"One, two, three, cake turns into cabbage."
Minerva pointed her wand at a Cauldron Cake and recited the spell. It swiftly changed from a cake covered in green frosting into a fresh cabbage.
All the children were stunned. Minerva calmly withdrew the cabbage—no, her wand—with a stern expression, looking exactly as she did in a Transfiguration classroom.
"Bravo." The cake shop owner applauded Minerva. "Few people still remember that spell, let alone use it so well."
Yet he did not charge a single Knut less. Eight Silver Sickles for one Cauldron Cake was practically robbery; they could have bought a whole pile at Honeydukes.
Pomona paid painfully, then watched Minerva carry the boxed cakes in one hand. In her other hand were chewing gum of various flavors, Licorice Wands, and jelly beans.
"I don't think Albus chews gum and blows bubbles," Pomona said to Minerva. "Just imagine if one popped and stuck to his beard..."
"He doesn't have to blow bubbles," Minerva said to Pomona. "Besides, the students will eat them too."
Pomona looked at the children by the roadside. The bubbles they blew came in all sorts of shapes—rabbits, dogs, even dragons—like little balloons.
"Give me one." Pomona snatched a piece of gum from Minerva's pocket, popped it into her mouth, and chewed before blowing hard.
"Is that an eagle?" Minerva cautiously examined the bubble Pomona had blown. It was so plump that it looked less like an eagle than a Diricawl with its wings spread.
"Why don't you try one too?" Pomona said after biting the bubble open. Minerva shook her head.
"You're so boring," Pomona said. She chewed another piece of gum, this time choosing a lion. But she forgot to spit out the previous gum, and the two somehow merged into a winged lion.
"If you