Early the next morning, before Hagrid had even received Qin Yu's gift, some of the Gryffindor students had already gotten theirs.
But their present wasn't a tablecloth—it was a small box of Muggle chocolate.
For many young witches and wizards, Muggle treats were a novelty. Ron was a perfect example. He stared in confusion after biting into a mouse-shaped chocolate, frowning for ages. When Harry finally asked what was wrong, Ron replied, "Why doesn't this chocolate move?"
Harry was momentarily speechless, but not surprised.
After all, he remembered the time he'd received a fifty-pence coin from his aunt and uncle as a Christmas "gift"—complete with a snide "holiday blessing" in their letter. When Ron saw the coin, he'd been fascinated, turning it over and over in wonder. Harry had simply handed it to him—after all, he wasn't about to spend all day examining a seven-sided coin.
"Muggle food isn't magical, Ron. It doesn't move on its own," Harry explained. Then he added, "There is a candy called Pop Rocks that sort of jumps around, but that's because of a chemical reaction, not magic."
"What are Pop Rocks?" Ron asked, eyes wide with curiosity.
"…," Harry hesitated, suddenly aware of the limits of his own knowledge.
He had to admit—Ron had an uncanny obsession with food.
At that moment, Hermione happened to be passing by and couldn't help but correct him. "Actually, Harry, you got one thing wrong. Pop Rocks don't work because of a chemical reaction—they're a physical phenomenon. They trap carbon dioxide gas inside the candy, and when the candy melts, the gas escapes, making the pieces pop and jump."
She shot a glance at Qin Yu, who smiled knowingly.
After all, Pop Rocks had been one of their little holiday research projects. They'd read a science article about it, and even done a few experiments—dissolving some in warm water, letting them fizz on their tongues, and, at one point, Qin Yu had poked her cheek while she had a mouthful just to feel the popping (that part, of course, was entirely his idea).
In short, Hermione knew exactly how Pop Rocks worked.
Harry, Ron, and Neville—whether they'd tasted Pop Rocks before or not—were all amazed. They marveled at the inventiveness of Muggles, who could dream up such a thing and actually make it work.
Qin Yu just smiled and said nothing, gently tugging the slightly smug Hermione toward the Great Hall.
Learning magic was important, but you couldn't neglect Muggle knowledge either. "Dual cultivation of magic and Muggle studies," he thought with an inward chuckle.
…
The first official day of term after the holidays.
For the second-years, it was Transfiguration in the morning and Herbology in the afternoon. Both professors seemed to know the students' minds were still halfway in holiday mode, so they kept things relatively simple.
Well—simple, except for the sudden quizzes that had everyone sweating bullets.
First-years had a similar experience, and one of their classes was Potions.
According to Hermione, Harry was called on five times by Snape and nearly tripped up—but thanks to the study notes Qin Yu had given him before break, he managed to scrape through.
"Harry earned five points for Gryffindor all by himself!" Hermione reported with a relieved sigh.
A cause for celebration—at least they weren't only losing points anymore.
Then there was Malfoy, who made a show of raising his hand to answer every easy question, making Hermione feel her title as first-year star student was under threat.
"Harry was a bit annoyed. All the questions Malfoy answered were the easy ones—Harry knew those too. But Snape only asked Harry the tough, obscure stuff! Harry thinks Snape's picking on him again!"
On their way to Hagrid's hut, Hermione chattered like a battlefield correspondent, relaying all the "frontline news" to Qin Yu.
Clearly, Malfoy hadn't slacked off over the holiday—he was still eager to outshine Harry at every opportunity.
"…It's a shame. I knew most of the answers, but Snape only picked me twice. If he'd called on me more, I could've earned Gryffindor a bunch of points!" the little witch said, a touch of regret in her voice.
"Even if you didn't answer every question, I know Miss Granger is brilliant. You've already made an outstanding contribution to Gryffindor!" Qin Yu replied, ruffling her hair with mock solemnity.
