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Chapter 41 – At the Slytherin Table
Harry sat down at the Gryffindor table. The enthusiasm of the little lions quickly washed away his disappointment at not being in the same house as Audrey. He smiled shyly and responded to their warm welcome.
Meanwhile, Audrey had already found an empty seat at the Slytherin table and sat down casually. Almost instantly, the little snakes on both sides crowded around her.
"Hello, Miss Astray! My name is Bonnie Hanover—I'm a fourth-year!"
"I'm Isabel Windsor, a fifth-year. It's lovely to meet you!"
"..."
Audrey handled their greetings with ease and grace. Once the pleasantries were over, her attention shifted to the long table in front of her.
The traces of ancient magic were strikingly clear.
Her gaze followed the faint magical lines and nodes woven into the table's structure, and she became completely absorbed.
At moments like this, Audrey had to thank Nicolas Flamel. That old gentleman—who never quite gave up on the idea of taking on an apprentice—had subtly introduced many of his own theories while teaching her runes. Without even realising it, she had absorbed a great deal of alchemical knowledge.
She was so engrossed that she barely noticed the Sorting Ceremony continuing—until Dumbledore spoke those familiar words:
"Idiot! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"
Food instantly appeared on the long tables.
Audrey examined the spread carefully: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops, lamb chops, sausages… potato crisps, pudding, buttered peas…
And then she froze.
In front of her were a plate of spicy crayfish, a plate of twice-cooked pork, and a plate of Mapo tofu, accompanied by a bowl of white rice and a pair of chopsticks.
Audrey: "..."
Ancient magic definitely wasn't this precise.
These dishes could only have come from the Hogwarts kitchens.
Which meant there was only one possible explanation.
The only person who both knew her tastes—and could cook like this—was Momo.
Two months ago, Audrey had already glimpsed through her foresight that Momo was at Hogwarts.
Looks like she'll probably be the one escorting me to the Headmaster's office later, Audrey thought.
Smiling faintly, Audrey raised her hand and traced glowing words in the air:
"Thank you, Momo."
She then located the information-transmission node embedded in the table and fed the message into it.
Her movements were so subtle that no one noticed—partly because she was quiet, and partly because everyone else was already staring at the food in front of them.
"What's that? It looks kind of like a shrimp?"
"Why is Astray's food different from ours?!"
Isabel Windsor's lips parted slightly in surprise, but her upbringing showed—she immediately covered her mouth with her hand.
"Is that Chinese crayfish?" she asked hesitantly. "I saw it once when I travelled to China with my father as a child, but I was too young to try it."
Audrey smiled and asked an entirely unrelated question.
"Are you afraid of spicy food?"
Isabel shook her head. "Our family cook is from India. She specialises in curry, so I can handle spice quite well."
Audrey nodded. "Then you can try it."
She deftly peeled a crayfish—first sucking out the roe, then removing the shell in one smooth motion before tossing the meat into her mouth.
Seeing the look of pure satisfaction on Audrey's face, Isabel was tempted—but years of etiquette held her back.
Just as she was about to decline politely, Audrey snapped her fingers.
A crayfish rose into the air, instantly dismantling itself mid-flight. The shell separated cleanly, and the meat—still glistening with roe—floated gently onto Isabel's plate.
"Go on. Try it."
Isabel thanked her and lifted the crayfish meat with her fork.
"…Mm."
Fresh, sweet, fragrant, spicy—springy and deeply satisfying.
Audrey laughed inwardly.
In Britain, a culinary wasteland, almost any Chinese dish was devastatingly effective. Crayfish, one of the most beloved late-night snacks back home, was practically unfair.
If you can handle spice, you can conquer everything else.
Isabel quickly regained her composure.
"This is truly exquisite," she said sincerely. "But what surprises me even more, Miss Astray, is your spellwork. Shouldn't you still be a beginner? How did you—?"
Audrey laughed. "Headmaster Dumbledore arranged a tutor for me back in July. I crammed for two months straight."
As she spoke, she fed Isabel another peeled crayfish.
"Miss Astray… may I call you Audrey?" Isabel asked.
Audrey found it amusing.
Two crayfish, and the little snake had already been completely bribed.
"Of course."
