Surprise Errand The Sweetest Fashion Show Ever!

Only the day after the Great Hall had been filled with the din of conversation and requests to House Elves for supplies and assistance, Evelynn received a summons back. It came as something of a surprise, and was initially met with no small amount of suspicious consternation. Aside from to Quidditch practice, the Gryffindor had rarely been summoned anywhere, really. As she made her meandering way down from Gryffindor tower towards the familiar hall, her thoughts traversed a mile a minute in an attempt to sort out why, exactly, she'd been called to attend. Had it not been a prefect of her own house who had sent out the missive, she might actually have thought that it was Gray attempting to pull some sort of ruse. To get back for the "scene" she had supposedly caused the last time the two had encountered each other in the hall.

Only, it wasn't he. It was Edelhardt. The very same individual who had made the call for all hands on deck to decorate a plethora of confectionery the day prior. Her writing was beginning to become something of a familiarity upon the Gryffindor notice boards, and Evelynn had cross-referenced it easily enough after having received the note by owl that morning. The young cub could only assume, then, that this had something to do with yesterday's affairs. Perhaps they'd made a mess and now had to clean it up? Or maybe something dreadful had happened to their labours and they had to start anew? Perhaps they were simply gathering to receive their rewards? If she recalled correctly, there had been something about a bit of a stipend — in addition to a couple of points for their House — to reward them for their efforts.

As Evelynn filed on with several others she recognized as having attended the previous day's event, she could only assume her suppositions had traveled somewhere along the right track, and eventually concluded it must have been a gathering to receive their hard-earned rewards. Especially as standing central to the closed great double oaken doors, Edelhardt herself awaited their arrival, appearing nothing less than chipper as she began her explanation. Ah, yes. The gift for their hard work. The rewards of the errand, no doubt. So she had been corr—

"Surpri...?" Brows shot up as Evelynn blinked, her attention snapped back to the prefect the instant the girl had made her exclamation, and then beyond and past her as the doors to the Great Hall swung open to reveal the interior. "Oh!" Evelynn breathed moments later.

What Evelynn had not expected, was the massive display of various cupcakes and marzipans, sugar cookies and mini cakes all beautifully arranged on tables within. It was an astounding collection. One that even a cursory glance indicated an above average level of skill by those who had participated in the little challenge. Honestly, she was nearly breathless in awe with just how impressive it really was. A quick scan for green even revealed that the cupcakes that she herself had helped to make had found a place among the rest.

She glanced back to Edelhardt once more as additional explanation was provided. A chance to browse the creative efforts of her peers, and even give them a gustatory sampling? How lovely! Already, her mouth began to water. Although not generally one for anything overly sweet — she much preferred savoury decadence or refreshing citrus — there had been more than a few treats that had caught her eye during the chaos of the decorating. Already her thoughts had turned to a set of cupcakes she had spied that had been cleverly decorated into the likeness of mini pies, wondering if they tasted just as they had appeared they might.

When the prefect finished, beaming at them with anticipation, Evelynn hung back. Brows slightly furrowed, she glanced around the rest gathered, waiting. What had she meant about a fashion show? Did that mean they were supposed to do something of a show and tell? The notion left the cub with a gnawing sensation in her stomach, feet already inclined to take a step or two back. While her own cupcakes hadn't been anything dreadful, neither had they been anything to marvel at. They were just cute little Easter themed egg nests per Fox's design. She didn't particularly relish the idea of being judged relative to the displays of rare talent demonstrated among the rest of her peers...

On the other hand, she was eager to take a better look at everyone else's designs. A "fashion show" seemed to be the better way to go about that, as well, given that if left to a free for all perusal, she doubted she'd get to see half of them before they were entirely devoured. Part of her wanted to get it over with. To set the tone and fade quietly into the background as the more impressive collections quickly overshadowed her own. That wouldn't be so terrible. Perhaps easier than having to follow up one of their works of art with something entirely sub-par.

