Chapter 202: Alchemical Creation?
Holding Scabbers, Dylan took it directly into his Space. Scabbers squealed and thrashed in Dylan's hand. Dylan, however, led it straight to the island teeming with Dementors. Though it was afternoon, the light on this island was a sickly, pallid white.
The sea beneath the grey-blue sky above the island gleamed with a cold, silver light. Dylan gripped Scabbers' fur tightly with three fingers at the back of its neck, ignoring its struggles.
Once they reached the island, the rat seemed to sense something. Its entire body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Meanwhile, sensing their master's arrival, grey, shadowy Dementors, dragging their tattered cloaks, glided from the distant mist. Scabbers stared at them, its struggling and trembling body stiffening abruptly. Its round eyes reflected the approaching monsters.
"Squeak—!!!" The next moment, it let out a sharp shriek, which abruptly cut off as the Dementor moved closer.
How could this be? How could this be?! Where did this little brat take him?! Why are there so many Dementors here!!
Run, you idiot!
Peter Pettigrew screamed in his mind. Yet, Dylan stood still, as if he were blind and hadn't seen the terrifying monsters at all.
You fool! If he dies, how am I going to get out of here?! Peter Pettigrew cursed silently, but dared not move, fearing that acting too human would draw the Dementors' attention.
Don't panic, don't panic... I'm just a rat, Dementors won't suck my brains out... Peter Pettigrew shivered slightly but dared not make any large movements. He even tucked his head in, trying to be an ostrich.
Seven Dementors swooped down, accelerating. —They dared not be negligent. Soon, a small squad of black-robed figures lined up on the beach. Little 'a' through little 'g' stood in a horizontal row in front of Dylan.
The sea breeze blew, carrying a chilling and salty scent. Little 'a', at the front, bowed its hunched body first, its hollow face drawing near.
The hair on the rat's back in Dylan's hand stood on end. Just as he was cursing Dylan, wishing the idiot would have his soul eaten by a Dementor, he, who had been playing dead, realized that the Dementor completely ignored Dylan, a living human! Instead, it came straight for him! Bone-chilling cold spread wildly through his body!
"Squeak!" Scabbers shrieked abruptly, but it cut off as the Dementor drew close.
"Just a little is enough, don't eat too much," Dylan warned little 'a'.
Little 'a' nodded repeatedly, but after sucking for a long time, it felt like there was nothing to eat at all. —And the remaining memories tasted awful. But it didn't dare to explain the situation to its owner, who occasionally transformed into a monster covered in eyes, scaring them. It could only stiffly pull at the dead rat's emotions and swallow them. —Indeed, just an animal, not as tasty as a human at all.
After letting the seven Dementors take turns feeding, Dylan finally removed the unconscious rat from their mouths. "Alright, go soak in the dead water." Dylan waved his hand. The Dementors dispersed as if pardoned.
Dylan vanished from the suitcase space. Scabbers lay limp in his palm. Dylan chuckled softly. "Obliviate!" His wand waved. Scabbers' whiskers twitched as it lay unconscious. He merely made it forget the memories of being in his world.
Then, Dylan casually tossed Scabbers onto Ron's bed. He then used a spell to restrain it, to prevent it from running off. After that, Dylan did not re-enter his space. Instead, after throwing some food to his pets, he sat in his dormitory chair and began reading.
...
It wasn't until dinner time that he carried Scabbers to the Great Hall again. By this time, Ron and Harry had also returned from the library. It seemed they had finished "referencing" their homework.
After scraping the last bit of creamy seafood porridge from his plate with his knife, Dylan unfolded his napkin, wiped his mouth, and reached for a small dessert. Suddenly, Ron nudged him, winking. "Hey, Dylan, over there!"
As Ron spoke, Dylan looked up in the direction he pointed. At that moment, Luna, her seaweed-like platinum-blonde hair swaying, was walking from the Ravenclaw long table. This time, her earrings were not carrots, but tiny, unknown insect specimens.
