It didn’t take long for Dumbledore and the rest of the professors to reach the corridor outside the Hufflepuff common room.
Dumbledore’s expression remained calm and unreadable, Professor Sprout looked visibly worried about what her students might have gotten themselves into, and Ilona seemed more curious than concerned.
Percy followed behind them, still convinced that they were about to walk into some kind of House-wide confrontation.
Yet even before the entrance opened, loud laughter and excited voices could already be heard from inside.
Whatever was happening in Hufflepuff, it certainly didn’t sound much like a riot.
“Alistair, you little genius!
How did you even think of this?” someone shouted from inside.
Another voice immediately followed.
“Alistair, as another first-year Hufflepuff, I’m officially admitting defeat.
You’re the strongest among us!” Laughter erupted, followed by someone asking, “You said you know how to make other Muggle food too?” Alistair’s voice came back clearly.
“Yeah, quite a few things.
If I’d known the whole House was going to show up, I would’ve made something easier for a crowd—maybe pancakes or grilled cheese.” “Pancakes?
Are they really that good?” another older student asked eagerly.
“How about coming to my dorm tonight and—” “Ahem!” Two coughs sounded almost simultaneously from outside.
One belonged to Dumbledore.
The other belonged to Ilona.
Dumbledore turned his head and gave Ilona a brief glance, while she maintained a perfectly innocent expression beneath Vinda’s borrowed face.
Neither commented on the suspicious timing.
Dumbledore simply moved forward and entered the Hufflepuff common room with the professors following behind him.
The instant the students noticed who had arrived, the previously deafening room became completely silent.
Dozens of Hufflepuffs stood or sat around several tables, each holding a small bowl or plate.
Many had their mouths stuffed with meat, vegetables, or mushrooms and simply froze in place while staring toward the entrance.
Several younger students had their cheeks puffed out so completely that Alistair thought they looked like startled chipmunks.
Steam rose from rows of brand-new cauldrons, filling the room with the smell of seasoned broth and cooked food.
The sight was so absurd that even some of the professors needed a moment to process it.
“What have you done?” The first person to break the silence wasn’t Dumbledore or Professor Sprout.
It was Severus Snape.
Snape swept into the common room with his black robes billowing behind him and stared at the rows of cauldrons as though someone had personally insulted him.
Instead of potion ingredients, they contained thin slices of meat, potatoes, mushrooms, leafy vegetables, and an assortment of other food.
One cauldron held mostly beef, another was filled with vegetables, while several students were enthusiastically experimenting with different combinations.
Snape’s already severe expression darkened with every cauldron he inspected.
“These cauldrons are essential tools for your Potions education,” Snape said, his voice growing colder with every word.
“A properly maintained cauldron is one of the most important pieces of equipment any competent potion-maker possesses.” He slowly turned toward the students.
“And you’ve decided to use them as cooking pots?” His gaze swept over the common room, and nearly every student immediately lowered their eyes.
“Who came up with this idea?” Nobody answered.
Alistair had actually intended to admit it immediately.
He knew Snape was intimidating, but he also knew enough about the man to understand that being yelled at was considerably less dangerous than the Hufflepuffs around him seemed to believe.
Just as Alistair began raising one hand, Cedric quietly grabbed his wrist beneath the table.
Alistair looked toward him in confusion, but Cedric only gave a small shake of his head.
The movement was subtle, yet Snape noticed it almost instantly.
Snape’s sharp black eyes narrowed.
He turned and walked directly toward Alistair.
“If the person responsible steps forward now,” Snape said slowly, “I will punish only that student.” His gaze moved across the surrounding Hufflepuffs.
“If everyone continues pretending not to know anything, then perhaps the entire House should share the consequences.” A wave of discomfort passed through the room.
Alistair gave Cedric a helpless look and began lifting his other hand instead.
Before he could raise it completely, another hand caught his wrist.
Alistair turned.
It was Grimm.
The fifth-year prefect looked perfectly serious as he prevented Alistair from volunteering.
Snape stared at the two older Hufflepuffs holding Alistair’s arms and gave a short, humorless laugh.
“Mr.
Vance,” he said, deliberately addressing him by name, “do you perhaps have something you’d like to tell me?” Alistair sighed.
“I’m sorry, Professor Snape.
This was originally my idea.” He gently pulled his hands free and stood.
“I brought the ingredients here, used my new cauldron for cooking, and showed Cedric how the meal worked.
