Chapter 520: Dinner Party Ends
Chapter 520: Dinner Party Ends
Liam had no idea that a mere glare at a vampire had already drawn attention, revealing the incident with the Romanian Vampire Clan and scaring both the author and the vampire half to death. After Harry arrived, the four of them huddled in a corner to sample the evening's delicacies.
Liam had deliberately eaten less at the Christmas feast to prepare for this gathering, and now it seemed entirely worth it. The banquet offered many rare dishes, such as those made from magical creatures and mystic plants.
As Liam curiously examined a whole roasted Goblin Hog with a baked apple stuffed in its mouth, Harry was suddenly whisked away by Professor Slughorn to show him around. This left the small table in the corner with only three people.
"I was hoping to spend some quality time with Harry today", Ginny said, watching as Harry and the portly professor squeezed into the crowd and disappeared.
"Just enjoy yourself. Harry will definitely visit The Burrow during the Christmas holiday. You'll have plenty of time to be together then. Try this Honey Mead. It's brewed with special magic, so you won't get drunk. I think it tastes great", Hermione said, lifting a goblet of golden liquid and passing it to Ginny.
"Thanks", Ginny took the goblet and sipped it, then glanced at the bottle on the table. "Three Broomsticks 15-Year Vintage? I heard this stuff is quite rare. My father told me a bottle costs seven Galleons and is hard to come by. Professor Slughorn must have really splurged for this dinner party."
Liam looked at the stack of bottles in the corner and had to agree with Ginny. It was clear that Slughorn's ability to maintain so many connections without becoming annoying wasn't just because he was a professor or good with people. He was also willing to spend generously when it mattered.
Although the main purpose of the gathering was socializing, various dishes were still being brought in throughout the evening. For instance, Liam noticed several House-Elves carrying silver platters with deep red meatballs entering the office. One of them was heading toward Liam.
"Kala, what is this?" Liam recognized the House-Elf. He had occasionally seen it cleaning the Common Room during his morning exercises and noticed it limped slightly. At the start of the semester, Liam mentioned to a few friendly ghosts that he had made significant progress in alchemy and could help those in need. Nearly Headless Nick volunteered to introduce Kala and a few other House-Elfs with arthritis or old injuries to Liam for treatment.
While Liam's primary goal in treating the House-Elfs was to study them and test his alchemy, he genuinely helped them with their ailments. The House-Elfs were extremely grateful and worked even harder after their recovery, leading to Liam's reputation in the kitchen soaring to adoration.
"Oh, Master Liam", Kala clearly recognized Liam. It placed the platter on the table beside them and bowed deeply. "This dish is Tartar Dragon Meatballs. It's made from the tenderest cuts of fresh Ukrainian Ironbelly, minced and mixed with raw eggs, chopped parsley, and diced pickles, then seasoned and formed into meatballs."
"So—this is raw?" Ginny asked, surprised. As Europeans, they preferred their meats not overcooked but were not as fond of raw foods as the Japanese. Both women looked a bit hesitant at the prospect of eating raw meatballs.
"Yes", Kala said in the sharp tone characteristic of House-Elves. "This dish has a very strong flavor. I just saw someone who ate it talking to others, and everyone else was covering their noses. If you want to converse with others later, this dish might not be suitable." With that, Kala bowed again and retreated from the office with the other House-Elves.
"Is it unsuitable for talking after eating it?" As soon as the House-Elf left, Harry emerged from behind Slughorn and started stuffing meatballs into his mouth, clearly having been sufficiently annoyed by being dragged around.
"Potter? How did you manage to hide here? Slughorn is looking for you over there. By the way, this dish looks pretty tasty", Cormac Mclaggen said as he approached. He was impeccably dressed, with his hair slicked back in a style reminiscent of Malfoy, and he seemed perfectly at ease in this social setting.
He walked over to the dish and started eating the meatballs, then asked with his mouth full, "Do you know what we're eating? The House-Elf mentioned that the ingredients are very precious."
"Dragon Balls", Harry said calmly. Cormac froze at Harry's words, chewed a couple more times, and then abruptly turned and bent over to vomit. At that moment, Slughorn happened to appear on the other side of the table, looking for Harry. His face was flushed, his velvet hat slightly askew, and he was holding a cup of Honey Mead in one hand and pulling Snape along with the other. Cormac, who was facing away from them, hadn't noticed and ended up vomiting all over Snape's pants.
Cormac didn't realize this at first, but as he straightened up and saw the familiar attire in front of him, he stiffened like a board.
"Very well, you've earned yourself a month of detention, Mclaggen", Snape said coldly, then turned to Harry, ignoring the despondent look on Cormac's face. "I heard Professor Slughorn tell an amusing joke, saying that you've learned so much from my class that you've become a Potions prodigy. But I don't recall teaching you anything."
"Then he must have inherited his mother's talent", Slughorn interjected. "I remember Lily—"
But he was cut off by a small commotion at the door. Draco Malfoy was being dragged in by Filch, who had a firm grip on his ear.
"Professor Slughorn", Filch panted, his jowls quivering, "I found this boy hiding in the corridor upstairs, which is against the rules. The Headmaster said no wandering around after hours without permission, so I was wondering if you invited him?"
"I didn't, but that's fine", Malfoy said, shrugging off Filch's arm with a huff. "I admit I broke the rules. Happy?"
"It's alright, Argus, it's alright", Slughorn waved his hand. "It's Christmas, and wanting to attend a Dinner Party isn't a crime. This time, it's forgiven, but don't let it happen again. Draco, you can stay."
Malfoy quickly put on a grateful smile, thanking Slughorn for his leniency, and they began discussing Malfoy's grandfather. However, Liam noticed that Malfoy looked terrible, as if he had been cramming for final exams for several days straight.
"I need to speak with you, Draco", Snape said suddenly.
"Oh, Severus", Slughorn said, belching, "it's Christmas, don't be too hard on the children—"
"I am his Head of House, and I will decide how strict I need to be", Snape replied tersely. "Come with me, Draco."
"I'll go to the bathroom", Harry said, watching Snape and Draco leave, and he excused himself as well. However, his trip to the bathroom took so long that by the time the Dinner Party ended, they hadn't seen him return. Fortunately, when they all returned to the Common Room, the Fat Lady at the portrait hole informed them that Harry had safely come back. Otherwise, Ginny would have been too worried to sleep that night.
(End of Chapter)
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