Charms Lesson 2: Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen

Tuesday
11 January 1921
9:33 am

He was late, not by his own doing thank you very much. Had he planned to play Charms Professor this afternoon? No, but here they were.

It seemed that Professor Bourne was not immune to gravity, or the result of tripping over the bag left in the Gryffindor common room. In most instances, this wouldn’t be a huge issue. Unfortunately he had been holding a glass of ice water when he went down, cutting his hand open quite thoroughly. Currently sitting in the hospital wing getting fixed up, Gideon offered to step in for class instead of cancelling.

Walking into the classroom, a room full of eyes fell on him, obviously confused by his presence. He looked as he always did, in a three piece suit, buttoned up and tailored to perfection. When he got to the front of the class, he looked over the lesson plans on the desk, seeing an elaborate plan that he really couldn’t wrap his mind around.

Quickly, thinking on his feet, he looked up into the wondering eyes of a class full of students. “Good morning class. I’m sorry to say you have me today, Professor Bourne had a bit of an accident. He should be patched up and back tomorrow. For today, we will be going a bit off script. Please, collect your things, we won’t be coming back to the classroom today. Please, follow me.”

The class rushed to pick up their belongings and scrambled to their feet. He was a fast walker and they were already behind. No time to waste.

In mere minutes, the class was all standing in the dungeon hallway leading to the castle kitchens. He quickly tickled the pear and opened the door into the chaos. The clatter of dishes, chopping of knives, sizzling of pans and the wafting of delicious smells assaulted their senses.

As they all made their way into the kitchens, he brought them over to a less busy section. Away from where the elves were working on preparing lunch. In just ninety minutes the great hall would fill with students and staff starving from a long day of classes. Gideon hung up his suit jacket and folded up his shirt sleeves to the elbow. Washing his hands quickly in the nearby sink, he took an apron off a hook on the wall, put it over his head and secured it around his waist. Standing in front of the waiting students, he surveyed the class. Most looked rather confused.

“Ok class, welcome to Charms. We will be doing things a bit different today. How many of you have tried cooking at home with your Mum, Granny or whoever does the cooking in your house?” He waited for the hands to rise, not surprisingly, there weren’t many hands.

“We’re going to keep it pretty simple today. You will pick a recipe and then attempt to cook it. With magic. No manually using knives or stirring, that is what your wand is for. There will be some things beyond your skill level, don’t fear. Raise your hand and I will come to help. When I get to your station, just tell me what you need and I will take care of it for you, or show you what needs to be done.”
Pulling out a small box from the cupboard, Gideon rifled through the cards, pulling out random ones as he flipped through.

“First things first, everyone needs to wash their hands and grab an apron. You will then sanitize your station using scourgify. If that is above your level, older students, please step in to help your neighbors. Once you have cleaned yourself and your workbench please come up to the front, pick a recipe and get started. You can use the pantry for all your ingredients, just through those doors. You will find spices in the spice rack on that wall to the left. He said pointing at a massive shelving system against the wall with every spice, fresh and dried, that you could think of.

If you are confused or need help, please don’t hesitate to raise your hand. Otherwise, begin.

Grabbing an apple out of the pantry, Gideon took a large, loud bite as the students began their task. A few looked a bit nervous, to be expected. What he had failed to mention, was that whatever they made would be sent up to the staff table when lunch started in, looking at his watch, in 75 minutes.

---

((OOC: HELLO! Welcome to Charms lesson 2. Things are a little different, Roufas (and his muggle) hurt his hand and isn’t able to type for a bit, so Gideon will be stepping in. This is my first time teaching in over a decade, so if you have questions or need clarification please let me know. In this first post, please respond to the switch up, let us know what your character thinks about the class, wash up, clean your station, pick a recipe and start getting your ingredients. Nothing to difficult. The prepping and cooking will begin in post two, so please don’t work ahead.))

Please pay attention to what the other students picked. Please, everyone choose a different recipe

Menu Ideas:

• Grilled Cheese Sandwich
  
• Tomato Soup (from scratch. Canned tomatoes are acceptable)
  
• Salad (chop ingredients, make dressing)
  
• Chicken Noodle Soup (Precooked chicken available in the cold storage, as well as noodles in the pantry)
  
• Spaghetti and sauce (noodles available in the pantry)
  
• Mac & Cheese (noodles available in the pantry)
  
• Cookies
  
• Come up with your own, nothing too complicated.

(You can find a basic recipe online, or if you want me to find one for you I can)

Possible Spells:

• Hot Air Charm - Conjures a stream of hot air.
  
• Wingardium Leviosa - Makes objects fly, or levitate.
  
• Locomotor - Allows a witch or wizard to levitate a target a few inches off of the ground and then move said object in any given direction.
  
• Glacius - Freezes the target with icy-cold air.
  
• Accio - Summons an object towards the caster.
  
• Diffindo - Used to precisely cut or tear objects.
  
• Scourgify - Cleans objects by a process of washing them with soap.
  
• Engorgio - Used to swell and lengthen items.
  

((Please make sure you look at your Whomping Willow list to see what you are able to use. If you need Gideon’s help, call him over and tell him what spell you need to do the task. You can assume he comes over and takes care of it for you.))

NEXT UPDATE: OCTOBER 23rd

Well this was different. Deputy… Professor Blackwood? That sounded odd.

Everleigh was sad to hear that Professor Bourne had been injured, but thankfully they had a great hospital wing, he would be up and moving in no time. Until then, they had to deal with Deputy Blackwood. And apparently he wasn’t keen on staying in their charms classroom.

Everleigh quickly packed up her things and shuffled out the door with the horde of other students, wondering what he had in store for them. “Any idea where we’re going?” She asked the 3rd year scurrying down the hall next to her.

Her question was answered soon enough, when she saw Blackwood tickle the pear, opening the entrance to the kitchens. The smells made her stomach growl, having skipped breakfast, she was on the verge of hangry.

“Ok class, welcome to Charms. We will be doing things a bit different today. How many of you have tried cooking at home with your Mum, Granny or whoever does the cooking in your house?”

