Halloween 1993
Sunday, October 31, 1993
Hedwig woke up early this morning, having to put Ulysses in his place again.
She did not want another gory shrine of rat internals, no thank you.
Pestering little shit.
In the middle of beating him into submission, a wild Fawkes appeared.
He brought her to Dumbledore’s office without telling her the reason.
To her utter lack of surprise, her group was there.
(Dobby followed Harry up here like the cling-on he is.)
Sirius was out of Padfoot form, legs kicked up on Dumbledore’s desk.
Harry was wearing his leather jacket under his robe, giving the impression of an overly bulky child with chicken legs.
“Ah, perfect.”
Dumbledore gets up from his creaky chair, walks over to the wall, and points.
Everyone’s eyes follow.
…There’s nothing there.
Everyone just silently stares at the wall, waiting for something to happen.
A couple minutes of awkward silence passes by.
Is this the day? Has the old man finally lost it?
As everyone stands there so focused on the wall, no one notices a Hogwarts house elf setting up a muggle decoration behind them.
A giant nine foot grim reaper creeps up behind Harry.
Eyes focused on the wall in front of him, his gaze slowly slides down, noticing a shadow beginning to form, it growing larger and larger.
Harry turns around with dread, only to come face to face with Death once more.
His heart jumps.
(When will he escape this nightmare?)
He backs up right into Sirius, who was still unnaturally focused on the wall.
Dobby the brave appears in front of Harry, a random butter knife in hand.
Dumbledore shakes off whatever dementia induced lapse he just had and caresses his beard.
“So?”
He waves his hands at the reaper, proud of his choice.
“What do we think?”
It’s like one of those big things you’d see in a muggle Halloween store, slightly animated and all.
Dumbledore snaps his fingers in the air a couple of times, calling attention to himself.
“Sirius, over here.”
Sirius takes his eyes off of the wall and faces them.
God.
“Sir, do you really plan on putting these around the castle?”
Dumbledore walks right past Harry and over to his tote, opening it up. He browses through it.
He looks back and takes a double look at Harry.
Harry stands there awkwardly, waiting for an answer.
“Oh my boy! Sorry, I didn’t see you there.”
Harry opens and closes his mouth a few times.
“You greeted me when I walked in-“
“Try this on.”
Maybe he does have dementia? Hedwig wouldn’t be surprised. The man is ancient.
Dumbledore yanks something heavy out and pelts it at Harry, not missing his glasses.
Harry’s glasses crush into his face and then fall to the ground in a broken thud.
Harry stares at his fifth pair of glasses this month.
Dobby immediately starts to pick up the pieces.
“Dobby will fix this!”
Dobby starts using his saliva to put the glass shards back together.
Can she just leave now?
Harry opens up the heavy bag the old man threw at him.
It’s a muggle ghost costume?
“Harry, I’m going to make a wild assumption and assume that you’ve never been trick-or-treating before?”
Harry pokes and prods at the costume.
“Well… not really.”
“I mean, sometimes when I was lucky, I would be able to dig a piece of candy Dudley didn’t like out of the trash can and eat it.”
He looks at the ghost costume as though he were reliving a nostalgic moment.
“It was always a fight with the rats though.”
Oh Harry.
“RemusRemusRemusRemusRemusRemus”
They all ignore that last bit.
—
They were escaping Hogwarts on the backs of thestrals.
As Headmaster, Dumbledore was required to be at the Hallowe’en Feast in the Great Hall.
But he stuck out his tongue at McGonagall and made a mad dash away.
Here they were at Hagrid’s, donned in Halloween outfits and preparing their getaway.
Dumbledore was the first arrive after his dash, having sat on the thestral for over thirty minutes now.
His eyes had their usual twinkle, but that was only a sign to be wary of.
He was dressed up as a giant Peacock, complete with layers of long and vibrant feathers, a lengthy rainbow wig, and a beak-like mask with an exaggerated nose.
His body was decorated with sequins and glitter.
This is what Hedwig arrived to see.
Hedwig came with Dobby.
Dobby…
Dobby had gone all out for Halloween.
He was dressed like a child’s doll, polished with a neon pink wig, a frilly pink dress, and doll face makeup that didn’t match the rest of his naked mole body.
He had even sewn fake doll arms and legs onto his skin in order to look more realistic.
Onto his skin.
He also carried a doll house, planning on using it to store his treats.
Besides that…
Tonight, Hedwig identified as a bat. Her wings were dyed black and Dumbledore cooked up something to change her eye color. Red.
(Snape didn’t want to know who this potion was for.)
The trio hung around with Hagrid and the horses for another good twenty minutes, Dumbledore up ahead poking at the dragon.
Finally, Harry arrived with a bumblebee in tow.
He was wearing the weighted ghost outfit that Dumbledore gave him. Two eye holes were cut out.
When he saw Dobby and the stitches sticking out of his arms, he visibly recoiled.
