After reaching an agreement with Professor Sprout, Allen obtained a bag full of 1.5-meter-high larvae of biting cabbages.
The larvae of biting cabbage cannot be stored for long, so Allen planned to make all of them into rock candy biting cabbage at once. A small portion would also be made into crispy biting cabbage for variety.
"Do you need help? Isn't it hard to carry such a large bag?" Professor Sprout asked.
"No, it's easy," Allen replied, grabbing the bag containing nearly a thousand biting cabbage larvae with one hand. He planned to head straight to the kitchen.
"You're really strong. I think you're quite suitable for further studies in subjects like Herbology and Magical Zoology," Professor Sprout remarked, her teacher's instinct suddenly kicking in after seeing Allen's performance.
"You're right. I really like magical plants and magical creatures—especially exploring flavors from the 'Five and Seven Masters' and using them in cooking," Allen said seriously.
"Hahaha," Professor Sprout chuckled at Allen's remark. "Then you have to work hard. Without enough knowledge, it'll be difficult not only to challenge Dumbledore, but even to handle some magical creatures."
"Thank you for the encouragement. I'll get going now. Once the candy is ready, I'll ask the house-elves to deliver some to both of you."
Allen was about to leave with the bag of biting cabbages, but suddenly turned around as if he remembered something.
"Should I deliver all the candy to the greenhouse, or divide it into two portions and send one to your office?"
"Send it to the greenhouse, kid," Professor Sprout said quickly.
"No, no, divide it into two and send one to our office," Professor McGonagall interjected. "Go on, the house-elves at Hogwarts know where our offices are."
Hearing the conflicting requests from the two professors, Allen raised his eyebrows, gave a polite nod, and turned to leave.
"Pomona, you're so sneaky," Professor McGonagall teased, "When there's something delicious, you suddenly think of me."
"Hmph, I don't believe it. You only thought of me because you needed something," Professor Sprout replied. "If I had known earlier, I would've told Cecil in secret. After all, the ingredients came from me, so the final product should naturally be delivered to me."
The two looked at each other and suddenly said in unison, "Anyway, it must be kept secret."
"No problem. This kind of wonderful candy isn't enough for everyone anyway. If they don't mention it, we certainly won't remind them," Professor Sprout declared righteously.
Thus, the spread of Allen's candy among the professors was quietly monopolized by Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout.
Back in the kitchen, the house-elves were busy preparing lunch.
The house-elves' main task is to cook for the nearly one thousand students and staff members at the school. Meals are a top priority, so the elves are always hard at work.
The house-elf in charge, named Kelly, noticed Allen's arrival and hurried over to greet him.
"Is Mr. Cecil here for lunch? I'll arrange whatever you want to eat."
"I'm not here to eat—I need your help," Allen said, setting down the bag full of biting cabbage larvae. "I was hoping you could help me process some of these biting cabbages during your spare time."
There were simply too many biting cabbages. Processing them all by himself would take Allen far too long, so he hoped the house-elves could lend a hand. After all, they were used to handling ingredients. Asking them for help with this wouldn't be a big burden—and Allen's all-purpose seasoning recipe wasn't so easy to come by.
"Biting cabbage?" Kelly asked, her eyes widening in confusion. "We don't know how to handle it."
"I'll show you," Allen said. He took one of the biting cabbage larvae from the bag, picked up a table knife, and skillfully stabbed it into the creature's mouth. With a slight twist, he removed the teeth and scooped out the internal organs.
"Like this. It's very simple," Allen demonstrated.
"I've got it!" Kelly nodded enthusiastically. "Can we use magic to speed things up? If we do, we can probably finish everything before dinner."
"Of course," Allen agreed, pleased by the efficiency of the house-elves. As expected, having such perfect helpers was truly a blessing.
"By the way," Allen suddenly asked, "how did the all-purpose seasoning recipe I gave you turn out?"
"Excellent!" Kelly exclaimed, practically jumping with joy. "The feedback has been wonderful! Thank you so much for the recipe, Mr. Cecil."
"You're welcome. I'm happy I could help," Allen replied.
Afterward, Allen chatted with Kelly for a while, mostly about the history of house-elves, occasionally slipping in subtle praise for Dumbledore to deepen their goodwill.
By the time he finished, it was already lunchtime. Allen, who had been busy all morning, felt his stomach rumble.
"I'm starving," he muttered. "But I don't want to eat in the Great Hall. I want to treat myself to something better."
Touching his stomach, Allen thought for a moment, then left the castle.
Outside, the dazzling sunlight bathed the world in gold. Just looking at it gave the illusion of being scorched.
This small increase in temperature didn't affect Allen at all. After all, he had faced dragon fire—far more terrifying than mere sunlight. Besides, although he wore the standard school uniform and robe, the custom-tailored high-end clothing he wore underneath allowed him to regulate his temperature with ease.
And so, Allen stepped out into the sun, planning to take a stroll near the castle.
He wouldn't go to the Forbidden Forest—at least, not during the day. If you're going to break the rules, you shouldn't do it so openly. Let others suspect you, but never give them proof. That was Allen's rule.
So, his destination was the nearby outer forest—Forest 2.6.
Though this forest was connected to the Forbidden Forest, it wasn't officially considered part of it. Students were allowed to walk and explore here freely.
Of course, no one would normally choose to walk around here under the blazing sun. Most would come during the cooler evenings.
"Let's see if I can find some ingredients by the roadside," Allen mused, walking along a path just outside the woods while keeping a careful eye on the undergrowth.
Suddenly, something stirred beneath a tree in the nearby grass.
Allen's eyes lit up. Perhaps there was prey nearby?
But the movement was small and subtle—too gentle to be an animal. Quietly, Allen crept closer, pushed aside the grass, and found...
A small, brightly colored mushroom.
At first glance, that was all it was. But something about these little mushrooms was unusual.
They weren't just any mushrooms.
Allen crouched down to examine them more closely. The mushroom's cap was an almost luminous orange, dotted with bright blue speckles that shimmered in the light.
Just as he reached out to pick one, the mushroom suddenly… jumped.
Allen blinked. Did it just move?
He touched another—this time more carefully.
Boing!
It bounced away like a spring.
A smile slowly formed on Allen's face. "Jumping Mushrooms…" he whispered. "What a rare find."
These mushrooms were extremely rare ingredients, not only for potion-making but also as a delicacy. When cooked properly, they added a strange but delightful texture—like biting into something that bounced back in your mouth. In some magical recipes, they could be used to enhance agility for a short time.
"I'm in luck today," Allen muttered, quickly taking out a small box from his robe.
He used a gentle levitation charm to corral a few of the mushrooms into the container. They resisted slightly—bouncing around like tiny frogs—but Allen was fast and precise.
"Got you."
He sealed the box and put it away.
It was an unexpected harvest, but a satisfying one.
Stretching slightly, Allen looked around. The sunlight was still strong, and the path ahead shimmered under the heat.
Time to return.
He had candy to check on, jumping mushrooms to cook, and maybe… a recipe idea forming in his mind.
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