Sucking in a steady breath of air, lips pressing together as though to contain the butterflies that had erupted uncomfortably in her belly, she stepped forward.

Word Count: 874 / 800 | Errand Progress: Complete

Alan has gotten an owl delivery in the morning, a beautiful barn owl which he recognized as a school owl. It had a light pattern on its wings that he would have recognized, but he was still surprised by the letter the owl carried and gently freed the owl from the weight of the envelope. Once he unfolded the paper with a surprised frown on his face, he was greeted with an invitation that lured a smile onto his face, features relaxing slightly. He tucked the invite into one of his school books before he continued getting ready for class, his breakfast already consumed. It was some hash browns with a side of fried egg and some sliced tomatoes for some fresh flavor.

Throughout the whole school day Alan had been looking forward to the so called dessert show and he was curious to see the different kind of desserts the students had made. However he arrived with one mission and he would make sure to accomplish it. So once it was actually time, after the classes were done, the third year would make his way towards the great hall where he had been told the show would be happening. He was not disappointed by the sight that greeted him once he had stepped through the big entry doors.

There was candy everywhere, as far as his eyes could see and the scent that wafted through the air, a sweet, delicious smell that forced his mouth to water. This was simply just cruel, would they have to now watch the new professor eat all of the candy in front of their eyes? He really hoped not because he did not want to be tortured in this way. Well he would still go after his mission that he had planned from thee beginning: free Sniffler the Niffler from this awful fate and get him back to Jake, safely if that would be possible at all.

So when Gris announced the twist, he was actually surprised and his eyes widened as he froze within motion. He had been busy scanning the trays of Marzipan to search for the figurine that the young badger had made, he would have to safe it. So when Gris actually said that they could take them and eat them to their heart's content, Alan was glad that he wouldn't have to steal Sniffler but could simply adopt him fair and square. He just couldn't cope with the thought of someone eating something so adorable. Sniffler the Niffler deserved better than that.

Once the Gryffindor prefect was done with her speech the third year would continue with his mission. He would have to be quick in finding the little creature because he was sure that if he was seen by someone other than himself that they surely would just eat the niffler marzipan without any mercy. He just could not allow that to happen!

He was lucky however. He was busy munching on a sweet biscuit when his eyes caught sight of what he had been looking for. Quickly he would shove the cookie he had been munching on into his mouth causing crumbs to fall to the ground beneath his hand as he paid little attention to them at all while he made his way over to the tray in his vision. He would walk past another student before he carefully reached for the small sugar paste sculpture and held it up in front of his face to examine the beauty of the small treat while a accomplished smile sneaked onto his face. He did it, he saved the niffler.

After saving the small thing, he would keep a gentle hold on it, while testing some of the other candy. He did that mainly out of curiosity how they tasted. He was happy that he was able to eat a lot of treats there, but eventually grew bored from the lack off action so he would fill up a napkin with a bunch of cookies for safe keeping and folded it together securely. He was done there for now, in his opinion and gave Gris a lazy wave in case she was looking over to him and made his way towards the exit.

There simply was not much to do here aside from eating candy and while that was cool in itself the third year had already eaten a bunch of them and even packed some that he would be able to eat at a later time, so he really had no more time to waste in his own opinion and could simply leave. He also did not see anyone around that he particularly knew or anything, except for Gris. But it would be rude to bother the host of a party out of boredom because she probably had more important matters to tend to. So unless a friend magically appeared, he decided he would take his leave.

A day after the Decorated Errand
After Lunch Time

Cassie just got out from their History of Magic lesson and about to go to the Great Hall. Upon prior night, they received an owl from the School Ow. On the front face of the said envelope there was their name written on it. When Cassie opened the letter and read through it, their smiling.

They completed forgot about the Decorated Errand they done since they are so busy attend classes and doing assignments, so with new stride and joy they marched into the Great Hall. Upon they set their foot into the Hall, the smell of baked pastry and sweet sugary treats greet their nose. Cassie smile at that.

