The Rune Mage Starting at Hogwarts

It's Cedric, the Seeker from Hufflepuff. Judging from their appearance, they should all be students from Hufflepuff. One of them, a tall and strong figure, should be their Hufflepuff prefect.

Then came the two prefects of Ravenclaw and five or six Ravenclaw students who had been invited by Anthony and the others.

Immediately afterward, a figure with a gleaming sergeant's badge appeared, and Ron couldn't help but exclaim in surprise: "Even Percy was invited? How come I've never heard them mention it before?"

Percy was now walking beside Penelope, looking at the bustling shacks and his younger brother standing in front of Hagrid's hut with a hint of surprise: "Ron, what are you doing here?"

However, he quickly became much more serious again.

"Anyway, since Rez asked you to help, you should entertain those guests well. Tonight, the prefects of the four houses and even the two student council presidents are basically all here. Don't embarrass Gryffindor in front of them."

“Don’t be so serious, Percy,” Penelope interrupted him. “Let’s put aside our roles as prefects tonight. We’re just friends invited by Rizzi.”

Percy looked a little awkward, but he nodded slightly and then walked toward the shed.

Ron then wiped his forehead and turned to Harry and Hermione, saying, "Did you hear that? Tonight, the prefects from all four houses and the student council president are coming. Rhett really has a lot of influence."

Chapter 153: The Magical Hot Pot

Hearing Ron's exclamation, Anthony waved his hand and said, "You don't know, actually, Ritz initially invited Professor Flitwick and Principal Dumbledore, but they felt that since the banquet was attended by students, their presence would make the atmosphere too formal, so they declined Ritz's invitation... Principal Dumbledore personally signed the permission for the banquet."

Although such a private gathering was not illegal, Ritz and Hagrid, as a precaution, handed over the banquet application form to Dumbledore from the beginning. Therefore, this gathering was legal in every respect.

Listening to Anthony's explanation, Harry and the others couldn't help but admire Ritz's meticulous approach to things.

Since this was anticipated, when the Slytherin students, dressed in expensive clothes and walking with an air of nobility, appeared in front of Ron and his friends, Harry asked Anthony and the others to go up and greet them.

After all, they simply couldn't greet these Slytherins with a smile.

“Hey, Farley, welcome over here,” Michael said, as always, he was very natural when he was around women. He took the initiative to walk up and greet her.

Jemma nodded slightly, her gaze falling on the magically transformed shed, and she gave a polite smile: "I heard Penelope mention before that Rizzi developed some special culinary techniques last year, applying the concept of potions to food, so I came here tonight out of curiosity to try them."

“I’m sure Ritz’s cooking won’t disappoint you. Please come in, the banquet is about to begin,” Michael said, leading the Slytherin students inside.

This is probably the last batch of students.

Hagrid's cabin became completely lively because of their arrival.

At this time, there were nearly forty people in the shed.

The largest group of people were naturally the first-year students. Apart from Slytherin, the first-year students from the other three houses all had friends invited by Ritz.

Secondly, there are the friends that Reese has met through Professor Babling in the past six months, such as Cedric and the student council president.

Then there's the monster I met at the Potion Speed ​​Fighting Club...

In addition, they brought some friends along, which ultimately brought the New Year's Eve gathering to its current scale.

Fortunately, the shed that Hagrid built was large enough to accommodate so many people.

Although there weren't enough tables and chairs at first, everyone was a wizard after all, and a simple transformation spell or splitting spell could satisfy everyone's needs.

“I originally just wanted to treat my friends to a meal, but even I didn’t expect to make so many friends in just six months at Hogwarts. It’s truly an honor,” Ryze said to the guests as he carefully used a levitation charm to place several pre-prepared hot pots on a few long tables, and then brought over various prepared ingredients to arrange on the table. “But it’s alright, Hagrid has prepared plenty of ingredients.”

"In short, welcome to tonight's New Year's Eve gathering. Although it is a festival from the East, I think the joy and happiness know no borders."

With a wave of his wand, the broth in the several hot pots on the table began to boil.

The rich aroma, a blend of spices and magic, instantly exploded inside the shed.

