Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, places, names, plots, historical incidents in the magical world, ghosts, objects or anything else that the genius J. K. Rowling has come up with. But do try not to steal my plot. Ask nicely and I might let you.
Harry Potter and the Light of Life
Chapter IX: Halloween and other Happenings
The next week went so fast that it was over before it even started, Harrymused as he sat down in the Great Hall a week later. The Hall was decorated for Halloween, floating pumpkins and live bats everywhere. He couldn't believe that he had been at Hogwarts for two, whole months already, and most certainly not that it was only two months since he had first met Leia.
Leia was currently sharing a party-cracker with Ron, while Hermione was studying her new Self-Shuffling Playing Cards. Harry had never see the Hall as beautiful as it was now; the decorations even outdid the ones he had seen during the Triwizards Tournament. It seemed as if Dumbledore wanted the students to have the best time of their life, now that the future seemed so dark.Then he might just wanted to make up for the ruined Start-of-term feast.
Harry pushed the thoughts of Voldemort back, and joined in on Ron and Leia's joke. They looked like they were having the time of their life, trying out samples of Weasley's Wizards Wheezes sweets. Harry didn't think that could be a good idea if you wanted to live to see tomorrow, but he joined in after all, seeing his chances of becoming an adult were rather slim after all.
"Try this one!" said Ron, throwing a red one to Harry. Harry decided to be brave, and chewed it hard.
The next thing he knew, he breathed fire, and nearly sat the tablecloth on fire. Ron, Leia and Hermione were howling with laughter.
"You should have seen your face," Ron managed to say before he broke down in laughter again. As Harry cooled his throat down with some pumpkin juice, he nearly spat it out when Hermione suddenly had flowers instead of hair on her head. Both Leia and Ron, who seemingly had been lucky so far, and had only gotten candy, instead of jokes that were only pretending to be candy, rolled down under the table, Harry could hear them choking in laughter.
"-White lilies for hair-"
"-What if his tongue had caught on fire-"
"-Even her eyebrows turned to small poppies-"
Suddenly Harry felt something pricking on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Willow, the smallest boy from the orphanage.
"Excuse me, but do you know where Leia is?" he asked.
"Here," said Harry, and lifted up the tablecloth.
"Willow!" exclaimed Leia, crawling out from under the table. She hugged the boy, swinging him around, seating him on the table at last, both of the smiling. "And what are you doing here?"
Willow just smiled shyly.
"Is it what I think it is?" Leia asked, flashing the same smile as Ron had before handing Harry the fire breathing gum. Willow nodded with his whole body, smiling from ear to ear.
"Then we better find Damien, shouldn't we?" With that they both ran away, heading for the Ravenclaw table.
"What was that about?" asked Ron as he emerged from the tablecloth. "We were having such a good time!"
"At making fun of us?" asked Hermione as she put a violet round ball in Ron's open mouth. Ron widely protested, but it was too late. Seconds later, Ron produced the longest burp Harry had ever head. This time, it was his and Hermione's turn to break down such laughter fits that their eyes watered.
"That wasn't funny!" protested Ron, turning his usual red.
"Oh, I can assure you it was," Hermione choked out, still laughing, before she made to grab for another candy. Though she never made it, for at that moment something interrupted this feast too. Though this time it wasn't anything horrible, it was something that to Harry looked quite enjoyable. It was suddenly quite apparent what Leia and Willow had been up too.
The three of them (they had been joined by Damien) were standing in a distant corner of the hall, over by the windows doing some sort of childish dance. It didn't seem that they had noticed that most of the Hall was watching them. Leia was laughing heartily, Harry couldn't remember to have seen her so happy before. Soon the hall had turned so silent that they could hear the words.
"Double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble! Double, double, toil and trouble! Something wicked this way comes!" While Leia and Damien danced around Willow, Harry noticed that more and more people were laughing.
"What are they doing?" he asked Ron.