But when they look around, they only see the students in the Hall. One of them is the Gryffindor Prefect that make this all happened in the first place. When the Gryffindor told that they can eat all the treats to their heart content, Cassie face light up like a Christmas tree. Back home all was counted for. How they should behave, how they should talk to elders.

Cassie remember that their mom sneaked once or twice a sugary sweets when their father was not looking. So when the Gryffindor Prefect said that, Cassie feel like a small child again. A lot of people decorated the cake beautifully and Cassie did not have the heart to eat it. From the stacked of delicacies, they can spied the one that they made.

Ana Fox theme bird nest cupcake stood from the assorted marzipan, mini cakes, sugar cookies, and other shape and color of cupcakes. They also spied someone make a snifflers marzipan shape like. Cassie smile at whomever made that. They have a high skill for it since the snifflers is not big. The detail of the sniffler, Cassie need to applaud it.

Then their stomach grumbled. They forgot to eat breakfast and dinner last night. They usually do that when they so busy catching up with school works. Now since all the decorated delicacies are inviting and mouth watering, Cassie feels like want to eat and take them all but they know how far their body can tolerate something as sweet as all the treats.

It is been so long and they seems can not remembered when was the last time they eat something as simple yet sweet as all what now laid upon their eyes. Cassie walks towards the rows of tables where all the cupcakes, mini cakes and and sugary cookies laid. Examine each of it with excited eyes. Some decorated the marzipan with expertise and some decorated it with their heart.

Which mean they make it cute and Cassie did not have the heart to eat it but still they stomach grumbled some more. Cassie hoping the other participants did not hear their grumbled stomach.
Cassie then decided that they will take some of it that they have the heart to eat it. They take some cupcakes, mini cakes, and sugary cookies.

The blast of the flavors greet their taste bud was to die for. Some of the cupcakes taste like blueberries and lemon, which the flavor Cassie like the most. They also take one of their Oreo's cupcake that they made yesterday. The softness of the Oreo's buttercream for the cupcakes make Cassie want to take all that and left it none for others students.

But when they look at the other cupcakes, they decided to forego their initial plan. They took one of Fox's bird nest cupcake. It was so cute that Cassie just looked at it for several minutes before decided to peel the cupcakes wrapping and eat it carefully. 'She was right. The Italian buttercream is much better than the American buttercream', Cassie thought internally.

Next they took some of the mini cakes and sugary cookies. Some decorated with their house insignia and some just experiment with how the taste will like but Cassie did not mind that. As long as they can eat whatever they want, Cassie is okay with that but even though the Gryffindor Prefect said that, Cassie did not want to spoiled their dinner time that they plan to do so since they did not eat last night.

With that at the back of their mind, Cassie look some more. This time just paid to the detail of the sweet delicacies and admires how hard working their schoolmates dedicated their time to decorated the cupcakes, marzipans, mini cakes and the sugary cookies. They passed one of the Kitchen Staff elf and nodded their head.

The elf nodded back. This time it was not the same elf that hated her or maybe the House elf hated their house they sorted into. Cassie grabs some more of the sweet enjoyments, wrapped it nicely and nodded to the Gryffindor Prefect. With some of the treat in their possession, they walk downward to their Common Room and wait for dinner time to roll in.

Word Count: 821 / 800 | Errand Progress : Complete

Time: after classes
Day: March 13, 2020

What a day Sunday had been!
In the morning, Lydia had met some new friends during the "creating desserts" errand, and after that she had gone to her first Quidditch match ever, and her House had won not only the math, but the Quidditch Cup as well! She had never felt so proud of being an Hufflepuff, and the fact that Aaron had been there with her, cheering Willow up for her amazing performance as the Hufflepuff keeper, had made everything even more special. She had gone to bed that day, feeling like the happiest person on the planet and filled with positive energy, ready to tackle the next week of classes.

