Samhain in the Castle
“In the days of old, Halloween was sacred to witches and wizards.” Professor McGonagall began. “To this day, many still practice the old Samhain traditions. That is why, today, we will be transforming our parchments into candles, like so,” she flicked her wand at her parchment and it transformed into an ornate candle, sporting the words she had written into rather ornate, moving designs in the wax. “Remember, hateful words become hateful fires. Choose wisely.”
Holly thought a long while before marking her page.
My wand is made of Holly, just like me.
Her heart is braided Dittany,
Her hilt, a great clear crystal,
Unusual and beautiful
I wonder what spells she can conjure?
Will they be of soft meadow flowers?
Or cunning crystalline?
Could they prick and prod like winter thorns?
Satisfied, she waved her wand and turned her parchment into a candle. It was Thick and short, with a bluish-white quartz crystal base structure, and little flowers of all sorts of colors and shapes, as well as the distinct dark greens and reds of holly berries and leaves sitting between the sharp edges.
Holly looked over at Tracey’s candle, letting out a gasp when she saw it. “That’s incredible!” she breathed. Everyone stopped to look at Tracey’s creation, leaving half finished papers or simply carved candles in their wake. Even Professor McGonagall abandoned what she was doing to come and admire it.
Standing about two-and-a-half feet tall, was a wax sculpture of a ferris wheel. It was a soft blue, but all ten seats were light pink and the well of votive-like wax inside the seats - the parts that actually had wicks to light, were a sunny yellow. There were little balls of a strange greenish hue down every support beam, and the whole thing moved when she pushed its wheel.
Professor McGonagall smiled at Tracey. “Well done, Miss Davis. That is some of the finest work I have seen from a first year. Five points to Slytherin for this extraordinary example of what hard work and dedication will bring you.
“The rest of you have ten minutes remaining to finish your candles if you have not already done so.”
They were on their way to lunch and passed the Charms classroom just as the Gryffindors were getting out of class. Holly still was not talking to her brother, who had been made seeker for the Gryffindor quidditch team of all things, rather than being sent home. As soon as she had learned he was not expelled her misery turned to anger again and now it was like they were both too proud so neither one of them had apologized and they hadn’t spoken in almost two months.
Holly understood that it was stupid. She did. But she just couldn’t bring herself to go first. Apparently, neither could he.
So, she stuck with her classmates and he stuck with his and Ron said to Harry “it’s no wonder no one can stand her, she’s a nightmare, honestly.”
Holly saw Hermione run off moments later, tears in her eyes, and rounded on her brother and his friend. “Oh, coming from the guy who still can’t find his way to Potions on his own? Maybe Hermione's just a bit too advanced for you, Ron.” She snapped. “And you, Harry, you act like I'm the problem. I was put in the ‘bad’ house. Pft! At least I don’t keep awful friends like him!” Holly spat, pointing at Ron.
“I never said it was the ‘bad’ house!” Harry argued, indignant and offended.
“No, you just never said anything at all!” Holly cried.
Everyone had gathered around them, and were saying “oooh”. It’d be a little embarrassing if it weren't so vindicating.
“That’s not true-”
“Yes it is.” Tracey cut in, stepping up beside Holly, arms crossed over her chest.
Everyone “oooh”’d louder.
“Well it’s not like she’s said anything to him!” Ron argued, looking self-satisfied at his rebuttal.
“Oh snap” said someone in the crowd.
“Well, what am I supposed to say when you don't even care if you get expelled! Some brother you are!” Holly seethed.
At this, the entire group went quiet. Harry stared at Holly. Holly glared at Harry. Ron looked at his feet, Tracey looked anywhere else but them, and Draco… Draco whistled. “The famous Potter twins - what a shame you two can’t get along,” he said, feigning sympathy. “Don’t you two have something better to do? Like kiss babies or sit for interviews with the daily prophet?” He drawled, grinning somewhat wickedly when everybody looked his way.
Holly noticed that most of the Slytherins had gone. It was just Blaise, Daphne, and, of course, Draco. She wasn’t terribly surprised to see Daphne and Blaise. They weren't exactly her friends, but they had always seemed to respect her as their housemate. But Draco? She had no idea why he’d even stuck around when his cronies had all gone. Maybe to gawk. Probably to gawk.
“Shut up, Malfoy” all the Gryffindors seemed to say at once.
