The Three Broomsticks

Darien laughed. "Thanks Cookie."

Rory grinned. "All hail the cookie!"

"She's just got to go meet a friend." Darien explained. "So where are we headed?"

"See Baron, I've got a title too." Cook bowed. Then he declared, "To Honeydukes!"

Rory laughed. "Watch out Cookie, he might try and steal it."

"I have no desire to steal anyone's title. I have no need, I shall have one of my own." Hector replied.

"Aren't you technically going to steal it from your father?" Darien asked.

Hector drew himself up to his full height. "Being bequeathed a title is not stealing. In any case, it would appear Honeydukes is in order."

((Different Timeline; Early-to-Mid January, 2019))


A medi-witch dressed in a white lab coat and a black pantsuit underneath strolled down the snow-strewn, cobbled walk. Her shoes were high-heeled, yet they did not click upon the stones as was typical of the style of shoe. In each almost sickly-pale hand she clutched a handle of a wheelchair. Behind her, three well-built wizards dressed in uniforms of asylum orderlies followed suit.

Slouched in the wheelchair the witch pushed was none other than Stefan Althaus. Dressed in his typical Ward clothes, a bathrobe-type garment, a brown coat, a pair of white slip-on shoes, and a black knitted hat, the wizard stared apathetically at the world around him. A thick blue blanket was draped over his lap. The dosage of potion they had him on to keep him from getting agitated while on outings was what had caused him to have that strung-out look about his features. Wrists and elbows strapped to the arms of the wheelchair – limbs for the moment unmoving – told onlookers just how potentially dangerous medical professionals deemed him to be.

One of the orderlies opened the door to The Three Broomsticks. At the sudden burst of noise Stefan jerked to life and grunted, tugging on the restrains. He wanted freedom! He wanted life! “Wanna... get out – of – here!!!!” he half yelled, half whined, squirming in his seat as Irene continued to push his chair toward the door. As they passed, a hag on her way out chuckled malevolently at the wizard in the wheelchair.

In the matter of seconds Stefan made eye contact with the hag and lurched in the her direction, scooting the chair along with him and causing some of the departing patrons to run into each other in attempt to avoid running in to him. “What’re you laughing at, yes bugle seen doom drink ten itch FINE?!” the wizard shouted, blue eyes going a little wild and the curse about his eyes eerily adding more than just the single black line up his forehead and down his cheeks. He didn’t seem to realize he had squished his left arm against himself and the chair in his outburst to lean over the side, sneering hatefully at the hag.

“That’s enough...” came the calm voice of Irene Eckstein from behind him. She gently but firmly placed her hand on Stefan’s right shoulder and pushed him back into a proper seating position. With his current state it didn’t take much coercion on the witch’s part and they continued on. The hag merely stared at them in shock, confusion, and more than just a little indignation before walking away in a huff.

Finally beyond the threshold, Irene cautiously maneuvered Stefan’s chair around patrons and tables to a place out of general traffic. “Where would you like to sit, Stefan?” she asked calmly. She had to lean forward to ask the quiet-voiced inquiry directly into his ear due to the noise.

“By a window... little flailing house a treat as who-“

“Stefan, just calm down and speak slowly. You’re not making any sense, and it won’t look good on your report for today...” Irene chided in soft-spoken interruption. At the same time she stroked what she could of the wizard’s hair that stuck out from under the hat. “I’m sorry the potions do this to you, but until you can prove you don’t require a potion to settle down it’s necessary. Now, what are you trying to say?”

The wizard huffed in irritation, then jumped at the sight of one of the orderlies that had gone with him and Irene. “Too many walls... I see enough of them,” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t like white coats... I want, I want this normal... I can be normal...”

“Please take him to the window,” Irene asked one of the orderlies, then slipped off her nurse’s coat. A black-and-ivory sweater was underneath. The witch stowed her Mungo’s Mental Ward coat away in a magically-enhanced pocket and strode to sit opposite her patient. “Better, Stefan?”

