A Birth day

Ruby smiled watching Angus and Sam interacting with the baby sling and caprice she finished dishing up and everyone sat to eat. She chuckled as the fri fell into the sling and Caprice smushed it between her tiny fingers "He's right," she said and finished her food. Hearing Sam mention the differences between conjured food and hand made food Ruby chuckled " I'll do conjured if you want to do prepared." she said to Angus" I think cup cakes there simple to conjure and prepare" she added.

Stepping back from the counter she conjured several pink and blue frosted cup cakes " now we wait for Angus to do his bit." she said

"That's it?" Sam frowned, watching her conjure the cupcakes. "So--they're faster that way, and less mess. Okay. What else?"

"I suggest you wait until Angus makes his batch," Edward said, "and then you should do a blind taste testing and see if you can taste a difference."

"Okay, but a cupcake is a cupcake, right?" Victor asked.

"Well, I think you should wait and see," Edward said, taking Caprice from the sling. He got a washcloth and cleaned up the baby and the mushed fry and then put her down for a nap. Angus made a batch of cupcakes, using the same recipe, but he made his by hand. That was what the boys were used to seeing in this house. Ruby and Angus made food by hand. There was a great deal of care behind it and even a sense of artistry, the need to pick the best ingredients and to make sure all the ingredients were prepared carefully and that it was all cooked to perfection. They actually enjoyed not only watching it but, when they could, they liked being a part of the process. And they loved the smell of the cake baking. The only magic Angus used was a spell to cool the cupcakes quickly. Then he iced them.

Edward set out two cupcakes for each person, set out carefully so that they could all participate in the blind taste testing. He laid out pieces of paper and pencils.

"So, taste the cupcakes and write down which one you like better, A or B. Then we'll open all the votes and see which cupcakes win," Edward said. The boys and Edward and Angus all tasted the cupcakes and cast their votes.

"Okay, Ruby, you do the honors. Open the votes and tell us the winner," Edward said.

Ruby chuckled as Sam said the cupcakes were just that " oh he doesn't know" she said softly watching as Agus made his cupcakes. Sitting waiting she smiled as Edward prepared the boys.

Taking the pieces of paper she chuckled and looked at Angus " seems hand made wins by a landslide, more flavour and consistency" she read out showing the two pieces of paper where they chose Angus's over hers. " and there lies your answer to what the difference is between cunjured and prepared food." she said smiling at them.

"They do taste entirely different," Sam said.

"The conjured ones are so empty of substance," Victor said. "It's like air. A lot like eating a wish."

"I've never heard it put quite like that," Edward said, "but in essence, you're right, Victor. Remember, your magic comes from a place inside yourself, from your will, your intent. So, in a way, you're exactly right. It is someone's wish or intent. And the handmade?"

"It's...normal. It's what cake is supposed to be," he said.

"And that's why I don't make conjured food," Angus said. "It's why Khaat's restaurant, Sparks, never ever makes conjured food. Conjured food is fast, but one of the biggest complaints is that people are still hungry after they eat. You will never get a conjured meal at Khaat's house or Kate's house either one."

"Or this one," Sam said.

"Exactly."

"So, are you supposed to defend conjured food?" Angus answered.

"Supposedly, but it's also supposed to be an opinion paper. I can't do both," Sam said. "I can either try to defend it or I can give my opinion, but since i didn't like the conjured as well. I can't say I like conjured."

"Then, it sounds like you're going to be a rebel and tell the truth and not worry about defending conjuring," Angus said.

"Probably," Sam said. "Sorry, Ruby, but those cupcakes aren't my favorites."

"She knew the outcome when she conjured them," Angus smiled. "I say this experiment was a success."

"So, Dad," Victor said, still thinking. "If you wouldn't have come, how would we have defended ourselves? What if our spells didn't work?"

"You want to learn some more spells?"

"I don't want to feel helpless ever again," Victor said.