If someone needs to take responsibility, I’m willing to do it.” Snape’s expression remained severe.
“Very well.
Since you’ve chosen to admit it, then I—” “Professor Snape,” Cedric suddenly interrupted as he stood beside Alistair.
“I think the responsibility should partly be mine.” Snape stopped and looked toward him.
Cedric continued before he could be silenced.
“Alistair prepared the meal because he wanted to thank me for giving him my steak during the opening feast.
If I hadn’t agreed to come back here for lunch, none of this would’ve started.” That already surprised Snape, who wasn’t accustomed to students volunteering for punishment when they could easily remain silent.
What followed was even worse for his patience.
Grimm stepped forward as well.
“Actually, Professor, most of the responsibility is mine.
I’m a prefect.
I came back, saw what they were doing, and instead of stopping it, I sat down and joined them.” He hesitated for half a second before adding honestly, “It was extremely good.” Several Hufflepuffs nodded in agreement.
Grimm continued, “And the House-wide meal was organized under my instructions.
I sent students to the kitchens for more ingredients and told the first-years to bring out their unused cauldrons.
So if you’re going to punish someone for turning the common room into this…” He gestured around at the steaming tables.
“That decision was mine.” Before Snape could respond, another student stood.
“No, Professor, it’s partly our fault too.
We came looking for Grimm and got so distracted by the food that we forgot to return to the Great Hall.
That’s what caused everyone else to think something had happened.” Another older Hufflepuff raised his hand.
“And I was one of the prefects who complained that they were keeping the meal to themselves.
I helped turn it into a House event.” One confession triggered another.
Within seconds, Hufflepuffs were standing all around Snape.
“I helped bring the cauldrons!” “I went to the kitchens!” “I made one of the sauces!” “I told everyone we should stay!” Someone near the back shouted, “I ate four plates, so I should probably take some responsibility too!” Snape stared at them.
Normally, students tried to disappear the moment he looked in their direction.
Now half of Hufflepuff seemed determined to volunteer for punishment at the same time.
His expression shifted between anger and disbelief as more students crowded forward.
Behind them, Professor Sprout watched her House with an unmistakable mixture of relief and pride.
Whatever ridiculous situation they’d created, her students were refusing to abandon one another.
Dumbledore and Ilona, however, were looking elsewhere.
Both had their attention fixed primarily on Alistair.
“Enough!” Professor McGonagall’s sharp voice cut through the room, instantly silencing the Hufflepuffs gathering around Snape.
She stepped forward with the expression of someone who had already endured far too much student nonsense since the previous evening.
“What exactly do you think you’re doing?
Surrounding a professor and shouting over one another is not how Hogwarts students behave.” Her eyes moved across the crowd.
“If rules were broken, then there will be consequences.
You do not get to overwhelm the staff simply by volunteering for punishment in groups.” The Hufflepuffs immediately became much quieter.
Even the older students stepped backward, and Snape finally had enough space around him to breathe without being surrounded by students holding bowls of food.
McGonagall’s authority as Deputy Headmistress was enough to stop the growing momentum with only a few sentences.
Snape appeared slightly less pleased, however, as though he’d only just realized that an entire House had effectively crowded around him in defense of one first-year.
His face darkened again.
Before he could deliver whatever punishment was forming in his mind, McGonagall turned toward him.
“That said, Professor Snape…” Snape narrowed his eyes.
McGonagall looked toward the cauldrons.
“A cauldron is ultimately a tool provided for a student’s use.
While this is certainly not the purpose we normally expect, I don’t believe using a brand-new cauldron to cook lunch is, by itself, a serious offense.” Several Hufflepuffs immediately looked hopeful, though one glance from her kept them silent.
“Naturally, every cauldron must be thoroughly cleaned before it is ever used in Potions class, and this cannot interfere with lessons.” Snape looked as though he’d swallowed something unpleasant.
McGonagall continued calmly.
“So I believe a modest punishment and a clear warning should be sufficient.
There is no need to turn an admittedly ridiculous lunch into a major disciplinary incident.” She folded her hands in front of herself and met Snape’s glare without hesitation.
“Wouldn’t you agree, Professor Snape?” Every Hufflepuff in the room suddenly became very interested in Snape’s answer.
End of Chapter 23 [Milestone: [Milestone: 10 Reviews = +1 Chapter] Enjoyed this chapter?