#25 - Section 25

Originally, I was planning to wait for the weather to get colder and then go to the Forbidden Forest to get some mushrooms and game to cook in a hot pot, but now that there's an opportunity, I'm naturally not going to miss it.

"The house-elves in the Hogwarts kitchen make very good food, so we don't need to do anything ourselves."

George didn't believe in Ethan's cooking skills and immediately began to dissuade him.

"Hot pot is a Muggle delicacy from China. I'll write down some ingredients for Cedric later and have him get them from the kitchen. Once you eat it, you'll understand."

Ethan knew that these things were difficult to explain. Even in the Muggle world, China at this time was synonymous with backwardness in Great Britain, and there was little understanding of China.

Not to mention the closed wizarding world, which probably doesn't even know where China is.

Of the eleven wizarding schools in this world, two are in Asia: Japan and the Middle East. China doesn't have one. (Perhaps they all study in Taoist temples.)

"Okay, you write it down, and I'll go prepare. It's just that the kitchen doesn't have every ingredient."

Cedric scratched his head, not understanding what Ethan's hot pot was, but he didn't want to spoil his new friend's fun.

George and Fred also felt curious and naturally wouldn't refuse.

Ethan didn't write down too many things: thinly sliced beef and mutton, shrimp, and then vegetables, wild mushrooms, lettuce, radishes, potatoes, and chili oil and sesame seeds.

After giving the note to Cedric, Ethan returned to the dormitory to get the hot pot base and bring over the butterbeer.

......

The way to enter the Hufflepuff common room is by tapping the wooden barrel in a rhythm. Under Cedric's lead, the group entered.

It was lunchtime, and there was no one inside except for Ethan and his friends.

"The house-elves will bring the food over later. What do we do next?"

"I'll do it. It'll be quick."

Saying that, Ethan set up the cleaned cauldron and turned the alcohol lamp underneath to the maximum. He first stir-fried the hot pot base and then poured enough spring water into it.

"That's it. When the food comes, we can just put it in and eat it."

"Is this a potion?"

Fred swallowed, asking in disbelief.

It felt like it would be very spicy, but the smell made people salivate. But could this stuff really be eaten?

"It's a Muggle way of eating. It has nothing to do with potions."

While answering Fred, Ethan used an Ice Freezing Charm to cool the butterbeer.

Before long, the house-elves brought the food, and the water in the cauldron had already boiled.

Ethan made a simple dipping sauce with chili oil and sesame seeds for everyone, and then started putting the food in. He also used a Transfiguration Charm to create tongs specifically for picking food from the cauldron, since they didn't know how to use chopsticks.

Due to the limited ingredients here, there was no way to make other dipping sauces. Anyway, the four of them had to be prepared for a fiery pain in certain areas tomorrow.

Cedric, George, and Fred watched Ethan dipping the beef and mutton in chili oil and eating it in big mouthfuls. They finally couldn't resist the temptation and tentatively picked up a piece of meat, dipped it in their own sauce, and took a bite with a fork. After that, they couldn't stop.

One by one, their eyes lit up as they fished for food inside, 'hissing' and eating non-stop.

"Hey, can you guys slow down? And eat some vegetables. Eating only meat isn't good for your stomach."

Ethan felt the pressure. These three were like hungry ghosts reincarnated, eating quickly and only focusing on the meat.

Burp!

After taking a sip of butterbeer, George said to Ethan while picking up meat: "My stomach is very good. If your stomach isn't good, you can eat more vegetables."

"Nelly, can you help us prepare some more beef and mutton?"

Seeing that there wasn't much meat left on the plate, but Cedric felt like he could still eat, he immediately asked the house-elf to add more food.

Chapter 46: Eating Hot Pot and Achieving Something

"Cedric, are you guys eating potions?"

The door of the Hufflepuff common room was opened, and several young wizards walked in, chatting and laughing. Seeing Cedric and his friends picking things out of the cauldron and putting them on their plates, their faces red, they were immediately shocked.

Moreover, these few were all red-faced and sweating, and their condition was not right.

The leader immediately began to persuade them:

"If you guys are feeling unwell, you can go to the school hospital instead of brewing potions yourselves."

It must be said that Hufflepuff deserves to be the most united house.

"York, I'm not feeling unwell. I'm eating it! It's very hot and spicy, but even more delicious!"

Cedric answered while 'hissing', but the tongs in his hand still didn't let go.

"That's right, York, do you want to try it? It's really delicious. This is a Muggle way of eating brought by Ethan."

Fred also extended an invitation.

York Gladstone, a fifth-year prefect of Hufflepuff, also lived in St. Catchpole village, and the two had a good relationship.

"Senior can come and try it. I believe it won't disappoint you."

Ethan naturally didn't mind adding another person. If not, he could just add another cauldron. What's the big deal!

If he could become familiar with the people in Hufflepuff, it would be much easier to get something to eat in the future.

York came to the group and greeted Ethan: "Ethan Adrean, I know you, welcome to the Hufflepuff common room!"

Then he sat next to the group, adjusted the dipping sauce under Ethan's instructions, and started eating.

Not all Hufflepuffs are foodies, but many like to eat, and York is one of them.

When he first came in, he was too worried and didn't look carefully. Now, looking at Cedric's eating habits, he knew that this thing was definitely delicious.

This is why York didn't hesitate to sit down and eat after having lunch.

"Hiss! Spicy! But delicious! Adrean, you should have come to our Hufflepuff, really."

