After the sorting was complete, Dumbledore uttered a phrase that most people found inexplicable: "Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!" and then declared the feast had begun.
Chen Yu wasn't concerned with what Dumbledore meant.
Seeing a pile of food suddenly appear on the table, Chen Yu's mouth watered a little.
There were roast beef, roast pork, roast lamb, roast potatoes, French fries... a huge array of roasted meats, various vegetables, desserts, and soups.
During the feast, the Little Wizards relaxed. Some chatted and introduced themselves, while others asked their seniors about Hogwarts or the professors on the dais.
Chen Yu ate very happily.
Chen Yu used his knife and fork to pick up a piece of pork chop, taking a bite. It was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and incredibly fragrant.
He finished the pork chop in two or three bites, then quickly grabbed another, devouring it whole, bones and all, leaving Harry, Ron, and the other companions wide-eyed with astonishment.
The reason Chen Yu ate so unrestrainedly was because he had just completed a main quest and acquired a skill that made him incredibly hungry.
【Main Quest Completed: Hogwarts First-Year New Student】
【Quest Content: Enter Hogwarts and become a first-year new student】
【Reward: Random Skill Card + 1】
【Skill Acquired: Carnivore LV1 (Cannot be upgraded)】
【Skill Name: Carnivore】
【Skill Description: Originating from the Void Terror Cho'Gath in the League of Legends universe, this skill strengthens the player's teeth and digestive system, granting the player unparalleled digestive ability. When the player consumes meat, this skill absorbs all energy from the food and converts it into health and mana. When the player's health and mana reach their maximum, it will continuously strengthen the player's physical constitution and mana limit.】
Carnivore was undoubtedly a monstrous, sustained recovery skill.
Chen Yu had only eaten one pork chop, and his mana, which had been depleted from casting Lumos, had already been restored.
At this rate of mana recovery, his mana pool would soon be full.
Chen Yu continued to feast, quickly devouring all the food around him.
The Little Wizards next to Chen Yu watched him eat so ferociously, they couldn't help but lean away, afraid that Chen Yu might accidentally grab them and swallow them whole.
Hermione had originally intended to chat with Chen Yu about her insights on Lumos during dinner, but seeing Chen Yu's eating habits, she immediately stopped herself.
Draco Malfoy watched Chen Yu eat and muttered under his breath, "A crude Gryffindor Troll."
Next to him, Goyle looked at Chen Yu with envy, seemingly wishing he had Chen Yu's appetite.
"Eat, don't just stare at me, Harry, Ron, you eat too." Chen Yu stuffed a chicken leg into his mouth, feeling a faint, warm current flowing through his body.
Since there was no display for HP or physical constitution on his panel, Chen Yu didn't know how much this meal had improved him, but he clearly saw his mana pool limit increase by 1, which gave him great motivation to keep eating.
"Harry, Ron, don't just watch, hurry up and eat. Since this food can appear suddenly, it can also disappear suddenly. If you don't eat quickly, you might not be able to eat it later."
Harry swallowed. He hadn't expected Chen Yu, who had seemed so calm and collected on the train, to be so "crazy" at the dinner table. His voice trembled a little as he spoke: "Chen Yu, you're eating so much? Can your stomach handle it?"
Chen Yu continued to eat with his head down, making up an excuse: "You know, I've always lived in an orphanage. The orphanage's main income comes from social and government assistance, and the funds are very tight, so I usually restrain my food intake. Today, seeing Hogwarts prepare so much food, I finally let myself go, trying to eat my fill."
Hearing Chen Yu's words, Hermione imagined Chen Yu's tragic life in the orphanage, and her eyes filled with sympathy.
Harry and Ron immediately moved the food in front of them to Chen Yu, encouraging him to eat to his heart's content.
Professor Pomona Sprout, the Head of Hufflepuff, showed a satisfied smile and said to Professor McGonagall next to her, "If it weren't for the school rules that the Sorting Hat assigns students to each house, I would have wanted him for Hufflepuff. Look how much he can eat, it's a blessing to eat well, what a good child."
Professor McGonagall recalled the first time she saw Chen Yu. At that time, he was lying on a bed in the orphanage, covered in scars, yet there was little pain in his eyes, which were full of curiosity.
Listening to Professor Sprout's praise for Chen Yu, Professor McGonagall nodded: "He is a strong and optimistic child. Illness and scars haven't defeated him. Children are at an age when they're growing, so eating a lot is normal."
"Hello! Little Wizards! Welcome to Gryffindor!"
Chen Yu, who was intently eating, suddenly heard a gasp from his companions around him. He looked over and saw a transparent head suddenly appear in the middle of the table in front of Hermione, startling her too.
Immediately after, countless ghosts emerged from the floor, ceiling, and walls, moving freely among the bewildered first-year wizards.
These were the ghosts living in Hogwarts Castle, also considered members of the Hogwarts staff.
Chen Yu was somewhat interested in these ghosts and wanted to ask if they were afraid of lightning magic, talismans, peach wood swords, and the like, but he felt it would be impolite to ask such things upon first meeting. He decided to wait until he was more familiar with the ghosts before asking, so after a few glances, he lowered his head again and focused on eating.
