Qin Yu had a very deliberate reason for bringing a whole group along to Hagrid's hut.
It was all about camouflage.
If he went to see Hagrid alone, he could certainly pry out details about the Forbidden Forest incident. But if anyone with sharp eyes happened to notice, it would only invite unnecessary suspicion. Far better to show up with friends in tow—nothing suspicious about a bunch of students eager for a snack.
And if nothing else, Hagrid was genuinely delighted to see them all.
Especially when he heard they wanted to sample his latest rock cake experiment—Hagrid's booming laughter rattled their eardrums and sent birds scattering from the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
"Ha! Brilliant, brilliant! I was just thinking of inviting you lot over for a taste test in a few days, but here you are! I'll get started right away!" Hagrid beamed, rolling up his sleeves.
He seemed blissfully unaware that "uninvited guests" might be considered rude. But Qin Yu could feel how truly happy Hagrid was to have them—manners, in this case, were the last thing that mattered.
Hagrid set Qin Yu to making tea while he rummaged around in the shed beside the hut. Just as Qin Yu finished pouring out five steaming mugs, Hagrid reappeared, hefting a massive stone mill in his arms.
It was an old-fashioned, hand-cranked quern—used for grinding wheat or rye into flour. The thing was as wide as Qin Yu's shin, and would have been a struggle for any normal person to lift. In Hagrid's hands, it looked like a toy.
Everyone stared, mystified, as Hagrid set the mill down with a thud.
"Hagrid, aren't you making dinner? What's that thing for?" Harry asked, wide-eyed.
"This is the secret to my new rock cake recipe!" Hagrid announced proudly.
Qin Yu had a faint idea what he was up to, but he'd never seen such a primitive kitchen tool in action. Still, he grinned and encouraged, "Well, let's see your skills! We're ready to be amazed!"
"Won't take long—just you wait!" Hagrid said, positioning the mill atop a huge wooden stump outside.
He disappeared inside, returning with a pile of rock cakes, which he promptly broke into chunks.
Then, with all the gravitas of a master chef, Hagrid began feeding the cake pieces into the mill's center and cranking the handle.
Whirr, creak, whirr, creak!
Soon, a flurry of powder—like grayish snow—began sifting from the edge of the mill.
Everyone, including Qin Yu, watched in fascination. None of them had ever used a stone mill before, though they'd heard that upper-year Potions sometimes called for one to grind rare ingredients. There was something mesmerizing about the process—almost magical in itself.
Qin Yu understood perfectly. In his previous life, he could spend ages watching videos of carpet cleaning or horseshoe trimming—oddly satisfying, just like this.
"Let me have a go, Hagrid!" Qin Yu finally blurted, rubbing his hands together.
Hagrid was only too happy to oblige, stepping aside with a grin.
Qin Yu sat down, gripped the handle, and gave it a confident twist.
Heavy! (￣△￣;)
When Hagrid did it, the mill spun as if enchanted. But in Qin Yu's hands, it groaned and resisted, barely moving.
No helping it—a giant's strength was in a league of its own, and Qin Yu was still just a growing boy.
But a young wizard's pride is a stubborn thing. He gritted his teeth, counted out twenty slow rotations, then stood up, dusted off his hands, and declared, "Not bad—not too hard."
"My turn!"
"Let me try! Me too!" Harry and Ron jostled to take a crack at it.
"So heavy! I can't even budge it!"
"Ugh—no chance!" Both boys strained with all their might, managing only a few creaks.
Qin Yu felt much better, shaking out his aching arms as he went to see what Hagrid would do with the newly ground "rock cake flour."
Hagrid was in his element—he lit a fire, boiled water, dumped in the powder, then added salt, pepper, cinnamon, and a mysterious homemade sauce (which Qin Yu guessed might be meat stock). After a vigorous stir and another rolling boil, Hagrid wore a triumphant smile.
That's… it?
"How about some chopped scallions?" Qin Yu suggested gently, thinking the recipe seemed a bit too simple.
"Brilliant idea!" Hagrid's eyes lit up, and he started for the door.
"I'll fetch them—keep an eye on your pot, or it'll burn," Qin Yu volunteered, heading for the vegetable patch.
The warm weather had coaxed up rows of green—mainly pumpkins and potatoes, but a small corner was reserved for scallions, thanks to Qin Yu's lobbying last year.
He tiptoed around fuzzy pumpkin seedlings, sidestepped slender-stemmed peppers and tomatoes, and reached the scallion patch.
Pluck, pluck, pluck—he quickly gathered a generous handful, washed them, and chopped them fine.
He tossed the scallions into Hagrid's enormous pot, giving it a stir. Instantly, a savory, oniony fragrance filled the air.
Gulp!
Hagrid couldn't help but swallow loudly.
"Smells good~" murmured Hermione, leaning over Qin Yu's shoulder, her judgment short and sweet.
"Dinner's ready!" Qin Yu called, his own stomach rumbling.
Harry and Ron were still wrestling with the stone mill, managing a rhythm between them, while Adam carefully collected the flour—already half a bowl's worth. Their teamwork was surprisingly effective.
…
They gathered around the table—one large bowl and five smaller ones, each filled with Hagrid's latest culinary creation.
It was a dark, mysterious porridge, streaked with bright green scallions, radiating an aura of… uncertainty.
Hagrid, undaunted, took the first bite, beaming and giving a hearty thumbs-up.
Everyone else ignored Hagrid's review and looked straight at Qin Yu. Hermione even blinked her clear brown eyes at him, expectant.
"Tsk, you lot…" Qin Yu muttered. So he was the official taste-tester now?
He pinched the little witch's cheek in mock annoyance, but he'd watched every step of Hagrid's process—there was nothing to worry about.
He took a measured spoonful, tasted it, and closed his eyes to savor.
"Hmm… not bad at all."
Even with his Eastern palate, it was quite decent—he gave an honest verdict.
Everyone else heaved a sigh of relief and dug in, soon sporting porridge mustaches.
Naturally, the conversation turned to last night's commotion in the Forbidden Forest.
Qin Yu didn't even need to steer the topic—Hagrid spilled everything he'd discovered, eager as ever to share.
It left Qin Yu both satisfied and a little concerned. Satisfied, because his goal was achieved with almost no effort. Concerned, because Hagrid really couldn't keep a secret—at least, not from those he trusted.
I'll have to remind him to be more careful in the future, Qin Yu thought to himself.
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