The Three Broomsticks

[Pepper Imp]

Just some background and more in-depth infomation about The Three Broomsticks since my newest WIP will be mostly set there. Some are questions about the menu and things like that, others will be about staffing and housing.

Oh, and it would be lovely if you could drop by and help me out a little with Madam Rosemerta as well. *offers cookies*

Firstly, do you think that during James and Sirus's seventh year at Hogwarts, Rosemerta owned and ran the pub? If she did, would she have a flat over the pub or another one somewhere else in Hogsmeade?

Exactly how much alcohol do you think is served at The Three Broomsticks? I'm guessing that Firewhiskey and Redcurrant Rum are alcoholic, but what about anything else?

And finally, can you order food there? Like fish and chips, or something?

Thanks all!

-- Cammie!

[cmwinters]

From Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

"Do you know, I still have trouble believing it," said Madam Rosmerta thoughtfully. "Of all the people to go over to the Dark Side, Sirius Black was the last I'd have thought... I mean, I remember him when he was a boy at Hogwarts. If you'd told me then what he was going to become, I'd have said you'd had too much mead."

"You don't know the half of it, Rosmerta," said Fudge gruffly. "The worst he did isn't widely known."

"The worst?" said Madam Rosmerta, her voice alive with curiosity, "Worse than murdering all those poor people, you mean?"

"I certainly do," said Fudge.

"I ca' believe that. What could possibly be worse?" "You say you remember him at Hogwarts, Rosmerta," murmured Professor McGonagall. "Do you remember who his-best friend was?"

"Naturally," said Madam Rosmerta, with a small laugh. "Never saw one without the other, did you? The number of times I had them in here -- ooh, they used to make me laugh. Quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter!"

So yes, it appears that Madam Rosemerta was running The Three Broomsticks at the time.

They also serve Gillywater, I think hard cider, and butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks. I imagine there are also different kinds of ale, and although I haven't heard of Red Currant Rum (which at least sounds tasty!), I'd imagine if they're serving Firewhisky, there are probably some other kinds of hard alcohol.

I'm not entirely sure (this may be a question slightly better suited for the Being British thread), but I think in most pubs in the UK, you can buy some food.

[Pepper Imp]

Thanks so much, CM! That really helped!

I suppose I could have worded my first question a bit better though - I was really asking if she OWNED the pub at that point. I've always thought that she was like, a Deputy Head, and then when the other owner left it was handed to her. Would that be realistic?

-- Cammie!

[AurorKeefy]

I was really asking if she OWNED the pub at that point. I've always thought that she was like, a Deputy Head, and then when the other owner left it was handed to her. Would that be realistic?

I'd assume that the ownership of the Leaky Cauldron, along with most pubs and shops in the wizarding world, would be passed on down through the generations. Before Rosmerta "owned" the pub, her father/mother probably did, and before that her grandparents. Obviously at some points through the ages the business might be sold on to someone else, but in general I would have thought it was kept within families.

As for the exact ownership, we go back to the rather unreasonable life-spans of the wizarding world's inhabitants. Wizards frequently live to well over a hundred (unless you're related to a main character, where life-spans are generally shorter than muggles), and I would have placed Rosmerta in her forties (Young enough for Ron to fancy her, old enough to have left Hogwarts and be serving James and Sirius all those years ago). With that in mind, it's perfectly reasonable to assume that Rosmerta's parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and possibly more, are all still alive. If so, then presumably the oldest member of the family owns the pub.

Or, the pub was not passed down through the generations, and was bought by Rosmerta. Yet for reasons stated above, she must have bought what sounds like the busiest pub in Hogsmeade not long after she left school - where would she get the money for that? Perhaps she joined early, and the previous owner had no children and passed it on to her.

Food for thought anyway, although it is all rather dependent upon the assumption that Ron doesn't fancy women who are old enough to be his grandmother.

As for food, I think it a fairly safe assumption you could buy a limited selection of meals there. It hardly strikes me as a restaurant, but like the Hogs Head, they have a basic selection of things for travelers.

[apollo13]

She could maybe have simply worked there as a barmaid, and brought the pub when the owner died or put it up for sale.

I know someone who done that with a butchers shop - he worked there from when he was fifteen, then the owner died ten years ago and he brought it, because he'd fallen in love with working there. He still owns it now, and it's likely to be passed onto his son.

~Evie

[Pepper Imp]

Thanks so much Keefy and Evie!

One more question, though: Do you think that if Rosemerta was working there, then she would wear a uniform?

/has random questions that are relevant to her storyline, she swears

--Cammie!

[apollo13]

I wouldn't think so. Not in a pub. Even in resturants, uniforms are rarely worn in England.

She might have an apron on, maybe with the three broomsticks logo on, but I wouldn't think she'd wear a uniform.

~Evie

[cmwinters]

I don't see her in a uniform. At most, she might make a habit of wearing a dark skirt or pair of slacks, and a light top or something, but not a standarised uniform.

[Pepper Imp]

Ah, that's fine.

It still tickles me that on the Mugglenet encyclopedia, she's discribed as "(...) favoring silk and turquoise high-heeled shoes. In fact, even her fluffy slippers have high heels."

>.>

Eeep - do you think that (keeping the above fact in mind) she'd wear silk when working?

*doesn't think so, but wants to make this story as realistic as possible*

-- Cammie!

[AurorKeefy]

I daresay that she probably would wear silk at work, since that is first and foremostly the place where she wants to cast a good impression (whatever that might mean to Rosmerta), and also because as far as we are aware, Rosmerta is almost always at work, and when she isn't she's in her dressing gown (which may, or may not, be made out of silk. ). While silk doesn't sound like the most practical thing to wear if you're working in a bar, wizards seem to have enough cleaning spells to make it fairly feasible.