A/N: Hey everyone! Don't worry, I will not be abandoning The Road to Redemption. This is just a fun idea I've had for a while, so I thought I'd put it out there. You don't need to be a huge Harry Potter fan to enjoy this! This chapter focuses on Donna and Eric, but never fear, the third as well as the fifth/final chapter are JH centric! They do appear in all five chapters though! I'm so excited about this so PLEASE REVIEW!! Here is Chapter one of What a Long, Strange Trip it's Been at Hogwarts! Enjoy!
Chapter 1: The Redheaded Ravenclaw and the Nerdy Gryffindor
Commencement. What a word. It marks the end of something and the beginning of something else. Life is filled with commencements. Just ask the gang of misfits about to leave the school that had made them into the witches and wizards they are today. They have all grown and changed over the seven years they called Hogwarts castle their home. More importantly, they found each other. Now they find themselves at a loss, trying to find one quote to sum up their stay at their beloved school.
"I still say we go with 'I love Jackie Burkhart'." The tiny cheerleader inserted for about the hundredth time.
The gang groaned in unison "For the last time Jackie, we are not using that as our quote!" The taller girl spoke with finality.
"Yeah the yearbook quote is supposed to be about all of us, not just you." The skinny boy agreed with his girlfriend.
Jackie huffed "Whatever. You guys are just jealous that everyone loves me, and all you guys are, are lumberjack and a lollipop."
"Whatever, Voldemort." Eric snapped back
"Wait a second. Jackie are you saying you wish to lick Eric?" Fez asked in excitement.
She scrunched up her nose "What?"
"You called him a lollipop. You must want to lick him." Fez's mind began to wander dreamily.
"That's enough. If Jackie's licking anyone here, it's me." Hyde smirked as he pulled his girlfriend toward him, placing a heated kiss upon her lips.
Kelso looked over at his curly haired girlfriend with a grin "Baby, you want to give me a little lick?"
She rolled her eyes and shook her head in annoyance "Honestly Michael."
Donna grimaced "Okay. Enough of the licking talk. We need a quote." She spoke, getting back to the task at hand.
The gang began to chew over the idea silently, before Kelso jumped up in excitement.
"I got it!" He cheered "What a long, strange trip it's been." He spoke, proud of his brilliance.
"Please Kelso, every lamo hippie and animagus has used that quote." Eric denounced the idea.
"Well, can you come up with something better?" Kelso whined in disappointment.
"I don't know." Eric paused briefly "Maybe it should have to do with how we met."
"But we all met at different times." Donna observed
"Well it should be romantic, so it should be about how Steven and I got together" Jackie said haughtily.
"Oh yeah, you guys are the pinnacle of romance." The redhead added sarcastically.
"Oh you think you and Eric were so much better?" Jackie asked angrily.
"Eric and I getting together was very romantic."
Two and a half years earlier
It was winter time at Hogwarts. The entirety of the school grounds were covered in snow. Eric Forman had never been the biggest fan of winter. He was so skinny that his body provided little insulation against the freezing cold weather. The only positive of winter was the chance of going home for Christmas. His mother Kitty was a world famous baker, and come Christmas time, the Forman house was never short of tasty sweets. However, this Christmas there would be no sweets. This Christmas, Eric was stuck at Hogwarts because of the Yule Ball. He didn't even wish to attend the stupid dance, but his father, a very delightful chap named Red, refused to allow Eric or his best friend, Steven Hyde, who had lived with them since elementary school, to come home to Wisconsin.
"Way to show the old Christmas spirit, Red." Eric muttered to himself as he crumpled the letter from his father.
As Eric made is way toward the main part of the castle, he paid no attention to where he was going. He slammed straight into someone and fell over onto the snow covered ground. A hand extended to him and he took it as he rose to his feet, brushing the snow off his clothes.
"Sorry about that." The person, no the girl, spoke sweetly.
Eric looked up to lock eyes with the girl he had been fantasizing about since first year, Donna Pinciotti.
"Uh it's fine." He let out squeakily. "I didn't hurt you did I? Cause I've been working out." He boasted, attempting to impress the gorgeous redhead.
"No I'm fine Eric." She smiled sweetly.
'Eric! Holy hippogriff shit, she knows my name! Okay, be cool.' Eric thought to himself.
"Yeah, you must be strong because you're so big…I mean your not big…You're just curvy. By curvy I don't mean fat or anything. It just means you have…well your chest is full…" Eric stumbled over his words, nervously.
'Great, very suave dumb ass!' He could almost hear his father in his head.
Donna looked confused "Um okay…" She had no idea what to say to this strange boy "I have to go. I'll see you around, Eric."