On Monday morning, she had woken up feeling quite rested, and she had hopped off her bed with a little jump. It's going to be a great day! she thought as she got ready for breakfast; once she was dressed, Lydia took her school bag and headed down to the Great Hall, sitting down with a couple of friends and chatting about homework and the house cup win. All of a sudden, an owl dropped a little letter in front of her, and the red headed girl looked at it confused: who could have sent it, and was it really for her? She carefully picked it up, and once she had opened it, she got even more confused: it was from Griseldis, the Gryffindor prefect that had organised the errand the day before; she was asking to everyone that had taken part in the errand to go into the Great Hall after class, but didn't explain why. Lydia's curiosity got bigger and bigger, imagining different reasons why they all needed to go back, each one of them filling her with joy and excitement.

The morning passed rather slowly of course, since the red headed girl couldn't wait to see what was going to happen in the Great Hall later in the day. The classes were all incredibly interesting, especially the charms one -Lydia clearly had a preference for the subject, she found it extremely interesting and always so surprising, with all of the spells and theory parts of each lesson- so the first couple of hours should have passed quite quickly, but not this time: the excitement for the afternoon was way too big for her to concentrate properly, her eyes almost obsessing over the watch on her wrist. After Charms she had potions, and there time seemed to pass even slower, but for once, the red headed girl had understood everything about the lesson of the day, so that was definitely a good thing.

After that she had another couple of classes, and the last one before finally being able to go and find out what Gris had planned for them, was Herbology. Lydia really liked the Herbology classes as well, she loved finding out new magical plant species, how to take care of them, how to recognise them and, for the dangerous ones, how to avoid them. She also really liked having the class inside one of the greenhouses, surrounded by plants and their nice smells. Once the class was over, Lydia collected all of her belongings and started walking towards the Great Hall, doing little skips as she walked. When she finally reached it, she joined the group of students that had already gathered, and she recognised Alan from the day before.

Gris' words perked up her curiosity and interest even more, her body almost tense with how much she wanted to know why they were all there; she raised an eyebrow when the Prefect said she had a gift for their hard work, and her mouth fell open at the sight of the house elves pushing charts full of desserts, but not just any desserts: those were the ones that they all had decorated the day before!

Lydia walked closer to the chart, her eyes sparkling with happiness and excitement: the sweets looked so cute and beautiful, everyone had clearly done their best to create them! She started admiring all of them, from the lovely cupcakes decorated with frosting and little beads, to the cute sugar cookies with funny and colourful designs on top, to the so good looking and appetising mini cakes, and of course, to the incredibly sweet marzipan creatures that she herself had helped create. She spotted some of her marzipan fruit with the little eyes on top and smiled, wishing she could snap a picture of them and send it to her family. As she walked around, she decided to try one of the inviting mini cakes, choosing one with a dark chocolate sponge cake, some whipped cream and strawberries on top; it tasted delicious, and Lydia couldn't help the big smile that appeared on her face.

She walked around some more, wishing she had told Aaron to join her: she could have shown him all of those cool desserts, and she could have even given him one of her marzipan fruits! Thinking about that, she walked back to where she had seen them and took the two cherries that were still there, the silly faces on them still incredibly cute. She decided to bring them to Aaron, this was even if he wasn't there, he would have been able to see and taste them.

After chatting with some students, Lydia decided to go back to the Hufflepuff common room and look for her best friend; after all, she had a marzipan dessert to give him.

Word count: 922/800 || Errand Complete
Lydia left the thread.

Serena was pretty surprised to be invited to the great hall randomly. A part of her wondered if she had actually done something wrong. Maybe she was not supposed to decorate those cookies or she messed someone else's up? As she entered, she noticed several other students had gathered too. Blinking, she wondered what was actually happening. Luckily, she did not have to wait long to find out. After everyone had gathered - Serena was one of the later arrivals, as time management was not her forte by any means - the Gryffindor prefect that she had seen at the decoration event was there.

