Chapter Seventeen: Halloween

Ron was still in a bad mood with Hermione the next day. He barely talked to her all though Herbology, even though he, Harry and Hermione were working together on the same Puffapod.

"How's Scabbers?" Hermione asked timidly, as they stripped fat pink pods from the plant and emptied them the shining beans into a wooden pail.

"He's hiding at the bottom of my bed, shaking," said Ron angrily, missing the pail and scattering beans over the greenhouse floor.

"Careful, Weasly, careful!" cried Professor Sprout, as the beans burst into bloom before their very eyes. Jack laughed which awarded him with cleaning it up.

They had Transfiguration next. Harry, who was planning what he was going to say to Professor McGonagall for his case to go to Hogsmeade with the others, was distracted, however, by a disturbance at the front of the line.

Lavender Brown seemed to be crying. Parvati had her arm her, and was explaining something Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomson, who looked very serious.

"What's the matter, Lavender?" asked Hermione anxiously, as she Harry, Ron and Jack went to join the group.

"She got a letter from home this morning," Parvati whispered. "It's her rabbit, Binky. He's been killed by a fox."

"Oh" said Hermione "I'm sorry, Lavender."

"I should have known!" said Lavender tragically. "You know what today is?"

"Er –"

"The sixteenth of October! 'That thing you're dreading, it will happen on the sixteenth of October!' Remember? She was right, she was right!"

The whole class was gathered around Lavender now. Seamus shook his head seriously. Hermione hesitated; then she said, "You –you were dreading Binky being killed by a fox?"

'Hermione please do not do what I think you're doing.' thought Jack.

"Well, not necessarily by a fox," said Lavender, looking up at Hermione with streaming eyes, "but I was obviously dreading him dying, wasn't I?"

"Oh," said Hermione. She paused again. Then –

"Was Binky an old rabbit?"

"N-no" sobbed Lavender. "H-he was only a baby!"

Parvati tightened her arm around Lavender's sholders.

"But then, why would you dread him dying?" asked Hermione.

Jack and Parvati glared at her.

"Well, look at it logically," said Hermione, turning to the rest of the group. "I mean, Binky didn't even die today, did he, Lavend–" she didn't get to finish as Jack hit her quite hard on the head with his staff, frost formed lightly on her hair. "What was that for I was just pointing out the -"

"Will you shut UP!" he said angrily, as the wind raped around him in his anger, making him look quite dangers. "You're just making it worse. I don't care about your hate for Professor Trelawney, and your view on what she teaches. You never ever upset another house mate.

"Lavender's rabbit was not only her pet, but her friend and family member! And you are disgracing his memory." He turned his back on Hermione and slowly sat down next to Lavender. Hermione was shocked at the anger she just revived from Jack, as no-one had seen him snap like that, he didn't even snap at Malfoy like that when he saved him from Buckbeak.

Ron looked at Hermione "You don't think that other people's pets matter very much do you?"

"Hey, forget about them, okay, I get it." He said as he wiped a tear off her cheek, as Hermione and Ron were looking close to fighting. "I bet Binky would want you to cry because he's dead, he'd want you to smile and laugh at the memories of good and fun times you had with him."

Lavender looked at Jack with a small smile as she remembered a fun time she had with her pet rabbit. He gave one back. Neither Jack, Lavender nor Parvati noticed that the classroom door had opened nor the presence of Professor McGonagall, but Ron and Hermione had.

"You have the memories of all the fun and good times. He wouldn't want you to be sad. You can't worry about the; has been, you got to live in the here and now. And remembering the good times will help you move on." He sighed and leaned back against the wall. "At lest you have the memories, because I didn't."

"What do you mean?" asked Lavender looking at him with curiosity.

"I woke up from a coma with no memory, all I could remember that my name was Jack. My love for winter gave me the name Jack Frost form the doctors, after three months of being shipped around I ended up on the streets, with just a name; Jack Frost.

"It's only that past year I started to remember." He shook his head sadly "I was on the streets from the age of six. I was twelve when North and Tooth took me in. Six years I was out on the streets for six years with no memory of life before I woke up in a hospital bed. So you're lucky you have the memory of your friends and family."

"I'm sorry." Lavender whispered.

"Don't be" Jack shrugged "I have a new family. Like I said you can't worry about the; what could have be."

"Well I guess I should be thanking you then."

"Don't I was just doing what was right."

"And you just gained twenty-five points for Gryffindor." The new voice made Jack, Lavender and Parvati jump; they looked up to see Professor McGonagall looking down at them with a small warm smile.

