Selena looked at Vid, her tense expression slightly relaxed, and said:
"The judge will be the headmaster of Ilvermorny Magic School—Mr. Agilbert Fontaine, who is renowned in the fields of Ancient Magical Runes and Magic Theory."
"Next is the Alchemy Professor from Hogwarts, Terence Moray, and the Alchemy Professor from Uagadou, Clarence Abdullah. You should be familiar with the former, and the latter represents the pinnacle of African Alchemy."
"Furthermore, there's Ms. Seraphina Picquery, who once served as President of the American Magic Congress. She has profound personal research on the traits of North American Magical Plants and their application in Alchemy, and holds several patents."
"Finally, we have the Director of the Magic Building Protection Department of the Congress, Mr. Silas Hawthorne, who is adept in space magic expansion techniques. You should have much in common."
As Selena finished introducing the last judge, the car subtly braked, causing everyone to sway slightly.
"We've arrived."
Selena opened the car door, stood by the door, and after Vid and the others got out one by one, she politely said, "White Bridge Inn, exclusively for wizards, wishing you all a successful trip ahead."
She didn't engage in unnecessary pleasantries, nor did she wait for a full response. As Vid and the others were still gazing up at the inn, Selena had already returned to the car, which quickly disappeared around the corner, leaving only a trail of exhaust behind.
"Feels like if we slowed down, we would get eaten…" Vid muttered, "Is this the style of the American Magic Congress?"
"I think this lady might be a bit special?" Remus said gently, "I've worked with some American wizards before, and most of them are more enthusiastic."
"Enthusiastic? It should be called rude."
Moody, known for his lack of 'politeness' in others' eyes, muttered, "A bunch of self-important folks, but I have to say, they're better than our bunch of weak Ministry of Magic officials."
"Let's go, we should first settle down." Lupin headed towards the White Bridge Inn first, "I've heard about this inn before, it's as famous as the Leaky Cauldron."
The so-called White Bridge Inn appeared entirely shut down from the outside, with broken window glass and completely rusted metal door latches. The sign reading "White Bridge" had only one screw left, creaking in the wind, as if it might fall off at any moment.
Vid and the others didn't show any surprise; they were accustomed to how the Magic World conceals itself, much like how Hogwarts appears as nothing but ruins to outsiders!
Lupin tapped the metal door with his Magic Wand, then pushed it open, and they entered.
The interior of the inn wasn't as shabby as the Leaky Cauldron, nor did it have the cozy atmosphere of the Three Broomsticks; rather, it was spacious and bright, with high ceilings that didn't feel oppressive.
It resembled a high-end hotel for ordinary people, but the guests eating inside rarely dressed as Muggles, displaying distinct characteristics of the Magic World.
An elderly witch in a dark gray cloak sat in an armchair, steam rising from the teacup before her, and the book on the table flipped a page automatically now and then;
Next to the window sat two well-dressed wizards, one with a scarred face squinting while smoking; the other lowered his head, intently watching a very cute squirrel poppet pet in his palm.
Gobbling up his meal was a weary-looking merchant reeking of Magic Potion, with soils clinging beneath the suitcase placed beside him.
Next to the straight-trunked fiddle-leaf fig, a wizard wrapped in a cloak, obscuring his appearance, was slumped over a table sleeping.
Behind the counter sat a tall, thin wizard in a slightly outdated brown robe, glasses perched on his nose. Upon Vid and the others' entry, he lifted his head from behind the high counter.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen." The innkeeper's voice was flat, with a slightly drawling tone, "Do you have a reservation?"
"No, book us a triple room."
Lupin stepped forward, placing their identification on the table, casually shielding Vid slightly from the innkeeper's overly direct scrutiny.
The innkeeper lazily glanced over the identifications, pausing slightly at the sight, gazing again at Vid behind Lupin.
"Ah… reservation… you actually have one."
The innkeeper leisurely flipped through a heavy register, the quill marking a line.
"Indeed, a long-term room arranged by the Auror Office."
His gaze swept over the three, lingering for a moment on Moody's scarred face and his eyepatch, but he asked nothing further, merely taking out three brass-colored long keys.
"Third floor, end of the hallway, quiet, with a good view… Do you require dinner? It's included in your pre-paid fee."
"Thank you, but no."
Lupin took the keys, thanked him, and the trio walked up the staircase carpeted with thick rugs.
As Vid stepped onto the stairs, he paused slightly, glancing back.
He felt someone watching him, a palpable presence that was hard to ignore.
Yet turning around, the smoker continued to smoke, the eater continued to eat heartily, reading, sleeping, playing games… everyone seemed no different than before.
Moody behind him didn't urge but squinted, looking in the same direction Vid had been gazing.
Moments later, the three stopped hesitating and went directly upstairs to their room.
…
Almost all the rooms in any inn are indistinguishable, differing only in cleanliness. Under the influence of a Scouring Charm, wizard inns can be impeccably clean anytime.
Opening the door, Lupin found their luggage placed in the room's center, still tagged with airport labels.
Moody immediately stepped forward, his Magic Eye sweeping the suitcase's surface, fingers exploring it, saying, "No signs of Tracking Magic or Evil Curses… at least the surface is clean."
"I suspect that even if they did anything, it wouldn't be that obvious."
Vid opened his suitcase, revealing a meticulously organized space, every item as Fiona had arranged them, showing no signs of tampering or missing elements, with even the light Fixing Charm inside seeming as though Vid himself had cast it.
Nevertheless, Vid didn't focus on these superficial traces nor the magic upon them but opted for a more Muggle-oriented approach—
Every item bore markings only Vid was aware of—tiny scratches, buttons on clothes, stitching marks, patterns at the bottom of the rinse cup, etc., and their corresponding positions.
For ease of memory, he remembered various marks, which, when combined, conveniently formed an uppercase "G."
Though the Fixing Charm Vid cast on the suitcase wasn't especially strong, if no one broke his spell and rummaged through, merely the turbulence in airport luggage handling wouldn't alter these positions.
Yet now, all the marks Vid remembered had almost universally shifted noticeably.