I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.

A Taste of Magic

151st Course – Back Again

"Joyeux Noel, Chef!"

"Joyeux Noel, Chef," Gabriel replied, honestly and sincerely. He smiled a little at Harry's pleased expression. It was after the new year and before Harry had gone back to Hogwarts for the start of the second, and final term, of school.

He was still not really thinking about that. Having to worry about the Rising Stars and N.E.W.T.s was helping distract him at least.

Gabriel looked him up and down and nodded. "You appear well. Have you enjoyed your holiday?"

"Yes Chef," Harry said honestly. "It's been nice not thinking about the competition and just visiting friends and family, cooking what I like and how I like."

"Good," Gabriel said. He gave Harry a stern look. "And you have not trained?"

Harry hummed. "Does remaking something I've made before for the competition to see what happened count?"

Gabriel stared for a long moment while Harry fidgeted ever so slightly before snorting deeply. "For some, yes. In this case, I suppose it can be allowed."

"Thank goodness," Harry sighed with relief.

Gabriel's lips quirked slightly. "Recreating your pie?"

"Yes Sir. And they weren't wrong. The texture was off if I made it like how I made it for the competition. I don't mind failing for something I did wrong." He stood there, his face a mask of placidity.

Gabriel hissed under his breath. "I make it a point to never apologize for things outside my control. It is not my personal responsibility therefore I do not take ownership of it. That said, I am sorry you experienced such a childish thing." He shook his head. "As you have come to learn, the culinary world can be rather petty with plenty of people putting their egos on the plate alongside their food. And in the culinary world, who you work for, where you have worked, all matter. And your actions can reflect where and for who you have worked for and some take that very personally."

"I can see that," Harry said dryly.

Gabriel snorted again. "Michel Martin is a swine," he said and felt himself smile at Harry's look of shock and growing delight. "He is far more swinish than the pork he has touched and he has an ego as large as Master Flamel but unlike him, he does not have the skills nor the pedigree to justify it. Yes he owns several restaurants and they perform well, but the man is petty, short in height and stature, and utterly lacking in taste and character."

"That makes me feel better," Harry grinned.

"Good," Gabriel nodded. "Ignore him and those louts that he commands. You have defeated two of his and he took that poorly and personally and tried to sabotage you in return. Disgusting behavior." Gabriel shook his head once more.

He sighed and leaned against the counter. "Not saying what happened to you was a good thing, because it was not, but some good has come out of it. Madam Auclair and Louis have started a big conflict over it, about etiquette in the profession and it has caused an uproar in France and the culinary environment. A lot of necessary discussion is being had and things will hopefully change for the better."

A scowl crossed his features. "I also lodged a complaint with the World's Kitchen."

"You have?" Harry gasped.

An eyebrow rose on Gabriel's face. "Of course. I will not stand idly by for one of mine to be abused in such a way. If a pathetic little man can almost succeed in a personal vendetta, then I can do what I must to prevent such things happening again."

"Thank you, Chef," Harry said softly.

"Of course," Gabriel said simply. "Still, it is good to know that you understand why you failed on your own merits and not from the machinations from others. I must ask, why did you decide on a fish pie? You could have easily made a fine fish dish with the sauce on top to fit the challenge."

"I wanted to make a pie to reflect Britain's cuisine and culture." He fidgeted again under the piercing gaze from the older chef. "I like pies," Harry said defensively.

"But liking them was not the sole reason for doing that for the challenge?" Gabriel asked. "A decision based on that…article that other pathetic little man wrote?" He sighed deeply at Harry's nod but it was not an exasperated sound. It was a weary one, one from shared pain and familiarity. "You have hit the crossroads earlier than I thought."

"The crossroads?" Harry asked.

Gabriel waved his wand and a machine in the corner hummed and burbled. At his wand movements and gestures, two coffee cups cleaned themselves and rested by the humming machine. It puffed and bubbled, and espresso came out of the spout into the waiting cups. After they filled, the cups came sailing over and rested in front of them, all the while not spilling a single drop.

