It might be a while before my next chapter. Thanks for reading, anyway, please review.

Chapter 13: All Hallow's Eve

            "How'd chaser tryouts go?" Harry asked Ron as they emerged from the showers.

            "Ginny won! She's a chaser!"

            "Who else?"

            "Hannah Abbot from Hufflepuff and… Devin Malfoy."

            "So our team is Hannah Abbot, Adrianne Johnson, Crabbe, Goyle, Devin, Ginny and me?"

            "Yup. But guess what, Harry? I'm an alternate!"

            "Good job. Who's the other alternate?"

            "Ernie Macmillan."

            "Cool. Well, I don't like Crabbe, Goyle or Malfoy, but the rest of the team sounds pretty solid. We certainly have a shot at winning."

            "Are you crazy? All the top schools from around the globe will be playing there. Sure, Hogwarts has good players, but besides you and Devin, none of us have really good broomsticks."

            "You got a new broomstick last year…"

            "Yeah, but it's no Firebolt or Nimbus Two Thousand and One."

            "Maybe we'll all be given Firebolts."

            "Yeah, I wish."

            "Hey, you guys," yelled Hermione, running up just as they were leaving the changing room. "You both made the team!"

            They nodded.

            "I can't believe it! I wish I could go to Switzerland to watch you guys! Wow, wow, wow! You should see Ginny, she was so happy she cried!"

            "I saw you up there in the stands," said Harry. "I don't think I could have done it without your sign."

            Just then, Hagrid came striding up with a big smile on his face.

            "All righ' there, Harry? I saw yeh out there, yeh were amazin'! I thought Cho 'ad gotten yeh for a second there, but yeh pulled through in the end."

            "Thanks, Hagrid!"

            Behind Hagrid were Professor McGonagall and Madam Hooch trying to get past the crowd to shake everybody's hand and Professor Artemis. From below his dementor-like cowl Harry swore he could hear him whisper "Congratulations."

            For the next two weeks, the only thing anybody in the school talked about was the tryouts and the upcoming match. Some angry people claimed that some of the contestants had cheated by using Amethyst Eyes or some other form of magic. Practices were held daily and Harry found that in midair, he was able to get along with Devin, Crabbe and Goyle enough to play a good game. They all returned too tired to talk and collapsed back to do homework in the library after each session. Madam Hooch was a more strenuous coach than even Oliver Wood had been, driving them outdoors in all weather and showing them squiggly diagrams that nearly no one could understand. In addition to Quidditch and school work, Seamus had barrowed a recording shrub from Professor Sprout and Drakeweed recorded their first single, You're in my Pensieve.

            Halloween dawned with an ominous feel to it. The sky was green after the terrible thunderstorm they had had the night before. The corridors had been decorated with Jack-O'-Lanterns and the Hogwarts ghosts flew about the castle more than ever, but there was something wrong in the air, like there was something much scarier behind the veil of festivities.

            Harry woke up late and had just enough time to wolf down a piece of toast before he was off to Care of Magical Creatures. Today, Harry found out what Luna had been going on about the first day of school: Hagrid was showing them the real Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, creatures Luna had tried to convince everyone had existed all last year. One Snorkack became attached to Harry and had followed him around to all his classes (much to the amusement of Professor Flitwick and the disdain of Professor McGonagall), crumpling and uncrumpling its horn noisily until lunchtime when Hagrid came to the castle to finally remove it.

            After classes, Harry discovered, to his immense relief, that Quidditch practice had been cancelled for the Halloween festivities, so Harry went to the library trying to catch up on all his work. After he had finished another boring essay for Snape, this one on Anti-Sweating potions, he returned to his dormitory trying to catch up on a little sleep before the feast began. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he heard a voice from his bag.

            "Harry! Harry, are you there?"

            Sleepily, Harry opened up his bag and took out the two-way mirror that Sirius had given him. Zack's face stared back at him.

