Students slowly streamed into the warmth of the castle after a rough Hufflepuff vs Ravenclaw match. The match had been extremely close, Ravenclaw down by only one point. The players on both teams were bruised and beaten and several had been rushed to the hospital wing just as the match ended. The tension between both teams was strong before the match, and was even stronger now that it had ended. The Ravenclaws kept casting disdainful looks at the Hufflepuffs, who in turn ignored them while others cast disgusting looks at the Ravenclaw table. In fact, the tension was so strong that the Great Hall ate mostly in silence throughout their meal. The Slytherins who had taken the Hufflepuff's side, were talking slander against Ravenclaw quietly amongst themselves and constantly letting slip an insult to a Ravenclaw player. The Gryffindors who were for Ravenclaw, looked as if they could knock the Slytherins out. Of course, their target was the Slytherins because no one dared mess with the Hufflepuffs although the Gryffindors were tempted to. Everyone was feeling some type of tension.
Everyone that is, except Hermione Granger. Hermione was absolutely furious that a game had been able to cause such a great rift between the houses. She was already red in the face with anger as the appetizers made way for the main course, so by the time dessert arrived she was absolutely steaming. "THAT IS IT!" She cried at the top of her lungs as Harry exchanged a furtive look with Malfoy. "I AM ABSOLUTELY SICK AND TIRED OF THIS RUBBISH," Hermione was now as red as a fire truck and her eyes flamed like melting chocolate. "THE WHOLE POINT OF HOGWARTS IS TO BRING THE WIZARDING COMMUNITY TOGETHER AS ONE AND YOU'RE ALL LETTING QUIDDITCH GET IN THE WAY OF THAT?!" At this, some of the Slytherins rolled their eyes but the Hufflepuffs looked down at their shoes while the Ravenclaws stood with their jaws on the floor. Harry managed to steal a glance at the staff table and saw McGongall looking affronted but could have also sworn he saw the corners of her mouth twitch. Dumbledore was peering through his half-moon spectacles with obvious enjoyment and Professor Sprout was trying to hold in a gale of a laughter. Suddenly, Harry felt a sharp pang in his shoulder.
"What did you do that for?" Harry asked as Hermione gave him a fleeting look. "Follow me." She instructed to not only him, but apparently the whole school. The Gryffindors were first to rise, then the Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws and finally the Slytherins along with the staff.
Hermione marched all the way to the Room of Requirement and as she opened the door, gasps swept through the nearby spectators. The room had enlarged itself to almost thrice the size of the Great Hall. It had also equipped itself with cupboards filled with feather pillows, warm blankets and mattresses softer than the bed dressings of the Slytherin dormitory. A gargantuan table laden with empty plates and cups stood at the end of the room and soft baubles of light floated along the ceiling. Hermione made her way to a podium standing in the middle of the room and waited until the entire school had shuffled in before she spoke, "Since the events of tonight's Quidditch match seems to have left you all disoriented, and unable to remember the unity Hogwarts wishes to embody at all times, I have brought you all here for a nice surprise," Hermione beamed at the student body before the podium and a rush of pride surged through her, "We will spend the night here as a school in an full-on all school sleepover!"
The Slytherins immediately broke into protest but the Hufflepuffs gave a large whoop and ran towards the table. Hermione quickly began assigning tasks to different houses, "Hufflepuffs! You're in charge of food, all you have to do is tell the plates and cups what everyone wants and they'll fill up. Ravenclaw! I need a full list of events and itinerary for tonight.." Soon everyone was running around the room going about their jobs as if their lives depended on it. The Ravenclaws held a light show using complex charms and sending huge gushes of gold and silver sparks rocketing across the room. The Slytherins hosted a talent show and judged the acts of the Gryffindors. They were harsh judges but Fred and George won in the end for their brilliant fireworks that managed to singe off more than half of the faculty's remaining hair. The Hufflepuffs ran about taking orders from people and giving out food as well as nipping some for themselves. They also managed to find a broom closet and soon everyone was rocketing about on a broom in an intense game of "Capture The Flag", introduced by the muggleborns using blankets, pillows and a few jinxes. The night ended with a jaw-dropping magic show by the Head Girl, Head Boy and the Prefects. They performed complex charms, brewed complicated potions and cast awe-inspiring spells. The magic show however was interrupted by someone yelling for an "all men for himself" pillow fight.
Finally, faculty and student body alike all collapsed in complete and utter exhaustion onto their comfortable makeshift beds. The whole school snored blissfully all snug in the Room of Requirement. The next day, Dumbledore decided to declare a day off from school. The students and the staff all dressed in regular clothing and spent the day talking, eating and finishing homework but mostly just relaxing and taking a break from the usual hustle of the school year. Each house was awarded over 500 points for their contribution to the all school sleepover but Hermione scraped in an extra 100 points for keeping Hogwarts' goals of unity in mind through the tense atmosphere of the night before.
It was not long, before that day had been lovingly dubbed "House Party Day" and was celebrated each year with an extravagant all school sleepover in the Room Of Requirement. This holiday was so heartily enjoyed that even the faculty had taken place in this legendary holiday created not by The Brightest Witch Of Her Age, although she certainly did help, but by the unity of the four Hogwarts houses. From wizard heaven above, the four founders beamed in ecstasy at the beautiful school they had built together and even in their place now, they were reminded of the inspiring power of unity amongst wizards and witches when they all come together with one goal.