"One who I called mentor, aside from my grand-uncle, the one who taught Louis and I, once asked us a very important question during our training," Gabriel said and sipped at his cup. "He asked us, after cooking something, who is the first to eat it, and why."

"The person you are cooking it for?" Harry asked, sipping at his own espresso cup.

"Logical, but wrong," Gabriel said. "They are not the first, and nor should they be."

Harry stood there and thought for a long moment while Gabriel sipped his coffee in silence, watching and waiting. "The one cooking it?" Harry asked at last.

"Yes, and why?" Gabriel pressed.

"To check it for taste and making sure it's right."

"Yes," Gabriel nodded. "But for who's taste? Who gets to determine if it is right?"

"You're making it for someone else to eat, but it's your dish," Harry said slowly.

"Precisely," Gabriel said. "It is your dish. You made it. Someone else could have come up with the recipe but you put the effort into it. It is a reflection of your skills, your ability, your knowledge. A person can decide if they do not like it for a whole host of reasons, but they cannot tell you that it is not right because you alone determine the identity of the dish."

He held his arms out. "Of course there is some debate on the extent of it. For example you cannot call a mushroom a potato or insist that a quiche is a pizza. But if I give a person my version of a coq au vin and they say it is not because it does not match their idea of a coq au vin, they are not right and I am not wrong."

"Sort of like how someone says a pizza is an open-faced sandwich," Harry mused.

Gabriel blinked. "Who on earth would say that?"

"It was a joke my friends made," Harry said hurriedly. "But I see your point."

"Which leads us back to the crossroads," Gabriel said, sidestepping the pizza comment after looking at it for a moment longer. "When I asked why you cook, you said you cook to make others smile. Which, is not a bad reason by itself. But now you have seen the other side of it. You tried to assuage the will of others by cooking something for them. But was it for them entirely? Or was it to stave off their comments? Can you tell me that you made the absolute right decision for the challenge?"

"No Sir," Harry said plainly.

Gabriel nodded with sincere approval. "Good. Now do not get me wrong, I will always entertain a person that stands by their decisions, but it is very important for a person to recognize when they made a poor decision, even with the right intent. And in cooking, the intent is less important than the product in a way."

He summoned a plate and put it down. "What is on this, is what matters most. It does not matter what you intended for it to be or to taste. Because the consumer will taste what is, not what it should be or what you thought. It has to taste exactly how you want it to be and actually taste that way, not what you intended for it to taste. And while you are the one to determine if it is what you want it to be, you are not the only one that will determine if it tastes good or not."

"Like you said I have to convince the eater that it's good in a way," Harry said.

"Yes and may I say how refreshing it is that you actually listen to me, opposed to others I have tried to teach," Gabriel said and Harry chuckled. "So the crossroads. You must balance out why you cook and justify it with how you cook, as well as knowing that you are cooking for yourself. And then you must succeed at it."

Gabriel looked at Harry seriously. "Because at the end of things, you are the one responsible for how things were and are. You are the one most responsible for it all. You have to justify your intent and your actions with yourself, or magic, or the powers, or God, or whatever else you believe in. Of course others will have impacted you throughout your life, but in the end, you and what you have done matter to you the most."

"You have to take care of yourself the most because no one else will do it like you," Harry murmured.

"Yes," Gabriel nodded. "And you have to hold yourself to a higher level of accountability because no one else will in the same way."

"That makes sense," Harry said slowly.

"And honestly, do not be so eager to placate others sometimes," Gabriel said with a deep snort. "Even if you were successful, some would still try to find fault in you for something else equally as stupid."

"I've learned that," Harry said ruefully. "It's hard taking all of that in account, isn't it?"

"It is," Gabriel said. "That is why every instance is somewhat unique and has to be treated accordingly. Like when you receive a product that is similar but not the same and you must make adjustments to achieve the desired results."

Harry nodded, thinking.

