Halloween answers
Halloween - The Answers
1. Die Fledermaus by Caya
2. Lady of the Masque by chivalric
3. Halloween Epiphany by snapeophile
4. Samhain's Destiny by southernwitch69
5. A Murder of Crows by hogwarts_91 WIP
6. Hermione's Dilemma by Ehann (abandoned)
7. With A Little Drop of Poison by danu_scathach
8. A Role-Playing Game by atmd
9. A Fresh Start by richardgloucester aka dickgloucester
10. The Summoning by bambu345 WIP
1. Sometimes, I wondered whether Lucius Malfoy had not made the better choice. Especially on evenings like tonight's.
Sure, the Isle of Drear -the new wizarding prison- was cold, inhospitable and only populated by wizard criminals and murderous Quintaped guards.
But neither of those were likely to dance, laugh or -worse yet- try to include me in said activities. Which could, unfortunately, not be said about the other guests of the Ministry's Halloween Masquerade.
So here I was, having retreated into the most shadowy corner of an overheated, overly lit, and most of all overpopulated ball room, wishing desperately to change places with him and to enjoy the solitude of a nice little godforsaken island, and resolving to get very, very drunk tonight - in fact I was well on my way towards that goal.
When the invitation had arrived, I would have chucked it there and then, only I had been in the Great Hall and Albus and Minerva had received theirs at the same time, so they knew what it was - and Albus had been adamant about my having to attend.
Representing Hogwarts as one of the officially recognised Heroes of the War - another of Minister Weasley's hare-brained ideas, that one. War hero my arse. If the Ministry 'rewarded' the heroes by forcing them to attend such public torture and 'punished' the villains by blessed serenity, maybe I should have switched sides again four years ago and fought on Voldemort's side in the last battle.
No, of course not. But I was already somewhat drunk, and my mood pretty rotten.
Die Fledermaus by Caya
2. Absently, Snape twirled his wand in his fingers and did some serious thinking. There was no way he could, with a mere costume, change his appearance enough to fool people…
Unless, of course, he came up with one of his really brilliant ideas and changed so completely not even his own mother would recognise him. If she were still alive, that was.
Huffing and puffing, Snape turned from the mirror and made it to his work bench without bumping into any furniture on his way. Sitting down heavily - maybe that last glass had been one glass too much - he reached for parchment and a quill and began to scribble.
After about ten minutes and some hair-ruffling it was clear that it was not a recipe for a potion, but a drawing. Quite a good one, he had to give that to himself, but unnerving in a way nevertheless. It looked… it was… hmmmm! Interesting idea, indeed.
He stared at it. And frowned. And discarded this idea as ridiculous and way beyond him. He would never, ever do that!
Tracing the delicate charcoal lines with his cold fingertips, Snape couldn't hinder his alcohol-hazed mind from continuing to think. Maybe… With a little Polyjuice. And a Dissimulo charm… Adversus combined with Juvenis…
He was mad to even consider this. And drunk. Or both. It would be lunacy to mingle a Potion with two different charms, especially because the potion would have to be based on a real person. The outcome could be a catastrophe… he could end up ugly… well, more ugly than he already was…
Lady of the Masque by chivalric
3. Stunned, they watched as their two Passionscopes began spinning, emitting high-pitched whistles.
Students pointed and babbled their surprise.
Polly Martin, a brave Hufflepuff, approached her favorite professor and leaned close, whispering, “Professor Granger, that’s a Passionscope. It’s like a Sneakoscope, but instead of revealing untrustworthy people, it shows your perfect match-your true love…” The young Hufflepuff blushed to the roots of her blond hair.
Hermione laughed. “It’s all right, Polly. Just a silly Halloween trick.”
Severus stood apart, frantically working to identify the powerful, perplexing feeling in his heart.
Hope.
He hadn’t felt that in a long, long time.
Halloween Epiphany by snapeophile
4. She looked up at the dark sky and paused for a moment. “Are you at peace, Severus Snape?”
There was no sign that he’d heard or had tried to reply. Shrugging, and feeling somewhat disappointed, she turned and moved along a footpath next to the Serpentine. The water seemed choppy with the wind blowing strongly over the surface, and yet, as always, she still had the urge to get near and skim her fingers along the water. It was an urge she’d always had as a child when her family would visit any place with water. She supposed that was partly why she enjoyed swimming so much. Knowing it was too cool and dark to get close, and that she’d had too much wine to be balanced, she wandered over to a set of benches instead.
