The Royal Academy of Magical Baking

"Sweet and savory spices!" Chef Flax stopped in the doorway to the dining hall, staring open-mouthed at the four second-years and two flying squirrels in his kitchen. "You've multiplied! Is it a party?"

Boysen grinned. "Not yet. But it will be."

"The grandest affair the baking world has seen in generations," Caramelle breathed.

Bumble and Sprinkle both leapt from their places on the island counter. Soaring across the kitchen, each landed on one of Chef Flax's broad shoulders and chattered excitedly, pointing at Lyra.

The head chef's eyes grew larger and rounder as he listened. "Sweet and savory spices," he repeated. For a moment, Lyra wondered if he might faint. Then he stumbled forward and leaned heavily on the island counter, staring at her. "You've done it?"

She merely beamed at him in reply. Delight was still bubbling inside her, too loudly and forcefully to allow for coherent speech.

Boysen pulled out a stool, and the chef collapsed weakly onto it.

"H-how?" Chef Flax stammered. "When?"

"Just now, apparently," Boysen replied.

Chef Flax gazed around at them. "Were you all here? You all saw it?"

"No. Bumble and Sprinkle came to get us," Mac explained. "They came back from Queen Penelope's to find Lyra here with this cake." He held up his plate, with its half-eaten slice, then pointed at the simple yet lovely dessert standing proudly on the counter. "They said it was still glowing with yellow light when they got here. At least, that's what Boysen thinks they said."

"They were speaking really fast," Boysen said apologetically. "And my squirrel grammar is a little shaky. But I caught enough to understand we all needed to come to the kitchen."

The flying squirrels danced on the chef's shoulders, chattering what was clearly a confirmation.

"And we found this." Caramelle indicated her plate, her voice was hushed with awe. "The light was gone by the time we got here, but this cake… oh, Chef. You've never tasted anything like it."

Boysen was already cutting another slice. Putting it on a plate, he handed it to Chef Flax with a wordless bow.

The head chef of the Royal Academy kitchen looked at the cake for several long seconds. Lifting the plate to his face, he inhaled deeply. Then he dug in with a fork and took a large bite. His eyes widened, then closed.

Four Aspiring Bakers and two flying squirrels watched him as he chewed… and chewed… and chewed. Even when he swallowed, his eyes remained closed.

"Well?" Boysen finally asked, several longer seconds later.

A dreamy smile spread across Chef Flax's face as his eyes blinked open. Reaching across the counter, he took Lyra's hands in his.

"Congratulations, my dear. You have broken through."

The joy in his face unlocked Lyra's tongue at last.

"It's all thanks to you," she gushed, squeezing his hands. "I just started baking. No magic. But I was singing and singing, all my family's favorites. I finished with 'The Joy Song,' and then…"

One of Chef Flax's eyebrows quirked. "And then, 'poof'?"

"Poof!" Lyra started giggling. Once Chef Flax joined in, she found herself unable to stop.

When was the last time she had giggled? It wasn't a sound she wanted to be in the habit of making, but tonight was a special occasion.

"I can't believe we missed it," Caramelle lamented. "The most significant moment in baking history of our lifetime, and where was I? Making a color-coded chart for tomorrow's beef wellington homework!"

"I'm sorry. I wish you all could have been here," Lyra said. She truly meant it, though it was hard to convey sincerity while still giggling.

"At least we're here now," Boysen pointed out. "Unlike Crumble."

Mac's eyes widened. "Oh, Ginger's going to be so boiled…"

Bumble leapt from Chef Flax's shoulder onto Lyra's and chattered in her ear.

"How did it feel?" Chef Flax and Boysen interpreted simultaneously.

Lyra mastered the giggling fit enough to answer. "Amazing. Beyond amazing. Like all my favorite baking memories rolled into one gorgeous moment. I couldn't just see the magic in the air. I could taste it, hear it, smell it…"

"Smell?" Mac echoed. "What does happiness smell like?"

"Vanilla?" Boysen guessed, giving Lyra one of his special grins.

"Of course." She actually winked at him. Winked. Delight was making her delirious. "And boysenberries."

Boysen's grin widened, but before he could reply, Sprinkle began chattering rapidly.

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"Excellent notion, m'lady," Chef Flax agreed, then turned to Lyra. "Lady Sprinkle suggests that you try to repeat the miracle, if you're not too tired."

"Tired?" Another burst of hilarity tried to buzz up and out of Lyra's mouth. She swallowed it with difficulty and went on, "I don't think I'll sleep for a week. Sure, I can try again!"

"Excellent!" Taking off his fedora, Chef Flax placed it carefully on a hook by the door and replaced it with his signature white head chef's hat. "Let's get baking!"

"Your coat, Chef," Boysen pointed out. The large man chuckled and began shrugging out of his winter garments.

"And the professors." Caramelle looked around the room, as if only just now realizing the lack of professorial presence. "Shouldn't they be here for this?"

"They should," Mac said stoutly. He started for the door, then stopped and glanced sheepishly back at the group. "Where would they be?"

Chef Flax chuckled again as he hung up his coat and scarf. "We all came back together, so they should each be at their cottages. Or perhaps at Professor Puff's for another debrief. They do love their pre-meetings and post-meetings, those three."

"Go get 'em, Fondant," Boysen called.

"Thank you, Mac." Caramelle smiled warmly. "It will be wonderful to have them here."

The bespectacled boy paused just long enough to return her smile, then charged from the room to complete his mission.