The look on Serena's face was one of confusion, as the prefect explained that they were here to receive a gift of some sort. The large dark wooden doors behind her opened up currently and elves entered quickly, pushing huge carts. Her eyes widened at the sight. There were so many different desserts on the carts, each beautifully decorated. The carts were full of colour and creativity.

Was this meant to be a fashion show for... desserts? It sort of looked just like that. Serena had just took part for fun, not really thinking anything of it - mostly a mixture of boredom and the chance to distract her mind a little. However, it appeared that all of the desserts ended up in some sort of show. Perhaps a dessert show. Everyone's creation was really good - a lot better than her own, in her own opinion.

Serena walked around the carts, eyeing everything up. The Gryffindor Prefect continued to explain that they would actually get to consume the desserts that they created. Her eyes lit up. Honestly, she did not think she could eat them but now, her mouth was beginning to water. The concept of eating cookies, decorated by her seemed really good. They might not look great but she had done her best and that was what was important. Other students had rushed to find their own baking too. Everyone seemed to be rather excited about it. She did not blame them.

Who did not love the idea of feasting on junk food? The hufflepuff was smaller than most of her fellow students but she did her best to look over their shoulders, through the gaps to see onto the carts. She was actually more curious to see what everyone had made, rather than going straight for eating. The badger spotted some cupcakes that were cutely decorated. They looked yum. It took a lot of restraint not to just grab them and stuff them in her face. However, Serena decided that she did not want to eat other people's decorated desserts without their explicit permission. After all, someone went through the effort of creating something, they should be able to decide what happens to it. That was the whole point of the motto: you reap what you sow. In this case, they could reap the chance to eat the hard work that they had already sowed. It was a perfect chance to understand and example that.

She did not really know any of the other students in the room. A few were familiar - a third year boy that she somewhat knew, a hufflepuff girl that she had seen around. But she was not particularly close to any of them, sadly. If she was, she might have offered some of the cookies she had decorated to them. Nonetheless, she took her time looking around, spotting all of the beautiful decorations. Someone was eating a bunny cupcake, another had something that looked like marzipan.

The grin on Serena's face went from end to end. She could not contain her anticipation much longer. Seeing everyone's face light up as they took a bite of their desserts made her even more hungry. The desserts looked mouthwatering. She searched through the carts, until she spotted a pile of her cookies. She had decorated a few of them in various designs of black and yellow - mostly all representative of the house that she was very proud to be a part of.

Picking up her cookies as carefully as she could - to avoid accidentally ruining someone else's hardwork or worse, knocking the whole cart over - Serena stacked them up in her non-dominant left hand. It was easy to stack as they had dried now. She grinned at them before taking the top one in her right hand biting into it suddenly. The anticipation was killing her. But it was worth it. The cookie melted into her mouth with each bite, a look of pure satisfaction fell across her face. It was so blissful.

She devoured the entire cookie within moments. Perhaps far too quickly, in fact. But wasting no time in hesitation or regret, Serena had already grabbed a second one and started to munch onto it. She only had a few left but looking over to the prefect, once she had finished swallowing her cookie, she asked the question that was on her mind, "Hey, would it be okay if I took the ones I made with me to share with some friends?" Serena asked, walking up to Gris. If the answer was yes, she would put them all into a small bag and take them back to the badger den to share with her house mates. If it was no, she would eat another one before leaving the rest for others to eat at their own leisure here.

Once she was done, she grabbed her things and waved at the prefect, "Thanks for organising this! It was fun!" She called out before turning and heading out of the great hall.

Word Count: 946/800 | Completed.
[THREAD LEFT]

If he had been entirely honest, Jack was not all that enthused about returning to the Great Hall at the specified time...only to find that all the participants in Gris' first errand were being awarded by...being allowed to eat the desserts the decorated. This was a disappointment to him for several reasons. One was that part of the reason he had enjoyed decorating so much was the idea that he could have fun doing as he pleased for his creation without having to worry about also eating it later. He wasn't sure who would be eating it, but as long as it wasn't him, he didn't have to concern himself with the sickening amounts of sugar, frosting, and fondant he used in order to give his dessert the aesthetic he wanted.

