They quickly served up heaping bowls of the hearty stew.

The first bite was incredible. The magical meat was tender, and the rich sauce clung to each rib, packing it with flavor.

Hagrid devoured the meal, singing Alex’s praises between bites.

"Ah, this is the best meal I’ve had in ages!" Hagrid said, rubbing his full belly. "You’ve got some real talent, Alex."

Alex smiled, satisfied with the compliment. Seeing someone appreciate his cooking made the effort worthwhile.

"Glad you liked it, Hagrid. I’ve got a few more recipes up my sleeve for next time."

Once they’d finished eating, Alex borrowed some parchment and a quill from Hagrid and began sketching something. After Hagrid finished his soup, the two sat down to chat, letting the evening wind down.

When it started getting dark, Alex realized it was nearing curfew.

"I should probably head back to the castle," he said, standing up to leave.

Before leaving, Alex asked Hagrid for a favor.

"Are you planning on going to Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley soon?"

Hagrid nodded. "Aye, I’ll be heading to Hogsmeade in a few days. Need to pick up some supplies. What do you need?"

Alex handed Hagrid a piece of parchment.

"Could you check the prices for potions and herbs while you’re there? And, if possible, could you get a blacksmith to make me one of these?"

Hagrid looked down at the paper, which had a drawing of a large iron pot and a spatula, with measurements and specifications.

"A cooking pot?" Hagrid asked, chuckling.

Alex nodded. "Yeah, something sturdy. With it, I’ll be able to cook up even more delicious meals next time."

Hagrid agreed to help, promising to gather all the information Alex needed. Though Hagrid wasn’t entirely sure what Alex was planning, he was happy to lend a hand. After making plans with Hagrid to visit again over the weekend, Alex left Hagrid's hut and made his way back to Hogwarts Castle.

As he crossed Clock Square, he heard a loud crackling noise coming from the direction of the Astronomy Tower.

'Looks like those two groups have finally clashed.'

He figured Charles was involved in the chaos, but he had no intention of running over there to get caught up in the mess. There was a good chance he’d be seen as an enemy by both sides if he interfered.

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Shaking his head with a small, sarcastic smile, Alex ignored the commotion and headed straight back to the Slytherin common room.

Once he returned, Alex noticed something interesting—he felt unusually strong. It seemed the magical meat of the Tebo warthog had a strengthening effect on his body. Pleased with this newfound boost, Alex sat down to continue his study plans.

He opened his Potions textbook first, thinking it might be a good idea to learn more about potion-making. His goal was to master a few practical potions and, if possible, make some extra money by selling them. But first, there was still plenty of spellwork to focus on.

Meanwhile, at the Astronomy Tower, Gryffindor and Slytherin had indeed exchanged fire. The clash between the two houses marked the beginning of a more intense rivalry at Hogwarts.

The next day, after his usual morning run, Alex entered the Great Hall for breakfast. He immediately noticed something was off. The Gryffindor and Slytherin tables were significantly emptier than usual. At this time of day, the Hall was typically packed, with most students gathered for breakfast. Today, however, the two tables had many missing faces, and those who were present were glaring at each other across the room, ready to start another fight at the slightest provocation.

Alex’s eyes scanned the Gryffindor table, spotting Charles, who seemed unharmed and in good spirits.

Charles noticed Alex too and gave him a brief nod.

Before Alex could sit down, Vivian appeared next to him, her eyes wide with excitement.

"Alex! Did you hear what happened yesterday? It was a huge deal! I’ve got first-hand news—do you want to know?"

Alex glanced at her with his usual calm expression.

"I don’t know, and I don’t need to know. You don’t have to tell me either."

Vivian pouted, clearly disappointed by his lack of enthusiasm. "Ugh, Alex, you’re so boring! But I’m going to tell you anyway," she said, unable to hold back her gossip. She told her story, barely taking a breath.

"Last night, Gryffindor planned a secret party at the Astronomy Tower, but the pure-bloods from our house got wind of it. They wanted to pull a prank on Gryffindor—nothing too serious, just some dungbombs and a few jinxes. They even planned to block the tower entrance to trap them. But guess what? Gryffindor caught them sneaking in, and it turned into a full-blown fight! There were injuries on both sides. When Professor McGonagall and Filch showed up, everyone scattered, but most of them got caught.

Now, they’re all facing detention for the next month or two."

Vivian grinned, clearly enjoying the drama. "Both houses got 50 points deducted! Vanessa is furious, and it’s only been two months since school started. It’s going to be impossible for us to win the House Cup at this rate."

Alex listened quietly, impressed by Vivian’s knack for gathering information so quickly. Still, he couldn’t help but feel a bit disdain. 'What a waste of time.' These wizards caused all that trouble just for a prank? They deserve to get caught.

With that, Alex decided to forget about the whole incident and focus on more important things.

Later, it was time for the Magic Club meeting. Alex arrived early, eager to follow up on something he had learned from Lily. She had mentioned some notes hidden in one of the books in the club's library, and Alex was curious to find them.

Heading to the bottom shelf behind the podium, he found Magic Defense Theory and pulled it out. Just as Lily had said, there were several pieces of parchment tucked inside.

As Alex skimmed through the book, he noticed it contained notes written in Lily’s handwriting. The notes were detailed, mostly focusing on defense spells and counter-curses, with some sections explaining the development of new spells. She had even worked on ways to apply these spells to enchanted items, developing something called "emotional protective magic."

According to Lily, the strength of protective spells could be greatly enhanced by infusing them with strong emotions—particularly positive ones like love and determination. The stronger the emotion, the more effective the protection.

One of the runes Lily had developed looked familiar.