The annual sorting ceremony came to an end, and the welcome feast for new students began.
What Mirabel values most about this academy is, of course, the vast collection of books in the library, but she places just as much importance on the food. Every single time, the house-elves here do such a wonderful job. The dishes, prepared with the skill of a top-notch chef, are varied each time to keep the students from getting bored. Since Mirabel requested it, foreign dishes have been discreetly placed on the Slytherin table.
Everything is flawless. I'd even want to take one home with me.
"Hmm... The house-elves here really do a good job. There's not a single flaw."
"That's true. If we were to eat this at a restaurant, it would cost a fortune."
She cuts a medium-rare steak and puts it in her mouth. While Mirabel can enjoy any level of doneness, if she had to choose her favorite, it would undoubtedly be medium-rare. It's a personal preference, but Mirabel believes that meat is most delicious when it's slightly undercooked. To enjoy the true flavor of the meat, it must not be overcooked.
On the other hand, rare is too close to raw, and well-done, as mentioned earlier, ruins the meat's natural umami. Therefore, Mirabel believes that medium-rare, which is just a little more cooked than rare, is the ultimate choice. Of course, this doesn't mean she dismisses other cooking methods. There are different ways to enjoy blue rare, which is dripping with blood, and very well done, which is thoroughly cooked through, and all of them are delicious. In the end, it all comes down to personal preference and mood on any given day.
"You are lucky. This year, we almost didn't have a feast."
As I was savoring the meal, the Bloody Baron spoke to me from the side. Frankly, his appearance was unsuitable for viewing during a meal, so I wished he hadn't come, but Mirabel narrowed her eyes at his unsettling remark.
"What do you mean, Baron?"
"Peeves caused a commotion in the kitchen. He insisted on joining the banquet. Of course, such behavior couldn't be tolerated. He has no manners and can't resist overturning plates. But he must have taken it personally, because he caused a commotion in the kitchen, trying to ruin the banquet."
As she listened, Edith thought, "This is the end for Peeves." The reason was obvious: her friend sitting next to her. It was well-known that she hated being interrupted during meals, and Peeves had nearly ruined the meal itself. There was no doubt that he had touched Mirabel's raw nerve.
"He turned everything upside down. Pots were overturned, pans were thrown, and the kitchen was a sea of soup. The poor house-elves were cowering in the corner of the room, trembling with fear. And as if that weren't enough, he apparently threw water balloons at the new students."
"I see..."
After hearing the story, Mirabel's forehead veins bulged, and she crushed the glass she was holding in her hand. Throwing water balloons at the new students was one thing, but... what Peeves did was a clear act of desecration toward food. Even if God forgives him, Mirabel could never forgive him.
"Thank you for telling me, Baron."
"Ugh, um... I see."
The Baron must have sensed the killing intent emanating from Mirabel. His already pale face turned even paler, and he hurriedly left the scene. At this point, no matter what anyone said, Mirabel's anger would not subside, Edith thought. The only options left were either an excessive "punishment" or being eliminated altogether. It was easy to predict that such a friend, who cared nothing for others, would eliminate a poltergeist without a second thought.
After finishing the meal, the desserts were brought out. Honey pie, steamed pudding, various cakes, and fried Mars bars. Each one was tempting, making one feel like they could eat endlessly despite having just finished a meal. Mirabel and Edith each served themselves their favorite desserts and enjoyed them.
After everyone had eaten their fill, the dishes were cleared away, and Dumbledore began his speech.
"Well, I hope you all ate and drank well! I have a few announcements to make. Please listen carefully!"
What followed was the usual routine, with little change from previous years. New prank items were added to the list of prohibited items (though few ever bothered to follow the rules), the forest on the school grounds remained off-limits, and third-year students were not allowed to visit Hogsmeade until they reached that grade.
However, the next piece of information was significantly different from previous years. Normally, this would be the moment to announce that first-year students cannot join the Quidditch team, and most students had expected it. As a result, the announcement came as a huge shock.
"The House Quidditch Match has been canceled this year. It is my duty to deliver this news."
Shouts of "What?!" echoed from all directions, and the Quidditch players were speechless. Harry, who had been eager to avenge his defeat against Mirabel this year, screamed in frustration at the loss of this opportunity. Edith, who also loved Quidditch, stood speechless beside Mirabel.