Draco went pink.
“Yeah, Draco, this isn’t about you. Shut up or leave” Tracey said, coldly.
“No,” said Holly, “Draco’s write. I do have somewhere better to be - far away from you!” She spat, glaring at Harry a second or two longer before storming off.
She got about half way to the library before she heard the footsteps racing after her. Truthfully, she expected Tracey, or maybe even Daphne, but when she turned, it was Harry she found instead. “I don’t want to talk to you anymore.” She said plainly, and turned around, intent on marching the rest of the way to the library alone.
“I miss you.” He said, giving her pause. “You’re all I’ve got, really, and I’ve let all the talk about Slytherin get between us.”
Holly turned around to face him, still quite angry, but also, desperate to have her brother back. “I miss you too.” She said, and took a deep breath. “You’re still daft, and impulsive, and gullible, and selfish, and completely blind.” She couldn’t help but Add.
Harry smiled. “Anything else?”
“Hot-headed, stubborn, indignant, foolish, lucky.” Holly concluded, and returnned the smile a little shyly.
Harry closed the distance between them by interlocking their arms and starting to lead her out to the fields where they could walk together. “So how has Slytherin been treating you?”
By dinner, Holly and her brother were back to their old dynamic, and completely caught up on each other's lives, but she found she was more than happy to sit at her table while he sat at his. She had missed him. But, she had to admit, getting to be her own person, away from him, away from their old cupboard… it was an amazing feeling.
They feasted on pumpkin soup and butterbeer and stuffed acorn squash and, even, roast pig, complete with an apple in its mouth and everything. “See, Draco,” teased Tracey, “this is what’ll happen to you you you don’t stop snorting and honking everywhere you go!”
Draco looked about as pink as the soap flavored jelly bean Holly had just put in her mouth. It was funny enough that most of their end of the table laughed. “My father will hear about this!” Draco grumbled, but it only made the rest of them laugh louder.
Well, the rest of them except for Pansy, who kept her scowl firmly in place. “You should know your place, half-blood!” She snarled at Tracey. “Are are you just too dumb to-”
“Yeah, yeah, you're better than everyone else blah blah blah. Will you all please just shut up for once? I am trying to enjoy the feast!” said Blaise, boredly.
Holly was about to retort that she was enjoying herself very much, thank you, when Professor Quirrl came bursting into the Great Hall, sweaty and frantic. “TROLL IN THE DUNGEON! TROLL IN THE DUNGEON!” he cried, then went very suddenly pale, adding faintly, “thought you ought to know” before promptly passing out of sheer fright.
Everybody began to scream, run around in aimless fear, or cry. For twenty herring seconds, it was sheer anarchy. Then- “SILENCE!” everybody stopped. Everybody turned. Everybody stared at the headmaster. “Everybody will please, not panic. Now, prefects will lead their house back to the dormitories. Teachers, will follow me to the dungeons.”
“But our dorms are in the Dungeons!” cried Draco, loudly.
“Shut up, Firsty. All of you, shut up! Keep an ear out for the troll, and be quiet!” commanded Flint, with an especially mean smile. Holly thought that might have just been the way his face looked, since this really was no time to be smiling.
The Slytherins made their way down to the dungeons very quietly, stopping around every corner to check, and then continuing on to the next passageway. About halfway there, or maybe a little passed - Holly heard what sounded like a sniffle coming from one of the bathrooms. It was small, and not like how she'd think a troll would sound at all.
She turned to Tracey and pointed at the bathroom, and then at her ear, gesturing for her to listen. Tracey’s eyes widened when she heard it, and she mouthed ‘Hermione!’
Holly’s heart sank. Had Hermione really been down here crying since that morning? Had nobody thought to check on her? She had picked a fight over what Ron had said, but she hadn't even bothered to check on Hermione.
Without really thinking, Holly darted over to the bathroom.
“Holly, wait!” Tracey hissed, but when Holly didn’t stop, she followed.
Hermione was tucked inside an old grubby stall, whipping her eyes furiously. “Go away!” she snapped, from behind her door.
“Hermione, you have to come out now! It isn’t safe!” Holly hissed, trying not to make too much noise. “Theres a-
Just then the door burst open and the troll barreled inside. It was massive and uglier than a toad, with lumpy, slimy skin, a misshapen face, and a big club in its hands that had just as many nobs and bumps and slime as he did.