While sitting there and trying to collect her thoughts, a few people passed by, some dressed in costume, obviously on the way to some party. She hoped that her children were enjoying the Halloween feast at Hogwarts, and she wondered if they’d ever been invited to one of Nearly Headless Nick’s deathday parties. Surely they would have mentioned it.
“What I wouldn’t give to be so carefree,” she commented aloud, a small smile on her face.
“Nice nigh’ for All ’Allow’s Eve, innit?” said a woman who neared.
Hermione nodded. “It is.” Taking in the woman’s appearance, she saw that she was using a fashionable cane to walk with, reminding Hermione of Lucius Malfoy and his ever-present cane. She wondered if, like he, this woman hid a wand inside. One could never tell when she’d meet a witch or wizard, but it was unlikely, as this was Muggle London.
“Min’ if I ’ave a seat?”
Samhain's Destiny by southernwitch69
5. All around her hung the scent of earth and decay. The grounds were covered in composting leaves that had long since fallen from the trees, their crispness stolen by the mist that buried them and left them to rot. Hermione tightly clutched a jar of fresh lacewing flies to her chest and tried to shake the feeling of gloom that seemed to pervade her thoughts.
Hermione hated Halloween.
Her intense dislike was caused in no small part by having been locked in the bathroom with a lumbering mountain troll on her very first Halloween at Hogwarts. Then there had been the dreadful Deathday Party for Nearly Headless Nick in her second year which had culminated with the opening of the Chamber of Secrets. Her subsequent Halloweens had likewise proven to be embarrassing, regrettable, and even downright disastrous.
Despite her rather unfortunate history, Hermione had fostered high hopes for improving her experience upon returning to Hogwarts as an adult. But two separate cases of Goblinpox and one hapless Dungbomb incident later, the outlook was dismal. Nevertheless, Hermione was determined to change her pattern of dreadful Halloweens, and she found herself looking forward to the Feast tonight.
A Murder of Crows by hogwarts_91 WIP
6. Severus Snape was in a foul mood. This was mainly the result of his being more confused than he could ever recall; not even when he turned his back on Voldemort in favor of Dumbledore, had his mind been so at odds with itself.
To add to his annoyance, the last thing in the world he wanted to do on a Saturday, was to chaperone a damned Halloween Ball. He could just imagine the mischief students would be getting into, with their costumes and Charms and various lackbrained schemes. He would probably end up spending half the night chasing hormonal teenagers out of the bushes so no one turned up pregnant.
Minerva had not helped matters any, when, under the guise of inquiring about his costume this morning, offered to temporarily Transfigure him into a more…how did she put it? He snorted. A more dashing figure.
Yes, he thought snidely, you’ll be taking her up on that straightaway, then? Sometimes, he truly wondered about her. Gryffindors…honestly, he didn’t understand a one of them. Take Miss Granger, for example. Every time he turned around there she was, staring at him with her big brown eyes. Then glancing away whenever he happened to notice…what exactly was she playing at?
He would have attributed it to idle speculation on his part but after the events of the afternoon…well, he was more confused than ever, both by her actions and, he admitted, his own response to it. She can’t possibly mean it the way it seemed, he told himself, harshly. As if a creature like that would ever…
Hermione's Dilemma by Ehann (abandoned)
7. The Great Hall was all aglow with the floating jack o’ lanterns while artistic spider webs decorated the four corners before running down the walls in elaborate patterns. Tables had alternating black and orange tablecloths, the centerpieces being preserved colored leaves and gourds.
On the raised dais where the High Table normally stood was a live band. Hermione thought the band, in and of itself, contributed to the dark atmosphere of the Great Hall. The quintet played a mixture of music that while she couldn’t put her finger on what it was, it had a definite Old World Western European feel.
The gypsy costumes certainly help, Hermione thought with a smile as the dark haired violinist winked at her. Feeling her cheeks heat, she turned to survey the scene from against the wall, as she nursed a glass of punch. Dumbledore had insisted that everyone must dress up, much to the chagrin of some of the staff. Hermione chuckled as she spied McGonagall dressed in a medium shade of charcoal-grey robes, a pair of cat ears peeking through her hair.
