Woo-Yooo! Chapter 11! Hey I'm filing chapter 11! Anyway, this chapter is a bit of an introduction for the Masquerade Prom; it kinda tells what costumes everyone is wearing. I promise next chapter will have the actual Masquerade. Till then, ciao!

Chapter Eleven

My Eyes Are Turning Yellow

Finally, the day of the Masquerade Prom had arrived. All of the students from fifth year and up (and a good many younger ones) were in a whirlwind of excitement. Under such conditions the teachers found it impossible to have class, and let the students out early. Small tributaries of witches and wizards gushed out of their classrooms into the rushing human tide flowing to their respective Common Rooms to prepare for the Masquerade.

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Ginny examined her reflection carefully. She adjusted the pointy red ears rising from her hair and twirled to make her crimson skirt and fluffy red tail fly out. The young witch smiled pleasantly through her sable mask at the image, then spun around and opened her trunk, rummaged through it till she found the finishing touches for her costume. Turning back to the mirror, Ginny tugged her black gloves on and flopped to the floor, pulling her white tipped tail over her shoulder, so she could pull her black boots over the scarlet tights. This, she thought, will be a night to remember!

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"Ron, you can come out now. We aren't going to laugh at your costume!" Hermione called through the bathroom door.

"Get the heck out of there, Ron. Some of us really gotta pee!" Harry yelled while hopping up and down with his hands between his legs.

"I feel stupid." , was the muffled reply.

"Come out, Ron, please! I picked out that costume myself." Hermione pleaded.

"My eyes are turning yellow here!" Harry began banging his head against the wall.

"I look like an idiot, Hermione! I'm not coming out."

"Pwetty Pwease, Wonny?" Hermione begged.

Harry pantomimed throwing up then kicked the door and bellowed, "Ron Weasely, get your stupid &!$ out here before my bladder explodes!"

"Nuh-uh."

"That's it! You're goin' down, Weasely!" Harry stepped back to get a running head start, but before he could ram into the door, the window exploded, and Professor Logan swung through the window frame.

"Did somebody need a door opened?" The Professor asked while flicking broken glass off of his shoulder.

"Err…Well, I was going to take care of it, but since you're here…" Harry trailed off.

"Right-o. Stand back kids, I'm a professional." Logan sprinted to the bathroom door and twisted to hit it with his shoulder. The door opened just as he was about to hit it and Logan went flying headfirst into the toilet. Ron gaped.

From the bowl came the sound of someone gargling, "Thaaat didnn't woooork!"

"What the heck was that? I heard a crash and then…" Ron shook his head. "Never mind, I don't want to know."

"Oh, Ron, you look…great!" Hermione said with pained enthusiasm.

Ron hung his head and a large floppy pink ear fell in his face. He swatted at it with a pink fuzzy paw.

"Hermione, I just want you to know that it was you who destroyed my manhood. Now, excuse me while I go hang myself."

"Ok have fun." Harry was almost a blur as he rushed to the bathroom.

"Ron, you look fine. And to show you what a good sport I am, I'll let you choose my costume!" Hermione said as cheerfully as possible.

Professor Logan stumbled out of the bathroom and said, "Now…now, whi-whi-which one of you…is Paul MMMMcCartney? Don…Don't be shy." He then collapsed and Ron began half-heartedly nudging him with a furry pink boot.

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An hour later, Ginny practically skipped down the stairs to the Common Room, her red tail waving behind her. Harry, Arwen, Hermione, and a very sour looking Ron were already assembled there.

"Mmm. That's a good look for you, Ron. You should dress as a pink bunny more often." Ginny snickered.

"So the Vixen is showing her true colors, eh?" Ron shot back.

Ginny ignored that and turned to Harry, who had a blue wizard's hat on his head, a blue mask, and a long blue cylinder wrapped around his body. His arms stuck out of holes cut in the sides at almost right angles. Arwen was wearing the same thing except in green.

"What are you?" Ginny asked incredulously.

"We're crayons!" Harry and Arwen shouted together.

In unison, Hermione and Ginny said, "As soon as we get there, I don't know you."

Ginny then turned to look at Hermione's costume. A frighteningly pink wig was perched on her head, accenting her glow-in-the-dark plastic vampire fangs and black mask. Hermione's shirt was black with red and black stripped sleeves, perfectly matching her knee-length black skirt. The last touch was oversized black biker boots that came up to the middle of the witch's calves.

Hermione mumbled something about, "…never let Ron pick my costume again…"

Ron mumbled something along the lines of, "…wonder if it's possible to Avra Kedavra yourself…" (Ron meant Avada Kedavera. Avra Kedavra unclogs drains.)

Harry and Arwen were doing sickeningly cute things, like rubbing noses, and calling each other horrible nicknames, like Muffin and Hare-bear.

Ginny decided to leave before she puked. She crawled out the portrait hole and ran down the stairs to the Entrance Hall, where lots of costumed guests from Hogsmeade and the surrounding areas were milling around. Ginny was looking for one person in particular (if you can't guess you're a rutabaga), but nowhere did she see the costume that he had told her he would wear. Then, she saw him; he was dressed resplendently in a hooded black robe with a plastic mask that looked like a ghost going "OOOOO" (like the kind you can buy at the drugstore). Ginny practically floated over to him and grabbed his hand. He squeezed hers back.

Ginny rested her head on Tom's shoulder and said, "You look good in black."

"Pff! I should, you know the whole 'evil overlord' thing." Tom's laugh was muffled by his mask, "You look pretty good yourself."

"Do I look foxy?"

"Very."

Wink wink, nudge nudge.