Before Flying Class

Finding the next path forward, Adam didn't immediately throw himself into a frenzy of studying.

After all, he wanted to study magic to secure his life and live it better. With the Sorcerer's Stone in hand, he had plenty of time to enrich himself slowly. There was no need to sacrifice his present enjoyment in order to rush.

The Wednesday of the second week of his first year was the day Adam first encountered Wizard's Chess.

"Checkmate!"

With Klon's excited shout, the white king on Adam's side of the board watched the approaching enemy, trembling on its throne. This was the fourth time today. If the rules didn't bind it, it would have run away already.

Adam glanced at the situation on the chessboard, analyzed it for a moment, and said, "I lost… Klon, you're really good at Wizard's Chess."

"Ehehe~ I'm not that good~"

Klon shifted uncomfortably on the sofa:

"Adam, you're also very good. You've only just learned the rules, but you're already playing like you know what you're doing."

Adam smiled and stroked Kero and Suppi, who were curled up in a ball on his lap, and waved his wand to reset the Wizard's Chess board.

After a game, Wizard's Chess would reset itself, but it took a little time. If they were eager to start the next game, they could only reset it themselves, or take out another set of Wizard's Chess.

"By the way, Adam, how's your Potions homework coming along?"

"I've already finished it, so you should hurry up."

"Ah~ Eugene, what about you?"

"Finished."

"Hmm… okay, I'll do it after dinner."

Klon didn't have the habit of copying other people's homework. He was just asking to get an idea of everyone else's progress—if everyone else was done, then he should probably start too.

"Hey, what are you all doing in the dorm? Everyone's outside discussing tomorrow's flying lesson!"

Bernard and Uther returned to the dorm, excitedly describing the stories they'd heard in the Great Hall to the three in the room.

"They're all lying to you. Even if you're a wizard, the adults at home won't let children who haven't enrolled yet ride a broomstick."

Klon commanded his pawn to advance, without even looking up.

"Actually, when you think about it, broomsticks are like cars in the wizarding world. What parent would let their child drive before they get a license? It's too dangerous!"

At Adam's urging, the knight hesitated before stepping forward to block the opponent's pawn.

"Mm."

Eugene nodded in agreement.

"What?"

Uther and Bernard were shocked. So many people in the Great Hall had been confidently telling their stories, but it was all just a story circle?

"Speaking of which, it's one thing for Bernard not to know, but Uther, aren't you from a wizarding family? Don't you know?"

Klon looked up in confusion.

"I thought they were telling it so convincingly, I thought Britain was different…"

Uther sighed and sat down on the sofa.

"Oh, right, Adam, the House-elf in the kitchen asked us to give you this."

Uther rummaged in his pocket and took out a box, handing it to Adam.

"What's inside? Are you making a new dish?"

"It's a new snack."

Adam opened the box, revealing a box full of chestnuts.

This box was given by his grandmother and had an Undetectable Extension Charm cast on it. This full box of chestnuts should last for a while.

"Cake requires other ingredients, and I'm busy this afternoon and don't have time… how about making some sugar-roasted chestnuts? We can make them fresh and eat them tonight."

Anyway, it wouldn't be tiring to stir-fry them with magic.

"Okay!"

Roommates: Although they didn't know what sugar-roasted chestnuts were like, when it came to Adam's food, they just had to eat it.

That night, the aroma of honey, syrup, and chestnuts filled the entire dorm. The freshly roasted chestnuts were cracked open, and the golden chestnut meat peeked out from the cracks. With just a little pinch, they could be opened.

Stuffing the peeled chestnut into his mouth, the soft, sweet chestnut meat was still a little hot. As the chestnut was ground by his teeth into a dense chestnut paste, the sweetness of the syrup and honey mixed with the faint sweetness of the starch broken down by saliva, the layered sweetness brought an extraordinary sense of happiness.

"Ah~ No, if I keep eating like this, I'll get fat! I think I already have a little belly!"

Uther, who had inadvertently eaten half a kilogram, clutched his belly, which had bulged into a curve, and wailed on the bed.

"Don't talk nonsense, you're not fat at all. This is just a normal reaction after you've eaten your fill, it'll be fine after you digest it."

Adam thought for a moment and clarified for himself:

"Besides, even if you do get fat, Hogwarts' food is much higher in oil and sugar than what I make. I'm only secondarily responsible at most."

"Wuwuwu… I'm going to start dieting!"

Seeing how sad he was, Adam couldn't help but say:

"Alright, alright, I just won't ask you to join me next time I cook."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll just eat your share for you. I wasn't planning on watching my figure anyway."

Klon said excitedly, even though he never gained weight no matter what he ate, but he also never got any taller.

"No way! Adam, you have to ask me to eat with you!"

Adam: "..."

I don't really understand people who want to lose weight.

"Tomorrow is my first flying lesson ever. I hope tomorrow is a good day."

Bernard sighed. Riding a broomstick... even though he'd accepted that he was a wizard, it still felt so magical.

Aside from those with a fear of heights, who could resist the temptation of flying?

"Let's hope so."

Adam didn't know exactly when he fell asleep, but when he woke up, the sky was still dimly lit.

"Huh?! How come you guys are up even earlier than me today?"

Adam was surprised to find that he was the last one to wake up, which startled him. He glanced at the alarm clock on his bedside table... his biological clock was fine; he'd woken up at about the same time as yesterday.

"We're all too excited about the flying lesson today to sleep."

Bernard said, putting on his socks.

Speaking of which, Bernard had initially been a meticulously dressed young man, with sock garters and shirt stays that initially made Adam, the country bumpkin, think they were some kind of special equipment... but under the assimilation of the four of them, Bernard now just threw on his socks and pulled on his shirt.

Uther, who still needed to put on makeup before going out, had jumped from second to first place on the list of time required to get ready.

"Awesome, there aren't even many clouds today. It's definitely going to be a sunny day!"

Klon said, hands on his hips, looking out the window.

"Won't it be really sunny then?"

"I don't think the British sun can make you any darker."

Uther rolled his eyes at Klon upon hearing this.

It seemed the entire first year had flying lessons today. It was still alright in the common room, where there were more honest people among the badgers, but in the Great Hall, you could hear countless people bragging to their classmates about their experiences riding broomsticks.

For example, a certain blond-haired student was sharing the legendary experience of dodging a Muggle helicopter while riding a broomstick.

"At that distance, he would have been sucked into the rotor."

Bernard's expression was subtle. He didn't understand broomsticks, but he understood helicopters.

These guys are definitely making up stories...

"Didn't we already know that?"

Adam patted Bernard on the shoulder:

"Let's go, our flying lesson is first thing in the morning."