Lavender made Jack sit next to him for the lesion. Ron and Hermione on the other hand seated themselves either side of Harry, and didn't talk to each other all lesson.

Harry still hadn't decided what he was going say to professor McGonagall when the bell rang at the end of the lesson, but it was she who bought up the subject of Hogsmeade first.

"One moment, please!" she called, as the class made to leave. "As you're all in my house, you should have Hogsmeade permission forms to me before Hallowe'en. No forms, no visiting the village, so don't forget!"

Neville put up his hand.

"Please, Professor, I –I think I've lost –"

"Your grandmother sent yours to me directly, Longbottom," said Professor McGonagall. "She seemed to think it was safer. Well, that's all, you may leave."

"Ask her now," Ron hissed at Harry, as Jack walked past.

"Good luck" Jack said quietly, putting his hand on Harry shoulder briefly, before he was dragged out by Lavender and Parvati.

Unfortunately Harry didn't get the answers he was hoping for.

There was nothing tjat could be done. Ron called Professor McGonagall a lot of names that greatly annoyed Hermione; Hermione assumed an 'all for the best' expression that made Ron even more angrier, and Harry had to endure everyone in the class talking loudly and happily about what they were going to do first, once they got into Hogsmeade.

"There's always the feast," said Ron, in effort to cheer Harry up "You know, the Hellowe'en feast, in the evening."

"Yeah," said Harry, gloomily, "great"

The Halloween feast was always good, but it would taste a lot better if he was coming to it after a day in Hogsmeade with everyone else. Nothing anyone said made him feel better about being left behind. Percy had what were possibly the least helpful words of comfort.

"They make a fuss about Hogsmeade, but I assure you, Harry, it's not all cracked up to be," he said seriously. "All right, the sweetshop's rather good, but Zonko's Joke Shop's frankly dangerous, and yes, the Shrieking Shack's always worth a visit, but really, Harry, apart from that, you're not missing anything."

Jack did get a small smile out of him.

"At lest you don't have to pass the Dementors again."

On Halloween morning, Jack pulled a massive prank on the Weasly Twins. Using his knowledge of; knowing Hallow Eve the spirit of Halloween himself. Jack ended up scaring them quite a lot, with ice demons of his creation. Jacks laughter could be heard all though the Gryffindor tower after the Twins screamed it down, that is.

Ron and Hermione had seemed to forget about their squabble about Crookshanks in the face of Harry's disappointment about not able to go to Hogsmeade, and promised him sweets from Honeydukes.

When Sandy was cheeking something out for that night, Jack and Aster gave out Aster's handmade chocolate to anyone who was going to Hogsmeade in the Entrance Hall, where Filch, the caretaker, was standing inside the front doors. He was checking off names against a long list, peering suspiciously into every face, and making sure no one was sneaking out who shouldn't be going.

Jack nibbled one of the Easter Eggs Aster gave to him when they were coming up to the Dementors, as the three of them walked down the main street, keeping an eye out on the students. The little town was a picturesque with its little thatched Cottages and Shops.

"This place looks so well… magical when it snows" Jack said with a smile.

"Magical? Really?"

"I couldn't think of another word … um you know Christmas cards with the snow covered villages."

"Yeah I know em'" Aster grumbled as Sandy laughed.

"Well it looks like that." Jack said as he finished the egg. "Those were different from the chocolate we gave out this morning wasn't it?"

"Um… yeah they were, after all ya not like the others Frostbite."

"Thanks. So…" Jack said lowing his voice "What have we go so far?"

"Not much, Sandy and I know about Lupin and we know it's not him. Snape was a likely suspect until North found out he is keeping an eye out for quite a few students and some aren't Snakes."

Sandy nodded agreeing what Aster was saying.

"I think it might be the Dementors," Jack said.

Sandy and Aster nodded "Yeah we thought about that too, but it might be to do with Sirius Black as well… but that doesn't add up with what we know about him."

Jack watched, Ron and Hermione leaving Honeydukes with arm fills of sweets for Harry. "How long did Manny say the shadow has been over Hogwarts?"

"He didn't. Why?"

"Just thinking"

"About what?"

"We may be looking at this all in wrong way, and there may be more than one."

"JACK, ASTER, SANDY!" Two voices called out together, but sounded like one voice. The three turned to see the Weasley Twins running towards them.

"G'day mates, where's the fire?"

"What?" they asked in confusion.

Aster rolled his eyes; of course they wouldn't understand what he just said.

