The Start of Something New - September 1991

"Baking." I repeated with a nod. I took the offered apron and watched how she put on hers before I was able to put on mine. I watched her pull her hair into a pony and smiled. "We have elastics too." I told her, holding out the one on my wrist. I flipped up my long blond hair into a messy bun and turned to Pots. "Okay Ms.Pots, what's first?" If I thought of it like potions, like Cassie said, I would be okay.

I smile seeing her elastic. It is nice knowing that I wouldn't have to rely on just muggle products for things. Pots pushes us both over, gently, to the ingredients, measuring cups and mixing bowls. "Missy's will mix batter now." The little elf explains. "Missy Juniper, measure the flour. Missy Cassie whisk the eggs."

Pot's handed me a cup and told me to fill it with the flour as she indicted which one the flour was. I scooped it up and made sure the top was as level as possible. I saw Cassie mixing the eggs and took the flour towards her. "What's next?" I asked Pots as I set my cup full of flour on the table. I already couldn't wait to see what the cupcakes tasted like.

"Now Missy Juniper, you puts the flour in bowl and measure another two cups of flour into bowl" Pots says pushing a bowl to Juniper. She turns to me and says "Pots always adds the vanilla to the eggs." I put the whisk down and pick up the vanilla. I measure out a couple of teaspoons of vanilla into the eggs and begin to whisk it again until its blended.

I nodded and put the flour into the bowl Pots gave me. I measured out two more cups and did the same thing. The eggs Cassie has been mixing seemed almost done now. "Vanilla in the eggs?" I asked, thinking it was a weird combination, but Pots was the expert. I looked over at her and smiled, awaiting my next instructions. This really was fun.

Pots, standing on her stool, pushes the sugar in front of Juniper. "Measure two cups of sugar into the same bowl." Then the house-elf turns to me and points to the butter. "You gets one cup ready of butter." So I nod and get a knife. I cut a cup of butter off the stick and then place it on a small dish to be ready. Pots then tells me to measure out a cup of milk into the eggs and vanilla.

I nodded as I took the cup and measured out the sugar, adding it to the bowl with the flour. I watched Cassie measure the milk out and pour it into her bowl. I tilted my head slightly to the side. "Are we mixing all the wet ingredients into one bowl and the dry in another?" I hoped they didn't think I was completely stupid, but I had never baked before so I didn't know.

"That is exactly what we are doing. Good eye there!" I say winking. Pots nods and pushes the baking powder in front of Juniper. "Measure one tablespoon and half a teaspoon of baking powder into the dry ingredients, then softly stir the mixture to blend them. Missy Cassie, you puts the butter into the mixing bowl." I did as I was told. Pots then snaps her finger and a beater appeared and started beating the butter.

I smiled and gave a small laugh to Cassie when she spoke, hen turned my attention to Pots when she started to tell me what to do next. I nodded and, after conferring I had the correct measuring spoons, I took out the appropriate amount of baking powder and added it to my bowel. After taking a wooded spoon that pots offered me, I began to gently stir my mixture while I watched something mix the butter. "What's that called? It looks neat."

"It's called a beater. It is similar to a whisk, but it is better on harder ingredients, like the butter. At home, we have a muggle one that runs on electricity instead of magic."

"Missy Cassie, yous pours the liquid ingredients in." I did as she said and poured it in slowly. "Now Missy Juniper, yous puts the flour mixture in a little bit at a time."

"Neat." I said as Cassie explained about the beater. I turned to Pots and nodded. I took the bowel with the dry ingredients I had just mixed into my hand and began slowly adding some to the other mixture. I would stop adding some to allow the beater to mix the wet and dry ingredients together before adding some more. Once I had done that a few times, I put the last of my mixture in and put the bowel back on the table. "That's called the batter right?" I remembered hearing Dobby talk about it when he was making the desserts and was pretty sure that's what it was called.

"Yes and it is the best part of the process!" I reply excitedly, but not explaining why. I watched as Pots summons two cupcake pans. She puts one in front of each of us and gives us each a ladle. With a snap of her fingers, little cupcake wrappers appeared in each spot on the baking sheet. "Now Missies will fill each tray. Fill each cup about halway." She says, floating the bowl in between us. I put my ladle in and fill the first cup halfway.

I watched how Cassie filled the little cups before I did mine, copying her movements to fill them halfway. Once I had finished about half of them, I turned to her, "Why is the batter the best part?" I asked. She seemed pretty excited about it so it had to be something.

I just smiled at her and waited for all the cups to be filled before answering her question. Seeing a little bit of batter left, I stick my finger in the bowl, scoop up a bit of batter, than I lick the batter of my finger. "That is the best part." I finally reply winking. Pots shakes her head amusedly and conjures two spoons for us. I let out a giggle and pass a spoon to Juniper. "Come on try it!"

I took the spoon but narrowed my eyes at Cassie. She was eating raw batter, how could it take good? Even i knew that it had to be backed fist. I watched her take a spoon full and eat it as well before I put my spoon in and scooped up some of the left over batter. "Here goes nothing." I put the spoon in my mouth and tasted one of the best things ever. My eyes widened as I savoured the flavour. I swallowed and smiled at Cassie. "You're right, this is the best part."