They chose those three unassuming bottles of potion and poured all of them into the cauldron without hesitation.
By the Black Lake, Douglas felt that someone might be trying to kill him.
Snape fought back the urge to draw his wand.
At the bottom of the Black Lake.
Heated by the magical flames, the liquid began to bubble and gurgle.
A peculiar aroma spread through the bubble space, spicy and sweet, with a rich, full-bodied fragrance.
"Oh! They're actually cooking something!"
Fred's commentary was full of enthusiasm.
"That aroma... smells... like Mum's stew, but with Filch's stinky socks added! What a complicated smell!"
"What now?"
Krum watched the rolling liquid. Though he understood none of this, he trusted his companions' judgment.
"The poem said the answer was at the bottom of the pot. We need to ask about its secrets."
Cedric stared at the cauldron, trying hard to recall every detail of the day they had eaten hot pot.
"Stir!"
He suddenly shouted.
"I remember! The professor said there was a special technique for simmering the base. Stir three times in one direction, then once in the other. That's how you blend all the flavors together!"
Pheobe immediately picked up a silver stirring rod and began stirring as Cedric had instructed, following a precise rhythm with an alchemical cadence.
As she stirred, the aroma first grew richer, then gradually became more harmonious.
Finally, a warm, mellow fragrance filled the entire bubble space.
On the enormous Water Vapor Screen, all the spectators watched the scene nervously, thinking the Champions would feed this pot of soup to those illusions.
Yet the instant the aroma reached its peak, Hermione, Cho Chang, and Gabrielle, who lay asleep on the altar, seemed to be awakened by that familiar, warm fragrance.
Their eyelashes fluttered slightly, and