"Your bread roll seems to be winking at me," Luna said as she approached Dylan, looking at the butter roll in his hand, a slight smile on her lips. "Does it want to become a raven and go see the Whomping Willow bloom?"
Ron looked confused. He looked at the bread roll in Dylan's hand, then at the girl others called 'Loony'. He was puzzled. What did a bread roll have to do with a raven?
Sure enough, this girl really is a bit crazy... What she says makes no sense at all.
Meanwhile, Hermione, sitting opposite them, glanced over. Then she lifted her head and eyed Ron sideways. Ron gave an awkward chuckle. But to his surprise, Dylan popped the bread roll into his mouth, then, with puffed cheeks, actually replied to Luna. "Rather than a flying bread, I'd rather know if the secret oven in the Hufflepuff common room you mentioned really exists."
Luna looked at Dylan's puffed, chewing cheeks, finding it somehow endearingly cute. She paused slightly, then said earnestly, "Of course. I saw it last time."
"Secret oven?" Ron was again startled. "What's that?" Harry also blinked.
Luna replied, "A very magical oven. Last time, I used it to bake a rock cake with feathers. It could even fly, just not very far."
"Because the rock cake was too heavy?"
Luna nodded. "Yes."
Ron raised his eyebrows, wide-eyed. "You can bake rock cakes? Are they really tasty?"
Luna thought seriously, then replied, "I think they're not bad. If you don't overbake them, rock cakes are actually quite crunchy."
Ron paused. "Crunchy?"
"Especially the wings that the secret oven bakes onto the cakes; they're very crispy and delicious."
Hermione frowned and asked, "Hufflepuff doesn't have any secret oven."
Luna blinked, looking at her. "This oven moves and can turn invisible. I think it might be some kind of magical artifact, so I call it the secret oven."
Hermione looked disbelieving.
Dylan, however, said, "Hufflepuff actually has quite a few strange magical kitchen implements. I think this might be one of Hufflepuff's treasures."
Hermione looked at Dylan, her expression clearly saying—Are you serious??
Dylan nodded to her. "Don't doubt it, because old... Headmaster Dumbledore told me. I mentioned it to Luna once, and I didn't expect it to actually exist and for her to discover it." Dylan turned his head, looking at Luna again. "Speaking of which, how did you see it?"
Luna's expression was calm. "I just... walked past it."
Dylan blinked. "And then you saw it?"
Luna nodded. "Yes."
Ron watched the back-and-forth between the two, his gaze shifting. "These two... they really have good chemistry."
Luna said, "The other Hufflepuff students were quite surprised when they saw the oven too." She added, "But I heard them say that there are indeed rumors circulating in Hufflepuff about the existence of some magical kitchen implements in their house."
Dylan wiped a non-existent sweat from his brow. Indeed, a girl with considerable talent in the spiritual realm. Dylan clicked his tongue. He had also been to the Hufflepuff kitchens a few times with Luna, but he hadn't encountered any magical kitchen implements. He hadn't expected Luna to find one herself.
"Perhaps other Hufflepuffs have seen that oven, but no one paid attention before."
"Perhaps." Luna tilted her head, her platinum-blonde hair sliding over her shoulder with the movement, the insect earring on her ear gently swaying, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Do you want to come and see it with me? I think the secret oven should still be there."
"Of course, I'd be delighted." Dylan took a sip of water, cleared his throat, and stood up. "Everyone, I'll be going now."
Neville was the first to nod. Ron also said, "Go, go. Remember to bring back some of the baked goods." —Last time, Dylan had brought him a cookie, and it was surprisingly delicious. Harry also nodded. Hermione, sitting alone across the table, pouted and huffed softly. "Instead of doing these things, you should read more books."
Dylan and Luna had already walked away. Ron turned to Hermione and mumbled softly, "Why does it feel like... someone isn't too happy about Dylan having free time?"
Hermione glared at him. "Hurry up and eat your food."
