Harry, Fred, and George were definitely very curious about All Hallows' Eve. After hearing what T'challa, Hestia, and Hawk all had to say about it, they all wanted to participate in the ritual. Especially Harry.
Harry quickly went after Krinos, the twins following him.
"Krinos, wait for me," Harry called after him.
Krinos was still basically being a Disney princess by spreading nature while spinning around and dancing. It reminded Harry of when Krinos had sung him that song in the greenhouse while using his magic. Harry would not be surprised if Krinos once again burst into "What Else Can I Do."
"What is it, Harry," the nature mage asked him.
"Well, for one thing, can you stop spinning and dancing," Harry was half-joking and half-serious. "I'm getting dizzy just from watching you."
Krinos playfully pouted as he stopped dancing around while using his powers.
"You're no fun," he jokingly stated.
Harry looked at Fred and George after Krinos acted like how they usually would if someone interrupted their own fun.
"Have you guys been rubbing off your personalities onto Krinos without me knowing," he raised an eyebrow
They both held their hands up in surrender.
"We didn't do anything to him," Fred said.
"We swear that we didn't, Harry," George says.
"That's just how Krinos is, Harry," Melody giggled as she walked up to join them. "I would say that our parents magically pulled him out of a Disney movie to make him their son, but neither of them had the power to do that."
"It's true," Krinos chuckled. "Our parents were a nature witch and animal wizard, respectfully. So, neither of them had the power to bring a fictional character to life. That's Charlotte's domain."
Harry chuckled, knowing very well that Charlotte was indeed the witch with power over fictional beings. However, that did not make him curious if her powers were just limited to her book of fairy tales or if she could bring any fictional characters to life. He still had a lot to learn when it came to mystic souls.
"So, you seemed to want to ask Krinos something when you came over, Harry," Melody changed the topic of conversation.
"Oh, right," Harry remembered why he had gone after Krinos. "I was wondering if you would actually help me with the ritual."
"You mean the All Hallows' Eve ritual," Krinos asked for clarification.
Harry nodded. "Yes. The old ways are not exactly the most... common thing in magical Britain. In fact, this is the first time I have ever heard about All Hallows' Eve."
"The old ways are becoming more and more forbidden back home," Fred tells the mystic soul twins.
"Headed by those like Dumbledore that see the old ways as evil," George added.
"They see the old ways as dark, so they try and outlaw them as much as possible," Fred said.
"Especially with the All Hallows' Eve ritual since it involved giving a drop of blood and blood magic was outlawed years ago," George says.
"Something that we already know was stupid," Harry stopped Krinos and Melody before they could rant about how stupid that was. "T'challa, Hestia, and Hawk already told us about how some of the strongest healing potions and spells involve the use of blood."
"It's not like we deny that there are some pretty scary things when it comes to All Hallows' Eve," Melody says. "Probably the most common thing that people mistake the ritual for is necromancy."
"What exactly is necromancy," Harry was curious. "T'challa, Hawk, and Hestia brought that up earlier, but did not give much of an explanation."
"Necromancy is one of the blackest of magics in all of the known realms," Krinos says, his face grim. "Necromancy deals with life and death. Specifically, it is about trying to bring back the dead. The most common thing would be trying to reanimate a corpse, but it ends up a zombie or even some type of half-dead and half-alive... thing."
"There is actually something like that we know about," Fred says.
"There are these creatures known as inferi where we come from," George said.
"They are basically living corpses," Fred explained.
"Only those truly evil are able to create them," George added.
"Necromancy is the most forbidden magic in the world," Krinos says. "The laws of life and death are the most sacred laws of magic. To mess with them are the most evil thing that anyone could ever do."
"And some people think the All Hallows' Eve ritual is related to necromancy," Harry asked them.
"Whenever anyone hears how communicating with the dead, they instantly think about necromancy," Melody said. "Quite frankly, it's insulting to the ritual to even think of it being a branch of necromancy when it is meant to reunite loved ones."
