Leopold was tickling Howler under the chin with a finger when the first few students entered.  It hadn't taken long for them to get used to the old man and his occasionally energetic pet.  There had been a few minor incidents involving the snatching of quills or the overturning of ink pots but the professor had been quick to undo any damage done and the monkey had reacted so contritely to being chastised that it had been difficult not to laugh.

There was a short note written on the board in white chalk and beneath it were several baskets of various foods, ranging from lima beans to crab apples.


It wouldn't be a difficult spell for the second year students to pick up but it was one of those spells that grew progressively more difficult to cast when the complexity of the flavour change increased.  Still, it was a fun spell with uses that the professors rarely, if ever, mentioned out loud.

"We'll get started as soon as everyone is in their seats,"  Leopold said.  "I think you'll all enjoy today's class and I hope it doesn't negatively affect your next meal."

Mairead plopped herself in her seat and fidgeted slightly.  She'd been trying to be better about paying attention in class and doing her homework and all that appropriately studious jazz.  But, she was still no academic.  Classes still felt long and monotonous and required a considerable degree of effort on the Gryffindor's part to sit still for that long.  At least Wednesday classes were only an hour. 

"Can we just skip this and go straight to lunch?" Mairead muttered, half to herself and half to her neighbor.  "I never had a problem liking me breakfast." 

Of course, it wasn't going to be that easy.  Mairead had yet to get excused from a class based on such logic.  The last time she'd tried to argue she didn't see any reason she'd ever need to know how to harvest puss-exuding plants, she'd been told it was 'good to learn for learning's sake.' 

At least it was going to be a practical class and, by the sounds of it, eating might be involved. 

Charles happened t be sitting by Mairead that day, and heard her mutter. "Ever had your parents try to make you eat something you really don't like? This spell can make it taste like something that you really like.  Good way of keeping parental nagging at bay over food." He muttered back to Mairead. " Although I agree, I can't wait for lunch." he added, still muttering. Out loud, he asked " So why can't this spell be used on potions that taste awful?" Charles asked, curious. One example being Skelegrow, which tasted absolutely awful.

"Most magic rejects other magic,"  Leopold answered.  "And trying to alter the taste of the ingredients also doesn't work because you're adding a hint of a different kind of magic into the potion.  The recipe won't turn out properly." The old professor smiled.  It looked like this class was going to be quite active.

Obderedria was feeling that she very much had to prove herself to Professor Sandusky. Not only for being her Head of House or increased efforts in transfiguration but because she was using his old wife's wand as a temporary cover for hers that had been whisked off with Ollivander. She couldn't let him down. Although she was nervous to touch the wand, leaving in set on the middle of the desk as Sandusky explained the lesson--

---Wait wait wait wait wait wait!! Inflecto Gusto? Hadn't they had this spell once during a lesson last year?[1] Although even if it was refresher Obderedria was secretly glad for it. While Professor Sandusky was pleased that she was taking to this temporary wand so well, in truth the young Hufflepuff still wasn't fully in sync with it. Some spells had worked fine but it felt like she and the wand were disagreeing in other realms of magic. She hadn't even been attentive on recent Transfiguration homework.

Obderedria wondered how much of a repeat this would be of last year. Well, they weren't altering Bertie Botts beans. Where Heliotrope had transformed all of hers -- minus the cheese beans -- into tadpoles. Flavored tadpoles. Obderedria herself had been stuck with flavors of mustard, ranch dressing, chocolate peanut butter spread and hot sauce. The only pattern she could discern was that they were all regular condiments she put on hot dogs.

1.	Friends, Romans, Countrymen

After checking and triple checking his bag for the absence of a obscenity spewing amphibian, Philo relaxed a little when entering class. Since Professor Sandusky owned a monkey he might understand unusual pets but Philo didn't want to risk it if Arlaug interrupted class with a poorly timed 'D'Arvit!' Or worse, something a little more recognizable.

He froze, momentarily, when he realized the seat behind Obderedria was open. It would give him a view of class and that amazing spotted hair of hers. But would he dare risk sitting...he gingerly took the desk but she did not respond to the motion. Philo didn't know what to think.

Instead, he turned his attention to the class. He too remembered the last time this spell had been introduced, when the first quarter of the class had been devoted to the continual making fun of Noriko's worse charms class ever. Philo quickly set out his books and quill to not think about Drea and improper cushioning charms in the same sentence.

He tentatively raised his hand. "Professor? What about fruit? Would the spell change a fruit into a different one, or would the fruit only change flavor and keep the same texture?" Philo remembered when he and Drea had a moment together in Diagon and she convinced him to eat one of those orange dirigible plums. The taste was something he could get used to. The airiness made the fruit much more ripe than what Philo liked, who wouldn't eat a fruit unless there was some crunch to it.

