Author's Note: Well here's the much anticipated Halloween scene! I probably won't be publishing again until after Christmas, so have a great holiday! Also, please comment. Every time I get a comment, a unicorn is born. Please help our endangered friends and comment! ~Jazzy

Chapter 9: Halloween

Harry walked into the Great Hall, surrounded by chattering students. Draco followed him. Both were silent, staring at the walls and ceiling. Floating pumpkins replaced the candles, bright streamers lined the walls, and a few ghosts scared students, Peeves at the lead.

"Is that the best they can do?" Draco snidely asked, gesturing at the pumpkins. Harry looked above him.

"I thought they were quite nice." He said quietly.

"Hmph." Draco rolled his eyes.

Harry took a seat near the beginning of the Slytherin table, and a few more first years joined him. Harry tried to make himself feel happy, but it was harder these days. Every potions class, Harry dreaded. His father was so distant from him. So ignoring. He never called on Harry to answer questions, barely glanced at his cauldron, and left no comments on his scrolls. Harry was a tad bit worried. Stop thinking about that! He reprimanded himself. Enjoy yourself for one night.

The teachers sat at the main table, Dumbledore fashionably late. Like always. Harry noticed the absence of his father and Professor Quirrel. Quirrel was a strange man, not very bright or agile. Always seemed a bit on edge. Harry didn't think he was competent enough to be a defense against the dark arts teacher.

Dumbledore finally arrived and said only a few words before conjuring up the mountains of food that now rested on the tables. "Let's eat!" He exclaimed and the audience cheered. Harry grabbed himself a large plate of food and piled on chicken, turkey, and something with three legs.

"This I could get used to…" Harry said after finishing the main course.

"They just don't feed you enough at home, do they Evans?" Draco said with a smirk, his plate vanished.

"They do but…just…" Harry didn't want to talk anymore about home. Or his father, who still hadn't shown up!

All of a sudden, the doors of the Great Hall burst open, to reveal a very shaken Quirrel.

"T-Troll! I-In the d-d-dungeon! T-troll!" He said, running into the hall. His turban was askew and he was out of breath. "Troll! T-thought y-you ought t-to k-know-" then the professor collapsed in a great robed heap.

The room was thrown into an immediate panic. Harry and Draco stood up and looked at each other as the rest of Slytherin house started shouting.

"Trolls? Cool! We should go and find it!" One excited third year said. Another child was crying.

Harry heard Hermione's voice coming from the table next door. "Trolls? I've read about them before. I wonder which type it…." More voices from Ravenclaw added their own opinions about trolls, mountains, and books in general. Harry couldn't see Gryffindor table or Hufflepuff very well, but it did seem that Ron was freaking out .Harry allowed himself a grin.

"Alright, follow me." Marcus Flint said, sighing. "All of you Slytherins with me… c'mon now. Hurry up." He said, shoving a few slow first years out of the way. Draco complained.

"Why can't we just go and see that troll?" He said to Harry.

"Probably because it's dangerous…" Harry shrugged.

"So, when has that ever stopped us? We should go and see…" Malfoy added excitedly.

"I don't know…."

"C'mon, we just sneak away and go look. Easy as that!"

"But what if we get caught?" Harry wondered if Snape would notice him then, if he was expelled from school. Probably only to reprimand me…

"Then we get caught. We can weasel our way out of any difficult situation. You know that. I have….connections." Draco said slyly.

"Okay. We just go look. In the dungeons. That's it, okay? Not anything else." Harry said carefully.

"I understand perfectly."

-Halloween Part 2 to follow after Christmas-