Samhain/Halloween part 1! The rest of the night will be continued in the next chapter. Follow and review, please.

October 31, 1991

When she woke up Halloween morning, Hermione wasn't sure what she was expecting. She had heard some of the older students talk about the feast and its larger-than-life decorations, but just like with everything else, Slytherins did things differently.

"Good morning, Hermione," Daphne said solemnly as the two girls met in the bathroom.

"Good morning Daphne," Hermione said, blinking at herself in the mirror. "Happy Halloween."

Daphne made a noise that was a cross between a shriek and a croak. "Today is Samhain, Hermione. Halloween is for muggle lovers and Dumbledore cronies."

"Like the pagan festival?" Hermione said skeptically.

"Exactly," Daphne said. "Today is a day to remember those who have passed on, not for people to stuff themselves with sugar."

"Do the other houses celebrate Samhain?" Hermione asked.

Daphne shrugged. "Some Ravenclaws, maybe a few Hufflepuffs. Anyone who does will just join the Slytherin table for the feast, however."

Hermione nodded slowly. "Do we do anything different?"

"Lots," Daphne answered immediately. "For starters, wear black today."

"I don't have any black robes," Hermione said hesitantly.

"Do you have a black dress?"

"I think so."

"Then you can wear that," Daphne said. "And if you have someone close to you who's passed on, we put pictures up in the common room."

"My grandmother died two years ago," Hermione said quietly. "I have a few pictures of her."

Daphne nodded. "My aunt was killed during the war," she explained, showing Hermione a picture of a young woman.

"She looks just like you," Hermione murmured.

Daphne smiled sadly. "Yeah."

~ Slytherin ~

The common room was fully decorated for Samhain, with garlands of rosemary strung around the fireplace, and various harvest crops dotting the floor. Wicker baskets of apples were placed on tables, along with plates of a delicious looking bread. Following Daphne's lead, Hermione took a piece and dipped it into a yellow-white sauce. The creamy butter melted on her tongue and Hermione moaned in delight, taking another bite.

"You can put the picture on the fireplace," Daphne murmured. Tracey, Pansy and Millie were already there, looking somber as they clustered around a photograph.

Hermione nodded. She pulled her grandmother's picture out of her pocket and placed it on the fireplace, its ornate frame not out of place with the number of pictures already there.

"Granger," Draco Malfoy greeted her, placing a picture on the mantel. "Do all muggle pictures not move?"

Hermione shook her head. "They just stay still."

"Interesting," Draco said quietly. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you. My condolences as well."

Draco inclined his head at her before walking away, leaving Hermione standing by the fireplace, slightly confused.

Draco normally ignored her, or if he did deign to talk to her, only shot insults. But today, he spoke politely and and was respectful to her. Was it because of Samhain? Hermione resolved to find Daphne and ask.

"Samhain isn't a day for petty arguments," Daphne explained when Hermione found her. "Today is a day for honoring and remembering the dead, and so all disagreements are put on hold for the day."

"So what else happens?" Hermione asked curiously.

"After the feast," Daphne said, keeping her voice low, "we'll all go outside and there'll be a bonfire. There's singing and dancing and everything."

"And at the feast?" Hermione asked.

"Smoked meat and harvest crops," Daphne said. "Traditional nuts and apples."

"If Dumbledore doesn't follow Samhain, then why are there traditional Samhain foods?"

Daphne smiled. "Hermione, who cooks the food?"

"I don't know," Hermione admitted.

"House elves," Daphne told her. "I'll tell you more another time, but they go back years and years, to when Samhain was celebrated openly. And they make the food. Not Dumbledore."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Does only Slytherin have those foods?"

"The rest of the school and the teachers have sweets and regular foods," Daphne nodded.

"Are you instructing Hermione about Samhain?" Jade asked, joining the two.

"I am," Daphne answered.

"How does Dumbledore not realize we have different foods?" Hermione wondered.

"Dumbledore only pays attention to himself," Jade answered. "He doesn't care about anything that doesn't concern him."

"So Slytherin," Hermione said, her heart sinking.

"So Slytherin," Jade agreed.

~ Slytherin ~

The Halloween feast was everything Daphne said it would be. Bats flew around the hall, flying circles over pumpkins so large Hermione herself could fit in them. Garlands were draped over candelabras, and lights flickered out every there and then, casting a spooky glow over the hall. Looking at the tables, Hermione could see how the Slytherin table had much less food than the other tables, and instead of various dishes, the same few were repeated throughout the table. Like all the other Slytherins, and the few guests who joined them, Hermione gathered meat and vegetables on her plate and began eating.

"I don't get why only Slytherin celebrates the Old Ways," Padma Patil murmured. Her sister, Parvati, nodded besides her.

"Gryffindor's been eating sweets all day," the Gryffindor added. "It's really disrespectful."

Hermione frowned. "Even Harry Potter?" Parvati nodded. "Didn't his parents die today?"

"We should invite him over," Daphne said quietly. "Show our respect for his parents. She may have been a muggleborn, but Lily Evans saved us all."

"I'll go," Hermione volunteered.

"I shall accompany you," Draco announced, rising from his seat and taking Hermione by surprise. "Parvati, would you care to come as well?" The Indian girl nodded, and the odd trio walked across the room to the Gryffindor table.

"Harry?" Parvati asked. Harry's head snapped up from his plate.

"Parvati. Malfoy. Granger," he said in surprise. "Can I help you?"

Hermione cleared her throat. "Potter, in respect for your parents and the day of Samhain, we would like to invite you to join us in our Samhain celebration."

"What's Samhain?" Harry asked, a look of confusion spread clearly across his face.

"A day for commemorating the dead," Draco explained, using the same polite tone as he had this morning. "Today is the anniversary of your parents death. We might not see eye to eye, but it is Samhain, and all disagreements are set aside."

"Don't go, Harry," Ron Weasley insisted, tugging on his friend's sleeve. "Why would you want to go hang out with slimy Slytherins, anyway?"

Harry looked conflicted, glancing between the two groups. "I don't know Ron," he said softly. "My parents did die today. I'm not really in the mood for celebrating."

"Suit yourself," Ron said grumpily. "But Weasleys always celebrate Halloween, not Samhain.

Draco cleared his throat. "Actually, I believe your brother William was at last year's Samhain feast at the Manor."

Harry stood up. "I'll see you later, Ron," he said, taking the hand Parvati offered to him. "Is Samhain a big deal in the Wizarding world?" he asked once they were a few feet from the Gryffindor table.

"In Society, yes," Draco answered. "Dumbledore has tried to outlaw the Old Ways, but people still celebrate them."

The foursome sat back down, Daphne and Tracey scooting over so Harry could sit in the middle of Hermione and Parvati.

"Blessed Samhain, Potter," Daphne said quietly, handing him a plate of smoked meat.

Harry accepted the meat and glanced at each of his new table mates before spooning a piece onto his plate. "Thank you."