"Perhaps you should have poured the sauce on top of the pie," Gabriel said.

"It wasn't a pie liquor though," Harry said.

"What is 'pie liquor'?" Gabriel asked, making a slight moue of distaste.

"It's a specific sauce that's watery and has a lot of parsley in it, usually poured over pie and mash," Harry said.

"That sounds terrible, and I do mean to question your culture," Gabriel said.

"At least I didn't try to make jellied eels," Harry said with a smile and a shrug.

"What is-no, I do not want to know," Gabriel said with a shudder.

"It's not for everyone," Harry said agreeably. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "So I need to learn how to cook for myself as much as I want to learn to cook for others."

"Typically one does not have a problem with the first part," Gabriel said. He smiled a little. "Typically, chefs tend to have rather large egos."

"It does take a bit for me to learn to do things for myself," Harry said with a weak smile.

"So I have learned," Gabriel said with a kind tone to take the sting out of the words. "Would you like some advice for that?"

"Yes Chef!"

"Remember that you are the chef. People eat only because of your abilities and because you are allowing them to. It is your food that you are bestowing the privilege for them to eat it. Without you, they go without. It is your work, your craft, your effort made manifest and tangible upon the plate. They may have an opinion, but it is immaterial against yours."

"Do chefs really think like that?" Harry asked.

Gabriel smirked. "Some do."

"Must be nice to have a healthy ego sometimes," Harry joked.

"It is a necessary burden," Gabriel said with utter surety. He looked at Harry. "Your task right now is to take what we have said and make it here." He tapped the plate.

"Any other requirements?" Harry asked placidly.

"Make sure it tastes good."

"Yes Chef," Harry said, not quite able to prevent the smallest of eye-rolls, much to Gabriel's amusement.

"I will give you some privacy," Gabriel said and left the kitchen.

Harry looked at the table with ingredients, thinking as he looked over what was there. He thought hard about the conversation they just had and as he mulled the words over, he slowly felt himself selecting things. He nodded to himself and continued to grab ingredients, seeing the dish come to mind.

Gabriel eventually returned, pleased to see Harry cleaning up after himself and at the cloche covered dish sitting on the counter-top. Gabriel rested a hand on the cloche and looked at Harry. "If you made another sausage roll and a sausage in a bun, it will not go well for you."

"Noted, Chef," Harry smiled.

Gabriel lifted the cloche and smiled. A glass cup held a rich light brown soup within it that was crystal clear. It smelled rich and savory, and very much like the thinly sliced steak that sat alongside the cup. The beef was medium and had a light brown sauce on top with a pile of fried potatoes beside it. "Steak frites and a sauce au poivre," Gabriel said. "And a consommé?"

"Yes Chef. Beef consommé with the same seasonings as the frites, the steak, and the sauce," Harry said.

Gabriel sipped the soup, savoring the taste. He then ate a piece of the steak without the sauce, then with, doing the same with the potatoes. He chewed thoughtfully before swallowing, chasing the mouthfuls with another sip of soup. "Well done," he said. "Perfectly clear consommé, good flavor. Steak was cooked well. The sauce has good flavor and consistency. Potatoes are done well."

He ate more. "Explain your reasoning."

"I wanted to make another sauce to make up for my failure," Harry said. "Use beef two ways. I like potatoes. And consommé was one of the first major things I learned from you so I wanted to make it to show how far I've come. I made these because I wanted to, and because they are French dishes, and they taste good."

Harry looked at him. "I wanted to see you smile, and feel good about what I made because I like it as well as it's something we both share and appreciate."

Gabriel was in fact smiling as he ate. "Well reasoned and well executed," he said as he finished eating. "Good. We will continue your training as such. Now we will hone your mind as well as your skills."

"Yes Chef Mentor!" Harry grinned at Gabriel's very audible sigh.