However, it was announced that there would be an event this year that would rival Quidditch in excitement. It was called the "Triwizard Tournament," a friendly competition between the three great magical schools: Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons, across national borders.
Its history is long, having been held for 700 years before suddenly being discontinued several centuries ago. The reason for its discontinuation was the high level of danger inherent in the competition itself. As a tournament where representatives from the three schools compete against each other, the level of skill required is extremely high. As a result, it posed a risk to life and led to numerous deaths.
However, this year, the ban has finally been lifted. The International Magical Cooperation Department, the Department of Magical Games and Sports, and the three major magical schools have joined forces to revive this competition. And the historic first revival will take place at Hogwarts.
In October, the final candidates from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will arrive at Hogwarts, and on Halloween, the selection of the three representatives will begin. The three selected competitors will then face off, and only the winner will claim the championship cup, the school's honor, and a prize of 1,000 Galleons.
"1,000 Galleons!"
Edith's eyes widened at the amount of the prize money, and she began counting on her fingers. 1,000 Galleons is an unimaginably large sum for a student. Converted to Muggle currency, it amounts to approximately 6,700 pounds (870,000 yen in Japanese yen).
Hearing this amount alone might make it seem like a small sum, but the story changes when you consider the affordability of magical goods. Goods in the magical world are generally cheaper than in the Muggle world. This is because, with the advantage of magic, magical goods require less initial investment compared to Muggle goods.
For example, if you were to exchange 1 pound (130 yen) into Galleons and go to the magical world, you could purchase at least 10 bottles of juice. There is a tenfold difference in the value of money between the magical world and the Muggle world. It might be easier to understand if we compare it to developed and developing countries.
For example, in a developing country where the economy is barely developed, an adult's monthly salary might only amount to a few thousand yen in Japanese currency. However, they can still live comfortably because the value of money itself is different. For them, a few thousand yen is equivalent to several times that amount in Japan. The same thing is happening between the magical world and the Muggle world, that's all there is to it.
In other words, the 1,000 Galleons in this case should not be taken at face value as "just 870,000 yen." Even when estimated conservatively, it is an amount worth over 10 million yen for the residents of the magical world.
...As a side note, Mirabel knows of a scheme to make a fortune using this. As mentioned earlier, bringing Muggle money into the magical world holds significant value, but the reverse is also true. This is because Galleons, the currency of the magical world, are "gold coins." They are not merely gold-plated tokens but pure gold.
This is due to the existence of "alchemy" in the magical world, but from the Muggle perspective, it is an unbelievable concept. Pure gold weighing over 20 grams being worth only 820 yen is utterly ridiculous. If you were to bring this into the Muggle world (of course, it can't be used as is, it would need to be melted down), depending on the market rate, it could easily be worth close to 100,000 yen.
And if you were to bring that 100,000 yen into the magical world and exchange it for Galleons, it would become 120 Galleons. Furthermore, in the magical world, there are absurd items like "pure gold cauldrons," so melting them down and selling them alone could quickly multiply your initial investment.
That said, of course, smuggling magical currency or goods into the Muggle world is a crime, so if you're caught, you'd be arrested immediately.
"1,000 Galleons? With that much, you could live in luxury!"
"Your eyes lit up. Why don't you give it a try?"
Edith said with sparkling eyes, and Mirabel teased her. Instantly, Edith sighed dejectedly and rested her elbows on the table. Her expression seemed to have been abruptly pulled back from a dream to reality.
"There's no way I'd do that. I want 1,000 Galleons, but my life is more important. What about you, Mirabel?"
"I'm not uninterested, but... I don't think I can either."
Saying that, she glanced toward Dumbledore. Just then, he had made a new announcement, stating, "Those under 17 are prohibited from participating." This meant that Mirabel, who had just turned 14 this year, couldn't participate.
"Oh no, 17 or older. Well, it makes sense, I guess."
"With Dumbledore keeping a close eye, it'll be tough to sneak in."
Mirabel could use dark magic to bypass the age barrier (the line preventing those under 17) and other defensive spells. But deceiving Dumbledore's eyes would be difficult. Besides, Mirabel herself had no intention of participating.
"Well, it's getting late. It's important to rest well and approach tomorrow's lessons with a clear mind. Good night!"