Having been caught up, Harry sat on a saddle holding his dog.
“Does… Does Harry Potter like?”
Dobby, eager to impress his Harry Potter, did a twirl in his girly outfit, a piece of thread accidentally ripping out of his arm, causing a gush of blood to splatter across Harry’s ghost sheet.
“Bloody hell, Dobby!”
While this was going on, Ron and Hermione appeared behind them, a stalking McGonagall in the back.
Harry, standing there covered in a sheet of blood, looked baffled.
“Wait, how did you guys find me?”
Hermione looks at him like he’s stupid.
“Mate… you gave us the map.”
He wasn’t stupid exactly, he just had zero survival instincts.
Ron can’t comprehend why Harry is floating mid-air with a dog.
Dumbledore rounds the corner, McGonagall spotting him instantly.
“You.”
She spat that out with venom. When Ron and Hermione spotted Harry’s name attached to a suspicious man’s, they went off to help their friend. In their hurry and uncaringness, McGonagall found them, map and all.
She found the old fool.
The group grabbed their reins in a panic and prepared to fly away.
Harry made a gesture at his friends.
“Come on! It’s either come with me or stay here and get in trouble for MY map.”
With the obvious choice, they dove onto the saddle Hedwig was sitting on, not even able to see what they’re going for.
Fine. She would just fly. It’s not like she wanted a free ride or anything.
Last second, Hermione grabs her by her leg and holds her.
Acceptable.
(Hermione takes another glance at her map. Did someone seriously name this dog after a wanted criminal??)
They all make a run for it, Dumbledore speed racing past the group and leaving a dust of air behind, making sure to grab onto Harry and yank him onto his saddle.
Hooves make noise as they all start to head upwards.
McGonagall could not keep up with them on thestrals and had to watch helplessly as they disappeared into the night.
Harry couldn’t help but notice something.
“Sir, who is that?”
Dumbledore looked back to voice of Harry Potter calling.
Dumbledore then looks back down in front of him to see a terrified Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter cosplay.
—
They made it to a muggle town. A rich neighborhood.
What a group. Nothing here will cause the cops to come, surely.
After landing, Dobby jumped off of the thestral and ran forward without them.
There goes Dobby. -1
Now that they’re all on ground, everyone’s eyes turn to Draco.
“Hm.”
Harry walks forward and circles around him like a vulture, his dog joining in.
The walking printer paper stood stiff, sweat dripping.
“Hmm…”
He gets intimidatingly close. He jabs him in the forehead.
“I knew it. You secretly sneak out and do muggle things, don’t you?”
Harry shakes his head to himself, pleased with his observation.
(This is not at all the case.)
“Well, you’re missing the scar, dunce.”
Dumbledore takes out his wand while laughing.
“Shall I give him a matching one?”
At this, the still mute Draco is on the verge of a panic attack.
“He’s joking.” Possibly.
Ron and Hermione are a couple feet away, watching.
For the first time in her life, Hermione did not have full unwavering faith in her authority figure.
In a state of constant defeat, Ron and Hermione looked at each other.
“Well?”
Ron gestured towards the two goons trying to create a scar on Malfoy. He felt… pity.
Huffing, Hermione drags Ron forward as they attempt to help the enemy.
—
It’s not going so well.
Watching them walk up to their first house was something she doesn’t think she’ll ever forget.
When that homeowner opened his door to an incredibly old man in plumage, three normal students, a dog that is once again foaming at the mouth, and the smell of blood, he took an instinctive step back.
Not to mention, the rich guy obviously looked drunk. He was probably questioning if his drink was laced.
And Draco Malfoy doesn’t even know what trick-or-treating is.
“I am The Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy and heir to the Malfoy line. I am here to trick-or-treat.”
The rich guy stares.
He waves the bag Dumbledore gave him in the rich guys face.
“Well, what are you waiting for?”
Draco pushes past him and walks right into the guys house. He snatches the whole bowl.
“What- Wait, kid.”
Harry drags Draco out and onto the sidewalk.
“Run! Go go go!”
The man snaps out of his stupefaction. He looks pissed.
Draco doesn’t understand why muggles find this fun, but he runs anyway, bowl in hand.
Hermione wacks him over the head.
The group sprints away and down the street.
Oh god, the drunk guy is coming with a taser.
Dumbledore’s obnoxious feathers wack Ron right in the face, causing him to go down.
They notice this and stop to help their fallen comrade. While turning around, Dumbledore accidentally takes out Harry as well.
In order to avoid the angry drunk guy, Hermione and Draco drag the bodies to a backyard that Dumbledore illegally breaks into.
Dumbledore locks the gate as they all take a breath of relief.
There’s a sound.
Turning around, the yard is full of mega big guard dogs.
There’s at least seven drooling mutts eyeballing them. The hair on their backs all raised. Their mouths were pulled open and back, revealing things you don’t want to mess with.