Ever looked around at her fellow classmates. She saw Tilly raising her hand, she would be great at whatever they were doing today. A natural in the kitchen. Everleigh, however, kept her hand down. She wasn’t allowed in the kitchen. They had house elves that did that for the family. It wasn’t something she had ever thought about, it was just not done in their family.

Blackwood explained the plan for the day, magical cooking. Well shit. She was going to suck at this project.

Following his instructions, she asked her cousin Tilly to help her Scourgify her worktable, once that was done she went to the sink and washed her hands really well with soap and water. Grabbed an apron, tossed her hair up in a pony tail, then went to the front to look at the recipes available to make. There were so many and all were well beyond her ability.

“Is there anything that doesn’t require anything like… actual cooking?” Playing with fire was honestly a horrible idea. She saw one that looked promising. No bake Cookies. Awesome.

Taking the recipe with her, Ever went to the pantry and got the ingredients that were needed.

• 3 cups quick oats
  
• 1 cup shredded coconut
  
• ½ cup crunchy peanut butter
  
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  
• 2 cups white sugar
  
• ½ cup milk
  
• ½ cup butter
  
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  

Returning to her work station, Ever arranged all her items out in order, then read through the recipe to see what all was involved. Mixing, a bunch of the things together… easy enough. Wait… Shit. Combine sugar, milk, butter and cocoa in a saucepan. Just great. There was a 100% chance she would be visiting Professor Bourne in the hospital wing with a set of nasty burns. Bullocks.

Wasn’t there a rule? If the Professor was fifteen minutes late the students could leave with no punishment? There had to be a rule. That kid, the one with the hair, had told her that last term. Surely they could leav… “Good morning class.” Damnit…

“I’m sorry to say you have me today, Professor Bourne had a bit of an accident. He should be patched up and back tomorrow. For today, we will be going a bit off script. Please, collect your things, we won’t be coming back to the classroom today. Please, follow me.”

Well, this was never good honestly. Inside the class was safe-ish. Outside there were far too many dangers to list, granted, it usually ended up being a lot more interesting. Matching her steps with her younger cousin Ever, she leaned down and whispered, “Where the hell are we going?”

It didn’t take long for her to realize it was the kitchens. The only other thing down this hall was the Hufflepuff Common Room and dorms, and as much as she would LOVE to go mess with Benji’s things, it wasn’t likely.

Entering the kitchens, Tilly smiled, wondering what this lesson was going to be about. “We’re going to keep it pretty simple today. You will pick a recipe and then attempt to cook it. With magic. No manually using knives or stirring, that is what your wand is for. There will be some things beyond your skill level, don’t fear. Raise your hand and I will come to help. When I get to your station, just tell me what you need and I will take care of it for you, or show you what needs to be done.”

YEEEEEES! Second to plants was cooking. This could not have been better news for the Gryffindor. Before being told, she was tying her hair up in a tight messy bun and had grabbed an apron. For once, she was excited about a charms lesson.

Tilly was at the sink, scrubbing her hands with warm soapy water quickly, then standing at her work station saying “scourgify,” before most had figured out this was a cooking lesson. Looking around a few first years looked unsure about the spell, so she helped them sanitize their stations before going to get ingredients.

Walking up to the front, she stopped to ask the… Professor? A quick question. “Sir, do I have to use one of those recipes, or can I use one that I already know?”

He looked at her appraisingly, then sighed. “As long as you don’t burn down the kitchen, you can use your own. And maybe do something other than just, you know… plants.” Tilly rolled her eyes at the Deputy. “I may know all about plants sir, but I also know about desserts. Just ask Benji, he’ll vouch for my cooking abilities.”

At the mention of Benji, her thoughts went to a different dessert. Muffins was her first thought, but after Bacon-Gate a few years ago, she thought maybe that would be more fun. Taking a basket into the massive pantry, Tilly looked around for what looked fresh and ripe. Her eyes zeroed in on the apples. BINGO.

Gathering the ingredients was, a lot. This wasn’t a simple recipe, but she knew it would be yummy. As the basket got heavier she thought it best to start with the magic now. Pointing her wand at the overflowing basket, she said “Locomotor,” Watching the basket levitate, she walked it back over to her station, depositing it onto her worktable. Next, she arranged all her items into three sections: Apples, Streusel Topping, and Caramel Sauce. With everything ready to go, she jotted down a few things on a parchment to keep things in order and waited for the signal to begin. More ready for this lesson than any charms lesson in history.

---

Bacon Caramel Apple Crisp

6 slices Pure Farmland All Natural Uncured Bacon cooked together and divided
Apples:

• 6 apples I used 3 Granny Smith, and 3 Honeycrisp
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  
• pinch kosher salt
  
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  
• reserved bacon grease

Streusel Topping:

• 1 ½ cup quick oats
  
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  
• ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
  
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
  
• 4 slices Bacon crumbled

Caramel Sauce:

• 36 individually wrapped caramels
  
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  
• 2 teaspoons reserved bacon grease

It had been a quiet morning, as most of them had been since she'd returned from Christmas break. She'd rose from her bed, took her shower, brushed her teeth, fixed her makeup and hair and wandered down to the Great Hall for breakfast. As usual, she'd had tea and nothing else, sweetening it slightly with honey, as she'd flipped disinterestedly through her Charms notes.

She had meant to study last night and prepare for the exam that was coming up in Professor Bourne's class, but she'd found herself more preoccupied with tidying everything in the sixth year dorm. It was what she did when she couldn't settle or focus. Cleaning was a good outlet.

Even if it drove her dormmates a little nutty. It wasn't her fault they didn't put their stuff away and she'd had to decide where it all went.

Following her breakfast tea, Rosie had gathered her things and made her way up to the Charms classroom, offering a slight smile to Everleigh before dropping down into her usual desk. Quiet. Uneventful. Routine. All the things that Rosalie was growing accustomed to.

“Good morning class. I’m sorry to say you have me today, Professor Bourne had a bit of an accident. He should be patched up and back tomorrow. For today, we will be going a bit off script. Please, collect your things, we won’t be coming back to the classroom today. Please, follow me.”

