Chapter 178: Dancing by the Lake in the Dead of Night
Midnight at Hogwarts School was long silent; the wall lamps in the Castle corridors burned with a dim, faint light, a thin layer of mist floated on the surface of the Black Lake, and even the sound of the wind in the Forbidden Forest had softened considerably.
Su Yu, having finished dealing with a pile of trivial matters for Slytherin, was taking a walk alone along the stone path by the lake, his hem gently fluttering in the cool night breeze.
Rounding a giant beech tree by the lakeside, a slight, pale-golden figure unexpectedly entered his line of sight.
It was Luna Lovegood.
She hadn't returned to the Ravenclaw tower on time like other students. She was barefoot, stepping on the cool, damp flagstones, her long silver hair draped loosely over her shoulders. She still wore those radish earrings, held a dog-eared copy of "The Quibbler" in her arms, and was gazing into space, whispering softly to the waterweeds floating on the lake, as if chatting with invisible Wrackspurts in the water.
Hearing footsteps, Luna slowly turned her head. Her misty, pale eyes held no trace of shock; instead, they curved into a gentle arc. Her voice was as light as the water vapor rising from the lake: "Su Yu, the lake at midnight hides sprites woven from moonlight. Are you here to keep them company too?"
Su Yu stopped, looking at her—completely undisturbed by the dark night, forever existing outside the mundane world—and his heart inexplicably calmed down.
"I just couldn't sleep, didn't expect to run into you here. Why aren't you back at the tower?"
"The tower is too noisy, full of everyone's thoughts about Quidditch and exams; it drowns out the whispers of night creatures." Luna stood on her bare tiptoes, her skirt swaying gently with the movement. She didn't expose Su Yu's clumsy lie, just as the two shared an unspoken understanding, her laughter caressing the surface of the lake.
"I just heard the wind hum a lovely tune, but it's a pity no one was here to move to the melody with me."
As soon as she finished speaking, a gentle evening breeze passed through the treetops, and unknown night birds in the forest chirped softly. The sound of the wind wove together into a soothing, ethereal melody, devoid of any clamor, naturally becoming a silent dance piece.
Luna looked up at Su Yu, her eyes filled with fine, shattered moonlight. Without a hint of shyness or reserve, she offered an invitation, straightforward and sincere: "Would you like to dance one with me? The moonlight is the stage, the lake water is the accompaniment, no need to follow those stiff rules of the dance party."
Su Yu walked slowly to her, bowed slightly, and gently took her slender, cool hand.
Luna's fingertips carried the faint, clean scent of ink from book pages, and her touch was soft. She didn't know the steps of a formal waltz at all, her movements were impulsive and without structure. She would lightly tap her toes, sometimes placing her small feet directly on Su Yu's leather shoes, yet it was unexpectedly fitting for the ethereal and quiet atmosphere of the lakeside at midnight.
She wouldn't deliberately match the dance steps; sometimes she would spin gently, her long silver hair whipping out a pale silver arc, the radish earrings swaying softly in the air. Sometimes she would release Su Yu's hand, step back twice, and open her arms to chase the evening breeze sweeping across the lake, her pale eyes filled with pure joy. Occasionally, she would stumble half a step, but she would just smile with her eyes curved, not a hint of embarrassment.
Su Yu followed her spontaneous rhythm, slowing his movements to accommodate her light and ethereal pace.
There were no gorgeous gowns, no noisy music, only the hazy moonlight of midnight, the rippling waves, and the breeze in the forest for company.
From time to time, Luna would turn her head to share with Su Yu the strange sights she saw—the silver-scaled water sprites swimming under the lake, the dream butterflies resting on the treetops, the little creatures with transparent wings hiding in the mist. Her words were fragmented and whimsical, yet not in the least bit annoying.
While spinning, the faint scent of dandelions and ink on Luna lingered by Su Yu's side. Her laughter was soft and light, like raindrops falling on the lake, diluting the dullness of being alone in the deep night.
I don't know how long they danced. The sound of the wind in the forest gradually slowed down. Luna panted slightly, stopped spinning, and leaned against Su Yu's side, looking at the calm, waveless Black Lake, her brows and eyes gentle and peaceful.
"This is the most beautiful dance I've ever danced. It seems you really danced a lot at the Christmas party, you're so skilled." Luna gently shook their joined hands, her pale eyes looking at Su Yu. "Next time I can't sleep, can we come here and dance with the wind again?"
Su Yu looked at her—unstained by dust, forever clear—and nodded gently. The evening breeze rolled the moonlight onto their shoulders, and only quiet, gentle warmth remained by the lakeside in the dead of night.
Su Yu didn't ask why Luna didn't attend the Christmas party, and Luna didn't ask if he was dressed so formally tonight because he specifically came looking for her. The two just had this tacit understanding, and that was enough.
Kurama had been playing in the Ravenclaw common room until the new semester started before returning. Su Yu could only write his homework alone with a bitter face.
"Hmph! See if you dare treat me like that next time! Now you know my worth, right?"
On the first day of the new semester, it was another Care of Magical Creatures class with Gryffindor. However, this time, there was no sign of Professor Hagrid.
"The class bell rang five minutes ago. Did none of you hear it? Why are you just arriving now?"
An old Witch with grayish-white hair stood in the snow, accusing Harry and Ron of being late.
"Er, who are you? Where's Hagrid?" Ron stared at her very impolitely.
"You can call me Professor Grubbly-Plank," the old Witch said quite bluntly. "During the days when Professor Hagrid is away, I will be taking over from him to teach you Care of Magical Creatures. Is that clear? Now, return to your class line immediately."
"Then what about Professor Hagrid? Where did he go?" Harry couldn't see the problem at all, and he asked loudly.
"He might be ill?" Clearly, Professor Grubbly-Plank didn't want to answer any more questions about this. "Everyone is here, follow me."
Harry didn't give up. He followed Professor Grubbly-Plank and asked beside her, "What exactly happened to Hagrid!"
"Is this any of your business?" Professor Grubbly-Plank had never seen such a meddlesome student.
"I'm going to mind!" Harry questioned excitedly, "What exactly happened to Hagrid!"
(Don't say I'm writing him out of character, or slandering Harry. Harry did exactly this in the original work.)
Professor Grubbly-Plank simply acted as if she hadn't heard Harry's speech. She led the students past the stables to a large tree at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where a Unicorn was tied.
Many girls present were seeing a Unicorn for the first time, and they couldn't help but open their eyes wide and click their tongues in praise. Only the girls from Slytherin—they were already sick of riding them, so what was the big deal? As for that Unicorn, upon seeing the Slytherin students approaching, it seemed to recall some terrifying event and began to scramble in panic under the tree.
"Boys, stand back a little. It doesn't like males!" Professor Grubbly-Plank thought the Unicorn was so terrified because it didn't like males approaching, so she quickly spoke up.
Chapter 179: Hagrid Exposed
While Professor Grubbly-Plank spoke sternly, she waved her arms and gave Harry a sharp swat. "Back a bit! Girls, come up. Slowly, approach it gently."
"Do you think I'd spoil it?" Young Master Malfoy, showing no respect to anyone, walked straight up to the Unicorn. "Kneel!"
