Chapter 13: Halloween
As the year continued on, Draco, Harry, and Luna kept Hermione grounded and made sure she had enough sleep to keep her from going crazy. Although she didn't admit it, she knew that without their help she would have overworked herself terribly, and probably alienated all her friends in the process.
They were all incredibly grateful when the first Hogsmeade trip of the year rolled around. They could all use a break. Harry and Draco, however, both had small worries.
"Luna," said Harry as he walked her to class.
"Yes, Harry?"
"This weekend is the Hogsmeade visit, and I know you're not technically allowed to go..."
Luna cut him off, knowing where he was going with the conversation. "Harry, it's ok. I don't think I want to sneak out. Although I appreciate you offering me that option. I also don't want you to stay behind. I'll be happiest if you go, have a good time, and bring me back some souvenirs." She said the last with a smile, causing Harry to beam at her.
"Luna, you're the best, do you know that?"
"The nargles have mentioned something to that effect..."
"Huh?"
"Oh, um, just an expression my father uses."
"Oh. Well, do you know what you want? As souvenirs, I mean?"
"Not really, just bring me back something good." She gave Harry a quick kiss on the cheek and went into her classroom. Harry stood there stupidly for a moment before racing to Potions so he wouldn't be late.
"Cutting it close there, eh Harry?"
"Shut it, Draco, you don't have to walk anyone to class."
"Neither do you."
"Of course I do! How could I not walk Luna to class?"
"Well, you don't have to, you want to. There's a difference."
"Whatever you say, Dray."
Draco blushed, but held his ground. "Harry, I actually wanted to ask you something." His voice dropped to a whisper as they started preparing their potion ingredients. "I want to ask Mia to go with me to Hogsmeade as a date, but I don't want to leave you on your own..."
"Draco, don't worry. I can hang out with Daphne, Blaise, and Theo. Luna told me to go into town to pick her up some souvenirs. Enjoy your time with Mia, I think you both need it."
"Thanks, mate. I honestly expected a bit more convincing to be required."
"Well, if Luna can be so mature about it, then I certainly can." They finished Potions in relative quiet and Harry hung back to speak with Daphne, Blaise, and Theo. "Hi you three. Listen, Mia and Draco are spending the day in Hogsmeade together. I was wondering if I could spend the day with the three of you?"
The three friends looked at each other, stunned. They were Harry's first choice after his best friends? They didn't realize they ranked so high in his eyes. "Sure, Harry, that'd be great. I'm really looking forward to our first visit, aren't you?"
Harry decided to ignore the fact that he'd been a few times already. "Definitely, Daphne. And I want to pick up a few things for Luna."
"Great, so we can leave from breakfast together."
"Sounds good."
That night, Draco pulled Hermione to the side before they went to bed. "Mia, would you go to Hogsmeade with me?"
"I thought we were all going, Dray."
"No, I mean as a date."
"Oh." Hermione blushed lightly. "I'd love to, Draco. It should be great. Um..."
Draco anticipated her question. "I already talked to Harry; he's going to be spending time with Daphne, Blaise, and Theo."
Hermione hugged him tightly and gave him a light kiss. "You're the best, Dray. I'm really looking forward to this visit."
Harry woke early on Saturday, anticipating his first legitimate Hogsmeade visit. Knowing he was too excited to go back to sleep, he rose and got ready for the day, deciding to catch an early breakfast. He was quickly joined by the other boys, and when he got down to breakfast, most of the third years were at the tables. He had received an owl a couple of days earlier with a permission slip signed by his 'aunt and uncle'. His father had personally visited them and had them sign the form, removing the visit from their mind afterwards, of course.
"Good morning, Harry."
"Luna! Hi! So, what were you planning on doing today?"
"Well, I have homework to work on, I think I'll keep busy in the common room. Make sure you bring me back something good."
Harry saw the twinkle in her eyes and smiled. "I wouldn't dream of anything less. Only the best for my Luna." He saw the bit of shock in her eyes and realized just what he had said. Not wanting to make the moment awkward, he offered her the plate of bacon in front of him, which she took.
At precisely 9:00, Professor McGonagall stood and cleared her throat. "The gates have been opened for your visit to Hogsmeade. Third years, please present your permission slips to Mr. Filch before leaving. As ever, we expect your behavior to reflect well on Hogwarts. This trip is an extension of your school privileges and all rules and regulations from Hogwarts extend to Hogsmeade as well. Enjoy your day."