To Audrey's right, Bonnie Hanover looked on with thinly veiled jealousy and muttered, "I want some too…"
No one responded.
Audrey had clearly heard him—her hearing was excellent—but she had no intention of indulging him.
This had nothing to do with gender.
It was purely an aesthetic issue.
Isabel was doll-like, soft and delicate—like a ragdoll cat.
Bonnie, with his unshaven chin and broad build, reminded her far too much of a Shar Pei.
Suddenly, a hand reached across the table and stabbed a fork into the crayfish platter, splashing sauce into the air.
Audrey lifted a hand casually. The sauce froze midair and flowed neatly back into the dish without touching anyone.
The intruder grabbed two crayfish and withdrew.
Audrey and Isabel frowned at the same time.
How rude.
The culprit was a very pretty girl—but her sharply arched eyebrows gave her face an aggressive, arrogant edge. Her fierce eyes locked onto Audrey with open hostility.
"This is Arjunia Roll," Isabel whispered. "She's a sixth-year."
Then she blushed slightly and added in a softer voice, "She's had a crush on Dorka Yaxley for years."
Audrey nodded calmly.
So that was it.
She had no interest whatsoever in getting involved in this childish nonsense.
She returned Arjunia's glare with a smile that appeared gentle—but carried a quiet sharpness beneath it.
So what if your crush is one of my fans?
If you have a problem, take it up with him—not me.
Arjunia continued staring at her before viciously tearing apart the crayfish in her hands, her expression full of threat.
Alright, that's enough.
Audrey might let minor grudges slide out of laziness, but she had always preferred conflicts that could be resolved immediately—and face to face.
Convinced she had intimidated Audrey, Arjunia finally brought the crayfish to her mouth.
Crunch.
The meat was suddenly as hard as stone.
A sharp crack rang out as half of Arjunia's front tooth shattered, blood instantly spilling from her mouth.
Audrey quietly withdrew her finger and continued eating as if nothing had happened.
I can use Transfiguration to fight a King of the Underworld for several rounds.
Bullying you is effortless.
"Ugh! What kind of disgusting, low-class food is this?!" Arjunia spat angrily, standing up and storming away from the table—never once suspecting Audrey.
Gemma Farley's voice carried across several seats.
"Astray, what is that food? How on earth did it break someone's teeth?"
Audrey smiled. "She just didn't know how to eat it. If you don't believe me, I'll invite everyone to try."
To prove Arjunia wrong, Audrey decided to go all in.
She traced glowing words in the air:
"Momo, five more kilograms of crayfish."
Ten seconds later, two massive basins of crayfish appeared on the table.
The Slytherins stared.
…Why can you still order food?!
Isn't this your first day?!
Audrey clapped her hands. The crayfish sprang to life, shedding their shells as if by magic. Meat separated cleanly, roe and seasoning spilling into plates as everything arranged itself perfectly.
Any remaining doubts vanished in the face of deliciousness.
Those who couldn't handle spice hissed and rushed for milk, too distracted to question anything.
Draco Malfoy drank the most.
As his cousin, Audrey naturally took special care of him—handing him a crayfish that had been rolled through the sauce at least a dozen times.
It was delicious.
And violently spicy.
Watching Draco choke back tears, Audrey felt deeply satisfied.
Plate after plate disappeared.
Eventually, everyone realised that the crayfish they peeled themselves tasted best of all.
Even Draco—who had sworn he couldn't handle spice—kept eating in confusion.
Why isn't the one I peeled spicy at all?
After the feast, the Slytherins leaned back in blissful stupor—either too full to think, or numb from the heat.
Hardly anyone paid attention to Dumbledore's usual post-dinner reminders, except for the new one:
Do not go to the fourth-floor corridor.
Which was irrelevant anyway. They lived in the dungeons.
"Now, before bed," Dumbledore announced cheerfully, "let us sing the school song together!"
Audrey sighed.
So this was unavoidable after all.
The Hogwarts school song had no fixed melody. Everyone sang it differently.
To Audrey—a professional musician—it was pure torture.
"I have a suggestion," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Since we have a famous singer among us, why don't we let her lead?"
Audrey: "..."
I told myself not to come to Hogwarts.
She had experienced more public embarrassment today than in her entire sixteen years of life.
Audrey Embarrassed Astray thought so.
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