The Unicorn, as if by reflex, immediately knelt on both knees—well, its front two hooves, to be precise—a memory etched into its very bones, as if conditioned.
"???" Professor Grubbly-Plank was somewhat surprised. Aren't these Unicorns usually very proud? Why, are they only proud in front of her?
"Have they forgotten the terror of the Queen of the Forbidden Forest just because I haven't been to the Forbidden Forest for training lately?"
Callis said, using the exclusive title she had given herself, and walked up to the Unicorn. Looking at the trembling creature, she drew her wand.
The Unicorn immediately lowered its head; it would never forget the terrifying Crucio. It stuck out its tongue and licked Callis's shoe, just like a puppy.
"Wait, no? Do you usually go to the Forbidden Forest just to mess with the magical creatures?"
Su Yu felt as if he had discovered something. Wasn't it agreed that Cassandra would take them there for training?
"Well... sometimes when we're tired from training, Cassandra lets us relax. Since we're just idling around, we play with these magical creatures when we're bored." Young Master Malfoy turned his head, wearing a slightly ingratiating expression.
"Does bullying magical creatures count as bullying?" Kurama asked Su Yu from Daphne's arms.
"Oh, I remember now. Initially, it was because the Unicorns didn't like boys, but Malfoy and the others wanted to ride them, so they beat those Unicorns up..." Daphne recalled the initial scene at this moment.
Never mind. Su Yu wasn't asking why they bullied the magical creatures; after all, he had also ordered the slaughter of the Acromantula colony. The law of the jungle—that's how the Forbidden Forest worked. He just wanted to ask if they had been slacking off during their training in the Forbidden Forest.
After class, Harry learned from Hermione that it was The Daily Prophet that had exposed the secret of Professor Hagrid having half-Giant blood.
Actually, although Giants were terrifying, they were almost wiped out by the Aurors and were no longer as scary as before. But the key point was that Hagrid's mother, named Fridwulfa, had been a subordinate of Lord Voldemort.
Giants were already synonymous with being inherently brutal and bloodthirsty. Now that his mother had joined Lord Voldemort and slaughtered Muggles, and there were suspicions that she hadn't died but had escaped to a Giant tribe abroad, Professor Hagrid had become a target of public criticism, with people questioning whether he had inherited the brutality and bloodlust of the Giant race.
The article also explicitly wrote: "A little boy hanging out with the child of a subordinate of the enemy who killed his parents—is there a hidden story here? Does that little boy know the whole truth about this?"
Su Yu couldn't understand this at all when he read it. According to the mindset of people from the Great East, that was an irreconcilable blood feud. You'd be lucky if they didn't scramble your eggs; the idea of me hanging out with the sons of my enemies—how big-hearted could one be?
Ever heard of The Orphan of Zhao? You raise me, and I'll still take you down. Ever heard of modern history divided into two volumes? It's all recorded, and no one escapes. So, Su Yu didn't understand the British mindset. Then again, if they could hold grudges, the Queen would have been gone long ago. Queen Victoria alone wiped out over two hundred million people—much better than the little mustache fellow—and yet, who remembers that? When it's brought up, it's all about how the Queen's grace can never be repaid.
According to Su Yu's thinking, Professor Hagrid was only suitable for being a gamekeeper; he wasn't fit to be a teacher. He simply didn't have the aptitude for teaching.
Many parents of students at Hogwarts School had also written letters of complaint, fearing that Hagrid might eat their children, given his Giant heritage.
After Professor Grubbly-Plank finished her first class, the entire school was discussing this new teacher. They unanimously felt that this new teacher was much better and far more interesting than Hagrid.
In the evening, Hermione greeted Su Yu. Although she also approved of this new teacher, she couldn't help it; Hagrid was her friend, and she was going to visit this old friend with Harry and the others tonight.
Su Yu didn't go; he and Hagrid were just ordinary friends. He had to go to Isolde's place tonight because she had tapped Su Yu three times during class. Those of us who have read Journey to the West know what that means; could Su Yu not know? So, he snuck out in the middle of the night.
In the blink of an eye, it was mid-January, and the second task was getting closer. In the movie, there were clues for the second task, but in reality, Su Yu felt that perhaps because of this strange world, he believed the second task certainly wouldn't follow the original progression.
"Harry said that last night, when he was out wearing his Invisibility Cloak, he happened to see the missing Minister Bartemius Crouch Sr. on the Marauder's Map. Just when he wanted to go see what was going on, he ran into Professor Moody and Professor Snape arguing in the corridor. They were arguing very intensely and almost came to blows. Afterwards, Professor Moody even borrowed Harry's Marauder's Map and said he hoped Harry would become an Auror in the future."
At dinner, Hermione and Ginny recounted the story of what happened to Harry last night to Su Yu, who was eating a cheeseburger. The fact that Professor Moody didn't like Professor Snape was known to the whole school, but no one could have imagined that their relationship had gone beyond mere incompatibility; it was now water and fire, completely irreconcilable.
Su Yu listened quietly as the two girls told the story they had heard from Harry, smiling and shaking his head. He gently patted both girls on the head. This was the shrewdness of Barty; no one could possibly suspect him. Let alone Hermione, even Professor Snape and Headmaster Dumbledore couldn't possibly imagine that he had a problem.
He was disguised too well. His hatred for the Death Eaters who were still at large made him exactly like Professor Moody himself. Even if Professor Moody himself were here, he would definitely get into a fight with Professor Snape and Malfoy and the others.
The next day, in Professor Flitwick's Charms Class, they were learning the Banishing Charm today, which was the exact opposite of the Accio.
In class, Su Yu waved his hand, casually casting the Banishing Charm and Accio on a pillow, signaling to Kurama how bored he was.
"Then let's have a pillow fight! Only Accio and the Banishing Charm are allowed, how about that?"
Su Yu widened his eyes, feeling that this sounded pretty good, but before he could react, a huge pillow came flying towards him.
Chapter 180: The Troublemaker (Part 1)
"Oh! Shit! Who threw Professor Flitwick at me like a pillow?"
In the classroom, pillows were flying everywhere, and the goose feathers inside floated in the air like a snowstorm. Su Yu and the others were having a blast. Malfoy spat out a feather from his mouth and, without a second thought, used Accio to grab Professor Flitwick, who was trying to stop them, and tossed him away like a pillow.
"Oh my god! Professor Flitwick, are you okay?"
Hermione hurried over to help Professor Flitwick up. He was a bit dizzy, shook his head, patted the feathers off his body, and stood up.
"20 points from Slytherin!" Professor Flitwick was rarely this angry. Su Yu, Malfoy, and the others shrank their heads, looked away, and started whistling to feign innocence.
Only Harry and Ron, lacking any sense of the situation, were still recklessly engaged in the pillow fight. The two had moved from magic attacks to physical combat, wrestling with two pillows.
"30 points from Gryffindor! And detention!"
Time flew, and it was the day to visit Hogsmeade Village again.
Su Yu didn't want to go to Hogsmeade Village today; he had planned to go skiing with a few girls. However, Kurama didn't want to go skiing—it still wanted to go to Hogsmeade Village to eat delicious food. So, Su Yu asked Malfoy and the others to take Kurama there to feed it.