"And speaking of that, I would be more than happy to help you with the ritual, Harry," Krinos tells him. "I think out of everyone here, Melody and I can understand you the most when it comes to why you want to do the ritual."
Harry softly smiled at Krinos and Melody. The two of them were in a similar boat to him. All of their parents had been murdered by someone when they were very young. Harry did not want to compare their pain, but he could not help but wonder which of them had it worse. He had not been old enough to remember his parents other than the memory of their deaths that the dementors brought to the surface and things Sirius and Remus had told him. But Krinos and Melody actually were able to remember bits of their parents, yet their parents were murdered by their own sons because they wanted the family title. He was not sure which was worse, remembering or not remembering. All of them suffered greatly because of the deaths of their parents.
"Is the ritual hard," Harry asked them.
"It can be a bit taxing on your magic energy the first time that you use it," Melody explained. "Those that have never done it before usually feel very tired once it is completed because they are not used to the amount of magic needed to transport their soul to limbo."
"It does not affect the rest of us as badly because of how we have been doing the ritual for years," Krinos says. "But, that will not have any effect on your ability to perform the ritual."
"So, I will just be really tired after performing the ritual," Harry guessed.
"That's right, Harry," Melody said. "There are those that say that magic always comes at a price, but the loss of energy is quite a fair price for the gift that the ritual gives us."
"Please do not mention that phrase," Charlotte says as she walks by. "I have had it with Rumpelstiltskin! That little imp annoys me so much!"
She walked away without another word. Harry looked at the mystic soul twins with a raised eyebrow.
"Don't even ask," they both said at the same time.
"Mr.Gardna," the voice of Professor Nightingale called from the entrance of the Main Gallery. "We would like your help in here with the decorations."
"Coming, professor," Krinos replied to her.
"Charlotte probably does have interesting stories, though," Harry says as they walk with Krinos. "I can not even imagine what it would be like to live your life with fairy tales being a part of it."
"We want to know about this Rumpelstiltskin person Charlotte just complained about," Fred says.
"Being purebloods, we do not really know anything about muggle fairy tales," George added.
"Rumpelstiltskin is a fairy tale revolving around an imp-like man that has the power to spin straw into gold," Melody explained. "The main thing about him is that he lives by the 'rule' of how 'all magic comes at a price.' But, the reality is that it is HIS magic that comes at a price."
"His fairy tale is about how he helps a woman who was trapped in a tower by a corrupt king because her father lied about her having the ability to spin straw into gold," Krinos took over the explanation. "The king tells her to spin straw into gold by morning or he would have her killed. During the night, Rumpelstiltskin comes to her and agrees to spin the straw into gold in exchange for her necklace. When the king locks her in another room to get more gold, Rumpelstiltskin returns and spins it again in return for her ring. On the third night, the king locks her in another room and says he will marry her if she spins even more gold by the morning but would kill her if she failed. She did not have anything left by that point, so when Rumpelstiltskin once again appears, he forces her into a deal where he would spin the gold again, but in exchange for her future first-born child."
"Muggle fairy tales are pretty twisted," Fred commented.
"Though, so are the magical fairy tales we grew up with," George shrugged.
"The story continues with how when Rumpelstiltskin returns for her child, the woman pleads with him not to take it," Melody continues. "So, he makes another deal with her. He gives her three days to find his name and if she manages to discover his name, then she can keep her child. She struggled to find his name but got lucky before her time was up. She managed to overhear him playfully singing a song that also included him saying his own name. So, she ended up being able to keep her child."
"Well, at least that is a better ending," Fred says.
"Still very weird, though," George said.
"And if these two say that something is weird, then that really says something," Harry laughed.
"Mundane fairy tales are strange, but they are certainly better than other things mundanes come up with," Krinos stated. "Do not get me started on the number of strange urban legends that I have heard about."
"What are..." the twins were cut off.
"He just said not to get him started," Melody tells them.
The group got into the Main Gallery and they definitely understood why Professor Nightingale had called for Krinos. Despite there being a dozen students as well as a few professors working on the room, it was not even halfway done because of the size of the Gallery. Probably didn't help that none of those working were nature mages like Krinos. So, they had to weave the plant decorations by hand while also having to make sure they stay on the walls.