-0-

The winter wind howled through Platform 9 and 3/4s, making all who were in it shiver and shudder. The Express whistled a few times, although it was still a while before departure, as if to dispel the howls with soothing steam whistles and it worked somewhat. A loud gout of very warm steam blew from the undercarriage of all of the cars and that provided welcome respite from the chill.

"Let us know when you get the date for the next part of the competition," Dora said, hugging Harry. "I'm going to make sure I come this time."

"Okay, I will," he replied happily, hugging her back.

"We don't have an extradition treaty with France, right?" Dora asked Amelia.

Amelia snorted deeply. "I'm fairly sure we do."

"What's the policy about Ministry officials being arrested out of the country? Asking for a friend," Dora asked, her hair turning blonde and her eyes widening just a bit with insincere innocence.

"Don't be," Amelia said with a deeper snort.

"Well that's just unreasonable," Dora grumbled.

"This is why I said don't go into the Auror Corps," Amelia said to an amused Susan. "So you don't have to deal with this."

"I'm a delight!" Dora exclaimed.

"And depends on the field of law you go into, you might have to deal with stranger," Sirius grinned.

The Browns and the Bones had stayed at Grimmauld the night before to go to Kings Cross with Harry the next day for the trip back to Hogwarts. The families had arrived through the Floo together for ease of travel and they claimed their usual car and put their things away and were now making their final farewells.

"Enjoy your last term," Andromeda said, kissing Harry's cheek. "I know you will be even busier than most, but it will go by in a flash."

"I know," Harry said, slightly subdued. He took a deep breath. "I'll make the most of it though."

"Thattaboy," Sirius praised, hugging Harry and tousling his hair. "And I'm pretty sure after her latest article, Banters is laying super low so hopefully you won't have to deal with him anymore. If he shows up near you though, let me know and I'll put a stop to it."

"Thanks," Harry smiled.

Leena smiled as she hugged Harry and gave him a few coins. "One last time, for tradition," she smiled and they laughed together. Another flurry of hugs and the families left while Harry, Lavender, Clover, Marigold, and Susan hurried back on the train. Hedwig had already let herself out of the cage and was sitting comfortably in one of the chairs.

Soon the others came to the platform and the train. The families did not stay too long due to the cold, but Harry made sure to greet them and everyone helped get their things onto the train with little difficulty.

He was relieved to notice that there were not as many people pointing and talking about him. Goodness knows there was plenty of drama involving him, much to his chagrin, but it seemed people had decided not to pay too much attention to him at the moment. Overtly anyways. The cold seemed to help with that too and he was grateful for it.

Eventually the last of the students arrived and boarded the train and with a cheery whistle, the Express left the platform. The remaining families waved to the departing children before they fled the winter air and the train chugged along, the familiar clack of wheels on the rails filling the air as the train swayed gently as it built up speed.

The Head Boy, Head Girl, and the prefects went to the prefect car to do their duty and took the first shift like last time so they could enjoy the rest of the trip with their friends in relative ease. The others waited for their return by chatting and playing games and as they got the lunch basket open that Harry made, their friends returned.

"Can't believe it's our last term," Susan said as they got settled.

"It's really here," Lavender nodded. She smiled sadly as the twins hugged her from either side. "You two will be okay."

"We know," they said.

"Wish Harry was staying though," Clover sighed.

"And you too I guess," Marigold sighed. They giggled at Lavender's look.

"Oh, well, I have something to say about that and I just realized I should have discussed this with you before-hand," Harry said, giving Lavender a sheepish look.

"That bodes well," Parvati said, giving Harry an arch look.

"It's nothing bad! I don't think," Harry said hurriedly. "I uh, I decided that when it's time for me to find a place to call my own, as like a restaurant or something, I'll be taking the Hog's Head."

"You will?!" a few of his friends exclaimed happily and the other cheered.

He nodded and smiled. "Mr. Abe offered it to me a while ago, saying it's an option. I was thinking about it for a while and wasn't sure but then seeing how everyone in the village did all that for me during the Festival, I decided I wanted to stay there."