Su Yu took Cassandra, Farley, Daphne, Ginny, and Hermione to a high mountain near the Forbidden Forest. This place was not affected by the anti-Apparition wards of Hogwarts, so they could cast spells to reach the top freely and then dive down quickly to experience the joy of skiing.
"Wow, wow, wow! Su Yu, come chase me!"
Hermione, on skis, leaned low and slid down the mountain rapidly, leaving Su Yu far behind.
"Slow down, you just learned to walk and now you're running. Be careful not to fall." Su Yu followed leisurely. Seeing Hermione about to fly off the course due to excessive speed, he used Apparition to appear right in front of her, drifted sideways, and steadily caught the reckless girl, giving her a flick on the forehead in the process.
"I told you to slow down, but you acted like you didn't hear me."
"Wuwuwu," Hermione covered her head, muttering, "I didn't! I meant that I couldn't control myself, come catch me and save me!"
While Su Yu and Hermione were horsing around below, Cassandra and Farley above had put on their protective gear and were snowboarding down the slope. Cassandra slid onto a gentle slope and performed a 360-degree turn in mid-air. Her heroic and spirited movements made Hermione and Ginny envious.
"Su Yu! Catch me, I've lost control too!" Just after putting Hermione down, Daphne, not far away, couldn't control her snowboard and was rushing straight down. Su Yu used Apparition again and caught Daphne in his arms.
"Oh, thank you. A reward for you, mua!"
Su Yu helplessly kissed her back. He was becoming like a rescue dog, helping wherever there was trouble.
He turned back, picked up the three girls, and transported them to the top of the mountain again, urging them to take it slow this time, not to rush down, and to adjust their speed gradually.
At noon, the group came to the Black Lake, drilled a small hole in the ice, lowered a fishing rod, and ate freshly roasted meat skewers while fishing.
"Su Yu, try this, I just roasted it!" Ginny took a skewer of freshly roasted corn kernels and stuffed it into the mouth of Su Yu, who was still fishing.
"Hmm, it's delicious! It's just a bit hard..." Su Yu chewed the corn, wondering to himself, who brought dried corn kernels? Can you even roast these? But he still praised Ginny's skills, saying it was delicious, while the corn crunched in his mouth.
On the other side, Malfoy walked down the path of Hogsmeade Village with his hands in his pockets, looking roguish and stylish. His two cronies followed on either side, looking just like bodyguards. Pansy held Kurama behind Malfoy. All four were wearing black jackets, and Pansy even equipped Kurama with black sunglasses.
"Pansy, what is that!" Kurama stuck its head out and pointed its little claw at a new device not far away.
"That? That's a popcorn machine."
"What is popcorn?"
"Have you never eaten it?" Pansy asked the little one in her arms.
"No, Malfoy, shall we go try it?"
Hearing Kurama's words, Malfoy domineeringly led the group to the popcorn machine.
"Boss, boss! Where is the boss!"
"Is the boss not here?" Kurama jumped onto the counter where the popcorn machine was, picked up a piece of popcorn, tasted it, and its eyes widened.
"This is so delicious! Come and try it, Pansy!"
Just then, the boss walked over; he had just gone to the restroom.
"If it's delicious, buy it. We're not short on money!" Malfoy took a handful of Galleons from his storage ring. "Boss, how much for this stall? I'll buy it all!"
"Oh, isn't this Master Malfoy? Welcome, welcome. That's too much, you don't need that much." The boss looked at the Galleons before him, his smiling face crinkling like a chrysanthemum. He took fifty Galleons from the pile.
"Small business, doesn't need that much. This is enough. Master Malfoy, enjoy yourselves. I'm leaving, I'm leaving, the stall is yours." Saying this, the boss took the Galleons, left behind a pile of raw materials and the popcorn machine, and hurried home. What a profitable deal! He had just opened and sold out; today was truly a lucky day!
"Hey, that's not right. We didn't ask how to use this!"
Pansy looked at the boss who had already disappeared, then looked at the pile of raw materials in front of her, and glared at Malfoy. This silly man, let him pop it himself!
Malfoy finally realized it too. He and his cronies stared at the popcorn machine in front of them with wide eyes. Under Kurama's expectant gaze, the group crouched on the ground and began to study it.
"Su Yu, it's almost evening, why haven't you caught a single fish?"
By the Black Lake, Ginny and Hermione sat beside Su Yu, looking at the empty fish basket. The two of them, shivering from the cold, spoke up.
"Don't be impatient, it will definitely catch something!" Su Yu hugged them closer, stubbornly insisting. This damn fish, is it just trying to spite me? Su Yu planned that if he didn't catch anything in a while, he would go down to catch the fish himself.
Cassandra and the others had left long ago; they didn't want to accompany Su Yu watching the fishing rod in this cold wind. It was obvious he couldn't catch anything at all.
"Wait, I have a way to make the fish bite immediately!" Su Yu slapped his forehead. How could he have forgotten about new energy!
"Wow, Su Yu, what method?" Ginny, whose nose was almost running from the cold, heard Su Yu had a good method and quickly chimed in.
Chapter 181: The Troublemakers (Part 2)
Hermione didn't understand, but she snuggled in Su Yu's arms reading a book. Reading anywhere was fine, but reading in Su Yu's arms had more atmosphere, though it was a bit cold.
Su Yu let the two girls go, then reached his hands into the hole in the ice. He instantly activated his Chakra, "Lightning Release! Lightning Blade!"
In an instant, a large area of water began to boil, and a massive amount of ice started to shatter. Su Yu picked up the two girls and immediately jumped backward.
After Su Yu set the two girls down and they stood steady, they looked at the stretch of water before them, dumbfounded. A large number of trout, carp, and bass were floating belly-up on the surface, mixed in with some Plimpies and Grindylows. Even a few Scotland Merpeople were floating on the surface, belly-up and spitting white foam.
"Su Yu, you've really caused trouble this time. You've brought all the Merpeople up." Hermione looked at the scene in front of her, stunned, and mumbled.
Su Yu hurriedly picked up a landing net and started scooping up the trout, carp, and bass on the lake surface. "Who told them to stop me from catching any fish? Serves them right! Also, what are you two still staring for? Hurry up and scoop them up so we can run, hahaha."
Amidst Su Yu's hearty laughter, the three of them scooped up a large bucket of freshwater fish and hurriedly ran back to Hogwarts School. By the time the Scotland Merperson chieftain floated to the surface, cursing and wanting to demand an explanation for his people, the group had already vanished without a trace.
"Pass down my order! From now on, if you see those people coming to fish, remember to treat them like grandfathers! If they can't catch fish, hang the fish up for them yourself! Whoever lacks the sense to do that will be relegated to guarding the outer gates! If we can't afford to offend them, can't we at least hide from them? A bunch of idiots! Do you only feel comfortable after getting shocked?"
When the three of them returned to Hogwarts School carrying a large bucket of fish, they found Daphne and the others eating dinner elegantly in the Great Hall.
"Come and see! I told you I couldn't fail to catch anything! Let me open your eyes today; the title of 'Fishing Emperor' isn't just for show."
