Don't Panic: A Wizard's Guide to Westeros (HP × ASOIAF)

Chapter Synopsis: So they've finally made it to Winterfell. Sirius sets out to meet the locals, and the locals get the dubious honour of meeting Sirius. Where the locals learn never to trick a marauder, and Sirius teaches the town some new beats. Here comes the sun indeed.

____________________________________

Last Time: ... "We travel to see the world, not necessarily through any effort to turn profit. Money is not so much of a concern for us." Harry said, hinting at the hidden wealth of gold galleons hidden safely stored away in their trunks. "It's merely through convenience, and an interest in helping the smallfolk we encounter, that we carry goods with us for trade."

If this were true, Edwyle thought, it would connect quite a few dots. Especially with regard to their generosity and the surprisingly high quality goods they carried. He also concluded that if they were legitimately 'hobbyist' traders, and what a strange concept that was to consider, it would also explain their occasional incompetence with their horse and cart."

..."the sooner you start selling, the better. While you won't find any starving mouths in Winterfell, the town has been on rations for months now. I'm sure the people will be more than happy to take their fill of any fresh food you have on offer. A stable boy will show you to the market, and you can set up wherever you like."

____________________________________

Chapter 11: Black Market Beats

Leaving Harry up in the Library with the Maester, Sirius and Dobby re-emerged from the castle gates pushing their cart, which Sirius had already lightened with some surreptitious feather-light charms. They were making their way down into Winter Town to set up a merchant stand in the local market. The town itself actually lay sprawled out to the south of the castle, nestled at the base of the hill upon which Winterfell was perched and surrounded by its own formidable stone wall.

As they exited the gates, they had a magnificent view of the town spread out below them. The town sat straddled the freshwater streams that wound around the base of the hill. The streams continuing on to join the White Knife river, which was just visible in the distance; providing a source of fresh drinking water for the towns people. With a keen eye, Sirius could also see the famous hot water springs bubbling up through the ground in a number of public squares which had clearly sprung up around the locations to benefit from their warm during the winters.

Sirius admired the way the town was built, with its sturdy stone structures and tightly packed streets. The advantage it offered in a siege was clear, as any invading army would have to divide its attention between the town and the castle to avoid a counterattack from either side. The town and castle would also not want for warmth or fresh water as any besieging army sat in the cold outside the walls.

Sirius considered that this Brandon fellow who built the town was clearly a dab hand at town planning. Although the thought crossed his mind that it could also have been the daughter of Peverell they had heard about, who was responsible for the robust natural benefits the town called its own. After all, it wouldn't have been too hard for a well-trained witch to form the streams and hot springs that fed the town.

As he approached the town gates, he took in the scattered snow cover and the muddy streets that were an inevitable result of the season. People wearing thick furs bustled about, their breath visible in the cold air as they went about their daily tasks. There was a sense of camaraderie and shared struggle among the townspeople, who faced the harsh northern climate together.

Upon entering the town, Sirius was guided by a stable boy to a small market beside the central square. Tipping him a galleon as they parted seemed to garner an extreme response from the boy. Sirius was pretty sure he'd overpaid. He'd need to figure out the local currency and stop giving people coins from their old world. Thankfully he knew Dobby had some gold dragons and other coins tucked away in his pouch ready for use.