[A/N: Y'all probably just experienced a flurry of chapter announcements from this story. I just found a slew of minor edits I needed to make before they drove me nuts (or nuttier depending on who you ask.) They don't affect the flow of the chapter or story so there's no real need to go back. So, Chapter 18, eh? I'm overjoyed that y'all have stuck with me this long. I'm hoping to wrap up this year by Chapter 20 then I'll be taking a short break (a couple of days max) then I'll be going back to Sight and Sound and start writing the sequel for it. If you've already read that story, be warned that I will be going through and updating the flow as my writing style has improved since it was published.]
Chapter 18: A Recipe Worth Saving
Main Hallway between the Grand Staircase and the Great Hall
Daggerclaw meandered aimlessly through the crowds of students, occasionally greeting one or two who acknowledged his presence as they darted to and fro in an attempt to get to their classes on time. He smiled warmly as he spotted a fifth year Slytherin prefect leading a charge of second year Gryffindors out of a hidden shortcut then pointing them in the right direction. The second years thanked the prefect with none of the animosity that had been so prevalent when Albus had been in charge. There were times when Daggerclaw wondered where the old goat had taken that step in the wrong direction but shrugged it off.
"Headmaster! What brings you down this way?" He turned at the sound of his title and spotted a smiling Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Daggerclaw's keen eyes spotted the two holding hands.
"Every now and then I like to get out of that stuffy office and interact with everyone. Lets them know I still live and encourages conversations like this one we're having, Mr. Potter. Is there something you wish to announce?" He smirked and stared pointedly at their hands.
Hermione lifted her chin in a haughty manner and replied in as snooty a tone as she could muster, "It is no one's business to know what our business is."
Daggerclaw laughed, "Good show, Miss Granger. Now run along, I'm sure your teacher wouldn't appreciate the two of you to be held up just because of me." He made light shooing motions and they scampered off into the crowds.
Later during another walk through the castle but this time during the free time period before dinner, Daggerclaw got to witness just some more of the actions and behaviors of the students and staff that made all of his efforts over the past year so utterly worth the hassle. He was momentarily stunned when he overheard two fourth years that were using foul words in the Goblin language as they rough-housed each other. When he demanded to know where they learned those words, they replied that it was during the takedown of Dumbledore last Halloween. They had started experimenting with what they'd heard but couldn't really go any farther because there weren't any foreign language classes to be held. Daggerclaw merely blinked in bemusement before pulling out a pad of paper and a pen and jotting down a note to be researched later then shooed the two off. A turn around a corner netted him the sight of Justin Finch-Fletchley drawing on the castle walls with a paint brush. A bucket of some kind of paint sat on a table next to him.
"Mr. Finch-Fletchley! What are you doing?" he admonished the boy loudly. Justin whirled and nearly knocked the bucket over in his haste.
"Headmaster! You startled me; I'm working on an art project. You see, I learned about how some special sigils create their own magical effects; sort of like an advertisement sign that flashes lights to draw your attention. I wanted to draw out a few in an attempt to see if I could try making sense of this madhouse and its maze of hallways."
Daggerclaw was impressed by the boy's gumption, "Did you first obtain permission from your Head of House?" Justin nodded and pointed to a slip of paper which simply stated that he had the permission and that it was signed by Pomona. Daggerclaw grunted in resigned approval, "Very well then, carry on."
Neville Longbottom was seen pushing a cart loaded down with what appeared to be blooming marigold flowers to the dungeons. On the bottom tray rested small cone-shaped planters ostensibly for the plants.
"Mr. Longbottom?" The boy turned and waved at his headmaster, "What do you have there and where are you going with it?"
"I just finished my year long project to try and cross-breed two mundane plants to get something entirely new yet useful."
"Oh?"
Neville beamed happily, "Yup, I cross-bred ordinary marigold flowers with that bioluminescent algae that grows in the cave tunnel along the lazy river feature in the Grand Baths. They now glow a soft orange-yellow color. It's not enough to read by but I think there's enough light to navigate a darkened hallway safely. I got permission from Professor Sprout to test out that feature just now."
Daggerclaw's face was one of amazement, "Don't marigolds require sunlight to grow properly though? Why don't you just use an empty classroom?"
"Yes, that's why I can't put them in the dungeons themselves. I can only put them in hallways that have a decent set of windows. This however is just a test to see if they'll grow and glow outside of the controlled conditions of the greenhouse. I would've used a classroom but there aren't any that are dark enough for this experiment. There's one hallway I've been told that is always a bit dark even during the daytime."
