On Sunday, when David brought the Buffy Brain Refresher to the twins to discuss sales, he was introduced to Cedric.
The twins suggested that Cedric could take charge of sales for Hufflepuff.
Unlike the twins, who were well-known for their pranks in Gryffindor, Cedric was deeply respected in Hufflepuff for his excellent character and intelligence. He was the perfect candidate to handle the business among his housemates.
After testing the effects of the Buffy Brain Refresher, Cedric patted his chest confidently and assured David,
"Hufflepuff is in my hands! You don't know how anxious some of the fifth-year seniors are—they're so stressed they can't even eat."
For a Hufflepuff, losing one's appetite was a serious matter.
Although five Galleons was a bit pricey, most Hufflepuffs could afford it. Magical potions were expensive in general, and no one expected them to be sold at a loss.
"Cedric, we introduced you to a good business opportunity, so you owe us a treat," Fred said with a mischievous grin, slinging an arm around Cedric's shoulder.
At Hogwarts, all four houses typically ate the same meals in the Great Hall. The food was decent but not particularly extravagant. However, Hufflepuff's dormitory was located near the kitchen, and the students had a close relationship with the house-elves, allowing them to cook their own food if they wished.
Despite this privilege, many Hufflepuffs found it too much trouble to bother the house-elves and only prepared their own meals on special occasions—like birthdays or celebrations.
Now, the twins saw an opportunity to use Cedric's connection to get something extra delicious.
"Alright, meeting David today is indeed worth celebrating," Cedric agreed without hesitation.
"Can we prepare our own ingredients and cook them ourselves?" David asked.
Compared to the usual Hogwarts meals—steaks, lamb chops, and other standard fare—David preferred hot pot, especially in the chilly autumn weather when the temperature barely reached ten degrees Celsius during the day.
Before entering the wizarding world, he had frequently enjoyed hot pot at home during the winter. Before coming to Hogwarts, he had even brought some hot pot base with him, purchased at a high price from an authentic Chinese restaurant in London's Chinatown. Unlike the local adaptations that catered to British tastes, this hot pot was as authentic as it got.
Originally, he had planned to wait until the weather got even colder, then venture into the Forbidden Forest to gather wild mushrooms and game for hot pot. But since the opportunity had come sooner, he wasn't going to miss it.
"The house-elves in the Hogwarts kitchen cook exceptionally well. We don't need to cook ourselves," George said, skeptical of David's suggestion.
"Hot pot is a traditional Muggle dish from China. I'll write down the ingredients for Cedric, and he can get the house-elves to prepare them. Once you taste it, you'll understand," David assured them.
Explaining hot pot to them wouldn't be enough—he needed them to experience it firsthand.
Even in the Muggle world, China was often seen as a distant, unfamiliar place by the British. In the wizarding world, which was even more insular, most had no idea where China even was.
There were eleven wizarding schools worldwide, two of which were in Asia—one in Japan and one in the Middle East. However, China had no recognized wizarding school. Perhaps Chinese wizards studied in Taoist temples instead.
"Alright, write the list, and I'll prepare what I can. But the kitchen might not have everything," Cedric said, scratching his head. He didn't understand what hot pot was but was willing to go along with it.
George and Fred found the idea intriguing and were happy to try something new.
David kept the ingredient list simple—thinly sliced beef and mutton, shrimp, vegetables, wild mushrooms, lettuce, radish, potatoes, chili oil, and sesame paste.
After handing the list to Cedric, David returned to his dormitory to retrieve the hot pot base and grabbed a few bottles of butterbeer while he was at it.
Inside the Hufflepuff Common Room
The entrance to the Hufflepuff common room required knocking on a specific wooden barrel in a particular rhythm.
Led by Cedric, the group entered.
It was lunchtime, and the common room was empty except for them.
"The house-elves will bring the ingredients soon. What do we do in the meantime?" Fred asked.
"I'll handle it. It'll be ready soon," David replied confidently.
He set up a cleaned cauldron, placed an alcohol lamp beneath it, and turned the flame to its maximum.
First, he fried the hot pot base, letting its rich aroma fill the room, then added water, waiting for it to come to a boil.
"This looks like a potion," Fred said, swallowing hard.
The thick, spicy scent was overwhelming—both intimidating and mouthwatering at the same time.
"Hot pot is a way of eating, not a potion," David chuckled as he used a freezing spell to chill the butterbeer.
Soon after, the house-elves brought the ingredients. By then, the broth was bubbling, ready for cooking.
David made a simple dipping sauce using chili oil and sesame paste, then started placing ingredients into the cauldron.
Using Transfiguration, he conjured a set of clamps to help them retrieve the cooked food, knowing they weren't familiar with chopsticks.
With the limited ingredients available, he couldn't make a variety of dipping sauces, but they would have to prepare themselves for the burning sensation tomorrow.
At first, Cedric, George, and Fred hesitated, watching as David dipped thin slices of beef and mutton into the chili oil and devoured them.
Unable to resist, they picked up their own pieces of meat with forks, dipped them in sauce, and took a bite.
A moment later, their eyes lit up.
"This is incredible!" George exclaimed, immediately fishing out more meat from the bubbling broth.
Fred and Cedric followed suit, shoveling food onto their plates, unable to stop themselves.
"Can you slow down and eat some vegetables? Eating only meat isn't good for your stomach," David complained, feeling pressured by their ravenous appetites.
Burping, George picked up another piece of meat and grinned.
"My stomach is perfectly fine. If yours isn't, you should eat more vegetables," he teased.
Cedric, seeing that there wasn't much meat left but still feeling hungry, turned to one of the house-elves.
"Nelly, can you bring us some more beef and mutton?" he asked eagerly.
The house-elf nodded and disappeared, quickly returning with a fresh plate of thinly sliced meat.
The four of them continued eating, laughing, and enjoying the warmth of the spicy broth.
David leaned back with a satisfied sigh. It wasn't exactly like home, but it was close enough.
For one afternoon, in the heart of Hogwarts, surrounded by friends, he had managed to bring a piece of his world into theirs.
And judging by the way the others were devouring their food, it wouldn't be the last time they had hot pot together.
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