Chapter 558: Grilled Fish
Chapter 558: Grilled Fish
"It's none of your business", Mafalda said, stiffening her neck.
"Is that so", Harry said indignantly, "What story are you going to make up this time? Harry Potter's secret army? Or Hermione Granger's ambitious recruitment of a House-elf army to overthrow the Ministry of Magic?"
"Sounds good to me", Mafalda said as she quickly filled out the application form. "By the way, your costumes are hideous, like two mummies..."
"None of your business", Ron said angrily. "I'm warning you, stop bossing us around and stop making fun of Harry, or I'll take points from you, I mean it! Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're family—"
Hermione tugged at Ron's sleeve, and Ron reluctantly stopped, but he continued to grumble, "I'm doing this for her own good, she really went too far..."
At that moment, a mocking voice interjected, "Seems like that surname hasn't won you much favor, has it? It's a waste of effort."
"What do you want?" Mafalda clenched her fists and glared at Draco Malfoy.
"Prewett", Draco said softly, his gray eyes fixed on the tense Mafalda, "You claim to be a distant branch of the Prewett family, but as far as I know, there aren't many descendants left, and none of them are of the right age..."
Mafalda's eyes darted away, and her body trembled slightly.
"Malfoy, you haven't changed a bit, only bullying a girl", Harry interjected, regretting his words as soon as they were out. Why did he have to speak up? He disliked both of them equally.
Draco's expression stiffened, "Just stating the facts."
Mafalda calmed down and cleverly changed the subject, "What about your girlfriend, Malfoy? She can't seem to take her eyes off your pointy chin, wow, it's been almost five minutes, I hope she doesn't faint..."
Draco slowly replied, "You mean Pansy? She's fulfilling her prefect duties."
"I don't think so", Mafalda said slyly and cruelly. "I just saw her trying to confiscate a student's Butterbeer bottle, but it dropped and exploded, setting her beautiful clothes on fire. Oh, how unlucky..." She then turned and ran away.
Draco narrowed his eyes and then shifted his gaze to Harry, "So you're famous again, Potter?" He tilted his head to one side, and Harry knew he was pointing towards the direction of the 'Harry Potter Fan Club.'
"Yeah", Harry said flatly. He knew Malfoy wouldn't miss a chance to mock him. Malfoy had been distracted lately, and Harry had thought he might have changed.
"Popularity always rises, whether you want it or not. It's actually quite a burden."
Ron laughed out loud.
Draco sized him up, "If I were you, I'd go home and check the family tree, so you don't get mistaken for someone else's relative... if you have one." He then turned and left.
"What did he mean?" Ron frowned, staring at Draco's back.
Hermione sighed and carefully glanced at Neville and Ginny nearby, keeping her voice low.
"You don't really think Mafalda's surname is 'Prewett,' do you?"
"Why not—" Ron began, then his eyes widened.
Harry's mind raced. Mafalda's father was Mrs. Weasley's distant cousin, and Mrs. Weasley's maiden name was Prewett. This meant... He quickly drew a parallel—Dudley and himself. They were cousins, but Dudley was a Dursley, and Harry was a Potter. If Dudley had children, they would be Dursleys, not Potters...
He also remembered Mafalda mentioning that her father was a Squib, which was looked down upon in the wizarding world. Harry instantly connected the dots. Mafalda's father must have faced a lot of discrimination as a child, and he wouldn't want his daughter to suffer the same fate. What would he do? Change his surname to one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight Pureblood Families.
Harry's dislike for Mafalda instantly softened, replaced by sympathy.
Ron was a bit slower, but he also figured out what Harry had. He opened his mouth but said nothing. The three of them tacitly avoided the topic. At that moment, Harry suddenly felt that the Pureblood mindset was utterly foolish.
Harry recalled what Nearly Headless Nick had said.
Professor Hip had never discussed his background, yet he was a symbol of Slytherin House, and students from other houses liked him too, though perhaps because he assigned less homework...
"Stop daydreaming and take off those ridiculous hats, and come help", Hermione said, placing her hands on her hips in a lecturing tone.
Harry and Ron reluctantly revealed their faces. Ron didn't want anyone to see his name under 'Vomit,' and Harry just wanted to stay away from the Creevey brothers. He glanced behind him; the 'Harry Potter Fan Club' was empty, leaving only a brown curtain.
No one signed up? Harry thought hopefully. Ginny quietly approached, "They ran out of gifts."
"What?" Harry asked, stunned.
"Gifts", Ginny said calmly. "Join the club, and you get a free set of your photos. I think they took quite well."