            "Hey, man, what's up?" Zack said. "Talking in this mirror is really weird."

            "Stop whipping it around like that, I can barely see your face!"

            "Hey, I heard a copy of your leaf. The wizarding world's been lacking a good punk band for some time; I've had to listen to muggle music. You should get a contract with Sounds of the Forest."

            "Thanks. We're not really that good, though."

            "Heh. Anyway, I was told I had to get in contact with… Sarah, get away!"

            Just then Sarah's head appeared behind Zack.

            "Oh, this mirror is so cool! I don't even look like me, I look like a bed. And, Zack, you look like Harry! Can I see the mirror, pretty please?"

            "No."

            "PLEASE?"

            Harry just laughed. The Forgotten felt like really good friends despite the fact that he didn't know them that well.

            "Anyway, Harry," Zack said, shoving Sarah out of the vision of the mirror, "I have to tell you. Do not, whatever you do, do not leave the castle tonight."

            "But-"

            "Just promise me, Harry."

            "Fine, but at least tell me why."

            "Listen, there are some people who would be more than happy to have your head. And tonight's the night they picked to pay a visit to Hogwarts."

            "Can you tell me more?"

            "Nope, I told you all Moody told me."

            "Moody? That guy's just paranoid."

            "Well, maybe, but he sounded really worried this time. He said because Dumbledore's in a coma, there's nothing stopping the Death Eaters from executing their plan tonight."

            "Oh, alright, fine, I won't go out. But what if a whole bunch of people are also outside. We're going to have a big bonfire."

            "NO! Get everyone inside; make sure no one but the teachers is out there."

            "Are you sure you don't know more?"

            "I swear this is all I know, but everyone is telling me that it's really dangerous. Just stay in and with at least, well, Moody says thirty, but I say two or three other people."

            "Okay, I'll do that. Just tonight?"

            "Yep, if it doesn't happen tonight, it won't happen for a while."

            "Okay. How's everyone else? How's Annette?"

            "Well, you saw me and Sarah. Annette's pretty good, she's written like 50 letters to you, but she doesn't think they're good enough to send, so she throws them all out. She's a really good girl, you're damn lucky. Benny and Lupin have become really good friends, last full moon they chased each other all over London. Frightened some of the muggles half to death. Amy was officially inducted into the order."

            "How about Annette? Isn't she the same age?"

            "Yeah, well, they said she was too emotional still. She had a right fit about it. To tell the truth, I'm not so happy about it either, I'm older than Amy, and they wouldn't let me in. But Mundugus is showing me the ropes around the wizarding underworld."

            "Cool. Well, the feast is coming up soon, so I'd better go."

            "Yeah, well, see ya around. But remember my warning."

            And then a ripple appeared in the center of the mirror and the mirror buckled outwards until the ripple reached the edge, and Zack's face was gone, replaced by Harry's. Harry sighed, tossed the mirror back in his bag, gave a dark look to the silver Drakhen that he hadn't touched since he arrived here at Hogwarts and set off for the feast.

            The feast was the usual, with gigantic pumpkins overlooking tables and snapping at anybody who passed. Nearly Headless Nick pulled off his head to a battery of applause and then began some synchronized flying with the Fat Friar, goaded on by a rather terrifying Bloody Baron. The sky had finally cleared up, but the stars seemed somehow dark, and the moon was a new moon so didn't appear in the sky. After they finished eating more than their fair share of food, the food disappeared from the magical plates, and Harry heard Seamus roar, "BONFIRE!"

            "C'mon, Harry, Hermione, let's go!" yelled Ron throwing on his heavy robes.

            "I have lots of homework. This year is even harder than the last," Hermione said.

            "Oh, come on, don't be like that. Oh well, Harry, let's go!"

            "You know," began Harry, trying to find the best way to phrase this without letting him know about Zack's mysterious warning. "I think I'll just call it an early night. We've been having so much Quidditch practice lately."