"See ya, Donna." As Eric watched her walk away, it began to snow. He watched as the tiny flakes fell from the heavens, illuminated her angelic form. Maybe winter wasn't so bad.
Eric made his way to the great hall, where breakfast was being served. He took a seat at the long table with his fellow Gryffindors, one comrade in particular.
"So I tried breaking into Hagrid's cabin. I was running low on my stash and I figure he must have some good stuff, and a butt load of it too, since it must take a lot to get him wasted. Well, Fang freaking bit my ass!" The curly haired boy spoke, never taking his shaded eyes off his food.
"That's too bad." Eric replied, not even listening "Hey man, I'm thinking of asking Donna to the Yule Ball."
Hyde chuckled "Yeah right man. And I'm going with Farah Fawcett."
"Well I realize that is your witty sarcasm at work, Hyde, but you couldn't bring a muggle celebrity anyway." Eric replied, clearly undeterred by his friend's cynicism.
"Come on Forman, Donna is not only the hottest Ravenclaw, but one of the hottest chicks at Hogwarts. Why would a girl like that want to go to the dance with a twitchy nerd like you?"
"Because Hyde, I am charming. I have these awesome hand gestures, and I waggle my eyes when I talk."
"You do that on purpose?" The horny Hufflepuff asked as he approached the table with his fellow housemate in tow.
"Fez, Kelso, I was just informing Hyde here about my plans to ask Donna Pinciotti to the Yule Ball." Eric spoke proudly.
Both Fez and Kelso broke down in a fit of laughter.
"Man, good one, Eric." Kelso exclaimed as he wiped a tear from laughter off his pretty face.
"Whatever. Go back to the Hufflepuff table." Eric huffed and began sulking. Did no one believe he was good enough for Donna?
"Who are you suckers taking to the dance?" Hyde asked in disinterest.
"Well, I asked that hot Slytherin cheerleader, Jackie Burkhart, but she totally turned me down. So she must be crazy. So Fez and I are going stag."
"Yes, Kelso will be the stag and I will ride him." Fez cheered with glee.
Hyde and Eric laughed profusely as Kelso shuffled his feet awkwardly.
"No Fez, stag means we are going without dates." He corrected his friend uncomfortably.
Fez looked disappointed "Oh I see."
"Aw I think you hurt your girlfriend's feelings, Kelso" Hyde jibed.
"Well who are you going with, Hyde?" Kelso asked snippily.
"Man, I wouldn't be caught dead at a lame school dance." He replied simply.
"That's just cause you dance like a white guy. Ah burn!" Fez shouted.
"Fez, he is a white guy." Eric spoke with confusion.
"That's what I said. Learn to speak English Eric." Fez spoke as though Eric sounded absurd.
Eric watched as Donna walked in and took a seat next to Luna Lovegood at the Ravenclaw table. She took his breath away.
"I don't care what you say. I'm going to ask Donna…right now."
With all the courage he could muster, Eric marched over to the Ravenclaw table and tapped the beauty on the shoulder. Donna looked over at Eric and smiled. Something about this boy captivated her.
"Hey Eric." She spoke with a smile.
"Hey Donna. Can I talk to you alone for a minute?" He spoke with determination.
"Sure." She nodded as she rose from the table.
They exited the Great Hall and walked over to the staircase by the enormous clock. Eric stammered nervously.
"So what's up, Eric?" Donna asked confusedly.
Eric gathered his composure and began walking backward for some reason. "I was wondering if you wanted to go to the bahhh!" Eric backed himself into the swing of the pendulum and was knocked to the ground.
"Oh my god, Eric!" Donna kneeled down next to the clumsy boy "Are you okay?"
Eric blushed crimson "Yeah I'm fine."
She helped him up "You seem to fall over a lot when you're around me." She smiled and he fake smiled.
"So what was it you were trying to ask me?" She asked patiently.
"Oh I just wanted to know if you wanted to go to the ball…with me." He spoke nervously.
At first Donna wanted to jump up and down and say yes. Because for whatever reason, she liked this skinny boy, but then a thought popped in her head.
"Oh Eric. I can't. I'm sorry. I kind of already have a date." She spoke sadly.
"Oh. Of course you do. That's cool." He tried to hide is disappointment. "So I'll just see you around. Bye Donna." He waved as he walked away.
Donna watched him leave and wanted to cry. She felt like she had just kicked a puppy. Eric returned to the table with the devastation written all over his face.
"She said no, hah?" Hyde asked gently. He enjoyed burning his friend but he didn't want to kick him when he was down.
"She's already got a date." He answered morosely.