Daggerclaw was duly impressed and said so, "Well, good luck Mr. Longbottom."
"Thank you, sir." He then turned and continued pushing the cart.
Daggerclaw watched the boy leave and muttered to himself, "That boy is going to change the world."
In the Hufflepuff First Year Girls' Dorms…
"Explain to me again why you're just painting a white canvas? Is this prep work for something else?" Megan Jones asked Susan Bones as the latter was examining the canvas while wearing a strange set of goggles.
Turning to face her dorm mate and friend, Susan looked rather odd wearing the bug-eyed purplish-black lens goggles, "I've been experimenting with a different type of paint. What appears to be ordinary white is actually a range of colors that can only be seen under a type of light known as 'ultraviolet.'"
Megan thought on that then brightened, "Oh, yeah! We learned about that in science class a while back, right?" Susan nodded as she picked at a spot with a fingernail then wiped it off on her apron.
"Yeah, so I spoke with our teacher and asked if there was a way to paint with ultraviolet light and she pointed me to this. I had to get the paint while we were on Yule; it was expensive but I think it's worth it. This is beautiful…"
"I wish I could see it," Megan said wishfully.
Susan took off the goggles and handed them over, "Here, put these on."
Megan gasped when she put on the goggles; the former boring white canvas suddenly exploded with color and light! The painting showed a badger sitting in a field gazing out over a rampant carpet of blooming flowers, blossoming trees with trailing vines. The vines formed the word Hufflepuff while the flowers were arranged in a pattern that read, "Badgers rule, all others drool!" She giggled when she read that.
"So what do you think of it?" Susan asked nervously.
"I like it. You should show this to Professor Sprout."
The two girls approached their Head of House and Susan hesitantly handed over the goggles after setting up the canvas on a chair. She explained the backstory to the creation of the painting and her hopes for the future. Pomona gave a small smile at the girl's enthusiasm and slipped on the goggles. Her mouth dropped open as she took in the scene. She stared at the detail, the colors and the overall depth of the scene.
After absently pulling off the goggles, Pomona just sat there in her chair silently trying to process what she had just seen, the seemingly blank canvas before her mocking her.
"Miss Bones… you have my permission to take over the storage room next door. Have an elf clear it out for you as I don't know what's in there. Take your time and create something extraordinary. That was incredible. Do you mind if I show this to the other staff?"
Susan scuffed her toe on the floor shyly, "Um, you would need to set up another light source. Those are my only goggles and I'd rather not have them broken."
Pomona waved her hand dismissively, "That shouldn't be a problem, I'm sure that Professor Flitwick would enjoy the task to create something."
Two days later…
The legendary Hogwarts Rumor Mill was in full swing with the news that first year Hufflepuff Susan Bones had created a painting that could only be viewed under certain lighting conditions and it supposedly caused a couple of teachers to start drooling. The truth was revealed at dinner that no one actually drooled but all were amazed by the way the painting drew them into the scene. The painting in question was set up on the wall outside the Great Hall with the improvised UV light shining on it and a black curtain was installed around the spot to block out the daylight. A line formed almost immediately so Professor McGonagall had to set up a sign up sheet and limiting viewing time to fifteen minutes per person. It wasn't long after that Susan was besieged with requests for other paintings and to think about opening an art gallery in one of the many empty classrooms.
While Susan was experiencing her own artistic revolution, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle were going through their own trials and troubles. Throughout the year, despite their best efforts; the two boys' rankings kept dropping lower and lower until they were both fighting for the worst student in the school. Nothing they tried seemed to work; they'd spent countless hours in the library trying to study, they completed their written assignments on time but the grades that came back were always the same, Poor or Dreadful. It was almost getting to the point where the two were ready to just chuck it all and go join a herd of Trolls.
After their latest Transfiguration class ended (the two of them had successfully changed a mouse into a snuffbox), Greg morosely gathered up his books and followed his best friend towards the door.
"I don't know why we're continuing to bother with the homework, Vince. I still say the Weasley Twins pranked us for some reason," he complained out loud.
That got McGonagall's attention, "Mr. Goyle? What did those two do now?"
Greg sighed and put his textbook on her desk and opened it, "All the words are jumbled up and it makes it impossible to read. Vince and I both have the same problem yet whenever someone reads the text to us, we understand it just fine." Vince nodded his agreement.
