As the designated entrance to Diagon Alley, the Leaky Cauldron never had to worry about foot traffic. Sure enough, as soon as the bar opened, several wizards walked in, although it was rather ungracious of them not to order anything to drink.
The bar gradually filled with more people — some on their way to shop in Diagon Alley, others specifically stopping by for a drink. Here, you could see all sorts of people and hear all kinds of stories.
Of course, it took a keen ear to discern which ones were true and which were simply tall tales.
Some of Eda's regulars soon arrived. They greeted her warmly after not seeing her for a while, exchanging the usual pleasantries: "How's school going?" "You're looking prettier!" "You've grown taller!" — the kind of remarks that weren't particularly meaningful but were still pleasant to hear.
Eda responded to each greeting with a smile, occasionally cracking a joke or two.
As the barmaid, she knew the importance of maintaining a friendly demeanor. Keeping a cold face all day wouldn't do at all. Besides, when Eda smiled, the sharpness in her gaze softened, making her look far gentler.
Though her bartending skills were a little rusty at first after such a long break, she quickly got back into the rhythm. Moving gracefully between the bar and the tables, she either busied herself mixing drinks or wove through the crowd with a tray full of drinks in hand.
"You wouldn't believe what I ran into on the Balkan Peninsula!" a wizard in his thirties said mysteriously, lowering his voice as he tried to capture the attention of the people around him.
"Don't tell me you saw Harry Potter on vacation?" one of the listeners quipped. Judging by his tone, he was likely one of those thoroughly exasperated by Dedalus Diggle's endless tales of "accidentally running into the Boy Who Lived."
Eda walked over with a tray, setting down a large glass of brandy, along with toast and jam, in front of the mysterious wizard.
"Gulp~ Aah!"
The man took a hefty gulp of the brandy, slamming the glass back down on the table before addressing the curious crowd.
"I encountered a vampire in a medieval castle, and I barely escaped with my life. His ghastly pale face was as cold as the grave, and his sharp fangs were stained with the color of blood..."
He paused for effect, ensuring all eyes were on him before continuing.
"Just when my companions and I managed to escape the castle, we found ourselves under the full moon, with wolfsbane blooming all around us. And wouldn't you know it — we were attacked by a werewolf. Exhausted and terrified, we had no choice but to keep running, praying to Merlin with every step."
"In the end, we managed to drive away the werewolf, though at a terrible cost..." The wizard spun his tale dramatically. But whether it was true or not, no one in the bar really cared. As long as the story was entertaining and paired well with a drink, that was good enough.
"Hey Eda, what do you think?" an old regular asked, grinning as he looked toward her.
Holding the tray, Eda raised a brow. Her name was Twist, but that doesn't mean she could have a master opinion on some twisted stories — how was she supposed to judge? Just like everyone else, she was simply there for the entertainment.
"Well," With a glint in her eye, she replied, "Have you ever considered turning your experiences into a book? You could follow in the footsteps of the bestselling author Gilderoy Lockhart. Didn't he write Voyages with Vampires and Wandering with Werewolves? Maybe you could be just as successful as him!"
The wizard's eyes lit up as inspiration struck. Finishing the last bites of his toast in record time, he downed the remaining brandy in one gulp. Tossing some coins onto the table, he bolted out of the bar like a man on a mission.
Eda instinctively reached out, attempting to stop him, but her fingers only brushed empty air. The wizard's hurried departure was as swift as if a pile of a million Galleons awaited him at home — and he feared they would vanish if he didn't return immediately.
Eda felt like she had done something terribly wrong — something that might lead someone astray. Her inner voice roared in frustration: Come back! I was just joking! How could you take it seriously? Writing novels is a dead-end road! Please don't throw your life away!
But people had their own paths, and Eda hadn't expected the wizard to be so impulsive.
Becoming another Gilderoy Lockhart wasn't something one could simply decide to do.
Although Eda always thought Lockhart looked a bit silly — nothing like the dashing and heroic figure he portrayed in his books — at least he was undeniably skilled with a quill.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have carved a path to become a bestselling author in an industry as unforgiving as the magical publishing world.
Eda had occasionally considered submitting something to the Daily Prophet. While she'd never worked in their "Shock Department," she'd certainly seen enough sensational headlines to know how to write a clickbait-worthy title.
Something like:
-Shocking! The Bizarre Habits of Albus Dumbledore That You Won't Believe!
-Unbelievable! The Real Severus Snape Has A Good Heart!?
-Jaw-Dropping! You'll Never Guess That The Cat Who Sometimes Plays With Mrs. Norris Is Actually McGonagall…
But Eda eventually dismissed the idea. She feared that before she even had a chance to receive payment from the Daily Prophet, she'd meet an untimely end — possibly at the hands of a certain furious potions master.
Playing it safe, she decided it was far better to continue assisting Snape in the potions classroom or working as the poster girl at the Leaky Cauldron.
The incident with the overly enthusiastic storyteller was merely a minor episode in Eda's bartending career. Every day, she encountered all sorts of strange people and heard even stranger stories.
There were plenty of juicy rumors, usually about famous wizards or renowned Quidditch players. While entertaining, it was often exhausting trying to distinguish truth from fiction.
And so, life returned to its usual rhythm for Eda.
During the day, she worked at the Leaky Cauldron, occasionally sneaking in a bit of wandless magic practice. She tried to control the glasses using only her hands, which inevitably resulted in a few shattered ones. But no worries — with a simple Reparo, they were as good as new.
During the previous school year, the muggle studies teacher, Professor Quirinus Quirrell had taken some time off to gather firsthand practical experience for his new post as a DADA teacher.
However, when he returned from his travels, something had changed. He became fearful of everything — even the students at Hogwarts. He developed a stutter and began acting strangely.
Eda had never taken Professor Quirrell's classes, so she had only heard these stories through gossip. According to the rumors, Quirrell had encountered vampires and witches during his travels, leading to his current state. Some students who were roaming the market would mock him, ridiculing his cowardice.
Now, Quirrell stumbled into the Leaky Cauldron, his dusty robes clinging to him. It looked as though he had traveled a long distance, or perhaps fallen more than once along the way. Trembling, he collapsed into a chair, his eyes darting nervously as he scanned the room. It was as if he believed every person in the bar could be a threat.
"Professor Quirrell, are you all right?" Eda asked softly. She couldn't stand to see a Hogwarts professor in such a disgraceful state.
But instead of responding, Quirrell only became more agitated. Eda's question seemed to have unsettled him further. His whole body shook as he flinched away from her, knocking over a nearby chair in the process.
The loud crash of the chair hitting the floor made him recoil, his eyes wide with panic, as though expecting something terrible to happen.
They said Quirrell had once been a brilliant Ravenclaw, famous for his intellect and talent. Yet, looking at him now, Eda found it hard to believe. Had the vampire he encountered come back to haunt him? Or was something even more sinister at play?
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