Just after swallowing the food in his mouth, York gave Ethan a thumbs up.

"No, York, you can't just start eating by yourself. What about us?"

The companion who came in with York was anxious. He saw something delicious, but there was no share for him. How could a badger stand this?

"Neville, could you make some more like this?"

The cauldron was only so big, and a few people surrounding it left no room. Now he was being asked to step down, but he hadn't eaten enough yet. Therefore, York could only trouble the house-elf.

"Sir, we have more ingredients in the kitchen, but we don't have this soup base."

Neville looked troubled. He also wanted to satisfy these young wizards, but he had never seen such a way of eating, let alone make the soup base.

"I still have the base. I can give it to you if you need it."

Ethan brought over a large chunk. He only used a portion just now, and the rest could make another four or five pots.

"Sir, could you give me a little, just a small amount? I want to try and see if I can make it!"

Neville looked at the red tallow block Ethan offered and immediately bowed to Ethan, requesting it.

If he could completely introduce hot pot to Hogwarts, it would definitely be a good thing, at least for Ethan.

He wondered what Snape's expression would be like when he saw everyone in the Great Hall cooking hot pot in cauldrons. He really wanted to see it.

Immediately, Ethan agreed to Neville's request.

With Ethan's nod, Neville happily accepted a small piece and then Apparated to the kitchen. He had to prepare ingredients for these young wizards.

"You really should have come to Hufflepuff!"

Watching this scene, York struggled to swallow the meat in his mouth and couldn't help but sigh.

With this quality, being united, and helpful, what could be more suitable for Hufflepuff?

"You don't know, Ethan has Newt Scamander's ability to make magical creatures obey him."

Fred revealed news that York hadn't expected at all, and he conveniently snatched away the meat that York had just put down.

"Really?"

York couldn't bother eating anymore. Hufflepuff's admiration for Newt Scamander was similar to Gryffindor's admiration for Dumbledore.

"I do have this ability!"

There was nothing to hide.

"Sorting Hat, you are truly damned! You actually sorted my Hufflepuff into Ravenclaw."

York was filled with grief for a moment, but then he turned his grief into appetite, eating even more fiercely.

As more and more people entered the Hufflepuff common room, more and more joined the ranks of eating hot pot.

If it weren't for the fact that Ethan didn't bring enough hot pot base, the common room probably wouldn't be able to fit everyone.

Now, hot pot had become popular in Hufflepuff, and Ethan believed that one day it would be served on the long tables of the Hogwarts Great Hall.

In the process, he also completed an achievement, which Ethan hadn't expected at all.

[Potions? No! It's Cuisine!]

Making potions is actually the same as cooking. Master the order of adding ingredients, stir the pot, control the heat, and accurately grasp the time to take it out of the pot, and a fragrant dish (potion) is made.

Achievement Goal: Make a dish with a cauldron (1/1)

Achievement Reward: Potion Talent Increased

Chapter 47: Why First Years Play Quidditch

On Tuesday, the first-year wizards left Hogwarts Castle and came to the Quidditch pitch outside, ready for flying lessons.

During the Charms class in the morning, Seamus had a little accident, blowing up the lock with the Alohomora charm. (You can say it opened or not!)

But it didn't have much of an impact. Only he himself was blackened by the smoke and flames of the explosion.

This class could be said to be the most enthusiastic class Ethan had ever seen. Everywhere, small wizards gathered in groups of three or five to discuss.

Among them, Slytherin and Gryffindor were the most active, each telling their own awesome riding experiences, so much so that Ethan and others in Ravenclaw heard them.

"They said they chased a plane on a broom. Have they really seen a plane?"

Listening to the boasting next door, Terry, a Muggle-born, couldn't help but speak out. Really?

How awesome would a broom have to be to catch up with a plane?

Anyway, he didn't believe it.

"Don't expect wizards to know much about the Muggle world. Maybe they surpassed a toy plane."

Ethan couldn't help but speak out. It was a bit too much. Fighter jets are measured in Mach speed, and even civilian airliners have speeds of several hundred kilometers per hour. Can a broom fly at this speed and stay stable?

However, the Muggle world has developed too fast in recent years, and many wizards' views on the Muggle world still remain a century or two ago.

Maybe they've only heard the name of an airplane and thought it was about the same speed as an old car.

"When you ride the flying broom later, be sure to hold the broomstick in front firmly. Beginners use it to control the direction, and..."

Gene didn't understand airplanes and didn't express his opinion. He just told a few people some precautions. He had used flying brooms a lot at home.

When the class started, Madam Hooch brought dozens of flying brooms to the field and distributed one to each person.

Just looking at the flying broom under his feet, Ethan really wanted to complain. Where did all the funds go?

Not only was this broom an old model, but even the tail behind it was almost bald, and there were obvious cracks in the broomstick.

The antiques Ethan collected in the Room of Requirement were better than this.

The teaching course began.

The first step was to summon the broom to your hand.

Ethan had no problem with this step. The broom easily came to his hand, and quite a few young wizards also managed to do this.

However, Ethan clearly saw Hermione's broom rolling and flipping on the ground, but it just wouldn't get up.

This almost made Ethan laugh. She had no talent for flying at all.

And there was Ron too. Just now, Ethan heard him boasting with Harry, saying how well he played with flying brooms, but now he got a catapult start and hit himself right on the forehead.

After about ten minutes, everyone managed to hold the broom in their hands.

Ethan also saw a few clever ones among them who used their toes to hook the broom up.