Harry Potter and the Candy Factory

And so, after the two of them left the gates of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, they didn't continue with their original plan to leave. Instead, they turned a corner and strolled towards Hogsmeade Village.

Before long, Charlie, led by Lucius, arrived in front of a rather well-kept pub.

Raising his head and seeing the three brooms intertwined above, forming a triangular symbol, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and exclaim involuntarily,

"This is the Three Broomsticks pub! I never thought I'd have the chance to come here."

"What? You've never been to the Three Broomsticks before?…"

Charlie's words surprised Lucius. He stopped his motion of stepping into the pub, subconsciously turning his head to look at his brother-in-law with some astonishment.

Lucius considered himself to know Charlie Black extremely well. Whether it was from his wife, Narcissa, or from Voldemort's intelligence during the war, he had received a lot of information about Charlie…

As far as he knew, this guy behind him was never obedient during his school days. Things like sneaking into the restricted section, causing chaos in the Gryffindor common room with Polyjuice Potion, hanging Filch upside down from the spire of Hogwarts Castle, and painting a huge "f*ck you, Jameport!!" on the Quidditch pitch the night before a match…

Such legendary deeds had accompanied Charlie Black throughout his seven years of study, without interruption…

According to Narcissa in her casual conversations, "If his grades weren't so good that even Professor McGonagall would take notice, then Charlie Black would probably be the first pure-blood member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight to be expelled from Hogwarts…"

Lucius certainly hadn't expected that such a fearsome figure had never even been inside the Three Broomsticks!

It was right next door in Hogsmeade Village! Even now, many naughty young wizards still considered being able to sneak into the Three Broomsticks at night for fun and drinks a "legendary" experience to brag about to other students.

Charlie quickly shifted his gaze from the Three Broomsticks sign and looked back at Lucius, who had stopped in front of him.

Seeing the surprise in his expression, he naturally understood what the other was thinking. So he just smiled and explained without any hesitation,

"When I was at school, if I wanted to drink, I usually went to the Hog's Head. Firstly, because I had a good relationship with the owner there…"

Speaking of this, Charlie paused, as if recalling some pleasant memories of his youth, and the smile on his lips became even brighter. Then he continued,

"Secondly, this is where those four idiots often came. Although I'm not afraid of them, I hate having any interaction with them here."

"Ah… I see."

Hearing this, Lucius could only stiffly raise the corners of his mouth in understanding, gave a dry laugh, and nodded in agreement.

"Let's go, let's not stand outside, let's go in for a drink."

Charlie shook his head, drove the beautiful memories of his student days out of his mind, and then, while speaking, stepped forward, casually put his arm around Lucius's shoulder, and impatiently pushed open the door of the pub, stepping into the Three Broomsticks…

… … … … … … … … … … … … …

Sure enough, compared to the Hog's Head pub, the Leaky Cauldron, and the Blind Pig pub far away in America, which was now just ruins, the Three Broomsticks was much better in terms of decoration and atmosphere!

After entering, Charlie raised his eyes and looked around. His gaze swept from the waxed floor, the warm-colored candlelight that created the atmosphere, the tightly arranged wooden tables and chairs, and the wizards and travelers who were chatting happily and drinking heartily, and he couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

After entering the pub, the chill brought by the beginning of winter was dispelled. The warm air, filled with the aroma of honey and food, instantly enveloped Lucius and Charlie.

"This is a really nice place." First affirming this, Charlie turned his head and asked Lucius with interest,

"Do you come here often, Lucius?"

In a subtle instant, Charlie could feel a hint of unnatural fluctuation on Lucius's face after hearing his question, but he quickly adjusted and returned to his initial composure.

"No… how could I? I only came a few times when I was a student. You should know that a few bottles of wine from Malfoy Manor could buy this little pub outright."

Listening to Lucius's words, Charlie just smiled and didn't say anything more.

Just as the two were casually chatting, a graceful and charming woman from behind the bar counter quickly noticed the two who stood out from the crowd in terms of dress and demeanor.

This woman was Madam Rosmerta, the owner of the pub.

Rosmerta looked at Charlie's figure, first pondering for a moment, but then, soon, she seemed to have thought of something, her eyes suddenly lit up, and her face couldn't help but fill with a bright smile. →

Hurriedly taking small steps, she walked out from behind the counter, skillfully navigating through the tables crowded together with customers, and stopped two meters in front of Charlie.

"Excuse me… are you Mr. Charlie Black?"

Her eyes were bright with a hint of excitement and nervousness, she pursed her red and full lips, and softly interrupted Charlie and Lucius's conversation. Seeing that their attention had been drawn over, she carefully asked again.

"She's a beautiful woman…" Following the melodious voice that suddenly appeared in his ear, even at first glance, such a thought immediately appeared in Charlie's mind.

"Yes, that's me."

Turning his body around, looking at the woman in front of him, he nodded readily.

Then he couldn't help but reveal a hint of surprise, and then asked,

"Do you know me?"

Getting Charlie's answer, Madam Rosmerta's smile deepened, and she quickly nodded, saying,

"I've seen you in the newspaper before, you know, the… 'Daily Prophet'."