Rosie glanced up from her notes, surprised to hear Professor Blackwood's voice rather than Professor Bourne's. Apparently the usual professor was injured and the Deputy Headmaster would be handling the lesson. Again, she gathered up her belongings and followed along quickly with the rest of the class, finding herself brightening a little as they made their way closer and closer to the kitchens.

When Professor Blackwood tickled the pear, it was like a spot of sunshine had finally found the girl, and everything else on her mind finally went to the wayside. They were doing something she liked! Finally!

“Ok class, welcome to Charms. We will be doing things a bit different today. How many of you have tried cooking at home with your Mum, Granny or whoever does the cooking in your house?”

She raised her hand slightly, though she never cooked with her mum or granny. The two women wouldn't know a wooden spoon if it slapped them in the face. Rather, she cooked - or baked, rather - by herself in the Hogwarts kitchen from time to time. Usually cookies for her friends.

Rosalie didn't have to be told twice to get started after the professor had poured over the instructions. She was in her element, and happy to be. A quick wash of her hands and a 'scourgify' and she was ready to go. She'd considered for a moment, making cookies, but she wanted to step out of her usual dessert mode and try her hand at fixing a meal. Surely, it couldn't be much harder, especially with magic.

Spaghetti was easy enough, and always a crowd-pleaser, though she wasn't sure who all would be eating this food. Looking around at some of her classmates and their personal hygiene, she certainly hoped it wouldn't be her.

Taking the recipe card, she picked up a little basket and headed for the pantry.

• 3 Large Cans of Whole Tomatoes
  
• 1 Can of Tomato Paste
  
• 6 Cups Chicken Stock
  
• 3 Cloves of Garlic
  
• 2 Tbsps of Sugar
  
• 2 Tbsps of Salt
  
• 2 Tbsps of Oregano
  
• 2 Tbsps of Basil
  
• Dry Spaghetti Noodles
  

Returning to her station, the Gryffindor laid out all of her ingredients and waited eagerly to get started.

Benji was not a cook, by any stretch of the imagination, but he knew the basics. Before Hogwarts, the boy had had to learn how to feed himself and subsequently his sister when she came along. It had started out with simple sandwiches and whatever he could scrummage out of the cupboards when his mum wasn't looking. With time, he'd learned how to make easy meals. Eggs, beans on toast, a few soups and porridges. Things that an eight year old could make without much trouble or mess and that a three year old little girl would eat without complaint.

Since coming to Hogwarts the boy had been more of an eater than a chef, but he wasn't completely unfamiliar with the workings of it all. When Professor Blackwood had led them down here, there'd been a little hop in his step, knowing that not only when he finished cooking, he'd probably get to eat as well. It made this class worth it for once.

All classes should follow suit.

"Scourgify," he said easily, sanitizing his station and then heading to the sink to wash up. Contrary to popular belief it seemed, Benji was a clean freak. The boy showered twice a day and kept his part of the dorm and bathroom spotless. There'd been too many times in his young life the boy had been neglected to filth, and it was something that he'd learned to loathe.

Cleanliness was important, and he was glad the professor agreed.

Benji didn't need a recipe card. He already knew what he was fixing. It would be simple and straightforward and cause Toddles very little grief when he inevitably spilled something. He headed quickly to the pantry, returning with all of his ingredients for scrambled eggs.

• A Dozen eggs
  
• 2 Tbsps of Milk
  
• 1 Tsp Salt
  
• 1 Tsp Black Pepper
  
• 1 Cup Cheddar Cheese
  

Herbology hadn't woken her up.

Tending plants with heavy eyelids wasn't exactly the recipe for becoming alert, and the morning's lesson wasn't the most riveting on its own. Had they been handling something like a venomous tentacula or even a snargaluff, her four hours of sleep would've sufficed to keep her system alert and out of death's unpredictable grip. Honking daffodils, while loud, were no match for a girl determined to sleep.

Charms class was no different. While she waited for the professor to arrive, the girl's head was cradled in her arms on her desk, her forehead pressed into the wood while she drifted in and out to the low, murmured sounds of chatter that came from some of her classmates.

Then she heard the deputy.

Groaning lightly, Rae lifted her head to find the man not only present but taking over their lesson. She sighed. They'd move from one bumbling idiot to the next, and in all that, she wouldn't be able to get the sleep she so desperately wanted. Blackwood tried to hurry them along, but the girl moved with all the urgency of a sloth. None of her things had been packed out onto her desk, making it easier to simply grab her book bag and rise to her feet, but even then, her movements were slow.

By the time Rae got to the kitchen, the man and several of her classmates had already made their way through the portrait hole.

There was more talking on the other side, a lot more talking, and all she could think was that she should've continued past the kitchen and down to the Slytherin common room. Would he notice? Would he care if she just...eased her way back out of the room? Probably. The man was the spiteful sort in her book, the kind that would force you to remain in a lesson just so you couldn't be off having a good time somewhere else.

Jerk.

Rae went and got herself a recipe card without looking at what might have been written on it. The whole time, it never occurred to her that her friends were already moving to get their ingredients because, with card in hand, she slumped against the counter waiting for what she'd convinced herself was coming next.

It would take her a while longer to notice...a while longer to force herself awake enough.

In her current state, the girl was likely a hazard in the kitchen, but that wasn't her fault. She'd been content being a non-hazard up in the charms classroom where there were no fires or cutting charms to hurt herself with while she dreamed of soft clouds and fields of flowers.

Finally taking note of all the movements around her, Rae went to go slouch by Rosie, who'd already collected a few things.

"What're we doing?" she mumbled, her eyes already closing again.

Maevie sat with her head propped up in one hand and the other doodling in her journal, decorating her latest entry with a quiet hum on her lips. It had been a Christmas present by her mum, a cover of deep burnt orange and pages that were thick and sturdy. She had written in it every day since and carried it everywhere she went.

