HP: Hogwart's Journey

Robert walked to the edge of the stairs and looked down, letting out a soft exclamation. The silvery moonlight streamed through the windows, casting a glow on the small plant garden below. Unbeknownst to him, the rain had stopped, and the plants of various colors, some tall and some low, had covered the path to the dormitory. "This is truly remarkable," Robert murmured. "The plants are thriving even underground." He thought he saw a particularly tall fern, though he knew that wasn't quite right.

"Alright, first-years, your luggage has been placed in your rooms. Tomorrow is Saturday, so there won't be classes, but I imagine after such a long day, you'll all be eager to rest. What are you waiting for?" The Hufflepuff students cheered and rushed toward the stairs.

Passing through the plant garden, Robert easily found his dorm room. Though Hufflepuff was the largest house at Hogwarts, the room was surprisingly spacious. "Maybe the underground is even bigger than the upper floors here?" Robert thought to himself with a bit of a snicker. 

The room was furnished with four-poster beds, each covered with patchwork bed linens and duvets, with black and yellow bed curtains. Copper lamps along the walls emitted a warm glow, lighting up the room. Robert found his bed, peeled off his wet robe that had dried, and slipped under the covers. He was exhausted—meeting his roommates could wait until tomorrow. He drew the bed curtains closed and soon drifted into a deep sleep.

If you asked Robert how well he slept that night, he would have said that the bed in Hufflepuff was so comfortable that he fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. He didn't wake up until now.

Robert picked up the pocket watch on his nightstand, opened it, and saw that it was 5 AM. Yawning, he climbed out of bed, grabbed his toiletries, and opened the door to the bathroom.

After a refreshing wash, he felt much better. Speaking of the bathroom, Robert remembered seeing a place called the "Lavatory" on the Hogwarts map, which was the common restroom. He wasn't sure what the bathrooms of other houses were like, but in Hufflepuff's dorms, there was a private bathroom with a shower. The floors and walls were sparkling clean, and Robert couldn't help but think, "The house-elves really do work hard."

The dormitory was quiet, with the other three roommates still fast asleep. As Robert was about to leave, he heard one of them crying out in his sleep, calling for his mother. He shook his head. "First time away from home, huh?" he thought. 

Taking the opportunity to glance around the dorm, Robert noticed the room had a round shape, and along the walls were a few cabinets. His luggage was in the cabinet with his name written on it. Since his roommates were still asleep, Robert quickly got dressed and left the room.

He passed through the underground garden again and headed for the common room. The fire in the hearth was blazing, warming the entire room, and sunlight filtered through the round windows, casting soft rays on the swaying grass outside.

The Hufflepuff common room was partly above ground and partly below, ensuring there was enough sunlight while also providing a quiet environment for the badgers to sleep. The room was empty at the moment. Robert climbed out of the large wooden barrel entrance and stepped into the peaceful hallway. At this hour, both students and professors were probably still asleep. But there was one type of creature that would definitely not be resting.

Walking past walls adorned with portraits of delicious food, Robert came upon one particular painting. It depicted a silver bowl with a badger painted on it, filled to the brim with fruits: apples, pears, bananas, grapes, figs, pomegranates, and more. The fruits were stacked so high that they looked as if they might overflow. If it weren't for the bowl's size, they probably would have.

Reaching out with a finger, Robert gently tapped a green pear towards the bottom of the painting. The pear wiggled and let out a giggle before suddenly transforming into a door handle. Robert grasped it and pulled the door open.

Inside was an enormous room, possibly even larger than the Great Hall upstairs. In the center were four long dining tables, and at the front, a long table stretched across, resembling the layout of the Great Hall. 

The room's decoration was mostly stone, with shiny copper pots and bowls stacked along the stone walls. A huge fireplace rested against one side, with a roaring fire inside, and the smell of food wafted from the kitchen. It seemed that mealtime was approaching, as the house-elves were running around the kitchen in a frenzy. 

Seeing someone enter startled them, and in the chaos, Robert almost saw one of them drop a copper bowl. 

"Uh, sorry, am I interrupting?" Robert asked awkwardly, not meaning to startle them. "I just—just wanted something to eat. If I'm disturbing your work, I can leave."

"It's no trouble, sir! We're happy to serve you!" an elderly house-elf with a tuft of white hair in one ear said as it stood before Robert. Its skin was wrinkled and folded, reminiscent of a Shar-Pei dog. 

House-elves always spoke in high-pitched voices, but this one, being older, had a sound like the scratching of animal claws against glass. Robert couldn't help but think that before becoming wizard servants, they must have been a real menace to humanity, with abilities like Apparition, wandless magic, and voices that seemed to disturb one's mind. 

"I'm Cole, sir," the old elf said. "What would you like to start with? Milk, hot cocoa, or oatmeal? The pies are still baking, but we have sausage and ham ready. What would you prefer?"

Robert blinked and smiled. He was about to say a long list of things like braised lion's head, noodle dishes, and various soups, but after some thought, he simply extended his hand and said, "I'm Robert Leslie, a first-year from Hufflepuff. Thank you so much, Cole. I'm starving. Please give me a sandwich and some milk. By the way, do you have time? I have some thoughts about recipes." 

He felt that expanding the magical community's recipe repertoire needed to begin from a young age.

An hour later, Robert left the kitchen feeling satisfied. Under his careful guidance, the house-elves had learned how to make dumplings... though the first batch of dough was either too soft (falling apart when boiled) or too tough (impossible to cook through). After much trial and error, they finally managed to cook a batch of dumplings that were edible. The house-elves cheered with excitement.

Robert suggested they could offer some unique dishes to students and professors over the weekend and even shared a dipping sauce recipe with them. The house-elves seemed very invested in the idea of expanding their menu, and they promised to consult with Headmaster Dumbledore once they perfected the dishes.

With a frying pan, some lard, and cooled meat-filled dumplings in hand, Robert decided to head back to the common room and cause some trouble.

(End of Chapter)