All the students stood up from their chairs and chatted as they returned to their respective dormitories. The topic of conversation, of course, was the three-school tournament that had just been mentioned. Who would be chosen? What kind of students would come? It was no wonder that excitement was already building.
Mirabel and Edith also followed the crowd and returned to their dormitory. Another noisy year was about to begin.
The first class of Mirabel and Edith's fourth year at Hogwarts was an elective course. They chose Muggle Studies, taught by Charity Burbage, a woman in her forties. She had slightly protruding front teeth and broad shoulders for a woman.
"Alright, let's start with a review of last year. What is the difference between us wizards and Muggles?"
"Yes. We can use magic and fly through the air."
"That's correct. We can also brew potions, practice alchemy, and handle magical plants. However, can these things truly be called differences?"
As she spoke while waving her wand on the lectern, she was explaining the difference between wizards and Muggles. And she was saying that this difference is not as great as wizards might think.
"No, you can't call them differences. Because they are not differences. Humans have strengths and weaknesses, things they can do and things they cannot do. We are simply a little better at a few things than Muggles."
Charity Burbage is well-known in the school for being pro-Muggle. Mirabel isn't particularly pro-Muggle herself, but she does approve of her stance against pure-blood ideology.
"Pure-blood ideology still runs deep. However, we wizards must accept Muggle-borns. If we hadn't accepted Muggles, we wizards would have gone extinct long ago. We should welcome Muggle-borns bringing their knowledge in order to survive. We must become allies with Muggles. Now, open your textbooks. Today, we will investigate 'When did Muggles and wizards first interact?' by tracing the family trees of wizards."
After that class, it's Care of Magical Creatures. When we arrived at Hagrid's hut, he was standing there, looking ready for action. From the wooden box at his feet, there was a strange rattling sound, and occasionally an explosion-like crackling noise. Even from that alone, it was easy to guess that it wasn't a pleasant creature.
"It's a Blast-Ended Skrewt! It just hatched!"
"That's why you guys can raise it yourselves!"
"I'm planning to make it a project!"
It was a project that couldn't have been less exciting. This "Blast-Ended Skrewt" was an utterly repulsive creature. It resembled a deformed, shelled lobster, with no visible head. Its pale, slimy body has legs sprouting randomly from various places, wriggling around.
Even that alone is enough to induce physiological disgust, but these creatures are crammed into a small wooden box, and to make matters worse, their tails occasionally explode, spewing sparks.
Malfoy was making his usual sarcastic remarks, but for once, he was actually making a valid point.
"Come on, try feeding them different things. I've never kept these creatures before, so I have no idea what they eat. I've prepared ant eggs, frog livers, and a little bit of grass snake. Try a little of each."
Upon hearing this explanation, Edith made a face of utter disgust. Of all things, "I've never kept them before." That meant he knew nothing about the precautions to take when raising these creatures or the dangers they might pose.
Even if... even if, hypothetically, these creatures developed a taste for human flesh once they grew up, Hagrid wouldn't know. I couldn't help but wonder why Dumbledore had made him a teacher.
"Mirabel... I want to quit this class..."
"..."
Mirabel didn't respond to Edith's tearful voice. But her silence spoke volumes.
"Gyah! This thing has stingers!"
"It's sucking onto me with its suction cups!"
"It's attacking!"
"Its tail exploded!"
"Ugh, are the magical creatures in Hagrid's class always monsters?"
As the lesson progressed, it became clear that these Skrewts attack humans, the males have stingers, the females have suction cups, and their tails explode, so you have to be careful not to get burned. Hagrid hadn't explained any of this beforehand.
Why on earth was this man appointed as a teacher? Even Harry and the others looked like they were reluctantly attending the lesson. If this had been any other teacher, they probably wouldn't have bothered to associate with them at all. It was that bad.
"This... we have to take care of this for a whole year?"
"I guess so."
Edith, who seemed to want to say she didn't even want to touch it, poked the Skrewt with a branch, and Mirabel replied tiredly. What a terrible class this had turned out to be. And to make matters worse, it was unclear what use it would be in the future. Frankly, I can't see any use for this creature other than causing harm to others.
In the end, the lesson for the day concluded with feeding the strange creature and then dispersing. Thinking about the next year of similar lessons ahead, I feel disheartened.
But this is the last year I can be a "peaceful student." So I might as well make the most of it... this meaningless daily routine.
Mirabel thought to herself and smiled faintly.
***
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