Almost as one the third years stood and headed for the doors of the Great Hall. "Bye Luna. I promise I'll find you something awesome."
"Have fun, Harry." Luna gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek then Harry made his way over to Daphne, Blaise, and Theo with a sappy grin on his face. He shook himself out of his stupor as the three friends started laughing.
"Shut it, you three. Um, do you have any plans for today?"
They slowly made their way through the line as Mr. Filch checked each and every permission slip for validity. "I'd like to see Honeydukes."
"Yeah, we definitely have to go to that. I want to go to Zonkos."
"I need to go to Scrivenshaft's for a couple of new quills."
"Aww, Daph, you're no fun."
"Excuse me, Blaise. I'm taking advantage of the shopping opportunity to get things I need. I'd rather like to see the Three Broomsticks afterward for a Butterbeer."
"Sounds great, you three." Harry paused to hand Mr. Filch his permission slip. Mr. Filch spent a full five minutes examining it. Harry knew he would love to find a reason for Harry to not be allowed to go. With a scowl and a sigh he checked the box next to Harry's name and waved him on.
Grinning, the group of four headed outside and started down the path to Hogsmeade. "I also need to stop by Potion Perfection."
"What for, Harry?"
"I need to get the potions for the blood magic test. Hermione suggested that this would be the best time, as they'll most likely need to be ordered and we want to test the Muggles during Christmas holidays."
"How many are you buying?"
"Fifty. I think that's enough to get a decent test group. We can always get more later if we aren't satisfied with our results. But, if we're right, nearly all of the Muggles should have some kind of magical core, just some will be stronger than others."
"It sounds interesting, I can't wait to see what the results will be." Harry smiled at Blaise. He knew that these three and their families didn't really buy in to the whole blood purity thing, but, as Purebloods, they didn't really have a choice but to act it or be ostracized.
"Well, enough of that talk, we're here to have fun!" Harry laughed at Theo's statement, but had to agree with him. They hit Honeydukes first. Harry was once again amazed at the variety. Seeing his classmates' reactions made it even better.
"This place is AMAZING!" Blaise sure didn't hold back. They started around the shop, and Harry wondered how he would ever be able to choose a gift for Luna. What could he possibly get her? As they continued around the shop, Daphne picked up a sugar quill, Blaise grabbed several boxes of Chocolate Frogs and Fizzing Whizzbees, and Theo decided on Liquorice Wands and Crystallized Pineapple. Harry was feeling particularly discouraged by the time they reached the sweets for "Unusual Tastes". He certainly wouldn't be getting Luna blood-flavored lollipops or Cockroach Clusters.
Slightly disheartened, he'd decided not to get anything from Honeydukes and just pick something up from Zonkos. He followed the other three up to the desk to pay for their purchases. At the front of the line, he spotted a perfect gift. It was a collection of one of everything sold in the store. Luna could enjoy the box, then let him know what she liked best for next time. It was perfect!
Grinning madly, Harry purchased the Deluxe Sample Box and shrunk it to fit in his pocket.
"What's next?" asked Daphne.
"Well, Potion Perfection is next door, then Zonko's, and I think Scrivenshaft's is two stores down from that, so we might as well go in order, then we can go to the Three Broomsticks."
His friends stared at him suspiciously. "How do you know that?"
"I looked at a map of Hogsmeade with Luna when we were trying to decide where I wanted to go." Harry hoped he sounded convincing. He must have at least sounded convincing enough, as his friends decided not to push it. With a quick nod, they left Honeydukes and walked next door.
Potion Perfection was empty when they walked in. Obviously students didn't shop for potions. A man suddenly appeared behind the counter. "How may I be of service...Oh..." His smile dropped as he surveyed the four students. "I'm sorry, I don't stock joke potions. Zonko's has a small supply of them."
Harry tried not to laugh. The poor man obviously had poor experiences with Hogwarts students. "I'm not interested in joke potions, Sir," said Harry, approaching the counter. "I need to order fifty blood magic test potions."
"Fifty? As in five-zero?"
"Yes, Sir."
"What on Earth do you need fifty..." The man cleared his throat and shook his head. "Forgive me, it is not my business. Fifty blood magic test potions is a large order. I won't be able to fill it until the end of November."
"That soon? I'm impressed. How long do they keep? I need them for the Christmas Holidays."
"I can place a stasis charm on them. They will keep indefinitely until the stasis charm is removed, after which they will need to be used within two weeks."
