The Celebration of Disguised Magus

Chapter 8 The Celebration of Disguised Magus

After the chaotic rendition of the school song, the opening banquet finally came to an end. The students formed their own groups and left the Great Hall. A tall girl with pink hair led the Hufflepuff group down the Great Hall to a secluded corner where a pile of large wooden barrels sat on a dark stone trough.

"Um?"

Avada was surprised to find that the red aura emanating from the girl, her life force structure, was far more complex than others, and its connection to her spiritual power was much stronger. Based on Avada's years of experience studying magic and observing magical structures, the extra structures in her life force seemed to be used for… transformation?

"Listen up, freshmen," she announced in her clear voice. "This is the entrance to our Hufflepuff common room. To enter, you must tap the bottom of the second barrel in the middle of the second row in the rhythm of 'Helga Hufflepuff,' like this..."

As she spoke, she tapped the wooden bucket seven times, and the lid immediately spun open, revealing a passage leading to the basement.

"If someone trying to enter doesn't strike the correct melody, strikes the wrong barrel, or strikes the wrong number of times, then the lid of the other barrel will open, and the intruder will be covered in vinegar," the tall girl warned.

Avada's eyes lit up at this: "If we want to cook for ourselves but lack ingredients, could we use this method to collect all that vinegar?"

He's an expert at making dumplings!

"Self-taught!"

The tall girl smiled happily: "Congratulations! You've discovered the main source of the vinegar used in Hufflepuff picnics and tea parties!"

"However, the type of vinegar obtained this way is random," Cedric added. "Sometimes it's apple cider vinegar, sometimes it's black grape vinegar, and there's also coconut vinegar, white vinegar..."

"Two years ago, someone even received a huge barrel of balsamic vinegar, which caused a sensation throughout Hufflepuff. The next three picnics were all lavish Italian meals, and even Slytherins were drawn over to freeload!"

Avada: ...

"However, this also means that not every vinegar you get will be satisfactory. So when you get vinegar you don't want, you can give it to the house-elf in the kitchen, or save it for later use."

As Gabriel Truman spoke, he led the way into the corridor: "Hurry back to the lounge, don't forget there's a banquet tonight!"

"There's going to be a banquet?"

Avada and the other first-year students asked in surprise, only to be met with a mysterious smile. Left with no other choice, they followed the others to the Hufflepuff common room.

It was a simple, large, round room with a low ceiling. Through the round windows, one could see swaying grass and dandelions outside, suggesting that the sunlight must be plentiful during the day. The room was decorated with many gleaming copper ornaments and lush plants, either hanging from the ceiling or placed on the windowsills.

In the center of the wall is a large honey-yellow wooden mantel, carved with the image of a badger. Above the fireplace hangs a portrait of Helga Hufflepuff, the founder of the academy. Scattered around the fireplace are plush sofas and armchairs, all in yellow and black fabrics.

Before Avada could even take a good look around the lounge, his thoughts were interrupted by an excited voice:

"Hufflepuffs, rejoice!"

A young man with curly, brownish-yellow hair and a freckled face leaped to the fireplace, his loud voice startling Avada. He gracefully raised his arm and recited in a sonnet-like aria:

"A new Auror has finally been born after a four-year vacancy! She is the Hufflepuff's leader, not a prefect but more powerful than one, the ever-changing Disguise Magus, who dislikes having her full name read aloud..."

"Ni...Tonks!"

Under the threatening gaze of the tall girl, Tonks, he shuddered, forcibly stopping the words that were about to spill from his mouth, and then continued reciting as if nothing had happened:

"During the recent summer break, she finally passed the Auror Office's assessment and became a trainee Auror, the first Hufflepuff Auror in twenty years. If she can obtain five NEWT certificates this year, her path to becoming an Auror will be unobstructed!"

"Ha, a 'Newt' certificate!"

Someone below laughed, "Maybe you could have your grandfather just award the certificate to her, Rolf!"

"This is Rolf Scamander, a fourth-year student," Cedric explained to Avada, suppressing a laugh. "He's the grandson of the famous magizoologist Newt Scamander, and his grandfather's name happens to be the same as the initials of the Ultimate Wizarding Exam, so everyone often teases him about it."

"Perhaps we could also give him a fire salamander; he's been researching those lately." (Note)

Amidst laughter, Rolf Scamander waved his hand dismissively and stepped back, giving the center position to the true protagonist, Tonks.

Let me explain the situation to everyone first.

She said cheerfully, her hair turning bright red, "I'll be going to the Auror's office for six months of training this semester, so I won't be able to see you all. The Defense Against the Dark Arts tutoring will probably have to stop too. I hope this year's new professor can teach you all well!"

"And after Christmas, I'll come back for the second semester's classes to prepare for the NEWT exam. But that's just a formality..."

She chuckled a little sheepishly, paused for a moment, and then said, "Anyway, the Auror office recruited me because of my talent for Disguise Magus, and it had little to do with my exam scores."

A good-natured laugh rang out in the lounge.

"But don't worry about me being a fool, after all, everyone knows my defensive skills are lacking," she continued, her expression gradually becoming hopeful.

"Furthermore, with the death of Varian ten years prior and more and more Death Eater remnants captured, the wizarding world in Britain is becoming increasingly safe, and there will be fewer and fewer opportunities to utilize Aurors. Perhaps in a few years, all Aurors will be idle, because dark wizards will have been completely eradicated, and the wizarding world will be utterly at peace!"

"Yes, I really hope that day will come."

"Don't make a sound," Ralph sighed, then waved his wand, and a large glass of butterbeer appeared in front of everyone. "I had the house-elves prepare this secretly. If Professor Sprout finds out, I'll be locked up in solitary confinement."

"Then, may there be peace!" Tonks raised his glass.

"May peace prevail!"

The Hufflepuffs below downed the butterbeer in one gulp, and the freshmen, bewildered, followed suit—it tasted pretty good.

"And here's a little secret."

Tonks turned his hair a butterbeer-brown color and lowered his voice mysteriously: "According to the Auror office, Harry Potter, the savior who defeated the mysterious man at birth, will be attending Hogwarts next year."

"I do regret that I can't see him in person. You all have to admire his charm for me."

She tossed her hair and raised her glass, which had somehow become full again: "Bless Harry Potter!"

"Bless Harry Potter!"

The Hufflepuffs happily drank another large glass of butterbeer.

"Alright, that's enough for today. The new students haven't even had a chance to find their dorms yet." Tonks wiped his mouth and laughed heartily. "Tomorrow I'll be heading to the Ministry of Magic to begin my Auror training. I wish you all a safe and successful new school year, and I hope the new students can integrate well into Hufflepuff and feel the joy and warmth of our house."

I wish you success in the test and a safe and peaceful start to your work life!

Rolf laughed, raised his glass, and shouted, "To Tonks!"

The Hufflepuffs raised their glasses in unison: "To Tonks!"

After the third butterbeer, the small dinner gathering in the common room came to an end. The upperclassmen reluctantly said goodbye to Tonks and returned to their dormitories, while Cedric, Truman, and others were responsible for guiding the new students, showing Avada and his group around the various facilities, distributing their first semester course schedules, and then leading them to their respective dormitories.

After two consecutive banquets, they were exhausted and didn't want to talk anymore. They changed into their pajamas and went to sleep.

Note: In Hogwarts, the two exams are named after owls and newts. owls means "owl" and newt means "salamander."

(End of this chapter)