The Magical Food God of Hogwarts

Chapter 109 The Lament of a Loser (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

In the auditorium, hundreds of teachers and students raised their glasses to pay tribute to Lucas McGregor, the genius chef who cooked the delicious food for them!

Even those who didn't want to raise a glass were compelled to do so by the encouragement of the teachers and students around them.

Take Draco Malfoy, for example.

Goyle and Crabbe on either side of him were eating heartily, their mouths greasy, and they stood up to raise their glasses in celebration. Malfoy, on the other hand, was angry at himself for being too slow in giving the order and failing to stop the two fat pigs, while suppressing his overflowing saliva and turning his head away resolutely, refusing to eat a single bite.

It's just vegetables grown in mud, what's so delicious about them? It's an insult to my noble lineage.

However, when he turned his head to look around, he saw that his classmates, who considered themselves of noble lineage, had already raised their knives and forks. Their movements were very elegant, but their speed was not slow at all. The two ducks were completely devoured, and they didn't even say a polite question like, "Do you want to eat this last piece?"

The little snakes were full of praise, discussing the amazing dish and then going on to talk about how it was at their own banquet last time. Malfoy could only sit there, drooling and sulking.

I should have taken a bite. I could have used that opportunity to talk about my family's estate dinner and all those celebrity guests... *slurp*... It was just for social purposes, not because McGregor's cooking was delicious... *slurp*

Malfoy became even more depressed when all the teachers and students raised their glasses together.

He could only grit his teeth and stand up, picking up the cup with the most standard aristocratic etiquette, feeling his cheeks twitching.

He remembered his father's instructions to be friendly to McGregor—

But I didn't get to eat anything, and I still had to raise a glass. I really lost out!

Next time, I absolutely have to go for a couple of big gulps!

His gaze swept across the Gryffindor table, where Harry Potter was jumping the highest, utterly rude but full of excitement, as if he were the one being greeted by the entire school.

Unable to vent his frustrations with Lucas, he ultimately took it all out on Harry Potter.

That wretched Harry Potty!

If he hadn't been so shameless and rejected our family's kind offer, there wouldn't have been the McGregor incident!

Moreover, Malfoy discovered that he and Harry Potter were fundamentally incompatible; he found them utterly repulsive, to the point that he no longer cared about his father's often-quoted advice: "When most people like someone, it's unwise not to pretend you like them."

Scarface is my nemesis!

Among all the teachers and students, there are bound to be a few who, out of jealousy, rebellion, inferiority, or hostility, are unwilling to raise their glasses, but they cannot change everyone's amazement and praise.

Hundreds of golden cups were raised in the candlelight, forming a shimmering river. At this moment, the entire Hogwarts raised a toast to a first-year student and the delicious food he had created.

"A toast to Lucas McGregor!"

In that instant, Lucas suddenly had a flash of inspiration. The two spells, "Blazing Flames" and "Tendon-Pulling," which he had practiced in the kitchen for a long time but could only say he had successfully cast and was still far from being proficient, flashed through his mind like lightning. The key points, casting techniques, and successful insights were clearly and without omission in his mind.

The awkwardness completely faded, and Lucas was filled with an inexplicable and unstoppable confidence.

These two spells are no challenge for me!

With a sense of unease about this feeling of elation, Lucas also stood up and raised his glass above his head.

"Thank you all for your support. This wasn't just my creation; I also benefited from the help of the house-elves in my kitchen."

""

"So let us all toast Hogwarts!"

The cheers from the teachers and students grew even louder.

"Homage to Hogwarts!"

Dumbledore's light blue eyes gleamed behind his glasses. Professor Sprout drank the pumpkin juice in his glass and looked at Lucas with a smile.

What a humble child, the perfect Hufflepuff! Of course, it would be great if he were a little luckier and didn't encounter so many strange things.

Professor McGonagall was pursing her lips, gazing intently at Lucas.

"Lucas, next time you go to the kitchen, can you take me with you?" Hannah pleaded, feeling extremely annoyed at missing Lucas's culinary creation process.

Susan asked with great curiosity, "So what's the name of this dish?"

"Eight Treasures Gourd Duck. Right?" Before Lucas could answer, a sweet female voice suddenly interrupted. The young wizards were startled and turned to look, where they saw a gentle and charming senior with black hair and black eyes, who smiled slightly at them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lucas." This senior student had actually come over from the Ravenclaw table. She extended her hand to shake Lucas's hand. "My name is Cho Chang, and I'm from China."

