air.

"I've never seen that young man before, he's a stranger." Gideon sized up the central figure in the dispute, a yellow-skinned East Asian face, which was indeed rare in the British magical world.

"Isn't it normal to see unfamiliar faces at Pighead Bar?" Fabian casually pointed at the strange customers inside and outside the bar. "When does that place not entertain a few strangers? Even in the current situation, it still can't stop those swindlers and thieves."

Gideon shook his head, unconvinced by his brother's words: "Actually, if you could take off their hoods and masks, you'd find that most of them are familiar faces. Last time I met a guy who was trying to take advantage of me, passing off Muggle jewels as ancient goblin jewels from an Egyptian pharaoh's tomb. Do you know who that guy was?"

Who is it?

"Mundungus!" Gideon cursed. "That groundhog-headed guy, all wrapped up like a vampire out in broad daylight, then pretending not to know me, making a fool of me..."

"Then how did you recognize him?"

"It wasn't me who recognized him, it was the bar owner; that guy Mundungus, he was banned from the Pig's Head Bar years ago, but he still insisted on changing his appearance to look for easy prey in the bar."

The two men continued talking without stopping, heading straight for the center of the dispute. According to their pre-arranged plan, any unusual activity in the village was to be handled first by the Puwit brothers; only when they encountered problems or dangers they couldn't resolve would they alert other groups for help.

As I approached, I heard the bar owner sternly demand, "I'm asking you one last time, who are you, and why are you in my bar's fireplace?" Although the old man usually had a slovenly appearance, he suddenly exuded a terrifying aura.

It's not surprising, really. The Hog's Head is like a semi-public black market in Hogsmeade. If the owner of this pub can keep all sorts of weirdos and monsters in check, then he must be no ordinary person.

So, like many other drinkers, the Pwitt brothers grew increasingly curious about the unfamiliar young man who had suddenly appeared. Who on earth was he, daring to provoke such a powerful figure?