"Excellent. Please have them delivered to Malfoy Manor."
"Very well, would you like to pay in coins or by Gringotts draft?"
"Draft, please. How much will it be?"
"750 Galleons."
"Very well." Harry took the Gringotts draft parchment the man had placed on the counter and filled in the information for the Potter vault. Pretending to be a Potter definitely had its advantages. With the order placed, the group of students left the store, leaving behind a very happy store clerk.
"So, Zonko's next."
"Yes, I've wanted to visit Zonko's since I started at Hogwarts!"
"What's so special about a joke shop?" The boys stared at Daphne in shock. "What?"
"Please tell us you're joking."
"No, I'm not." Daphne rolled her eyes as the boys looked pained. "Come on, let's just go." They all filed into Zonko's, albeit Daphne a bit reluctantly.
Harry found much to interest him at Zonko's and bought himself Dungbombs, a quill that would only write insults, a parchment that would insult anyone who read it, and a nose-biting teacup. Unsure exactly what Luna would want, and somewhat disappointed to find they didn't have a sample box, Harry bought a screaming yo-yo, a self-spelling quill, a nose-biting teacup, and a "bag of tricks" which supposedly contained many spells that could be used to play tricks on friends and enemies.
Blaise and Theo emerged with bulging bags, but Daphne had only purchased a self-spelling quill. "Do you still need to go to Scrivenshaft's, Daphne? You've already bought two quills."
"Yes, I do. I bought a sugar quill that will only last me a few days, and the self-spelling quill is sure to lose its charm within a few months. I need a regular quill I can count on." And so, they all headed off to Scrivenshaft's and spent about ten minutes looking around inside before Daphne found a lovely eagle feather quill that had been dyed green.
As they left the shop, their grumbling stomachs guaranteed they went to the Three Broomsticks. It was extremely crowded, noisy, warm, and smoky. A curvy sort of woman with a pretty face was serving a bunch of rowdy warlocks up at the bar. The four friends pushed their way through the crowd up to the bar, where they each ordered a Butterbeer and a sandwich.
They worked their way through the crowd once more, finally finding a small table between a window and the fireplace. They raised their bottles in a toast to fun and took a long swig. Harry thought it was the most delicious thing he'd ever tasted and seemed to heat every bit of him from the inside.
While they ate, they decided to walk around the village and see the other shops before heading back to Hogwarts for the feast. They ate quickly, eager to see the other stores and (in Harry's case) wanting to keep up with his friends.
As they left, they just walked down one side of the street, crossing to the other side if they saw an interesting shop. They passed Gladrags and Dogweed and Deathcap. They stopped in at the Post Office to see the various types of owls. Daphne pulled them into Tomes and Scrolls to see if the next book in her favorite fiction series was available yet (it wasn't), and Theo made sure they stopped at Dervish and Banges, although he didn't find anything worth buying.
They even made sure to take a good look at the Shrieking Shack (from a respectful distance, of course) before finally heading back to Hogwarts. The walk back seemed longer than their walk down had been, mostly likely because they were growing tired. Once they reached the school gates, they wished that the carriages only seen at the beginning of term were available during Hogsmeade visits.
It was a very tired group of students who finally made it to their common room. Harry continued on to his dormitory to divest himself of his outdoor apparel before returning to the common room with his gifts for Luna fully enlarged.
Coincidentally, Luna chose that moment to return to the common room from the library. "Hi, Harry, did you have a good time?"
"Yeah, it was great. I brought you stuff." He held out the sample box with the purchases from Zonko's balanced on top.
Luna's eyes widened. "Goodness, Harry, thank you. I was just wanting a bit of candy."
"Oh, er, well, if you don't like it..." He suddenly felt uncomfortable.
"No, it's great, I just...well, you didn't have to...and...thanks!"
"You're welcome, Luna." Luna went up to her dormitory to put away her gifts then came back down to give Harry a hug.
"You know, we should probably get going to the feast, it's almost seven."
"Oh, right." Harry followed along behind her as she led him up the stairs, and out of the dungeon.
Harry was just as taken aback by the Great Hall as he had been the previous two years. It had been decorated with hundreds and hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of fluttering live bats, and many flaming orange streamers, which were swimming lazily across the stormy ceiling like brilliant watersnakes. Harry noted with disgust that Dumbledore's robes matched the streamers, and perhaps even outdid them a bit. Where that man got his clothes, he'd never know.