Dumbledore waited for another ten minutes or so, finding that Chen Yu was still wolfing down food, showing no signs of stopping.
Helpless, he could only wave his wand, turning everything into desserts except for the meat in front of Chen Yu.
Chen Yu looked at the newly refreshed assortment of desserts and took a bite of milk pudding, swallowing it whole.
The Carnivore skill certainly lived up to its name; the energy converted from the pudding was less than one-tenth of that from the same volume of meat.
Chen Yu abandoned the surrounding desserts and continued to focus on the meat in front of him.
When the students had all eaten their fill, Dumbledore, without waiting for Chen Yu, who was still eating, made the food disappear and slowly stood up.
Everyone's gaze also gathered on Professor Dumbledore.
"Oh, since everyone has eaten and drunk their fill, I shall say a few more words. At the beginning of the term, I have a few points of attention for everyone."
Dumbledore's voice echoed throughout the Great Hall, his eyes sweeping over the new students standing below.
"First-year students should note that the forest on the school grounds is strictly forbidden to students. I imagine older students should also remember this."
Dumbledore's gaze swept over the Weasley twins.
"Also, Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to remind you that no magic is allowed in the corridors between classes."
"Quidditch tryouts will be held in the second week of this term."
"Finally, I must warn you that anyone who does not wish to suffer a painful death should not enter the corridor on the right side of the fourth floor."
Dumbledore's words made Harry laugh aloud, thinking Dumbledore was joking.
Without the temptation of food, Chen Yu looked around. Most of the younger students around him didn't care, only the older students frowned tightly.
"Last but not least, there is one more important matter. Before going to bed, let us sing the school song."
Dumbledore gently flicked his wand, and a long golden ribbon floated out from it, twisting and coiling above the dining tables into lines of text.
Chen Yu saw that the smiles of the professors on the dais seemed to freeze, and he had an ominous premonition.
"Everyone may choose their favorite tune." Dumbledore nodded with satisfaction and said, "Ready, sing!"
So the older students and professors began to sing loudly:
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hogwarts,
Please teach us knowledge,
Whether we are bald old men
Or children with scraped knees,
Our minds can accept
Some interesting things.
Because now our brains are empty, full of air, dead flies, and trifles,
Teach us some valuable knowledge,
Give us back what we have forgotten,
You just do your best, the rest is up to us,
We will study hard until we turn to dust."
Everyone's singing was scattered, with all sorts of tunes, truly a chaotic free-for-all.
The lyrics were simple, just a few lines repeated over and over. After listening once or twice, the younger students joined in with the older students.
Chen Yu was full of questions. How could he have no impression of such an interesting scene from the movies?
Chen Yu didn't know how to sing at first, but seeing that everyone was singing their own tunes, he sang it to the tune of "Little Apple."
Of course, because the lyrics and melody were not harmonious, and Chen Yu's singing was indeed quite bad, the tune he sang was naturally off-key.
But at that moment, who cared?
Chen Yu felt that his singing was much better than what the two Weasley twins sang; at least it didn't feel like a funeral.
After they finished singing, Dumbledore rubbed his eyes, seemingly moved to tears by the school song.
After bidding farewell to the students, he told everyone to follow their respective house prefects back to their dormitories.
"Gryffindor students, follow me, keep up, thank you!"
Chen Yu and the Gryffindor first-year students followed Percy, pushing through the noisy crowd, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase, separating from the students of the other houses.
The procession of new students passed through corridors, winding around the castle.
Many portraits hung on the walls of the corridors, all whispering, some even greeting the new students in a friendly manner.
Along the way, they even encountered Peeves, who was causing trouble, but Percy drove him away.
Passing through revolving corridors and staircases, they arrived at the end of a corridor led by Percy.
There, another portrait hung, depicting a plump woman in a pink dress.
Her figure was almost identical to the Fat Aunt from the orphanage.
The plump woman saw the Little Wizards and said expressionlessly, "Password."
Percy replied, "Password, Dragon Slag."
Hearing the correct password, the painting swayed open and moved aside, revealing an archway.
"Everyone, follow me, quickly keep up."
Percy led the way, guiding the Gryffindor Little Wizards through the archway and into the Gryffindor Common Room.
It was a spacious circular room, with gold and red as its main colors. Gryffindor chess pieces hung in mid-air, and the common room floor was filled with long tables and armchairs. Near the wall, a dark brown fireplace blazed with a roaring fire.
The fiercely burning fire provided both light and dispelled the evening chill.
The boys' dormitory was to the left of the common room, and the girls' dormitory was to the right.
Everyone separated here, returning to their respective dorms.
Chen Yu was lucky.
He was sharing a dormitory with Harry, Ron, Neville, and the explosive Seamus.
All familiar faces.
Chen Yu found his bed, which had his nameplate carved on it, and discovered his trunk on the floor beside it.
Seeing his roommates exhausted and not particularly wanting to talk, he lay directly on his bed, set an alarm, and immediately entered sleep mode.