HP: Hogwart's Journey

Robert crawled into the wooden barrel and arrived at the common room. It was already past six o'clock, and although it was Saturday, a few upperclassmen were already up. Some were tending to plants, while others were reading books.

Robert dashed in holding a frying pan, which immediately caught the attention of the Hufflepuffs. They curiously watched as this younger student extended the long handle of the frying pan into the fireplace, placing a chunk of white fat inside to melt. He then added dumplings.

"Sizzle..." As the dumplings hit the pan, golden oil splashed up. Robert quickly covered the pan and moved it away from the flames.

It wasn't just the fire in the fireplace that Robert had discovered—it also contained a metal rack! While there was no direct flame, the residual heat was enough to gently crisp the dumplings.

"It smells so good," a senior girl leaned in. "What are you cooking? Bread? And meat?"

"Good morning, Senior," Robert replied, lifting the pan's lid and checking the bottom. The edges of the dumplings had already turned golden. "I'm making fried dumplings."

He removed the pan and placed it on a wooden mat outside the fireplace. "It should be done now. Senior, could you please tell me… where I can find a plate?"

The senior gave him a curious look and then reached to one side of the bookshelf… and pulled out a clean plate.

Robert stood there, stunned.

The senior scratched her head, feeling slightly embarrassed. "You know, they always say that Hufflepuffs are foodies, so we hide the dishes."

Robert's expression turned even more bewildered, and the senior, unbothered, continued confidently, "Knowledge is food for the soul! There's absolutely nothing wrong with putting plates and books together!"

Seeing Robert still standing there, dumbfounded, she stomped her foot. "Well, do you want the plate or not?" she asked, pretending to put the plate back on the bookshelf.

Quickly, Robert grabbed the plate, placed the dumplings on it, and set it down on a nearby desk.

The tempting aroma of the food attracted many Hufflepuffs, and they gathered around to check it out.

"Huh, are these dumplings?" a bespectacled senior leaned over to examine the plate. "What's inside?"

"Meat filling. Want to try one?" Robert offered the plate.

The senior was delighted, picking one up and taking a bite.

"Huh, it's not soft?" She paused, "Hmm, it's a bit firm, a little crispy. What is this? It tastes pretty good though. I think we should suggest adding this to the breakfast menu."

Hearing her praise, Robert happily shared the fried dumplings with the other upperclassmen present.

The senior who had handed him the plate patted Robert's shoulder, still holding half a dumpling in her hand. "Not bad, not bad. You're following our Hufflepuff tradition. I'm Nicole Kilman. Feel free to come to me for anything, especially cooking. I'm pretty confident in that area," she said, proudly lifting her chin as she popped the other half of the dumpling into her mouth.

So, is the Hufflepuff tradition that new students must cook a meal for their seniors?

The first senior to try the dumplings spoke up, "If you're unsure about what herbs—or no, I mean, spices—yes, spices, if you're unsure about your seasonings, you can always ask me!"

"Oh my goodness, Vadina, the greenhouse thief, it's really you!" A purple-haired witch exclaimed, sounding surprised. She was secretly using her thumb and forefinger to pinch the last fried dumpling from the plate and shove it into her mouth, explaining her mumbling.

The senior named Vadina immediately snapped and chased after the other witch. "Nymphadora, apologize!"

"Don't call me Nymphadora!" From afar, it seemed the witch being chased yelled back, "Call me Tonks!"

"Well, anyway, welcome to Hufflepuff," Nicole waved at Robert. "Newbie, would you like me to give you a tour of the school? You know, Hogwarts has 142 staircases, some change direction as you walk up, some suddenly disappear. If you're lucky, you can ask the Fat Friar or Nearly Headless Nick for directions, but as for the other ghosts…" She clicked her tongue. "Anyway, remember, the stairs will help you get to your classrooms quickly so you won't be late. I'm sure you wouldn't want to lose points for tardiness, right?"

Robert nodded obediently, following her footsteps.

Nicole took him on a tour of the proper routes for the stairs, showing him how to find classrooms, restrooms, professors' offices, the hospital wing, the library, and so on. "There are many hidden passages and secret rooms in the castle. If you have time, you can explore those on your own. The route I showed you is just the one I've figured out, but if you're interested, you can always find shortcuts yourself. Of course, if you're hungry, just head to the kitchen. I'm glad you found it on your first day. It proves you're a real Hufflepuff!"

Nicole beamed with pride, but Robert felt confused. Had Hufflepuff students really accepted their "foodie" reputation? 

Had they ever considered Helga Hufflepuff's feelings on the matter? 

Wait, maybe she'd be quite proud of it!

At that moment, Robert checked his experience panel. His housework skills had gone up by 1, now at "Housework Level 0 (2/10)."

Following Nicole, Robert eventually arrived at the greenhouse outside the castle.

"This is our head of house, Professor Sprout," Nicole pointed to the busy figure inside the greenhouse. "Everyone in Hufflepuff is great at Herbology. If you're interested in these magical plants, I suggest you visit the greenhouse often."

At that moment, the plump witch inside seemed to finish her tasks. She clapped her gloved hands together, looking up, and her gaze landed on the two little badgers.

"Miss Kilman," the witch greeted them with a big, warm smile, looking very kind. "Are you here to check on that magical plant of yours?"

Nicole walked forward. "Yes, Professor, I've been worried about it all summer. By the way, this is Robert Leslie, a new Hufflepuff this year. He's quite good with cooking."

Robert watched in surprise as the kind middle-aged witch's eyes suddenly flashed with caution when she heard the words "good with cooking."

"Mew, meow, meow?" Robert stood there, baffled. "My dear seniors, what exactly have you all done to the plants that Professor Sprout has so carefully nurtured, to make her react like this?"

(End of Chapter)