"Hmph." Ron forked a piece of steak, put it in his mouth, and his voice got even lower. "Can't even speak the truth."
Hermione's eyes widened. Harry gave a dry laugh, interrupting, "Let's finish eating quickly too."
"Hmph!" Hermione turned her head away.
"Hmph." Ron stuck his nose in the air.
...
Meanwhile, Dylan and Luna turned into the east side of the Hufflepuff kitchens.
"Is it here?"
Luna nodded. "I saw it here today. I was originally going to see if there were any special creatures in the Hufflepuff common room, and then I encountered this oven again." She added, "I don't think many people have discovered it."
In the shadows, an unremarkable oven sat quietly on a table. Dylan examined it, pacing slightly around the table. The aura of alchemy. Is it really something unique to Hufflepuff?
"But, I remember Hufflepuff's alchemy isn't supposed to be very good, is it?" Dylan stroked his chin.
Could this oven be an alchemical creation from Hufflepuff's era? "Hmm, alchemy also has intricate connections with the Earth element, and Hufflepuff is especially good at food-related spells. Perhaps this alchemical creation isn't just a simple alchemical method."
Moreover, at Hufflepuff's level, even if they weren't masters of alchemy, they should at least know something about it.
"Can this oven change the things you bake?" Dylan asked Luna. The girl had just said in the Great Hall that she baked a rock cake and it came out with wings. This made Dylan a little curious about the function of this secret oven. Could it be that this oven randomly adds something extra to the food baked in it?
"It seems so—at least, I didn't pinch a pair of wings onto that rock cake."
Dylan nodded, looking thoughtfully at the oven. "It seems Hogwarts still has a lot of good things that I haven't discovered." —I really want to take it all into my space. Or maybe just move the entire Hogwarts itself.
Then, anyone who wants to attend school can just come to his space. That way, the school fees for students wouldn't be a concern for the Board of Governors. The poor ones would get free tuition, and the rich ones... like Malfoy. They could pay a hundred thousand Galleons a year, to start.
"What do you want to make today?" Luna asked.
Dylan snapped out of his thoughts, looking at the blonde girl beside him with a slight smile. "How about cookies? They're easy and delicious."
Luna nodded, stretching on her tiptoes to reach a bag of flour on a wooden shelf nearby. Her platinum-blonde hair fell, swaying slightly. "Let's put on aprons first." Dylan went to the kitchen doorway and returned with two aprons in his hands. Watching Luna already holding the bag of flour down from the shelf, he set the other apron aside first.
He draped the apron around Luna's shoulders. As the fabric brushed past her nose, Luna involuntarily let out a soft sneeze.
"Sorry." Dylan blinked, helping Luna tie the apron.
"It's fine, thank you," Luna smiled. Facing Luna, Dylan felt a rare sensation: he wasn't facing someone the same age as his current grade level, but rather someone truly his contemporary.
Although her words sometimes seemed peculiar, to Dylan, Luna's thoughts could keep pace with his. Similarly, he could keep pace with hers. When it came to learning and so-called honor, Luna, like him, wasn't overly concerned.
Instead, regarding her own goals, she had a clear understanding. This made Dylan feel as if he had found a truly good companion.
"You're welcome." Dylan crossed and tied the two apron strings around Luna's waist. The girl's waist was very slender. As Dylan tied the last knot, his wrist accidentally brushed Luna's hair. She let out a light laugh. "Tickles."
Dylan's hand paused, nearly tying the knot crookedly. "Sorry, sorry."
Afterward, Dylan and Luna began to mix the flour. —Of course, not by hand. They used spells. Therefore, the cookie-making process was quick. However, for the final step, Dylan did not directly use a spell to shape the cookies.
He wanted to simultaneously research the effect of this oven. He also wanted to understand its principle. Regardless of whether the oven was made by Hufflepuff or by someone else, fundamentally, it was just an alchemical creation.
Dylan simply wanted to know if this oven was purely an alchemical creation, or an alchemical creation imbued with cooking spells.
....
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