"That's awesome!" Pansy cried and hugged him. "The Hog's Head is so wonderful with you there."

"And it'll be easy enough to go to Hogsmeade in the future," Blaise smiled.

"We'll still be able to see you while at school!" Clover and Marigold shouted happily and Astoria, Aster, Ivaan, Owen, Nathan, and Divya cheered.

"I was legitimately afraid you would go much farther," Hermione smiled. "Such a relief!"

"I might not be there right after graduating Hogwarts, but one day I'll make my dream place there," Harry said. "And no matter what, I doubt I'll ever leave."

"That's great," Parvati smiled. "Why did you feel like you had to ask Lavender though?" She gasped. "Is Lavender that controlling of a girlfriend? Do you need help Harry?!" Parvati's cheery smile turned into confusion while the others dissolved into laughter. "What are you doing?"

Lavender had opened the front of Parvati's outer-robes and looked her up and down. "Did you already give the badge to Hedwig?"

"Yes-wait no!" Parvati yelled as she got a face-full of thick bubbles from Lavender shooting her in the face, coughing and gasping as she inhaled bubbles. "Help!" she gurgled.

"Here," Padma laughed, handing her sister a conjured towel.

"Lavender isn't controlling," Harry laughed. "Unless she's lying on me and I need to get up for something." He smiled as she poked him. "No I mean, I should have asked because I didn't want to make things inconvenient for us in the future. You know, that stuff."

"Aww, you've been thinking about that?" Lavender asked, looking at him with sparkling eyes.

"Well yeah, that's something I should be considering right?" His sudden apprehension faded as she kissed him mightily on the lips.

"Shouldn't you be saying something about this?" Millicent asked.

Parvati flicked the wet towel. "I already got a face-full."

Lavender's cheeks were pink from happiness. "Well you don't have to worry because Parv and I were leaning towards a place in Hogsmeade anyways. We like the feel of the village more and it'll be a lot cheaper to start."

"Premises at Diagon cost a lot," Ron nodded. "It took a bit for Fred and George to find a space and afford it. They're doing okay now though but yeah, it took them a while."

"And that is a rarity," Daphne said. "Many stores have had to close due to failure of business and there is a long wait for openings. Father speaks of it a lot. He has to be very careful before making business relations or else he would be stuck with material that people can no longer pay for."

"Professor McGonagall showed me the usual rent prices and costs of Diagon, Hogsmeade, and other places," Harry said.

"Us too," Lavender nodded.

"Father has a small office in a building he shares with others," Pansy said. "Their professions do not warrant exclusive spaces with how small they are, so they share the cost of one together." She smiled. "Though he said he is looking for a larger area with two offices for me to have one as well."

"Maybe three one day?" Padma asked.

"Aster can't convince anyone of anything save for how much of a brat she is," Blaise said conversationally.

"You don't need help convincing anyone that you're a prat," Aster growled back. She returned his rude hand gesture and turned her back on him while the others snickered. "No, I don't think so. I think what Father does is great and Pansy is good at it. It just doesn't work on me because I ignore her." She smiled as Pansy rolled her eyes. "I know what I want to do though."

"Do you?" Pansy's eye roll became a look of surprise and interest. "That's good. The earlier you know the better."

Aster nodded. "I want to cook like Harry! Cooking is so much fun and I really like it."

"Me too!" Clover said.

"Really?" Harry gasped.

"Aww, you have sibnions looking up to you," Parvati said in a very sweet voice.

"Sibnion?" Hermione asked.

"Sibling minions," Parvati said to more laughter.

"They've always looked up to him," Padma smiled.

"While I don't want to dissuade you," Pansy said kindly, "you do know how hard it is, yes? Harry just makes it look easy."

"Which is funny considering he does everything the hard way," Millicent said, giggling and hugging Harry when he gave her a wounded look.

"I know," Aster said, her turn to roll her eyes. "I know what has happened the last few months and I've seen him work hard during Festivals and parties and everything, and how he trains."