"I see why I was needed," Krinos said.
"We did not mean to take you away from your other decorating duties, Mr.Gardna," Professor Nightingale tells him. "But, we needed your help to finish the Gallery. It is the most important place in the school that requires decorating given that we have the feast in here."
"I understand, professor, and I do not mind helping," Krinos smiled at his teacher. "Besides, between Lily and the other nature mages, I am sure the rest of the corridors will be decorated in no time. I am more than happy to help here."
"Go right back to being a Disney princess, Krinos," Harry could not help but joke.
"I am ashamed of nothing," Krinos chuckled.
The nature mage then went to help his schoolmates that were working around the Main Gallery. Harry smiled as he saw them all not just welcome his help, but thank him for it while also still trying to do some work themselves. Harry liked Crystal Rose more and more the longer he spent at the school. Unlike how he had been the one dealing with all of the problems at Hogwarts basically on his own, he enjoyed seeing the Crystal Rose students working together. He could not even imagine anyone at Crystal Rose going in alone if they had to deal with a basilisk, a possessed teacher, a horde of dementors, or a dragon.
"So, tell me more about All Hallows'..." Harry was cut off.
"How barbaric," came Hermione's annoying voice.
"And there goes our good moods," the twins say at the same time.
Sure enough, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all walked into the Main Gallery. And from the looks on their faces, they definitely did not agree with what they were seeing. The rest of them knew that they were probably going to have headaches by the time they either leave or they force the Annoying Trio to leave. Harry was already having to stop himself from shocking them with his lightning.
"What do you three want," Melody crosses her arms. "If you haven't noticed, we have an important sabbat to prepare for."
"I already knew you all were monsters, but this proves it," Ron snarled at her. "Practicing dark magic like this."
Melody simply rolled her eyes. "People like you will always be annoying little pests."
"You can't talk to him like that," Ginny shouted at her.
"If he can accuse me of using black magic while also calling me a monster, I can talk to him any way I want," Melody countered. "You have some serious double-standard issues, little girl."
"She does have a point, Ginny," Fred says.
"Ron insulted her first, so she has the right to fight back," George said.
"You have no room to scold her for what she said to Ron when you didn't scold Ron for insulting her," Fred added.
"Melody certainly also has a point given that you have been nothing but annoying every time you try and spread your prejudices against mystic souls," George said.
"How can you side with these fakes over your own siblings," Hermione yelled at the twins.
"Hermione, you really need to give it up on this 'fake' thing," Harry tells her. "You are literally the only person that does not believe in their powers. You do not have to accept their powers, but just give up trying to make everyone else believe it."
Harry really had enough of her superiority complex. She was annoying when he thought she was his friend. But now that she was not his friend, she was probably the most annoying person he has ever met. He already knew that other than Ron and Ginny, no one else in Gryffindor, or in Hogwarts in general, liked her. And he could not blame them.
"At least someone from Britain has common sense," Melody put her elbow on Harry's shoulder, using him as an armrest.
"Oi," Fred and George playfully protested.
"You two would be insulted for being called 'common' and you know it," Harry tells the two of them.
"Point made," the twins shrugged, smirking.
"You are still practicing dark magic," Ron accused Melody.
She rolled her eyes again. "I have a feeling that you three are going to fail the Light & Dark class. It is literally the first lesson that dark does not mean bad and light does not mean good. The grey area of magic is very large, after all."
Harry had to stop himself from bursting into laughter when he saw Hermione go really red at the thought of failing a class. He remembered from when they took their final exam for DADA back in their third year at Hogwarts, one of the things they had to face was a boggart again. And when Hermione took her turn, her boggart was McGonagall telling her that she failed everything.
"All Hallows' Eve and its ritual are not black magic," Harry said, showing he actually understood the difference between black and dark magic. "From what I have heard, it is actually really wonderful."
"You and the rest of you, monsters, are corrupting Harry," Ginny screamed at Melody.
