𝕬 𝕯𝖆𝖗𝖐 𝕷𝖔𝖗𝖉 𝖎𝖘 𝕭𝖔𝖗𝖓 | 𝑇𝑜𝑚 𝑅𝑖𝑑𝑑𝑙𝑒 |

Chapter 13- October Showers Bring Skeleton Flowers

"What are you two blathering on about now?" Tom asked. He acted irritable but was actually curious as to what they could be talking about that might get them into trouble.

"The Test of Courage. It's a challenge for first years that the higher years came up with centuries ago to see if you can really survive at the school. The goal is fairly simple. You just walk down to the dungeons, leave your candle, and walk back. The higher years leave traps and pranks to scare you and your partner." Lyra explained, attempting to integrate herself back into the conversation.

"You should join in the competition too, Tom! Maybe we can be partners." Frankie added. Lyra and Quin's faces both sunk at this prospect. Tom noticed this and smiled.

"I suppose I have nothing better to do."

Potions class started shortly after. Professor Slughorn gave them parchment with the recipe for 'Witch's Brew', a funny joke potion to which he found while perusing a muggle magazine. He'd discovered that when brewed by different witches and wizards, they always achieved different results. Frankie created a dark black potion. It looked like a liquified galaxy that sparkled with speckles that looked like little emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. Meanwhile, Tom had somehow managed to produce a thick golden mixture that spit up golden sparks every other minute or so. The potions were uselessly pretty, but they ultimately thought it was a fun class.

The day went on with Halloween-themed classes. In Herbology, they learned how to grow pumpkins with magic. Apparently, the gamekeeper had a bit of pest trouble this year, so all the Herbology classes' pumpkins would be decorating the Great Hall that evening. History of Magic was more of like a Muggle Studies class as they learned of the muggle's adaption of Halloween from the wizarding world.

                                                 ─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Finally, after the fast and easy round of lessons, it was time for the Halloween feast. The students flooded into the Great Hall, gazing at all the decorations. The cloudy cathedral ceiling was filled with candles and the pumpkins grown by the students. All the pumpkins were different. Some disfigured, contributed by the first years, and some too big or too small. It certainly made the school look a little more unique then it usually was.

"Oh look, Tom. There's mine and there's yours."

Frankie had managed to find him in the crowd shuffling in and was pointing to a spot in the distance. Somehow, she also successfully managed to identify theirs among the hundreds that floated above them. Their pumpkins were a few feet apart and both seemed to have an abnormally bright glow. She had suggested they pour a little of Tom's gold potion and see if anything would happen. The effects might've been magical, or just the glitter of the uselessly pretty potion. Even in pumpkin form he looked unamused and was glaring wickedly down at everyone, while Frankie's looked extremely happy and had a large, even grin.

"Yours looks good, compared to all the others." Tom stated, still staring up at them.

"Thanks!" she smiled. It was one of his best compliments so far. The two were soon separated as the flow of the crowd pushed them in the directions of their own respective house tables.

The feast was full of candy and rich food that Frankie had never even heard of. There was bizarre sounding candy like Acid Pops, Sugar Quills, Cauldron Cakes, Pumpkin Pasties, Treacle Fudge, Chocolate Frogs, Jelly Slugs, and Liquorice Wands. She made sure to try at least a little of everything. Her favorite turned out to be the Crystallised Pineapple. These canary yellow, powdered sugar-coated, gelatinous lumps. The boys in Gryffindor went practically mad on a sugar rush. Frankie was unsure how they were at the other tables, but guys like Rodger Day were chugging down Cauldron Cakes like it was the last time they were ever going to see food. However, it was easy to tell who had been scarfing down candy at the end of the feast. They could hardly even walk they were so sick. Just as Frankie and Daphne were walking out Quin, Monty, and Ethan had to literally grab onto them for balance.