Cedric stood at the very front of the crowd.
The searing aroma washed over his face again and again like waves.
He felt the blood in his body begin to bubble and boil uncontrollably along with the pot of soup.
A desire to charge, to fight, grew wildly from the deepest part of his heart.
As if performing a magic trick, Dobby conjured several dozen more white porcelain plates.
On the plates lay bright red slices of meat, cut as thin as cicada wings, with marbling as beautiful as marble.
There were also all sorts of emerald-green vegetables they could not name, and some fungi that looked like mushrooms but gave off a faint glow.
"Professor Holmes said."
Dobby's voice rang out again.
"This will give the little badgers the courage to face a fire dragon."
"Please... please enjoy, brave Hufflepuffs!"
With that, he bowed deeply again, then disappeared with a pop.
An eerie silence fell over the common room.
Everyone looked at the pot, then at one another, wearing the same expression-a mixture of longing and fear.
"I... I'll go first!"
At last, a bold seventh-year boy stepped forward.
He picked up a pair of long chopsticks and took a slice of meat, his wrist trembling slightly.
Carefully, he dipped the slice into the roiling red broth.
Sizzle-
A faint sound rang out.
The slice of meat curled and changed color in the broth in an instant.
The spicy aroma grew even richer, almost becoming tangible.
Holding his breath, the boy put the piping-hot slice of meat into his mouth.
His eyes instantly went wide.
Everyone watched him nervously, hardly daring to breathe.
"How is it?" someone asked quietly.
The boy did not answer.
He closed his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing once.
The next second.
A visible plume