Dahlia slipped into the classroom behind Philo and took the seat next to Drea. She glanced behind for a moment noticing Philo's hesitation before taking the empty seat behind them. She made a mental note to look into that another time before getting out her parchment and quill. Dahlia was almost disappointed that they would be doing a review lesson but then again it was only their second year and this was the first month they were back. Not all of her classmates would have been as diligent as she was in studying over the summer.

Dahlia leaned over to Drea, "What do you think Helio will turn her fruit into this time? Kelp? Mussles?" She chuckled and turned to look at Philo over her shoulder as he posed his question. She was ready to provide the answer to him but decided it was best not to speak out of turn. She had heard from Ayla that Professor Sandusky had been rather ruthless with the fourth years, having confiscated several wands. She was rather attached to hers and wasn't about to let it go just for giving the correct answer before he could.

Only a short distance away, Heliotrope was sitting on the other side of Obderedria from Dahlia, as usual oblivious to the mermish talk. Obderedria eyed the fishy second year momentarily before whispering to the other Hufflepuff. "I don't really know. She told me about this blue onion-like thing once, or maybe a sea cucumber." Obderedria fell silent for similar reasons. It was all playful speculation, never meant to be harmful, but she didn't want to disappoint the professor.

While this was going on, Heliotrope was looking down at her notes from last class, Defense. She had been finishing them until the time for bell and had to file them away. From her greater bookbag, scuffed about the bottom, she pulled out her Mermaid's Purse, another on of her trades from her summer exploring the oceans and lochs. It was two webbed hand widths tall and thin enough for keeping parchments sealed. Another suggestion from her tutoring sessions had been to keep a designated folder for her homework, like having a designated spot to do homework. She removed the sheet that had her common room list of assignments and added it to the purse.

The lesson was also vaguely familiar. Heliotrope recalled the boxes of beans. Her unblinking eyes already looked for beans and the disliked yellow-orange cheese ones.

"Only the flavour is changed at this particular level of ability, Mr Falkin,"  Leopold answered.  "The Flavour Changing Spell is one of few spells that you will study every year.  As your ability increases, so with your ability to transfigure the flavour, colour and texture of foods.  Some of you may think that this will be a review of a first year spell.  That is not the case.  You will be performing more sophisticated flavour alterations today.  In addition to degree of change, I'm also going to be focusing on subtlety of change, the sort of things that enable you to tell who brewed a potion by identifying the slight variations between techniques and ingredient sources."

Transfiguration of food. And she had to use Professor Sandusky's wife's wand. And hopefully today's lunch wasn't going to be that bad that they would need to use the spell right after class.

Obderedria brought it out to examine it. Just days ago her wand ad been taken away and this was the one se would use in its place. She'd had to adjust to some charms and defensive spells with it -- but transfiguration...

If they had continued covering old material Obderedria would have not had to do much in class, only practice outside of class -- but a demonstration of new material -- err, the next stage of new material -- she would have to perform magic with it and Professor Sandusky would be key to watching her.

She let the wand lay still then raised her hand. "Professor, what will we be doing with the spell in class today?"

"We will be performing more complex flavour manipulation,"  Leopold said.  "Changing the flavour of jelly beans is one thing.  Changing the flavour of multi-ingredient foods is something else entirely.  Take pizza, for example."  He whistles sharply, making Howler jump.

A moment later four house elves scurried into the room, carrying a table.  On it were four large pizzas.  Leopold thanked them, then turned to the class.  "I asked the kitchen elves to make something strange,"  he said.  "This is the result.  The ingredients have been deliberately chosen for their... negative affect on the pallet.   I want everyone to come up, select a section of one of these pizza things and adjust the flavour of the ingredients you don't like, without altering the other flavours." 

Leopold chuckled.  "This should be well within your abilities and there won't be enough to affect your lunch.  Yes, I took into account those of you who have specific dietary needs.  You'll be looking for the one nearest the door."

Philo stared transfixed at the pizzas that entered the room. It was one dish he wasn't as familiar with. You couldn't really order take out when you had the muggle repelling spell warded at your house, so delivery people with meals was unheard of at the Falkin residence. Though he had heard a few things about pizza, a circle of bread with sauce, cheese and other toppings.

Although given how one retreating house elf was stifling a gag, this had to be the most inedible thing they were ever told to make. He recognized what must have been the more vegetarian of the lot, covered with vegetables, some very strange and some...reaching their prime, before they were cooked. Was that a head of cauliflower or broccoli? He honestly could not tell for how the color was a greenish bleach.

"Hey Philo."

Drea. She had peered about the room before finding him in the desk behind hers. He tried not to look too strange as he realized she was more open to talking to him after their chance meeting over the summer.

"Helio and I usually work together, and if we have you and a few more that's one pizza to split with all of us. We could move our desks together."