He specially prepared a variety of soup bases, some spicy and some non-spicy, and with the added magic effect, everyone is sure to find their favorite flavor among these hot pots.

“This is hot pot from the East,” Rizz said to the fishy-skinned B. “These soups are specially made by me, but they’re not for drinking. Instead, you can put all kinds of meat slices and vegetables in them according to your preferences. As long as they’re cooked, you can eat them.”

"In addition to the flavor of the soup base itself, I have also prepared a lot of dipping sauces, which you can mix and match according to your own taste."

He gave a brief demonstration: those who know how to use chopsticks can simply use them, while those who don't can use the magic wand to precisely control the ingredients. In short, he encouraged everyone to do whatever was convenient for them and not to feel constrained.

After the demonstration, Ryze said, "Let's try it out on the fishy-looking fish, and I'll go prepare the rest of the dishes."

After he finished speaking, he walked towards Hagrid's hut, where, in addition to some dumplings and meatballs that were being steamed, he had also prepared some braised fish and sweet and sour pork ribs.

With Ryze's departure, the soup base, which was covered in different colors, was filled with a murky mess.

George and Fred exchanged a glance, and with perfect understanding, they simultaneously extended their wands, precisely controlling several slices of beef to sink into the pot of bright red spicy soup.

They saw what the hot pot with Rizz's beef looked like. Although the hot pot was bright red and had a lot of chili peppers floating on top, its aroma was the strongest of all the hot pots.

These two, who are among the most daring in Gryffindor, naturally had to start with the most challenging hot pot.

“It feels like brewing some dangerous potion, it’s really interesting,” Fred said, staring at the bubbling red oil, the beef changing color and curling up rapidly inside.

After they put the cooked beef into their mouths, they were stunned for a moment, and then their faces became noticeably rosier than before.

They were breathing on it, but it wasn't entirely spicy.

The spiciness wasn't actually that strong, but the stimulating sensation made them feel more energetic.

“Merlin’s beard,” Fred said with some excitement, “I feel my blood rushing. Did Rhett put some kind of stimulant in it? No… stimulants don’t taste this good!”

They continued trying and then confirmed that the hot pot probably did indeed contain some kind of magic similar to a potion.

Seeing the twins' excited expressions, Harry explained to them, "The chicken soup that Ritz made before was the same. According to Penelope, Ritz used some principles of potion-making to infuse magic into these soups, creating this special dish that is both food and a potion... In the East, this is called medicinal cuisine."

“Medicinal cuisine?” George repeated the obscure term, then picked up another piece of beef. “Sounds much cooler than those horribly bitter medicines.”

Sitting on the other side, Gemma Farley could hear the discussion from the Gryffindor side. She had chosen tomato broth and was feeling the warm aroma flowing through her body.

A complex emotion flickered in her eyes: "It is indeed the effect of the potion... Although the effect is not too strong, the magic is very stable and has not dissipated at all due to the continuous boiling. It's truly incredible."

Chapter 154: Cheers to Rez!

Jemma Farley then led another Slytherin student from the Potions group to taste the different soup bases that Rizz had brought over.

The tomato stew you taste at the beginning has a warming effect, which can warm your body and has a certain effect of dispelling wind and cold.

The mushroom soup she tasted next was mild in nature and had a restrained magic, somewhat like a calming balm.

Jemma scalded some mushrooms, and as she ate them with the soup, she could clearly feel the warm, magical sensation sliding down her throat, which indeed relaxed her nerves, which had been busy researching the wolfsbane medicine.

“This hot pot has the most intense magical fluctuations, and it has a certain invigorating effect,” Gemma scooped up a little broth from the hot pot with a silver spoon and smelled it. The spiciness cleared her mind a bit. “Dried ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon… there are definitely the most medicinal herbs in it. How exactly does Ryze stabilize the magic in here?”

“Let’s eat first before we start researching, Farley,” said the student council president, a Slytherin student and one of the participants who was supposed to compete in this year’s Potions Race.

Seeing that Gemma Farley was about to take out parchment and start calculating, he couldn't help but chuckle and remind her, "You're both potion makers, so let's wait until after the gathering to do some academic research on this. Don't spend all that time researching and end up with empty stomachs."