Her head snapped up though when heavy footsteps told her the professor was entering the classroom, although it wasn't Bourne who spoke to the class now. Instead, it was the Deputy Headmaster Mr. Blackwood, telling them to pack up their stuff again and follow him somewhere else.

Eagerly, Maevie did as told, quickly stuffing away everything she had unpacked and darting after the man with the rest of class. After a short walk in which she had to break into bursts of running to keep up with the long strides of Blackwood, they arrived in the kitchens.

She had been here once or twice before but never when it was so busy, elves working away all around and making the space into a clattering, steaming organized chaos of lunch preparation. Maevie watched them with fascination, given the fact the elves were hard to catch about, always doing their work where the students didn't see. She would have loved to walk over and ask them a million questions but Mr. Blackwood's voice cut through the distraction.

Her hand shot up high when he asked who had helped cook before, smile wide and proud. She didn't know much and there hadn't been that many occasions but Maevie had watched plenty of times when dinner was being cooked and had been allowed with the easier meals so she definitely knew a little bit already.

The problem now though, was that she couldn't do magic at all. Thus far, her wand had not been much of a help to her not for the lack of trying but likely because she had to catch up with everything first that others might have learned from magical parents before actually coming to school for their first year. Meavie hadn't had that sort of luck.

She didn't let it tarnish her mood though, keen to try anyway and to find a way to make it work somehow.

When they got the go, Maevie began by washing her hands and grabbing an apron, one sporting a pattern of tiny blue flowers and then finding a spot next to Benji. "Hello," she greeted brightly, immediately rambling on. "Can you help me clean my surface, please? I can't do that yet and I've tried but it's never worked. I'm not sure if it's the wand movement or maybe I'm not saying it right or maybe it's just too hard for me, anyway can you?"

Once that was done, Maevie went to pick a recipe card, pulling at random and doing a little hop of excitement upon finding the words 'Fish and Chips' written at the top. It was a meal her mum had made plenty of times and that she loved dearly, reminding her of home and a time when there had been four people sitting around that table instead of three.

Quickly dismissing that thought, Maevie went to collect her ingredients and then re-joined Benji. As she arranged everything she asked the older boy, "Who do you think will eat all this food? What if we burn it all?" What if trying to use her wand would make the whole thing explode right through the room?

---

Link to recipe for myself lol

pp approved <3

A Professor he was not.

That being said, he loved to cook. Would the students love to cook? Probably not all of them. He hoped that at least a few knew what they were doing. As he let them go to clean and gather their ingredients, he was honestly shocked that more than one had a smile on their face. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea afterall.

Gideon started walking around the work area, helping a few younger years with their Scourgify. A few older students took to helping as well. Nice of them.

“Is there anything that doesn’t require anything like… actual cooking?” he heard Everleigh ask while looking at the options. Seeing her pick the no bake cookies, he nodded. A good choice. Although, she would have to use the stove to melt the butter and cocoa. It's possible she didn’t read that part. “Good choice Miss Ravenstone, make sure to follow the instructions carefully. Nothing worse than replacing the salt with the sugar.”

“Sir, do I have to use one of those recipes, or can I use one that I already know?” Turning towards the voice, he saw Matilda with her hand raised. The girl was wicked good with plants, but he had no idea if she could cook.

“Miss Mathelda, as long as you don’t burn down the kitchen, you can use your own. And maybe do something other than just, you know… plants.” He liked a salad just like the next person, but he didn’t want a class full of them.

Taking a look at a few more students, Rosalie selecting Spaghetti. "Nice choice Miss Rosalie." and Benji selecting… eggs. Really? Eggs? “There better not be any shells in the eggs. Pay attention as you crack.”

Moving to the next station he found Miss Elliot, recipe card in hand, station not yet cleaned and nearly asleep. For someone who usually had a multitude of things to say, he rather liked the silence. Giving her another few minutes, she seemed to wake up, moving to Miss Laurence for help. "What're we doing?"

“We’re cooking Miss Elliot, but you would know that if you had been awake for the instructions. You are already behind. Clean your station, wash your hands and get the ingredients."

Seeing Miss Golding, one of his own, pick fish and chips was a surprise. Not one of the easier recipes… eggs… he hoped it turned out well. It was one of his favorites. “Miss Maevie, if there are spells you need help with please make sure to ask.”

Once they had all selected a recipe and retrieved their ingredients, some were obviously more ambitious than others it was time to move on to the next part. Cooking.

Making his way to the center of the area he had commandeered for their ‘class’ Gideon clapped his hands and turned in a circle to look at them all. “Ok, time for the fun part. Cooking. Some of you have chosen more complex recipes, I applaud you for your vision. Others have gone the safe route. Time will tell if that was a good choice.”

“The next step is to start working on your recipe. I recommend that you read through the ENTIRE recipe from start to finish, so that nothing is missed. For many, you will need to prep your ingredients: chopping, peeling, grating, cracking, melting, etc. Please remember, you are to do these things WITH MAGIC. If you need help, please raise you hand.”

Looking around at them all once again, he simply said. “Begin.”

---

((OOC: TIME TO PREP AND COOK! As all good cooks know, sometimes things happen, even with the best preparations. Please see below for a list of issues that are common in the kitchen. Please choose at least one for your student to face. If you have a better one, go for it. While cooking, please highlight TWO spells used to cook. Whether that's you that does them or Gideon, depending on your levels. Have fun, be creative, get messy.))

Something burns
Recipe calls for eggs? Shells in the batter
Put too much of one ingredient in
Excluded one ingredient all together
Switch one ingredient for another (sugar/salt, brown sugar/powdered sugar, etc)
Recipe calls for something minced, maybe you pulverize it?


Potential Charms for Cooking:
**Oven and Stove work like normal, with a twist of your wand it increases or decreases the temp.

• Stirring motion over the pot, stirs the contents. (no spell is needed, all can do this)
  
• Hot Air Charm - Conjures a stream of hot air.
  
• Engorgio - Used to grow, swell or lengthen items.
  
• Glacius - Freezes the target with icy-cold air.
  
• Locomotor - Allows a witch or wizard to levitate a target a few inches off of the ground and then move said object in any given direction.
  