"Cooking is so interesting," Clover said. "And when Harry makes people smile, it's the best."

"At least cooking is more accepted now," Daphne smiled. "And it will become even more so."

"What about you?" Lavender asked Marigold.

"I'm more of an eater," Marigold said honestly and the others laughed and nodded with her. "And I want to learn more about magic music like Daphne."

"Why?" Astoria asked before yelping and growling at her older sister, rubbing the back of her head.

"Why can't you two be more like them?" Millicent said to her little brothers.

"Hey!" they exclaimed with identical looks of aggrievement.

"We don't know exactly what we want to do," Owen said.

"But we do know we don't want to do anything you do," Nathan said.

"Mostly because you're doing it so it's lame," they said together and fled from Millicent as she growled.

"Don't worry, you still have plenty of time," Padma reassured a vaguely panicky Ivaan and Divya.

"I'm not used to people wanting to be like me, in fact, I really don't recommend it. Lots of weird stuff happen to you," Harry said and they all laughed with him. "But if that's what you want to do, I'll definitely help as much as I can!"

"You can take them under your wing," Hermione said. She smiled when Hedwig hooted and showed off her impressive wingspan. "Like how Hedwig does for you."

Hedwig hooted smugly and draped herself over the back of Harry's head, resting her own on his. Her wings flopped down to drape around him and she giggled as Lavender gave her a look as one wing came down between her and Harry's faces.

"You can be their chef mentor," Tracey smiled. "They can call you Master Harry."

"Oh please no, I still can't get Kreacher and Winky to not call me Master," Harry laughed, looking embarrassed.

"Sensei, maybe? Like how they call their superiors in Japan?" Hermione offered.

"In Chinese, you can say Sifu," Sue mentioned.

"We should create something new for Harry," Blaise said. "Something different and befitting his status, claiming it as our own through unique use. You know, like how we should as British people. Something grand and fitting. Like, Lord Chef."

"I'm partial to Gourmancer," Hermione said. "What?" she added, frowning at Tracey's look.

"How about Chef Captain, or Captain Chef?" Ron asked.

"Oh I like that a lot," Luna said brightly. "Higher rank would be better; you get a fancier hat."

"You can be Master Chef," Pansy smiled.

"I don't need more people calling me master," Harry laughed. He sat back, leaning comfortably against Lavender, and enjoyed what seemed to be a usual thing of his friends coming up with outlandish and fanciful things in relation to him. By now though, he knows full well it comes from a place of care as well as hilarity and he enjoyed the warmth and comfort that came with it.

-0-0-0-

odonnellzoo99 - I've enjoyed the changes in the Purebloods, more specifically the recovering ones. I like to think how they are has been a believable shift in their personality and thinking with how the story progressed. And if I'm being honest, it's a subversion on the usual culture in fanfics and it amuses me. Gingerdragon Blinky is cute right? Same with the caroling Patroni.

Hands Off MY Wolfie - A big win for the goblins. I like to see them earn a better place in society and it's a more peaceful but just as impactful rebellion of a sorts. Never enough Hedwigs. Thanks for reading.

TheSphynx - Christmas chapters are cozy and I do like trying to have them feel good that way. Thank you, I'm pretty proud of the characters growths honestly.

DOOOOOOM Lord of Waffles - We will see. I don't always have a rise and fall pattern after all. I just finished a couple of chapters what will be a few weeks away yet but think people will enjoy them.

alix33 - Banters bouncing down the hill is a very nice mental image.

poka - I like how the goblins have been in this setting. They feel like Wizarding goblins, but more expanded in a way that still fits in my opinion. And it's nice to see how things have changed with small changes in the setting that have had lasting repercussions. Blinky the gingerdragon is such a cute mental image, same with ginger wig. I was thinking of a fitting carol for them and thought that would be a very lovely one to listen to. Thank you for the kind words.

JRSDH1 - Narcissa has mellowed out some and it's a surprise but it's also nice.