Minerva stared at the dejected boy for a moment before reaching over to her bookshelf and pulling down a random book, "I want both of you to read this paragraph. I know that neither of the Twins has tampered with it."
Vince moved around so he could see the paragraph in question and made a valiant attempt to read the passage but gave up after a couple of sentences; The same thing happened to Greg. Minerva looked pensive for a few moments before nodding to herself, "I think I'm getting an idea as to what your problem is. It's easily solved though, I think…" That last part was muttered to herself as she began to think of solutions.
"What's the problem and why us?"
"It would seem that the two of you are dyslexic. That means that words on a page appear jumbled as you put it. Your intelligence is not affected as evidenced by the quality practical work you've done. Today's assignment is proof of that… I shall speak with your Head of House as well as your mundane education teachers to see if there's something that can be done to help you. In the meantime, see if you can find a prefect within your House that has some extra time to read to you the chapters I want."
Teacher's Lounge, Friday afternoon
Aurora was giggling to herself as she entered the lounge and made her way to the coffee service. Severus watched her curiously as she poured herself a cup then settled into a chair nearby. This past school year had been troubling for the dour man. First was the arrival of the Potter brat who lit into him during their first meeting with all the fire and passion that his mother was known for. Since that class, Severus had done his level best to limit his interactions with the boy for fear of inciting another tongue lashing. 'Merlin, I never want to go through that again!' Not even Minerva going full 'Angry Highland Scot Witch' mode was enough to put that sort of fear into him.
Then there was the implosion of power from Albus and his rant during Halloween. Severus never thought he'd live to see the day when someone could get one over and take the old goat down a couple of pegs but the Goblin managed to do it and in a truly spectacular Slytherin manner. He again glanced over at Aurora after another round of happy giggles. He set his tea cup down and asked what was so funny.
"It's Draco Malfoy. He came up to me earlier and asked if he could get extra credit for a project he's been working on since our trip to the observatory. The earnest look on his face was hilarious."
An eyebrow rose. Severus knew what the boy was like seeing as he was Draco's godfather, "Extra credit? Draco Malfoy wanted to do extra credit? What was the project?"
Aurora put down her coffee mug and pulled out a picture from her pocket, "He built himself a solar observatory out of some spare lumber. Where he got it, I don't have a clue nor how he figured out how to attach it together without magic; I wouldn't think he knew what a hammer and nails were. It's crude in construction but it works. The premise is simple but requires a decent knowledge of geometry. She pointed out how the roughly triangular shaped structure had a hole in one face to let the light bounce off one mirror and redirect it to another then to a third before landing on a white piece of paper where the image of the sun could be observed with the need for special lenses.
Severus pointed to one hole above the upper mirror, "This looks like a spot where a filter of some kind could be placed."
Aurora nodded, "I observed the same thing and he confirmed that it would be possible but he didn't have any filters with him."
"So what was the end result?"
"I gave him the extra credit and suggested that he speak with Minerva to see if she would transfigure a permanent structure for this device then have it mounted on a rotating pedestal. I plan on installing it in the classroom for future students to learn from. I'm thinking of including a plaque describing what went into its creation as well as who came up with it."
Severus just shook his head in amazement, "I'm the boy's godfather and in all the time I've known him, I never expected him to be this enthused to branch out from the usual minimal work a spoiled aristocratic pureblood heir normally puts into their schooling."
Aurora huffed, "I think it was because of that unusual sorting we had in September. It pushed him to think beyond 'the usual.'"
When the other teachers filtered in for their break, Aurora and Severus were deep in conversation about the differences noticed from the 'September Sorting Surprise' as it had become known as. Ronald Weasley was mentioned a couple of times but each time, Severus gave a sneer and a fervent wish that the boy would just consider homeschooling next year and leave the castle. When asked to elaborate, he grimaced and replied that the boy's reintegration into his House wasn't going so well.
"He's in a room by himself, which is unsurprising as no one wants anything to do with him. He's completely and totally socially isolated from the other students. It would almost be beneficial for him to be re-sorted in September. I would've suggested Hufflepuff but I don't think that'd be a good idea with Potter and Granger there plus with the kitchen so close."
"But I heard that he's been making great strides to improve himself since that episode," Aurora commented.
Severus shrugged indifferently, "I've not seen any changes. He's still pig-headed and arrogant. He still shovels in his food like there's no tomorrow; he's fortunate that no one will sit near him during mealtimes otherwise I'd still be getting complaints."
