Disclaimer: I wrote this when I was 12 to 13 in 2003. Harry Potter is hereby © to J.K. Rowling. Everything else is © to me, or its respective owners.

Chapter Twenty: The Ravenclaw's Party

Akira was rushing about in her dormitory. She checked her invitation to see what was required to be worn.

"'Guests are to wear nothing drab or boring. Muggle dance/party dress. No fancy stuff. We're not hosting a dinner party! This is a dance party, with lots of illegal items that wouldn't be allowed past Filch…or even our head of house!'" Akira read aloud.

She furrowed her brow about the 'illegal items' part, but shrugged it off as she opened her wardrobe and furiously started taking clothes off of their hangers. After about half an hour later, she finally decided on a black halter top (that exposed a lot of the skin on her stomach) with tight khaki capris, and black high heels. She put on pale red and gold eye shadow and ruby red lipstick. She looked at herself in the mirror. She liked how her shirt showed off her body, and she liked how her make-up made her look elegant, yet mysterious. She liked how her capris made her look thinner, and how her shoes made her legs look longer. She was about to walk out the door, when she tripped on her heels.

"Maybe I should make them a little shorter…" Akira said, blushing.

With a tap of her wand, the heel lowered by half an inch. This time when Akira walked in them she didn't trip or fall. Once she was sure she wouldn't fall over, she exited her dormitory and saw Liam was waiting outside the door for her. He took one look at her, and just kept staring.

"Umm…Mez? Earth to Mez! Hello! Can you read me?!" Akira asked, waving a hand in front of Mez's face.

He snapped out of his trance quickly. Ginny, Nick, Alicia, and Angela joined them.

"Going to the Ravenclaw party?" Alicia asked.

Akira and Liam nodded.

"So are we. We'll go together." Ginny said.

"Where's Kira and Katherine?" Akira asked.

"Both of them will be waiting for us when we get there." Nick answered.

No one said a word after that. All of them (except Akira) were confused. They couldn't figure out the directions to the Ravenclaw tower. After five minutes of standing in the hallway waiting for Angela to reread the directions, Akira sighed.

"Oh for god's sake! Follow me!" She said annoyed.

"You know the way?" Nick asked.

"Of course I do!" Akira replied.

"How?!" Ginny, Angela, Alicia, and Nick wondered.

"Honestly! My sister was in Ravenclaw! You really don't think I wouldn't visit her every so often? She told me how to get there…what's the password?" Akira answered.

"It says here it's 'Arithmancy'" Angela said, reading the parchment invitation.

Akira nodded and led them down two flights of stairs, turned right, left, right again, up a thin spiral staircase and found themselves in front of a large portrait of a maiden in a midnight blue gown with soft black locks that flowed down her back. The woman in the portrait was reading a book.

"Hello Rowena." Akira said brightly.

Rowena looked up from her book and smiled.

"It's been a while since I've seen you Miss Chang. I assume you're here for the party?" Rowena asked.

"Yes." Akira replied.

"Well, I know we know each other, but it's my job to ask you…Password?"

"Arithmancy."

Rowena's portrait swung forward, and a roar of sound reached their ears. The group of them stepped inside and someone pressed a bottle of butterbeer into their hands. Music was blaring in their ears, and everyone was dancing. It was unlike any party Akira had been to. (Ginny was taking several swigs of her butterbeer, and dancing with several boys. She looked rather tipsy.) Akira took a sip of her butterbeer, then instantly spat it out.

"Ugh! Gross! This isn't butterbeer…it's tequila!" She muttered.

"Hey it looks like we've got an anti-alcoholic!" a boy shouted, pointing at Akira.

"Yeah! She's not drinking the wonderful beverages we've supplied for her!" said another.

Akira rolled her eyes, and went to the corner of the room where a makeshift bar had been set up. Several boys were sitting on barstools around her, and were glancing at her interestedly while smoking their cigarettes or joints. Akira rubbed her forehead and tried to make her migraine go away.

'This party…it's just way out of hand! They disguised tequila in butterbeer bottles, there's so much noise and music, and they've got a bar, with lots of crack heads sitting around, looking at me…and smoking their weed or whatever…Cho and Tai would so kill me if they knew this was the party I was at…I'd probably be murdered on the spot…' She thought to herself.

The bartender walked over to her.

"What can I get for you?" He asked.

"You got any foreign stuff?" Akira asked.

"Like what?"

"You know, like, different kinds of alcoholic drinks from around the world."

"Oh yes."

"Good."

"So what would you like?"

"Sake."

"Coming right up!"

He set down a small glass and took out a bottle and poured it in and set it in front of Akira. She downed it all in one gulp. It took effect immediately, and her migraine went away. Liam soon walked over to her and sat down in an empty seat.

"Hey Aki, are you alright?" He asked.

Akira poured herself another glass then took a few sips of it then set it down on the counter and turned to Liam.

"No Mez. I'm not alright. That's why I'm going to sit at this god forsaken bar all night getting wasted." Akira replied.

"Now you aren't going to do that! Come on! Let's dance!" Liam said, pulling Akira to her feet.

"Oh alright…"

The two got onto the dance floor, and Akira noticed that the group of friends she came with were already intoxicated. Ginny was dancing but tipping over, Nick and Kira were laughing and swaying, Angela and Alicia were sitting in a corner, not really drunk yet, mostly sober, and they were talking to each other, yelling over the music.

After a while, Angela and Alicia walked over to Liam and Akira.

"Hey! We're leaving! We're going to miss the feast if we don't! And we're starved! So we'll see you later!" Alicia shouted, to be heard over the roaring music.

"Ok! See you!" Akira yelled in reply.

The two girls pushed open the back of the portrait and walked out.

After Angela and Alicia left, the next few hours went by in a blur. More and more students were arriving for the party, making the dance floor cramped. Everyone was dancing closer than liked to the others in the room. The sky grew dark, then lightened later on. Akira and Liam had to drag Nick out of the Ravenclaw common room. Kira barely made it to her dormitory…

The two supported Nick for most of the walk back to Gryffindor tower, but a little while later, Nick assured them he could walk on his own. The three walked as quickly as they could, and reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. She was asleep in her frame. Akira cleared her throat loudly. The Fat Lady woke with a start.

"What're you doing out this late?!" She snapped.

"None of your business. Celandine Valor." Akira replied dully.

The portrait swung forward and the three of them walked in. Staring at her was Cho and her brother. Both looking very furious. Akira stepped forward slowly and tried to make a break to her dormitory.