The Red Dragon | Charlie Weasley

Chapter 9

The entranceway that leads to the casino is dark. They hand their coats to a disgruntled attendant. Before they enter the main room of the casino, Josué pulls them all aside. After checking over his shoulder to see if anyone is paying attention to them, he says: "To cover the whole casino, we need to split up. Blend in, don't stand out. A lot of dodgy dealings will happen elsewhere – we need to figure out where and when."

Haela nods, suppressing the urge to salute at the order, and both Kadrick and Charlie do too. Satisfied, Josué steps away from them and enters the casino.

Another bouncer pulls back the curtain that separates the casino from the dark hallway. As Haela steps over the threshold, she is engulfed in a different world. The ceiling lights are muted, and the plush carpet gives the place an exclusive atmosphere. The jingling of coins and the clicking of a roulette wheel reach Haela's ears.

On their left is a spacious bar, constructed from dark wood with golden accents. Rows of bottles with liquor are on display behind the sharply dressed bartenders, who are busy serving the patrons waving for their attention.

The rest of the room consists of tables where the real action is happening. Poker, blackjack, craps, and of course, roulette. Each table has a dealer who is just as smartly dressed as the bartenders: a crispy white shirt, black waistcoat, and a bow tie that sparkles gold in the dim light. The cards fly through the air as the dealers shuffle them for the next round. At each of the tables are at least a few patrons in expensive suits and fancy dresses. The language of the table isn't suited for business, but abbreviated, solely focussed on the game.

In one of the back corners, on a plateau, is a band playing slow jazz alongside a female singer who is trapped in a large sphere of water floating above the stage. The woman is beautiful, but the longer Haela watches, the more she notices the dagger-like teeth and silvery-grey scales. The woman has a scaly fishtail which she uses to move gracefully within the sphere.

The woman's voice is soft, but appealing. Yet, there is an undercut of danger throughout the alluring song. Several men near the band have abandoned their games and are gaping at the singer. A magical barrier separates the performers from the rest of the room and Haela gets the feeling that's the only reason none of the men have approached the woman.

Beside the band, in another corner of the casino, Haela notices a sectioned-off portion of the room. A few large couches are intentionally placed around a low table. A man in a dark suit is seated on one of the couches with a group of people surrounding him. By the looks of it, Haela suspects that's where the shadier business is discussed or at least where the people with money spend their time.

Kadrick and Josué have disappeared by the time Haela finishes assessing the scene. Only Charlie remains beside her, appearing a bit lost as he, too, takes in their surroundings. Haela grabs his arm and tugs him along to the bar. She hails one of the bartenders and when he finally approaches, Haela leans over and holds up four fingers.

"Four shots of your best rum, please."

The bartender nods and with a wave of his wand, four shot glasses appear on the bar in front of Haela. With another wave of his wand, the bartender summons two bottles from one of the shelves. Beside her, Charlie has turned to lean against the bar, surveying the rest of the room. Haela sneaks a glance at him from the corner of her eye, taking in his relaxed stance and noting the tension in the Dragonologist's shoulders. He might try to look relaxed, but he remains on high alert. Haela wonders if Charlie has any prior experience with these types of situations.

Haela turns back to the bartender who fills the four glasses to the brim using both bottles. The bottles vanish in thin air and the bartender taps the glass with the tip of his wand, making them flame up, before accepting the coins Haela slides over to the bar. She takes two of the glasses and turns to Charlie.