Aurora looked thoughtful, "Has it reverted back to a point where you need to inform his father?"
Severus pursed his lips, "Not…really. A couple of moments have occurred where I think it would help if Arthur came up to observe and adjust his son's reappearing attitudes but nothing like what got him suspended. I think I'll just have to write a letter to Arthur with my…concerns."
Filius settled in his chair and called for an elf. When one appeared, he asked for a plate of whatever light and easy snacks Harry may have created in the past couple of days. The elf vanished and a moment later a tray of assorted snacks appeared. There were the fingerling potato boats filled with a salmon lox/cream cheese mix, loaded bell pepper nachos and chocolate covered coconut balls. Filius sighed in anticipatory delight as he reached for a potato.
The mundane math teacher, Charles Buckmann, glanced over and chuckled at the look of rapture on Filius' face as he ate, "Those look good. Have you tried the chocolate pinecones yet?"
Filius stared back at the man and quickly swallowed, "Chocolate pinecones?!"
"Yeah, that was my first reaction when I heard about them. He says they're easy to make but then again, this is Harry Potter, Master Chef we're talking about," Charles commented.
Filius shook his head, "I can only imagine how he created them. Besides the chocolate, how good were they?"
Charles grinned, "Funnily enough, I didn't taste any chocolate. I tasted oranges. Betty was with me and she swore she could taste peaches so I don't know what he did with them. Potter said that he was experimenting with a potion recipe he found in the library." Severus' head rose up when he overheard that.
"Potter is experimenting with potions? This I've got to see. Elf, please." The one that served Filius reappeared, "I understand that Harry Potter created 'chocolate pinecones' that taste differently to various people. I'd like to get a sample if there are any available." The elf vanished and a small tray with a couple of pinecones appeared on the side table. Severus pulled his wand and cast Scarpin's Revelaspell diagnostic charm to reveal what ingredients or substances were used. He dismissed the usual cocoa beans, sugar and other parts that went into making chocolate and peered closer to the special ingredient to change the taste of the potion based on what a person was thinking of.
"Huh, I never would've thought to use it like this and it's amazing that the boy even thought of using it." He dismissed the results and leant back in his seat, "It's a fairly complicated seventh year potion originally designed to change the taste of medicinal potions given to children to keep them from complaining. That Potter would use it in his cooking is…intriguing."
Filius picked up one of the pinecones, "Ah, it looks like a solid chocolate core with sliced almonds for the seed pods. Clever bit of decorating, I must say. Mmm… I taste caramel."
Daggerclaw entered the room and called for a mug of hot, spiced beef gravy and settled into an available chair close to where everyone else was grouped. He had a distant yet seemingly content look on his face. Rolanda spotted it and asked him what caused that look.
"I was just reminiscing on what has happened since September, the highs and lows and I can honestly say that I was skeptical at first of being assigned the position of High Inquisitor which in turn led me to being appointed Headmaster. I would've thought that Minerva been the one who the Board approved of."
"They asked but I turned it down," she interjected to everyone's surprise but she didn't elaborate.
With a puzzled sideways glance at his deputy Daggerclaw continued, "Anyways, this year has produced so many wonderful stories of the students and staff trying out new ideas they never would've experienced under Albus' rule like the mundane general education, Aurora's observatory field trip, the Spring Social as well as the Valentine's Day Ball. Let's not forget the re-introduction of the Grand Baths!"
Hermione was in a bit of a pickle again. This pickle had nothing to do with her flying skills but with a comment she'd made before they left for the holidays in December that she had thought no one overheard. Hermione had been listening to a couple of older Slytherins talking about the things they'd picked up during the Yule holidays. What made it a pickle was that it was her idea yet no one knew to compliment (or condemn) her on it.
"I got this box of nesting containers. I don't know what they're made from but the brand is called 'Tupperware.' According to some rumors is that it's considered 'magic' if the owner can keep track of the lids."
"That's nothing! I found this pen that has four colors in one. There's no inkpot required and each color can be changed just by clicking a corresponding color tab on the rear. No more messes."
Hermione giggled to herself and wondered out loud what things would be like if someone were to start an 'underground black market' for muggle goods. Well, that comment came back around…
So to date, there was a thriving market for the most mundane things to the muggleborn yet exotic and exciting to the magically raised. Things like thermos bottles, board and card games, biros, spiral bound notebooks, multi-colored highlighters, Ziploc bags, clothes with funny sayings and images on them. So far, action figures and Legos were the hot items amongst the first through third year boys while the older years were favoring the items that fostered constructive creativity with kits to build mechanical devices, locomotives and cars.
