A Crock Pot Is a Pot, but a Cauldron Isn't?

"Oh, this was truly amazing. And while that tongue hitting me didn't hurt much compared to other spells, licking things off someone's body... that was really something." Professor Flitwick cast Protego again and looked at the Toad on the podium.

"Exactly." As Kane drew the shadow that had attached itself to Lucky's body back out, restoring Lucky to normal, he said, "I can turn an ordinary Toad into this. A single Toad might not be much, but if there are enough of them, they should cause quite a bit of trouble."

Professor Flitwick picked up where Kane left off. "But you can't exactly carry around a hundred Toads with you at all times, can you?"

Kane nodded.

"Hmm, using your own magic to mutate ordinary animals into magical creatures." Professor Flitwick looked thoughtfully toward the Forbidden Forest. "Well, not just animals. In any case, I have a spell that should suit you very well: the Summoning Charm."

Professor Flitwick tapped his wand as he spoke. With each wave of it, several small creatures appeared in the classroom: roosters, lizards, snakes, and birds.

"Though this spell is called the Summoning Charm, it is actually classified under Transfiguration. That is because it does not summon a brand-new life, nor does it transport a creature from somewhere else on Earth. These animals are created with your magic."

After speaking, Professor Flitwick waved his wand, and every animal created by the Summoning Charm vanished from the classroom. Then he summoned another Toad.

"Try it. See whether your shadows can change this Toad."

Kane gave it a try, and the result was most satisfying. The shadows were domineering; even a magical creation summoned by the Summoning Charm was ultimately transformed into something from the Eternal Realm.

"This spell will be very useful to you. As far as I know, your abilities go beyond a little frog. You can also create Tree Demons, and perhaps there are even more things I don't know about." As Professor Flitwick spoke, he wrote out a note.

"The Restricted Section of the library, Transfiguration branch, Complete Guide to Summoning Charms. Come ask me anytime if there is anything you do not understand. Though Dumbledore and Minerva are both proficient in Transfiguration, one is the headmaster and the other is the deputy headmistress. They are very busy. I am different; whenever I am not teaching, I am in my office. Feel free to knock."

Kane happily accepted the note. As for Professor Flitwick's final remarks, he could interpret them as... another professor's office being unlocked on the Hogwarts map.

The two chatted warmly for a while longer before leaving the classroom.

The moment they rounded the corner, they saw Harry and Ron squatting in a corner.

"Why did you talk to Professor Flitwick for so long? If we go to the Great Hall now, can we still get anything to eat?" Ron asked mournfully.

"Let's go have a look. Maybe we'll get lucky." Kane was feeling hungry too, so he dragged Harry and Ron straight toward the Great Hall. Sure enough, by the time the three arrived, everything had been cleared away. The tables in the Great Hall were cleaner than their faces.

"I think I'm dying," Ron said weakly.

"Do you still have any of your spaghetti?" Harry remembered how Ron had pulled out spaghetti from his robes yesterday, one bundle after another.

"I ate it all last night," Ron said helplessly.

"Forget it. I'll save us from hunger and starvation." Kane led Harry and Ron out of the castle with righteous determination. As for where this hunger and starvation had come from...

Um...

Hagrid's Hut beside the Forbidden Forest. At this time, Hagrid should have been patrolling the Forbidden Forest with Fang.

"What are we going to do? Look for food in Hagrid's house? I think asking some Hufflepuff students to take us into the kitchen would be more reliable," Harry said, his stomach growling.

"Don't worry. I absolutely won't let you go hungry today." Kane first took the stones, gold, and wood from his pockets. Then, with a wave of his wand, a Science Machine swiftly appeared before him.

Next, he crafted stone bricks beside the Science Machine. After setting them on the ground, he found that there were no twigs or sticks, so Kane looked toward the Forbidden Forest and decided to be bold.

Soon, he returned carrying an armful of branches and a pile of charcoal from his pocket.

Harry and Ron stared at the scene in utter confusion. They had just attended Charms, hadn't they? They had not learned Transfiguration. Was Kane's method... right?

The person in question had no mind to respond to them. He simply crafted a Crock Pot in silence. With another bang, a large pot supported by three wooden sticks appeared before the three of them.

Then Kane wandered around in front of and behind Hagrid's house twice. A huge white radish? Take it!

A small pumpkin? Take it!

Strips of bacon? Take them! And a half bag of flour from who knew where—take that too!

After stuffing all these ingredients into the Crock Pot without any preparation whatsoever, they only needed to wait quietly for the food to finish cooking.

Harry and Ron watched Kane's performance, which absolutely qualified him as a kitchen destroyer, and silently swore that they would never take even one bite of anything Kane heated or cooked!

Especially since this thing might not even be able to cook food properly!

Just as the two made up their minds, the Crock Pot let out an extremely human-like ding. At some point, the food inside had popped the lid off, and the food within...

"Kane, did you secretly use Transfiguration?"

"I remember the ingredients you put in just now were a completely bizarre combination. So where did these large meatballs that look, smell, and taste amazing come from?" Harry and Ron spoke in tandem as they stared at the scene before them, which defied both common sense and magic.

Kane really wanted to say, Stop meddling in the affairs of the Eternal Realm, but to avoid unnecessary questions, he held it in. Instead, he directly picked up a meatball larger than his fist and took a huge bite.

"Why aren't you eating?" After the first bite, Kane tasted that familiar flavor and let out a satisfied breath.

Only then did Harry and Ron react. There were no utensils, so they too grabbed meatballs with their hands and started biting into them. The vows they had just silently made were completely forgotten.

Just as the three were eating with great enthusiasm, Hagrid's panicked voice suddenly came from the distance. "Fang, don't be scared! No one is chasing us anymore!"

Kane instinctively looked over and saw Hagrid's timid dog charging toward them. Fang crashed headfirst into the Crock Pot, smashing it to pieces before finally hiding in his doghouse.

Hagrid came running over as well, panting heavily. When he saw Kane and the other two, then noticed the wreckage on the ground, he understood. "Ah, you probably missed lunch, and then Fang smashed your pot... Don't worry, I happen to have an unused one inside. I'll bring it to you."

As he spoke, Hagrid entered the hut and brought out a pot... a cauldron, the kind used for brewing potions.

"Um, I hope this cauldron can compensate for your loss." After putting the cauldron on the ground, Hagrid sniffed the wonderful scent in the air. "Of course, it would be nice if you could give me a serving too. Fang and I walked around the Forbidden Forest for quite a while, and I'm hungry too."

"So are we," Harry and Ron hurriedly echoed.

Kane looked at the cauldron before him... the things he created could only turn back into raw materials if he destroyed them himself. If someone else—or some other dog—destroyed them, they would only become wreckage. So he could no longer craft another Crock Pot...

Then... could a cauldron be used to make food?