"Sorry man." Hyde patted Eric on the shoulder.
"Hi Eric!" A tiny girl from his own house chirped.
"Hi Lavender." He was in no mood for Lavender Brown. It couldn't get much more annoying than her.
"Oh Eric, I was wondering if you had a date to the dance." She batted her eye lashes at him.
"No I don't." He said simply.
"Well, okay. I'll let you ask me." She spoke shrilly.
Eric was confused, but he figured he might as well ask Lavender. It was better than being all alone, watching Donna with her date.
"Uh okay. Lavender, would you be my date to the ball?"
She jumped up and down and screeched "Yes! Yes Eric Forman, I will be your date!"
She pulled him into a hug and began bouncing him along with herself. Eric looked down at Hyde who seemed to be muttering the word "cuckoo".
The following week, Eric sat idly next to Lavender in his dress robes as she babbled on. All he could do was think about Donna. How badly he wished that she was his date, not Dean Thomas's. Just then, the girl that plagued his thoughts approached him.
"Hey Eric, have you seen Dean? I can't find him anywhere." Donna asked as she scanned the dance floor looking for her date.
All Eric could think of was how gorgeous she looked in her blue gown "Uh no I haven't. Sorry Donna."
"It's okay. I just don't know where he could be. I'll see you later." She continued her search.
Eric watched her walk away as Lavender continued to talk. Donna decided to check outside. She noticed that Dean was sitting in one of the carriages, but he was not alone.
"What the hell?!" Donna shouted in disbelief at the sight before her. Her almost boyfriend was kissing, not another girl, but another guy!
"Oh my god, Donna!" Dean shouted in surprise as he pulled away from Seamus Finnigan.
"I can't believe it! You're gay?" Donna asked perplexed.
"I'm not gay." Dean spoke as Seamus made a loud coughing sound "Okay, I am gay. I'm sorry Donna."
Donna simply shook her head "Whatever." She stormed off into the castle as the tears began to fall.
She marched over to the punch stand, where Eric stood.
"I'm getting a drink for Lavender. I've been here for ten minutes. That girl can talk your ear off." He chuckled at his avoiding his date, but then he noticed Donna's tears. "Hey what's wrong?" He asked with genuine concern.
"Oh nothing. The guy I've been dating…well, turns out he's gay. Now where's the punch Hyde spiked?"
Eric pointed to the proper punch bowl as he stared in shock. Hyde had only attended the dance to spike the damn punch.
Eric's mind was blank. Dean was gay. Wow.
"Wow Donna, I'm sorry." He tried to comfort her.
"Yeah me too. I'm going to the room of requirement. Maybe it will provide a bar…or a noose." She added wryly.
"I'll go with you. Wait here a second." He ran up to Lavender.
"Hey Lavender, I have to go. A friend needs me." He paused and saw Neville Longbottom sitting alone, looking glum "Let me introduce you to my friend. This is Neville."
He pushed the two together. At first they both looked confused and awkward, but when Neville complimented her hair, it became obvious that Lavender's affections had shifted from Eric to him. Eric quickly went off to join Donna. As they sat in the room of requirement, which had turned into a warm, comfy living room, complete with a Christmas tree and holiday music, playing softly in the background, Donna found her mood slowly improving. It seemed that just being near Eric Forman made her happy.
"So after we saw the movie, Hyde and I had this whole debate about which is a better weapon, a wand or a light saber." Eric rambled on, making Donna smile.
"You know, Eric, it was really nice of you to leave the dance to baby-sit me." She sipped her eggnog.
Eric became serious "Look Donna, it's no problem. I wanted to spend tonight with you anyway." He said honestly.
She smiled "I wanted to spend it with you too."
He looked shocked "Really?"
She laughed "Yes Eric. I've liked you for a long time." She looked away nervously.
"Oh my god! I've like you for a long time too!" Eric agreed surprised.
It suddenly occurred to them that they were sitting very close, snuggled on the couch. All of a sudden, something grew out above their heads. They looked up in shock.
Eric smiled widely "It's mistletoe."
Donna looked into his eyes nervously "I guess that means we should kiss."
Eric nodded "It's tradition."
They both leaned in until their lips met. The kissed each other in a tender and soft way at first, then it became passionate. All the pent up emotions they had secretly felt for each other for years all came out in that kiss. It felt right. It felt real. The redheaded Ravenclaw and the nerdy Gryffindor were inseparable from that moment on.
To be continued…
A/N: Well I hope you enjoyed it. This story is fun to write. Up next will be Kelso's love story, but who will his lady love turn out to be? You'll have to review if you want to find out!!