Saying that, Su Yu dumped the fish from the bucket onto the floor with a splash.
"Slytherin, five points deducted! And, Student Su-Fley, clean up the mess you made later."
Professor McGonagall drank her pumpkin juice without even raising her head. She had become numb to Su Yu; he was just too good at causing trouble. Out of sight, out of mind—as long as he cleaned it up himself later, it was fine.
Daphne and the others looked at the pile of fish on the floor that wasn't even moving, and cast a suspicious glance at Su Yu.
"Darling, can you explain? Did you just catch these? Why do I feel like they've been dead for a while..."
Cassandra fed Su Yu a bite of the sandwich in her hand and asked in his ear, "You didn't go and buy these, did you?"
"Nonsense! Hermione and Ginny can testify for me!" Su Yu chewed the sandwich in his mouth and defended himself, "Would I be that shameless?"
The girls nodded in unison.
"Death was just an accident!" Su Yu was still trying to defend himself.
"Right, they were just stunned by electricity, not dead..." Ginny nodded like a chick pecking at rice, accidentally blurting out the truth.
"You were electrocuting fish in the Black Lake!" Daphne covered her small mouth in surprise. "Is the Merperson tribe in there okay? I truly mourn for them."
As expected of the same family, Daphne and the others immediately guessed that with Su Yu's personality, he would definitely forget about that and accidentally use too much power.
"Just received a protest from the Merperson tribe. Slytherin, 20 points deducted!"
Professor Snape walked in from outside the Great Hall, glanced back at Su Yu, and strode to his seat in his robes, sitting down.
"Very good, no need to say anything else. I can already imagine the scene..." Daphne poked this blunderer with her finger and sighed.
"Oh, we didn't go to Hogsmeade Village today. Just heard from students who came back that Hogsmeade Village was flooded with popcorn today. Don't know what happened."
Farley held a cup of pumpkin juice in one hand, took a sip with her bright red lips, and spoke.
"Flooded with popcorn? What the hell?" Su Yu couldn't even imagine the scene. He felt these words made his brain feel intellectually barren.
"That's right. Popcorn was raining from the sky, and there was a flood of popcorn on the ground. Those unlucky ones who came back are still digging popcorn out of their clothes."
"Wow, that must be beautiful! How romantic, isn't it? Is someone using popcorn to propose?"
Ginny hugged Farley's arm, kissing her with a look of longing.
"I don't know about romantic, but the students coming back were cursing, that's for sure. I saw it with my own eyes."
Just at this moment, the doors of the Great Hall were pushed open again.
"Surprise! We're back!"
Kurama shouted and jumped in, covered in popcorn crumbs on her head and tail. Just as she was about to jump into Su Yu's arms, Su Yu froze her in place, patted all the popcorn off her, and then picked her up. However, ever since Su Yu saw Kurama enter, he felt a palpitation in his heart, as if something very bad was about to happen.
Then, amidst the shocked gazes of all the students and staff, four panting students walked in one after another from outside.
Each of them was dragging a large bag behind them. How big was the bag? It was about the size of a shipping container, blocking the doors of the Hogwarts School Great Hall.
"Blaise, Theodore... save me quickly... I really have no strength left..."
Malfoy felt like his lungs were about to burst. This was too heavy. Pansy was almost rolling her eyes from exhaustion, lying on the ground panting heavily. Only Goyle and Crabbe were doing better, but they were also gasping for breath.
Alright, Su Yu's hanging heart finally dropped. The popcorn incident today—no need to think about it—must have been done by them.
"Su Yu, I'm treating the whole school to popcorn, okay?"
Kurama blinked her eyes in Su Yu's arms, hoping to muddle through by acting cute.
"You two troublemakers, we were gone for just a moment, and you two have caused bigger and bigger trouble. Hurry up and tell me, what on earth is going on?"
Daphne took Kurama from Su Yu's arms and questioned her.
Kurama insisted that she was innocent!
"It's all Malfoy and the other two's fault! Pansy and I were just watching from the side!"
"Get to the point!"
"Wuwuwu, don't hit my head. It's just that Malfoy and the others didn't know how to operate that popcorn machine at all. They stuffed all the grain and seasonings in, but obviously, the popcorn machine didn't have that much capacity. They even used Ancient Magic to protect the popcorn machine to keep it running. Obviously, then the popcorn machine exploded. It was flying everywhere! The surging popcorn washed me away. I'll never eat popcorn again! Can you imagine the feeling of being flooded by popcorn and almost dying?"
Chapter 182: The Second Task Begins Soon
Two more rules were added to the Hogwarts School handbook: fishing with electricity in the Black Lake is prohibited, and popping popcorn privately in Hogsmeade Village is also forbidden.
As the culprits, Su Yu and Kurama had 50 points deducted from Slytherin in a single day, but the students of Slytherin didn't care at all. Fifty points? You have to have points to deduct them! Anyway, it's impossible to have negative points; it's always been zero, hasn't it? It doesn't matter, if you have the ability, deduct a thousand points from me?
Time slowly passed, and January slipped silently into February. The chill had not completely faded, but it had quietly hidden the bitterness of deep winter. Subtle changes spread across the entire campus bit by bit: beneath the frozen soil along the Castle walls, snowdrops broke through the residual snow, adorning themselves with clusters of drooping white flowers; the hazel tree branches sprouted golden catkins, swaying gently when the wind blew.
The ice on the Black Lake slowly melted away for the most part, leaving only a thin layer of broken ice in the center of the lake. Small fish with silver scales swam in schools under the water again, and the giant squid occasionally surfaced to the cool water to breathe.
The daylight hours noticeably lengthened, and the afternoon sun was no longer pale and biting. The falling snow turned into a gentle, cold rain, and the morning frost faded significantly. The wind had less of the face-cutting ice shards and more of the moist scent of soil and plants.
Young Master Malfoy was still tirelessly mocking that group every morning, but they kept enduring it and did not fall for Malfoy's trap.
Su Yu was making a sandwich for himself on the long table in the Great Hall. First, he took out two slices of bread, cut off the crusts, fed them to Kurama, then added eggs, luncheon meat, vegetables, and spread on some sauce. Perfect.
Kurama:??? Why do I only get to eat the crusts?
At this moment, Headmaster Dumbledore, draped in purple robes, walked into the Great Hall. He crinkled his bright blue eyes, signaled for the students to quiet down, and then spoke gently.
"Everyone, I have an important matter to remind you all of. The second task of the Eight-Wizard Tournament is scheduled for February 24th. It is almost here and will be held on time right here in the Great Hall of Hogwarts Castle."
"The champions from each house will receive their tasks at that time. The competition will last for two hours. This challenge does not carry too much danger, so please rest assured. I hope all champions will make full preparations in advance."
"On the day of the event, the Great Hall will be open to all students, faculty, and visiting guests to witness this trial together. Furthermore, the judges this time will also give everyone a surprise. Let us wait and see."
He paused slightly, a faint, gentle smile appearing at the corners of his lips, his gaze falling upon the many champions seated there.
"I wish you all the best."
