It's a trick, Professor Snape immediately knew. It was too simple. Ah, I know. I'll just make both and let the judges decide - and then show up Potter with his lame recipe. That's it. Only…
"Potter! Your recipe calls for greasing the pan. What type of grease do I use?"
Harry stopped grinding ingredients and looked at the man blankly. Oh, right, greasing the pans. "You really don't have to grease the cookie sheets, sir. It says so right there."
"A likely story, which is why you are still an apprentice and I am a master. I will remove any and all blemishes and scorch marks from my cookies, making them truly delicious. Now again, what type of grease do I use?"
"Bear grease."
"Don't be daft, boy. There aren't any bears around here."
"Ah, that's right. My mistake. Then I'd use axle grease. I'll ask the House Elves to get you some since I didn't bring any."
"Hermione, look at what Harry's doing!" Parvati nudged her fellow Gryffindor.
"He's… what is he doing? I thought that processor he brought in was to take care of all the ingredients."
Other students began to watch the apprentice as he pulled out a knife and began slicing a white spherical object. A few minutes later he lit another fire on his portable burners and pulled out a pan and put it on it.
"What's he doing?" another voice asked.
"If I'm not mistaken, he's sautéing some onions," Hermione hypothesized.
"But Veritaserum doesn't use onions," a 7th year Ravenclaw said, skimming his potions text to make sure he was right.
The students weren't the only ones to notice the odd occurrence on the platform.
"Potter! What are you making over there? It is affecting my progress!" hissed an irate professor as he smacked the TodeFode down again to keep it in its buttery goodness.
"Oh, just making something to eat, pops. I skipped lunch today and I'm getting hungry. I'm going to make a patti melt. Want some?"
"You don't have time to make anything else, Potter! Your undivided concentration must be on your potion! Don't you know anything?!"
"Oh, don't worry about me. I'm doing fine. I'm even going to grade a couple of these papers while my potion is simmering. By the way, your biscuit is on fire."
"Gaaahhhhh!" Snape went to put the fire out while Harry went back to his snack.
...
"One minute, gentlemen," Albus commented out loud for all parties. The students watching from the tables below began to show more life. On the platform, Harry lazily stirred his potion with one hand while marking a fellow first year's DADA paper with an Acceptable grade. He looked up at the headmaster and then at his opponent.
To put it mildly, Snape looked like hell warmed over. His hair was down in his face, he sported numerous black smudges on his clothes and cheeks, and his Kiss the Cook apron (provided by Harry as well) had what Harry thought looked like flour, but couldn't quite make out since there were reds, blues, purples, orange, and yellow markings all over it as well. It was as if the man had fallen down several times on a bouquet of flowers.
Seeing that his time was nearly run out, Snape quickly grabbed a towel and opened the oven door, pulling a tray of biscuits out.
They were smoking. Seeing this, he then grabbed the tartan kilt and smacked the biscuits to stop any fire from starting. Hair disarrayed, he grabbed a spatula and began moving the biscuits from the tray onto a plate, carefully moving them so they would not fall apart since they were still a little warm.
While moving the third to last biscuit to the plate, abruptly the last two snickerdoodles on the pan combusted. Without fear, the potions master deftly put the biscuit on the plate and grabbed the tartan kilt again to whack out the fire. Hagrid was right: those kilts were made of some stern stuff. Almost made him regret stunning the muggle woman to get it.
"That's time, gentlemen," Albus announced.
Harry immediately put the paper down and pulled the cauldron off the fire. He then grabbed a bottle out of his rucksack and put it into the potion. Filled, he then took it out and dried the bottle off, quickly pulling a blank label out of the bag. He put it on the bottle and went to write the information on it but the quill refused to work.
Holding the bottle, Harry then reached into the bag to look for another quill. Finding it, he pulled his hands out and quickly write down the name of the potion, the date brewed, the brewer, and the location. He put the bottle down on the table and stepped back.
Snape had moved away from his steaming plates of goodies as well, a victorious smirk on his face. Merlin, but those biscuits of Hagrid's had been tough to make!
Albus, Snappy, and Quirrell approached the two work stations. "Being the younger of the contestants, Mr. Potter's potion will be judged first," Albus declared. The two men and house elf looked at his potion, sniffed it and with a bob of his head, Albus said, "Mr. Potter's potion is indeed odor-less and colorless which are the traits of this potion. All in all, I grade this an Outstanding effort. Snappy?"
"Mees thinks potion outstanding for great young apprentice!"
"I'm n-n-not s-s-sure if ow-ow-outstanding is in order, but it c-c-certainly exceeds expectations," Professor Quirrell stammered, slowly pocketing the potion for later use on an unsuspecting individual (heh-heh-heh).
They went to test Professor Snape's biscuits. He could still win! Potter only got two O's and an E. Three O's and victory was his!
The trio looked at his biscuits, tapped them with wands, sniffed them, even tasted them. Oh, his victory over Potter was a done deal! How he'd make that brat squirm!
Albus cleared his throat and addressed the audience. "After careful consideration and testing, while Professor Snape's biscuits are full of exotic spices, they also contain some toxic levels of mercury and lead. Harry Potter is declared the winner."
Students began to cheer for the apprentice. Hip, hip, hooray!
A grinning Harry winked at his opponent as they shook hands in good sportsmanship.
Draco saw the wink and quickly pulled out his winking reference companion. He had to get the bottom of that winking conspiracy!
Soon enough, enthusiastic students were surrounding the apprentice and congratulating him over and over.
....
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