Everyone is having such a wonderful time, she thought with a smile as she watched several of the students dance around the room in various costumes. Well, not quite everyone, she corrected herself as she glanced at a dour-faced Filch and Madam Pince. Though, judging by the way Madam Pince kept swaying to the music before catching herself, maybe she was enjoying herself just a little. Hermione smiled as she caught Filch giving Madam Pince a look out of the corner of his eyes.
With A Little Drop of Poison by danu_scathach
8. Severus couldn’t believe he’d drawn the short stick again. He’d been forced to chaperone the past five student dances, for Merlin's sake! And of course he was paired with that neurotic little stick-insect, Trelawney. Severus thought he had clearly informed the Headmaster that he couldn’t be held responsible for his actions if the insufferable woman began fawning over him again.
It was all a cruel joke. Albus and Minerva were probably up in the Headmaster’s office right now, laughing in maniacal MUUUUWAHAHAHAHA’s and sucking on Muggle sweets until their tongues went raw. The firewhisky bottle on Severus’ coffee table beckoned him, and he swore he could hear it crying softly when he murmured, “Not tonight, old friend.”
The professor sighed, straightened his robes, and pinched the bridge of his rather generous nose as he set out for the Great Hall and the Halloween Bash.
A Role-Playing Game by atmd
9. The Halloween celebrations that year were generally considered to have outdone anything attempted for the festival ever before or for a long time afterwards. Normally, there was just the feast to look forward to, but Professor McGonagall declared the afternoon free for fun and games, to be followed by the traditional feast and then, after two hours for primping and preening (the boys considered this excessive, the girls, insufficient), the Ball would begin.
The day dawned propitiously, cold and fine, which was ideal as the Headmistress had decided to hire a collection of Muggle fairground rides to be set up in the grounds. Additionally, there were to be many simple, childish games and races. The students responded with all the joie de vivre at their command. For young people being brought up in Hogwarts castle, the ghost train proved surprisingly popular. Indeed, they found it hilarious, and the castle ghosts who could be persuaded to have a go found it tolerably amusing. Games such as apple-bobbing and the sack race drew students of all ages, and even some of the staff. Professor Snape contented himself with patrolling, his daunting presence guaranteeing that things never got completely out of hand. He caught sight of Hermione from time to time, acting like a loon on the bouncy castle, emerging with her hair sopping from the apple barrel, or being dragged breathlessly along by Weasley in the three-legged race. Called on by Potter and the Weasley girl to adjudicate, he disqualified the other pair, as Ron had finished by bodily picking up Hermione and running with her under his arm. When urged to hand out a punishment, he had them run it again - blindfold. Consensus was that this demonstrated that Professor Snape actually had a sense of humour, especially as he encouraged the crowd to shout directions that put the pair of them in the lake.
A Fresh Start by richardgloucester aka dickgloucester
10. Considering the impending deadline for her Samhain ritual, Hermione had been relieved to have the Occlumency sessions postponed. The days had passed in a blur of activity. She’d committed the summoning incantations and the order of the ritual to memory. She’d noticed Harry’s almost silent passage through his days, as if he was a spectre, trailed more often than not by the Seneschal twins. Ginny had spent an increasing amount of time in the library, where she’d commandeered the opposite end of Hermione’s table. Both witches had been so preoccupied by their own concerns that neither sought to penetrate beyond the surface platitudes each continued to profess. Hermione and Ron had maintained the façade of a happy couple, but the ease of their physicality was a thing of the past. Perhaps with time, they would again feel the subconscious familiarity that had so colored their friendship over the years, but never again would there be the lighthearted underpinnings of innocent trust between them.
Halloween arrived as autumn’s perfect representative, cloaked in the warmth of Indian Summer and graced with the requisite light breeze ruffling variegated foliage, as leaves began their free-form descent into decay. Indeed, it had been so warm the last several days that Lavender had left the dorm window open, and the raucous shrieks of the third years, clustering outside the castle in eager anticipation of their second Hogsmeade visit, woke their elders - who were still attempting to catch a few more minutes of sleep. For Hermione, it meant a full day of final preparation leading to the night’s ritual. For several long minutes, the brunette laid quietly behind the closed burgundy curtains of her bed, gathering her resolve, and reinforcing her courage.