"Its a children's game, called Double Trouble," said Ron, as if he didn't believe himself. "You do it at Halloween, it is supposed to bring bad luck to your enemies. I used to do it before, but I stopped a long before I started at Hogwarts. Those sorts of things are for children!" Then Damien started a new verse.
"Eye of newt and toe of frog, wool of bat and tongue of dog! Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting, lizard's leg and owlet's wing!" Harry thought it was the most fabulous song he had ever heard.
And then, Leia noticed that the whole hall was watching them. She stopped abruptly, freezing with her hands over her head (she had just been playing a monster). The hall turned silent.
Damien stopped seconds later, looking frightened at the rest of the students. Willow didn't seem to have noticed what had happened, but when he was about to start the chorus again, his eyes turned as big as dinner plates.
Everyone in the hall seemed to start laughing at the same time. Leia, Willow and Damien looked like they hoped the floor would swallow them. But Harry wasn't laughing.
"Why are people laughing?" he asked Ron.
"Because of what they did," said Ron, looking like he had just paid Aragog a visit. "They could have stripped, and still not embarrassed themselves as much."
Leia looked like she thought the same as she made her way back to her seat. The howls of laughter from the Slytherin table made her blush, even more. When she sat down, she seemed to slump together, trying to make herself invisible.
"Are you okay?" asked Hermione, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Except for the fact that I have embarrassed myself in front of the whole school, no, I'm fine," Leia answered, looking quite angry with herself.
"Why did you do…what you just did?" asked Harry.
"We used to playDouble Troubleat the orphanage every Halloween. I didn't think this was what would happen. Willow wanted to play, and I couldn't refuse could I... Am I stupid or what? How could I have thought that we wouldn't embarrass ourselves!"
"I didn't think it was stupid," said Harry, making his three friends look at him with disbelief. "I would have joined if you'd asked."
"What?" said the three at the same time.
"I have never done things like that on Halloween. Usually I was just locked up in my cupboard, while Dudley was out playing trick or treat."
"Even I have had happier Halloweens than that," said Leia.
"What did you do on the orphanage?" asked Ron.
"Well, we had a feast, but nothing like this. Actually, it was just like another day, except that we had pumpkin pie for dessert, and then we played Double Trouble in the evening, outside on the fields. When 40 people are playing it, it takes some space."
"Do you miss it?" asked Hermione.
"Miss what?"
"The orphanage."
Leia suddenly stopped smiling, her face turning into the same sad look Harry had seen her with before.
"We don't have to talk about that now," Harry said, trying to avoid disaster. What was Hermione thinking, bringing up that subject now? But no one seemed to have heard Harry.
"I miss Juliette the most," said Leia. They all knew who Juliette was, Leia often mentioned her name. "But she wasn't into the whole sad thing, I never saw her cry once. Besides, people left all the time from the orphanage, many were adopted away. So we never bonded to strongly, knowing we would lose each other some day."
"But still," said Ron, "they were...killed."
"I know. I try not to think about it."
"Then let's not," said Harry. "Wheezer?" he said as he offered them the bowl of sweets. They all accepted, and soon their sorrows were forgotten, it happened somewhere in-between Leia's eye spinning or Ron's teeth suddenly disappearing when Hermione made him eat a blue one.
"This has to have been the best Halloween ever," exclaimed Leia as she hugged Damien good night. Harry, Hermione and Ron were waiting for her to say good-bye to her friends. Their arms were all full of sweets, a few bottles of butterbeer and as many of the Wizards Wheezes they could find.
"I think she is right, actually," said Ron. "I've never had so much fun. But what were you saying about learning the Double Trouble, Harry?"
"I asked if you could learn me."
"Learn you! Why ever would you like to learn that?" exclaimed Ron.
"Because I don't know it," he said, hoping that could trick Ron.
"Oh, alright then. The first thing you have to learn is the lyrics. They go like this," Ron cleared his throat, "Double, double, toil and trouble-"
"FIRE BURN AND CAULDRON BUBBLE!"
Leia and Damien was dancing and singing again, looking nothing like the 16 and 13 years they were.