"Alright, alright. If you say so, I'll just have to graciously accept Mr. Qin's praise!" Hermione beamed, her smile impossibly sweet.
She was so adorable that Qin Yu couldn't help but give her cheek a gentle pinch. And since she was in such a good mood, the little witch let it slide.
After all, Miss Granger was feeling rather pleased with herself.
Winter days were short. By the time they reached Hagrid's hut, the sun was already slipping behind the dark mountains beyond the Forbidden Forest, bathing the woods, the meadow, and the little cabin in a wash of orange light.
In that golden glow, Qin Yu and Hermione knocked on the door.
Hagrid greeted them with a huge, beaming smile. "Ah, you're just in time! I've just finished cooking. Come in, let's have dinner together!"
But when Hermione saw the enormous rock cakes on the table, she instinctively clung to Qin Yu's sleeve and edged toward the door.
No way. Absolutely impossible to bite through those!
Inside, she was shaking her head furiously, refusing to risk her teeth on such a dangerous food.
Hagrid seemed to realize his cooking was a bit much for normal folks—especially kids—and looked a little embarrassed.
Qin Yu took it in stride. "Rock cakes, huh? I think I know a way to make them softer."
He shot Hermione a reassuring look, then rolled up his sleeves and headed into Hagrid's open kitchen like he owned the place.
"What can I do to help?" Hagrid asked, eager to assist—and maybe pick up a few cooking tips.
"You handle these two rock cakes—break them up into pieces about the size of chestnuts, not too big," Qin Yu instructed as he rummaged through the pantry for ingredients.
Hagrid got right to work, breaking the rock-hard cakes with his giant hands. In no time, what could have broken Hermione's teeth was reduced to a plateful of bite-sized chunks.
Meanwhile, Qin Yu washed and sliced radishes, onions, cabbage, and green peppers.
Once everything was ready, he heated some oil in the pan and tossed in the vegetables to stir-fry, adding seasoning and a splash of water.
"Hagrid, toss the cake pieces in!"
"Right!"
The plate of rock cake bits went in, and Qin Yu gave everything a thorough stir.
Then, from the bag Professor Swinton had given him, he pulled out a jar of meat sauce—extra he'd made during the holidays for just such emergencies.
He poured in the sauce, gave it all another quick toss, then covered the pan.
"Let it simmer for two minutes, and it'll be ready."
He dusted off his hands, looking every inch the master chef.
Rock cakes were seriously tough—letting them stew for a bit was essential.
The savory aroma filled the air. Hagrid was practically drooling.
Hermione watched eagerly, eyes bright with anticipation.
Two minutes passed quickly. When Qin Yu lifted the lid, the scent was mouthwatering.
Voila—sautéed rock cakes in savory sauce!
He quickly plated up one large and two small servings.
Hagrid dove in, wasting no time.
Qin Yu took a bite himself. The rock cake was much softer now, the sauce flavor soaked through.
The taste? Not exactly gourmet, but worlds better than gnawing on a brick.
Hermione was clearly delighted—she even got a little sauce on the corner of her mouth.
Seeing her messy face, Qin Yu reached over to wipe it clean.
But before he could pull his hand away, the little witch instinctively took his sauce-covered index finger and thumb, and gave each a quick lick.
"Hm?" She froze, suddenly realizing those weren't her own fingers, and looked at Qin Yu in a daze.
"Ahem, I washed my hands just now," he said, coughing lightly, trying to sound casual.
"Mm…"
Hermione considered for a moment, then decided not to think about it. At least she hadn't wasted the sauce.
The little witch happily buried herself in her meal.
So tasty! Why had she never realized rock cakes could be this good?
Meanwhile, Hagrid had already finished his first heaping plate and was helping himself to seconds.
Seeing his cooking so well received, Qin Yu couldn't help but dig in with a smile.
🔥 Want to read the next 20 chapters RIGHT NOW?
💎 Patreon members get instant access!
⚡ Limited-time offer currently running...
👉 [Join on - patreon.com/GoldenLong]