The Summoning by bambu345 WIP
1. Die Fledermaus by Caya
2. Lady of the Masque by chivalric
3. Halloween Epiphany by snapeophile
4. Samhain's Destiny by southernwitch69
5. A Murder of Crows by hogwarts_91 WIP
6. Hermione's Dilemma by Ehann (abandoned)
7. With A Little Drop of Poison by danu_scathach
8. A Role-Playing Game by atmd
9. A Fresh Start by richardgloucester aka dickgloucester
10. The Summoning by bambu345 WIP
1. Sometimes, I wondered whether Lucius Malfoy had not made the better choice. Especially on evenings like tonight's.
Sure, the Isle of Drear -the new wizarding prison- was cold, inhospitable and only populated by wizard criminals and murderous Quintaped guards.
But neither of those were likely to dance, laugh or -worse yet- try to include me in said activities. Which could, unfortunately, not be said about the other guests of the Ministry's Halloween Masquerade.
So here I was, having retreated into the most shadowy corner of an overheated, overly lit, and most of all overpopulated ball room, wishing desperately to change places with him and to enjoy the solitude of a nice little godforsaken island, and resolving to get very, very drunk tonight - in fact I was well on my way towards that goal.
When the invitation had arrived, I would have chucked it there and then, only I had been in the Great Hall and Albus and Minerva had received theirs at the same time, so they knew what it was - and Albus had been adamant about my having to attend.
Representing Hogwarts as one of the officially recognised Heroes of the War - another of Minister Weasley's hare-brained ideas, that one. War hero my arse. If the Ministry 'rewarded' the heroes by forcing them to attend such public torture and 'punished' the villains by blessed serenity, maybe I should have switched sides again four years ago and fought on Voldemort's side in the last battle.
No, of course not. But I was already somewhat drunk, and my mood pretty rotten.
Die Fledermaus by Caya
2. Absently, Snape twirled his wand in his fingers and did some serious thinking. There was no way he could, with a mere costume, change his appearance enough to fool people…
Unless, of course, he came up with one of his really brilliant ideas and changed so completely not even his own mother would recognise him. If she were still alive, that was.
Huffing and puffing, Snape turned from the mirror and made it to his work bench without bumping into any furniture on his way. Sitting down heavily - maybe that last glass had been one glass too much - he reached for parchment and a quill and began to scribble.
After about ten minutes and some hair-ruffling it was clear that it was not a recipe for a potion, but a drawing. Quite a good one, he had to give that to himself, but unnerving in a way nevertheless. It looked… it was… hmmmm! Interesting idea, indeed.
He stared at it. And frowned. And discarded this idea as ridiculous and way beyond him. He would never, ever do that!
Tracing the delicate charcoal lines with his cold fingertips, Snape couldn't hinder his alcohol-hazed mind from continuing to think. Maybe… With a little Polyjuice. And a Dissimulo charm… Adversus combined with Juvenis…
He was mad to even consider this. And drunk. Or both. It would be lunacy to mingle a Potion with two different charms, especially because the potion would have to be based on a real person. The outcome could be a catastrophe… he could end up ugly… well, more ugly than he already was…
Lady of the Masque by chivalric
3. Stunned, they watched as their two Passionscopes began spinning, emitting high-pitched whistles.
Students pointed and babbled their surprise.
Polly Martin, a brave Hufflepuff, approached her favorite professor and leaned close, whispering, “Professor Granger, that’s a Passionscope. It’s like a Sneakoscope, but instead of revealing untrustworthy people, it shows your perfect match-your true love…” The young Hufflepuff blushed to the roots of her blond hair.
Hermione laughed. “It’s all right, Polly. Just a silly Halloween trick.”
Severus stood apart, frantically working to identify the powerful, perplexing feeling in his heart.
Hope.
He hadn’t felt that in a long, long time.
Halloween Epiphany by snapeophile
4. She looked up at the dark sky and paused for a moment. “Are you at peace, Severus Snape?”
There was no sign that he’d heard or had tried to reply. Shrugging, and feeling somewhat disappointed, she turned and moved along a footpath next to the Serpentine. The water seemed choppy with the wind blowing strongly over the surface, and yet, as always, she still had the urge to get near and skim her fingers along the water. It was an urge she’d always had as a child when her family would visit any place with water. She supposed that was partly why she enjoyed swimming so much. Knowing it was too cool and dark to get close, and that she’d had too much wine to be balanced, she wandered over to a set of benches instead.
