Lyra vividly remembered the professors' exhibition from the year before, but that did not diminish this second experience of it in the least. In fact, her year of magical baking education informed her enjoyment, allowing her to savor the event all the more.

She watched with all the wonder of the first time as Professor Puff lightly tapped her silver spoon around the edge of the cake, a burst of blue light emerging from the spoon with each tap. At the previous year's welcome feast, Lyra had found the pattern of the Texture headmistress's movements far too intricate to follow. This time, though, it seemed familiar to her. Some extremely advanced version of a Madame Dacquoise spell, perhaps, performed with more than expert precision.

The results were just as remarkable and instant as she remembered. The cake soaked up the bursts of blue magic and grew rapidly, rising from its soggy state to become the lightest, fluffiest three layers any baker could desire.

One of the first-years gasped.

Professor Honeycomb stepped forward. Lyra had seen her use a baking spoon many times, but the Flavor headmistress was not wielding one now. She merely extended her hand over the cake, palm down. Her eyes closed. For several seconds, she simply stood there, most uncharacteristically still and silent.

Then she opened her eyes and gave her wrist a sharp flick.

Green light burst from her hands and encompassed the cake. It sank in far more slowly than the blue Texture magic, as if permeating every crumb with the spell's Flavor-transforming effects.

Marzipan actually squealed. Professor Honeycomb winked at her, then stepped back to make room for Professor Genoise.

With a flourish, Professor Genoise raised his two long silver spoon-wands, one in each hand. He then began waving them over the cake in what Lyra instantly recognized as an elaborate Presentation spell pattern. Possibly one of Madame Patisserie's terrors, or something of equally fiendish difficulty…

But it was hard to contemplate such stressful matters while the Presentation headmaster was at work. The streams of purple light flowing from both spoons wove together in a hypnotically beautiful dance, faster and faster until the cake was completely obscured. Lyra held her breath.

With one more delicate twist, Professor Genoise brought the wands together into a light tap on the purple sphere.

A cloud of sparkling purple smoke erupted, fading quickly to reveal an absolutely gorgeous cake. Its decoration was as pristine and lavish as the disaster cake had been shoddy. The different hues of frosting for each layer were lush and vivid: green on the bottom, blue in the middle, and purple on top. A rich swirl of yellow piping wound around the whole, climbing the cake like a spiral staircase to culminate in a burst of yellow flowers on the top layer.

"Behold!" Professor Genoise spread his arms wide. "A disaster cake transformed into a masterpiece!"

Marzipan's voice was hushed with awe. "You even have all three baking disciplines represented. Green for Flavor, blue for Texture, purple for Presentation!" She paused, casting a shy glance towards the second-year table. "And is the yellow… Enjoyment?"

Aspiring Baker Joconde drew in a sharp breath, but Professor Genoise merely smiled.

"Well spotted, Aspiring Baker Marzipan! Enjoyment does have a part in this cake. But let us not get ahead of ourselves."

"Indeed." Professor Puff cut another piece from the now sparkling cake and passed it around to the first-years. "Have another bite to confirm the spells were effective. Then we will proceed to the next step of the disaster cake journey."

Caramelle's fingers dug into Lyra's arm. "The next step?" Caramelle whispered.

The first-years voiced their hearty approval of the improved cake. Professor Puff then gave the stern mini-lecture Lyra remembered from the previous year, warning the new students not to attempt the high-level spells the professors had just demonstrated.

Lyra barely heard her. She was staring at the yellow decoration on the cake, gleaming in cheerful unawareness of all the havoc it was causing to the baking community.

Professor Honeycomb's voice recalled her attention.

"Excellent!" The Flavor headmistress accepted the empty plate from Marzipan with a bow. "And now, our very own Chef Flax will demonstrate the newest baking discipline. Chef?"

A chorus of delight exploded in Lyra's mind as the giant head chef stepped forward, his booming voice filling the dining hall.

"Now for a little something I learned from Aspiring Baker Lyra Treble last year. Let's have some fun!"

Chef Flax stretched out his hands over the newly enchanted cake.

"This is a chant I developed years ago," he explained. "In my first days as head chef here at the academy. I have said it over every dish I've sent into this dining hall ever since. Never thought anything of it. All bakers have their little superstitions, and this was mine. I didn't think it was affecting the food in any way."

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He glanced over at the second-year table and winked at Lyra.

"That's where Aspiring Baker Treble comes in. She inspired me to think again. To wonder how exactly this old chant had woven itself into the magic of my baking. I've been doing some exciting experiments over the summer break."

Boysen nudged Lyra with his shoulder. She couldn't take her eyes off Chef Flax, but she could feel the patented Berry grin shining on her briefly.

"Lyra also inspired me to set the chant to music." Chef Flax took a deep breath. "Here goes."

He began singing in his rich tenor voice, and Lyra gasped. She recognized the tune. It was her favorite of the Any Weather Bards repertoire, a melody designed to make one feel both grounded and elevated. Chef Flax was singing 'The Joy Song.'

The words, however, were completely new to Lyra.

"Where there is sorrow May you bring cheer Where there is weariness Make our minds clear

Add spice to our labor Sweeten our rest Season each moment With lively new zest"

Chef Flax lowered his hands and looked at the first-years.

"Ready to try another bite?"

"I didn't see any magic," Joconde said immediately. "Your hands didn't move. No light came from them. What's the color supposed to be? Yellow?"

"Theoretically," Chef Flax replied. "But that wasn't an official Enjoyment spell. We don't have any of those yet."