— — — — — — — — — —
"What do you think the content of the second task of the Eight-Wizard Tournament will be?"
In the evening, in the Slytherin Common Room, Hermione was drinking coffee made from beans Callis had brought from Ethiopia, asking the others.
"Who knows? What could they compete in in the Great Hall? Writing homework?"
Ginny was very confused. The Great Hall wasn't that big, could they really spread out?
"It's probably specifically targeting the Chief. After all, if it's in the Great Hall, Kurama won't be able to use many of its moves."
Theodore pushed up his glasses and analyzed it with feigned seriousness.
Kurama wasn't happy when it heard this. "Who says so! This lady here can compress Chakra into the size of a baseball!"
"And then what? Blow up the whole school?"
Su Yu was lying on Daphne's lap, eating the pork jerky made with the Whisk today. So delicious!
He didn't participate in their conversation. Anyway, Headmaster Dumbledore said there was no danger, so what was there to fear? As long as it wasn't taking a test, why bother racking his brain?
"Then what did Headmaster Dumbledore mean when he said we should be prepared?"
Young Master Malfoy scratched his head. As expected, the Riddler should just get out of Gotham.
"It means to prepare your mindset..." Astoria sometimes really felt that Malfoy was stupidly cute...
"If only the competition was about eating..." Goyle and Crabbe whispered to each other, patting their stomachs. They were a bit hungry and wanted to eat some of the Chief's pork jerky. Then, the two tall, burly men snuck toward Su Yu.
"Ginny, we should go back. It's almost 10 o'clock."
Hermione stood up, straightened her skirt, and took Ginny and Kurama out of the Slytherin Common Room. Kurama had been clamoring to play with Crookshanks tonight, but since Hermione hadn't brought it, it simply decided to sleep with Hermione tonight, and it could also tease Crookshanks.
"So, shall we go back to sleep too?"
Su Yu revealed an evil smile, put his arms around Callis and Farley, and walked toward the dormitory.
"I bought you new clothes, really, they look very good!"
The night passed without incident, XX.
Time passed really quickly; there was only one week left until the second task.
"Honey, have you seen my stockings?"
Early in the morning, while Su Yu was still washing up in the bathroom, he heard Callis shouting outside.
"Wuwu, no, ptooey, splash, I remember throwing them on the bench at the end of the bed last night, didn't I?"
"Did you tear them again? Those were Balenciaga, you know, they're very expensive!"
Today was another Care of Magical Creatures class with Gryffindor.
In class, Su Yu looked at Harry, who looked like he had a burning spike growing out of his butt, and asked Hermione beside him.
"Hermione, why does Harry look so nervous? He's not trying to take a dump, is he?"
Hermione rolled her eyes at Su Yu. "Can you not always be so disgusting? Isn't he always like that? Every time a competition or exam approaches, he gets exceptionally nervous, like a monkey, unable to sit still."
"Then why is Ron so nervous too? He's not participating."
"I don't know about that, maybe he's been influenced by Harry?"
During this period, after being persuaded by Harry and Headmaster Dumbledore, Hagrid had successfully returned to the classroom and started teaching students again. However, most students still thought Professor Grubbly-Plank taught more interestingly.
Pansy held two newborn Unicorn cubs in her arms, her face flushed. "Look, Draco, look, aren't they cute?"
"If you like them, just buy them." Malfoy was playing with stones on the ground with Goyle and didn't notice what was in Pansy's arms. He thought Pansy had taken a fancy to some good thing again, so he casually raised his storage ring containing money a little, signaling for Pansy to take his ring and go pay for it herself.
"Malfoy, what did you do again? Is it trendy now to go out with two big bumps on your head? I just saw Theodore had one too, but he only had one. You're more fashionable; as expected of the young master of the Malfoy family, you always have to have more than everyone else."
Blaise came over to eat with Malfoy and the others at noon, mocking Draco.
Chapter 183: Sirius
(Dear friends, when you see this, I am currently typing in the hospital. I flew off my bike while delivering food last night. I really didn't see that puddle, and by the time I came to, I was already lying on the ground. I'm at the hospital now getting an X-ray to see if anything is broken. It's nothing serious, just a swollen left ankle. I'm lucky to be alive.)
"Oh my god, Harry, what's wrong with you? Did you not sleep well last night?"
It was early morning on February 24th, and Hermione was dressed up today, wearing a pink dress with lace trim, her hair tied back, looking lovely as she walked on tiptoes with Ginny toward the Great Hall for breakfast.
However, just as the two of them stepped out of the girls' dormitory corridor, they saw Harry with panda eyes.
"Don't even ask, Hermione. I had nightmares all night long. I dreamed that Malfoy threw a whole cartload of dung bombs at me, and I couldn't beat him, nor could I escape..."
"Uh... Su Yu said that the person you dream about at night is the person you like the most in your heart. I think it's quite accurate, Harry, because I always dream about Su Yu. But you should also be mindful of the impact; he already has two girlfriends..."
Ginny teased Harry with a smile.
Su Yu also got up quite early today, but by the time he finished getting ready and arrived at the Great Hall, he found that the students from the other schools had already arrived.
"I shouldn't have woken up so early if I'd known. They're going to wait for me anyway, so what's the difference between being a little late or a little early?"
"Have some decency, will you? Have they finished eating? Why is the table cleaned up so neatly? I haven't eaten yet! I haven't eaten yet..." Kurama, held in Su Yu's arms, looked at the increasingly strange Great Hall, then jumped out with a whoosh, wailing heart-wrenchingly as if food were its very essence.
"Cake... Cake! Cake!!!... How can I live without you... I can't live without you..."
"Alright, Kurama, everyone hasn't eaten yet, it's not just you."
Headmaster Dumbledore on the stage couldn't bear to watch any longer and spoke up to remind Kurama, telling her to stop making a fool of herself.
Then, he gently twirled his beard with his fingertips and looked at everyone with a soft gaze.
"Alright, everyone be quiet. I know you are all very much looking forward to today's competition content, so I will now announce that the second round of the Eight-Wizard Tournament, the Gourmet Kitchen, has officially begun!"
Noisy applause erupted from the audience. Everyone was full of doubts about today's Gourmet Kitchen—what exactly were they going to do?
Only Goyle and Crabbe in the corner hugged each other excitedly, "Is it all-you-can-eat?!"
"Alright, let me explain," Headmaster Dumbledore pressed his hand down, signaling everyone present to be quiet, "As the name suggests, today's competition is simply about cooking! The 114 students from the eight schools present will have to cook for all 1,000+ students and all the Professors and the Principal! Today's competition is divided into two parts, each lasting one hour, for a total of two hours. It is divided into breakfast and lunch. Warriors, are you ready? We are about to begin the first round!"
"So it's cooking... I thought it was eating..."
Callis heard this bad news in the audience and shivered. She had no idea how to cook; she was more likely to blow up the kitchen.
"Heh, what kind of gourmet food does Britain have? Gourmet Kitchen? Fish and chips and stargazy pie?"
Su Yu also frowned. How could the first round be so different from the second? Oh, wait, you say the first round was also quite comfortable for Su Yu? Never mind then, Su Yu wouldn't say anything more. It was all very simple anyway, wasn't it?
