Two months passed and it was the last week of October. Halloween week. Just days before Dumbledore told the school that this week was going to be special. That there will be tricks and treats. That each day will have a special event and Friday there will be a costume party
The trio couldn't wait. They noticed that Dumbledore also put up a list on what will happen.
This is what it said:
HALLOWEEN WEEK
MONDAY- CREATURE FEATURE
Halloween favorites (ex: vampires, demons) will hang around the school to answer or ask questions and check out what happens around here.
TUESDAY and WENESDAY: Murder Massacre
Each house will have a murder, victims, and a detective. A person will drop "dead" and the detectives will have to find the murderer. Clues will be given, and once the murderer in each house is reveled the victims will be alive again.
THURSDAY: STUDY OF WICCA.
FRIDAY: COSTUME PARTY
Harry couldn't believe it. Finally a fun week with no homework and no classes! Or that's what he thought.
Monday started off normal. Everyone got up, exchanged greetings, and carried on the "normal" routine. That is... until they hit the great hall.
When Harry walked in he noticed the Great Hall was pitch black. Candles lit up everywhere and the tables had food, but not exactly normal food. When Harry looked closer he noticed in addition to regular food on the table, there was blood and other unrecognizable things. Just then Hermione walked up behind Harry and got his attention. She pointed up at the staff table.
There were a demon and kittens there!
Harry turned to Hermione. "What in God's name are those?"
"They're demons."
Harry looked at Hermione strangely. "Yes, I know that, but what are they doing?"
Hermione's face went from an amused look to a disgusted one. "There playing poker and the kittens are the chips." She said as they walked up to the high table and watched them. Both noticed that the demons were playing regular poker, but with the kittens. Just like Hermione said.
Then Harry felt something at the bottom of his leg. It was a kitten trying to claw him. Harry bent down and scooped up the pure black kitten and took her. She is a pretty thing, he thought. Harry also noticed that she had the same color eyes as himself. Harry glanced over at the distracted demons, then stuck the kitten in his backpack. He turned to Hermione. "Let's go now."
Hermione looked at Harry peculiarly.
"Why?"
"Cause. Let's go."
"No, I want to watch this." Hermione said and she turned back to the game.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Trust me. We have to go now. I'll tell you later." He said when he noticed that Hermione was going to argue.
They made their way out of the Great Hall without looking back, but they did hear a shout of a Furera demon asking where his black kitten was because it was a thousand dollar chip.
Harry and Hermione kept on walking until they hit the DA room, and noticed that Sirena, Audrey, Darla, and Ron were in there.
Ron looked at his friends. "Hey, what's up?" he asked.
Hermione turned to Harry. "Yeah, what is up? I wanted to see that game."
Darla smiled. "The demon poker game. That is interesting isn't it?" she asked Hermione.
Harry shot them all a glare and then pulled out a black kitten. "This is what's up." He stated.
Hermione jaw dropped. "You took the black kitten."
"Well I couldn't just leave it."
Sirena shook her head. "That's so cute; Harry Potter has a sensitive side. How romantic."
Harry looked at Sirena. "Shush, you."
Just then a dark hair man walked though the door.
"Sirena, girls we need to..." He trailed off when he noticed that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in the room.
"talk." He finished softly. His gaze didn't linger off Harry.
Darla cleared her throat.
"Um, Harry, Ron, Hermione. Leave the kitten." Harry opened his mouth just to interrupt her. "No leave the cat in case you are caught. By any chance, do you have a name for it?"
Harry thought for a minute and said "Eclipse."
"Alright, I'll take care of Eclipse and you all run off now."
Harry, Ron and Hermione scooted out of the room, but a few seconds later Harry popped his head back into the room.
"Who are you?" Harry asked the new comer.
The man smiled. "My name is Nicholas Shade."
Harry looked over "Nicholas Shade" over.
"Very original." He snickered.
Darla pushed Harry's head out the door and then locked it.
"Ha-ha" she muttered and walked over to the desk and leaned against it.
"What do you what, James?" Darla asked.
James turned his head to Darla. "What?"
"I said, why are you here?"
James looked at Darla and then at Sirena and Audrey. He let out a sigh and picked up his son Harry's kitten. He looked at over and began petting it, Eclipse purred. She was pleased that her master's father understood that she wanted to be petted.
"Eclipse," James murmered thoughtfully, "That's a good name. That's a kind of name Lily would have thought of."
Sirena rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe James wasn't answering the question. In fact he refused to say anything; he was just petting that damn cat. "Like father, like son," she thought.
"James?…Nicholas Shade?"
James looked up at Sirena and sighed again, shrugging his shoulders. "Nicholas was my father's name, Shade, my mother's maiden name. I had tell him something. I don't think he bought it though. He knows something's up. He's too smart not to."
He smiled warmly. "He is my son, afterall." The girls nodded.
"Why did you risk coming here anyway?" Sirena demanded.
"Voldemort is going to attack Hogwarts." He finally said.
"What?" The girls cried in alarm. James rolled his eyes.
"Yes, he is. He plans to attack Friday."
"But, that's the ball. "Audrey stammered.
Sirena took over, just then.
"Darla, go tell Dumbledore. Explain everything and I mean everything. Audrey, go to the library and see if you can find more wards. James, go home now. See if you can find anything to wake Lily out of her coma. We are going to need her. The week will go as planned. Understood?"
