Harry Potter with Technology System

Soon, Dumbledore stood and tapped his goblet gently, the faint chime cutting through the lively chatter in the Great Hall. As the room quieted, all eyes turned toward him. “Welcome, students, to this most exciting year at Hogwarts,” he began, his voice carrying easily to every corner of the Hall. “Tonight, we have the honor of welcoming our esteemed guests from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and Durmstrang Institute. Please, join me in making them feel at home.”

Polite applause rippled through the room, with a few overly enthusiastic claps coming from Fred and George, though no one seemed to mind. Dumbledore smiled warmly before continuing, “And now, let us feast!” He sat down, raising his goblet as plates and platters appeared on the tables with a theatrical flourish.

But tonight’s spread wasn’t the usual fare of roasted meats, shepherd’s pie, and treacle tarts. Instead, the long tables were lined with a variety of dishes from different cuisines. Platters of French coq au vin sat beside steaming bowls of Hungarian goulash, and colorful spreads of Mediterranean mezze offered an array of flavors. There were even sushi rolls, a sight that earned a few curious glances from students poking suspiciously at the seaweed-wrapped delicacies.

Fred and George raised a plate piled high with sushi, chopsticks dangling awkwardly between their fingers. Fred’s expression was caught somewhere between curiosity and confusion as he asked, “Alright, Harry, how do we eat this without looking like idiots?”

George poked a roll with his chopstick, sending it tumbling off the plate and onto the table. “Too late for that, Fred. We’ve already failed the grace test.”

Harry chuckled, pulling the same dish toward himself from the table. The Slytherin side wasn’t faring much better—several students were staring at the unfamiliar rolls of seaweed and rice as though they might bite back. “It’s not that complicated,” Harry said, picking up the chopsticks with practiced ease. “Hold them like this.” He demonstrated, holding one stick steady and moving the other like a pincer. “Then you just pick up the sushi and dip it lightly into the soy sauce. Don’t drown it, or it’ll fall apart.”

George inspected the chopsticks like they were some ancient wand, holding them up awkwardly. “Right, and what are we supposed to do with these? Duel with them?” He attempted to pinch a roll between the sticks, only for it to slip out and plop back onto the plate.

Fred mimicked Harry’s grip, squinting at the sticks in his hand. “Like this?” he asked, though his chopsticks crossed awkwardly, making it impossible to pick anything up.

“Close enough,” Harry replied, smirking. “Just try not to launch it across the hall.”

Over the years, Harry had gifted house-elves recipe books from all over the world, and they’d eagerly embraced the chance to expand their culinary repertoire. Hogwarts students had gotten used to being surprised at mealtime by new dishes. That didn’t mean, however, that they didn’t occasionally look to Harry for explanations whenever something particularly unfamiliar appeared on the table.

“What’s this supposed to be?” Tracey asked, holding up a piece of what looked like a steamed dumpling. She squinted at it like it might suddenly sprout legs.

“Dim sum,” Harry replied, casually spearing one with his fork and popping it into his mouth. “It’s Chinese. That one’s probably pork.”

She sniffed it suspiciously before taking a small bite. Her face brightened slightly. “Not bad. Kind of salty.”

“That’s soy sauce,” Harry said, pointing to the little dish near her plate. “Dip it in that, and it’s better.”

Daphne poked at a plate of colorful vegetables wrapped in translucent rice paper. “What about this?”

“Vietnamese spring rolls,” Harry said. “They’re fresh, not fried. Try it with the peanut sauce.”

She dipped a corner into the sauce and took a bite, she gave a small nod of approval. “Alright, I’ll admit—this one’s good. Surprising, but good.”

Blaise, meanwhile, was holding up what appeared to be a piece of sushi, frowning. “And this? You already showed the Weasleys how to eat it, but why’s it wrapped in seaweed?”

“Because it is,” Harry said flatly, not bothering to elaborate. “It’s sushi. Just eat it.”

Blaise eyed the roll for another second before shrugging and taking a bite. He chewed thoughtfully, then nodded. “Not bad. I could get used to this.”

“See?” Harry said, leaning back slightly. “You lot complain about new food like it’s some kind of challenge, but then you end up liking half of it.”

“I’m not complaining,” Daphne said, reaching for another spring roll. “Just… cautiously investigating.”

“Cautiously,” Harry echoed, smirking. “You poked at that spring roll like it owed you money.”

Tracey snickered, but before she could make a comment, a voice from the other side of the table interrupted them. “Harry, what exactly is that?” Draco Malfoy had appeared, looking at a bowl of bright yellow curry on the table in front of him with curiosity.

“Thai curry,” Harry said simply. “It’s spicy. If you can’t handle spice, don’t touch it.”

Draco frowned, clearly weighing the risk of looking weak against the temptation of trying something new. He reached for the serving spoon, hesitated, then ultimately ladled a small portion onto his plate. “I can handle spice,” he said, as if trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

“Good luck with that,” Blaise muttered, smirking as he watched Draco take a bite. The moment the curry hit his tongue, Draco’s eyes widened, and he coughed, reaching for his goblet of water.

“Spicy enough for you?” Tracey asked sweetly, her grin wide.

Draco glared at her, still coughing. “It’s… fine,” he managed to choke out, though his reddening face said otherwise.

“You’ll live,” Harry said, shaking his head. “Barely.”

As the Slytherins laughed at Draco’s expense, the Beauxbatons students at the Ravenclaw table and the Durmstrang students with the Slytherins seemed to be having similar experiences with the food. Some approached the new dishes with enthusiasm, while others hesitated, sticking to the safer, more familiar options.

Harry glanced toward the staff table, expecting to witness some level of discomfort or spectacle from the professors. Instead, he was mildly disappointed. Dumbledore, in his usual unflappable manner, wielded chopsticks as if they were extensions of his hands, calmly plucking pieces of sushi with a precision that could rival a master chef. He even dipped each piece lightly into soy sauce before popping it into his mouth without spilling a single grain of rice.

McGonagall, as always, managed to blend grace with practicality. She had ignored the chopsticks entirely and was instead using a knife and fork to cut the sushi into small, bite-sized pieces. Sinfully, she paired the sushi with nothing but a sip of tea between each bite. It was clear she saw no point in entertaining the pageantry of the meal.

Snape, predictably, took it a step further. He hadn’t even bothered to touch the utensils. With a casual flick of his wand, the sushi floated off his plate and into his mouth. He barely looked at what he was eating, his expression as sour as ever, as though the idea of publicly enjoying food was beneath him. It was oddly efficient, but Harry smirked, remembering last year’s chaos.

When Harry’s friend group became obsessed with Muggle fast food, he had introduced the concept to the Hogwarts house-elves, much to their delight. The first few attempts were chaotic, with tacos and burritos nearly causing a riot. Snape had been so close to hexing a burrito after it fell apart mid-bite, splattering guacamole all over his robes. Harry had thought the memory might bring a flicker of amusement, but judging by Snape’s rigid demeanor tonight, the fun was long over.

Tracey leaned closer, nodding toward Snape. “Ten galleons says he hasn’t chewed a single bite this entire meal.”

“I’m not taking that bet,” Theodore replied, keeping his voice low. “We all know he survives on spite and potions fumes.”

Daphne snickered. “Don’t forget the tears of first-years.”

“Adds flavor,” Blaise chimed in lazily, reaching for another spring roll.