Although Avada's schedule had already given him a splitting headache, he still had no intention of missing this commemorative tea party. After all, he didn't exist solely to kill Voldemort. All he had ever wanted was a peaceful, happy life.
It was just that Voldemort's existence stood in the way of his dreams—and those of countless others. And since he truly possessed the ability to eliminate Voldemort ahead of time, he had pushed himself into such a tense state. Still, if he genuinely had the time—or if the occasion called for it—he didn't mind relaxing a little, making friends, and occasionally enjoying a normal bit of campus life.
So the next day, after returning from the Astronomy Tower to the Hufflepuff Common Room, he was greeted by a sight he had never seen before.
The entire common room had somehow expanded to several times its usual size. Several long tables—apparently borrowed from the kitchens—had been placed around the room, laden with all kinds of pastries and drinks: cakes, biscuits, scones, puddings, mousse, milk tea…
In the open space at the center, small round tables were scattered about. Each table held a teapot and was surrounded by chairs. Many witches and wizards lingered by the long tables, helping themselves to food, or sat around the round tables chatting and drinking together. The atmosphere was warm and lively, almost like a grand banquet.
Yet unlike a true banquet, where guests would dress meticulously and behave with utmost elegance, the students here were still wearing their usual common-room clothes—or even pajamas. A few were blatantly attending in slippers.
"Cho?"
Avada immediately spotted Cho—someone who definitely didn't belong to Hufflepuff—talking animatedly with another boy.
He moved a little closer and finally saw the boy's face. It was Cedric.
"Yo, Ken!" The two of them raised their hands and smiled in greeting. Avada walked over and joined the conversation. "Hello, Cedric. And Cho—were you invited to the tea party too?"
"She's one of the volunteer cooks for this tea party!" Cedric laughed as he gave Cho a friendly pat on the shoulder.
Cho smiled shyly and nodded in confirmation.
"If it weren't for what you said to me at the Opening Feast, I wouldn't have noticed her cooking skills or invited her to help with this tea party. Look over there—those flaky scones and red date cakes are her work."
Avada glanced in that direction and indeed saw several neatly arranged trays of mooncakes and date cakes on one of the long tables. Quite a few people were already lining up to take some; it looked like they'd be gone soon.
"Wait—what's with those crooked-looking ones on the plate?"
"Oh, those?" Cedric said cheerfully. "I helped make them. Aren't they pretty?"
"..."
Cho couldn't help rolling her eyes. "They actually taste fine, but Cedric insisted on shaping them like Nifflers. I couldn't persuade him otherwise, so… this is the result."
Avada took another careful look. Honestly, the shapes looked far closer to Quintapeds than Nifflers.
And then there was that flaky pastry with a cracked exterior—apparently meant to be a mooncake—that he had nearly mistaken for a Dementor figurine.
"...Good luck," Avada said sincerely.
After wishing them well, he took his leave, deciding not to act as a third wheel.
I can't believe Cedric and Cho really came together because of me…
Is this coincidence—or fate?
And if it's fate, then what about my existence? What is my destiny supposed to be?
He didn't know what originally caused Cedric and Cho to become a couple in the original story, nor whether the Department of Mysteries had conducted experiments to create someone called Avada Kendavia. But one thing was certain: he was definitely not a character from the original plot.
Otherwise, what was the point of him transmigrating here at all?
Surely he wasn't going to die before even finishing his first term… right?
Lost in thought, he scanned the room, searching for someone. After a full circuit, he shook his head helplessly. "Is Baron really not coming?"
As a fairly familiar friend, Avada had of course invited Baron to the tea party. Unfortunately, Baron had refused, muttering something about how "a proper Slytherin should focus on self-improvement rather than meaningless indulgence," and had even tried to drag Avada along to the library.
Avada was utterly helpless about it. I'm rushing to study so I can deal with Voldemort—what are you in such a hurry for?
Even though they had only known each other for a few days, Avada could already tell that Baron was a textbook traditional aristocrat—proud, martial, with a strong moral compass, valuing honor and trust, and regarding responsibility as his duty. So Avada understood Baron's eagerness to improve himself and restore his House's honor.
But Baron was still young, with limited experience, and in this regard he was both too naive and too impatient. How could a reputation built up over centuries be overturned by one person alone?
Still, Avada hadn't said this to him outright. They had only just become acquainted; speaking too deeply too soon wouldn't be appropriate.
So instead, Avada found his three roommates—Xavier, Summers, and Stebbins. Together, they chatted about recent studies and daily life while sampling and critiquing the food on the tables, occasionally exchanging school-life tips with a few familiar upperclassmen.
"Hey—are those people over there selling things?"
After wandering around for a while, Avada noticed a group standing in a relatively secluded corner. They were gesturing animatedly, occasionally handing potions, magical materials, or enchanted items to others, who examined them carefully with their wands. Afterward, Galleons and Sickles would change hands before everyone went their separate ways.
"Didn't we tell you yesterday?" Xavier explained. "Our House doesn't get many chances to hold a tea party like this, so of course everyone takes the opportunity to gather, exchange needs, and trade a bit. It's completely normal. And among Hufflepuffs, creditworthiness isn't much of a concern—transactions are naturally easier and more convenient."
"I see…"
Avada was about to nod when something suddenly occurred to him. His eyes lit up. "Do you think we could buy Wit-Sharpening Potion over there?"
"Wit-Sharpening Potion? There's something like that?!" The three of them reacted even more strongly than Avada. "Let's go see—if something that amazing exists, we have to get it!"
In the end, it was Avada who got dragged along by his roommates as they hurried toward the upper-year students selling potions and began asking around.
They didn't even get past the first seller before someone responded enthusiastically.
"Wit-Sharpening Potion? That's easy. I don't have one ready-made, but I can brew it on the spot. I can deliver it by tomorrow afternoon. Don't worry—my Potions skills are solid. I haven't scored below an E since first year!"
"Really? That's great. The four of us want one bottle each. How much would it be?"
The older student's smile widened. "Four Galleons per bottle—sixteen Galleons in total. Much appreciated!"
"How much?!"
All four of them—including Avada—were startled by the price. After more than a month in the wizarding world, Avada had gained a reasonable sense of a Galleon's purchasing power. And while he had looked into the brewing method for Wit-Sharpening Potion just yesterday (even if he hadn't understood it), he hadn't checked the prices of the ingredients and equipment.
"Is it expensive?" the older student asked, blinking in confusion. "Just the cost alone is over three Galleons per bottle. Making about a twenty percent profit seems fair, doesn't it? This is already a special internal price."
"Or…" He eyed the four younger students suspiciously. "Do you actually know nothing about Wit-Sharpening Potion?"
"Oh, right." Avada turned to his roommates in confusion. "I need Wit-Sharpening Potion because I urgently need to master something. Why do you want it?"
"Huh? Isn't Wit-Sharpening Potion just a potion that makes you smarter?" the three of them said, utterly baffled.
"..."
After a lengthy explanation, only Avada ended up paying to reserve a bottle of Wit-Sharpening Potion. Xavier and the others, turning their frustration into appetite, went back to sweeping through the tea party's desserts.
(End of Chapter)