"You've eaten this stuff before. What did it feel like?" Voldemort pressed, too impatient to let it go.
"I... I felt a tiny bit stronger," Quirrell stammered.
"So it really works! One dish can make me stronger!" Voldemort was about to revel in it when the surging power inside him vanished all at once. He froze. "What... what the hell happened?"
"It has a time limit," Quirrell explained quickly. He had already figured that much out. "When I tried it, the boost lasted five minutes. Yours wore off much sooner, Master. It's probably because you're so powerful."
"I see." Voldemort coiled his snake body again and stopped flicking his tongue, but his thoughts kept racing.
"Quirrell, listen carefully. Do whatever it takes to get on his good side!" Voldemort's tone left no room for argument.
"Huh?"
"What? Do you have a problem with that?" Voldemort gave him a cold look.
"N-no, Master. I'll do as you say." Cold sweat ran down Quirrell's back, but he forced himself to add, "Master, isn't the Philosopher's Stone still our top priority?"
That stopped Voldemort cold.
"...You're right." Voldemort came to his senses, his snake eyes gleaming. "Yes, the Philosopher's Stone is our goal. Once I'm alive again... Heh heh heh. Once I've been resurrected, I'll grab that boy and make him cook for me every day! Hahahaha!"
Watching his master lose his mind so completely that he could not even keep his snake body still and was darting all over the floor, Quirrell's face fell.
Had he picked a master with something wrong in his head?
He regretted it so damn much!
Cedric had no idea he had caught Voldemort's eye, much less that Voldemort wanted him as a personal chef. Even if he had known, he would not have panicked. What could someone like Voldemort possibly do?
He kept to his usual routine, losing himself in the pleasure of cooking.
A week later.
Cedric sat down at his desk, opened his notebook, dipped his quill in ink, and began to write.
Hungarian Horntail
Danger rating: 70
Edible parts: Dragon Liver, Dragon Blood (untested), dragon heart (untested), dragon meat (untested)
Origin: Hungary and the surrounding region
Dragon Liver (Hungarian Horntail)
Characteristics: mildly sweet and rich, firm texture, lacking in fat
Best preparation: mix with a suitable amount of Butter and a little Orange Juice to make Dragon Liver pâté
Antipodean Opaleye
Danger rating: 69
Edible parts: omitted to avoid repetition
Origin: New Zealand
Dragon Liver (Antipodean Opaleye)
Characteristics: sweet and rich, soft on the tongue, just the right amount of fat
Best preparation: pan-fry in a little Olive Oil, then drizzle with Honey before serving (highly recommended)
As he wrote "highly recommended," Cedric could not help licking his lips.
Antipodean Opaleye Dragon Liver really was delicious. There was no need for fancy techniques. Pan-fry it in Olive Oil, drizzle on some Honey, and the flavor was incredible.
Cedric had bought the Antipodean Opaleye liver later from the old woman's shop. His main reason for buying it had been to find out how the two dragons' flames differed.
He had leafed through Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The book made it clear that the flames of the two dragons differed considerably in power, but the Hungarian Horntail could breathe fire much farther, making it more troublesome for wizards. As for the destructive force of the flames themselves, a blast from either dragon would finish off an ordinary wizard on the spot. There was no point comparing them.
Either way, one blast of dragon breath meant a quick death. What difference did it make whether you were cooked well-done or burned to a crisp?
In short, the Hungarian Horntail's breath had superior range, while the Antipodean Opaleye's packed more power. The former was more dangerous to wizards: not only could it strike from farther away, the beast also liked to ambush people.
The latter, unless it was desperately hungry, would run away first if it encountered a wizard. Even when starving, it would let you go if you gave it enough food.
This information was genuinely useful to Cedric. If he ever wanted to hunt dragons, knowing it could save his life.
Why hunt dragons at all? Good heavens, in just three days, Cedric's savings had nearly reached a hundred Galleons. He cooked food to sell every day, but his daily earnings were not even enough to keep him supplied with Dragon Liver.
Worse, he had eaten so much Dragon Liver that its price had gone up! When he asked at the shop yesterday, the old woman had told him in a deeply regretful voice that, at the market's request, all Dragon Liver prices had been raised. An ounce now cost one Galleon—a full two Sickles more!
Cedric swore that once he had the ability, he would hunt a Fire-Dragon himself. Preferably an Antipodean Opaleye. Then he could eat its liver to his heart's content!
He had even considered raising Fire-Dragons someday, feeding them until they were as plump as ducks fattened for foie gras, then enjoying liver that tasted better still!
Dreams of the future were always lovely, but he had to return to reality.
Cedric sighed, closed his notebook, and checked how many Enhancement Points he had saved up.
A Dragon Liver dish perfected to its limit could earn him a full 500 Enhancement Points. Over the past few days, he had also eaten several dishes that had fallen short of perfection. He now had 1,300 points saved up.
That was enough to enhance most of his abilities.