With the assistance of Professors Flitwick, Babbling and Vector along with the General Education Science teacher, a room was set up that nullified the ambient magical energy so that muggle electricity and electronic building kits could be explored. Included with those toys were more advanced scientific tools like a high-powered microscope, centrifuges , a television and VCR so the teachers could expand upon the subjects they were teaching. Harry had even suggested putting in a microwave unit so they could learn how to 'cook' without a stove.
The first and third year girls were favoring dolls and role-playing while the older ones were fascinated by muggle fashion and makeup, especially mood rings and other clothes treated with thermochromatic dyes. It got to the point where it wasn't unusual to see a pureblood Slytherin from one of the Darker families sipping tea from a Thermos bottle or making notes on a pad of Post-its using a multi-colored pen. What made it amusing were the duality of their reactions to the introduction of muggle products into the magical world and the castle itself. Outwardly, they sneered and complained that their 'safe and secure' world was being invaded by the trash made by muggles but when they thought no one was looking, giggled like toddlers over the recent purchase of a new set of accessories for a permanently set-up Dungeons and Dragons game going on in their common room.
Nearly everyone was in love with the mechanical toys like the Etch-A-Sketch, wind-up racing cars, wooden paddles with a rubber ball attached to a rubber band. Each House even had their own stash of muggle board games like checkers (Chinese and regular), Sorry!, Candyland, Chutes and Ladders, Monopoly (this was a huge hit amongst the Slytherins), The Game of Life, Backgammon (for the older students).
It was a good thing she supposed, that everyone was getting to relax and unwind with something other than gobstones, wizard's chess or Quidditch.
Transfiguration Class
Harry confidently strode into the classroom carrying a rather large cardboard box. He set it down on the floor near the teacher's desk and went to sit down. Hermione and the others trickled in and noticed the newest addition. Hermione glanced over at Harry, who had a sly, smug grin on his face.
"Harry?"
"Hmm?"
"What evil thing did you just do?"
Harry grinned wider, "I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about."
"What's with the box?"
"Just an experiment I'm conducting."
She just stared at him, waiting for a more detailed explanation but none were coming. Finally letting out an exasperated huff of annoyance, she sat in her seat and pointedly ignored Harry. However it became increasingly difficult when the scent of strawberries began to fill the room. Minerva entered and paused to take in the sight of the box sitting near her desk then sniffed a couple of times when the strawberry smell tickled her nose.
"Mr. Potter? Were you just in the kitchens not too long ago?"
Harry shook his head, "This wasn't my doing."
Millie raised her hand, "Sorry everyone. I got a packet of scented gel pens from home and the one I'm using smells like strawberries."
Minerva sighed, "Please put it away and use a regular pencil, Miss Bulstrode. Again, Mr. Potter; did you bring in this box?"
"I did."
"Why?"
"Performing an experiment."
"What sort of experiment?"
"An experiment to test a subject's level of concentration."
Minerva sighed, "Mr. Potter, if you're attempting to see how long it takes before I broke down, changed into my animagus form and sat in the box then I must inform you that your father and his friends already pulled this prank on me when they were students." She pulled out her wand and vanished the box before beginning the day's lesson.
Everyone laughed at the blushing chagrin on Harry's face.
Astronomy classroom, daytime
Draco peered at the piece of paper he was using to view the surface of the sun with his solar observatory and made a couple of notes in his journal. The crude device he'd originally created had been improved upon by Professors Sinastra and McGonagall and now was made to resemble something made from wrought iron painted a dark green color with bright brass knobs for adjusting the position of the mirrors and the observatory itself. He made note of the time and angle of the sun before sketching in a couple of tiny spots on his drawing. He was so involved with his observations, he never noticed Pansy coming up from behind.
"Draco?"
"Aaah!" He whirled around and spotted her standing in front of him with a puzzled expression on her face, "Don't do that! Gah, what do you want Pansy?"
Consternation slid over her features momentarily, "I was wondering what you were doing and why. We really haven't spent much time together since you got sorted in with the rest of the Gryffindorks."
Draco's face scrunched up into a small sneer, "I'd appreciate it if you didn't refer to my housemates as 'Gryffindorks.' Some of them are my friends."