Hearing this, Charlie understood, but before he could say anything more, the already excited Madam Rosmerta, as if seeing an idol, continued quickly

"Oh my goodness, I really didn't expect you to come to my bar... You know, this is my honor! You absolutely must try our mead here. It's a specialty only available at the Three Broomsticks, very sweet, just like a Charlie's Chocolate Frog. Even Headmaster Dumbledore loves this product of ours, so I thought you would too..."

Just as Madam Rosmerta was speaking rapidly and incessantly, leaving Charlie somewhat at a loss, and he opened his mouth unable to interject, Lucius frowned slightly. Seeing that she had no intention of stopping, he raised his hand first, halting her speech.

Then, somewhat stiffly, he said,

"Please find us two a spot by the wall, somewhere less conspicuous. And bring us two meads while you're at it. That's all!"

"Ah... I'm so sorry, gentlemen, I was just too excited... Please wait a moment, I'll find you both a suitable seat."

Only then did Madam Rosmerta realize that the two were still standing at the entrance and hadn't sat down. So, she quickly apologized and then displayed her professional skills, turning around to lead them towards a spot in the corner.

After Charlie and Lucius were both seated, Rosmerta returned behind the bar under their gaze and began preparing their drinks.

................................

Soon, the ordered mead was delivered to them in large wooden mugs.

When handing the drink to Charlie, Madam Rosmerta's face was full of pride, as if Charlie Black's visit to taste her brewed mead was an extreme honor.

"Enjoy..."

After leaving those last words, Rosmerta blinked and then left, giving Charlie and Lucius space to talk.

"Madam Rosmerta is certainly a warm person."

Charlie subconsciously touched his neck, leaned back in his chair, and somewhat awkwardly remarked to Lucius.

"Don't be fooled by her."

Lucius, however, seemed extremely calm.

"She's a very capable woman, able to chat freely with all the guests who come here. Even Dumbledore and Minister Fudge maintain friendly relations with her."

As he spoke, he picked up his mead, first examining the color of the liquid, and then carefully taking a sip.

He closed his eyes slightly, savoring the taste of the mead, smacked his lips, and gave his own assessment.

"Although it still has that cheap taste, I must admit, it does have its merits."

Charlie paused for a moment, then shrugged, not saying anything more.

Picking up the mug in front of him, feeling its heavy weight, Charlie felt a hint of anticipation for the highly praised mead.

In the mug, the amber liquid was exceptionally clear, with a hint of thickness. If not for the fine bubbles still dissipating on the sides of the mug, Charlie would have really thought he had a large mug of honey in front of him.

He imitated Lucius's actions, carefully tasting the first sip.

The fine wine entered his throat, instantly mixing the aroma of wheat with the sweetness of honey, and began to impact Charlie's tongue and taste buds.

"Not bad!"

Charlie's eyes instantly lit up a bit, and he was somewhat surprised. He licked his lips and praised Lucius.

As the owner of a candy factory, Charlie undoubtedly preferred sweet things. Although not as obsessed as Dumbledore, he could still derive more pleasure from sweets than others...

"Good that you like it."

Seeing Charlie's reaction, Lucius was relieved. The corners of his mouth turned up in a smile, and he nodded, saying.

The noise and shouting seemed to be essential in any tavern. Although Charlie and Lucius were not particularly fond of lively atmospheres, chatting about this and that amidst the enthusiastic atmosphere and the effects of the wine was still much more intimate than before.

Time slowly passed with each cup of wine. Seeing that most of the mead in the mugs had been drunk, a slight blush had appeared on Charlie's face.

Only then did Lucius finally seize the opportunity to tell him what he had wanted to discuss earlier.

"Charlie, what are your plans for Christmas?"

Charlie, who was about to continue drinking, was stunned by the question. He stopped his hand, thought for a moment, and then shrugged, answering: "Probably, I'll spend it at the factory, like before."

As he spoke, he subconsciously recalled the scene from the last Christmas: Russell didn't know where he got a Santa Claus suit. Then, while he was sleeping, he quietly slipped into the office, insisting on stuffing some gift into his sock.

The result was predictable: Charlie, who wasn't sleeping very deeply to begin with, vaguely opened his eyes, only to see a strange guy about a meter tall with a red suit and white beard taking off his shoes, and was immediately so frightened that his heart almost jumped out. He directly pulled out his wand, almost greeting him with an 'Avada Kedavra.'

Thinking back, it really wasn't a very pleasant memory. Charlie's mouth twitched, unable to help but think.

"Recently at home, Narcissa has been thinking about you."

Lucius glanced at Charlie's expression, organized his words for a moment, and continued.

"She was very happy that you could come to Malfoy Manor last time, so, if you have time... I'd like to invite you again to spend this Christmas with us."

After speaking, Lucius looked seriously into Charlie's eyes and began to wait for his answer.

"Of course... I think that's..."

Just as Charlie was about to nod and happily accept, suddenly, he seemed to think of something, and the words he was about to say stopped abruptly.

After a long while, Charlie shook his head helplessly, sighed, and regretfully refused, "Sorry, Lucius. Although I'd love to go to Malfoy Manor, unfortunately, due to some things, I have to stay at the factory for Christmas."

Hearing these words, Lucius's original mood sank a bit, but on the surface, he still pretended not to care and nodded casually, "It's okay, if you have things to do, next time will be fine. Malfoy Manor is always open for you."

"But," Charlie continued, "if you're willing, maybe I can invite you to spend Christmas at my factory. What do you think?"