A Bend In Time

Early the next morning the castle began to smell of the sweet fragrance of pumpkins being baked. The sweet smells continued all day and only served to whet the student's appetites. Rowan pulls her cloak a bit tighter around her as the chill of the dungeons seems to seep into her bones. After all, it was already almost November and the dungeons would only become colder with the passing of time.

"Excellent work class keep stirring those cauldrons or else the potion will stick," Professor Slughorn advised.

Rowan sighs and takes her stirring ladle and begins to properly stir as her hands begin to become chilly once more. Potions class seems to drag forever, when at last Professor Slughorn says, "Ladles up!"

Everyone does so as Professor Slughorn comes over and checks each worm-tail potion with the last being their group. As usual, Professor Slughorn beams at Severus and Lily who are two of his best students. With some hesitation, Professor Slughorn checks Rowan's potion to find that only is it the right color, but the right density and all. "Miss Prince, excellent work!" Professor Slughorn excitedly said, no doubt thinking Rowan was turning a new leaf.

"There weren't any living ingredients this time," Rowan flatly stated.

Professor Slughorn's enthusiasm dampens as he says, "Well no matter, you've improved considerably, Miss Prince." Rowan nods her head at Professor Slughorn before everyone begins to gather their things and eagerly depart to get ready for the Hallowe'en Feast.

Bethanie, Tiffany, and Silvia are exited as they brush their hair and straighten their robes. Rowan just nods at them, before heading downstairs. The minute she steps out of the stairs, "C'mon," Severus excitedly said as he grabs Rowan by the sleeve and drags her way.

"Took you long enough," Terry Greengrass said with a grin as he waited for them at the entrance of the common room.

The three of them make their way to the great hall to find that thousands of bats flutter from the ceiling and walls while others swoop over tables like black clouds as the breeze from their wings cause the candles within the small jack-o-lanterns to sputter. On the floor against the walls are vast carved giant pumpkins large enough for three grown men to sit down. However, unlike the two of them, Rowan's face pales at seeing the bats fluttering about.

"Bat Guano," Rowan sickly thought. "How on Earth can an enchanted school be so unsanitary?!"

Severus doesn't notice Rowan's damp enthusiasm and drags her towards the Slytherin table. Taking a seat, Terry whispers, "There's supposed to be a Ghost Waltz done by the Hogwarts ghosts later and at the end of the night, I heard that Dumbledore hired a troop of skeletons to play!"

"How exciting," Rowan damply said.

Terry either doesn't notice her tone of voice or doesn't care as he and Severus excitedly chatter. Rowan sighs as she closes her eyes and pretends to ignore the flutter of the bat wings. She didn't know when, but soon everything would start on Alastor's end. Either way, tonight would decide if the official and future potential Death Eater base at Hogwarts would be destroyed or if it would thrive as it originally did.

The tables quickly fill and finally grow silent as Dumbledore rises and says, "Welcome! And enjoy our traditional Hallowe'en feast!"

The students let out a cheer as much like at the sorting hat ceremony food appears onto their golden plates and pumpkin juice or cider appear in their golden goblets. On the plates, before them, there are candy-filled pumpkins, candy apples, black cauldrons filled with lollipops, carrot cake bats, orange streamers, goblets made of colored candy, and so much more to feast the eyes.

Rowan tactfully decides that even if there was bat guano it couldn't possibly get into all the candy and should be safe to eat. With that firm resolution in mind, Rowan digs in and begins to eat. While they eat, everyone laughs and drinks and at one-point Rowan's eyes even meet that of Lucius Malfoy. Lucius merely tilts his goblet at her as if in acknowledgment and then returns to his conversation.

Having stuffed candy into their cloaks and flinched a few lanterns from the table filled with candy, Rowan, Severus, and Terry innocently hide their sweets underneath their bulging cloaks. With dinner finished the food disperses off the tables as a skeleton band appears and begins to play a waltz. From the walls, ghostly figures emerge and begin to dance in formation.

The students let out cries of awe as Rowan even applauds in approval at the end of the waltz. Once the clapping dies down, Dumbledore says, "Please enjoy, The Bones!"

The tables suddenly slide back with the students to only clear a dancing space before them. The Bones kick into a funky jam, Warr. Rowan suddenly begins to bob her head and instantly says, "Here take this," and shoves her cloak and food into Severus l.a.p.

"Wait, where are you going?!" Severus exclaimed as Terry's eyes widen in utter shock.

"The dancefloor, this is my jam," Rowan said with a smile. Without a word, Rowan points at Wilkes with her finger and beckons him over.

Wilkes grins and says, "Finally a fearless dance partner!"

Without a care in the world, Wilkes leaps over the gaping Slytherins and says, "Let's go!" Hand in hand, a much smaller figure, and a rather tall figure arrive on the empty dance floor. And without a care in the world, the two begin to dance to the great junky jam.

The undeterred Gryffindor's suddenly spring into action not about to be left by behind by two measly Slytherin's. Soon the dance floor fills with couples and friends just bobbing to the beat.

After a minute, Terry faintly says, "I thought Rowan hated social activities."

"So, did I," Severus said in shock.

"Apparently not," Terry dryly commented.

Once the song finished, Rowan danced back to them and said, "Life is short you two. Who knows this might be our last night together, so let's go out with a bang!"

"NO, Rowan, NO!" Severus futilely protested to no avail as she dragged Severus onto the dancefloor, while Terry abandoned their cloaks and food at the table. Because who frankly cared? And indeed, so to speak it was quite the memorable night.