"Then what was the point?" Joconde demanded, her voice rising to an uncomfortably shrill pitch.

Chef Flax merely winked at her. "Taste the cake and see."

"Remember that Enjoyment is a mostly untested field." Professor Puff's calm, quiet voice carried effortlessly throughout the room, including all the older students in the conversation. "We have only just begun our exploration, performing the most rudimentary experiments. Yet, our findings have been consistent thus far."

"Yes indeed," Professor Genoise cut in eagerly. "We believe Enjoyment is quite distinct from the other three baking disciplines. It manifests differently. Even when official spells are developed, there may not be any visible effect."

"No light?" asked a shy-looking first-year boy, startled out of silence by the audacious thought. "Then… how do you know if it worked or not?"

Professor Honeycomb beamed at him. "Just because the effect is invisible doesn't make it any less tangible. Taste the cake, and you'll see."

The first-years passed the plate around once more. Even from several feet away, Lyra could see Marzipan's eyes light up.

"Salts, sugars, and every spice in the cabinet," Marzipan breathed. "That… is… extraordinary."

The quiet boy next to her who had asked about the light nodded enthusiastically. "I'll say. Crumbs. I've never experienced anything like it!"

"Me neither." Marzipan seemed to be searching for words. "It's not… it doesn't taste better, or look better, or feel better."

The boy nodded again, sneaking another bite before passing the plate on. "It just is better. Crumbs. I'd heard about Enjoyment, but I never dreamed…"

"That's it!" The first-year next to him had just finished her bite. She passed the plate along reluctantly, gazing at the cake with longing in her wide eyes. "I just enjoy it more. Sweet and savory…"

The cake received similar responses from the next two first-years in line. Lyra felt the chorus of delight in her mind changing keys with every exclamation of wonder, climbing higher and higher up the scale until she felt slightly giddy. Boysen was vibrating with excitement beside her. Mac leaned around him to give Lyra a hopeful grin. Even Caramelle was smiling quietly.

It's working, she thought. If people can just experience it, they'll understand…

"I don't taste anything different."

The sneering voice of Aspiring Baker Joconde cut across Lyra's thoughts, popping the chorus of delight like an air bubble in overworked ciabatta dough.

Professor Genoise's monocle fell from his eye to dangle, forgotten, from its golden chain. "No difference?"

"None at all." Joconde handed the plate back to him with determined nonchalance. "It's an excellent cake, just like it was before the cook's song. I detected no change in the Flavor, Texture, or Presentation."

"Ah, but that is not where the difference lies," Professor Genoise said eagerly. "As your fellow bakers have said, it is a more fundamental shift. Not in any one element of the cake, but in the overall experience of eating it."

The girl drew herself up to her full diminutive height. "I detected no change in the Flavor, Texture, or Presentation," she repeated. "Those are the only recognized baking elements. Therefore, there is no recognizable difference."

"Oh, stick a fork in it, Chantilly," Mac muttered under his breath.

Boysen poked him. "You know her?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Chantilly Joconde." Mac sighed dolefully. "She's my cousin."

"Salts." Boysen sighed in sympathetic solidarity. "I bet your family reunions are… well-seasoned."

"That's one way of putting it."

"Your cousin, Caramelle's cousin…" Lyra joined in the sighing train. "Baking really is a family affair, isn't it?"

"Except Caramelle's cousin seems decent," Boysen pointed out with a glance at the third-year table. Apprentice Baker Rye Galette caught his eye and gave him a cheery wave, which Boysen returned heartily. "Whereas Fondant's kin over there…"

"Is terrible," Mac said flatly. "I don't know where she gets it. Her parents are all right. They're like mine. Her dad is my mom's brother, and they've always been close. But Chantilly… maybe she's been spending too much time with some of my other extended family. Or she's read too many books about 'baking excellence.' Or…"

"Or she's just a bad apple." Boysen scowled as he watched Chantilly lead the first-years back to their table. "Lyra's right. We'll have to get involved with the first-years this year, if we don't want Joconde to spoil the whole bunch."

Caramelle's glare was surprisingly fierce. "Agreed. Especially with Eclair and Florentine in the mix. Rye will do all he can, but he'll need all our help to counteract that pair's sour taste."

"Well said." Boysen nudged Lyra. "What do you say, Treble? All set to make this year's recipe work, despite an array of toxic ingredients?"

To her own surprise, Lyra smiled. The music in her mind now felt as calm and steady as Professor Puff.

"Oh, I'm ready. But I think the good ingredients outweigh the toxic by far. Marzipan, for example. And that other boy."

She looked at the platform just in time to share a smile with Chef Flax as he wheeled the cake back into the kitchens.

"As Chef told me earlier… if Enjoyment could win over the Puff, we have nothing to worry about."

The Texture headmistress in question was raising her hands for quiet.

"That concludes our demonstration. I trust it has given you all much to ponder." She sent what Lyra thought was a very pointed look in Joconde's direction. "Without further ado, let the welcome feast begin!"

The doors to the kitchen burst open. A series of trays appeared, floating through the air to deposit themselves on each table.

"What is this?" Boysen stared at the laden trays, his whole face alight with a full Berry grin. "Sourdough, baguettes, cheeses… baked brie… Treble! Is that your red bread?"

"You bet your rolling pin it is!" Lyra gave another sigh, this time of pure joy. "It's Chef Flax's tribute to Enjoyment. A 'Smorgasboard of Delights'!"

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