Penelope gestured to Gemma to come over and join her at the mushroom hot pot: "Yes, this isn't a potions conference. Besides mushrooms, come and try some other ingredients with me. Ryze has prepared so many ingredients; this tastes much better than the stews we usually eat."

Jemma paused for a moment, then gave a helpless smile before sitting down next to Penelope, who poured her a glass of lemonade.

"It's not just the broth in those hot pots that's magical; these are juices that Ritz squeezed himself. Try some."

Jemma picked up the glass with some skepticism and took a small sip of the lemonade.

A cool and stimulating sensation immediately washed over me.

Her first reaction was how delicious this lemonade was.

The next moment, she realized that this glass of lemonade also contained a faint magic.

These magic effects don't have any special effects; they simply make the characteristics of lemonade more pronounced, or in short, make it taste better.

“He actually used magic for something like this, just to make the drink taste better,” she couldn’t help but chuckle. “If Professor Snape finds out, Ryze will probably be locked up for several weeks. He hates these pointless things the most.”

Penelope smiled as she placed her blanched beef and some vegetables into Gemma's bowl: "Riz himself said the same thing, which is why he told us not to mention it in front of Professor Snape."

"However, I've always felt that being able to make potions taste good is a skill in itself. Think about the wolfsbane potion we're currently researching. For decades, people have been trying to make it taste better, but so far, no one has succeeded."

Penelope paused, then savored a slice of beef: "I think it's a remarkable talent to be able to think of using the knowledge you have to make ordinary drinks and everyday food."

Jemma Fali ate her beef in small bites, while also pondering Penelope's words.

Ten minutes later, Ryze emerged from Hagrid's hut carrying a tray, followed by several other floating trays.

The plates were also placed steadily on several long tables.

“Braised fish symbolizes a prosperous life in the East, and that you can have a surplus of wealth every year,” Rizzi introduced, pointing to the fish. Then he pointed to the plate of meatballs, “These are Four Happiness Meatballs, representing the four great joys in life. Although we don’t follow these customs, it’s always good to have something auspicious… In addition, I’ve also prepared some fried rice and fried noodles, you can all try them.”

The rich aroma from the hot pot dish drew my attention away from the food.

Ron's hand had already reached for the braised fish, which symbolized a prosperous life. Given his family's financial situation, he felt he really needed to eat some fish to bring good luck.

He forked a large piece of fish and stuffed it into his mouth. The salty and sweet sauce instantly won over his taste buds. This was completely different from the fried fish he usually ate at home.

Moreover, Ryze seemed to have removed the fish bones beforehand; he ate it without encountering any bones and was able to concentrate all his attention on the fish meat.

"My God, Ryze!" Ron exclaimed, his eyes wide, chewing and slurring, "This sauce is amazing, and the fish is so tender! I never imagined fish could taste like this!"

Hermione also curiously took a bite of the Four Happiness Meatballs.

The firm, meaty texture combined with the rich broth gave her a sense of satisfaction.

These dishes naturally do not contain any magic.

However, thanks to the help of family magic, and Ryze's practice in potions over the past six months, he now has extensive experience in controlling the heat and handling ingredients, which has naturally improved Ryze's already good cooking skills even further.

Penelope was busy handing out dumplings to her classmate Ravenclaw while praising Reese: "Reese, if word got out about your cooking skills, I reckon all the house-elves in the school would come to you for advice."

“Actually, I was already planning to do that,” Rizz said with a smile as he poured himself a glass of lemonade and sat down at the long table. “I taught them how to make dumplings and buns before Christmas, and it seems the feedback from school has been pretty good.”

"Although I may not have much time now, I should be able to find time after Easter to slowly teach them how to cook these dishes. Of course, the most important thing is that you like them."

“That would be a godsend for the whole school,” Anthony exclaimed. “Honestly, while there’s nothing wrong with those traditional foods, I would still like to have some new options every morning besides fried sausages and boiled potatoes, if possible.”

“And then there’s the Stargazing Pie,” Terry added, still a little shaken. “Last time I saw that pie with the fish head facing the ceiling in the auditorium, I really didn’t know how I was going to eat it.”

