At times—though not often, yet still existing—Aileen would appreciate the courage of Gryffindor.
When the labels of the dishes at the Deathday Party rose up, and the Gryffindor wizards fearlessly emptied a round of "Ghost Dishes," she suddenly realized that now was the most admirable and appreciable time.
She held her plate and queued behind the "Ghost Dishes" area, waiting for the line to move.
The once somewhat silent buffet area suddenly became lively, with excited whispers floating in the air.
The little lions were discussing the unheard-of dishes and the unbelievable cooking techniques—all the dishes on the buffet table were universally praised, which brought a sweet smile to Aileen's lips.
As the dishes were taken more quickly, the dishes sent over from the Hogwarts kitchen became fresher and fresher.
The buffet area was filled with the aroma of roasted meat and cheese, mixed with the spicy fragrance of stir-fried chili peppers, and the unique fermented smell of stinky tofu, inadvertently dispelling the cold chill lingering in the hall.
Amidst the bustling crowd, many ghosts who had previously gathered in the center of the dance floor also curiously looked over.
However, considering that the students had not yet dispersed, the ghosts from outside the school temporarily floated far away from the dining area. They planned to visit during the break after the Hogwarts children returned to their tables, take a look, and leave.
Anyway, they were just visiting the dishes; there was no need to disturb the children.
For most ghosts, "no blood in their bodies" and "unable to eat" were the most annoying and painful things—these signs reminded them at all times that they no longer belonged to this world.
Of course, not all ghosts were so elegant in their personal etiquette.
A few ghosts did think about wandering among the students, opening their mouths and roaming through the food, filling the emptiness in their hearts.
However, usually before they could float within three feet of the dining area, a small ghost would suddenly emerge from the ground, tables, or ceiling, stop in the air in front of them, and stare at them maliciously with its legs crossed.
"Sorry, you can't pass through here—"
It floated in mid-air, grinning with a mischievous expression on its broad face.
Peeves, the legendary "house-guarding" poltergeist of Hogwarts.
It was different from the surrounding ghosts, not pale and transparent.
On the contrary, it wore a bright orange party hat, which formed a stark contrast with the gloomy fat ghost in front of it, as if old silent films and brand new high-definition projections had converged.
"I just want to try passing through here and won't affect the students' dining,"
The chubby ghost explained with a wry smile, "You know, we can't touch the food anyway..."
"That's not necessarily true."
Peeves happily grinned and somersaulted in mid-air.
"This is the magical Hogwarts castle! But before that, you have to play a game with me—a very..."
"What nonsense is this—"
After hearing Peeves' words, the fat ghost frowned heavily.
He only came to attend Nick's five-hundredth Deathday Party out of respect for Nearly Headless Nick.
He had never encountered such difficulties at his other ghost banquets—disputes rarely occurred between ghosts, after all, everyone was a ghost, and no one had the right or ability to embarrass anyone.
"Shh, I suggest you either don't go over there, or you'd better do what Peeves says..."
Just then, a gentle voice suddenly came to the fat ghost's ear.
He turned his head in confusion and saw a chubby little monk-like ghost saying helplessly.
"He is Peeves, the poltergeist in Hogwarts who specializes in pranks. Even the professors can't do anything about him. If you make him angry, you might be unlucky today... He is not afraid of anyone in the school except the Bloody Baron. Or you can try asking Mr. Bloody Baron for help. If it were him, he should be able to restrain Peeves a little."
"The Bloody Baron?"
The fat ghost looked over in the direction indicated by the fat monk.
The emaciated ghost, covered in silver bloodstains, was still standing in the center of the dance floor, with a large area around him empty.
"Uh... Never mind."
The fat ghost smiled rather reluctantly and stammered.
Compared to that fierce gentleman, this mischievous little devil was much easier to communicate with.
"Okay, what kind of game do you want to play?" the fat ghost asked.
"Very simple, truth or dare. You choose one, truth or dare,"
Peeves said, excitedly taking out a transparent contract from his arms, his eyes twinkling.
"Don't try to cheat, you have to sign a contract..."
Since joining "Miss Kaslana's camp" some time ago, Peeves quickly experienced the fun of Hogwarts' most terrifying "troublemaker" in history—compared to those ancient prank methods, Aileen was simply too amazing at tricking and causing trouble. The best thing was that Aileen's plans could always dance on the edge of the rules.
Most importantly, Aileen was never afraid of any authority or had to consider the overall situation.
For example, tonight's Deathday Party, the "task" Peeves received made it especially happy and like it.
[Make trouble in the ghost area, go all out to torment and embarrass those who plan to come and 'eat' things.]
You know, this was a request made by the organizer of the Deathday Party.