Everyone nodded at this.
"Good. Also, we won't tell Harry."
James glared at Sirena.
"Why not?" he glowed.
Sirena glanced at James.
"James," she began. "How would you feel if four days before Voldemort attacked, if someone told you your parents were alive and three of your aunts. Also, that if your parents were alive, it means you didn't have to live with your muggle aunt and uncle that hate you."
James face saddened at that. If he found that out he'd be pissed. Then he smiled sheepishly. "Good point. We shall deal with that hopefully later on."
Sirena nodded her head. "Now, everyone, go now and keep your stories."
Chapter 16: The Dead and The Restless
As the days passed, Halloween week got weirder and weirder. Unfortunately, for the Gryffindors it was more bizarre then normal.
Tuesday, the Gryffindors had Potions Class for no reason. Some say it is part of the day; others thought Dumbledore made them go because too many pranks were going on, though in quiet whispers other speculated it was part of the massacre that was going to happen. One thing is for sure, it was torture for them.
As Ron, Harry, and Hermione sat down Snape strolled into the room.
"As you know you have Potions Class today," Snape sneered at them. "I, like yourselves, had been under the impression that classes were called for the day. Why the change, I have no idea. However, for our mutual torture, I'm pairing you all up. So listen closely, the pairs will be... Amanda Brown and Granger; Lavender Brown with Longbottom; Weasley and Potter; Dean Tomas with Seamus. Begin! You have an hour to finish the Mercury Potion."
Right then and there Hermione Granger raised her hand.
"Sir, what is the Mercury Potion?"
Snape glared at Hermione. "So, Miss Know-it-all Granger doesn't know everything after all. For your information, and my waste of breath, the Mercury potion can tell temperature. When the ingredients are added correctly. The potion is a thick, watery silver, but if not, the potion blows up and I have to decontaminate the room. So stop asking questions and begin!"
Hermione shrunk back and started her potion.
"Don't worry. He's not always like this, it's an act."
Hermione turned to her partner. "What?" she asked.
Amanda smiled. "Yup, it's all an act. I found out when I spent a couple of weeks here for the summer."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Great, so the man that acts like he has PMS and a broom stuffed up his arse, is really a fluffy bunny."
Amanda let out a snort of laughter. "No, but he's a lot calmer. Um, we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Amanda Brown." She said, and then she stuck out her hand.
"Hermione Granger." Hermione said while shaking Amanda's hand.
"Oh, yes I know. "said Amanda. "You're quite famous for being the friend of Harry Potter."
Hermione gave her a little smile. "So, are you any relation to Lavender?"
Amanda gave a snort. "Yeah, she's my second cousin. As you can tell there's very little resemblance between us."
"Yeah, I know." said Hermione, as she added in two drops of liquid silver to the potion. "You have blonde hair, and blue eyes, also, you're taller then she is. The only resemblance between you two are the eyes."
"Yeah, yeah. People think because we are cousins we should look semi related." said Amanda with a grin, but she wasn't paying attention to the potion. Right after Hermione added the liquid silver, Amanda added the cobra venom, before Hermione could stir it. Just then the potion exploded over everything.
Snape stood up. "Everyone out." He screamed in a murderous rage. The Gryffindors
ran as fast as they could.
As they made their way back to the common room, Hermione noticed that she had a little bit of silver liquid on her hand. She just entered when she heard her name being called behind her.
"Hermione, wait up."
Hermione turned around and sat on the red pushy Gryffindor couch as Amanda showed up and sat next to her.
"I'm really sorry for screwing up the potion." Amanda said.
Hermione shook her head. "It's ok. It was a boring potion anyway. Friends?" Hermione held out her hand, not noticing it was the one with potion residue on it. Amanda shook it.
"Thanks." She said.
Just then Corkshanks jumped up on to Amanda's lap. Amanda sneezed as corkshanks tail flipped into Amanda's face. Hermione grabbed her cat off Amanda.
"What's the matter?"
"Nothing." Amanda said as her eyes got runnier. "Excuse me." She said and then she left. Harry plopped down next to Hermione, "So what's up."
Just then the lights went out and pitch blackness ensued. After that, a high pitch scream echoed throughout the tower. The lights then came back on. Most of the Gryffindor students were in the common room. Right in the center of the room was Amanda lying on the floor pale white. She was "dead".
"Students, please come to the great hall." Dumbledore's voice echoed throughout the school.
Not sure what to do the students got up and made their way to the great hall and sat down.
Dumbledore stood up and clapped his hands. "Now we are all here, it's time. Each house has someone "dead" in it. For Ravenclaw, it's Josh Greens, a sixth year. For Slytherin, its Draco Malfoy." At that, the entire Gryffindor tower roared into cheers and claps. Some even bagged onto the tables. "Thank you Gryffindor. Anyway, Hufflepuff's is Ernie Sacks, a seventh year and for Gryffindor it's Amanda Brown' a fifth year. Right now most of you know who your detective and his or her helpers are, except Gryffindor. Their detective is Hermione Granger and Harry and Ron are her helpers. Now go find out, who the murderer is. We shall meet back here at seven o'clock Wednesday night."
As the great hall empty, Harry, Ron, and Hermione wondered how they were going to do this.