Pansy snorted in derision and crossed her arms over her chest, "Friends? We don't have friends, we have acquaintances or at the very best, allies."
Draco rolled his eyes, "Maybe in Slytherin that's true, but not in Gryffindor. I'll admit that some of them are loud and crude but they're an untapped resource of knowledge and contacts. They have no concept of subtlety and I've already capitalized on it several times."
An eyebrow rose, "Oh?"
"Yeah, I've overheard plenty of potential deals and business opportunities. Some of the more lucrative information, I pass onto my father. You should see the look of happiness on his face these days. If I tried that in Slytherin, it wouldn't have amounted to much. In my opinion, Slytherin is tapped out and anyone who tries to play the field is just playing with pebbles."
Slowly nodding her understanding, she gestured to his project, "So what is this all about?"
Draco sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, "Remember our trip to the Royal Observatory?" She nodded, "Well, I was blown away by the advancements made by the muggles and wanted to build my own observatory. With a bit of help, I created this device on my own. Here, let me show you how it works…" He led her through the explanation of how the sun's light entered, bounced off the mirrors and was displayed on the paper. She remembered vaguely that looking directly at the sun was a surefire way to destroy your eyes.
It was a beautifully sunny Saturday and time for another 'Yes, Harry Potter Cooks' demonstration yet this time, Harry was surprisingly not in the mood to cook anything. Instead, he had received permission from the staff to hold a Taco Party out on the main courtyard. There were long tables setup with everything anyone would need to build the ultimate taco. One table held trays of various chopped meats like seasoned ground beef, pork carnitas, pulled pork, shredded pork. The same could be found with the chicken and fish as they slowly simmered over magically controlled flame bowls courtesy of Professor Snape (that surprised Harry since the dour man had made it a personal point to not interact with him as much as possible). The next table over contained the soft and hard corn or flour shells and tortillas as well as tostada shells for those who wanted a more salad-like dish. Additionally, there were huge bowls heaped up with shredded cheese of varying kinds from simple cheddar to blended Mexican styles.
The third table held some of Harry's favorite salsas. Some mild, some hot and some so scorching hot that it came with a posted warning not to use more than a couple of drops. There was also corn salsa, mango salsa, pico de gallo, beans (regular and refried) and salsa verde. At the end of that table were tubs of sour cream, guacamole, diced onions, sliced black olives and all sorts of other toppings to finish off their own culinary masterpieces.
Rather than setting up tables and chairs, the elves set out blankets for a summer picnic and meandered through the diners offering extra napkins, cleaning up messes, or taking away empty plates or glasses. Everyone was relaxed and enjoying themselves greatly. Pomona was chuckling to herself as she watched Severus trying to navigate his mouth around an overloaded chicken soft taco while vainly attempting to keep it from falling apart in his hands.
Daggerclaw sat there on the blanket and watched in contentment at how everyone was enjoying themselves. Harry was playfully teasing Hermione by tossing her bits from her taco, occasionally bouncing a piece off her nose. Neville Longbottom was deep in conversation with a couple of Ravenclaw fourth years about growing the ingredients. Even the Weasley Twins were keeping their antics in check. Sure they pulled a couple of minor pranks on those around them like changing the color of their food into something horridly bright or sparkly or charming the utensils to do their level best to not pick up the food but it was harmless fun that caused much laughter. He glanced over to where Ronald Weasley was sitting; a single plate of food on his lap (piled a bit high in his opinion but not too overwhelming) as the boy began chowing down on his tostada. He silently applauded the young Slytherin for remembering to use a napkin to wipe his mouth and finishing what he was eating before speaking. Daggerclaw supposed the latest burst of civility was the result of Arthur Weasley coming by to touch base with his son and speak with Severus. Whatever the reasons, he was glad that the youngest Weasley had learned his lesson.
Minerva tapped him on the arm, "You look rather thoughtful for such a lovely day. Is there anything wrong?"
Daggerclaw shook his head, "No. I was just praising whatever deity it was that brought us Mr. Potter and his culinary talents. His recipe for creating inter-house unity is definitely worth saving."
Recipes Used:
Loaded fingerling potato boats (mention only, personal recipe)
Loaded bell pepper nachos (mention only, Pinterest)
Chocolate covered coconut balls (mention only, Pinterest)
Chocolate Pinecones (mention only, Pinterest)
Taco Party Bar (Pinterest)