The food was delicious, especially after the long day of walking around Hogsmeade. Harry helped himself to seconds of everything, including dessert. The entire table was eating so much that one of the older students had charmed them to slowly rotate, stopping when someone took a plate for themselves.
The feast finished with an entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts. They popped out of the walls and tables to do a bit of formation gliding. Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington (better known to the Slytherins as Sir Whiney) had a great success with reenactment of his own botched beheading.
When the feast was officially declared over (well after 10), Harry joined his tired friends to walk back to the Slytherin dormitories. Luna walked alongside him, thanking him once more for her gifts.
"I really didn't expect so much, Harry. I thought you might bring me back a Sugar Quill."
"Well, I did, actually."
"Yes, along with a sample of every other sweet from Honeydukes, a screaming yo-yo, a self-spelling quill, a nose-biting teacup, and the "bag of tricks". Thank you, Harry."
"You're welcome, Luna. Truly, it's the least I could do." Luna gave Harry a hug before sleepily heading off to the girl's dormitory. Harry watched her go, then followed the stream of sleepy boys heading to their respective dormitories.
"I'm always so tired after a feast," complained Draco.
"Then don't eat so much!"
"Ha, ha, you're so funny, Greg." They all changed for bed and slid under their sheets, most of them falling asleep very quickly.
Minutes later, or so it seemed to Harry, they were being woken by Professor Snape's loud voice. "Slytherin house, wake up! All students are to put on dressing gowns and report to the common room immediately! Bring your wands. Again, put on dressing gowns and report to the common room immediately with your wands." Somewhat scared, Harry did as requested, making sure to put on slippers as well.
When they reached the common room, there was a jumble of clothing. Some students (mostly the older years) obviously had not gone to bed yet and were still dressed. Most of the younger years were in dressing gowns, some rubbing their eyes sleepily.
"There has been an attack on the Gryffindor common room by Sirius Black. No students were injured, but the castle must be searched. Follow me to the Great Hall. I want you all in a group; younger years to the center, Prefects on the outer edges. Now, come along, quickly!"
They bunched together, with the first years huddled together in the center looking fearful. Harry couldn't believe Sirius Black was here. Why was he at Hogwarts? What did he want?
As they were going up the stairs, they were joined by the Hufflepuffs, who Harry had never seen looking so determined. The Ravenclaws were descending the main staircase as the other two houses passed through the Entrance Hall. When they entered the Great Hall, they saw that the Gryffindors were already there, and none of them were in their pajamas. Harry wondered why none of them had gone to bed.
His musings were cut short when the Headmaster called for silence. "The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," he said, as Professors McGonagall and Flitwick closed all doors into the hall. "I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the Prefects to stand guard over the entrances to the hall, and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge. Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately. Word can be sent with one of the ghosts." The Headmaster turned, as though to leave, then paused. "Oh, yes, you'll be needing..."
One casual wave of his wand and the long tables flew to the edges of the hall and stood themselves against the walls; another wave, and the floor was covered with hundreds of squishy purple sleeping bags.
"Sleep well," said Professor Dumbledore, closing the door behind him. The hall immediately began to buzz excitedly. Harry saw Neville making his way over to them slowly. He kept glancing around, as though wanting to make sure no one noticed him. When he reached the group of four friends, he stood with his head down and took a deep breath.
"Harry, I am truly sorry for the way I've been behaving. You've helped me greatly in the past, and I've been an idiot. I would like to try starting over, if that is alright with you?"
Harry looked to his friends, who all nodded, even Draco. "Well, we can try, Neville, but you'll have to prove you're worthy of our trust. It may be a long process."
"I understand. It's more than I deserve."
Before they could say any more, the elder Weasley created a bang with his wand. "Everyone into their sleeping bags!" he shouted. "Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"
Neville joined Harry and his friends in pulling their sleeping bags off to the side. "Well, I'm not sleeping in something purple!" With a wave of his wand, Draco made his sleeping bag a dark forest green. Hermione mimicked him and made her bag green with silver trim. She repeated the charm for Luna, who hadn't learned the spell yet. Harry decided to make his sleeping bag green with a silver snake.
"Nice one, Harry." Neville climbed into his still purple sleeping bag.
"Thanks. Why are you keeping yours purple?"
"Oh, er, well, I don't mind it much." Realizing what the problem was, Hermione sighed and waved her wand, making his sleeping bag gold with red trim. It was slightly less offensive than a bright red bag. "Thanks, Hermione."