While sitting there and trying to collect her thoughts, a few people passed by, some dressed in costume, obviously on the way to some party. She hoped that her children were enjoying the Halloween feast at Hogwarts, and she wondered if they’d ever been invited to one of Nearly Headless Nick’s deathday parties. Surely they would have mentioned it.
“What I wouldn’t give to be so carefree,” she commented aloud, a small smile on her face.
“Nice nigh’ for All ’Allow’s Eve, innit?” said a woman who neared.
Hermione nodded. “It is.” Taking in the woman’s appearance, she saw that she was using a fashionable cane to walk with, reminding Hermione of Lucius Malfoy and his ever-present cane. She wondered if, like he, this woman hid a wand inside. One could never tell when she’d meet a witch or wizard, but it was unlikely, as this was Muggle London.
“Min’ if I ’ave a seat?”
Samhain's Destiny by southernwitch69
5. All around her hung the scent of earth and decay. The grounds were covered in composting leaves that had long since fallen from the trees, their crispness stolen by the mist that buried them and left them to rot. Hermione tightly clutched a jar of fresh lacewing flies to her chest and tried to shake the feeling of gloom that seemed to pervade her thoughts.
Hermione hated Halloween.
Her intense dislike was caused in no small part by having been locked in the bathroom with a lumbering mountain troll on her very first Halloween at Hogwarts. Then there had been the dreadful Deathday Party for Nearly Headless Nick in her second year which had culminated with the opening of the Chamber of Secrets. Her subsequent Halloweens had likewise proven to be embarrassing, regrettable, and even downright disastrous.
Despite her rather unfortunate history, Hermione had fostered high hopes for improving her experience upon returning to Hogwarts as an adult. But two separate cases of Goblinpox and one hapless Dungbomb incident later, the outlook was dismal. Nevertheless, Hermione was determined to change her pattern of dreadful Halloweens, and she found herself looking forward to the Feast tonight.
A Murder of Crows by hogwarts_91 WIP
6. Severus Snape was in a foul mood. This was mainly the result of his being more confused than he could ever recall; not even when he turned his back on Voldemort in favor of Dumbledore, had his mind been so at odds with itself.
To add to his annoyance, the last thing in the world he wanted to do on a Saturday, was to chaperone a damned Halloween Ball. He could just imagine the mischief students would be getting into, with their costumes and Charms and various lackbrained schemes. He would probably end up spending half the night chasing hormonal teenagers out of the bushes so no one turned up pregnant.
Minerva had not helped matters any, when, under the guise of inquiring about his costume this morning, offered to temporarily Transfigure him into a more…how did she put it? He snorted. A more dashing figure.
Yes, he thought snidely, you’ll be taking her up on that straightaway, then? Sometimes, he truly wondered about her. Gryffindors…honestly, he didn’t understand a one of them. Take Miss Granger, for example. Every time he turned around there she was, staring at him with her big brown eyes. Then glancing away whenever he happened to notice…what exactly was she playing at?
He would have attributed it to idle speculation on his part but after the events of the afternoon…well, he was more confused than ever, both by her actions and, he admitted, his own response to it. She can’t possibly mean it the way it seemed, he told himself, harshly. As if a creature like that would ever…
Hermione's Dilemma by Ehann (abandoned)
7. The Great Hall was all aglow with the floating jack o’ lanterns while artistic spider webs decorated the four corners before running down the walls in elaborate patterns. Tables had alternating black and orange tablecloths, the centerpieces being preserved colored leaves and gourds.
On the raised dais where the High Table normally stood was a live band. Hermione thought the band, in and of itself, contributed to the dark atmosphere of the Great Hall. The quintet played a mixture of music that while she couldn’t put her finger on what it was, it had a definite Old World Western European feel.
The gypsy costumes certainly help, Hermione thought with a smile as the dark haired violinist winked at her. Feeling her cheeks heat, she turned to survey the scene from against the wall, as she nursed a glass of punch. Dumbledore had insisted that everyone must dress up, much to the chagrin of some of the staff. Hermione chuckled as she spied McGonagall dressed in a medium shade of charcoal-grey robes, a pair of cat ears peeking through her hair.