            "Suit yourself," said Ron haughtily as he stalked away to join Seamus and Neville.

            Sighing in disappointment, Harry followed Hermione up to the Gryffindor tower and got back into bed. He didn't really want to sleep, so he turned to the window and watched as nearly three-quarters of the school lit fireworks, danced and conversed loudly surrounded by kegs of butterbeer and mounds of Honeydukes sweets. About halfway through the night, Harry saw Seamus walk over to the song flower and put in the Drakeweed leaf. We have some serious talent, Harry thought with a quick smile as the crowd cheered. He heard the portrait hole shut below him and then heard Amber and Hermione start arguing again over something stupid before they both stalked off to bed

            And then, just as Harry was settling down to sleep, despite the noise from outside, the door to the dormitory swung open, letting in a crack of light. Harry pretended to be away. Two people came in, but neither sounded like any of Harry's roommates. He opened his eyes a crack. Both were wearing black cloth covering all of them but their eyes and nose. Ad they were going through Harry's bag. With a sinking sensation in his stomach, Harry realized at once what they were looking for. One triumphantly pulled out the Drakhen and they quickly left.

            Harry jumped out of bed and yelled "THIEF!"

            He rushed out the door wearing pajamas. The common room was filled a few bodies of Gryffindors who had come back from the party and they were all in a deep sleep. Nearing the portrait hole were the two thieves. Hearing Harry, they sprinted through and took off down the hallway beyond. Harry quickly cast an eye around the room for anyone to help and then flung himself out the hole after them. The fat lady's portrait had been ripped from the wall and lay, cracked, in the hallway nearby. Harry felt sort of sorry for the fat lady; this was the second time she had been attacked.

            The thieves were fast and Harry was just barely able to keep up with them as they rounded corners in the tight hallways. They ran up some steps that Harry had never seen before and into a hallway full of unused classrooms at the top of the castle. Meanwhile, he pulled out his wand, but wasn't, as of yet, able to get a lock on them to cast a spell.

            At they turned and ran into another corridor, Harry watched as one of the thieves, who sounded female, yelled "DESTRUCTIFY!" pointing at a nearby door. The door exploded, sending splinters of wood out in a cloud of dust into the hallway. This was followed by literally hundreds of quaffles rolling out of the closet and flooding the floor. Harry, unable to stop himself, ran right into the thick of the bouncing balls. He felt his feet slip and he rolled with the balls backwards, bouncing painfully down the stairs and out of sight.

            "This ain't over yet," said Harry grimly as the sea of quaffles washed him down the hallway.

            Harry grabbed hold of a nearby door handle and pulled himself up out of the rolling balls. Turning the force that the balls had exerted on him around, Harry planted his feet on the wall and began to run across the wall, feeling gravity try to pull him down. Just as he was about to fall right back into the river of quaffles, he jumped, rolling out at the back end of the river, a few last-ditch quaffles streaking by him in an attempt to catch up with their fellows.

            Harry was behind, but the race wasn't over yet. He flew up the stairs, holding wand ready and skidded around a corner. He saw the thieves at the end of the hallway, one triumphantly holding the Drakhen… and it was a windowless dead end. They turned around, and stopped for a second upon seeing Harry. Harry jumped up and threw his feet out to the sides so he was straddling the wall for greater accuracy and yelled "STUPEFY!"

            The stunner shot down at the female thief who was running back towards him. The thief jumped into the air, and seeing a purple glow shining on the folds of her black suit, realized she had used Amethyst Eyes. The stunner hit the stone floor harmlessly. The other thief ran directly below Harry. Harry dropped precisely when the thief was under him and gripped the thief's neck in his legs. The thief toppled to the ground and threw the Drakhen up towards the female thief who was striding through the air right where Harry had been suspended moments before. She caught it with ease, landed and ran on. Harry turned and ran after her, hearing the male thief get up behind him. Harry was now surrounded by the strangers on either side.

