A day at Hogwarts.

Chapter 669 They all fell down

After completing two major projects in a row, Charles was finally able to take a breather this weekend.

He used the excuse of company business to ask Professor McGonagall for leave via his communication laptop, and was quickly granted permission.

Charles didn't return to Hogwarts until Sunday evening, and after that day he spent all his free time at the Oil Painting Society, continuing to adjust the large-scale recipe model.

This new product, which uses oil painting as its medium and Hatsune Miku as its interactive interface, was considered successful in its initial testing. It could quickly generate recipes with clear steps based on the ingredients. However, the "zucchini stewed with eggplant" that Umbridge produced during the test made Charles feel that there were still many problems.

He cast a testing spell on the oil painting, and a verdant halo enveloped the canvas. After in-depth testing, the problem surfaced: the model's weight for the "taste" variable was set too low, with its priority lagging far behind the basic edibility and operability.

In the absence of clear flavor instructions, the principle of generating recipes is limited to "theoretically non-toxic and edible" and "can be cooked in terms of steps", completely disregarding whether the finished product is a delicacy or unpalatable pig feed.

This situation clearly deviates from the principles of cooking and ignores the human instinct to crave delicious food.

Charles began to focus intently on readjusting the parameters and calculation logic, embedding "basic flavor adaptation" and "flavor balance" as default premises into the calculations for each recipe generation.

A few days later, Charles kept staring at Hermione Granger throughout dinner, making her feel uneasy.

"What mischief are you thinking about?" Hermione asked, pouting, afraid that she would be tricked again.

Charles said, "I'd like to ask you for a favor later; it would be a really good thing."

Hermione was skeptical, but after dinner she followed Charles to the painting society.

"You want me to be a tester again?" Hermione sighed and put down the book that was almost up to her chin, looking at the familiar magical oil painting.

In the painting, Hatsune Miku, dressed in a white chef's robe, smiles slightly at her. The kitchen in the background is spotless, and the virtual kitchen utensils shine, creating an almost unreal sense of perfection.

“The improved version needs real user feedback,” Charles said, tapping the picture frame with his wand. “Enter the first ingredient that comes to mind, the one that seems least likely to go with the picture.”

Hermione raised an eyebrow, and casually said with a hint of provocation, "Then, vinegar and beef."

"I don't believe that these two things can produce anything edible."

A slight smile played on her lips, as if she were testing an unsolvable puzzle.

Charles laughed and said, "Perhaps it's just that you don't like it."

As the two spoke, data streams flashed in Hatsune Miku's eyes, and after a moment she responded in a crisp electronic voice: "Ingredients detected: vinegar, beef."

"Recipe calculation in progress... Generation complete."

Recommended dish: Braised beef in vinegar, with a German-style sour and savory flavor.

Detailed recipe subtitles unfold on one side of the canvas, while Hatsune Miku's silhouette simultaneously demonstrates each step.

Remove the beef, which has been marinated in red wine vinegar and spices for 5 days, pat it dry, and sear it in hot oil until all sides are deep brown and fragrant. Sauté the vegetables from the marinade in the same pan, then pour in the strained, tangy marinade to remove any glaze. Return the beef to the pan, add spices, and pour in enough broth to half-submerge the meat. Simmer over low heat for nearly 3 hours until tender and juicy, with a fork tweezers. Let it rest, then slice it and simmer briefly in a thick sauce infused with raisins and crushed gingerbread. This allows each slice of beef to be coated in a tangy, slightly sweet, and glossy German sauce. Finally, it is served with fluffy potato balls and crimson cabbage, creating a classic accompaniment.

Hermione's initially dismissive expression gradually changed.

She leaned closer to the canvas, studying the steps meticulously. Especially when she saw the long marinating time and the complex use of spices, her innate love of challenge and thirst for knowledge was fully ignited, along with a flicker of competitive spirit. "So that's how it is... using the acidity of vinegar to soften the meat, combining it with spices to create layers of flavor, and finally balancing it with sweet elements..."

She murmured to herself as she followed Hatsune's explanation, a familiar light shining in her eyes—a confident gleam of "I understand, I can do it," a radiance Charles often saw in her sternness after professors demonstrated spells in class.

“It doesn’t look too difficult.” Hermione straightened up, hands on her hips. “The steps are very clear, I think I can give it a try.”

The determination shining in her eyes suggested that making a good pot of braised beef with vinegar would earn her extra points.

Charles glanced at Hermione, seemingly unaware that the girl had any cooking experience, at most working as an assistant in the kitchen.

But he thought of Hermione's performance in Potions class, and since "medicine and food share the same origin," he should be able to do well.

“You can give it a try,” Charles said with a hint of anticipation.

Five days later, in the Gryffindor Tower, an unusually complex aroma wafted from Charles's dormitory—the sharpness of vinegar, the richness of spices, and the mellow fragrance of stewed meat intertwined and permeated the air, drawing the attention of passing students.

In front of Hermione was a huge stew pot borrowed from the kitchen, filled with German-style braised beef in vinegar, which had been marinated, seared, simmered for a long time, and carefully reduced in sauce.

She invited her roommates Lavender, Parvati, and Ginny to the boys' dormitory, and all the other fifth-year boys naturally came as well, along with the Weasley twins and their best buddies.

The crowd gathered around the pot, their expressions varied, a mixture of anticipation and unease filling the air.

"Hermione, you really made it?" Ron sniffed, his eyes fixed on the beef, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily. "This taste... is really good."

“This is authentic German style!” Hermione confidently served the beef and sauce to everyone. “It’s sure to be delicious.”

Everyone sensed her confidence and, coupled with her reputation for exceptional intelligence, lowered their guard and accepted the bowl.

Under Hermione's expectant gaze, everyone (except Charles) began to eat.

An eerie silence fell over the dormitory, broken only by the sounds of chewing and breathing.

Half an hour later, the Hogwarts infirmary saw an unusual surge in patients seeking treatment for non-magical injuries.

With a stern face, Madam Pomfrey forced a group of students suffering from "severe gastrointestinal discomfort, temporary taste disturbance, and hallucinations due to unknown culinary products" to drink a whole host of potions, including potent digestive potions and taste restoration potions.

“Miss Granger,” she examined Ron’s green face and said sternly, “I hope that next time you… do your extracurricular activities, you’ll stay away from the kitchen, or at least choose a milder recipe.”

Hermione lay on the bed next door, her face beneath the sheet a mixture of shame and indignation.

She glared at the doorway, where Charles stood with the curious Ruby beside him.

When Hermione brought the pot of beef into the kitchen, Ruby immediately ran away, alerting Charles so he didn't eat it.

Now, Ruby's eyes were filled with unprecedented confusion. The poisoning of the students this time was too strange; her tears could not cure them. This had never happened before.

Charles was also puzzled. There was nothing wrong with the ingredients of that pot of beef, and Hermione's cooking was the same, so why did it make everyone sick? Could it be that it was simply bad?
(End of this chapter)