Chapter 14: The Vengeful Crow

Soon, the plate of roasted vegetables was devoured—almost all of it disappeared into Tom's stomach.

Only then did Tom Cai realize that he had accidentally wiped out all the delicacies someone else had prepared. He looked embarrassed and said, "Sorry, kid, the food you cooked was so delicious that I lost control."

Tom rubbed his belly in satisfaction. He didn't know if it was just his imagination, but a warm sensation seemed to spread inside his body. He felt a surge of energy, as though his entire body had been recharged.

For wizards, magic is everything. Ordinary wizards often can't even distinguish between physical strength and the subtle feedback of magic. To Tom, the sensation was unmistakable—active magic pulsed through him like boundless vitality.

"Craaaaaaaaawk!" Bran let out a long complaint. The old fat bald man in front of him had practically eaten everything, leaving hardly a bite for anyone else.

"It's fine," Allen said, patting the small black bird's head to quiet him. "Food is meant to be eaten. Besides, I'm not very satisfied with how this dish turned out."

"Not… satisfied?" Tom blinked, stunned. Was the boy showing off?

Wasn't this dish incredible? What could he possibly be dissatisfied with? What did he usually make for himself—gourmet banquets?

But Allen looked serious, his eyes reflecting deep thought. He genuinely seemed displeased with the dish. No exaggeration. No bluff.

Tom's heart skipped a beat.

Who is this kid?

A top-level chef in the body of a child?

Being British by descent, Tom's knees almost buckled at the realization. He paused for a long moment, then, fueled by a desire to keep tasting this boy's food, carefully asked, "Kid, have you ever thought about becoming a chef?"

"A chef?" Allen raised his head and gave Tom a puzzled glance. "I'm not even an adult yet. I'm starting at Hogwarts this year. How could I possibly be a cook?"

"No, no, no—you misunderstood me." Tom quickly waved his hands. "I don't mean full-time. I'm just saying… there are still more than two months before school starts. Have you considered making a little extra money before term begins?"

Tom wanted to give himself a round of applause. This suggestion was simply brilliant.

He had overheard Allen speaking with Professor McGonagall earlier, learning that the boy was an orphan in need of a student loan to attend Hogwarts.

A kid like that must need money, right? What better way to entice him than with a little side income?

Tom's hunch was right. His proposal did interest Allen—but not solely because of the money. What Allen saw was unlimited access to a professional kitchen and free ingredients—an ideal training ground for honing his magical culinary skills!

But reality had other plans.

When Tom heard Allen's idea of practicing with magical ingredients, he hesitated.

Not because he doubted the boy's skill, but because magical ingredients were expensive—often ten times the cost of regular ingredients.

Ordinary ingredients could be purchased cheaply from vendors who specialized in supplying inns and taverns. For example, a full day's worth of ingredients at the Leaky Cauldron cost less than ten Galleons.

Only then did Allen realize how unrealistic his expectations were. Magical animal products and many magical plants were mostly used in potions, alchemy, and enchantments. While not all of them were outrageously priced, they were certainly not in the same category as mundane vegetables and meats.

The problem boiled down to cost. It was simply impossible for Tom to agree to let Allen experiment freely with rare and pricey magical materials in a kitchen that primarily served pub food.

After all, the Leaky Cauldron was no upscale restaurant. Its focus was drinks and rooms—not haute cuisine. No customer would pay premium prices for fancy ingredients they couldn't even identify.

Allen was clearly unwilling to cook meaningless meals with basic ingredients just to earn a few Knuts. That wasn't his goal.

Tom sighed, expressing his regret that they couldn't reach an official arrangement.

Still, he admired Allen's passion. Though Allen couldn't be the Leaky Cauldron's official cook, Tom extended a generous offer—Allen could borrow the kitchen whenever he liked, use ordinary ingredients for free, and enjoy three free meals a day at the bar.

There was just one condition: whenever Allen cooked, Tom got to taste it.

To Allen, it felt more like a long-term kitchen rental than a job. And since the offer was quite fair, he naturally agreed. With that, Tom left the kitchen to greet new guests, leaving Allen alone to ponder recipes.

As the evening rush approached, the enchanted kitchen came alive. Magical utensils and tools began to move on their own, preparing for the dinnertime crowd.

Allen didn't disturb the floating ladles and hopping pans that worked with clockwork precision. Instead, he walked to a quiet corner of the kitchen, watching them curiously, hoping to draw some inspiration from their movements.

Bran, perched on Allen's shoulder, looked glum.

His insides felt twisted. Constipated and frustrated, the magical crow flew to a nearby trash can in search of relief.

Just as he raised his tail feathers to relieve himself, his downy black feathers flared up in alarm.

A sharp sense of danger struck him.

Whoosh!

A white blur shot toward him at lightning speed.

Bran squawked loudly and beat his wings, lifting himself into the air in panic.

"Craaaaw! Craaaaw!" he cried for help, fluttering overhead in spirals.

Allen, alerted by Bran's distress, rushed over just in time to see the white shadow vanish from sight. Bran hovered above the kitchen, feathers puffed in alarm.

"What happened?" Allen asked, frowning.

"Craaaw!" Bran shouted, flapping in agitation.

Allen narrowed his eyes and turned toward Bran. "You were attacked? That white blur? It looked pretty big. You felt something, didn't you?"

"Caw!" Bran nodded fiercely.

No doubt about it—Bran was vengeful by nature, and magical crows were even more so. If ever there was a time to use his special skill—hatred—it was now.

To Be Continued...