Although Allen agreed quite readily, he actually had no experience turning potions into candies.
But Allen was happy to try.
The reason was simple. All the dishes Allen had cooked so far used only special ingredients as main components—without any side dishes—and all the seasonings were ordinary.
This was actually a flaw that made Allen feel quite dissatisfied.
A truly perfect special dish, in Allen's view, should be composed entirely of magical or special ingredients: from the main ingredient to the side dishes, down to the seasonings. Only then could a dish be considered truly complete.
However, combining multiple magical ingredients in one dish was complicated, expensive, and something Allen had never tried before.
The only similar thing that came to mind was potion-making.
As everyone knew, potions are made from various strange ingredients, and they often have magical effects. In this sense, they were quite similar to the magical dishes Allen created.
Although potions weren't food, the way different magical ingredients were combined to create new effects was something Allen found deeply worth studying.
So before even entering Hogwarts, Allen had already decided—in secret—that potion-making would be his main course of study for the next seven years.
Making candy was a troublesome task, but fortunately, Allen didn't need to make the finished product himself. What he needed to provide was a candy formula that could incorporate the Joy Potion for Hodge.
That made things much easier. Allen didn't even need to go to the kitchen or prepare any physical materials.
All he had to do was taste the Joy Potion Hodge had given him and then use his God's Hand to precisely manipulate and craft the ideal flavor profile for the new candy.
In his room, Allen closed the door, sat down at his desk, and uncorked the bottle of Joy Potion.
The potion gave off a sharp, stimulating aroma. Just a small whiff of it brought a refreshing sensation.
After drinking a little, one would feel a natural surge of happiness both mentally and physically. It could effectively dispel most non-pathological forms of discomfort.
Allen remembered that when he felt nauseated and sick from learning Apparition, Professor McGonagall had once handed him a small vial of this potion.
However, the potion also had side effects.
It was said that drinking too much could make someone burst into uncontrollable singing—or even stranger behavior, like twisting their nose.
Allen looked at the light golden liquid in his hand and took a cautious sip.
A sense of joy washed over him.
He felt as if he were basking in warm sunlight, as if the world had suddenly become lighter, more beautiful… and somehow… musical?
He frowned slightly and opened his eyes.
He did feel like singing. The urge was there—but not uncontrollable. Still, Allen wasn't sure if he could hold it back after a few more sips.
The side effects were definitely stronger than he expected.
Come to think of it, the Joy Potion he'd gotten from Professor McGonagall didn't cause such a strong reaction. He didn't recall wanting to sing at all back then.
After thinking for a while, Allen figured it out.
The potion from Professor McGonagall likely wasn't a standard, commercially available version. It had probably been custom-made by Professor Snape—who called himself the Half-Blood Prince.
Snape was the Potions Master at Hogwarts, and he had apparently improved many potion recipes found in the textbook Advanced Potion-Making.
The Joy Potion was likely one of them.
"But I'm not trying to improve the potion's effects," Allen muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I just want to improve its taste."
A potion like this, when improved by someone like Snape, probably had amazing benefits.
But Allen didn't want to risk using any of Snape's modified formulas.
What if Snape had applied for a patent?
If Allen unknowingly infringed on it, he'd not only land in legal trouble, but he'd also become a personal target of Snape—and that was a fate worse than failure.
Besides, Allen didn't actually know how to improve potions—at least not without seeing Snape's modifications firsthand.
But when it came to taste?
Even if Snape were tied up and forced to cook, Allen was confident the man wouldn't come close to his level.
Just by tasting this small bottle of Joy Potion, Allen had already constructed a mental "taste tower" representing its full flavor profile.
It was a kind of mimetic thinking.
In Allen's mind, the flavor of the Joy Potion was like a crude, unstable building—shapeless and unappealing.
It had a strong magical effect, but no flavor harmony.
His task was to take this shaky tower and reinforce it—rebuild it—using flavor combinations until it stood firm as a taste fortress without any weak points.
"Hard candy," Allen murmured. "That's the best type—it can control the duration of intake."
"In terms of flavor, even without adding any sugar, the Joy Potion already tastes too sweet. I need something to counteract that."
"Lemon is indispensable," he noted, scribbling something onto a blank piece of parchment. "But even lemon alone can't fully neutralize that cloying magical sweetness."
"Then what else?"
He drew columns, rows, and diagrams, listing various ingredients—sour, bitter, spicy, floral, cooling, astringent—and how they might interact with the potion.
"Bitter… cocoa?" Allen hesitated. "No, cocoa might overlap too much with the potion's mood-enhancing effects. Could cause unintended interactions."
"A little chili pepper?" he considered. "Maybe star anise? Cinnamon? Maybe go for a sort of Turkish flavor profile?"
For the rest of the night, Allen kept experimenting—in his mind.
One idea after another was proposed… and eliminated.
He constructed hypothetical taste structures, filled in gaps, balanced components, and then tore it all down again to start from scratch.
The pile of discarded notes and formula sketches grew higher and higher.
Outside, the stars faded, and the first light of dawn crept in through the curtains.
Then—just as the first ray of sunshine touched his face—a new idea struck Allen like lightning.
He froze.
His mind raced.
"Why not use Snape's method—not to improve the potion—but to enhance the candy?"
A wild but brilliant idea began to take shape.
Instead of altering the potion and risking trouble, Allen could adjust the ingredients of the candy itself, improving the delivery system to compensate for the potion's flaws.
In other words: the candy could refine the potion's effects, balance the sweetness, and even moderate the side effects—without touching the potion at all.
By carefully designing the candy matrix, Allen could mask the potion's taste while enhancing the overall experience. He could add buffering ingredients, slow-release agents, and taste modulators—just like Snape might do in a potion, but all within the realm of candy.
He'd use the potion as-is. No changes.
But the candy that carried it? That would be where Allen shined.
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He quickly began jotting down his new plan—starting with the base flavor:Lemon for acidityDried rose petals for aromaA hint of anise for mysteryA touch of Sichuan pepper for a numbing aftertaste to distract from the potion's sweetnessCrushed mint leaves for freshnessAnd just a tiny bit of sea salt to make all the other flavors popThen, structural elements:A hard candy shell to control dosage and allow for slow releaseA core filled with a gel that binds the Joy Potion with stabilizers to reduce the chance of abrupt emotional swingsAnd finally—Allen smiled—the "finishing touch": a dusting of powdered yuzu rind to give it an exotic citrus note. Something unforgettable.
It wouldn't be just a candy.
It would be a culinary spell.
A piece of joy—carefully wrapped in layers of sensory delight.
When he finally put down his quill, Allen looked out the window.
The sun had fully risen, golden light spreading across the castle grounds.
He was tired, yes. But more than that—he was thrilled.
This was what he loved.
Not just cooking—but transforming things.
Making magic taste like something the heart could understand.
And with that, Allen stood up, stretched, and walked out the door—formula in hand.
The Joy Candy was ready to be born.
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