To the British, pubs are not just places to drink; they are important social venues. People gather there to chat, watch television, and enjoy precious leisure time after a busy day.
Therefore, even in remote villages, there will certainly be one or two small taverns.
Mike runs a small tavern in Little Hengerton Village. At midday, as he wipes glasses, he chats with customers.
"I heard two strangers arrived yesterday?" asked Pete, a regular patron of the tavern.
"Yeah, their attire was quite peculiar, maybe it's big city fashion."
Mike winked, with a mysterious smile at his lips, and said: "Two men, booked a single room."
"Oh... they're that kind of a couple."
Pete understood, then frowned.
Despite recent years, where public figures often advocated for acceptance of people with different orientations and rumors of legislation acknowledging same-sex marriage, such prejudice still exists in small villages among older people like Pete.
"Do you know where they came from?" Pete asked.
"I didn't ask," Mike shrugged, and said, "but judging by their accents, they sounded like they're from London—they said 'this' as 'dis'."
Footsteps echoed from the stairs, and Mike shot Pete a look, and the two immediately went silent.
Pete nonchalantly glanced towards the staircase.
First, there was a middle-aged man with graying hair, wearing a well-fitted dark suit and an open robe, although not very striking in appearance, he had a gentle and resilient demeanor.
Pete snorted in his mind.
But when he caught sight of the person behind, he spewed his drink out and angrily glared at Mike.
Mike was puzzled: "What's wrong?"
"That's a child!" Pete hissed in anger, lowering his voice: "He must be traveling with an elder! Dammit, you spread rumors about a child and an adult!"
"What child? I didn't." Mike felt wronged and looked up to see the two guests descending the stairs, and he too was stunned.
Pete spat contemptuously.
...
Vid and Lupin walked out of the tavern, looking around.
Last time they hurried over with Dumbledore, barely noticing the surroundings. Now, standing on the village's wide road, Vid could clearly see a grand yet desolate mansion on the nearby hill.
Two boys rode their bicycles swiftly along the road down the hill.
A lame old man waved his cane, angrily shouting after the boys.
He certainly couldn't catch them, the boys burst out laughing wildly.
"Are we going there?" Lupin asked, standing by.
"No, of course not."
Vid said, "Voldemort's father once lived there, but we're heading in the opposite direction, to where his mother once lived."
The information in that statement was quite significant.
Previously, Lupin was unaware of this and suddenly hearing it was like his ears played tricks on him.
He stayed silent for a while, silently pondering the relationships within.
Vid, like a regular tourist, strode out of the village along the path, then took out a bottle labeled "Life and Death Potion."
It's a strong sleeping potion.
Vid pointed his magic wand at the bottle, whispering: "Mist rising."
Under his control, the potion in the bottle mingled with moisture in the air, rapidly forming a haze, surging towards the village like a tide.
The boys who'd just raced down the hill soon felt drowsy. They ditched their bikes, found a shady spot on the lawn, yawned deeply, and fell asleep.
"So I'm telling you, I really saw a... thirty or forty-year-old... adult man..."
The bartender Mike, who was defending himself, scratched his head, puzzled as he saw Pete slumped drunkenly over the table, his eyelids stubbornly wanting to stick together.
"I'm taking a nap first..." Mike muttered, and lay down to sleep.
On the hill, the gardener of Riddle Manor—the lame old man—couldn't resist rubbing his eyes either. He put down his cane, leaned on the couch, and quickly started snoring.
Within seconds, Little Hengerton Village became eerily quiet. Even ants on the power poles, mice in their holes, and watchdogs fell into slumber.
Lupin, witnessing the scene, was amazed: "No one uses magic potion like you... Your atmospheric charm is already excellent."
"Thanks to Mr. Scamander," Vid said, "his teachings have greatly benefited me."
"How long will the diluted Life and Death Potion make them sleep?"
"About two or three hours," Vid said, "Enough for us to complete our business without disturbance."
The two walked along the alternating path towards Gaunt House. Vid briefed Lupin on the purpose of the trip.
"Previously... on the day of Sirius' case retrial, Dumbledore brought me here; he showed me Voldemort's past."
"His parents were both born near this village. Voldemort's mother controlled a Muggle youth in that grand manor with a love potion, and that led to his birth."
"His mother was Merope Gaunt, a descendant of Slytherin."
"Before, you said my Fiendfyre theory was sufficiently mastered to attempt practical application?"
"Rather than burn an unknown cave, I'd prefer using Fiendfyre on this place."
"Using Fiendfyre in this dense forest is very dangerous," Lupin said, "If uncontrolled, it could start a massive fire."
"Isn't that why you're here?" Vid grinned cunningly, and said, "I believe if my spell goes out of control, you would definitely handle it."
Lupin chuckled and said, "Of course."
After a pause, he asked, "By the way, is this a task assigned by Dumbledore?"
"No, of course not... It's just my personal idea."
Vid wouldn't dare let Dumbledore pay attention to this place?
He's afraid history would repeat itself; the old headmaster still unable to resist his desire for the Resurrection Stone, going ahead, then this crossing might immediately turn difficult, even into hell mode.
Moreover, considering Vid's abilities, he didn't think he could forcibly stop a deranged Dumbledore.
So it's best not to let them be linked.
Walking along the path for quite a while, they finally saw the small house nestled among the shrubs and weeds.
"Ready?" Lupin raised his magic wand and said, "We'd better clear the surroundings first."