Aileen specially promised that as long as it didn't affect the food placed on the tables, Peeves could play however it wanted today. If the Bloody Baron and Nearly Headless Nick had any objections, she would help resolve them.
Resident ghosts were not just a title, but also a responsibility.
As the walking Aileen of the four houses, she had too many ways to exert pressure, and the Bloody Baron had to give her face.
"Uh, isn't it too much? We have to... sign a contract to play a game?"
The fat ghost's mouth twitched, and he took the contract from Peeves with a wry smile.
Then, the expression on his face suddenly froze.
[Ghost Food - Sweet (Limited 710)]
"Is this real?" the fat ghost asked softly in disbelief.
"Guess, are you going to play the game? Anyway..." Peeves winked slyly, pretending to take back the contract.
"Play!"
...
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Aileen and others had already taken the dishes and sat down at an empty table.
"How is it, Moaning Myrtle, can you taste anything?"
The girls didn't start eating first, but looked curiously at Moaning Myrtle floating beside them.
A light yellow cheese was floating half an inch in front of her face. At Aileen's strong instigation, Moaning Myrtle mustered up the courage to open her mouth and took a silly bite of the cheese—of course, as expected, the phenomenon of passing through occurred without any accident.
"...This, this is unbelievable, right?"
Moaning Myrtle was stunned for a full few seconds, then suddenly opened her eyes and exclaimed softly in disbelief.
Then, she quickly continued to chew hard on the cheese.
But no matter how Moaning Myrtle chewed or adjusted the angle, the rich and sweet taste did not reappear, as if everything that had just happened was just an illusion.
Before Moaning Myrtle could ask, Aileen's calm explanation came to her ears.
"Okay, don't bother... This cheese has been eaten by you."
"Eaten? But—"
Hannah looked confusedly at the cheese still floating inside Moaning Myrtle's head.
She hadn't even taken a bite, so how was it eaten?
"I guess Aileen means that the ghost part of the dish was eaten. It's like a potion, the magical part took effect, and the original part of the carrier returned to its original state."
Hermione analyzed knowledgeably, frowning as she carefully looked at the other food on the table.
"The question is, how..."
No matter how she looked, she couldn't find the "ghost element" in her guess.
In Miss Granger's eyes, these foods, apart from looking a little strange, were not much different from the dishes Aileen had cooked before, so the secret was probably hidden in the cooking process and the selection of ingredients.
"Hmm, strange, only a moment of sweetness?"
Aileen nodded thoughtfully and snapped her fingers gently.
The next moment, a fermented bean curd smeared with red chili sauce floated up from the plate.
"Then try this this time, Moaning Myrtle, lick the edge with your tongue, don't eat it all in one bite."
"Huh? Okay, I understand."
Moaning Myrtle reacted quickly, nodding vigorously.
Unlike her carelessness the first time she tasted "Ghost Dishes," this time she carefully stuck out her tongue and gently dipped it on the unknown square that seemed very spicy—no matter what the taste, it was too precious for her.
After living in a world without touch, taste, or smell for decades, this was no less than a half-rebirth.
This time, she clearly felt the "taste."
The salty feeling, as if she had eaten a bite of salt, quickly spread from her mouth, accompanied by some strange taste that she had never remembered, spreading throughout her body like an electric shock, and tears of happiness appeared in her eyes for the first time.
"How is it, how is it—salty or spicy? Hmm, describe it?"
Aileen asked impatiently, her eyes full of excitement.
Obviously, judging from Moaning Myrtle's reaction, this ghost dish was also considered a success.
Because she was worried that Peeves would "lie about the military situation" and considering Peeves's particularity, she did not fully adopt the feedback information after its initial tasting, and the conversation between her and Peeves was always full of mutual deception.
Moreover, unlike normal ghosts, this "Hogwarts elf" could freely transform between reality and unreality.
"Hmm... It seems like only a salty taste..."
Moaning Myrtle said softly uncertainly, tentatively taking another small bite forward.
"This time there is a taste! Yes, I am very sure that there is only a salty taste. As for the taste, it is very strange, with a slight wine taste, first a strong salty taste, and finally it seems that there is a little bit of sweetness, and the aroma of soft beans..."
"I see, the controlled variable this time is very successful, I have some guesses—"
Aileen shook her head and tapped her fingers on the table thoughtfully, as if writing something.
Judging from the current situation, there were still some differences between "Ghost Dishes" and potions. The magical power on it was not as balanced as potions. It was more like being attached to the entity in a solid state, and once touched, it would...
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"Then, Moaning Myrtle... You try to touch it directly with your hand?"
"There's no response—"
"Spiritual body existence perception zoning? This is a new discovery... It can be tried as a topic later."
Aileen said to herself, silently recording a note on the research topic in her heart.
