Magical Studies at Hogwarts...

Chapter 108 First Encounter in the Kitchen

The ideal situation is to give as much as you receive.

More often than not, the effort required is several times the reward.

To be fair, "The Secrets of Advanced Black Magic" isn't particularly valuable; there are many similar books in the restricted section. However, the fact that Dumbledore took it out of the box is a different story.

Ike knew very well that he had been part of this master plan since his first year of school. The events of the past two years had made him a more important piece, and now he could be considered quite crucial.

This was something Ike knew perfectly well, and something he didn't care about at all.

Having come into this world, you, Dumbledore and Voldemort, must choose one. If following Voldemort leads nowhere, then you have no choice but to choose Dumbledore.

There's no rush to study the magic inside; just put it on your schedule.

The next day, something happened at school that dampened the spirits of almost all the young wizards: the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was replaced.

Professor Lupin is unwell, so Professor Snape will be temporarily filling in for him.

Honestly, Snape was more than qualified to be a Defense Against the Dark Arts specialist, a position he had always dreamed of. He had applied for it every year since returning to Hogwarts, but Dumbledore rejected him every year.

But I could still occasionally substitute for a class and have some fun. After all, being a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts is, as those who know, a more dangerous job than the Dark Lord.

Snape made no attempt to hide his disgust for Lupin, just as he made no attempt to hide his smugness and excitement at this moment.

A day to celebrate: the filthy, smelly werewolf endures the weakened state after his transformation.

perfect!

"Open your textbooks, today we're going to learn how to identify a werewolf..."

Snape was giving a lecture on stage with great enthusiasm, using his unchanging tone. Ike pretended to be a good boy and listened attentively, but in his heart, he was thinking about when he would have the chance to get a Lupin-exclusive version of Wolfsbane Potion to study.

Damcos Marcus invented a highly difficult potion to concoct, which only a handful of potion masters in the entire magical world could brew. Although the original intention of the potion was to alleviate the pain of werewolves during their transformation and help them maintain their sanity, both the expensive ingredients and the complicated brewing process deterred the werewolves, who were at the very bottom of the magical world.

It's fair to say that Lupin would never have been able to drink the wolfsbane potion if he hadn't accepted the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts.

Even if it was Snape's "improved" version.

What Ike admired most about Snape was his ability to "improve" potion recipes. Even adding a single ingredient to a well-established potion recipe could render it ineffective, but Snape was able to make it unpalatable and produce the intended side effects by adding multiple ingredients, even if the potion's effects were compromised.

All I can say is, he truly deserves the title of Potions Master...

After leaving behind a ten-foot-long assignment about werewolves, Snape announced his dismissal with satisfaction.

As usual, Ike took the lead and studied on multiple fronts at his own pace. After all, he had rested a little yesterday, which was enough.

After a flurry of activity, half an hour before curfew, Ike arrived at the Hogwarts kitchen on time. This was a new habit he had developed over the past two weeks.

Multitasking not only leads to mental exhaustion but also physical depletion. Although Ike would arrive at the auditorium promptly around 6 PM for a hearty meal, he was often hungry again by 8 PM. Without eating something, he simply couldn't keep going.

Skillfully asking Omi for some food, Ike sat down at the kitchen table, which had practically become his personal domain, and began a new round of battle.

A spoonful of mashed potatoes, a chicken leg, a baked rice dish, a glass of milk, and a strawberry pudding—especially the strawberry pudding, a dessert you can never get tired of. Having one after a meal is simply perfect.

"Ike Strayder, right? If I remember correctly."

Ike, who was happily eating pudding with his eyes half-closed, suddenly heard someone talking to him. He looked in the direction of the voice and immediately smiled.

"I know you, Cedric Diggory. We've met several times." Ike put down the pudding and shook hands with Cedric. "Hufflepuff?"

"This is the first time we've spoken."

"Yes, Hufflepuff." Cedric smiled brightly, like sunshine, which inexplicably made people feel kind.

He's someone you immediately recognize as a trustworthy, upright, and selfless person. More importantly, he's the undisputed heartthrob of Hogwarts.

Well, if we really had to choose one...

"It's presumptuous of me to say this, but I've been watching you for a while now. You know, the kitchen is very close to the Hufflepuff lounge." Cedric was visibly nervous. "I've noticed you always come here around this time to have something to eat, and dinner has just ended..."

"I'm sorry, I know we've only just met, and it's not nice to say this, but..."

After stammering for a while, Cedric finally got to the point: "Okay, I'll be blunt, I think you should give up on courses that aren't that important. It's dangerous for you to continue like this."

"What?" Ike looked at Cedric in surprise.

"I mean, it's completely unnecessary to get a few more Os on the OWLs exams." Cedric seemed to suddenly breathe a sigh of relief. "I got this little gadget when I was in third grade, and I studied just like you. In fact, I did what you're doing now, having extra meals every night."

"But this won't make you feel better; it will only increase your stress," Cedric said. "I persisted for more than half a year, almost had a mental breakdown, and thankfully gave up Quidditch."

"Of course, if you feel comfortable ignoring everything I just said," Cedric quickly added, seeing the growing confusion in Ike's eyes. "It was just a well-intentioned piece of advice, nothing more."

"I know," Ike waved his hand. "You didn't mean anything by it."

"After all, if you really had ulterior motives, you wouldn't be 'the most trustworthy person at Hogwarts'."

After saying that, Ike winked.

"Hahaha..." Cedric laughed and denied it repeatedly, "Don't say that, I'm not like that."

"I'm just relaying what other seniors said; that's how they advised me back then."

"As you know, it's hard for others to know your location accurately and promptly after using this. If you didn't always come to the kitchen at this time, I wouldn't have had the chance."

"Of course, I still hope you can succeed..."

"Getting all twelve OWL certifications would feel amazing!"

(End of this chapter)