Harry stared at her, "You didn't—"
Ginny shrugged and admitted openly, "Just a form. For those who need it, it's a pretty good deal."
Harry's face suddenly turned as red as if it were on fire, and he fumbled for words.
"My set is under the table; you can take a look", Ginny said, covering her mouth with a light laugh. "I'm going to Luna's place; she's gathered a bunch of Butterbeer corks from who knows where and plans to make some necklaces... I really need to talk some sense into her."
Harry slowly sat down by the table, catching a glimpse of a large box out of the corner of his eye. The Harry in the box was playfully winking at him.
...
Felix squatted in front of a stall, where about seven or eight boxes were lined up in a row, each filled with neatly arranged and variously shaped Dolls. As he scanned the first row, the Dolls appeared more amateurish, with proportions that were not quite right, and there were clear traces of Magical Automaton, suggesting they were the creator's early works. Starting from the second row, the Dolls were much better crafted, more intricate, and came in a variety of forms. A lifelike Bowtruckle was walking around on one of the boxes. Apart from its slightly tilted head and glowing leaves, Felix could find no faults. The glowing leaves were embedded with Ancient Runes.
"Did you use a 'Calm' circuit?" Felix asked with interest.
"Yes, Professor", Cedric replied, a bit nervously. "I transferred the contents of the twelve amulets we saw in class onto these, and the effect is quite good." As he spoke, he uttered a somewhat awkward incantation, and one of the leaves on the Bowtruckle suddenly glowed. The light enveloped Felix, Cedric, and Cho Chang, and their expressions became peaceful.
"A bit too strong", Felix commented.
Cedric smiled. "I occasionally use it when practicing Runic Script; it helps calm turbulent emotions."
Felix nodded.
Cedric then introduced each of the Dolls on the shelves. "These are my attempts to mimic Magical Automatons, but the Connection parts always had issues, making the movements not as smooth... Later, I designed more models, not just for combat. For example, this Hippogriffdoll's only function is to do somersaults."
"It has a very vivid facial expression", Felix noted.
"I incorporated some Transfiguration techniques", Cedric explained. "Using a runic circuit to store magic can last a long time, and it feels more convenient than Alchemy."
Felix thought for a moment and asked, "Have you thought about where you want to work after graduation?"
Cedric honestly replied, "Not yet."
"What do Mr. and Mrs. Diggory think?"
"My family hopes I'll join the Ministry of Magic, and my father works in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures", Cedric said. "But Colin suggests I join the Auror Corps, and Fred and George Weasley have invited me to their Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes multiple times... but I'm not very interested in any of those options."
"What are your own thoughts?"
Cedric looked at the Dolls on the table, his gaze gentle and focused.
"That sounds like a good plan", Felix said understandingly.
The conversation with Cedric was enlightening. Felix realized that a new branch of Ancient Runes might be emerging, combining Ancient Runes, Transfiguration, and potentially extending to Alchemy and Memory Magic. He only needed to give it a gentle push... Puppetry, perhaps?
Felix had made many Magical Automatons himself but had no intention of delving deeper into the field. Passing this knowledge to someone who deserved it was the ideal outcome.
Felix's final advice to Cedric was to check the second-to-last row of the Library's Restricted Section. "Remember to stay 'Passionate,'" he said as he left.
"What did Professor Hup mean by that last sentence, just encouragement?" Cho Chang asked Cedric, puzzled. She didn't think it was that simple.
Cedric clearly felt the same way. He pondered for a while, then suddenly smiled excitedly. "I think I know what it means." He raised his hand and traced a Runic Script in the air. In the next second, the Runic Symbols transformed into a vibrant, beautiful cloud of colors, dancing in his palm, like holding a flowing aurora.
"I bet Professor Hup left some information there, and the 'Passion' Runic Script is the key", Cedric said confidently.
"How did you figure that out?" Cho Chang said, jumping with excitement.
Cedric hesitated. "I told you, Fred and George Weasley have been hiding things around the castle in all sorts of creative ways. I know a bit about it. One way to unlock a hidden treasure is to recite an Ancient Runes poem to a suit of armor, or, of course, to punch the armor's stomach about seventeen or eighteen times..."
Felix continued to wander around the Great Hall, not just among the students but also among the professors, who were equally intrigued. The bulky Hagrid and the Muggle Studies professor, Burbage, were standing in front of a Muggle movie poster.