Hermione crept out of her stall just in time to see it, and immediately screamed.
“-troll…” Holly finished, in a small voice.
Hermione ducked under a sink, Tracy hid in a stall at the end of the row. Holly looked at the troll. Looked at Hermione, and finally decided that the sinks were horrible cover. She grabbed her friend’s wrist and dragged her towards the stall beside Tracy’s.
The troll swung and hit the sink when they left it, smashing the thing in one go. It would have killed Hermione.
Something hit the wall opposite them, and then they heard, of all the people in the school that it could have been, Ron’s voice shouted “Oy, Pea-Brain!”
Holly and Hermione still hadn't managed to get to the stall. In fact, Hermione was frozen in fear and Holly, trembling, had stopped and turned to look.
She watched as Ron threw a metal pipe at it. It didn't seem to hurt the thing, but it *did* get it’s attention.
Harry took the opportunity to rush over to them. “Run! Hide! Get out of the way!” He shouted, nudging them, but it was no use. Hermione still couldn’t move and Holly was too terrified to know where to go.
The troll charged at Ron, who was backed into a corner.
Harry looked at his sister only briefly, as if to say I’m sorry. I have too… before running at the troll, jumping on its back, and wrapping his arms around its neck.
“Harry!” Holly screamed. The troll reared in pain and began to flail. Holly saw that her brother had stuck his wand up the beast's nose.
Hermione sank to the floor. Holly grabbed her friends arm and tried to pull her back to her feet, desperate to get her to move.
“Wingardium Leviosa!” Ron cried, and Holly turned to see the trolls club rise high above its head and then fall straight back down, cracking its skull. The troll fell face forward on the ground and lay there, motionless.
Everyone stood still for a moment. Then, all together they seemed to unfreeze. Ron and Harry stepped up to the troll. Hermione finally let Holly pull her up off the floor. And Tracy crept out of the bathroom stall she’d been in.
“Where’d *you* come from?” Ron asked.
“I've been here the whole time. I just know what's good for me and hid unlike the rest of you.” Tracy said, with a roll of her eyes.
They looked down at the troll. “Is it dead?” Holly asked, a little hopeful.
”Don't think so,” said Harry, bending down to pull his wand from the beast's nostril. It came out goo-y and green. “Urgh- troll boogers!” He cried, flicking his wand to rid it of the nasty stuff. He wiped the rest off on the troll’s pants.
“That's disgusting.” Tracy muttered. Holly could only nod in agreement.
The door banged open and Professors McGonagall, Snape, and Quirrell came into the destroyed bathroom.
Snape knelt over the troll while Professor McGonagall turned her cold fury on them. “What on earth were you thinking of? You're lucky you weren't killed!” She said. “Why aren't you in your dormitories?”
Snape had turned his gaze on them now, too. He looked sharply at the boys, but then quickly turned his attention to his own charges, Holly and Tracy.
“Please, Professors - they were looking for me!” Hermione said, having finally unfrozen and come back to herself.
“Miss Granger!” Professor McGonagall breathed, baffled and still furious.
“I went looking for the troll because I had read all about them and thought I could handle one on my own. Holly and Tracey were trying to convince me to go back when it caught up to us, and Harry and Ron saved us. They just didn't have time to tell anyone, it was about to finish us when they came.”
“Well - in that case…” McGonagall stared at Hermione. “Miss Granger, you foolish girl! How could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?” She stared until Hermione hung her head in shame. “Five points will be taken from Gryffendor for this. I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all you'd better be off to Gryfendor tower. Students are finishing their feasts in their houses.”
Hermione nodded at the floor and left.
McGonagall turned to the boys. “Five points. Each. I will inform the headmaster of this. You may go.” She said.
Harry looked at Holly and a quick, silent conversation passed between them. She forgave him. They understood one another better now. She would be fine.
Harry and Ron scurried away.
Snape, who was still staring holes into Holly and Tracy, squinted slightly harder. “Am I to believe that miss Granger’s account is correct?” He drawled, piercingly.
“Yes, sir.” They both said, gazes turned towards the floor.
“You were lucky indeed, then. Five points for you as well. And detention. I will not have my students behaving so foolishly.” He declared.
“Yes sir.” They said again.
“Go.” Ge told them, and they did.