"You're welcome, Neville. So, tell us, what happened?"
"The portrait of the Fat Lady guarding the Gryffindor common room was slashed to ribbons because she would let Black in without a password."
"Oh, dear, is she alright?" asked Luna, worried.
"Yes, she escaped when he pulled the knife. Her gown got a little cut though."
"But she's a portrait, how is that possible?"
"Harry," sighed Hermione. "Like regular portraits, anything that happens to the canvas, happens to the object or person depicted. But, because these are magical portraits, if something terrible happens, like, say the neck gets sliced, it can destroy the magic of the portrait and "kill" the person or animal portrayed."
"Oh, wow, I'm glad she's ok, then. But why do you think Black went to Gryffindor? What's there?"
"I don't know, Draco. The only reason I can think of for him to be here is that he's after me, but I'm not in Gryffindor, and I don't know why he'd think I would be."
"Maybe because of your parents, Harry." Harry almost reminded Neville his parents were in Slytherin. It was easy to forget that not everyone knew the truth about him, especially in circumstances like this.
"How do you think Black got in?" Harry gave Luna a thankful glance for changing the subject.
"I don't know, Luna. There are so many enchantments on this castle. You can't Apparate in at all, or use much of any form of stealth. The Dementors can see through invisibility cloaks and can see past disguises. The wards around the perimeter would have prevented him from flying in, and the Forbidden Forest is too dangerous to just walk through."
"Well, no one has ever escaped Azkaban before," said Draco, matter-of-factly.
Before Hermione could respond to that, Percy Weasley was shouting at them all again. "The lights are going out now! I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!" The candles went out at once. The only light now came from the silvery ghosts, who were drifting about talking seriously to the Prefects, and the enchanted ceiling, which, like the sky outside, was scattered with stars. What with that, and the whispering that still filled the hall, Harry felt as though he were sleeping outdoors in a light wind.
"I hate that pompous arse!"
"Draco, language!"
"Sorry, Mia."
"Ronald and Ginny aren't much better. For a so-called light family, they spew the worst nonsense," grumbled Neville
"I know. I can't help feeling as though they're always plotting against me because I didn't join Gryffindor."
"I can keep an eye on them if you like."
"That would be great, Neville, I'd appreciate it."
"No problem." They talked of random things, mostly trying to keep their mind off of Sirius Black for quite a while, as the excitement meant none of them felt remotely tired anymore.
Around three in the morning, when many students had finally fallen asleep, the Headmaster came in. Harry pointed him out to his friends as he saw him looking around, then come in their direction. He was obviously looking to speak to Percy, who had been prowling between the sleeping bags, telling people off for talking. He was currently only a short way away from Harry and his friends who all pretended to be asleep as the Headmaster drew near.
"Any sign of him, Professor?" asked Weasley in a whisper.
"No. All well here?"
"Everything under control, sir."
"Good. There's no point in moving them all now. I've found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole. You'll be able to move them back in tomorrow."
"And the Fat Lady, Sir?"
"Doing as well as can be expected. She's still distressed, but once she's calmed down I'll have Mr. Filch restore her." Harry heard the door of the hall creak open again and more footsteps.
"Headmaster?" It was Professor Snape. "The whole of the third floor has been searched. He's not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there either."
"What about the Astronomy tower? Sybil's room? The Owlery?"
"All searched..."
"Very well, Severus. I didn't really expect Black to linger."
"Have you any theory as to how he got in, Headmaster?" asked Weasley.
"Many, Percy, each of them as unlikely as the next."
"You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just before – ah – the start of term?" asked Professor Snape. The words were barely even a whisper, and Harry had to strain to hear them.
"I do, Severus," said Dumbledore, and there was something like warning in his voice.
"It seems – almost impossible – that Black could have entered the school without inside help. I did express my concerns when you appointed –"
"I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it," said Dumbledore, and his tone made it so clear that the subject was closed that Professor Snape didn't reply. "I must go down to the Dementors. I said I would inform them when our search was complete."
"Didn't they want to help, Sir?" asked Weasley.
"Oh yes," said Dumbledore coldly. "But I'm afraid no Dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am Headmaster." Harry kept his eyes closed as he listened to the footsteps leave, then his eyes flashed open.
He found himself staring into the eyes of his friends. He could only think of one thing. "LUPIN!" he mouthed.