The Pub

Knowing someone was out to get him was very confusing for Ted, after all, he was in the middle of a main street in London, not to mention recognizing someone he knows accidentally, even finding one on purpose could be hard.

If he was at home, he could understand, people knew him there and might have a reason to do so. But walking around randomly in the dark crowded streets of London, it was impossible for someone to recognize him.

Especially so, with his small social circle, which consisted of less than a hundred people, most of them being children of very rich families, not being the type to walk around on foot, or alone, for that matter, and old teachers, mostly above their late 50's, also not the type to wander the streets in the dark.

For a moment the picture of Jessie jumped to his mind, but that one didn't fit the bill either, the young maid never had any interest in Ted, for better or for worse, and targeting him would bring her nothing.

By now she should already be in a coffee house by the national museum, chatting with her friends after their shopping spree. She had made a habit out of it, this way, when Ted was left alone, he would know where to find her, and she could do as she likes

Keeping a low profile, Ted quietly scanned the area, trying not to draw any unwanted attention by acting suspiciously. He needed to find out who was targeting him.

Ted remembered reading this book once that spoke of fights along history, in it was this sentence: "The deadliest blade is the one concealed in shadows," meaning the most dangerous situation is when you don't know where the attack will come from.

Looking at the stores as he moved up the dark street, Ted could feel that tug in his stomach getting stronger. He stopped occasionally looking at some random display windows that showcased anything from shiny new books to dresses in flowery designs. All this while he kept giving the sneakiest side glances he could, trying to locate his follower.

As Ted stopped in front of a certain pub again, he looked at the shiny glass that reflected the small orange streetlight that stood near the entrance of the pub. Looking inside, he could see a bunch of cheerful fans of Manchester United, a tie against Liverpool, the Behemoth of the Premier League that year was more than enough for the drunk crowd.

It was then that Ted recognized a familiar silhouette in the window's reflection. A man, in a dark raincoat who held a closed, dark umbrella in his right hand, could be seen standing at the other side of the street. He was tall, probably 1.9 meters tall, and his face was hidden by the shadows.

'It's the same coat!' Ted thought as he did his best to appear inconspicuous.

It was the same man Ted had seen briefly in the old bookstore earlier today. Apparently, this man has already been following him back then.

Ted started moving again, still wandering up the street. He didn't want to alert his pursuer that he knew of his existence. As Ted neared the edge of the street, he kept on searching for a way to evade the tall man. He didn't know of his intentions, but there was a high chance he wished to harm him.

Ted knew he had to avoid direct confrontation at all costs. He was just a child, after all, against a grown man, any type of struggling from him would be no more than a joke.

His logic told him to go to a place that has people, as it would be harder to do anything to him with witnesses around, which was no problem at all, he was in the middle of London after all.

But also not to go to a place which is very crowded, as the loud messy crowd could create opportunities for his pursuer to attack from the shadows.

Just as Ted passed by an old closed record shop, he found the perfect location.

Right near the edge of the street, with only a small bookstore by its side, was an old pub.

The storefront glass of the old pub was covered by a thin layer of dust, giving one the impression of it being abandoned.

Only a small flickering light and a few giggles, revealed its active nature.

It was perfect for Ted, it was small, yes, but that created exactly the type of place which he wished to find, as not many people would enter such a run-down pub and yet he could hear people inside, meaning it was busy enough for him to not be afraid of an attack.

Ted walked leisurely towards the pub's wooden door. looking above it he saw a blue sign with bold old-English black letters reading 'The Leaky Cauldron'.

Ted stopped for a moment; he could have sworn he had heard of that name somewhere, but he soon kept moving. This wasn't the time to think, and he knew it.

<=============== >

Walking through the door, Ted couldn't help but wonder if he had gone through a time machine.

The Leaky Cauldron was a small, shabby pub, decorated by a lit fire in the fireplace that gave the air a smoky feeling. There were no lamps inside, and the room was lit fully by torches and candles that illuminated the old stone walls.

At the far corners of the old pub, sat groups of people clad in robes similar to the ones he saw while wandering through Charing Cross Road earlier today. They were talking loudly about different topics, ones that Ted failed to understand.

"Did you hear about the Death Eaters attacks? I heard they struck a village just out of Norwich, targeting Muggles!" exclaimed a man in a blue robe and a peculiar hat as he looked as he took a large sip of his beer.

"Ohhh, I heard the Minister said that she would put an end to them. Shame, they never keep their promises, they always promise! Merlin's beard! At least once in a while they could be truthful. Don't think that would kill them!" said the one to his left, he had a black turban covering his head and wore a dark green robe. Disappointment and anger could be seen on his dark gloomy face.

"I also heard that one of them turned one of the Muggles into a sheep before feeding him to a passing Hippogriff!" said another one. This one wore large green robes, his brown hair was messy and disheveled, and as he spoke, deep fear could be heard in his voice. It was clear he was very scared of those so-called Death Eaters.

From the bits and pieces Ted deduced, it was some sort of a role-playing game. He had read of them in the school library; apparently, it was a kind of enactment of a certain story through special clothing, props, and acting.

He simply chose to ignore the surreal tales as he walked towards the bar. There an old, mostly bald man stood, speaking to a very, very short man that stood on a stool near the counter. He stood there for a minute or so as the two spoke of some game between the Cannons and the Magpies. At first, Ted assumed they were talking about a game of 'Arsenal,' but when he heard the so-called results that passed the 300 mark, he ruled it out.

"Excuse me," Ted spoke finally, as he tried to raise his face above the counter by standing on his tiptoes, only succeeding in barely peeking with his eyes.

The bartender looked at Ted, and a grin rose to his lips. "Hey there, young man, lost your parents, did you?" he said cheerily.

Ted, who caught the man's attention, took a step back and nodded, his eyes scanning the old man carefully. He had relaxed quite a bit by now; the tug in his stomach was already long gone. It seemed to have stopped almost immediately as he entered the old pub. But Ted still kept his guard up; the whole experience was very confusing to him...

Being only 8, Ted had read enough to know theoretically how to deal with any situation, but knowing and acting are very different things. Ted still thought straight and acted calculatively under pressure, a very rare trait, especially at his age. The way he grew up and his hard gained knowledge, as little as it was, still kept him clear minded.

"Yes, sir, I was wandering the street when... when I lost my mom and somehow ended up here," Ted said as shyly as he could, his face staring at his feet. It seemed his act worked wonders as the smiling bartender looked at him smiling gently.

"My name is Tom, The owner of this humble pub. How should I call you, young man?" Tom said as he put his hand forward for a handshake.

Ted, who didn't want to cause any commotion as some that happened in the past, thought for only three short seconds before answering back with an innocent smile as he shook the outstretched arm. "I am Theodor, Theodor Selwyn. You can call me Ted."

He knew this was his mother's maiden name; using it made him feel closer to her, even if only by a little. He felt as if he was carrying her legacy.