Lucien smiled and pulled a stack of photo albums from his pocket.
They contained magical photographs he had taken at Beauxbatons, and every one of them moved.
In the pictures, Beauxbatons' palace-like buildings shone brilliantly beneath the sunlight. One was a group photo taken on the final day, with all the student contestants, professors, and judges standing together, frozen in the moment after the competition ended.
"Oh!" Hagrid's booming voice rang out. "What a beautiful lady! And so tall! Absolutely amazing!"
Hearing that description, Lucien immediately knew who Hagrid was talking about.
Madame Maxime.
Among a group of wizards, Madame Maxime's extraordinary height was indeed the most eye-catching.
She stood right in the centre, looking slightly down toward the camera with an elegant smile on her face.
Like Hagrid, Maxime had giant blood.
Hmm. He would have to remind Hagrid later not to mention that in front of her. Madame Maxime really disliked anyone pointing out that she was a half-giant.
Rumble.
A sudden sound came from the direction of the kitchen, interrupting everyone's thoughts.
Hagrid stood up.
"The snacks are done baking! Wait here a moment, you lot."
As for why baking snacks would make a rumbling sound...
Well, it was probably best not to think too much about that.
It was just one of the quirks of Hagrid's cooking.
A few minutes later, Hagrid returned with an enormous tray, grinning from ear to ear.
On the tray sat steaming tea and a mountain of "small" snacks.
Lucien and the trio picked up their teacups in silent agreement.
But when it came to the "small" snacks Hagrid had made, all four of them were...
Huh?
When Lucien's gaze fell on the plate of rock cakes, he couldn't help pausing slightly.
They were still the same classic rock cakes.
Their surfaces were rough and packed with raisins and various dried fruits. Just looking at them, one could almost sense their alarming hardness, the sort that could probably be used as a concealed weapon if thrown hard enough.
But Lucien wasn't concerned about how hard they were.
What caught his attention was what they contained.
Earth element?
He blinked and focused his perception.
Ever since obtaining the Elemental Magic Pattern, Lucien's sensitivity toward the corresponding elements had improved significantly.
At that moment, he could clearly sense a faint aura of earth element flowing across the surface of each rock cake.
No way.
Why would snacks contain elemental energy?
Although Hagrid had regained the right to use his wand, he was still accustomed to doing things by hand when cooking. Rolling the dough, kneading it, using the oven, all of it was done in the most primitive way.
So where had this earth element come from?
Lucien suddenly remembered something he had once read in a book.
Pure-blooded giants possessed a kind of innate magic that could gradually turn frequently used wooden clubs into hard stone clubs.
It did not need to be activated deliberately. It was a passive form of magic.
Hagrid had giant blood. Could he have inherited a similar trait?
Perhaps while cooking, the innate magic he unconsciously leaked was attaching itself to the food.
So Hagrid's disastrous cooking might actually be caused by this?
The mountain-shaped pattern formed from three triangles on the pad of Lucien's right index finger glowed faintly.
Through the Earth Element Magic Pattern, Lucien quietly drew the accumulated earth element out of several rock cakes without taking out his wand.
Then he tentatively picked one up, put it in his mouth, and carefully bit down.
Crunch.
The aroma of wheat and the sweetness of dried fruit burst across his tongue at the same time.
Crisp, but not hard enough to break teeth.
Sweet, but not cloying.
Lucien's eyes lit up slightly.
It seemed that the accumulation of earth element really was what caused the rock cakes to become so hard.
After removing it, the taste was actually quite good.
They were even more fragrant than the ones previously treated with a Softening Charm, preserving the original texture and flavour of the rock cakes without risking anyone's teeth.
Lucien chewed with obvious enjoyment and picked up another.
Harry and Hermione exchanged a surprised look.
Hermione hesitated for a moment, then cautiously picked one up and took a small bite.
"Huh?" She froze for a moment. "This... doesn't seem that hard?"
Harry also picked one up and tried it, then nodded.
"You're right! Hagrid, the rock cakes you made this time are much better!"
"Really?" Hagrid scratched his head in confusion. "I didn't change the recipe..."
Ron swallowed, his eyes darting between the plate and his own hand.
He was remembering the painful consequences of the last time greed had gotten the better of him.
Back then, he had stared at the rock cakes in exactly the same way, thinking, It probably can't be that bad, before ignoring Harry's "friendly warning" and biting down hard.
The result was that part of his molar chipped off on the spot.
The pain had made him howl and roll around on the floor clutching his mouth.
In the end, he had to go to the Hospital Wing and drink a potion from Madam Pomfrey before his tooth returned to normal.
Ron clearly remembered that while Madam Pomfrey was casting healing spells, she had said something rather strange.
"In the British wizarding world, Hogwarts is the best at treating dental problems."
When she said it, her expression had somehow looked both proud and helpless.
At the time, Ron had been too dizzy with pain to understand what she meant.
Thinking back on it now, he still didn't understand.
Was it because young witches and wizards ate too many sweets and snacks, leading to cavities, so Hogwarts had simply accumulated a wealth of experience treating teeth?
Or was it because they had also tasted Hagrid's cake?
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