"Oh? I like this game!"
Dumbledore spoke cheerfully.
Then, with great enthusiasm, he used a silver spoon to carefully fish a plump, glistening jujube out of the bubbling pot of red chili oil, completely ignoring the bright red chili still clinging to it.
He placed the jujube in his porcelain bowl, murmuring:
"What a marvelous combination, Douglas. Sweetness and heat can actually go together so harmoniously. You never brought out such a fine pairing before. It was always that numbing, spicy flavor."
Douglas shrugged. Madame Maxime had not particularly liked the pure heat last time, so he had made this adjustment specifically for this occasion.
Snape sat as far as possible from the red dragon oil pot, with nothing but a pot of bland, clear mushroom broth before him.
Using a pair of chopsticks enchanted to pick up food automatically, he elegantly lifted a slice of beef tripe that had been cooking in the clear broth for quite some time. His expression was one of disgust, as though it were not food but a failing Potions assignment.
"Hmph. Professor Holmes could turn all kinds of potions into hot pot broth back in his school days."
Professor Sprout smilingly aired his embarrassing history.
"He borrowed quite a few of the edible potions ingredients in my greenhouses, too. Fortunately, whenever he took one, he would replenish it with several more plants, then keep picking. I always suspected he just wanted more to eat..."
No one laughed more happily at Douglas's embarrassment than Karkaroff.
It was rare to see Douglas so thoroughly embarrassed. Karkaroff had only just broken into a grin when he inhaled some chili and choked, coughing until his face turned bright red.
He hurriedly raised the glass of cola packed with ice in front of him, gulped down a large