Halloween Approaches...

With the help of several professors, Adam's life began to become regular and healthy.

Since there was only one professor for each subject, Hogwarts coursework was quite light: all eight subjects had one long class a week, meaning two lessons.

Even though Adam had extra tutoring after class in six subjects—everything except Flying and History of Magic—he still found it easier than attending university in his previous life.

From his roommates' perspective, Adam was practically under twice their academic pressure. He often went to the library or elsewhere to do his own things, yet he could still make enough time to play Wizard's Chess with them, watch Quidditch training, and even study recipes!

"Adam, are you really okay?"

Klon looked hesitantly at Adam, who had just put down his book.

"If you feel tired, you don't have to go."

"Of course I'm not tired. I was just reading. That's a form of recreation for me."

Klon glanced at the book's cover.

"Advanced Potion Making"

Well, how should he put it? It really did not look like the sort of book one would read for recreation... But why did it look so worn? He remembered Adam taking rather good care of his books.

Adam casually stuffed Kero and Suppi into his two pockets, picked up his shoulder bag, and walked to the dormitory door before turning to look at Klon, who still had not moved.

"Let's go. Didn't we arrange to meet them earlier? Don't keep them waiting too long..."

By the time Adam and the others arrived, nearly everyone was already there.

"Has it started?"

Adam sat down on a bench and looked at Cedric beside him.

The Hufflepuff Quidditch team was still made up of older students, and Cedric was not yet a Seeker.

"Not yet. It's just about to start..."

As Cedric spoke, his gaze fell upon Adam's shoulder bag. The students around them also gathered over when they saw Adam arrive.

Adam understood. He took out a stack of plastic containers from his bag.

"Don't rush. Let me see—these are raspberry nut cookies, these are chocolate cookies, these are caramel cookies, and these are salted rose cookies..."

The stack of containers was quickly divided up, replaced by a large handful of Silver Sickles in Adam's shoulder bag.

"Anyone want drinks? Same as usual—bring your own cups."

Thus, another pile of cups appeared in front of Adam.

"Adam, what are you selling next time?"

"Hmm... popcorn, probably. I haven't made it in a long time."

As he refilled the cups before him with cola, Adam gave it some thought and answered.

"Awesome! I like the kind made from rice, the white popcorn. Can you make more of that?"

"I like caramel corn!"

"No problem~"

As for how Adam's little snack shop came to be, even Adam himself could not really explain it. At first, he simply felt he should have some snacks in hand when watching Quidditch training, so he brought some for his roommates. Then he brought some for familiar classmates, and then some more...

Anyway, Hogwarts had enormous ovens. No matter how much Adam made, it was only one batch. Making more was no big deal—it only took a wave of his wand, and the ingredients all came from the Hogwarts kitchens, so Adam had never thought of charging money.

Besides, this was Hufflepuff. As long as these students did not die over the next seven years, they would become an important part of the Wizarding World. Building up the reputation of Adam Card food would be of great help when Adam opened branches in the Wizarding World in the future.

It was just that after the first student felt a little guilty and paid Adam two Silver Sickles, everyone else seemed to start paying as well...

Then Adam went from bringing a few snacks only when he watched Quidditch training to having fixed business hours. Then he went from bringing whatever he happened to make to announcing what he would make next time. Then, somehow, he even started selling drinks like cola...

In short, Adam's little snack shop now had customers throughout all of Hufflepuff, and it was even showing signs of spreading to the other Houses.

—Who knew a single "What are you eating? Get me some too" could have such far-reaching consequences?

When Quidditch training began, every young badger was already sitting in neat rows with a drink in one hand and cookies in the other, eagerly awaiting the day's exciting moments.

"Come to think of it, Halloween is next week."

Klon's cheeks were stuffed full, and it was impressive that he could still speak so clearly.

"Is it? I don't really keep track of the dates."

Adam broke the cookies into small pieces and fed them to Kero and Suppi. Hearing that, he froze for a moment.

"When was Halloween again... Oh, the year is almost over already."

"Haven't you noticed that it's getting colder lately?"

"I haven't really paid attention... But it does seem like it's been raining more often, and the wind has been pretty strong too."

A sudden burst of cheers erupted around them. Adam and Klon both looked toward the field, where the Keeper had blocked the Quaffle with a spectacular double figure-eight loop maneuver.

The increasingly heated atmosphere around them kept the two from continuing their earlier conversation, and they turned their attention to the practice on the field instead.

It turned out Adam truly did not keep track of the dates. It was not until one day, when he woke to the rich scent of pumpkins, that he noticed Halloween night had arrived.

"Should I prepare some candy..."

Adam sat on the little sofa, stroking his chin in thought.

"Sure, sure! Candy will definitely be popular today!"

Klon, who had just woken up, immediately became alert.

"I think you're the one who wants to eat it..."

Bernard commented helplessly.

"Hm? There aren't any classes this morning. Where are you going?"

Uther, who was applying eyeliner in front of the Mirror, looked at Bernard, who was about to leave, in confusion.

"Um... I'm going to the library to read."

With that, Bernard left the dormitory.

Watching the dormitory door close again, Uther blinked.

"Something feels strange... Don't you think Bernard has been going to the library a lot lately?"

"Has he?"

"Yes."

"But isn't going to the library often perfectly normal? Eugene and Adam go there a lot too, don't they?"

Eugene, chewing on Adam Card dried fish, nodded.

"True enough..."

Uther stopped thinking about it and continued applying his eyeliner.

To celebrate the arrival of Halloween night, Adam made a great deal of candy. This could not be done using the kitchen's tools, so he used Sweet Card's magic instead.

"Come to think of it, cookies and the like are sweets too. You could make them directly with Sweet Card. Why do you still make them step by step yourself, Adam?"

Kero stretched out a paw pad and pulled a transparent spherical candy in front of himself. Inside the candy was pumpkin-shaped filling.

"Because every batch of cookies has subtle differences in flavor and texture, something Sweet Card's magic cannot achieve. I enjoy the process of making food itself."

Adam rubbed his index finger and thumb together, scattering sparkling powder that transformed rows upon rows of candies made by the Transfiguration Charm into real candies. After speaking, he thought for a moment more.

"Of course, the fact that magic can handle most of the process, so even making things myself isn't too tiring, is probably also an important reason. Like this batch of candy—I couldn't be bothered to fuss with it... Which do you prefer, the ones Sweet Card makes or the ones made step by step?"

"Um..."

Kero was still thinking when he heard Suppi say:

"As long as Adam made it, I like it all~"

You?!

Kero's body stiffened, and he turned to look at Suppi.

Suppi poked his head out from the pumpkin head Adam intended to use for holding candy, smiling sideways at him.

Kero threw aside his candy, let out a howl, and pounced into the pumpkin head. Its lid immediately snapped shut. When Adam turned around, all he saw were two tails sticking out through the pumpkin head's eye sockets, wagging furiously.

Looks like they got carried away from eating sweets again... Forget it. If they broke the pumpkin head, he could just use Reparo to fix it. He would let them have their fun~