The saddest ones were Goyle and Crabbe. If others were wailing because they didn't know how to cook, they were crying because they had nothing to eat. Wasn't it supposed to be about eating? How did they become chefs?
Students from other schools were also discussing it frantically. The students from Mahoutokoro School of Magic were secretly happy. A cooking competition? Does their Great Empire not have plenty of that? Although the mainstream culinary world doesn't recognize Japanese food, they recognize it themselves, and they always feel good about themselves.
Fleur was also a bit surprised, her small willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed. Although French cuisine is excellent, she didn't know how to cook either. What should she do? She didn't know if anyone in her team knew how to cook.
Krum from Durmstrang Institute was a bit confused. As someone who hugged frozen fish and gnawed on it every day, he didn't know how to cook either. Are you sure this isn't making things difficult for Northern Europeans?
Students from every school had different expressions, some happy, some wailing, it was chaotic, like a vegetable market.
"Everyone, please be quiet. I will now introduce the special guest judges for this competition," Headmaster Dumbledore tapped the table on the stage and deliberately raised his volume.
"Let us welcome the two judges for this event: Sirius Black and our Professor, Professor Snape!"
Harry's dark circles flashed for a moment, and he applauded vigorously below. That was his godfather! His godfather had actually come to be a judge! It was truly incredible.
Black was wearing a British-style plaid suit today, paired with his flowing long hair. The moment he stepped onto the stage, he attracted a group of little fangirls, and there were gasps of surprise everywhere.
Professor Snape was still in his usual state, as if shampoo was produced in the Potter household; he never used it, and he didn't even use a cleaning spell, and one couldn't help but wonder if he was reluctant to part with his greasy hair.
"Hello, dear students. This time, it's me and Snape, heh, ptooey! Sorry, a hair got stuck in my mouth, judging for all you warriors. Alright, no need to applaud, shall we start right away?" Sirius was performing to his heart's content on stage, not forgetting to spit at Professor Snape.
"Now let's introduce the rules, shall we? First, each school must select a captain. They cannot cook; they can only oversee the overall situation. Then, the remaining members will be responsible for today's gourmet food for all the teachers and students of the school. Of course, we will give everyone a menu, and everyone can just order according to it. The warriors will also start cooking according to the dishes ordered. The final score will be based on a comprehensive evaluation of speed, quantity, and satisfaction to determine the winner! Now, please welcome Snape, heh, ptooey! Why does this hair always stick to my mouth? Oh, there's no need for him to speak, is there?"
"Judge Black, may I interpret your series of behaviors just now as dissatisfaction with me?" Professor Snape flicked his hair and glared at Sirius as he spoke.
"Haha, how could that be, Snape? You're just too sensitive, aren't you? How could I be dissatisfied with someone like you who has hair where you need hair and brains where you need brains, right?"
Chapter 184: The Second Round, Begin!
"Oh, two judges, er... Professors?" Hermione was a bit bewildered. How could these two judges start bickering in the middle of speaking? "I think it would be better if we focused on the matter at hand, don't you?"
"Miss Granger, who gave you permission to speak out of turn?" Professor Snape darkened, shooting a disgruntled look back at Hermione. "Ten points from Gryffindor!"
"Hey, Snape, this is a competition, not your classroom," Black said, mocking Snape. "If you want to throw your weight around as a Professor, please step out, turn left, and head to the dungeons, would you? I happen to think Miss Granger's courage is commendable. So, Professor McGonagall, how about adding 20 points to Gryffindor?"
"Alright, you two, let's continue with the competition, shall we?" Finally, at Headmaster Dumbledore's suggestion, the two exchanged a scoff, and the competition resumed.
Led by Professor Snape, all the champions headed underground. Upon arriving near the Hufflepuff common room, Professor Snape opened the painting of the fruit bowl in the corridor and stepped inside first.
There were no House-elves in the kitchen today; they were nowhere to be found, and no one knew where they had gone. Su Yu touched the spotless stove, his head aching as he wondered what to do. As the team captain, he couldn't cook; he could only supervise and assign tasks. That left only one person in the entire team who could cook: Daphne. The others would be doing a service just by not causing trouble. Sigh, he saw no hope of winning this competition.
Under Professor Snape's direction, the students from each school stood by their respective stoves. Each school had to prepare at least 150 breakfasts. However, fearing they would be overwhelmed, Headmaster Dumbledore and the other headmasters had consulted and decided on a very simple menu.
Back in the Great Hall, a huge light screen projected the scene, allowing everyone to see everyone in the kitchen. Sirius Black was providing commentary, while all the students sat at the long tables waiting for their meal.
Professor Snape waved his wand, and the menus grew wings, flying one by one into the hands of the champions.
There were only two set meals on the paper. Set A was fried egg whites with turkey bacon, a little roasted potato, and a slice of toast. Set B was even simpler: scrambled eggs, bacon, fried sausages, and French toast.
Honestly, it was so simple that anyone with hands could do it; it wasn't much harder than making instant noodles. Su Yu looked at the two menus and let out a sigh of relief. With it being this simple, there shouldn't be any problems, right?
"Oh, I forgot to mention, there's also an appetizer salad. They need to be served to the tables first. There are only three types of fruit: pineapple, strawberry, and cantaloupe. Alright, now, the competition officially begins!"
As Professor Snape's wand sent a firework into the air, the second round of the Eight-Wizard Tournament officially began.
Sirius Black was commentating passionately above. The Mahoutokoro School of Magic was acting very quickly; they had already started washing the fruit and were about to begin cutting. Meanwhile, Beauxbatons Academy was also well-organized, with several girls waving their wands as pineapples jumped into the water one by one, starting to freestyle swim!
Koldovstoretz School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Russia) was a bit rough; they didn't intend to wash the fruit at all and just started cutting. Oh, good heavens, what are those from Durmstrang Institute doing? Cutting pineapples without peeling them? Do they eat them like that all the time?
Oh, never mind. Let's look at Yu-Su-Fley. He is still assigning tasks and doesn't seem to be in such a hurry. Alright, they have finished assigning tasks, but I notice that the expression on Yu-Su-Fley's face isn't that relaxed. What exactly is he worried about?
The first to complete the appetizer salad is Uagadou! Let's congratulate them. After all, they eat these fruits often, so I suspect that is the main reason they were able to finish so quickly! Congratulations to them!
One after another, the champions from the various schools served the prepared appetizer salads and used magic to transport them to the students' long tables. Meanwhile, Su Yu was about to explode with frustration.
"Fred, George! There are only three types of fruit! So where are my pineapples??? Damn it!"
The Weasley Twins quickly apologized, saying they had forgotten to put in the pineapples...
There were only three types, and they still managed to leave one out. Su Yu felt his blood pressure hitting the roof.
Over at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (United States), ten pans were scrambling eggs at the same time; the wands were almost smoking from the speed. In fact, for these two sets, only the eggs needed frying. Things like bacon, sausages, and toast could just be shoved into the oven. It was hard to mess that up, which is why the other schools finished so quickly.
But Hogwarts School was the only one where a bunch of people were as anxious as ants on a hot pan.