"It's an Australian greeting, 'G'day' means 'Good Day'. And 'where's the fire' is their way asking 'why the rush?'" said Jack simply.

"Oh" said Fred "well were just wondering if you don't mind if we take your little brother for a while?"

They looked at Aster and Sandy. Sandy and Aster looked at each other and shrugged. Sandy made a clock above his head and moved the minute hand around to show two hour passing than three broomsticks.

"Really?" asked Jack eagerly he quite enjoyed hanging out with the Twins.

"Um… what he say?" asked George.

"He can go. But you have to meet us at The Three Broomsticks in two hour." Said Aster with a shrug that said; who I am to disagree.

"Sweet! Come on we have to show you Zonko's." said Fred as he gabbed Jacks left hand as George gabbed his other hand and dragging him to the joke shop.

Aster and Sandy gave a smile and wave to Jack, who responded by sticking out his tong out at them.

Jack followed Ron and Hermione to the common room, as he was nibbling on another Easter Egg. Moving the small back-pack which had a thermos full of Butterbeer knowing Ron and Hermione had forgotten to get some for Harry.

Harry was sitting in an armchair away from the first years.

"There you go," said Ron. He duped a shower of brilliantly coloured sweets into Harry's lap. "We got as much as we could carry."

"Thanks," said Harry, picking up a packet of tiny black Pepper lmps. "What's Hogsmeade like? Where did you go?"

That was a poorly thought out question as they told Harry everything. Hermione went on and on about the post office, and their hundreds of owls they had, and the ogre in Three Broomsticks.

"Wish we could brought you some Butterbeer" said Ron looking down cast. "It really warms you up."

"Well lucky I thought about that." Jack said coming up to them going through his back-pack. "Here we are."

He brought out the thermos and handed it to Harry. "I'll catch you later I'm going to have a nap before the feast, I'm exhausted The Twins dragged me all over Hogsmeade." He turned and left though the portrait hole.

"Where's he going?" asked Ron, "Didn't he say he was going to have a nap?"

"Hufflepuff common room" said Hermione with an eye roll. "So what did you do, Harry? Did you get any homework done?"

"No" said Harry. "Lupin made me a cup of tea in his office. And Snape came in…"

He told them that Lupin didn't let him face the Boggart because he didn't want the Boggart to become Lord Voldemort, and that shortly afterwards, Snape came in with a mysterious potion for Lupin. After Ron and Hermione debated if Snape was poisoning Lupin. As they made it to the Great Hall of the feast.

The hall had been decorated with hundreds and hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of fluttering live bats and many flaming orange streamers, which were swimming lazily across the stormy ceiling like brilliant water snakes.

The food was delicious; even Hermione and Ron, who were full to bursting with Huneydukes sweets managed second helpings of everything.

Just before deserts were severed there was a huge gust of wind that blew out every candle-filled pumpkin and the touches, making the hall almost pitch black. Nothing like this has ever happened before, normally the ghosts put on a show after the feast, but the blackout was new. The students looked around trying to work out what was going on. The teachers looked on with confusion. There was a swirl of light in the each of corners of the hall, and then the laughter started. It was animal like with the growl in the laughter, no-one could pick out who it was laughing. North looked on with interest he knew that laugh but couldn't pick it out, but he did know it wasn't dangerous whoever it was.

Then the voices started.

"The last harvest has ended," said the first, it was ruff and scratchy, but the mischief couldn't be masked in his voice.

"Winter is coming, and you haven't played your respect to us," Said the second, it was ruff as well and was trying to force down an accent. Still no-one knew who it was. Lights started to flicker on and off around the room.

"Muggles pay their respect. Their children dress up and go house to house collecting sweet things for us." said the first.

"If they do not collect they pay tricks, which pleases us, but you haven't for many years. So your harvest shall perish." the second cut over the first. There was a glow of gold and blue and in the middle of the hall was a demon. It was at least eight foot and looked like it made from glass and gold. Lights kept flickering around the hall, and it got very cold. Most students screamed. Fred and George looked at the demon as it looked around and walked forward before they realized why it looked familiar and smiled. The Prince of Mischief was at work here. The demon exploded with a shower of snow and golden sand. The swirl of lights came back with the animal like laughter echoed though the hall again as the lights collapsed and the touches flickered back to life.

Too bad there was an elf standing in the middle of the hall with a lantern in his hands.

