-Chapter 16-

-So It Begins-

James gripped Lily's hand and stepped through the doors. Both were taken aback by the decorations littering the room. Garlands hung everywhere, mostly with ghostish ornaments, or a medieval looking gems. All along the right side of the Great Hall a small jousting area had been set up. You picked a small knight from the merchant's collection to rent, the small knight would run and bash into your opponent's small knight. Oooohs and Aaaahs could already be heard from the direction by the students who had filed in before Jamesand Lily. Along the left wall a series of booths had been set up. One boasted having authentic middle ages food, another claimed to have real ghost jewelry, and another one sold official Headless Hunt gear. It was almost too much to take in a moment's swift glance, but it was done and the students quickly filed to tables.

James found a larger table that would fit the Marauders and their dates. He practically growled at anyone who looked like they were thinking about sitting there. After a few tense moments, the Marauders found James and everyone sat for a few moments. The arrangement went something like this: Peter, Gladys Marfunkle, James, Lily, Maggie, Remus, Elspeth, Sirius.

(A/N: Get that? Good.)

After everyone was comfortable their thoughts moved to the entertainment plastered along the extemeties of the room. Gladys whispered to Peter something about getting some ghost jewelry. Lily asked Maggie and Elspeth if they'd like to go see the jousting. They agreed, and Remus joined them, leaving Sirius sitting at the table across from James and Gladys.

The change in Gladys's attentions was so instant that Sirius had to blink a few times before he comprehended what was going on. Gladys was leaning on the arm of her hair, her long golden hair swirled elegantly up and her blue eyes sparkling with joy.

"Oh James! I simply love your outfit!" She bubbled. "It's so debonair!" She emphasized "deboniar" so that it sounded like she gushed "Deb! O! Naaaaiiir!"... It sounded foolish.

James smiled weakly and then gave Sirius a shocked look.

"You know," Gladys continued, commanding James's attentions for herself. "My favorite color is red! It's such a deep, wonderful color." Every word she spoke dripped with hidden passion. James immediately jumped up and startled Gladys. He declared he needed to find Lily and wandered off. Gladys smiled at him and waved as he walked off.

As she turned back to the table she was appalled to be greeted by a furious glare from Siruis. She sneered at him.

"What do you want, Black?"

Sirius's eyes narrowed, "I don't like people who use my friends."

Gladys cocked a shapely eyebrow at him, then broke into a grin.

"Oh! Peter!" With Peter's approach, she neatly blew off Sirius's accusation. "What did you bring back!?" She giggled and cooed over what he brought her. She gave him quite a bit of her attention, so much so that Peter looked quite flustered.

"Oh Sirius," Gladys said, turning her gaze on him. "Look! Peter got me this beautiful ghost bracelet." She smiled widely, a sly look preceeding in her gaze.

Sirius's lip twitched in anger, "Nice." He stood up. "I'm going to find Elspeth." With that he left Gladys to her own devices.

~-~-~-~-~-~

"COME ON GREEN!" Lily shouted, disturbing some of the milder students around her. "GREEN! GREEN!"

Sirius stode up, "What's going on?"

"Well, Lily rented the green knight, I think she's going to blow a gasket from cheering..." James said out of the corner of his mouth.

"GREEEEEEEEEEEEEN! GOOOOO!"

Sirius clapped his hands over his ears and nodded to James that he agreed with him perfectly.

Again the two small men rounded the corners and began to aim for each other's hearts. The blue knight only needed a point to win, while the green knight needed two. With a deft roll of his shoulder, the green knight deflected the blue knight's blow and knocked his azure opponent off his teeny horse.

"YAAAAAAY!" Lily jumped up and down, she threw her arms around James's neck and shouted into his face. "GREEN WON!"

"I saw!" James said excitedly, more excited at the feeling of Lily's arms around his neck than the victory itself. Sadly, Lily quickly let go and bounced over to the merchant, she collected her prize of a rose that could last for an entire year, and came back beaming at the boys.

"Congratulations." Sirius said with a sligh nod of his head. "Where's Elspeth?"

Lily shrugged, "She was just here... I'm not sure where Maggie and Elspeth went!"

A hush fell over Great Hall, no one uttered a syllable. Lily slipped her hand into James's, not sure if she should be scared or excited. Three great booms of knocks came on the closed doors of Great Hall. There was a sigh of chilled wind as nearly forty ghosts on ghostly steeds soared through the thick door. Everyone gasped in amused shock as the long dead men began tossing each other their heads. It was a beautifully elaborate display, the heads floating and crisscrossing, giving the students presnts of huge smniles all the while.

James leaned close to Lily and breathed in her ear, "The Headless Hunt."

Lily wasn't sure if it was just the flying men and body parts or if it was the closeness of James that made her dizzy. She didn't really have time to dwell on it, for another knock came at the door. Then, trumpet music blasted into Great Hall, making those living flinch from the din, and those dead stand stock still.

A small ghost, his head on a little crooked, "Her Majesty, The Queen of England, Wife of Henry the VIII, requests to enter this school and mingle with the children hereof."

Dumbledore stood somlenly from his table at the front end of the room, "Yea, she may come."

The ghost gave a bow, holding on his head for support and reached this hand through the door. HE quickly stepped away and bowed low. A horseless carriage then drew into the room, it halted no more than just inside the doors.

"Her Majesty, Queen Anne Boleyn of the Tudor household."

The small door of the transluncent, moonlit carriage opened. From the carriage stepped a young woman, the high collar of her dress framing her dark and attractive face. The students waited expectantly for the old queen to step from the carriage. It took everyone a few moments to realize the YOUNG woman in front of them was the Queen. Quickly everyone dipped low, glad for time to hide their burning faces afer such embarrasment.

The Queen's deep and dead eyes scanned the room, "It seems there is a goodly crowd here tonight."

(More in ch. 17. I've decided to only put this much in this chapter. I'll probably write ch. 17 tomorrow. No promises though.

And, at the moment, my internet is down. So I still can't load it onto the internet. Ah well. I'm drained. I had my wallet stolen at school today, so I'm in a funk.

-Sarra_