"Understood," Angus said. "Come on. Get your wands. Let's go outside." He looked at Edward and Ruby. "Coming? We can bring the baby and sit her basket on the porch. She'll be fine. Or, you could use your sling, Ruby. "There's a pink one Kate made for you in the downstairs closet."

Ruby smiled hearing Sam talk about the cunjured food then nodded " thats exactly right" she said and then with a wave made them disappear leaving only Angus's on the counter. Wiping down the counter she looked up at Angus as he spoke to the boy's Sam in particular" oh that sounds a great idea." she said and smiled as she moved to the closet and took out the sling, placing it on she slipped Caprice into it "well we're ready." she said smiling as she saw Jessie walking with Yu's aid towards them.

"hey guys, um..shouldn't you be in school," Jessie said to Sam and Victor." Yu made him sit down. "sorry, needed some air" he explained as Yu accused him of a glass of water.

"Still feeling weak, huh ?" Ruby asked and Jessie nodded as he took the glass from Yu

"yeah, Yu's helping though, enjoying the warm sun." he smiled at him then looked at Angus and Edward "Thank you for the help in getting that witch and I don't mean the crown I was told you found with the witch," he said sipping the cool water.

"We've got permission for leave," Victor told Jessie for the weekend. "We made Dad promise to bring us home for the weekend the first weekend after the baby was born. We're off til Monday night. The school gave us an extra day because of Suzanne's bullcrap. She's such a loser."

"You're welcome," Angus said. "Last night really rattled them."

"I don't want to ever, ever see her again," Sam said.

"Come on, let's get the training dummy out," Edward said. "You remember where it is in the barn?"

"Yeah," Sam said.

"Well, you two come help me get it," Edward said, taking them to get the dummy to practice their spells on. "Tell him about the mail. He'll enjoy that story."

"They got permission from the headmaster this morning for a longer weekend," Angus told Jessie. "It isn't going to be enough for them to forget last night but being with family will help." Angus told him about the howlers the school sent and then how he had responded with 1500 howlers of his own to make sure that the school got his point. Angus also told him how the boys thought it was hysterical that they thought Angus was going to set the house on fire while he tried to zap the school's howlers. He told him, honestly, about Suzanne's hiring the witch to take the boys from the school and how they had gotten them back and that it was why the boys now never, ever wanted to see Suzanne again. Angus said that Robert had "taken care" of Suzanne but no one was sure what that exactly meant because Robert wasn't talking about it.

The boys and Edward brought the training dummy back, and Edward started working with them on defense spells, teaching them, first, a good shield spell.

"They are very serious now," Angus told Jessie, watching the boys with Edward. "They are determined that Suzanne is never going to take them from us ever again."

Jessie listened to Sam and nodded " I agree Sam trust me I do agree" he said then watched as they headed to fetch the training dummy and set it up. On hearing Angus tell the story of the miriad of howlers Jessie burst out laughing then coughing as Yu made him sip his water " oh thats a good one, they deserved it" he said calming down his breathing.

Ruby watched the boys practicing Protago and nodded to Angus as he spoke to Jessie " I can se that, once they gradualte if Robert agrees we could teach them aresto momentum" he said his eyswatching both boys as he wanted to be up teaching them as well but he knew he could not. Yu on the other hand moved to Victor.
"stand like this and relax" he said showing him how to stand and hold his wand for the spell. Yu cast protego and the barrior formed around him , Victor mimiced his moment and stance and was please when the barrier fomed around him too.

"well done Victor, try again" he sugested " you'l form muscle memory to it and it wil become instinct." he adde glancig back at smiling Jessie.

"Jessie, I want them to learn how to be fierce fighters," Angus said. "I hope they never have to use it, but I do not want them to ever, ever be ill equipped. And, as their brother, I want you to be as big a part of growing them up in that as you want to be. Frankly, I'd appreciate your help, if you want to be a part of teaching them.