"Dingle?" said North surprised before understanding set in. He flicked his eyes over the Gryffindor table before looking over the Hufflepuff table. He couldn't spot the boys. He looked down the table at Toothiana who nodded and pointed to the clinging and then to the back corner, where he could make out a shadow of two long ears.

"Sanderson Mansnoozie, E. Aster Bunnymund and Jackson Frost, you come out here this instance!" called Toothiana firmly.

"Dam how did we ge… ar crap!" Aster walked out of the shadows, he had changed back to his wizard form and now giving Dingle a look he only gave to Jack when he wanted to get him back for a prank but couldn't.

"All three of you!" Toothiana said looking up to the rafters. Everyone looked up as Jack and Sandy popped their heads out from the rafter they were sitting on. Sandy looked a Jack with a shrug and jumped. Jack jumped after him staff in one hand, which was still bandaged, and grasped one of Sandy's with the other. They landed next to Aster. Dingle came running to Jack and looked up at him with an apologising look on his face.

"Couldn't make it to Phil or one of the others in time?" Jack asked, Dingle nodded, Jack sighed. "Well not everything will work out as planned."

"I can't believe you convinced Aster and Sandy to help you in this." Toothiana said to Jack.

Jack gave a laugh as he looked though his pockets for a spare snow- globe. "I wasn't the mastermind this time Tooth, I just put it together. I'm waiting for something more ... well me."

"It was my idea. Came up with it after I found out not many knew what Halloween was about." Said Aster with a smirk. "Jack just got it to work."

"If we were home all three of you would be grounded, but since its school you all have detention." Toothiana said which wiped off there smiles.

"At least it not just me," Jack said than shrugged. "It was fun and it worked so I'm happy." He bought out a snow globe and looked down at Dingle. "Come on Dingle let's get you home."

Jack run out of the hall with a laugh, and the elf Dingle hot on his heels, Dingle's arms were full of cookies.

After 'The Guardian Brothers' –as the teachers and class mates have dubbed them –prank the feast had run normally. The feast finished with the entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts. They popped out walls and tables to do a spot of formation gliding; Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost, had a great success with re-enactment of his own botched beheading.

It had been a really good evening that everyone enjoyed. Jack followed the rest of his house along the usual path to GryffindorTower, with his mind on what he saw when he was returning Dingle back to the Santoff Claussen. A big black shaggy dog, he believed that he has seen before in the past thirty years. When he reached the corridor which ended with the portrait of the Fat Lady, he found it was jammed with students.

"Why isn't anyone going in?" asked the voice of Ron behind him. The Golden Three had come up the stairs behind him.

Harry peered over the heads in front of him, as Jack took to the air to get a better look. The portrait seemed to be closed.

"Let me though, please," came Percy's voice, and he came bustling importantly though the crowd. "What's the hold-up here? You can't all have forgotten the password –excuse me, I'm Head Boy –"

And then silence fell over the crowd, from first, so that a chill seemed to spread down the corridor. They heard Percy say, in a suddenly sharp voice, "Someone get Professor Dumbledore. Quick!"

"On it." called Jack as he let the wind take him as fast as he could in the castle, to find the Professor. People's heads turned; those at the back were standing on tip-toe.

The next moment, Professor Dumbledore was there, sweeping towards the portrait; the Gryffindors squeezed together to let him through, and Harry, Ron and Hermione moved closer to see what the trouble was.

"Oh, my –" Hermione exclaimed and grabbed Harry's arm.

The Fat Lady had vanished from her portrait, which had been slashed so viciously that strips of canvas littered the floor; great chunks of it had been torn away completely.

Dumbledore took one quick look at the ruined painting and turned, his eyes sombre, to see Professors McGonagall, Lupin, Sanpe, North and Toothiana hurrying towards him.

"We need to find her," said Dumbledore. "Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."

"You'll be lucky!" said a cackling voice. It was Peeves the poltergeist, bobbing over the crowd, next to Jack, Peeves looked delighted, as he always did, at the sight of wreckage or worry.

"What do you mean, Peeves?" asked Dumbledore calmly, and Peeves' grin faded a little. He didn't dare taunt Dumbledore. Instead he adopted an oily voice that was no better than his cackle.

"Ashamed, Your Headship, sir. Doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful," he said happily. "Poor thing," he added, unconvincingly.

"Did she say who did it?" said Dumbledore quietly.

"Oh, yes, Professor-head," said Peeves, with the air of one cradling a large bombshell in his arms. "He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see." Peeves flipped over, and grinned at Dumbledore from between his own legs. "Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."

Hope you guys injoyed it untill next time

-Doublesims