She smiled, her eyes crinkling, "I've had this dish a few times back in my hometown, but without a doubt, your Eight Treasure Gourd Duck is the best I've ever had. It's just that the filling seems a little different?"

Lucas froze, a flood of memories rushing to his mind—memories that lingered deep within his soul, memories that haunted his dreams.

A piece of fertile land.

Foreign lands, ancient European castles, ancient Chinese territories, and yet, people still come?

Lucas was stunned. He stared at Zhang Qiu, which surprised Zhang Qiu, who then shyly avoided his gaze.

Hannah looked at Cho Chang, then at Lucas, and suddenly became anxious. She tugged hard at Lucas's sleeve, finally bringing him back to his senses.

Lucas coughed lightly: "That's right, there's no glutinous rice here, nor red dates, lotus seeds, ginkgo nuts, shiitake mushrooms, or diced bamboo shoots... I have to find substitutes. It seems that using chestnut mushrooms, dried apricots, and diced apples works quite well, but using mashed potatoes instead of glutinous rice is still a bit lacking."

Zhang Qiu smiled: "I've heard about you before, you genius chef, but I didn't expect you to have such a deep understanding of Chinese cuisine. If you need glutinous rice, I can have my family send some over."

Lucas's eyes lit up: "Thank you so much! Once I've made the dishes, I'll definitely invite you to try them together."

Hannah immediately exclaimed, "Me too! I want to try some!"

Zhang Qiu chuckled and asked, "Lucas, who taught you how to cook Chinese food?"

"It's a family tradition, I guess," Lucas said casually. He was more curious, "Qiu, why did you come to Hogwarts? Shouldn't you have gone to a magic school in China?"

Zhang Qiu sat down directly in the empty chair next to Lucas.

"Lucas, you may have heard that the connection between the Chinese magical community and the magical world was not smooth, and was completely cut off for hundreds of years."

"At the beginning of this century, the Chinese magical community re-established connections with the international magical world. In 1932, Liu Tao, the Minister of Magic of China, even ran as one of the three candidates for the presidency of the International Wizarding Federation."

"Unfortunately, Grindelwald messed up that conference, and Minister Liu ultimately failed to be elected. Later, the Chinese wizarding community lost contact again, and it wasn't until more than a decade ago that they reconnected with the international wizarding world."

"According to official arrangements, the Chinese magical community will be permanently integrated with the international magical world. As part of the reform, the Chinese magical community has begun to send students and exchange students to magic schools certified by the International Wizarding Federation."

"As far as I know, the British Ministry of Magic has also sent young wizards to study in the Kunlun Holy Land in China."

"And me," Zhang Qiu blinked, "I'm the exchange student sent to Hogwarts by the Chinese Ministry of Magic."

Wow! The first-year wizards around were all listening intently and couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

Hannah even forgot her own position and asked curiously, "I've heard there are so many wizards in China, as many as in all of Europe combined! How were you chosen? Did you have to go through a lot of tests? Or did you have to defeat some kind of monster?"

Zhang Qiu covered her mouth and laughed: "No, I think I was selected purely because my English is good enough. I got a 7 on my IELTS mock test!"

She then turned to Lucas: "I think Hogwarts is great in every way, except for the food... or rather, it's a common problem in the British wizarding world. I have a friend who studied in France, and the food at Beauxbatons was quite good. I never expected Hogwarts to produce a genius chef, especially one who's very knowledgeable about Chinese cuisine. Perhaps you can transform the culinary standards of the British wizarding world in the future!"

"Thank you for your kind words." Lucas said with longing and excitement, "In fact, I would love to have the opportunity to visit China. What unique delicacies will the Chinese magical world have on this land that has given birth to so many delicious foods? I'm really looking forward to it."

It seems my vision was too narrow before. The British magical world is ultimately just one corner of this magical world. In the future, I want to cross five continents and four oceans, travel all over the world, and experience the unique culinary delights of different places. I wonder if I can achieve this even if I dedicate my entire life to it?

The road ahead is long and arduous, but I will persevere in my pursuit. The magical culinary journey has no end, making it truly something to look forward to!

However, a great tree grows from a tiny sprout. I must lay a solid foundation here, at Hogwarts, before I can eventually go global.

First, thoroughly understand "Hufflepuff's Kitchen Notes"!

