Chapter 8: Halloween

The opening match of the Quidditch Championship, Gryffindor against Slytherin, was looming closer and closer, and James was becoming more and more nervous, refusing meals and throwing up often during breakfast. October came and went in a rush of homework and classes, and before Albus knew it, he had been at Hogwarts for three months. Albus was very excited for the Halloween Feast, and on the night of the feast, he walked into the Great Hall and was quite taken aback by the Haloween decorations. There were enormous pumpkins the size of boulders, and live bats swooped high over the tables, half hidden by the enchanted ceiling above, which showed a starry night. Like the Start-of-Term Feast, there were golden plates and silver cups, which suddenly filled up with food and drink of all kinds. But none of those surprised Albus more than what happened a few minutes after he started to eat.

Colin Creevey, who, Albus noticed, had not been present at the feast so far, walked up to Albus.

"Hey, Al, he said. "It's Nearly Headless Nick's 525th Deathday Party. He's told me to invite as much Gryffindors as possible. There's normal food and it's in the dungeons. Please come, Nick'll be so glad."

Albus obligingly went out of the Great Hall, taking Rose and James along the way, and descended into the cold dungeons. He soon found Nick with about ten other Gryffindor students in one of the larger dungeons, but there were no ghosts. Harry had told Albus that on Nick's 500th Deathday Party, he, Uncle Ron, and Hermione were the only living attendants.

"Hi Nick," said Albus timidly, with Rose and James behind him.

"Oh hello, Albus!" exclaimed Nick excitedly. "Been counting on you to come! I only celebrate my death every twenty-five years, and I ALWAYS bring a guest of honor, and that guest will be someone alive. This time, I've done the opposite. I get living guests and a ghost guest of honor, because I wanted to remember the time back when I was alive. Our guest of honor is—the Bloody Baron!"

A beaming wizard with robes stained with transparent blood came through scarlet curtains in the corner of the cold dungeon, and everyone looked surprised.

"But I thought you HATED the Bloody Baron!" said James. The others murmured their agreement.

"Not until a few years ago. The Battle of Hogwarts really taught us a lesson. No matter which House we are in, we must be friends and keep faith. You can follow our example."

Fat chance, thought Albus, thinking of Malfoy.

"I don't like it when my living guests sneak away because of the lack of food, so I present you normal food just right for living humans, made by house-elves. Tuck in!" he said, pointing to a small, dingy table and a dozen chairs in the other side of the dungeon.

The deathday party was much more interesting than the feast. The food consisted of bacon and mashed potatoes exactly like the feast upstairs, but there was also a large chocolate cake with the words "Happy Deathday, Sir Nicholas!" written on it in a deep shade of violet.

"Ah," said Nick, sounding satisfied. "Poppy's cake, as promised! Madam Pomfrey has a great talent when it comes to making cake, you know! Ah, she has made the writing in just my favorite colour!"

After the mashed potatoes, cake, and pumpkin juice took the edge of everyone's (except the ghosts') appetites, Nick started to make an announcement.

"Entertainment!" he announced loudly. "This is the most exciting part! A Gringotts Curse-Breaker in Egypt, William Weasley—yes, he is your father, Victorie, Dominique, and Louis—has accepted to send me some skeletons he has found in tombs in Egyptian pyramids. Filius has charmed them with a tricky little charm and then gave them to me, and now you can guess what we will see! Bring down the curtains over there, Albus!" Nick told Albus, pointing to a distant corner where there were the scarlet curtains the Bloody Baron had recently came through.

Albus obligingly went to the distant corner of the dungeon and pulled up the scarlet curtains.

"AAARGH!"

What Albus saw made him scream: half a dozen skeletons emerged from the curtains, walking on their bony legs towards the Gryffindors. Albus went back to James and Rose. The skeletons stopped abruptly a few yards away from the Gryffindors. They didn't move at all for a few moments, and then they started to dance slowly in unison to a mournful tune that came from somewhere in the room. Their appearance and dancing made the hairs on Albus' neck stand up.

"And now for their song!" said Nick.

The skeletons started arranging so that five of them were standing behind the largest of them, whom Albus assumed was their leader. The leader started to sing while the others danced in the background.

"There once was a man called Nick!
He was very talented at magic,
But when it came to Transfiguration,
He was extremely sick!

He once met a Muggle lady,
Her name was Queen Grieve!
Grieve told Nick about her problems,
She talked about her crooked teeth!

Nick promised to fix her.
He waved his wand at the Lady
And said an incantation,
But he got in a terrible situation!

He turned those teeth into a tusk,
And Grieve was very mad!
She gave orders to execute
The very poor little lad!

And so in the following morning,
He was killed by a Muggle who liked to hunt!
He got forty-three chops before he died,
As the axe was very BLUNT!"

There was loud applause as the skeletons disappeared back into their curtains.

"Oh, good, excellent!" said Nick. "I loved that, though I must admit, we could do with lyrics that made a little more sense! Well, Hagrid was in charge of the lyrics, and he apparently didn't have much time to make proper rhymes. I don't blame him, he's got a lot of work on his hands; Professor, Head of House, and Deputy!"

"Nick—er—it's time for us to go back to bed," said Colin.

"Oh, I forgot!" said Nick. "How time flies! Well, you better go. See you around the castle!"

"And what if Filch finds out about us not going to the feast?" asked Rose.

"Oh, not to worry about that waste of space," said Nick, waving his hand as though waving away the caretaker. "All the staff knows about my little party; in fact, Argus was actually in charge of cleaning up this dungeon for me, but I'll still accompany you to the Gryffindor Tower and explain if anyone gets suspicious. See you around, Baron!" he added to the Bloody Baron, who had been sitting beside Nick all the time.

Nick led the guests up the stairs. As they reached the second floor, Nick sighed and said, "A nightmare, that Filch is, especially on Halloween. I remember exactly twenty-five years ago when that old cat of his got Petrified by the Basilisk of Slytherin on this particular floor. He thought Harry Potter had done it! Just think! Harry, the Heir of Slytherin! Nonsense! I'd have fought him right then and there if I was alive!"

Albus grinned; he remembered his father mentioning this.