"Come on, isn't it just frying an egg?? How can you be this busy?"
Su Yu looked with a headache at Callis, who had nearly poked Blaise in the eye with her wand, and helplessly slapped his forehead.
Daphne and the others were doing a bit better, just a bit slow. Young Master Malfoy had already burnt the fried egg whites, leaving a blackened mess on the bottom. Not wanting to redo it, his clever brain turned, and he placed the burnt side down, attempting to pull a fast one, only to be ruthlessly exposed by the judge, Professor Snape.
"You're feeding burnt food to the headmasters of the various schools? Malfoy? Aren't you afraid that Merlin's portrait will come out tonight and slash you in two?"
Professor Snape looked down at the mortified Malfoy and spoke slowly.
After Harry, Cedric, and the others put the bacon into the oven, they were so engrossed in watching the others scramble about that when Cho Chang and Olivia opened the oven, the world collapsed. Looking at the Black, stick-like "nori" on the baking tray, their hearts felt truly icy cold.
"Are you making RAM sticks? Harry, are you planning to become a scalper?"
Su Yu held the Black, rock-hard bacon in his hand and questioned Harry, Cedric, and the others.
The students at the tables waiting for the food prepared by Hogwarts School were so hungry they were nearly rioting. Why had the other students almost finished eating while theirs hadn't arrived yet? They were tapping their plates with their forks, unable to understand why such a simple set meal could be so slow.
What is it, did you run out of eggs and have to go chase after a hen?
Seeing their Young Master Malfoy sweating profusely and waving his wand wildly in a state of madness, Goyle and Crabbe hurriedly joined in to help their young master. As a result, the three of them made a whole pot full of fried egg whites but forgot to add seasoning...
Over on Blaise's side, while frying toast in the pan, he nearly burnt the stove down. He had placed his towel too close to the heat source, and with a whoosh, it ignited, with flames shooting up high.
Chapter 185: The Second Match
Kurama stuffed her head into the fridge. She really couldn't bear to look at the chaotic crowd. It was just cooking a meal, but anyone who didn't know better would think they were trying to blow up the kitchen.
The first match ended in such a simple yet thrilling way. After all, it wasn't that difficult, and with Daphne there to back them up, even if Hogwarts School was the last to deliver their food, and even if it tasted a bit bad, they still completed it, didn't they?
For Malfoy and the others who finished cooking, it really felt more exhausting than fighting Lord Voldemort. They all lay on the floor, unwilling to get up. Su Yu's throat was hoarse from shouting, and Kurama, starving, was happily munching on the failed food they had made, eating with great relish.
"I think we need to change our strategy," Cassandra said slowly, taking a sip of coffee and leaning back on the sofa in the Slytherin Common Room.
"Changing it to anything is useless. Cooking just isn't our forte..."
Young Master Malfoy spread his hands, indicating that they had really done their best. As the grand young master of the Malfoy family, he really didn't know how to cook, okay? He had done the most work and received the harshest scolding this morning. Was it easy for him?
"Don't give up! I believe you guys are definitely the best!"
Hermione and Ginny were cheering them on from the side. Watching from the long table today, Hermione had been so anxious that she wished she could go down and cook for them herself. Of course, even if the two of them went down together, the result would have been the same; neither of them knew how to cook either.
"It's fine. Don't we have another round at noon? We already have experience from this morning's round, so noon will definitely be more perfect."
What could Daphne say? That they were too heavy to carry? She would never say such things. She would only cheer everyone on. It was a competition, after all, and winning or losing a round was normal. Just like how even the most perfect person has things they aren't good at.
Time flew by, and lunchtime was about to arrive. This time, there was no set menu for lunch, but rather a thick menu book. Obviously, the difficulty of the competition had escalated. It contained various dishes from different countries. Students who wanted to eat could order themselves, and the orders would be randomly assigned to the champions of each school in the kitchen.
"Hi, welcome everyone to the second stage of the second Eight-Wizard Tournament match! This is also the final stage of the second match for all the champions. Let's welcome them with a warm round of applause!"
Sirius Black was still commentating passionately on the high platform, rallying the enthusiasm of all the students.
Malfoy took deep breaths in front of the stove, muttering to himself that he was the best chef!
To prove his strength to everyone, Young Master Malfoy immediately put on a performance of taming Death Scallops, searing two panfuls in a row!
"Hmm, Malfoy, great progress," Professor Snape said, tasting the scallops seared by Young Master Malfoy and giving them a high evaluation. "May I ask, Malfoy, which student ordered this?"
"Uh, I made this... uh... ha! This is the prep food I made!" Malfoy's brain almost short-circuited. "I did this to prevent a situation where a student might order it later, fearing I wouldn't be able to keep up, so I made it in advance!"
"No one even ordered it, so what the hell are you searing them for..." Su Yu felt that Professor Snape's blood pressure was also quite high. At this moment, it was obvious that his hair looked even greasier from anger...
"But do you not know that seared scallops must be eaten freshly made, not pre-prepared?" Professor Snape spoke to Malfoy in as gentle a tone as possible.
Nearby, Olivia had already started on her first dish. The student had ordered a plate of pasta, but Olivia couldn't gauge the seasoning, so she asked Callis beside her to taste it for saltiness.
However, Callis tasted it several times and felt it was too bland, constantly telling Olivia to add salt. Olivia was honest enough to listen to Callis. Good grief, the two of them acted like salt merchants, pouring salt in as if it were free. In the end, the kid who ordered the pasta ended up eating a plate of salt-fried sodium chloride, crying out to beat the salt seller to death.
"But I clearly tasted it and it was just right..." Callis muttered, feeling quite aggrieved herself.
"Exactly. Tell me which student it is, and I'll stuff him in a sack later. How dare he give a bad review?" Blaise chimed in from the side.
Young Master Malfoy had already started getting into the zone. He was searing the salmon meat in front of him. His customer had ordered pan-seared salmon, but Young Master Malfoy felt that it wouldn't taste good at all, so he changed it to a stew for that student and added a bunch of barbecue seasoning.
"Believe it or not, with my secret recipe, the deliciousness will absolutely blow his mind!" Malfoy confidently held his wand and even tossed the pan, prompting the two 'geniuses' beside him to cheer for the young master's brilliant performance!
"So, this is the pan-seared salmon the customer wanted?" Su Yu asked Malfoy, looking at the watery, sloppy plate of unidentified mush in front of him.
"Oh my god, redo it! Malfoy!"
Harry and the Weasley Twins were making a Beef Wellington. The customer had clearly requested it medium-rare. Fred was full of confidence—wasn't medium-rare just a piece of cake? He could do it with ease!
"You will absolutely never see raw meat on my watch, don't worry, Su Yu!"
"Right, the two of us brothers are absolutely reliable! Oh, I forgot, there's also Harry, he's very reliable too."
"I think none of you are reliable..."
Su Yu felt a bit exhausted. Professor Snape had completely given up on them, so all the quality control had to be done by Su Yu alone.
When the Weasley Twins brought the Beef Wellington to Su Yu and sliced it open, Su Yu looked at the steak inside, which was still oozing blood, and fell completely silent. Just let the world end already.
