long way to heaven || marauder ff

14- halloween blues

In the common room they were met with the overexcited faces of all kinds of Gryffindor students, all of them hurrying down to breakfast in order not to miss the long-awaited Halloween prank. First years were anxiously clutching their books, having heard all kind of stories about the horrors and fun that this certain tradition brought along, while sixth- and seventh years joked around eagerly.

Upon leaving the common room. Elaine and Luana were joined by Alice Fortescue as well as Emmeline Vance, two of the other Gryffindors in their year. As Alice and Lily were good friends, Elaine had met the quirky Brunette multiple times, but she was only now introduced to the two-legged goddess that was Emmeline Vance.

"You must be Elaine, the girl that nobody seems to be able to shut up about", Emmeline greeted the French, a small smile on her face suggesting no malice to her words.

"What can I say, I just love being the center of attention", Elaine answered, smiling back at the tall girl. "Oh, believe me, I've noticed. A boyfriend in the matter of a month? Usually, people leave this kind of stuff to me". Emmeline's statement was accompanied by a small hair-flip, that Elaine couldn't quite figure to be ironic or serious.

"Vance, can you please for once drop the attitude? Otherwise, Elaine will think of you as the bitch you are", Luana exclaimed from next to the two girls, throwing her hands up in the air. "Sorry darling, you'll have to deal with it", the dark-haired girl shrugged nonchalantly, checking out her reflection in a nearby window.

The conversation only went slowly from there, as Alice and Luana talked about Muggle Studies, a subject neither Emmeline nor Elaine had elected.

The weird atmosphere was finally lifted as the four Gryffindors entered the Great Hall, an entrance upon which they were met with the anxious gawps of several students that were piercing the door with their stares.

"What are they waiting for?", Alice muttered quietly, shrinking away under the sudden attention. "The Marauders, probably", Luana shrugged, finding her way to the group's usual seats down the Gryffindor table. "Don't stand in the way too long or you will be the first victim", she added thoughtfully, already piling up on food.

Taking the advice to heart, Elaine sat down opposite of her friend, next to where Lily was deep in conversation with Frank Longbottom, a Gryffindor seventh year, who, upon seeing Alice, turned a bright red and nearly choked himself on the piece of toast he was previously eating.

Why were there so many people pining after each other?, Elaine thought to herself.

Suddenly, a silence erupted in the Hall, as the curtains of all windows flew shut at once. The whole student body was left in complete darkness, with nobody able to see their neighbor. It wasn't until people around Elaine began murmuring 'Lumos', that she realized no magic appeared to be working against the darkness.

"Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs, Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers, excuse the disruption and wish every inhabitant of Hogwarts a wonderfully spooky Halloween", a sudden voice exclaimed, magnified by the structure of the Hall, coming out of nowhere. "We excuse any negative side-effects caused by this day and wish for you to have a healthy heart as well as lungs. May the festivities be bright and glory!"

As soon as the amplified voice of James Potter quieted down, the doors of the Great Hall flew open in a whisk, only to immediately be entered by a hoard of ghosts, ghouls, skeletons, stone knights as well as zombies and hell hounds. The creatures cried out in anguish as they pranced on House tables, threw around food and lifted up students.

Elaine soon found herself wedged between a massive troll trying to body-slam the table as well as a hell hound that seemed to have a stack of pancakes in his mind as he jumped over students and cutlery. Somewhere next to her, the French could make out the yells of the teachers, as Professor McGonagall was trying to defend her hat from a particularly nasty zombie that was dead-set on eating it, while Flitwick had been picked up by a massive knight that was now inspecting the small wizard incredulously.