Professor Slughorns Annual Askafroa Liberation Anniversary Celebration

by Wicked Galaxies

"Of course James would never dare miss out on a good party. The thing, of course, is that Slughorn's parties aren't parties. When James thinks of a party, he thinks of a debaucherous night spent, well, partying. Marauding. Waking up with a pet hippogriff and not knowing how it ended up in your dorm, only knowing that it is a great cuddler. That kind of partying." est. L/J fut. R/S

1. PROLOGUE

i posted this on ao3 back in july but didnt get much feedback for it, so i figure i would post it here and gauge what kind of reception i would get for it. i have not finished writing it yet. the actual title is Professor Slughorn's Annual Askafroa Liberation Anniversary Celebration of '78, but has a lower character limit.

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While most famously to the known world was Horace Slughorn's Christmas Party, at his time present as the Potions Professor at Hogwarts in the 1970's, the poor man held a party so infamous to the masses that, even though it was never held again, was talked about 20, 30, 50 years P.S.A.A.L.A.C. (post-Slughorn's Annual Askafroa Liberation Anniversary Celebration.)

It started innocent. Slughorn expected it to go just as any other party would, held like every other year- he would mingle, network, drink some mead and generally spend the evening chatting with other high-ranking or beneficial members of the Wizarding community. After the celebration wrapped up he would bid the guests a good night and a safe travel home. Then full and tipsy with liquor, he would don his finest harpie-silk robe and snooze gracefully in bed, content with knowing that the party, like every other year, was again a success.

The poor man.

You see, Askafroa Liberation Day is a wizard holiday. Originating in Germany in the twelfth century, it commemorates the day that the last living six-legged toad was sacrificed to an Askafroa tree in the small wizarding community of Schimmeliges Brot, thereby lifting the curse that those who touched the branches -or even fallen leaves-, would develop bark on their body.

As you could well understand and sympathize with, the Askafroa tree's sap fermented excellently; it was a fine and warming drink in the middle of a deadly cold winter. A wizard could never resist tapping into the trees to get the fine, comforting liquid. For the sake of wizardkind, sacrifice was extremely necessary. The last six-legged toad did not see death as a necessity, but it didn't really have a say in the matter, being a toad and all. Since the sap was so good, so fulfilling, and so tasteful, the toad was a sacrifice the Wizards were willing to make.

While much more popular among German wizards, Slughorn used this obscure day to get together with colleagues and mingle. He was cultured, and he could show it off as much as he pleased, thank you very much.

The Askafroa Liberation Anniversary Celebration was planned to start on the night of February the Eighteenth, 1978, and would end at the time when, historically, the toad was sacrificed- the late hour of 1:32 AM. On most occasions, it would be a group of well-mannered wizards around a fireplace watching the stars from the comfort of a cushioned armchair, raising their crystalline glasses to the brave toad.

It did not end that way this year.