Harry shoved Sirius forward.
Sirius cowers.
“What use even are you?!”
They scurry to hop the fence.
Hedwig is all good, just watching this unfold from a high point.
Sirius is the first to make it over, the fucker.
The other three students make it over quickly, until mid-scale when Ron’s school robe is tugged on.
Harry and Hermione hold onto his arms, trying to yank his lanky body up in a horrible game of tug-of-war.
“You’re hurting me!”
“Shut up and get up here!”
Draco regrets everything.
How did Dumbledore end up in the pool?
Hermione takes her other hand and yanks Draco forward.
“Help me or I’ll make you the first bald Hogwarts student.”
He concedes.
In their collective effort, they all go tumbling over the other side of the fence and onto the grass.
“I found you little shits!”
He turns his taser on.
They leave Dumbledore behind. -2
Sirius regains his use as he leads them around and back to a public street.
“Harry.”
Both Draco and Ghost look up.
Hermione groans and rubs her eyes with her palms. Ron looks at their surroundings. They’re surrounded by lit up houses again.
“So. Candy?”
Hermione mutters about him being a pig under her breath. Harry and Draco move forward to follow Ron to another house.
Hedwig lands on the bumblebee.
He whines.
And then notices a squirrel. -3
Hedwig leaves him to his devices and goes back to the students to supervise like the obvious mature adult she is.
“Oh for- you blonde inbred, stop stealing everything!”
It’s just been two minutes away and Draco is holding onto multiple bags of candy, potentially stolen from little children.
Harry whispers into Draco’s ear.
“Don’t listen to her, she’s just a kill joy. This is how you get candy.”
This is what Dudley did and it worked for him.
While Harry watches from the sidelines as Hermione tries to teach Draco and Ron how to trick-or-treat, a white van pulls up beside him.
“Hey kid, want some candy?”
Harry looked at this. No gut feeling. No impulse control.
“Sure.”
Harry hops in the van with the strange guy and they drive away.
Hedwig catches a glimpse of a white van pulling away and a missing Harry.
What the fuck Harry. -4
She looks back to the rest of her group.
Should she follow after the van or make sure that these idiots don’t end up somewhere suspicious?
Well… Harry could probably handle himself…
Yeah.
She intervenes as Draco attempts to set the muggles house on fire as a ‘trick.’
—
Dobby was a model!
Whilst begging for candy, he accidentally joined a group of troublemaking teenagers.
(He knocked on the door of a house party.)
They said he was their favorite midget!
He posed for silly little photos with these people!
Dobby was a star!
He had never experienced such a scene! What lovely music!
What untasty alcohol though!
And this music is a bit loud.
Who did he just bump into?
“Harry Potter?! Dobby’s Harry came for him!”
Harry looked down at Dobby from his cut out eyes.
“Huh. This place is pretty cool. I wanted candy though.”
Harry accepts the suspicious liquid handed to him and chugs it.
(It will never be known how Harry ended up here.)
—
“Mom!?”
Hermione just found her mother at another man’s house.
Ron and Draco look at each other awkwardly in the background, slowly dipping out.
“So…”
“So.”
They’re holding garbage bags full of stolen candy.
“Let’s keep going?”
“… Okay.” -5
They hit up a couple more houses (threaten them).
“What’s that?”
Draco points to the rat sticking out of Ron’s front pocket.
“This fella? This is Digger.”
Ron takes the rat out of his pocket and holds it up to Draco’s face. Both him and his rat wore proud looks.
“I got this boy in Egypt.”
“…How nice…”
They stood there in awkward silence.
“So-“
“I was-“
…
“You first.”
Ron cleared his throat.
“Uh.”
…
“Very eloquent.”
“Shove off.”
…
They continue to walk onwards, Hedwig finally catching up.
She lands on Ron’s head, scaring him.
“Hey Weasley.”
“What?”
“What’s wrong with this Merlin forsaken bird?”
Excuse her.
She gives him a piss-your-pants worthy look. He shuts up quickly. She remembers that Draco owns Ulysses and decides to bite him. Just because.
She stays with them as they wander around for a little while. They came upon a group of older teenagers that looked like trouble. Their laughter was obnoxious to her ears.
They brought out egg containers from under their hoodies and multiple rolls of toilet paper.
“Is this… normal muggle behavior?”
Ron shrugged, just as confused as him. He yelled out to the older teens.
“Are we supposed to be doing this?”
One of the boys paused to size Ron up.
“C’mon. It’s Halloween now.”
He threw a roll of toilet paper at Ron.
They both decided that this must just be normal muggle behavior, and joined in.
The boys started tossing some eggs. It slowly became a contest between Ron and Draco on who could destroy the house more.
With each egg that splattered the house, they grew more and more emboldened. The older teens were impressed by their dedication.
Hedwig joined in.
This is how an unlikely friendship formed.
—
Dumbledore was still waiting to be rescued.