Chapter 12

After the magical sound of the Sorting Hat's arrival reached his ears, Professor McGonagall took a piece of parchment and walked to the Sorting Hat's high stool:

"Next, when I call your name, come here, put on the hat, sit on the stool, and the Sorting Hat will assign houses to you."

"Hannah Abbott!"

Starting with the future owner of the Leaky Cauldron, one by one, the future pillars of the British wizarding world stepped forward and were assigned to their respective houses, and the gears of fate began to turn.

The future Minister of Magic, the future Auror, the future noble, the future Herbology Professor…

"Adam "

Adam came to his senses when his name was called. He walked forward, picked up the Sorting Hat, put it on, and then sat on the stool.

"Hmm…a natural Occlumency master? This is the first time I've seen…"

The Sorting Hat muttered, processing each student's unique qualities.

Hufflepuff does not have the ambition of Slytherin, the drive of Gryffindor, or the cleverness of Ravenclaw, but it is the warmest and friendliest house.

They do what needs to be done, are true to their nature, and are honest and enthusiastic.

When you make friends with a Hufflepuff, you hardly ever have to worry about being betrayed. Hufflepuff, with the largest number of students and the fewest dark wizards, is worthy of trust.

After Dumbledore's speech, the dinner party began. Adam took a sip of pumpkin juice and forked a grilled sausage.

Hmm~ The casing was grilled to a crisp, the meat inside tender and juicy, and the seasoning well balanced. Black pepper, rosemary, and lemon juice cut through the richness of the meat perfectly.

Apart from a slight off-taste due to the meat not being cleaned thoroughly, Adam judged it to be worthy of being a signature dish in a restaurant.

Adam savored the food while listening to the chatter around him.

"My parents are ordinary people. When they got the letter, they thought it was a prank…"

"My parents are both Hufflepuffs. I'll write to them tonight with the good news!"

"Wow, this Yorkshire pudding is delicious!"

Catching the keyword, Adam glanced at the Yorkshire pudding on the table, took one, and had a bite.

Bleh—

He immediately set it down, eyes wide, and took a large sip of pumpkin juice to wash it down.

The Yorkshire pudding had soaked up the roast beef juices, but the combination of bread, butter, and an overwhelming gamey taste made it unbearable. It was as though he'd just seen a dead cow pole dancing on a bridge to the underworld.

Why?! The grilled sausage had tasted normal!

Placing the half-eaten Yorkshire pudding back on his plate, Adam glanced at the classmate who had praised it with a look of pity.

Poor child. Their taste buds had clearly been ruined.

"Ugh—"

At that moment, the classmate opposite him groaned, covering his mouth. He silently set his own Yorkshire pudding aside. Adam glanced at it—another half-bitten one.

They exchanged glances.

"Um, could you please recommend something that actually tastes okay?"

The student's voice was full of misery, and his accent was one Adam couldn't quite place.

Looking down at his plate, Adam saw Yorkshire pudding, beef stew, roast beef, and lamb chops…

Goodness, this poor kid had stepped on every single trap.

"If you like meat, the grilled sausage is decent, and the chicken legs are passable, although they're a bit dry."

Adam took a bite of the chicken leg and evaluated it, "In short, steer clear of all uncured meat dishes…"

"Thanks!"

The other boy took a bite of the sausage without even cutting it, nearly crying.

He looked both funny and pitiful.

"The fries are fine too. If you need a break, drink some pumpkin juice."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!"

After staring at the sausage for a while, the boy gulped down a glass of pumpkin juice and looked up at Adam.

"Thanks. What's your name?"

Even though everyone's names had been called during the Sorting, no one was likely to remember them during such an exciting moment.

"Adam Robert. Just call me Adam."

"Adam… I'll remember that!"

The boy nodded.

"What about you? What's your name?"

"Mark Stein."

"…Stein?"

That last name made Adam pause.

"What? Like Pharaoh Ramses II?"

A classmate nearby asked the question on Adam's mind.

"Yeah, but that was a long, long time ago. There are no more pharaohs now."

Mark shrugged.

They were nearly done eating, so Adam decided to join the conversation.

"Shouldn't you be attending a magical school in Egypt, then? Why Hogwarts?"

"Well, I didn't know I'd be studying in the UK until I got the letter. My mom thinks it's because I was born here—she's a magical zoologist and met my dad while studying the Sphinx in Egypt."

"Sphinx? That sounds amazing!"

A classmate who had mentioned his parents were ordinary people sighed, "My parents met in court—they were the lawyers for the plaintiff and defendant."

Lawyers. It might be handy to know a few in the restaurant business someday.

"My parents met at a dragon farm—they're colleagues."

"My parents also met at work. My father transferred from the Department of Magical Accidents to become an Auror and pursue my mother."

"My parents met at Hogwarts, and they hope I'll find my partner here too."

Wow, Adam thought. Hufflepuff is brimming with talent!

Hufflepuff loyalty was worth investing in, so Adam decided to add his own story.

"My parents are ordinary people too. They run a restaurant."

"Oh, really? I thought I was the only one with ordinary parents."

The boy's eyes lit up as he extended his hand.

"I'm Bernard Lanslock. You're Adam, right?"

"Yep. If you and your family ever visit, I'll treat you."

Adam shared the name of his family's restaurant and wine shop.

"That's yours?! There's one near my house! I love your red wine beef stew—it doesn't have any of that weird taste!"

Bernard's eyes widened. He had no idea Adam's family ran a restaurant.

"Adam, can we visit too?"

The other students, intrigued by the promise of beef without any gamey flavor, couldn't help but ask.

They may have gotten used to the taste, but it didn't mean they liked it!

"Of course, everyone's welcome. But if you've grown up in the wizarding world, it's probably best to eat in a private room. Certain habits and terms might attract too much attention in public."

"No problem!"

When it came to food, Hufflepuffs were nothing if not serious.

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