A knowing laugh escaped the fisherman.

Whether they were pure-blood Slytherin students or Hermione raised in a Muggle family, they were clearly wary of such a shocking traditional British dish.

Just as the laughter subsided, Hagrid, who was sitting next to Harry, stood up, holding a large wooden barrel-shaped goblet filled with wheat juice.

Hagrid looked down at Harry, then at Reese at the other end of the long table, a hint of emotion flickering in his eyes.

"Alright, everyone, let me say a few words!" Hagrid shouted gruffly, and everyone immediately quieted down and looked at the gamekeeper.

“I’ve been at Hogwarts for so many years, and I’ve rarely seen anything like this,” Hagrid said in a loud voice, his tone tinged with emotion. “Students from different houses are sitting together, laughing and chatting, eating the delicious food that Rhett has worked so hard to prepare for us. I think this is truly a rare sight, and I think even Dumbledore would be very happy to see it.”

He paused, sniffed, and then raised the wooden bucket cup in his hand high.

“Riz, thank you for choosing to hold this Lunar New Year gathering next to my big cabin. I’ll always remember this holiday and this meal,” Hagrid said, then looked at his fellow guests. “To Riz, and to this Lunar New Year that has brought us all together, let’s raise a glass!”

"Cheers!"

Chapter 155: Honey Fruit Ripens

The gathering lasted until nearly 10 p.m. before finally coming to an end.

The news of the Spring Festival banquet spread throughout Hogwarts early the next morning.

First, let's consider the selection of attendees for this banquet.

The students who attended the party last night became a bloody mess.

Although the banquet was hosted by Ryze, a first-year student, the student council presidents and prefects from the four houses were all present, and they all seemed to have a good relationship with Ryze.

The other attendees felt very proud to have received an invitation from Ritz.

When asked about the banquet last night, they would proudly recount the events of the previous day, which naturally greatly enhanced Reese's reputation among the other students.

Secondly, there are the wonderful delicacies that appear at the banquet.

“You guys really should try that thing called hot pot,” Ron boasted at the Gryffindor table. “The red broth is certainly a bit spicy, but anything cooked in it is incredibly invigorating, even more so than Mrs. Pomfrey’s energizer!”

Ritz's culinary skills were also praised by the students attending the banquet. In addition to hot pot, his braised fish and four-happiness meatballs were also eye-opening for the students who were used to fish and chips. They almost called Ritz's cooking skills the best in Hogwarts.

So much so that when Rhett was having breakfast in the morning, many Hufflepuff students came over to ask when the delicious food from last night's banquet would be added to the Hogwarts menu.

Besides the delicious food, the spectacular fireworks display after dinner last night, and the modified version of Auto Chess that Rizzi brought out after the fireworks, also piqued the interest of the other three houses besides Ravenclaw.

The Wizarding Auto Chess set that we're presenting now is still the same version modified from the traditional Wizarding Chess set. However, after half a month of development, Ryze and Sirius have basically perfected all the basic functions.

Features such as population levels, economic calculations, piece refresh rates, player lives, and multiplayer modes were all integrated into this original Wizarding Chess set for testing by Sirius Black.

Although it's still the same Wizard Chess pieces, and the gameplay and stats haven't changed much, the improved basic features have greatly enhanced the game's playability.

Basically, after watching a game or two, you can quickly learn and master the rules of the game.

George and Fred also took this opportunity to promote The Witcher Auto Chess at last night's gathering, saying that it's still a trial version and the official version will be released by Easter.

To this end, they even specially used several famous ancient wizards and characters they designed as promotional material, indicating that a small-scale open wizard auto chess tournament would be held at Hogwarts during Easter.

Riding on the wave of popularity from this Spring Festival banquet, the highly creative new game genre, Auto Chess, has finally become known to more students.

If there's anything wrong with that, it's that news of Ryze using potion techniques while cooking eventually reached Snape's ears.

So much so that in recent Potions classes, Snape would refer to Rhett as a cook in a rather disdainful manner, and would constantly remind the students present that this was a Potions classroom, not someone's private kitchen.