Chapter 17: The Costume Ball
"I HAVE IT!" Harry suddenly shouted
It was now two weeks before Halloween and the Golden Group was in the Heads Dorm doing homework. Ron had been complaining about how Halloween was never excited, only to be interrupted by Hermione pointing out the troll, Mrs. Norris being petrified, the Fat Lady's flight because Sirius lost his temper with her, and the Goblet of Fire.
"Have what?" Ron asked his best friend.
"Remember from before Hogwarts?" Harry asked his friends (mainly Hermione because she was Muggleborn) "What was usually done on Halloween?"
"Well," Hermione said with a smile as she remembered. "I remember going out with my Dad, house to house…"
"Why?" Ron interrupted.
"Trick-or-Treating" Hermione finished.
"Trick-or-WHAT?" Ginny asked.
"You've NEVER gone trick-or-treating?" Hermione asked the Weasleys.
"I can honestly say I haven't." Harry said. "But Dudley did. Aunt Petunia never allowed me out of the house on Halloween."
"Can you blame her?" Ginny asked. "It was the night...of Voldemort's first defeat."
What she had meant was that is was the night Petunia's sister died.
"I highly doubt THAT was the reason." Harry told his girlfriend.
"Anyways," Ron asked. "What IS Trick or Treating?"
"Every Halloween, Muggle children would dress up in costumes and go house-to-house. They would ring the doorbells and when someone answered, they would say 'Trick or Treat'. Then, the person who lived at the house would give them candy."
"Dudley was never allowed to dress up as anything out of the ordinary. It was always like a pro-wrestlers or something like it." Harry stated. "I remember Aunt Petunia freaking out whenever a kid would dress as a witch. Of course, NOW I understand why. In fact, now that I think about it, a few dressed up like me or my dad. Must have been kids with a muggle parent and a witch or wizard other parent."
"So, what does that have to do with your idea?" Ron asked his best friend.
"Are we going to sneak out and go Trick-or-Treating?" Ginny asked.
"No. We're a little old for that." Harry said.
"You are NEVER too old for Trick-or-Treating." Hermione defended.
"I'm talking about a costume party." Harry said. "The entire school. Teachers, students, EVERYONE dresses up."
"Yeah." Hermione agreed. "My parents have gone to a few costume parties. They love them."
"What do you two think?" Harry asked the two redheads.
"It's brilliant." Ginny said.
"I agree." Ron added. "However, how will we know the Gryffindors from the Slytherins."
"As much as it pains me to say this," Harry said. "But since Dumbledore's always talking about House unity…"
00000
In Dumbledore's office a few minutes later,
"…we feel what better way to ensure that by creating an atmosphere where rival house don't know who they are meeting than by a costume party?" Hermione told the Headmaster.
"An excellent idea." Dumbledore said. "I haven't been to a costume party since Halloween of…1976. That was a really enjoyable party. It's a shame it ended early."
"What happened?" Harry asked nervously.
"It was not Voldemort." Dumbledore informed the Head Boy. "Simply the Grim Reaper appeared with a Grim at his side."
This got the Heads confused.
0000
"Harry?" Ron asked as he waited for his friend to come out of the bathroom
It was Halloween and time for the party.
"I'll be out in a moment." Harry called out.
The door opened and Harry emerged dressed as Godric Gryffindor.
"Wow. That's a convincing look." Ron, dressed as Dracula, said.
"Thanks. Helps with a picture of him hanging in Grandpa's study. Mate, your costume fits you perfectly."
"Check this out." Ron said moving his cape over his face.
POP
A bat was flying where Ron had been.
Harry started laughing
"Ready guys?" Hermione said coming out of her own room dressed as Rowena Ravenclaw (down to the black wig)
"Ready…Rowena." Harry said.
POP
"Wow. You're going to get people thinking you're a Ravenclaw." Ron said eyeing his girlfriend.
"Thanks. You make a good Dracula yourself." Hermione said.
"Thanks."
"There you guys are." Ginny said as she entered dressed as Helga Hufflepuff.
"GINNY?!" the boys exclaimed.
"Yes. Do you like it? I borrowed it from Harry's Mum." Ginny said. "She found it in a secret closet."
"She also found my dress there." Hermione added.
Are you guys ready?" Ginny asked
"I am." Hermione said as the two boys gapped at the redheaded-now blond (thanks to a wig) girl.
"You should have been Slytherin. Then we'd be the Founders." Harry said to Ron.
"Then YOU be Slytherin." Ron said.
"Sorry. Not in my blood."
"But the hat nearly…"
"Let's go!" the girls said each grabbing their boyfriend and dragging them out of the room.
0000
At the party,
"Hey." Ginny said looking at her boyfriend. "Where's your…"
She pointed to his forehead.
His answer was just a wink.
"Oh." She said knowingly. He had used his newfound powers
"You guys WON'T believe this." Ron said as he approached the two.