Anyway, with this prop that is good for ghosts, she won't lack "volunteers" for follow-up research work. As the banquet ends, the news of Hogwarts' new specialty will soon spread throughout the ghost world.
"Thank you, Moaning Myrtle—there is nothing else to do next, you can enjoy the dishes with peace of mind. But if you eat any strange taste, or no taste, remember to tell me."
Aileen retracted her thoughts, nodded with a smile towards Moaning Myrtle, and flicked her fingers gently.
The two pieces of "eaten" cheese and fermented bean curd fell back into the plate and were placed in a small corner separately.
In many legends in the non-magical world, it is best not to eat the food that ghosts have eaten, but Aileen is not sure whether this is superstition or has a certain magical basis—should these things be fed to the prisoners of Azkaban first?
Anyway, this thing is non-toxic, and even if there is any risk, it is not a big problem.
If she remembers correctly, it seems that Sirius's cousin is still in prison.
As a ruthless dark lord, she would not pity some crazy witches—if it were not to maximize value extraction and consider the overall situation, she would have found a way to eliminate the roots long ago.
"But, I still don't understand how you did it... These foods don't look any different."
Moaning Myrtle looked gratefully at Aileen and asked softly in confusion.
If it could be expressed with goodwill value, her feelings for this little witch who suddenly appeared in front of her had almost reached the range of 90% of good friends, and the only problem was Moaning Myrtle's little inferiority complex.
"It's very simple, it's magic, I added magic to it."
Aileen raised her finger, shook it triumphantly, and said softly under the confused gaze of a group of little girls.
"First of all, it was the hints I got from potionology. The essence of potion formation lies in concept grafting, which means that wizards can give abstract magic to matter; second, some potions can act on ghosts, and wizards can see ghosts, which means that magic can be used as a bridge to connect the two worlds..."
"Third, potions and cooking are similar in some aspects—that puffer fish soup is the best proof."
Aileen paused for a few seconds and commented on the dishes from the "Ghost Meal Area" on the table in turn.
"Casu marzu cheese, also known in some places as live maggot cheese. The raw material for Casu marzu cheese uses local Sardinian sheep's milk, which has a higher fat content, and the cheese produced has a richer milky aroma compared to regular cheese. Different from the fermentation process of conventional cheese, it is fermented by fly larvae inside... From a chemical point of view, it is actually almost..."
She glanced at the group of little loli whose faces began to turn green, and calmly broke open a piece of cheese.
"The digestion process of cheese fly larvae will secrete acid, which can effectively promote the decomposition of fat in the cheese and present a loose, porous layered structure—if magical intervention is carried out in this process, enchantment can be completed. This is actually somewhat similar to the brewing process of 'scabies treatment potion,' but with slugs replaced by fly larvae."
"After completing the basic fermentation, high temperature, freezing, or other spells can perfectly kill all larvae and fly eggs in an instant, and give it a layer of 'death attribute,' and finally... clean it all up."
Aileen licked her lips and broke off a small piece of "Magic Casu Marzu Cheese" and put it in her mouth.
In order to complete the final step, she summoned dozens of "saints", joined Grindelwald, and cast the Killing Curse on this pile of cute little cheeses in the sky above Hogwarts—it took her a lot of effort to persuade the old men.
I have to admit that the natural processing of cheese fly larvae has given "Magic Casu Marzu Cheese" extra fermentation.
It is slightly spicy when you first enter the mouth, but as the spiciness fades, the entire mouth will be instantly surrounded by a rich milky aroma, but those two stubborn old guys strictly forbade her from drinking, and if you could have a glass of high-alcohol red wine at this time...
"Hmm, this cheese is very suitable to eat with this, yogurt—also a fermented product, you can think of it as specially denatured fresh milk—it may be relatively rare in Hogwarts, but Muggles often drink it."
Aileen stuck out her tongue and licked her lips, squinting her eyes happily.
On the other side, Moaning Myrtle also carefully licked her cup of viscous white liquid in the same way, with an extremely happy and comfortable expression on her face, oh my god, this is so delicious!
Under the influence of this person and ghost, the other girls also licked their lips subconsciously.
Really, is it that delicious?
At the same time, a commotion suddenly occurred at the ghost table not far away.
It seemed that someone there let out a cry of surprise, and then hundreds of ghosts began to float in that direction, and at first glance it seemed that someone had released a powerful magic, sucking them away.
"It seems that the first round of tasting over there has also begun..."
The corners of Aileen's mouth raised slightly.
She could almost imagine how crazy the next banquet would be.
If a newbie ghost like Moaning Myrtle, who is only fifty years old, would be shocked to tears, then what kind of expectant expressions would old ghosts like Nick, the Fat Friar, and even Barrow show?
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Yay! Super chapter! Great chapter!