"DOUBLE, DOUBLE TOIL AND TROUBLE, SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES!"
And right they were, for Snape walked out in the entrance hall at that moment. Harry couldn't help himself, he laughed and laughed, all they way up to Gryffindor tower. Ron and Leia was still singing behind him.
"SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES!"
And with that, the evening ended, not even a distant shadow graced Harry's face.
OOO
They had been dismissed for all the classes the next day, seeing as they all would be tired and that it only was one day till the weekend started. The first visit to Hogsmeade would be on Saturday and everybody was looking forward to it. Harry didn't think he could go because he would need so much security, but when he had asked McGonagall, she had told him otherwise.
"There will be many Aurors guarding the students, no matter if you go or not. I don't think one student more or less will not make a difference."
The fact that they didn't have classes didn't mean that Harry wasn't doing schoolwork. With three evenings for Quidditch practise and one for the DA meeting, he spent every spare minute on his homework. The dream of becoming an Auror was what kept him going on. If he once could be as cool as Dom...
When Saturday came, Harry, Ron, Leia and Hermione walked out of the gate, heading towards Hogsmeade. The four of them were silent; the day was too beautiful to be described with words. The yellow and red leaves form the trees fluttered through the air. The allé they and the other students were walking down had the lake on the left-hand side, and the snow topped mountains on the other. None of them saw much of the outside in broad daylight these days; they were always inside during the day. A few birds sung somewhere in the distance and the sun highlighted every ripple in the lake.
They first went to Zonko's, where Harry and Ron bought as many Dungbombs as they could fit into their pockets. Hermione, for once, didn't mind Ron's 'illegal' behaviour and laughed along when Ron planned how he would hex the dungbombs to float above Filch's door, so that they would fall down on him when her opened the door. After paying for their mischief, they decided that it was time for a butterbeer. They were lucky enough to get a table by the fire at the Three Broomsticks.
"Four butterbeers then?" said Harry as he went go get their drinks.
"I'm not having," said Leia, "so make that three."
"Don't you like butterbeer?" asked Ron, his mouth hanging open in shock.
"No, it's just..." Leia was suddenly very interested in her hands. "I don't have any money to pay it with, alright?" she mumbled, not meeting their eyes.
"Don't worry," said Harry, "Drink's are on me."
For that, Harry was given a smile from Leia that warmed him more than any butterbeer ever had.
But when Minerva McGonagall, came bursting in to the Three broomsticks ten minutes to twelve, her cheeks flushed and her hair out of place, Harry knew his day had just taken a very, very, bad turn.
Harry met his Professor's eyes, asMcGonagall hurried through the crowd, knocking over butterbeers, firewhiskeys and students. But that didn't seem to bother her. Her sole thought seemed to be to get to Harry as fast as possible.
"Mr. Potter, you must come with me at once," she said as she was nearly at their table. Harry was already pulling on his cloak,while Hermione, Ron and Leia were doing the same.
"No, only Mr. Potter is going with me," said McGonagall sternly, all warmth gone from her voice.
"But Professor-" started Ron.
"This is serious, Mr. Weasley! Harry has to come now, and you cannot go with him, nor you, Ms. Granger! Say goodbye now, we don't have much time."
"Good bye? What do you mean?" Harry stared shocked at McGonagall.
"Yes, goodbye, Mr. Potter. The war has started now."
Harry turned to Ron, Leia and Hermione. Was this the last time he saw them? His best friends?
Hermione seemed to think the same, she was already crying. She hugged Harry just as fiercely as he hugged her.
This wasn't happening...
"I'll see you soon," she whispered before kissing him on the cheek.
Harry only needed to look at Ron. Eyes said it all. Best friends. Forever.
"I'll be wanting these back," Harry said as he emptied his pockets for the dungbombs.
And then there was Leia. She just stood there.
"Thank you, Harry Potter," she said, with that same sad smile.
"For what?"
"The first butterbeer I have ever tasted," she whispered. Hermione tried to choke a sob then, but she couldn't do it, and hid her face in Ron's chest.