• Wingardium Leviosa - Makes objects fly, or levitate.
  
• Accio - Summons an object towards the caster.
  
• Diffindo - Used to precisely cut or tear objects. (used for chopping. The longer you point your wand and focus on the spell, the smaller the pieces will be)
  
• Scourgify - Cleans objects by a process of washing them with soap.
  
  
• If you think another will work, feel free to give it a go.
  

EDIT:: IN THIS UPDATE PLEASE PREP THE FOOD AND START THE COOKING PROCESS. YOU WILL CONTINUE COOKING AND FINISH IN THE NEXT UPDATE. THE LAST, IF YOU CHOOSE TO, WILL BE TRYING EVERYONE'S FOOD.

NEXT UPDATE: October 28th

“Begin.”

Wait what? Like… just start?

Shoot. Maybe she should have picked toast, there was less chance of catastrophic failure with that. Bread, heat, don’t burn, butter, jam. Nope, she’d fuck that one up too.

Of all the things to learn. Cooking. Everleigh was booksmart. Some would even say smart beyond her years. Listening to adult conversations, taking mental notes, seeing how people ticked, the subtle art of body language and voice changes. She was quiet by nature, but never mistake quiet for unaware. She was quiet so she could listen.

All those skills did absolutely nothing in this specific case. Body language and tone of voice wouldn’t help in making cookies.

Grabbing the recipe card, Everleigh went down the list of steps. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper. Easy enough. In a medium saucepan combine butter, sugar, cocoa powder and milk. Ok, so mix it all together, she could do that. Step three Set over medium heat and cook…. Wait… WHAT THE HELL!

These were supposed to be NO BAKE! Didn’t that mean NO COOKING?! Shoot. This was going down hill fast. Not bothering to read the rest, too angry at the little 4in x 6in card in front of her, Everleigh started.

Thankfully Tilly was near her, so if things went bad she had a safety net. Calling over the Professor, she got help cutting the parchment paper, since Diffindo was beyond her skill set. Once the baking sheet was lined, she went on to step two and three. With her measuring cups all out in front of her, she measured out all the ingredients and put them on her work station. Then, one by one, she cast “Wingardium Leviosa,” on each measuring cup, depositing the ingredients into the pot. Turning the stove on, Ever used her wand to turn the flame up to what she thought looked like ‘medium.’

It was, in fact, not on medium, but on high.

With the first few ingredients on the stove, coming to a boil, Ever turned her back on the stove and started measuring out the oats, peanut butter, coconut and vanilla. Misplacing the 2/3rds cup, she searched all over her station, then ended up needing to ask Tilly for hers, who of course let her use it with no trouble. Getting the peanut butter out of the jar and into the measuring cup was a messy job, one that took longer than anticipated.

It wasn’t until she heard Tilly’s voice saying, “Is something burning?!” That Ever realized her pot of butter, sugar and other things was now a smoking mess of burned crusty goo.

“SHOOT! Wingardium Leviosa!” She said for the second time this class, and thankfully deposited the smoking mess into the sink filled with soapy water. This really was the worst class ever.

"What're we doing?"

Hmm? Rosie glanced up from her recipe card, smiling at the familiar voice that had joined her. "Hey little mouse," she started, and went to hand her the recipe card to show Rae, when the professor chimed in, ready to scold. Well. Rosie tightened her lips and tossed the card back down, giving Rae a little encouraging look. "I'm doing spaghetti. It seems easy enough. Which recipe did you get?"

Retrieving a couple of pots from the cabinets, Rosie filled one with water with a quick 'aguamenti'. "I haven't seen you in here cooking much," the Gryffindor said as she worked quickly to pry open her cans of tomatoes. "Not something you like or just never got around to it?" Rae and Benji were both human food disposals, so it made sense to her that at least one of them would enjoy cooking or baking.

"Wingardium leviosa," she said quickly, sending all three cans to the empty pot. Once the contents had been disposed of, she got to work peeling and chopping the garlic, before levitating the pieces into the pot along with the tomatoes. Next came all the spices and chicken broth, all sent into the pot as she pointed her wand to increase the heat and waved it to get it stirring.

Noodles would only take ten minutes or so, she she leaned back on her table, watching Rae work. "If you need help with anything, let me know." A pop, a sizzle. Hmm? Rosie turned her attention back to her sauce, seeing it beginning to bubble over.

"Shoot," she hissed, rushing to move the pot off the heat before the mess spilled onto the floor.

“We’re cooking Miss Elliot, but you would know that if you had been awake for the instructions. You are already behind. Clean your station, wash your hands, and get the ingredients."

More words. Admittedly, words she was starting to understand. In a twist that could only be considered unfortunate--cruel, even--the mild chaos of everyone moving around and grabbing things, and the clatter of cupboard doors slamming, was bringing her to a state of wakefulness that she hadn't asked for. It didn't seem she would be able to take that nap she promised herself back in herbology, not if there was gonna be sizzling oil and chopping knives and overzealous foodies who fashioned themselves five-star chefs.

Truly, there was no rest for the wicked.

Rae looked down at her recipe card as the deputy tried urging her into action. Clean something, wash something, get food. Oh, she could do that part. The Slytherin loved getting food. While it was no longer one of her favourite pastimes--in part, due to her overly busy schedule--the girl was still an avid appreciator of the stuff.

"I'm doing spaghetti. It seems easy enough. Which recipe did you get?"

"Spaghetti," Rae repeatd, vanishing her own card. He never said this couldn't be a team effort, and while Rosie was currently doing all that effort, she was ready and rearing to be the taste tester when that part came, too.

She propped herself straighter on her elbows, leaning in to watch Rosie as she began filling a pot with water. "I don't cook, I eat," she explained at her friend's question. "I'm very good at consuming what others come up with--just so you know--for when this is over. I've heard you're real good in the kitchen."

There was chopping and slicing and sizzling.

Rae? She did what she could, casting "Scourgify" every now and then to keep the work station clean. This was her humble contribution to what she had every intention of getting a bowl of.

