Whether for publicity or profit, Adam had no reason to refuse Professor Dumbledore's order.
So, when students who had heard about the shop through various channels arrived that afternoon, they found that the legendary little shop had been reduced to a large box hollowed out at the top. The menu on the wall remained, but there was now an additional notice.
Besides explaining the situation, the notice included a small tip:
"Students who came to the shop only to find it empty may take a numbered slip from the box. There will be a mysterious surprise at the feast, so please look forward to it?"
Harry and Ron, who had slept in that morning and only heard about the treats after trying them at Seamus Finnigan's place that afternoon, stared curiously at the line.
"What do you think it'll be?"
"Maybe something like Exploding Bonbons?"
Exploding Bonbons had only appeared on the Hogwarts tables that day. When pulled apart, they came with a bang and clouds of colored smoke, while spitting out little toys. They did indeed count as surprises.
"But if it were that, there shouldn't be any need to add that extra line, right?"
Regardless, Harry and Ron each took a numbered slip from the box.
Ron tried to take a few more, but even with half his body practically inside the box, he could not find a second one.
Amid everyone's anticipation, the Christmas feast began as scheduled. At Adam's request, the doors of the Great Hall, which had been shut, slowly opened and revealed everything within.
The scents of honey, caramel, and fruit... A sweet fragrance that refreshed the senses drifted through the hall. The dishes on the tables differed from any previous dinner, making every student who entered swallow involuntarily.
"They even put flowers on the tables."
A Ravenclaw girl leaned closer to smell a rose, only to catch not just a floral scent but a sweet one as well. She froze.
"This smell... it isn't a flower?"
"How could that be? It clearly looks like—"
Before her friend could finish, she watched the girl pluck the flower and stuff it into her mouth.
"You—?!"
"It really isn't a flower. It's pastry!"
The whole flower was soft and delicate, nearly melting the instant it entered her mouth. A rich rose fragrance and a faint sweetness spread across her lips and teeth, intoxicating her.
Seeing this, her friend skeptically picked a flower and put it in her mouth. Roses were not poisonous, after all, so there was no harm in trying. The moment she tasted it, she too quickly succumbed to the delicious pastry.
After a long while, the Ravenclaw girl finally opened her eyes and suspiciously looked over the things on the table that did not seem to be food, such as the unlit candlesticks...
"It's chocolate!"
—From a Gryffindor who had actually bitten into a candlestick.
"It's cake!"
—From a Slytherin who had eaten a little snowman.
"It's candy!!!"
—From a Gryffindor who refused to believe it and bit into a little Christmas tree.
"It's biscuits!"
—From a Hufflepuff who had bitten into a sprig of mistletoe.
"Argh!!! It's the table!"
—From a Gryffindor who had confidently bitten the table after being egged on by his older brother.
"Ahem!"
Seeing that the table decorations were about to be eaten clean, Professor Dumbledore hurriedly tapped his goblet with a spoon to draw the students' attention.
"I believe everyone has noticed that tonight's dinner differs from those of the past, with many novel and delicious foods added to the menu. We have our Mr. Adam Reed to thank for all of this—"
Adam stood and nodded to everyone.
"Before the feast begins, I must add one more thing. Although Adam put much ingenuity into tonight's decorations, I still hope everyone will pay more attention to the food."
As he spoke, Professor Dumbledore looked toward the Gryffindor table.
Following his gaze, Adam saw two identical boys quietly pull a branch back beneath the table.
Identical, Gryffindors, and with faces much like those in the films—they were obviously the Weasley twins.
But Adam did not remember turning such a large Christmas tree into food. Where had the twins gotten it?
Wait...
Adam turned to look at the several large Christmas trees in the Great Hall and, sure enough, found a broken section on one of them.
"Especially do not damage the decorations that are not on the tables. They are not edible, I assure you."
Professor Dumbledore added.
The feast allowed every young wizard staying at Hogwarts for Christmas to sample the sweets from Adam's little shop. These delicious, novel foods left a deep impression on them.
The professors were all delighted, and the students were no exception. They had spent who knew how many Christmases at Hogwarts, so this year's Christmas was exceptionally novel to them, and their appetites were greatly whetted.
Adam saw it with his own eyes: Professor McGonagall alone polished off half the pot of milky fish stew at the teachers' table, while Hagrid gnawed through a full six individual pork knuckles, forcing Adam to ask the House-elves to bring several more portions to the teachers' table...
Professor Dumbledore was also pleased. The professors had carefully prepared the Great Hall's decorations, yet hardly anyone had come—what kind of Christmas would that have been? But Adam had done nothing wrong. Though there was no precedent, Hogwarts had no rule forbidding students from running legitimate businesses within the school.
This could be called a win-win situation. The school feast went far more smoothly than expected, while the student's business flourished. Although they had spent a little extra money, it was the Board of Governors' money, so he did not feel the slightest pain spending it.
As for Adam... he was probably the happiest of all.
The young wizards who remained at Hogwarts made up only a small fraction of the student body, but they were spread widely enough. Together with every professor, having each of them try every product in his shop—what kind of advertising effect was that?
He had even thoughtfully changed the patterns on every food container into the names of the corresponding foods, making it easy for everyone to remember what they liked and buy it from the little shop next time.
As for the cost... not only had he not spent a single Knut, he had even made a considerable profit. He had won so hard it was absurd.
Back in the dormitory, even Uther could not help asking curiously.
"How much did you make from tonight's feast?"
"Hehe~ Just a little, just a little~"
Adam held up his index finger and thumb to indicate "just a little."
"Looks like it was a whole lot of money. Still, you really deserved to make it."
Klon rubbed his rounded belly and sank contentedly into the sofa.
"Adam, once you graduate, you have to open a shop immediately. Why not open one in Hogsmeade? You can buy a storefront there for just over fifty thousand Galleons." Most importantly, it would be right next to his home.
"Sure. Then I can try developing dishes made with magical creatures and buy directly from your family."
"Of course! I'll give you a discount!"
Listening to the two of them, Eugene spoke up.
"If you're opening a shop, I think Diagon Alley would be more suitable. The storefronts are more expensive, but there's more foot traffic. You could rent a place first."
"Actually, I prefer Hogsmeade too."
Adam shook his head.
"The shops in Diagon Alley are packed too closely together. That doesn't suit the restaurant I have in mind."
"You want to open a Black Swan in the Wizarding World?"
Bernard asked in surprise. Black Swan was the name of Mr. Reed's French restaurant.
"It definitely won't be called Black Swan. I haven't decided on a name yet, and the decor will certainly need to fit the Wizarding World's style, but that's roughly the idea."
Before you continue