[Ellie's P.O.V]
"He's called Bale. We encountered him when we were wandering, squeezing into a telephone booth. Abi scared him off back then. After you moved, they tried to approach me once, but luck was on my side that time, and nothing happened," I informed Rowling as she still seemed puzzled.
Since she couldn't recall, I reminded her, "We didn't know their names back then, and I spared the part where Hart appeared. It doesn't matter now."
Bale had been knocked unconscious on the way back; he had been incessantly kicking the car door, annoying everyone. Rowling observed him for a while, then chuckled, "It's indeed hard to recognize him after so many years, especially with so few encounters back then."
I raised my eyebrows and shrugged, indicating it was normal.