Elysian Potter: The Forgotten Queen.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor do I own the original idea for this story. All rights for the characters go to the magnificent J. K. Rowling and the original idea belongs to CharmedMilliE-Karry Master.
Note: Guys please check out this link: vm.tiktok.com/mdGdav/ A Harry Potter Nerd/Heidi5360 has now FINISHED the Trailer and I would most appreciate everyone checking it out and giving them some love for me. They worked really hard on it and deserve recognition for such an amazing video. Guys please check out TotallyNotWeird/QueenAuthor's Instagram account as she has created a song edit for Elysian Potter that should get some attention.
Elysian's Theme Song: You Should See Me In A Crown, Billie Ellis – Castle, Hasley
Chapter Fifteen: The Death Day Party
October arrived, spreading a damp chill over the grounds and into the castle. Madam Pomfrey, the matron, was kept busy by a sudden spate of colds among the staff and students. Her Pepperup potions worked instantly, though it left the drinker smoking at the ears for several hours afterwards. Ginny Weasley, who had been looking peaky, was bullied into taking some by Percy the prat and the rest of her brothers. The steam pouring from under her vivid hair gave the impression that her whole head was on fire.
She had received another letter from the mysterious T.M.R reading:
Elysian Potter
There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.
To which she responded with:
T.M.R
It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on.
Elysian had spotted the Weasley twins spying on their practice and smirked at them. No one knew that the Slytherins wouldn't be using the Nimbus Two Thousands for the actual game, though Draco had been angered at the idea that they wouldn't. The reason for such deception was simple: Elysian knew that the brooms had one massive flaw; they couldn't go move at their full speed too close to the ground else they risked injury. When Draco's father heard what she had said he quickly agreed and so decided to buy two sets of brooms, one for show and the other for actual games. Flint was angry at first at being unable to use the new faster brooms but immediately saw the logic in what she was doing and nodded along with it. The new brooms they were using were used to low altitudes and it was decided that they would use the Nimbus brooms for their first practice so that the Gryffindor spy – Oliver Wood – would see them and make the strategies accordingly and then in the actual games and private practices they would train with their real brooms and plan counter attacks. It was one of the times everyone was glad Elysian was Queen because she was the only one who had thought of this plan and it was a plan worthy of the Dark Lord himself.
Walking down one of the corridors after practice saw Elysian Potter meeting face to face with Peeves the Poltergeist. The mischievous spirit looked down in the dumps and looked like he was about to cry – if he could – when he noticed the young girl. The ghost tried his best to hide his sorrowful mood but Elysian was quick to stop him and give him a kind smile.
"Are you alright Peeves?" asked Elysian softly.
"What's it to you?" the normally cheerful ghost sniff. "Come to make fun o' me like your brother?"
"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.
"Is that what they believe to be music?" Daphne whispered, her face contorted into an expression of pure displeasure that was quickly discarded once they spotted Nearly Headless Nick – the Gryffindor Ghost – standing beside a very happy Peeves.
"My dear friends," Nick said mournfully, "welcome, welcome ... so pleased you could come..."
He swept off his plumed hat and bowed them inside.
It was an incredible sight. The dungeon was full of hundreds of pearly-white, translucent people, mostly drifting around a crowded dance floor, waltzing to the dreadful, quavering sound of thirty musical saws, played by an orchestra on a black-draped platform. A chandelier overhead blazed midnight-blue with a thousand more black candles. Their breath rose in a mist before them; it was like stepping into a freezer.
"Shall we have a look around?" Elysian suggested, seeing that neither of her friends had had the bright idea to cast the anti-ghost cold charm on themselves as she had.
"Careful not to walk through anyone," said Daphne nervously, and they set off around the edge of the dance floor. They passed a group of gloomy nuns, a ragged man wearing chains, and the Fat Friar, a cheerful Hufflepuff ghost, who was talking to a knight with an arrow sticking out of his forehead. Elysian wasn't surprised to see the Bloody Baron was being given a wide berth by the other ghosts.
Peeves was floating from group to group trying to make a polite conversation with anyone who would listen to him but everyone seemed to ignore him, despite the fact that it was his Death Day Party. Once again Elysian was reminded of herself when everyone came round to visit Harry on their shared birthday. It hurt to have everyone ignore you on your special day and that was something she knew from experience. Perhaps there was more to Peeves than everyone thought.
"Oh no," said Hermione, stopping abruptly. "Turn back, turn back, I don't want to talk to Moaning Myrtle –"
"Who?" asked Daphne, as they backtracked quickly.
"She haunts the girls' toilet on the first floor," said Hermione.
"She haunts a toilet?"
"Yes. It's been out of order all year because she keeps having tantrums and flooding it, it's awful trying to go to the loo with her wailing at you –"
"Is that food?" Daphne said, trying to get the conversation away from that topic.
On the other side of the dungeon was a long table, also covered in black velvet. They approached it eagerly, but next moment had stopped in their tracks, horrified. The spell was quite disgusting. Large rotten fish was laid on handsome silver platters; cakes burned charcoal black, were heaped on salvers; there was a great maggoty haggis, a slab of cheese covered in furry green mould and, in pride of place, an enormous grey cake in the shape of a tombstone, with tar-like icing forming the words,
Johnathan Peeves the Poltergeist of Hogwarts,
Died 30th October 1599
Elysian watched, amazed, as a portly ghost approached the table, crouched low and walked through it, his mouth held wide so that it passed through one of the stinking salmon.