“Almost... They’re watching... I hear them...” the wizard whispered in a growl, craning his neck to glare at the orderlies. Irene glanced up at the orderly directly behind Stefan and gave a small nod. At the cue the wizard began fastening straps around Stefan’s chest and abdomen to keep him secured in the chair. “I don’t like you...” Stefan sneered at the orderly.

“The feeling is mutual, trust me...” replied the orderly in a flat monotone devoid of emotion. As though expecting to be attacked the moment the restraints on Stefan’s arms were released, the medi-wizard backed away from each arm as it was freed from the bindings.

“Now please occupy yourselves elsewhere. I can handle this until we’re ready to go,” Irene ordered the other hospital personnel, watching Stefan rub his wrists where the restraints had been.

Steel blue orbs watched as the three orderlies dispersed around the room, malevolence for them so clear it may as well have been written upon his face. “I love you...” he muttered to Irene mere seconds before looking at her. Any anger that had been present was erased in the blink of an eye.

“You promise to contain yourself today?” Irene continued on in a serious voice, ignoring the wizard’s declaration of love.

“...Yes... Yes, I promise. I’m better, now.”

The witch searched his face for any inkling he was just saying it to get out of his situation. She couldn’t find evidence to the contrary, but she knew it meant nothing. Criminally insane cases like Stefan had been labeled were not that reliable. However, Irene had become very close to him despite the rules regarding medical staff and their patients. With a glance to make sure the orderlies weren’t watching, the witch withdrew from her pocket a small phial and placed it in front of Stefan. “You did not get this from me... it will help with the aphasia-esque side effects of the potion we had to give you earlier. I’ll see what I can do to get your Healer to stop prescribing it since it seems to be doing more harm than good...”

The wizard immediately seized it from her hands before it even clicked upon the table’s wooden surface. “Thank you!” he whispered, then proceeded to uncork the bottle and down the potion without question. Once every last drop was swallowed he pushed the phial back to her. “... I want ice cream...” Stefan commented, glancing out the snow-encrusted window.

Irene laughed. “Have a proper lunch, first. Then, if you’re still hungry, you can have ice cream,” she recommended, placing a menu in front of him. “Two butterbeers, please,” she paused a passing waitress.

“Sorrywhat?” Stefan asked, turning his attention from the window. Pools of sapphire turned suspicious at the departing waitress he hadn’t heard approach. Once the witch was a Stefan-approved distance away he picked up the menu and glanced at the list of what the establishment was offering in the way of food.

“The shepherd’s pie is good here...” Irene offered as she glanced at her own menu.

Stefan made a noncommittal noise at the back of his throat and glanced around at the other patrons. “Lots of people here...”

((Different timeline))

Raven breathed in the smell of butterbeer and all sort of different aroma's inside the Three Broomsticks. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon to hang out and relax from the stressful studying of school. Her long violet hair was hanging over her shoulder's and she was wearing her comforting clothes which was a long sleeve shirt and some nice black slacks to go with it. Of course she had her robes over them.

While stepping inside the cafe, her friend, Alex, was right next to her so they can hang out with each other in the cafe.

Raven scanned the area to find a place to sit and finally found a table in the far corner of the cafe.

"How about over there?" Raven suggested to Alex as she pointed to the corner table.

Alex entered the cafe with Raven next to her. She then looked at where Ravenw as pointed and nodded.

"Sure, let's sit there," Alex said.

Raven nodded and strode her way towards the table before anyone else had the idea of taking it. She turned sharply with her robes following along and sat down in the seat. She watched as Alex sat in the seat in front of her.

As Raven waited for the waitress to come by for them to order she began talking to Alex. "So how is Hogwarts so far?" She asked her as she removed a few strands of hair from her face and set it behind her ear.

Alex sat up straight when she sat down and cleared her throat before responding, "Well I do enjoy Hogwarts very much, learning about magic fascinates me!" Alex smiled.

Raven gave a small smile, "Yeah, magic fascinates me also," she agreed. The waitress finally approached the both of them and asked what they wanted to have.

"I'll have a butterbeer," Raven replied. The waitress wrote it down and then looked at Alex. "How about you?"

Raven watched Alex on what she wanted.