Never let it be said she never worked for her supper...er...second breakfast.

"If you need help with anything, let me know."

"Not at all. I'm quite proficient with cleaning charms. You just focus on making our second breakfast delicious." Rae tossed in another "Scourgify," for good measure.

"I helped the elves make Benji an amazing dinner closer to the start of term. I'm pretty sure I'm his entire existence now after that."

Even if he wasn't currently acting like it.

"Do you need anything else cleaned?"

"Hello. Can you help me clean my surface, please? I can't do that yet and I've tried but it's never worked. I'm not sure if it's the wand movement or maybe I'm not saying it right or maybe it's just too hard for me, anyway can you?"

Benji blinked once, twice. He looked behind him and to his side, just to make sure the tiny girl was talking to him. His little housemate was a friendly one, but they hadn't spent a whole lot of time together that he'd expect she'd choose him to hang around with in class. "Hey Margie," he said brightly, waving his wand over her workspace, "No problem. It's a simple flick, like this." He demonstrated, flicking his wand upwards, "Scourgify." Within a moment, her counter was clean and ready for her.

"We'll practice after dinner in the common room. You'll be the best magical janitor Hufflepuff's ever seen." He gave her a little wink, reaching for a bowl to crack his eggs into.

“There better not be any shells in the eggs. Pay attention as you crack.”

Benji wrinkled his nose at his house head and leaned in towards Maevie. "Listen Marg, I've cracked plenty of eggs in my day," he muttered to the younger girl, "Don't let Blackwood ruin my reputation for you." To demonstrate, he used his hands to crack the entire dozen eggs, tossing the shells into the nearby bin as he did.

"And not a speck of shell to be seen," he said, more to himself than anyone else. Retrieving his wand again, Benji 'accio-d' the bottle of milk to pour a splash into the bowl.

"I helped the elves make Benji an amazing dinner closer to the start of term. I'm pretty sure I'm his entire existence now after that."

He couldn't help the smile that spread across his lips, but chose to pretend he hadn't heard. It had been...a great evening. He'd had dinner, a really good one, and fell asleep right after. A truly uneventful, peaceful, perfect night. Turning to the stove, Benji flicked his wand, "Incendio." As the burner came to life, he plopped a pan on top to heat it up with a little spot of butter. Waving his wand over the bowl, the eggs began to whisk themselves and he drizzled shredded cheese and a little salt into the mix.

Whoever didn't like cheesy eggs could get the hell out.

She was itching to get started, so the minute that Professor-Deputy Blackwood gave them the go-ahead she was off. There were a lot of steps to her dish, first getting the apples ready and assembling the filling. Then, the streusel topping had to go on, and lastly the caramel drizzle. Just thinking about the end product made her mouth water.

First step was to cook her bacon. Putting the cast iron skillet on the stove, Tilly used her wand to light the flame and set the heat. Tossing the bacon into the hot pan, the sizzle was immediate and the smell was divine. It didn’t take long for the bacon to be crispy, so setting it aside on a plate she then took the bacon grease and put it in a bowl for later use.

Picking up her apples, Tilly knew she needed to peel them, but a peeler wasn’t allowed. Thinking about the options, Diffindo seemed like the most appropriate, but using it to separate the peel from the apple was going to be difficult and take a precise hand. Getting to work, Tilly picked up her first apple, concentrating harder than she usually did in most classes and said “Diffindo!”

Paying close attention to her wand, the apple and concentrating on the spell, the peel started to come off the apple, but it wasn’t pretty. Large gouges were coming off with some of the peel and in other spots she missed the peel entirely. A knife or peeler would be so much easier.

Moving on to the rest of the apples, Tilly took a lot of time to get them right. When she was done with all six, they were in varying states of peeled. “A little peel never hurt anyone.” She said, putting the apples in front of her. She then continued to use Diffindo to cut the apples into chunks for the dessert. Discarding the center with the seeds, she was happy-ish with the outcome.

With a quick “Wingardium Leviosa,” Tilly moved all the apple slices into a large bowl as well as the measured out lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, butter and bacon grease. Using her wand, Tilly began stirring the mixture, making sure all the apples were well coated. Something didn’t look right though, the color was a lot darker than normal. Looking back at her recipe, she realized that double the amount of cinnamon had been added. “Shoot.” she said quietly under her breath. Adding more sugar to hopefully counteract the spicy of the cinnamon, she shrugged and went on with the next steps.

Walking around the kitchen, Gideon looked on as the class got to cooking. Well, most of the class. The sounds of pots banging, food sizzling, spells being said for various reasons made for a cacophony of culinary chaos.

The different spells assaulting his senses were both pleasant and concerning. Hearing Miss Nordstrom ask “is something burning,” had Gideon turning on a dime to see where the smoke was coming from. Just as he spotted the pot in question, Miss Ravenstone had it handled, “SHOOT! Wingardium Leviosa!”

The pot sizzled as it fell into the soapy water. “Don’t worry Miss Everleigh, you have plenty of time to start again. Pay close attention to the heat this time.”

Miss Laurence was starting out strong with her spaghetti, her workbench already producing a savory aroma of tomatoes and spices. Unfortunately it looked like she had a tag-along, which was not what the instructions called for. "Great job Miss Laurence, things are looking good, just watch that pot so that it doesn't boil over again."

“Miss Elliot, you were asked to make a dish on your own, not play house elf to a friend. Please, pick something to cook, gather the ingredients and get started. You’re wasting valuable time.”

Walking by Benji’s station, Gideon was happy to see him helping Miss Maevie out with the cleaning, he was good with the younger students. He then started cracking eggs into a bowl like he had done it a million times. Using magic would have been the preferred method, but he went on to use magic for the rest, so he would let it slide. "Looking forward to trying your cheesy eggs Mr. Laurence, can't say I've had them before, but it sounds delicious."

The smell of bacon pulled him towards Matilda’s station last. The meat of the gods, Gideon stopped and watched her process of peeling the apples. It needed work, but she didn’t give up. “Keep at it Miss Nordstrom, it gets easier with practice. Not sure how apples and bacon goes together, but everything is better with bacon, so…” he trailed off.

