Chapter One: Hallucinations?
Once upon a Hogwarts Tale a purple hippo sat by a tree, watching as The Boy Who Lived walked slowly down the stone steps of the castle. The words 'Things will never be the same again' running around his mind, he walked towards the lake.
The next thing he knew, there was a loud blast from behind him, and a whoosh hot air blew about his head. Fearfully, he looked behind him, and saw a burst of green light. Throwing himself to the ground he grabbed quickly for his wand, however it was gone. In its place was a trick wand of Fred and George's. Frantically, Harry realized that his real wand was out in the bottom of the lake.
"NOOO!!!" He yelled.
Suddenly, there was the loudest bang yet, and then everything went silent. Harry looked around him, but couldn't see anything different. The light was gone, but Hogwarts looked just the same. What had happened?
Harry walked slowly up the castle steps, his eyes darting left and right. When he tried pushing open the castle door, he found out that it was locked and that he could not go inside. Looking around, he noticed the purple hippo, which seemed rather hungry...
"A HIPPO!" He shrieked, running wildly towards Gryffindor Tower. On the way up, he bumped blindly into Professor Trelawney.
"My dear boy, your life is shrouded in purple... the colour... of..."
He didn't need to hear any more. He had pushed past her, knocking his glasses askew, and continued his wild and, now it seemed, precarious, journey up to the tower.
By the time he got up to the portrait of the Fat Lady, Harry was out of breath. On the way there, not only had he run through Nearly Headless Nick, but had also run into Peeves as well.
"Oohhh ickle Potty mouth." Peeves had said to Harry.
"Oh great, just what I need right now. Look Peeves, I don't have time for this. There is purple hippo on the loose, I gotta tell Hermione and Ron." Harry had shouted to Peeves.
"Gillyweed!" Harry screamed at the Fat Lady's portrait and the doorway was revealed.
"Seamus, where is Ron and Hermione? I need to find them, and quickly!"
"I saw them disappearing into a broom cupboard," Seamus shrugged, and then waggled his eyebrows, "wonder what they're getting up to?"
Harry sighed in frustration and ran his hands through his hair, making it stick up every which way.
Just then, a petite redhead entered his vision, and the scent of flowers wafted over him. It was Ginny.
"Ginny! Finally, someone who might be able to help me."
"What's up Harry?" She frowned, and bit her lip.
"There's a purple hippo on the loose," he said, mentally kicking himself at how stupid that sounded, and hoped Ginny wouldn't think he was making fun of her.
"A hippo?" She said sceptically, raising her eyebrows, then leaning over and placing her hand on his forehead, "are you feeling all right, Harry?"
"I'm...fine," he muttered, feeling anything but fine as she leaned in closer.
"Are you sure?" She asked, "You're feeling quite warm."
"I'm fine!" Harry said, his voice sounding shrill to his own ears, "Look, let's just go outside, and I'll show you where I saw the hippo, all right?"
Ginny looked at Harry in confusion yet followed him out of the castle doors nonetheless.
"Harry...?" Ginny uttered, yet it fell on deaf ears as Harry simply pointed towards the lake.
"Look" He said, "Look"
Ginny glanced to where he was pointing but she couldn't see anything except for the silent movement of the water on the lake.
"Don't you see it?! It's RIGHT THERE!" Harry said. He sighed heavily and moved Ginny so that she was staring straight at the purple hippo.
"Harry, you need to lie down," she said, turning around, a concerned look on her face. "There are no purple hippos, ok? I'm gonna take you up to Madam Pomfrey and then find Ron and Hermione. I'll just check their usual broom cupboard."
"What are you talking about their broom cupboard? I was the one who lived in a broom cupboard!" Harry said impatiently to Ginny. "Look, I saw a purple hippo and I am going to prove it to you."
Harry took Ginny's hand and pulled her further down towards the lake.
"Ok, now look." Harry said pointing his finger.
"At what?" Ginny said. She was getting quite worried now. Harry stood there looking at Ginny.
"Please! Are you blind? There is a hippo right here, here, here, here!!!" Harry said wildly while shaking his finger.
Ginny frowned, thinking that perhaps Harry had been hit by a confundus spell that morning, or perhaps he had seen Ron and Hermione snogging in the broom cupboard, and it had traumatised him.
Because, despite Harry's protestations to the contrary, there was NOT a purple hippo sitting by the lake.
Harry was muttering to himself now.
"Perhaps it's like a thestral...you can only see it when you've seen death...or...something..."
"Harry," Ginny said kindly, "why don't we go inside, maybe get Dobby to bring us a cup of hot chocolate."
"But what about the hippo??" Harry said, gesticulating wildly towards the lake, "They're dangerous, you know! A hippo can be more dangerous than a rhinoceros when provoked!"
"Now Harry, just come with me, ok?" Ginny said, taking his hand in hers. "And repeat what I say: There is no hippo by the lake."
She looked once more at the lake before turning to look into Harry's bright green eyes, searching them to make sure he wasn't lying...but that would mean he was hallucinating...which wasn't any better... Harry shook his head.
"Why can't you see??" He desperately asked, looking into her eyes.
Ginny sighed. This was going too far. Harry needed help. And fast.
"Come on, Harry. Let's just go tell Professor McGonagall about the... purple... hippo... and then we'll see what we can do, ok?" She asked, grabbing his hand softly.
Harry didn't want to, but her hand on his felt too warm to let go, so he followed her to Prof. McGonagall's office. Ginny took a deep breath and knocked at the door.
"Who is it?" They heard.
"It's Ginny Weasley, Professor McGonagall, and Harry Potter." She said.
"Well, come in."
They opened the door and saw Professor McGonnagal talking with a tall cloaked figure, reeking of fresh rotting flesh and rotten eggs.
Ginny clutched her chest in exasperation. Harry's face twisted into a completely grossed out expression.
"Professor..." He began with hesitation etched in his tone.
"Mr Potter, Miss Weasley, I would like to introduce you to my fiancé."
"Fiancé!" Both Harry and Ginny gasped in horror.
As the figure turned towards Harry and Ginny, one of his eyeballs popped out and bounced across the floor.
"Oh my..." Ginny's hand flew over her mouth and Harry's did the same as he examined the grotesque figure standing before them.
"What was it that the two of you needed?" McGonagall asked now with an impatient look on her wrinkled, observant face.
Ginny frowned. How could she tell her stoic professor and her apparent…lover that Harry had been having hallucinations about hippos?
But she was saved from doing so, when Harry opened his mouth to speak…