            "IMPEDIMENTIA!" the male thief yelled.

            The bolt was shooting straight at Harry from behind. He could feel it getting closer. With no time to spare, Harry threw himself through an open door and watched as it passed him and hit the female thief. The male thief hurried past the door and removed the jinx from her before running on. Harry was once again behind both thieves as they took off down stairs and back towards Gryffindor.

            Harry jumped and did a midair front flip down the stairs and chased the thieves as they neared a window. And then, at the end of the hall, Harry noticed a window… but the thieves weren't crazy enough to jump out a window, were they? Apparently they were. The window, which was on the opposite side of the castle from the bonfire had been flung wide open and they both dived out together. Harry arrived just in time to see them land on their hands on a disc-shaped plant with a long root hanging off it that led to the lake. It was a flying lily pad, and they were making it descend fast. There was only one thing left to do. Harry jumped after them.

            They saw him as he flew towards them. With a cruel laugh, the male thief shouted "STUPEFY!" The stunner flew towards Harry. If Harry was hit, he would fall down to the ground, surely resulting in his death. It was nearing him, the pink glow analogous to a grim reaper. Harry threw himself out straight so he was parallel to the ground and yelled "PORTEGO!" he shield and the stunner met in midair, and they exploded, sending a shower of sparks out. Harry didn't have time to worry, he threw himself foreword and knocked both thieves off the lily pad – but he was falling, too.

            Now all three of them were in midair, hurtling towards the lake. In midair, all three yelled "STUPEFY!" Two stunners shot unnervingly close to Harry and one blew past the female thief. From this position, there was no way to hi one of them with a conventional spell.

            "ACCIO DRAKHEN!" yelled Harry in a last-ditch attempt to get it back before it was dropped into the lake and probably lost forever. It flew out of the thief's hands and into Harry's. And, once again, the pain in his scar became blindingly bad. Unintentionally, he dropped the Drakhen. Now, no one would get it.

            "If we're going down, you're going down with us!" shrieked the female thief. "KAZAP!"

            A bolt of lightning shot out from her wand and hi the water below. The water was pulsating with electricity, small sparks flying up from all over. If any of them landed in it, they'd be dead – and all three were headed for it. Harry closed his eyes, thinking back over his life. There were so many times he had almost died but didn't – but he wondered if his nine lives had run out and today was destined to be his last. Ron… Hermione… Annette… Amber… Sirius… Why now, why before he could experience the Junior World Cup, why before he was an adult.

            Apparently, however, someone had heard his prayers. Harry felt something slimy on his back. Opening his eyes, he realized it was one of the giant squid's tentacles. The squid itself was half out of the sizzling water and gave a humungous burp. The two thieves were also on his other tentacles, Harry was sad to see, but the Drakhen was coiled in a tentacle as well. Harry suddenly felt a great wave of gratitude towards the slimy beast, who handed (tentacled?) Harry the Drakhen and then tossed all three bodies back onto the ground nearby before disappearing under the water, which had stopped sizzling.

            The two thieves took a look at Harry, back at the giant squid, and took off. Harry wondered why they didn't peruse more, but, turning around, he saw why. Professors Sprout, Flitwick and McGonagall were all striding up. Dropping the Drakhen on the ground in pain and panting, Harry looked up weakly, giving his teachers the thumbs-up.

            "What happened?" asked Professor McGonagall prudently. "Who were they?"

            "Thieves… tried to take this…"

            "And what is-"

            Harry hurriedly covered up the sparkling eyes of the snakes with his robe, careful not to let it touch his skin.

            "Just…toy…stupid…I don't know why…"

            McGonagall pursed her lips, but said nothing.

            "Well, it's best if you go back to the castle now."

            All three teachers left, continuing around the building, talking in low voices. He suspected they had found out what it was. Harry wrapped it in his sleeve and continued up to his room, thinking, So much for staying inside.