Halloween décor littered the common room as Chailynn came downstairs a brisk October morning. Her face lit up as she looked around at the smiling Jack-o-lanterns casting eery shadows on the walls. It was one of her most favorite holidays, candy and costumes filled her thoughts as she started towards the door.
"Morning, Scarlet!" Fred grinned, leaning with his brother on the stair railing.
"My, we're looking awfully cheery this morning." George said, eyeing her smile. "Sweet dreams, perchance?"
"It's Halloween, haven't you noticed?" she replied, clapping her hands with glee. "C'mon, I want to see the Great Hall!"
Soon they were trotting down the steps, chatting excitedly to each other. As they filtered in with the other students heading down to breakfast, Chailynn saw something odd. Several Slytherin students were wearing masks in the shape of dragons over their faces, growling at other students and chucking to themselves. Her shoulders sank, but the boys each grabbed her arms and started led her past them. The dragon-students jumped out and roared at them, blocking their way.
"Move, or we'll make you." Fred warned. He and George released Chailynn's arms to stand in front of her. Her head hung low as she tried to avoid looking at them.
"What's the matter? Are you scared of little old us?" Lila sneered through her mask. The others laughed along with her. Fred was reaching in his pocket as someone swept past them.
"Alright, you lot, I do believe you've had your fun." Professor Hollingberry chided, looking down upon them sternly. His hair was beginning to grow back, giving him an odd sort of buzz on the left side of his head. Lila and her cronies slunk away into the Great Hall. Hollingberry glanced at Chailynn and the boys, winking before heading inside.
Chailynn waved goodbye to the boys before seating herself at Ravenclaw table. Lucy was already absorbed in her paper, buttering toast as though on instinct. Thomas and David were going over homework together, parchment spread out over their plates. Chailynn pulled the orange juice closer to her, as well as a large bowl of scrambled eggs. She looked up at the teacher's table, where it seemed Professor Hollingberry was having a small argument with Professor Snape. Snape did not make eye contact with him, though the DADA teacher seemed to be rather agitated. Eventually he seemed to give up, getting up from the table and leaving the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore shared a look, watching Hollingberry's retreating figure.
"Those two are always going at it." Lucy remarked, following Chailynn's gaze. "I can't imagine why they keep on sitting next to each other."
After breakfast, Chailynn headed off to Potions class. Ravenclaws had class with Hufflepuffs today, and Sally Lerwick was sniveling as usual outside the classroom door. Chailynn wondered what on earth she could crying about this early in the day. She pulled out her copy of Magical Drafts and Potions going over the last potion they had made. Her Forgetfulness Potion had earned some House points; even the terrifying Potions Master Professor Snape had to admit she had come closest to a perfect brew. The door to the classroom creaked open, and Chailynn filed in with the rest of the students. Her table partner tried, as usual, ignored her, keeping their eyes from even glancing over at her side of the table. Chailynn sighed, setting up her station and then escaping back into her book. The door to the class slammed shut, Professor Snape sweeping into the room with his cloak trailing behind him.
"I surely hope you have been keeping up with your assignments, students." he said in his long drawl. "Today we will be preparing an antidote to the Forgetfulness Potion you created yesterday. You will find the instructions on the blackboard—"he flicked his wand at the board, the chalk rose and scribbled out the instructions, "and I will expect the assignment completed within the hour. Begin."
Chailynn got to work, flipping to the correct page in her textbook to go along with the blackboard instructions. She carefully chopped and crushed her ingredients, adding them and stirring appropriately. After a while her cauldron was emitting a soothing scent like pine needles. As she was adjusting the flame under the cauldron, there was a loud bang. Chailynn jumped, spinning around to see what had caused it. Sally Lerwick was on the classroom floor, her face covered with green slime. She was blubbering loudly, and her table partner was in a similar state. Snape strode over to them quickly, peering into the cauldron once before kneeling beside the girls.
"Hush, if you swallow any of it, it may very well kill you." Snape said coldly. Sally and the other girl snapped their mouths shut. Pulling out his wand, Snape murmured a spell and the slime vanished from their skin. It had left holes in their clothes, however, and their skin was turning quite red.
"Mr. Davies, please escort these girls to the hospital wing. Quickly, now."
Rodger Davies hurriedly moved to do as he was told. Once they had left the classroom, Snape waved his wand at the girls' cauldron, vanishing the contents instantly. He did the same with Rodger's potion, but not before examining it carefully.
"For those of you who managed not to sustain an injury from their potions, prepare a small vial for submission. Once you have done so and cleared you table, you are dismissed." He announced, gliding back toward his desk. Chailynn sniffed at her potion before filling her vial; she hoped it was good enough for him. She scurried over to the desk and dropped it off without looking at him. She thought about how Sally had been crying earlier before class, and chewed her lip anxiously. – Oh, I hope she's alright. – she thought, making a mental note to speak with her later. Sally was not kind to her, but she was not outright hateful, either. She gathered her things and left the classroom, tucking that stubborn lock of hair behind her ear.