Michael's arrival seemed to have flipped a switch; the next morning, as they went downstairs for breakfast, the subtle tranquility of the inn was shattered by vibrant clamor.
"Look at that chandelier!" Hermione exclaimed in surprise, standing beneath it with her head tilted back. "They're not using candles! Is it electricity, or Magic?"
"...I bet by tomorrow morning, Fred and George will know where the joke shops in the United States are!"
That was Ron's loud voice, as he dragged his luggage while excitedly looking around: "Merlin, it's my first time in the United States!"
"Don't act like a country bumpkin, Ronald!" Fred raised an eyebrow and said, "And you're underestimating me! I already found out everything we need to know before we left! I won't let this trip waste a single second!"
The identical twins came in from outside, George grinned and said, "Wait up front, let the sponsors enter first!"
Following behind, Ginny's face was flushed, partly because of Harry walking behind her, and partly because of her brothers, who made her feel a bit embarrassed.
"Hat — Ginny, you forgot your hat!" Mrs. Weasley ran up from behind and placed a hat with wavy lace trim on her daughter's head.
The wheels of the suitcase clattered, Arthur Weasley ignored the noisy sounds behind him and directly told the receptionist, "Checking in... Arthur Weasley, from the United Kingdom... I booked a room in advance..."
A step behind, Sirius Black and Harry stepped through the door, with Harry looking around the decor of the White Bridge Inn, asking his godfather in a low voice:
"Sirius, do you know anything about the American magic world? I've heard some things from Ilvermorny students, but I'm not very clear..."
"I don't know much either, but isn't that better?" Sirius said cheerfully, "A whole new map, not a bad feeling, right?"
The ruckus and chatter filled the hall, and in the midst of their excitement, no one noticed, but a few scattered guests sitting down cast disgruntled glances over their newspapers and teacups.
Facing this noisy group of guests, the innkeeper pressed a finger down on Arthur Weasley's ID, eyebrows furrowing as his stern gaze swept over. Just as he was about to speak, a slightly amused voice came from the top of the nearby staircase —
"Good morning, everyone! Looks like everyone's here."
His voice wasn't loud, yet it somehow reached everyone's ears, and all eyes were instantly drawn to him.
It was Vid standing at the center of the staircase, smiling as he overlooked the lively crowd in the hall. Michael Corner stood next to him, one hand casually in his pocket, the other happily waving down below.
"Vid!"
Several people called out in unison, with Harry and the others quickly stepping forward to meet them.
The irritated look on the innkeeper's face, as if erased by magic, vanished instantly. He looked down at the Weasley's ID and recorded the information in a notebook.
"Yes, there's a reservation... Welcome to White Bridge Inn, here are your keys. Enjoy your vacation in the United States."
Arthur Weasley picked up the keys, looking at what seemed like a very standard staff smile on the innkeeper's face, scratching his head with a slightly odd feeling inside.
Immediately after, new identification was placed on the front desk.
"Sirius Black," the dark-haired man said with a half-smile, "Checking in."
Meanwhile, the guests in the lobby also calmed down collectively, returning to their newspapers or leisurely sipping tea, the previously tense atmosphere dissipating into a deliberately maintained, overly normal calm.
"I can't believe it, the United States! New York!" Harry said excitedly, "I mean... it's my first time traveling abroad! And flying on a plane! This is amazing!"
"Once you graduate, you'll have plenty of chances to travel abroad, until you're bored of it," Lupin said with a smile, as he walked past Vid and the others to Sirius.
"How's it going?" Sirius, leaning on the front counter, turned his head to look and said with a smile, "You arrived so many days early, do you have any 'travel guides' to share with us?"
Lupin gave Sirius a brief hug and said, "There's so much to say, let's make a cup of coffee and chat in a bit."
"What about Alastor?" Sirius asked, "I heard he was with you."
Lupin replied, "That guy didn't sleep well last night, he's catching some sleep now!"
Sirius nodded slightly, instantly understanding —
The situation was tenser than he thought; Moody probably hadn't slept at all for nights.
His gaze swept over the guests in the lobby, his nostrils twitching quickly before he returned to his nonchalant demeanor.
On the other side, the youngsters gathered into a group; their chatter hardly paused:
"I recently finished reading 'Modern Alchemy Basic Principles', 'Secrets of Essence', and 'Advanced Symbol Alchemy'!"
Hermione said quickly, "I mean... although many parts are headache-inducing, they're utterly fascinating! I really wish I could see those masters' practices firsthand!"
"Then why don't you watch Vid do Alchemy?" Ron said, puzzled, "He's one of the most famous Alchemists right now!"
"Vid's techniques can't be learned by just anyone; he even live-streamed his poppet-making during competitions, you see how many people can imitate that?" George said.
"But one day, we'll also stand proudly on that stage! Let everyone see the unique charm of Weasley's joke products!" Fred said confidently.
"Have you opened your joke shop yet?" Michael asked curiously.
At the mention of this, the twins immediately became excited, whereas Ron and the others simultaneously placed a hand on their foreheads, groaning, "Oh no..." as if they were already tired of the chatter.
Fred said, "Oh, oh, we haven't found suitable staff yet, so we started with a stall..."
"Needless to say, our products are hugely popular!" George gave a thumbs-up, "No kid who comes to roam Diagon Alley can leave empty-handed from our stand!"
"Made a bit of money..." Fred feigned a humble look and said with a smile, "This entire trip is graciously sponsored by the Weasley's Joke Shop!"
"I have never heard Mom say..."
George placed his fists on his chest, pinched his voice, "Oh... Fred... George... I'm so proud of you two..."
Fred said melancholically, "Sigh... being suddenly so nice to us, it makes me feel like she's been replaced by a fake mom... I still prefer when she decisively threw our Ton-Tongue Toffee straight into the trash..."
Before he could finish, Fred suddenly noticed the strange expressions of the people in front of him; those looking down kept looking down, those looking at the sky kept looking at the sky, some were touching their eyebrows, others tugging at their sleeves, yet none looked his way, nor did anyone show a knowing smile.
He blinked and said softly, "Don't tell me... Mom's right behind me..."
Soon enough, the familiar roar of Mrs. Weasley echoed:
"Fred! George! You two..."