Everyone is having such a wonderful time, she thought with a smile as she watched several of the students dance around the room in various costumes. Well, not quite everyone, she corrected herself as she glanced at a dour-faced Filch and Madam Pince. Though, judging by the way Madam Pince kept swaying to the music before catching herself, maybe she was enjoying herself just a little. Hermione smiled as she caught Filch giving Madam Pince a look out of the corner of his eyes.
With A Little Drop of Poison by danu_scathach
8. Severus couldn’t believe he’d drawn the short stick again. He’d been forced to chaperone the past five student dances, for Merlin's sake! And of course he was paired with that neurotic little stick-insect, Trelawney. Severus thought he had clearly informed the Headmaster that he couldn’t be held responsible for his actions if the insufferable woman began fawning over him again.
It was all a cruel joke. Albus and Minerva were probably up in the Headmaster’s office right now, laughing in maniacal MUUUUWAHAHAHAHA’s and sucking on Muggle sweets until their tongues went raw. The firewhisky bottle on Severus’ coffee table beckoned him, and he swore he could hear it crying softly when he murmured, “Not tonight, old friend.”
The professor sighed, straightened his robes, and pinched the bridge of his rather generous nose as he set out for the Great Hall and the Halloween Bash.
A Role-Playing Game by atmd
9. The Halloween celebrations that year were generally considered to have outdone anything attempted for the festival ever before or for a long time afterwards. Normally, there was just the feast to look forward to, but Professor McGonagall declared the afternoon free for fun and games, to be followed by the traditional feast and then, after two hours for primping and preening (the boys considered this excessive, the girls, insufficient), the Ball would begin.
The day dawned propitiously, cold and fine, which was ideal as the Headmistress had decided to hire a collection of Muggle fairground rides to be set up in the grounds. Additionally, there were to be many simple, childish games and races. The students responded with all the joie de vivre at their command. For young people being brought up in Hogwarts castle, the ghost train proved surprisingly popular. Indeed, they found it hilarious, and the castle ghosts who could be persuaded to have a go found it tolerably amusing. Games such as apple-bobbing and the sack race drew students of all ages, and even some of the staff. Professor Snape contented himself with patrolling, his daunting presence guaranteeing that things never got completely out of hand. He caught sight of Hermione from time to time, acting like a loon on the bouncy castle, emerging with her hair sopping from the apple barrel, or being dragged breathlessly along by Weasley in the three-legged race. Called on by Potter and the Weasley girl to adjudicate, he disqualified the other pair, as Ron had finished by bodily picking up Hermione and running with her under his arm. When urged to hand out a punishment, he had them run it again - blindfold. Consensus was that this demonstrated that Professor Snape actually had a sense of humour, especially as he encouraged the crowd to shout directions that put the pair of them in the lake.
A Fresh Start by richardgloucester aka dickgloucester
10. Considering the impending deadline for her Samhain ritual, Hermione had been relieved to have the Occlumency sessions postponed. The days had passed in a blur of activity. She’d committed the summoning incantations and the order of the ritual to memory. She’d noticed Harry’s almost silent passage through his days, as if he was a spectre, trailed more often than not by the Seneschal twins. Ginny had spent an increasing amount of time in the library, where she’d commandeered the opposite end of Hermione’s table. Both witches had been so preoccupied by their own concerns that neither sought to penetrate beyond the surface platitudes each continued to profess. Hermione and Ron had maintained the façade of a happy couple, but the ease of their physicality was a thing of the past. Perhaps with time, they would again feel the subconscious familiarity that had so colored their friendship over the years, but never again would there be the lighthearted underpinnings of innocent trust between them.
Halloween arrived as autumn’s perfect representative, cloaked in the warmth of Indian Summer and graced with the requisite light breeze ruffling variegated foliage, as leaves began their free-form descent into decay. Indeed, it had been so warm the last several days that Lavender had left the dorm window open, and the raucous shrieks of the third years, clustering outside the castle in eager anticipation of their second Hogsmeade visit, woke their elders - who were still attempting to catch a few more minutes of sleep. For Hermione, it meant a full day of final preparation leading to the night’s ritual. For several long minutes, the brunette laid quietly behind the closed burgundy curtains of her bed, gathering her resolve, and reinforcing her courage.
The Summoning by bambu345 WIP