Professor Burbage was speaking rapidly, but Hagrid was clearly distracted, staring intently at the poster: an old monkey stood on a protruding rock, holding a newborn Gryffindor high, with a hundred beasts bowing at the base of the rock.
Hagrid asked in a deep voice, "Is it an animated film? Is it for children?"
The student swallowed hard. "Adults can watch it too; I find it quite interesting."
"Then—uh", Hagrid gestured with his arms, "where can I see it? Do I need a magical projector?"
“‘Future World’ company has shown movies in class before,” the student whispered.
“Sounds good,” Hagrid muttered. “If I want to show something to much larger—um—creatures, do you have any suggestions?”
“Oh, I think…” The student’s voice trembled, and he looked terrified. “Our club hasn’t considered enrolling members of such large sizes…”
“Hello, Hagrid,” Felix couldn’t help but interject.
Hagrid turned his head and said cheerfully, “Great! Felix, I just had a brilliant idea. If I could show it to Grawp—” His face suddenly turned red, and even his woolen hat and beard couldn’t hide the blush. “Cough, I mean, if I show it to the big creatures in the Forbidden Forest, it might help calm them down…” he mumbled.
“You can write to Remus. I remember the company is testing new products and needs a lot of feedback,” Felix said.
Hagrid left happily.
As soon as Hagrid was gone, Professor Burbage approached.
She pulled out a bulging envelope from her robes and said angrily, “Professor Hip, please pass this to that big talker. I’ll make him admit his mistakes!”
Felix blinked. “Ceri, some of his points are valid.”
“But he’s so arrogant,” Professor Burbage fumed. “It’s as if I’m a clueless child. Listen to this: ‘Only fools abandon their Wizard identity,’ ‘Technology that can’t be used by Wizards is nothing but a threat.’ Professor Hip, who is your pen pal? I’d love to have a proper conversation with him!”
Snape, pretending to pass by, froze. He stopped silently, turned his head, and examined the stall. It was a wooden stand with a padded top, and skewers of grilled fish were stuck in it. The eyes of the grilled fish seemed to be staring back at him.
“Would you like a skewer, Professor Snape?” a little girl mustered the courage to ask.
Snape’s gaze shifted from the dead fish’s eyes to Eleanor Branstone’s face. He said coldly, “No, Miss Branstone.”
On the other side, Felix was patiently explaining to Professor Burbage why his pen pal didn’t want to reveal himself. “Ceri, you know, some people are just introverted and find it difficult to communicate face-to-face…”
Professor Burbage looked skeptical. “Is that so? His language in the letters is quite sharp.”
“Some people prefer written communication; it allows them to think more clearly,” Felix shrugged.
Eleanor Branstone couldn’t help but curiously observe Snape, who stood there like a statue. She wondered if Professor Snape was too proud to accept. She pulled out a small jar and used her wand to conjure a blue harebell-like flame. The flame circled the grilled fish twice, and the aroma filled the air instantly.
Snape’s nose twitched.
Eleanor Branstone looked encouragingly at him, as if waiting for him to speak, but Snape stepped back with a cold expression, revealing Warren, who had been drawn by the scent.
“A walking Niffler merchant!” Eleanor Branstone pointed at Warren.
Warren proudly puffed out his chest, blinked his black eyes, and pointed to the grilled fish on the stand.
Eleanor Branstone handed him one with a smile.
Warren jumped onto the table, glanced curiously at Snape, who showed no reaction, and happily started eating.
So delicious~
“Hey, Warren, you’re here?” Felix, after finishing his conversation with Professor Burbage, turned to follow Warren to the stall. He stared at the grilled fish and muttered to himself, “The cooking looks good. Do I need to sign up?” He asked Eleanor.
“You can also help distribute flyers,” Eleanor carefully pointed to a few students nearby. They were from different houses but had one thing in common: one hand held a grilled fish, and the other held a flyer.
“Sounds fair,” Felix hesitated. “Can I trade a recipe? I know a secret sauce that’s quite… Severus?” he said in surprise.
Snape looked at him indifferently.
“Of course, I heard the developer of the Fishbone Extraction Spell is you—” Eleanor said.
“Stop, don’t say another word.” Felix’s face hardened as he pulled out a parchment from his ring. “One fish for one recipe, deal?”
Eleanor Branstone blinked. “Deal.” She glanced at Snape and handed him two skewers. “One extra for you, Professor. You can give it to whoever you like.”
“Oh, thank you.” Felix took them, bit into one of the skewers, and then turned to Snape with a smile. “Want to try? I can guarantee it’s delicious.”
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(End of Chapter)
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