"It's indeed not raw meat. This is fucking living flesh..."
Su Yu laughed out of sheer anger.
"Merlin's beard, did you forget to sear the steak?" Harry shouted at Fred.
"I thought George had already seared it! George, you idiot, is this the steak you seared?"
"I thought you had already seared it! How can you blame me for this?"
As they spoke, Fred and George started scuffling with each other again.
"Mr. Sean Foley, could you tell me... in theory, your side has the most failed dishes among all the houses, so your trash can should be the fullest. But why am I seeing a brand new, clean trash can?"
Professor Snape ultimately couldn't rest easy leaving these troublemakers alone and walked over. But after inspecting the area, he noticed something strange: the slop bucket on the Hogwarts School champions' side was always clean, as if it had just been replaced.
Not only was Professor Snape confused, but Su Yu was even more bewildered than him. He didn't know either! He felt that Professor Snape was right—where on earth did all this kitchen waste go? Did someone replace it with a new trash bag? Were they being that kind-hearted?
Chapter 186: Final Rankings
Behind the scenes of the Hogwarts School competition, Kurama was hiding quietly behind a trash can, its little eyes darting around, as if waiting for someone fated to appear.
Harry was carrying two plates of fish that were cooked on the outside but still raw on the inside, preparing to dump them into the waste bin; such things could not be served to students, as after all, the students of Hogwarts School were human, and there was a grading system for food quality control, so discarded food was often dumped directly into the waste bin.
"Oh, Harry, wait a moment. Just put what's in your hands on the table to the side; I'll dump it all together in a bit..."
Kurama suddenly darted out from the shadows and jumped onto the table, looking as if it had just finished cleaning up the trash, nearly scaring the soul out of Harry.
"Ah!... Oh... So it's you, Kurama. You gave me quite a fright. Where did you come from?... Anyway, that would be a trouble for you, thank you. I'll just leave it here."
Harry almost dropped the plates in his hands, but seeing that Kurama was so kind, he placed the trays on the table next to it, thanked it, and turned to leave.
"Hurry, hurry, hurry, Goyle! Why are you so slow? Crabbe, hurry up and reheat that plate of fish; I think it's still edible..."
After seeing Harry leave, Kurama hurriedly whispered for the two lackeys hiding in the back to come out. The trio had already eaten quite a bit of food, all of which were discarded ingredients.
Furthermore, the three of them were quite clever; they knew to reheat these things and cook them properly before eating to avoid an upset stomach.
"You know, these things cost a lot of money, and it's not good to waste them. We might as well eat them, right?"
Kurama ate while making excuses for itself, and the two fools opposite it nodded continuously; as long as it was edible, they didn't care where it came from.
"So you ate all the good stuff and gave the bad, burnt stuff to them?"
Kurama's snacking scheme was finally caught in the act by Su Yu. Su Yu looked at the two fools and almost cried; seriously, their mouths were covered in black charcoal.
"Goyle, Crabbe, that's enough! Kurama tells you to eat burnt food, and you do? Do you have no brains?"
"Chief, it's actually quite good. Do you want some?"
Goyle wiped his blackened hands carelessly on his apron, then picked up the lump of fish tail, which was as black as charcoal, from the plate, wanting Su Yu to have a taste.
Su Yu looked at the charcoal Goyle was holding, took a deep breath, and smiled slightly at him. "I won't eat it, Goyle. You two go ahead."
Then he turned back and started rubbing Kurama's face, "They are already foolish, and you're still bullying them?"
Kurama's face was squashed out of shape. "I-I'm n-not... doing that..."
"Heh, I really have nothing to say to you lot," Professor Snape walked over, looking at Goyle and Crabbe, whose mouths were covered in grease, with a dark face. "The students outside are starving, yet the cooks are full first. You lot are eating quite happily—stop eating!"
"As the saying goes, if a cook doesn't steal, the harvest won't be good." Cho Chang secretly gave Kurama a thumbs up. "Next time you steal a snack, try to be more discreet..."
Kurama felt that what Cho Chang said made a lot of sense, and it snuck away again while Su Yu was busy with the final quality check.
"Malfoy, a customer wants a piece of pan-fried halibut," Theodore shouted at Malfoy while holding the menu.
"Alright! I'll prepare it immediately," Malfoy said, skillfully picking up his wand, controlling the heat and oil in the pan, and then casting Accio to place the halibut pieces into the frying pan. The fish in the pan quickly underwent the Maillard reaction, Pythagorean theorem, and Tyndall effect. In a short while, three pieces of golden, fragrant halibut were ready.
"Very good, Malfoy," Su Yu looked at the three plates in front of him and praised Malfoy. He had made great progress, but there was just one thing... "But can you tell me, how many servings did the customer order?"
"It seems like one, Chief..." Malfoy scratched his head a bit.
"So, you've started making pre-prepared meals again? Are you afraid that Kurama and the other two won't be full?"
"Uh... Chief, I was just worried that if I made one at a time and it failed, I wouldn't be able to make another one quickly."
"Yo-ho, Malfoy, have you learned to plan ahead?" Professor Snape walked over and mocked. "But even if no one orders in the back, you lot never waste anything; after all, the ones in the back eat more than you cook."
On Callis's side, she was boredly swinging a few okra pods. She couldn't cook at all, and Daphne and the other girls didn't let her intervene, telling her that as long as she stayed quiet, everything would be fine.
But she wasn't the type to sit still, so she secretly made an okra soup and served it to the judges and referees for them to taste.
That thing, a black bowl of it, looked like excrement. Principal Dumbledore scooped up a spoonful, and it even stretched; he forced himself to swallow it despite the discomfort. Hmm, confirmed: it abandoned color, aroma, and taste. It was sweeter than excrement, less sticky than excrement, and while excrement is free, this thing costs money.
As one Principal after another spat out the okra soup, they reached a unanimous verdict: if you added some cat litter, it would be the state banquet for the Paw Patrol; it belonged in the category of an overseas version of Nine-Turn Intestines.
The two rounds of the competition today by the fools of Hogwarts School had almost made Professor Snape lose his mind. The most hateful thing was that even after the competition ended, when Principal Dumbledore and Professor Snape inspected the kitchen, the sky had fallen; all the food had been moved away by the champions of Hogwarts School, and even the cellar had been emptied. When the Hufflepuff badgers snuck into the kitchen in the middle of the night, let alone snacks, there was nothing left but tap water in the pipes.
The other schools obviously didn't have so much chaos; after all, they didn't have so many high-and-mighty young ladies and young masters. They just cooked a simple meal. Although some schools didn't cook very well, at least they could cook it down-to-earth.
"Alright, now I invite the two referees and all the Principals to give a score to the champions of Hogwarts School!"
Principal Dumbledore stood on the high platform and was the first to raise the scoring board in his hand, which prominently displayed the number 1; it was fortunate that there was no option for a zero.
With a perfect score of ten and a minimum score of 1, the eight Principals and two referees all uniformly gave a score of 1.
In this second round of the competition, the champions of Hogwarts School, after removing one highest score and subtracting one lowest score, took last place in the second round of the Eight-Wizard Tournament with an average score of 1!