Overall the class was doing well. Most everyone was cooking and using magic to get it done. Very few issues had cropped up and nothing was on fire so he was calling this a win so far.

“OK! Things are looking good and smelling even better. Keep at it, you have the rest of the class to get your dish done. If you need help, make sure to call me over please.” Gideon continued his rounds around the room, stopping once again at Matilda's station to sneak a small piece of bacon when she wasn’t looking.

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((OOC: GREAT JOB! This next post is simple, the students will finish the dishes and plate everything up for Gideon to try. Please continue to use magic to cook, then when they’re done, clean up their stations and bring your food up front for Gideon to taste. After the next update, the class can all take a plate and try each other's dishes. If you have any questions, please let me know!))

We need to get this class finished up so we can start lesson 3, so the next update will be late on Nov 1st or early on Nov 2nd (Pacific Standard Time)

“Don’t worry Miss Everleigh, you have plenty of time to start again. Pay close attention to the heat this time.”

Pay close attention. Yeah, that was probably a great suggestion. One she didn’t need thank you very much Mr Deputy, but she didn’t bother saying anything.

She started up the process again, getting the ingredients in the pot to melt, thankfully the other items were not measured out and ready to go. This way she could pay better attention to the stuff in the pot so that nothing burned like last time. Using her wand to stir the concoction, she marveled at the way the butter and cocoa powder came together to make the shiny brown concoction.

And the smell. Chefs Kiss

Taking the pot off the heat using Wingardium Leviosa, Everleigh let it rest on the wood worktable carefully. It was a wobbly move, but thankfully nothing spilled. Next, she used the same spell to add the rest of the ingredients then stirred everything together until it was well incorporated. Taking a spoon, Everleigh took a small amount from the pot and blew on it before taking a taste.

YUMMMM!

From there, Everleigh took a clean spoon and scooped small dollups of hot chocolatey goodness on a baking sheet. Trying to keep them relatively the same size. Once the bowl was empty, she called over Professor Blackwood to help with the cooling. “Sir, can you use Glacius to cool everything down?”

With a flip of his wand, the once hot and gooey cookies were perfectly cooled and ready to eat.

Everleigh plated up the cookies on a simple white plate, then walked them up to where Gideon watched the class. “Here you go Professor. No bake cookies. I hope you like them!”

Headed back to her station, Everleigh took the rest of the time to clean and scrub her pot. Not yet able to use any cleaning charms, she just decided to go for the muggle way. She didn’t mind using a bit of elbow grease. The room was smelling very good, she couldn’t wait to try some of the others food.

Recovering from the extra cinnamon, Tilly continued with cooking her Bacon Carmel Apple Crisp. Now that everything was coated, she put the apple mixture into a cast iron skillet that was already heating up on the stove. Using her wand, she turned the heat down a smidge, not wanting to burn the apples.

While the apples sauteed on the stove, emitting a glorious sweet and salty smell, she went on to make the streusel topping. This was by far the easiest bit. Taking the butter and more cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar and crumbled up crispy bacon, Tilly mixed everything with her wand and set the bowl aside. That was the last bit to go on top of the sizzling concoction.

The last step was making the caramel drizzle. Taking the unwrapped caramels, Tilly added them all into a bowl and pointed her wand at the candy. Using a hot arm charm, she directed the air into the bowl and started the melting process. The caramels melted beautifully, a light brown color bubbling slightly. Next, she added the heavy cream and a couple tablespoons of bacon grease and with her wand, mixed everything up.

With all the components done, she started the assembly. Apple mixture in the cast iron pan, she took the caramel topping and poured 2/3rds it over the apples. Then, taking the streusel topping and crumbled it over everything. Tilly was in a trance. Not talking to anyone, not paying attention to those around her. She loved cooking, focusing on something always made it easier to get out of her head.

Putting the dessert into the oven, Tilly took a deep breath and looked around at her workstation. Thankfully, it wasn’t too horrible. She did have a tendency to leave a mess like a bomb had gone off, but today it was pretty minimal. With a few well placed Scrougify, and some Wingardium Leviosa’s with some trash into the bin, Tilly’s area was cleaned up. Taking the last two pieces of bacon she had saved to the side, she walked over to Benji’s station and handed him one piece. “Here ya go, no need to steal it this time.” She said, taking a large bite of her own piece.

When the thirty minutes had elapsed, Tilly took her dessert out of the oven and then brought it up to the front. Once it was sitting on the workbench in front of Gideon, she poured the last bit of caramel drizzle over it. It smelled divine.

“There ya go Professor. Bacon Caramel Apple Crisp. Carefully, it’s very hot.”

"I don't cook, I eat. I'm very good at consuming what others come up with--just so you know--for when this is over. I've heard you're real good in the kitchen."

Rosalie laughed, setting the pot down on a cold burner before flicking her wand to lower the heat on the previous one. Ruth's scourgify helped, wiping away the little burnt bits of sauce that stuck to the stove and outside of the pot. "I'm okay," she said with a little shrug, "Better at baking than cooking I think." Why hadn't she baked something today? Bread, cookies, a lasagna even?

She returned the pot to the heat, resuming its magical stirring as her pot of water began to boil. A healthy bit of salt to the water and she summoned the noodles over, dropping them in.

"I helped the elves make Benji an amazing dinner closer to the start of term. I'm pretty sure I'm his entire existence now after that."

She smiled widely, shaking her head at her friend. "You know," she glanced over at Benji who was doing poorly at hiding his own grin. "You're probably not wrong. The way that boy's stomach is never-ending." She turned her attention back to Ruth as she flicked her wand again, having the tomatoes mash themselves within the sauce. "He'll be proposing to you in no time." She gave Ruth a little wink, but gave a small shake of her head. "Nah, everything's pretty tidy, you've seen to that."

Another eight minutes or so, and everything should have been good and ready. A quick plop of the noodles into a large serving bowl was followed by the sauce, poured over and good to go. Rather than walk her food up to the Professor, she levitated it, sending the bowl on its way.