"You people are unbelievable," Melody sighed in annoyance. "I have never met anyone so ignorant and so prejudiced in my entire life."
"We are not ignorant," Hermione protested. "You can not call us that because we know the truth about your dark magic."
"Shut up," yelled another voice.
Looking up, Vallia came floating down from where she had been hanging decorations nearby. And she was definitely not happy.
"For a butterfly girl, she definitely can be scary when she is angry," Harry whispered to Melody.
"Trust me, you have not even begun to see her scary side," Melody tells him.
"I have seriously had it with you prejudiced British people," Vallia yelled at the Annoying Trio. "You come here and instantly start spitting on our culture and our ways without even trying to understand them. You are so biased against who we are and what we do that it blinds you to the truth. One of the main reasons why I am glad I left England when I was a kid."
"You left because there is no place for monsters like you back home," Ron glared at her.
Vallia glared at him even more. "I left because your country is one of the most backwards, awful, heartless, and corrupt places in all of the magical world. Not only is there that ridiculous and stupid blood purity nonsense, but you limit your own magic by putting them into light and dark categories. But what is the worst thing is that you all seem to believe that child abuse does not exist."
"You have no idea what you are talking about," Hermione yelled at her. "Magical Britain is clearly better since we do not practice dark magic."
"All Hallows' Eve and its ritual are not black magic," Melody stated. "It helps us connect to magic while also helping us talk to family members that have passed away. It's about magic and family, not black magic."
"I get to talk to my brother," Vallia said, a sad look on her face mixed with her anger. "That is part of the reason why I know that magical Britain ignores child abuse. I had three older brothers. But our parents were the most controlling people anyone could ever meet. They did not want any of us to do anything on our own since they wanted to control everything we did. They used compulsions and loyalty potions on my brothers to make them do whatever they wanted them to. I was too young for those things to be used on me, but I know they planned to force me into a marriage contract in order to increase our family's status and money through marriage. But my oldest brother was very magically powerful. So, his body eventually was able to break down the potions and spells they used on him. So, they gave him more potions and used more spells on him. Eventually, he overdosed on the potions they gave him. His body couldn't handle it and he died."
"Vallia," Melody rubbed her friend gently on her back to comfort her.
Harry felt his heart break for Vallia. She was normally such a sweet and light-fill person. To see this sad and heartbroken side of her showed that there really are some people that hide their pain behind a smile.
"The ritual allows me to spend time with my brother," Vallia continued. "I get to know him and he gets to know me. The only thing that I regret is that because I am a mystic soul that fled the country, I can not go back to rescue my other two brothers. There is nothing wrong with anything here. It is your horrible country that is the problem."
Vallia then flew away, probably ready to attack the Annoying Trio if she stayed and heard any more of their delusions about mystic souls and their culture.
"I bet her brothers were Slytherins and that is why her parents wanted to control them," Ron grumbled. "They wanted to stop them from being like every other evil Slytherin."
"Are you kidding me," Harry snapped. "Are you seriously kidding me right now! I can not believe that you have the cheer gall to blame her and her brothers for their horrible parents."
"Hey, don't yell at him, Harry," Hermione ordered in her usual bossy tone.
"You people are unbelievable," Harry threw his hands up in an 'I give up' way. "Vallia actually does have a point. Child abuse IS ignored in magical Britain. I know that my own certainly was. It is clear that no one actually cares about the welfare of children over there. It should not matter if someone is light or dark, what Hogwarts house they are in, or what blood status they are. All children deserve to have safe homes to live in."
"As Headmaster Dumbledore said, Harry, your family loves..." Hermione was once again going to just spout Dumbledore's nonsense about the Dursleys.
"I give up," Harry stated. "You three are hopeless. Vallia, wait for me."
He went to go after the butterfly witch, not wanting to be around the Annoying Trio any longer. Fred and George just gave the three annoyed headshakes before they also went after Harry. Melody did not even try to stick around. She went after her brother.
The trio could only leave since it was clear no one was going to be listening to them anymore.