Now, however, there was the concern that if he didn't finish the food, no one else would and the thing would go to waste. And while he knew he had meant to give his treat to the new Professor Kibitzer in the first place, could she really have been expected to eat all the baked goods the students offered her? After all, due to Gris' previous instructions, how could any of the students have known that there would be anyone else to give their creations to? As far as Jack had been aware, if they hadn't been given to the new professor, they would have gone to waste.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Gris had the audacity to call the whole presentation a fashion show. Jack was sorely tempted to, but managed to refrain from, asking the Gryffindor prefect if she knew what a fashion show, or even just the term 'fashion' entailed. Sure, maybe it could have been applied loosely to their previous errand of 'fashioning' things out of desserts, but for this? All that came to mind for Jack with the words 'fashion show' were sulky supermodels wearing absurd clothing while strutting and down some well-lit walkway. This particular exhibition included nothing of the kind. Even if they wanted to 'show off' their goods, who were they going to show them off to? Not their parents or family. Their peers, perhaps? What would they care? Especially since the only ones allowed to attend this strange dessert exhibition were the ones who had made them in the first place?

'Do you all really think you won't get the chance to eat the desserts you decorated?' Jack bitterly repeated in a mocking voice in his head. Um, yeah? Maybe since you TOLD us we couldn't, we might have...I don't know, actually believed you? Now he was stuck with the dilemma of not knowing whether or not Professor Kibitzer still wanted to eat the desserts she had judged for their contest or not. He thought it would be weird to ask her if he should take it back, but wouldn't it have been weirder to expect her to eat his, Persephone's, and Ruka's desserts? Not to mention the countless others she must have been offered by the various other participating students. Hopefully, Gris had checked beforehand to make sure Kibitzer had a sweet tooth...

Jack grimaced unhappily at his fondant monstrosity - a strange, edible diorama of the island, Neverland. Sure, it might have been brightly-colored and cheerful looking with its rainbow-spouting waterfalls, sparkling lagoons, and various greenery of deciduous, coniferous, and tropical forests. Maybe be an amateur sculptor's standards, it could have been considered a masterpiece. The main problem was that Jack was fairly certain if one wanted to make a dessert that was wonderful to look at, the taste and nutritional value were likely to suffer as a result.

Conversely, if something was made with the focus of taste or health in mind, its appearances were bound to suffer as a result. Had Jack known he would have been told to eat his creation at a later date, he was pretty sure he would have tried to use more actual fruit - painstaking as it might have been to cut the pieces or prepare them for his dessert - and less...highly-saturated frosting. He wouldn't have been surprised if his 'masterpiece' alone could have single-handedly caused someone to have a heart attack.

What good was magic if it couldn't solve problems as basic as this? If there wasn't a spell or something else to make great-tasting things be nutritious, someone should have invented such a thing by then. Not that...Jack thought sugar or frosting was all that great-tasting, especially in such large amounts, but...if amortentia could smell differently according to what someone was most attracted to, why couldn't there be some magical food or ingredient that tasted differently according to what someone most felt like tasting at the time? If it was possible to make such a thing healthy to consume as well, wouldn't it have been in great demand by everyone? Someone could have become very, very rich if they'd been able to invent such an enchantment.

Of course, if in so many thousands of years of magic, no one had yet come up with anything of the like, Jack wasn't sure why they would have been able to now. Perhaps combining muggle science, as Selim had originally had the idea of, was the key to accomplishing what might have otherwise seemed like such impossible tasks even for witches and wizards. Come to think of it, how were spells and potions even created in the first place? Someone had to make them up, right? Perhaps he could grow up to be a spell-inventor one day if there was such a thing. And, if he ever did, one of the first things Jack would make sure he changed was just how very near inedible fondant was due to its extremely high sugar content.

Word Count: 965/800