"Now you can help clean," she said, giving Rae a little nudge. "Dishes won't do themselves - unless you charm them."

"Looking forward to trying your cheesy eggs Mr. Laurence, can't say I've had them before, but it sounds delicious."

He - he'd never tried cheesy eggs?!

What planet was Benji on? Certainly not Earth where eggs and cheese went together like cookies and milk.

The eggs were good and beaten, a little foam on top and looking creamy between the milk and cheese that had been mixed in. Carrying the bowl over to the pan, the boy poured the contents in, letting it sizzle gently over the low heat. A flick of his wand saw the eggs moving quickly over the pan, stiffening and coming together quickly as the spatula flipped them this way and that.

He gave them a minute, letting the eggs get nice and fluffy, ensuring there wasn't a spot of liquid left. He always liked his scrambled eggs the slightest bit runny, but Kate was a little more fussy and didn't.

“Here ya go, no need to steal it this time.”

Hmm? Benji glanced up, grinning when his eyes met Matilda's. She was dangling bacon in front of him, and she didn't have to tell him twice. It was in his mouth, faster than she could finish her sentence. "Thanks," he said mid-chew, holding his fist out to her for a bump. "Knew I kept ya around for something."

When the eggs were done, Benji slid them from the pan onto a large plate, giving them a little fluff with his fork and sprinkled more cheese on top for good measure. He passed Rosie's floating plate of pasta on his way, before dropping his plate unceremoniously in front of Professor Blackwood.

"Cheesy eggs." No fanfare, nothing fancy. Just the announcement and a quick return to his station.

“Miss Elliot, you were asked to make a dish on your own, not play house elf to a friend. Please, pick something to cook, gather the ingredients and get started. You’re wasting valuable time.”

Hm?

“No, thank you, professor,” Rae replied mildly, as if the man had been giving a suggestion that simply didn’t suit her—that’s what happened, wasn’t it? The deputy headmaster thought she may have had a better time putting in her own labour for a meal that would be mediocre at best when she was already having such a good time working with her friend and being productive. She couldn’t imagine what might have given him that impression, but she was certainly happy to set him straight.

When Rosie glanced over at Benji, so did she. Dark eyes landed on the boy just in time to catch the grin before it vanished, her own forming in response. Rae could still remember the look on his face when she’d removed the blindfold and he’d seen the table stacked with delicious dishes she’d given minimal help in making. Her friend wasn’t far off the mark in thinking Benji might proposed. That night, the boy had looked just about ready to get down on his knees.

As much as she loathed coming second to his appetite, his joy had been satisfying and she could hardly blame him. It had been an impressive spread.

“Merlin, he better. I’d rack up way too much bad karma burning down the church he marries in if I’m not the one walking down the aisle. Could you imagine? I’d have to book a one way ticket to hell after. I wasn’t made to burn, not like that.”

And she absolutely would, but not before making it clear he wasn’t marrying anyone else. Some points were worth making.

"Now you can help clean. Dishes won't do themselves - unless you charm them."

Rae watched their second breakfast float off to the professor, a piece of her heart going with it. Wasn’t tasting a key part of the process? She’d been looking forward to it.

“On it! Rae chimed, trying to distract herself from her grief. The Slytherin cast several “scourgifys”, getting everything the girl had used cleaned and back to pristine condition. Blackwood could say what he wanted about her being a house elf, Rosie was right. Someone had to do the cleaning, the dishes wouldn’t wash themselves. Neither would the pots and spoons and everything else.

Once the counter and their general area was clean, Rae leaned onto it again, propping herself by her elbows. The girl caught a loose lock of straightened hair between her fingers, fiddling and twirling it. Her eyes crossed from the effort of following her fingers.

“When do we eat?”

Things were coming to an end. The smells permeating the kitchen were… interesting. The mix of bacon, eggs, spaghetti sauce, apples, and the other gourmet foods being prepared by the elves mixed to make a conglomeration of smells that assaulted the senses.

As the students finished up, he was proud to see that the hospital wing was not needed after class today. In fact, the dishes being presented at the front of class all looked good. Tasty even. No charred edges or crunchy pasta.

Impressive.

Once all the dishes were displayed he clapped his hands together and rubbed them vigorously while smiling. Yes, smiling. It was a rare occurrence, slightly jarring. One might even call it scary. Thankfully, he wasn't having a stroke, just excited to try the food in front of him.

“Thank you all for participating,” his gaze turned to Rae, with a sigh “in today’s lesson. Cooking can be fun and far easier with the addition of magic. As you get older and your skills develop, making a full meal can be quick and easy with the right spells.”

Summoning a stack of plates from the open shelving against the wall and a handful of forks from the utensil drawer, Gideon waved his arm in front of him, motioning to the spread. “Now for the best part. Bon Appetit, enjoy the fruits of your classmates' labors.”

Gideon took a scoop of each dish and a couple no-bake cookies from Ever’s platter. Leaning up against a workbench, Gideon dug in to the dishes.

ROSIE: The spaghetti was well made. The noodles were al'dente and the sauce, rich with just the right amount of spice. Very well done. If only someone had made garlic bread…

BENJI: Well hell... Not sure how to feel about the dish in front of him. A: Happy that he knew the delicious dish existed. B: Angry that it took 32 years to have the opportunity to taste it.

EVERLEIGH: The simple No-Bake cookies were nothing to write home about, but they had the taste and texture appropriate for the recipe. Overall, a good job for someone that had never cooked a dish in her life.

MATILDA: Gideon was slightly afraid of this dish. It looked great, golden brown on top, sugar and cinnamon creating a crust around the edges. But the bacon…. Taking a deep breath, Gideon took a bite and stopped. The flavors mixing in his mouth familiar, but strange together. Not bad strange, GOOD strange. He was convinced, everything was better with bacon.

RAE: Well… not everyone could cook. While it would have been nice for her to try, at least he knew she could clean.

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((OOC: THANK YOU ALL! This was a fun first class for me. Thanks to all those that participated. Grades will go up soon and LESSON 3 will be up in the next day-ish.))