"See you soon," said Harry with a voice much braver than he thought he could master, before he followed McGonagall. The whole pub watched had watched what had happened. Harry passed many faces he knew. The Creevey brothers. Ginny Weasley. Neville.
He would see them again soon, he told himself. There was no way he was not coming back. No way he was giving up.
He would see them soon, he would see them soon, he would see them soon...
OOO
Harry followed Professor McGonagall out of the pub and into an empty side street. She stopped there, before she took a half-burnt candle out of her pocket and gave it to Harry, though she didn't let go of it.
"We are portkeying to the Headmaster's office," she informed him, while checking her wristwatch. "Any minute now."
A second laterHarry felt the familiar tug behind his navel, before he rushed along side with McGonagall in the flashing lights.
Harry stumbled onto the floor and nearly knocked his head on Dumbledore's desk. The circular room was full of Order members, including Remus Lupin, shabby looking as ever, Tonks, still sporting her pink hair, Mad-Eye Moody, no more body parts missing then the last time Harry had seen him, and Dom Bloom was also present.
But sitting right in front of Harry was Albus Dumbledore. He was staring at Harry from behind his half-moon spectacles.
"What has happened?" asked Harry, cutting it straight to the case.
"Last night, Harry, Lord Voldemort again attacked Azkaban, freeing the last of his supporters. Yet, he does not know that we put a tracking charm on some of them, without their knowledge of course. We know where he is hiding and we will attack as soon as possible, before he can gather even more followers. I trust you know what I am asking of you?"
"That I shall face Lord Voldemort in battle tonight," Harry said, a shiver running down his spine.
"Yes, that is what it means. As you all are aware of," Dumbledore said, now not only looking at Harry, "this is a battle of life and death. Some of us may not live to see another dawn. But remember, death is a gift to men, not a curse. Things are more beautiful because we are doomed. We love stronger because every moment might be our last. I ask for your lives, as I give my own freely." Everyone was silent as the grave.
"There will be some minutes yet till we leave. Prepare yourself in the way you find best. Good luck to you all."
Harry stood there, unable to comprehend what might happen tonight. He might die tonight. He might see his parents and Sirius again tonight.
But the thought didn't bring the relief it usually gave. He didn't want to leave this world, he wanted to live. He wanted to try firewhiskey with Ron, he wanted to watch Ron and Hermione get together. He wanted to get a girlfriend. He wanted to have sex, make love, have children, buy a house, and teach his son how to ride a broom.
At that moment, Harry James Potter, aged 16, decided that he was not going to die, before he had done those things. Which meant, he was not dying tonight. There was no way he would allow that to happen. No bloody way.
Harry was snapped out of his reverie when a hand was put on his shoulder. He looked up at Remus Lupin, werewolf and friend.
"You alright there?" Lupin asked concerned.
"I've had a long time to get used to the thought," Harry said. Lupin didn't seem to like his answer.
"Promise me you wont do anything foolhardy today, Harry, like running after Bellatrix Lestrange. Myself, Tonks and Moody will be circling around you, protecting you from the Death Eaters, trying to get you as close to Voldemort as possible. No, Harry, it is not because we think you can't defend yourself, it is because we care about you," Lupin said as Harry tried to protest.
"You must understand that many of us love you as our own son, Harry, I am one of them. James would have killed us if we let anything happen to you."
"I don't think he would be too happy if I let you die," said Harry back. "Your life is worth as much as mine."
"But it is you that has to go on, Harry. Not me, not even Dumbledore. You have shown time after time that you are braver than few," said Lupin. "You must trust us enough to know that we are brave enough to protect you with our life. We do this freely."
"I don't want anybody to die because of me."
"If there had been anything I could have done to prevent that, I would have. But there isn't, Harry. People will die today. People will die defending you. All you can do is make sure they don't die in vain."
"By killing Voldemort," said Harry. That was the only thing he could do. "I'll try, Lupin, I really will."
A/N: I said I wouldn't make it easy for them...The faster you review, the faster I'll update.