"S-sure." She must like pizza, that was the liveliest he had ever seen her for an in class demonstration. "I'll go get one."

As desks were pushed and Obderedria asked around for other group members, Philo selected one of the four pizzas. Kind of unwieldy and still warm from the oven, however the elves had kept it that way up from the kitchens. He carried over to the cluster of desks.

"It looks like..." Philo tried to identify the toppings based on the strained colors. "Pickled beets, horseradish, veal, mango slices, sardines and..." A sniff. "Yes, goat cheese. Just as I feared." Before coming to Hogwarts Philo had been to Hogsmeade with his family a few times before. Meals from the Hog's Head pub were always distinctive.

"You know--" Drea said as she cut a slice. "--that doesn't sound too bad."

"Not the cheese. No." Heliotrope added.

Philo gapped at them for a second before closing his mouth. Heliotrope he could see not finding fault with the pizza, she ate things like raw fish and tadpoles all the time. He hadn't expected Drea to like it. This was not as simple as not liking a fruit because he could not imagine how horseradish and mango was an appetizing combination in any recipe.

He kept his mouth clamped shut, trying to think of something else to turn his slice of pizza into that he would like. Although the only thing locked in his mind was the all spinach pie his mother had made when Pax was visiting.

---

((OOC: One or Two other members welcome at this table!))

Dahlia was happy to learn that this wasn't a review but simply an expansion on the skills they had obtained the year before. She knew she'd have no problem making her use of the spell more extensive but she felt as if she should be more mindful of her classmates and actually offer to help others instead of simply excelling beyond them. With that in mind Dahlia joined her room mates Helio and Drea at the table they were sitting at with Philo. She selected a piece of the revolting pie and placed it in front of her.

"Only you two would actually find this appetizing." She smiled softly at her friends indicating that there was no malice in her comment.

She looked down at her piece, screwed her eyes up in concentration, focusing on more pleasing flavours and then spoke the incantation with a swish of her wand. The piece instantly smelled better while still looking like leftovers had been tossed haphazardly on top. She didn't have to taste it just yet to know that her cast had worked. The pickle beats would be akin to olives, the shredded horseradish would now taste like parmesan, the veal would be pepperoni, the mango slices would be akin to sun dried tomatoes, the sardines would taste like italian sausage and the goat cheese would now taste like Feta.

She looked up at her group, "Care to try it?"

Leopold looked over Dahlia's shoulder.  "It certainly smells better,"  he said.  "Notice how the appearance has not changed.  The flavour is the only thing that has been altered.  A very ambitious casting of the spell.  I would have expected one or two of the flavours to be altered but you seem to have quite the knack for transfigurations, Miss Collins.  If the taste lives up to expectations, there will be some points for Hufflepuff."

A quick wave of his wand cut a sliver out of the pizza.  He lifted it carefully and popped it into his mouth.  He chewed thoughtfully for a moment, then nodded.  "I can't necessarily agree that you've made it more edible but you have successfully altered all of the flavours.  Five points for Hufflepuff, Miss Collins."

Alright, Obderedria had to have one taste of the original mess and one taste of Dahlia's portion, just so she could get a sense of how to work her transfiguration. This was going to be more complex than changing Bertie Botts beans.

Okay, she had ideas of what flavors to aim for when she worked on her piece. Dahlia had done a very nice "the works" combo. What could Obderedria do? One pizza joint near her home was infamous for its chicken pizzas, there was BBQ chicken with red onion and actual BBQ sauce in the pizza sauce; or a Buffalo chicken that did the same thing with hot sauce, plus peppers -- Helio picking a sardine off her portion and eating it jarred Obderedria's thinking. Was there such a thing as a seafood pizza? Not in any restaurant she had even been too but she remembered watching this Japanese monster movie where a creature emerged from the sea and destroyed a boardwalk, there was a joke about a crab on a pizza--

Realizing that Professor Sandusky was observing their work made her all the more self conscious. This was his most treasured possession former wife's wand that she was borrowing as Ollivander fixed hers. She had to prove that she was doing good work with the wand although she didn't always feel in sync with it. It had been a help but--

Her eyes were shut tight as she performed the spell, wand aimed at her section of pizza. When she opened them she saw the pizza was--

--worse!!

The same ingredients were in there somewhere but there were new ones. The most frightening were the tentacles, like wiggling purple scaleless snakes. The sauce, or maybe the horseradish, had turned purple too, and the crust was all wavy in a fancy braid -- maybe that was stuffed crust, stuffed crust pizza was amazing -- but stuffed with what?? -- Even a crab claw!

Obderedria wasn't sure if she should try again. She waved the wand over the monstrosity of her transfiguration but let out a small shriek of surprise when it leaped at her! Only an inch, as if it was trying to grab the wand, but the pizza was moving!