"Something you should know is that it seems Suzanne was planning this for some time. Sam told me that their dada professor, since Christmas, has not let them practice any spell casting. She only lectures. We think that it was back then that the witch used polyjuice to impersonate the dada professor and deliberately did not let them practice because she was teaching them bullcrap spells that would have never worked anyway. They've lost four months of learning spells to protect themselves. I will make sure they know as many spells as we can teach them. I don't want them ever being that afraid again. I do not want her to ever touch them again, and she's never ever going to have one single fraction of a second alone with Caprice.

"Last night, Sam and Victor were scared senseless. Today, they're traumatized and angry, and they deserve better. They've only got a few more weeks and then they're home for good. I want them to pass their final exams with flying colors, so I don't care if I have to go get them every single weekend until they graduate so we can teach them what Hogwarts didn't. There's that place where Remus used to take Khaat and Brian camping over at Robert's farm. You could take them camping over there when the weather gets a little warmer maybe, if you want. Whatever it takes."

Jessie looked up at Angus and nodded " oh I'm in agreement and they should know proper spells like bombada" he said glancing back at the boys " but I think I'll leave the training to you guys, right now Im as about useful as a wet paper bag" he said finishing his water and setting the glass down beside him as he listened more and shook his head " she did more than I thought" he said "I think Incendio will be the next spell they should know that or conferring." he said pushing himself to stand and walk over to the dummy.

Taking his wand he cast confingo sending a fireball at the dummy sending it flying back to land on the ground several feet away from them. " that felt good" he admitted smiling.

"Good ideas. That's fine," Angus said. He had given him the option of being a part of the boys' upbringing, and Jessie had passed. It wasn't what Angus was hoping for. He certainly hadn't expected Jessie to train them today, but he wasn't going to bring it up again. He planned now on talking to Robert and Michael and Brian for some additional training in the areas they knew well. He watched Sam try to throw a fireball of his own, and all he got was a little puffball of smoke. Angus went over to him.

"What incantation are you using?" Angus asked. Sam rattled off some cobbled up word that sounded like a cross between a fireball and a smokebomb. "Okay, that isn't it," Angus said.

"That's the word she taught us!" Sam was rattled and upset. "I got a perfect score on the quiz! I swear..."

"Calm down," Angus soothed. "It's alright. "Let's try a different word." He taught Sam Incendio and taught him how to stand and how to fire it. Sam tried it, and when it fired an impressive fireball, Sam was elated.

"I did it! I did it! Its a fireball! A real fireball!" he shrieked.

"Nice job! Well done," Angus said. Sam flung his arms around Angus.

"He's been trying that for weeks," Victor said. "I just gave up on it."

"Don't give up. Just ask for help. If you don't want to ask the school, ask us," Angus said.

"I wanna make lightning like you," Sam told him.

"Okay,' Angus shrugged. He taught him how to cast the lightning spell, and Sam was overjoyed.

"I'm not stupid after all!" he said.

"Wait. Who told you you were stupid?" Angus asked. Sam fell silent now, realizing he'd said something he hadn't meant to say. "Sam," Angus looked at him. "Look at me. Who said you were stupid?"

"Doesn't matter now," Sam tried to play it off.

"No, you tell me," Angus said.

"Suzanne did," Sam said.

"I told you not to believe her," Victor said. "If she loved us, she wouldn't have said it."

"You two look at me," Angus told them firmly. "Neither of you are stupid. You two are the ones that came up with the distraction that allowed us to get you out last night. If you guys hadn't done that, I don't know how it would have all gone."

"We did good? Really?"

"You didn't just do good. You guys were fantastic," Angus said. "Now, let me show you something else. Look here. Look out, Yulong. I'm going to use you for a moment, if you don't mind." He cast an ice spell under Yulong's feet. He had deliberately warned Yulong so that he didn't slip and fall. What Angus was very sure of was that he was not going to let Suzanne ever have contact with the boys again if he could prevent it.

"Nice!" Victor said. "I like that a lot."

"Watch Yulong. I'm sure he can undo it, so watch and learn," Angus said.