Elysian Potter: The Forgotten Queen

Chapter Fifteen: The Death Day Party

"My brother?" Elysian asked. "What's he done now?"

"He...he almost got be thrown out of the castle."

"Oh, you poor thing!" Elysian gasped. "I know you can be a handful Peeves but your amazing and shouldn't be thrown out!"

"It seems you're the only Potter that thinks so," Peeves continued to sob, "they all got so upset but I did was mess with boy Potter's hair!"

The poltergeist sobbed covering his eyes with his ghostly hands. Elysian felt the need to wrap her arms around the ghost but knew that wouldn't be possible and so quickly used her Slytherin connection to call the Bloody Baron. Peeves continued to sob as the Baron arrived and glanced towards the young Slytherin Queen.

"Peeves?" the booming voice of the Baron called.

"Mr Baron sir," Peeves sniffed. "I ain't sad, no sir."

"Peeves, come along," the Baron ordered. "Your death day party is soon and we must get ready."

"Okay sir," Peeves sniffed. "Are you gonna come to my party Elysian?"

"Of course."

It was at that moment in time that Elysian realised what Peeves reminded her of: a child. A child who had been neglected when he was alive and was trying to get some attention now that he was dead and who had no idea what he was doing or how to go about it. He reminded Elysian of herself when she was younger, desperately trying to get her parents favour and affection anyway she could but being rejected at every turn by not only her parents but her brother and uncle as well. It made Elysian's heart melt as she watched the poor and dejected spirit float through the wall under the arms of the Bloody Baron.

The moment they left saw Miss Norris appear and brush herself up against Elysian's leg. Looking down, Elysian quickly realised she was covered in mud and immediately used her wand to get rid of it and all of the mud she had tracked it, just in time for Filch to come storming around the corner. The grumpy squib marched towards Elysian, who was petting Miss Norris, and glared at her trying to see if there was anything he could get her in trouble for. Seeing nothing he just grunted and called Miss Norris away leaving Elysian on her own.

"That was strange," Elysian mumbled.

~EP~

"A Death Day Party?" said Hermione keenly, Elysian had changed quickly to tell them about her invite. "I bet there aren't many living people who can say they've been to one of those – it'll be fascinating!"

"Why would anyone want to celebrate the day they died?" said Draco, who was halfway through his Potions homework. "Sounds very depressing to me..."

Elysian couldn't help but chuckle at her friends for their words which caused Daphne, Hermione and Draco to look at her with a raised eyebrow.

"A promise is a promise though," said Elysian with a light laugh. "I did say I'd go to his Death Day Party, though the Baron did say I could invite friends."

"No way!" Draco cried.

"I'll go," Hermione squealed.

"I shall as well," Daphne nodded, her answer more dignified than that of Hermione.

"Well, we still have some time."

So, at seven o'clock, Elysian, Daphne and Hermione walked straight past the doorway to the packed Great Hall, which was glittering invitingly with gold plates and candles, and directed their steps instead towards the dungeons.

The passageway leading to Peeves the Poltergeist's party had been lined with candles too, though the effect was far from cheerful: these were long, thin, jet-black tapers, all burning bright blue, casting a dim, ghostly light even over their own living faces. The temperature dropped with every step they took. As Elysian shivered and drew her robes tightly around herself, she heard what sounded like a thousand fingernails scraping an enormous blackboard.