Caramelle insisted that Lyra should wait for the professors before even gathering ingredients for round two. Lyra gladly obliged. She used the time to take a slice of cake up to Queen Penelope, giving the royal poultry a brief, somewhat breathless explanation of the momentous events unfolding in the kitchen. Then, with the queen's delighted squawks in her ears, she ran back down the stairs to await Mac's return.

They were all nibbling on their slices of cake, too excited to eat but unable to resist the vanilla treat's sheer wondrousness, when Mac came bursting through the door with a trio of baking professors right behind him.

"What's all this?" Professor Genoise demanded. He charged straight over to the counter, jamming his monocle into his eye as he went, and began peering at the cake. "Is this it? The cake that changed the world?"

Professor Honeycomb, meanwhile, made a beeline for Lyra. "Oh, my dear. Oh, it's your exam cake! Remember what I said at your entrance exam? 'The most FUN bite of cake I've had in years'? And now… and now…"

She choked on a wave of happy tears and threw her arms around Lyra.

"A most prescient proclamation, Lavender." Professor Genoise stepped back from the counter. Taking off his top hat, he threw it into the air with a whoop. "Fun for the whole baking community, henceforth and ever after!"

Professor Puff caught his hat as she joined him at the counter. Setting it carefully back on his head, she turned to Lyra.

"Congratulations, Aspiring Baker Treble," she said calmly. "Might you tell us exactly what occurred? Fondant here was a bit thin on the details."

"He said exactly what needed to be said," Professor Genoise objected.

Professor Puff's right eyebrow rose. "His exact words were, 'Lyra did it — yellow light — come kitchens now.'"

"Can you blame him?" Professor Genoise clapped a flushing Mac heartily on the shoulder. "Who can speak at a time like this?"

"Hopefully Treble can," Professor Puff replied dryly. "If Professor Honeycomb will allow her to breathe."

Professor Honeycomb released Lyra amidst joyfully tearful apologies. Smiling gratefully at all three professors, Lyra began her account of the evening's events.

For such a weighty matter, the tale itself didn't take long to tell. Professor Puff's clarifying questions helped keep Lyra's giddy thoughts on track. Only a few minutes later, Professor Genoise was nodding thoughtfully at Chef Flax.

"It seems stress was acting as a blockage," the Presentation headmaster observed. "All it took was a bit of carefree baking, and presto! The magic was released."

Professor Honeycomb took off her green Flavor headscarf and began toying with it fretfully. "If only we'd thought of that sooner. My poor dears. All the strain you've been under… why, we could have found the magic weeks ago, if we'd simply advised you to ease off a bit."

"I am not so sure." Professor Puff's keen gaze passed shrewdly over each second-year before settling on the cake. "Perhaps the stress was not the blockage, but a means to bypass it. The pressure built up until a release was necessary, and that was what propelled Aspiring Baker Treble to this new height. If, indeed, a new height has been reached."

"What do you mean, 'if'?" Professor Genoise demanded.

"The event has happened only once," Professor Puff replied evenly. "Once, and with no witnesses. Hardly conclusive."

Boysen began sputtering. "That's… but…"

Professor Puff held up a hand. "It is still a momentous occasion, of course. But the environment was not at all conducive to conclusions. In fact, it has yielded far more questions than answers. What was the key factor to Aspiring Baker Treble's success?"

"I was wondering about that," Chef Flax agreed. "Was it the fact that Lyra wasn't doing any other magic? The fact that she was alone? The songs she chose, or their order? Or the simple truth that she wasn't trying to force Enjoyment?"

"That's what I think." Professor Genoise polished his monocle on his sleeve before restoring it to his eye and examining Lyra through it. "Enjoyment strikes me as 'a force that can't be forced,' if you will. Fun must be free."

Professor Puff gave a dignified shrug. "It is a valid theory, but only that. We must have further proof."

"I was just about to start again," Lyra told her. "Try to do everything I did before, and see what happens."

"Without forcing," Professor Genoise reminded her.

"Or stress," Professor Honeycomb piped up.

Lyra smiled. "Not a problem."

"She's still soaring," Chef Flax said affectionately. "As she should be."

Professor Puff nodded. "Indeed. That will be another data point to collect: how long the spell's effects linger, both in the baker and in the food."

"Do you need any help, Lyra?" Boysen asked, shooting Professor Puff a mutinous glare.

"I'm fine." She placed a hand lightly on his shoulder, trying to banish his lingering resentment with a touch of her own giddy joy. "But thank you. Truly."

"Or… should we leave?" Caramelle glanced around the crowded kitchen. "Perhaps just you and the professors? I don't want to be a distraction."

"Not at all," Lyra assured her. "It's nice to have people here. I'm not distracted." She felt her eyes sparkle as another wave of magical delight shuddered through her insides. "And I want you to see," she went on. "All of you. This… it's too fun not to share."

Professor Puff's smile was surprisingly warm and full of understanding. "Then begin, Aspiring Baker Treble."

Lyra looked at each of them quickly. Just as it had felt so good for her to bake alone before, it felt so right for all of them to be here now. Chef Flax, his large frame bursting with anticipatory glee. Bumble and Sprinkle, perched on the counter in 'front row' seats. The three professors, each with their different personalities, but emanating the same fundamental aroma of support.

Then there were her second-year colleagues. Mac, busily cleaning his glasses so he could observe with clarity. Caramelle, so engrossed that she didn't seem to notice the single auburn curl that had fallen out of place across her forehead. Boysen, right by her side, standing far enough to give her space but close enough that she could feel the special 'Baking with Boysen' melody mixing merrily with the new Enjoyment chorus in her gut.

She took a deep breath, feeling just like her dad striking up the first song of an Any Weather Bards performance.

"Here goes," she whispered.