"Can you taste it if you walk through it?" Elysian asked him.
"Almost," said the ghost sadly, and he drifted away.
"I expect they've let it rot to give it a stronger flavour," said Hermione knowledgeably, pinching her nose and leaning closer to look at the putrid haggis.
"Can we move, please? I'm not feeling well," said Daphne.
They barely turned around, however, when a little man swooped suddenly from under the table and came to a halt in mid-air before them.
"Hello Peeves," said Elysian wearing a bright smile.
Unlike the ghosts around them, Peeves was the very reverse of pale and transparent. He was wearing a bright orange party hat, revolving bow-tie and a broad grin on his wide, wicked face. Elysian could see, however, that the grin was fake and that he was hiding his pain at being ignored by his guests and decided to give him a helping hand.
"Nibbles?" he said sweetly, offering them a bowl of peanuts covered in fungus.
"No thanks," said Hermione.
Peeve's glow seemed to fade before brightening again once he thought up an idea.
"Heard you talking about poor Myrtle," said Peeves his eyes dancing. "Rude you was about poor Myrtle." He took a deep breath and bellowed. "OY! MYRTLE!"
"Oh no Peeves, don't tell her what I said, she'll be really upset," Hermione whispered frantically. "I didn't mean it, I don't mind her – er, hello, Myrtle."
The squat ghost of a girl glided over. She had the glummest face Elysian had ever seen, half-hidden behind lank hair and thick, pearly spectacles.
"What?" she asked sulkily.
"How are you, Myrtle?" said Hermione, in a falsely bright voice. "It's nice to see you out of the toilet."
Myrtle Sniffed.
"Miss Granger was just talking about –" said Peeve slyly in Myrtle's ear.
"Just saying – saying – how nice you look tonight," said Hermione, glaring at Peeves.
Myrtle eyed Hermione suspiciously.
"You're making fun of me," she said, silver tears welling rapidly in her small, see-through eyes.
"No -honestly – didn't I just say how nice Myrtle's looking?" said Hermione nudging Daphne and Elysian.
"Oh, year..." Daphne stuttered.
"Don't lie to me," Myrtle gasped, tears now flooding down her face while Peeves chuckled happily over her shoulder. "D'you think I don't know what people call me behind my back? Fat Myrtle! Ugly Myrtle! Miserable, moaning, moping Myrtle!"
"Myrtle," Elysian began drawing both ghost's attention to her, "I believe you look beautiful. I understand it must be hard hearing others make fun of you but I believe you look perfectly lovely. As do you Peeves."
Myrtle looked at her in shock before softening up.
"Thank you Elysian," Myrtle smiled before she floated away.
"Awe!" Peeves cried.
"Peeves," Elysian called, the Death Day boy stopped, "If you want to get someone's attention, please just speak to them normally, we won't ignore you like everyone else, I promise," she smiled at Peeves' shocked face. "Oh, and Happy Death Day."
"Thanks, Lysian," and with that, he disappeared.
The party continued on for over three hours before the three girls left. Peeves had been shocked when Elysian had given him a present – poltergeists could interact with the physical world and so could easily receive presents – which just happened to be something he had wanted for a while. The Weasley twins owed her a favour and so they asked the house-elves about Peeves and they told him that he had always wanted: a snake plushie.
Walking back down the corridor Elysian stopped.
"Elly?" Daphne asked.
"...rip ... tear ... kill ..."
"Elly, what're you –?"
"It's that voice again," Elysian mumbled.
"... so hungry ... for so long..."
"What voice?"
"Like a snake," Elysian answered, "Come on!"
"... I smell blood ... I SMELL BLOOD!"
Immediately Elysian began running with her two friends racing to keep up with her. Elysian didn't even think as she threw herself up the stairs towards the second floor, Daphne and Hermione panting behind her, and continued running until she finally heard the voice disappear.
"Elysian what's going on?" Daphne asked.
Hermione gave a sudden gasp, pointing down the corridor.
"Look!"
Something was shining on the wall ahead. They approached, slowly, squinting through the darkness. Foot-high words had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches.
THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED
ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.
"What's that thing – hanging underneath?" Daphne asked, her voice quavering in fear.
As they edged nearer, Elysian almost slipped over: there was a large puddle of water on the floor. The moment they were close enough they all quickly jumped back with a splash as they realised what exactly hung beneath the writing.
Mrs Norris, the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. She was stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring. For a few seconds, they didn't move. Then Elysian said, "Let's leave now."
"Shouldn't we try to help?" Hermione asked.
"Trust me, Hermione," Elysian soothed. "There's nothing we can do, and we really don't want to be found here."
But it was too late. A rumble, as though of distant thunder, told them that the feast had just ended. From either end of the corridor where they stood came the sound of hundreds of feet climbing the stairs, and the loud, happy talk of well-fed people; next moment, students were crashing into the passage from both ends and the girls had just enough time to hide as Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Lavender Brown ran ahead. They stopped upon seeing the very same sight, but they weren't quick enough. They stood alone, in the middle of the corridor, as silence fell among the mass of students, pressing forward to see the grisly sight.
Then someone shouted through the quiet.
"Enemies of the heir, beware! You'll be next, Blood traitors!"
It was Draco Malfoy. He had pushed to the front of the crowd, his cold eyes alive, his usually bloodless face flushed, as he stared at the hanging immobile cat. Elysian motioned for the girls to follow her and quickly made her way next to Draco, making it appear as if she had just come through the crowd. No one suspected them, and now no one would.