House: Ravenclaw

Class: Charms

Category: Drabble

Word Count: 787

Prompt: [Event] Halloween

A/N: One Halloween tradition my friends and I have is instead of watching scary movies, we play horror games. This drabble was inspired by that tradition.

Halloween Game Night

"Come on, James! It'll be fun!" Teddy exclaimed as he handed the twelve-year-old boy the Muggle laptop. Teddy had worked with Arthur Weasley to alter a Muggle computer to function in the Wizarding World, similar to how he created radios for Order members during the Second Wizarding War. "It's Halloween, it's the perfect day to play a horror game." The ominous, stormy night loomed over the dimly lit library. The hour was late, so most of the students had started making their way back to their dormitories. Well, all except Head Boy Teddy Lupin and his second year Gryffindor companion.

"I've never played Muggle video games before. How do you even play?" James Sirius Potter asked.

"It's simple. Watch this." Teddy said as he pushed one of the many buttons on the lower half of the computer. The screen lit up as if Teddy had cast Lumos on it. Then, an eerie screen of a dark hotel room. The game's title, 'A Night of Ghosts', appeared in crimson on the top left corner of the screen. Teddy then moved his index finger over a flat platform below the buttons and an arrow moved around the screen based on where the teen wanted. "This is your mouse. You move your finger to what you want to open or do. That's all you'll need for this game."

James watched as Teddy clicked on different words like 'settings' and 'information' as if he was studying for a Potions exam. "I see." James responded thoughtfully. "So what is the goal of this game? Do we have to find something?"

Teddy nodded. "Yeah, sort of. We have to go through a creepy hotel and rescue our friends." He explained the lore of the game.

James glanced nervously at the young man he considered his older brother. "Rescue them from what?" The boy asked.

Teddy grinned mischievously, a grin he was saving for the proper occasion. "You'll have to find out."

"Why don't you play first? I'll watch and learn that way." James suggested, hoping he didn't sound scared.

"This is like Quidditch, James. You sort of learn by doing." Teddy explained. "Besides, I already completed the game, I thought you'd like a good scare." The Hufflepuff boy sensed James was reluctant to try the game. "Come on, you're a Gryffindor right? A game like this shouldn't scare you." He encouraged the younger boy.

James knew Teddy was right. A Muggle video game shouldn't be scary because it's not real. It's like watching a movie. "Very well. Let's get started," James stated with slightly more confidence.

Teddy slid the laptop over to James and both of them watched the intro. They saw a girl speaking to a creepy looking bloke with shadowy eyes and a matching creepy smile. James learned very quickly to not run into this man as he played the game. He used the mouse to point and click his way through a creepy looking Muggle hotel, carefully listening for sounds to determine where things were that he needed, or things he needed to avoid. If he heard a creepy cackle, he knew to run in the opposite direction. If he heard a whisper asking for help, he would go into the room and rescue one of his friends. Only problem was, if he got caught, he would have to start over again from the last point he rescued someone.

James made a mistake when he heard a cackle. Instead of moving forward he turned around. The creepy man from the beginning was behind him, smiling sinisterly. He shouted as he hit the player with a baseball bat. James screeched in fear and put his head down on the table. Teddy just laughed. "I remember the first time he got me too. I shut the laptop so fast I should've earned one hundred and fifty points for it!" He joked. He patted James's back to let him know the scare was over and he could go back to playing the game. "Remember, now you know how it works."

"Yeah, never turn around."

Teddy nodded in agreement as he offered a tip. "Also, I would start at the top. It's the hardest floor. Better to have those done first."

Before the boys knew it, it was almost midnight. After many jump scares and Teddy's guidance, James had beaten the horror game. "See, you won! You beat him!" Teddy cheered.

James smirked triumphantly. "Yeah I did. I want to play again! I want to try and not get caught this time."

"Maybe tomorrow night. We should probably get some sleep," Teddy gently suggested.

"Why sleep when we can play? Come on! One more time! We should do this every Halloween!"