"What?" they asked.
"We," Hermione said. "Just had a civil conversation with Draco Malfoy."
"Really?" Ginny asked.
"Yeah." Ron said. "We didn't even realize it until he pointed to a pair who were obviously Crabbe and Goyle. He told us that he had to go to them because they were lost without him."
"I TOLD you wearing the wig would be helpful." Harry said.
"An excellent party." A wizard dressed as Merlin said as he came up to the pair.
"Thanks." Harry said. He knew those blue eyes anywhere. The twinkle did not help Albus Dumbledore hide his identity from the boy.
"By the way, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said. "Your mother sent a message."
"What was it?"
"Your father and Godfather went out."
The quartet looked at each other just as the doors swung open.
A hooded man carrying a scythe entered the Great Hall with a large black dog at his side.
"We…" he said in a deep voice. "Are DEATH!"
Lightning flashed as the Grim Reaper announced who he was
"I suspected." Harry heard Dumbledore say under his breath as all the students ran from the Great Hall.
All, that is, except the Golden Group.
"Greetings Death." Harry said sarcastically in his best old English as he walked up to the Grim Reaper. "I am Godric Gryffindor. Now, if thou cans't behave, I am going to have to ask thou to leaveth this festival. Besides, doest thou have a bride? And honestly, Lord Death, thou should not leave her today of all days considering tis thy anniversary."
The Grim Reaper was struck silent at Harry's boldness, but recovered quickly.
"How DARE you speak to Death in this insolent manner?!"
"I've been fighting you since 16 years today, Death." Harry said in his normal voice, still drenched in sarcasm
"Your time has run out, Boy." The Reaper said.
That was the wrong thing to say. Even though Harry knew who the Reaper really was and that he was just joking around, the way how he had addressed him hit a sore spot as he remembered his Uncle.
"I'd advise you to NEVER call me that again." Harry said taking out his wand and pointing it at the Reaper
"Okay. Prank over." Remus said coming out of hiding dressed in a Musketeer costume before it got deadly.
(He had provided the lightning.)
"No it's not." The Reaper said.
"Your son is threatening you, Prongs." Remus pointed out
POP
"You can put the wand down, Harry." Sirius said standing where the Grim was, also in a Musketeer costume.
Harry took a deep breath as he lowered the wand.
"Sorry about that." Harry sighed
The Reaper removed his cloak to reveal James Potter in another Musketeer costume.
(Three Musketeers)
"What gave us away?" James asked interested in what went wrong. (It was originally supposed to scare EVERYONE away)
"Dad." Harry said like it was obvious. "Do you know how many times I've seen Sirius in his animagus form?"
"Told you so." Remus said to James
"I believe it was also you two who crashed the Halloween Party of 1976?" Dumbledore asked the two Marauders.
"Actually it was the three of us." Sirius admitted. "How'd you figure it out?"
James, Remus, and Harry rolled their eyes at the question.
Dumbledore went on to answer Sirius, "I recognized your animagus form after you told me what you did concerning your ability to transform."
"Thanks a lot, Padfoot." James said sarcastically.
"Let me get this straight." Hermione said to the Marauders. "You three snuck out of Hogwarts to a public party, dressed up as the Grim Reaper and the Grim, and scared a bunch of grown witches and wizards?"
"Better." Remus told the girl. "The last time you figured our past out, you got one out of three. This time you got three out of four."
"What?" Ron asked.
"We DID sneak out of Hogwarts." James admitted. "I DID dress up as the Reaper while Padfoot transformed into the Grim-like dog, and we DID scare a bunch of witches and wizards. However, it was not a public party."
At that, James sighed sadly.
"It was his parents' party." Sirius whispered to the kids.
"Oh." The kids said in unison as they understood James' reaction
Suddenly, Harry turned to his friends with a grin on his face.
Hermione paled. She knew that look.
"So, Harry?" Remus asked changing the subject. "Why'd you react the way you did when James was teasing you?"
"Oh." Harry said with a shrug. "Just, the way Dad called me "Boy." It was the same way Uncle Vernon did."
"Vernon never called you by your real name?" James asked in shock.
"Once in a while." Harry said realizing his mistake.
"Padfoot." James said to his best friend. "You and I are going to make a stop on Privet Drive on the way home tonight.
"Dad. It's okay." Harry said trying to cover up.
"No it's not Harry." James said putting a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I know you might think it is, but it's not."
He paused.
"You do know that I would NEVER call you that in real life, right?" James continued. "Heck, if I had known about that, I never would have done it tonight."
"Of course I know, Dad." Harry said. "You love me too much."
"I could never love you too much." James said pulling Harry into a hug.
Suddenly, there was a bright flash in the hall.
TBC
Coming Soon,
"Can you please help us?" the girl with the darker red hair asked. "We seem to be confused."
"May I ask who you are?" Dumbledore asked.
"OMG!" the blond exclaimed. "It's Merlin!"