"If you'd like, you can visit China during the summer vacation," Zhang Qiu said with a bright smile. "I can be your tour guide. The Chinese magical community has just opened up and is very welcoming to international friends. You'll definitely find your trip worthwhile."

Hannah was getting anxious. How could Lucas be going to China with Zhang Qiu after only a few words?

Then she thought that her parents would definitely not agree to her going to China with Lucas, and she stammered for a long time without being able to say anything. Susan next to her leaned on her shoulder and whispered in her ear.

"Oh no! First there was the Dragonfire Rose from the McFast family, and now this gentle senior from the mysterious ancient kingdom... Hannah, we've been through so much together, we can't let ourselves be humiliated! Yes, cheer up! Okay, well done!"

Hannah felt greatly encouraged, her heart pounding like a battle drum, and her face flushed crimson. She tossed her head, braided her hair into a shimmering golden plait, and was about to shout, "Zhang Qiu, I—"

Zhang Qiu, beaming with smiles, bid farewell to Lucas and gracefully left. Lucas also stood up.

Hannah immediately deflated, her voice dropping drastically: "Lucas, where are you going?"

"Ellie hasn't eaten yet," Lucas said hurriedly. "I left some food in the kitchen; I'll take it to her."

Hannah hurriedly followed, saying, "Wait for me, I'm coming too!"

Susan sighed sadly, "How jarring is the wailing of a defeated dog."

Lucas and Hannah brought Ellie food, and the three friends had barely exchanged a few words when Mrs. Pomfrey told them to leave. It seemed she was determined not to let Lucas and Ellie stay together for too long.

"These two nights are crucial!" Mrs. Pomfrey said seriously. "As long as Ellie gets enough sleep and fully digests the iron supplements, she will definitely be able to be discharged on Monday morning."

She completely ignored Ellie's mutterings about wanting to be discharged Monday noon, staring at Lucas as if he were a ticking time bomb: "So, nobody can bother her, especially you!"

So Lucas had no choice but to back down and return to Hufflepuff's common room.

Hannah had suggested playing a card game called "Bomb Bomb" together, but Lucas had other things to do and went back to his room first.

He thought and thought, carefully choosing his words, and wrote a letter that was neither too long nor too short. He then told Pepper who the letter was to be delivered to and entrusted it to deliver it carefully.

"Great, here we go again! Sending you love letters in the middle of the night!" Pepper was furious. "No way! I'm a raven, not an owl! Those owls stay up all night, they're all so excited, why don't you ask them to deliver your messages?"

"Seriously, this isn't a love letter. Thea is my good friend, and I want to know how she's doing." Lucas tried to reassure her. "Good Pepper. Aren't you the only one with such amazing abilities who could find the centaur tribe? I dare say, no one in all of Hogwarts has your skills."

Pepper hummed and sang, "Go on, clap a few more times, I love to hear it."

"All petrified one "6

Pepper shot out of the window like an arrow, cursing and swearing, with Luca calling softly behind him.

"Be discreet! Be careful, make sure the letter reaches Thea!"

"Got it, you idiot with lust in your head, you pervert who's into bestiality."

Pepper rolled her eyes: "How could I not be careful? If the centaurs find out you're fucking crazy and trying to seduce a mare, they'll shoot me into a pincushion in no time, okay? I curse you to be dragged out of Hogwarts by the centaur tribe tomorrow morning, your ass full of arrows, and sunk into the Black Lake..."

,

When Ernie returned to the room, Lucas had already picked up "Hufflepuff's Kitchen Notebook" and was studying it.

A few hours later, at midnight, while Ernie was fast asleep, Lucas, who had just finished organizing the table of contents for "Kitchen Notes," suddenly heard the familiar sound of wings flapping.

Pepper is back so quickly!

On Sunday morning, Hogwarts was shrouded in a thick fog.

Lucas had gotten up early and was now wrapped in a robe, carrying a food box, jogging past the startled portraits and armor, out of the castle gates, across the dew-covered grass, and toward the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

He came to a sparsely wooded clearing, the place where he had met with Fizeren and Thea during the summer vacation.

Lucas looked out, but the entire Forbidden Forest was shrouded in mist, the trees indistinct and unclear. Only the occasional clear bird song added to the tranquility.

"Thea?" Lucas called softly.

The sound of a dry branch breaking came softly, and a slender, graceful figure emerged from the mist.

Lucas stared intently, momentarily forgetting to breathe.