บท 698: Halloween Arrangements Ⅴ

Quickly the hour passes by as Rowan and Severus shepherd their housemates out of the Slytherin quarters and into the Great Hall. With the last of the first years and transfer students finally accounted for Rowan and Severus gladly take a seat at their house table. Seeing the tired faces of Rowan and Severus, none of their friends speak to them as they chat amongst themselves. On the other hand, the first years and transfer students marvel at the marvelously decorated Great Hall and whisper that there was supposed to be a Ghost Waltz performed by the Hogwarts ghosts before the end of the night and a musical troupe that was to perform named the Fiery Maidens.

The Great Hall falls silent as Dumbledore rises and says, "Welcome! And enjoy our traditional Hallowe'en feast!"

The students let out a cheer as food appears on 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.

The joyous nature is broken by Rowan and Severus, who sternly warn the first-year and transfer students. "Do not eat more than you can stomach, we would hate for an ACCIDENT to occur due to such a poor lack of judgment. However, that being said, Sweets can be pocketed for later and enjoyed at your leisure," Rowan and Severus said, before firmly adding, "but within reason."

With the lecture now finished, the Slytherin first-year and transfer student's faces brighten up as they eagerly begin to dig into the food before them. Bethanie, Sylvia, and Tiffany shake their heads ruefully at Rowan and Severus, while Terry makes a face at them. "But that's part of the whole feast experience," he protested.

Rowan and Severus send him dark glowers as Severus growls, "In that case, you can clean up their bile afterward and accompany them to the infirmary." Terry hastily backpedaled to the obvious amusement of Bethanie, Sylvia, and Tiffany. Especially Sylvia, who can only roll her eyes at her courting partner.

Laughter, chatter, and the sound of silverware can be hard until at long last those fade away. Many of the first years and transfer students have round bellies, but none of those from Slytherin had fierce aching bellies. Though the same could not be said for the other three houses. Those unfortunate Prefects would be forced to accompany students to the infirmary and clean up strewn bile.

With dinner finished the food disperses from the table as shouts of excitement can be heard especially from the male population of Hogwarts. Emerging from the Great Hall entrance are seven breathtaking gorgeous women. Their skin shines moon-bright with white-gold hair that lightly fans out behind them despite a lack of a breeze.

"Might I present the lovely ladies troupe known as the Fiery Maiden," Professor Dumbledore hummed as various males in relationships are viciously kicked and pinched by their female counterparts as they are painfully awakened from their stupor! The seven females' enchanting smiles cause most of the male population to stupidly gawk, while one of them blinks teasingly at her male cousin, Terry Greengrass, and causes the weaker-hearted boys to faint.

Terry smiles innocently back as all his friends shiver at his smile. No doubt, it had been planned. They said that Veela are akin to hawks, but in retrospect, they acted far more like black widows spinning their terrible, tangled webs to pry on dazed, entrapped victims.

All too soon, the Fiery Maidens are seated and begin to play a bewitching, haunting melody that pulled at the heartstrings of those that listened. From the walls, ghostly figures emerge and begin to dance information as they waltz above the heads of the students, who observe down below. With a loud round of applause, the waltz ends, and the ghosts bow, before drifting through the walls to enjoy their own festivities.

After a rousing round of music begins as Terry rises to his feet and bows to Sylvia. "Might I have this dance, milady?" Terry gently teased causing a coy flush to appear on Sylvia's face.

"You may," Sylvia dauntlessly replied, before the two of them pair off onto the dance floor. They were not the only ones as countless couples began to pair off, Bethanie with Regulus, Pandora with Xeno, Quyen with Pettigrew, and many more.

Tiffany sadly glances at those dancing but to her surprise finds Severus offering his hand. "I have been tasked this evening to be your escort," Severus honestly admitted. "But I don't believe it will be a tedious task at all."

"I should hope not," Tiffany giggled at Severus's words before the two of them whirl onto the dancefloor with a carefree air about them.

Despite lacking a partner, Rowan enjoys the dancing and the laughter as she watches her friends and Severus on the dancefloor. Glancing around, she enjoys the sight as her eyes come to a halt on the surprising figures of Sirius and Lily. Both of their gazes are glued to the twirling figures of Severus and Tiffany.

"Huh," Rowan said out loud in surprise and with just a tinge of amusement.

"I certainly did not see that coming, but then again," Rowan whispers to herself. Because she truly had not expected that the object of Sirius's profound affections was Tiffany. Then again, the clues were there all along if Rowan carefully looked back.

Still, it was surprising in its own manner considering Tiffany was a pureblood and a member of one of the 28 sacred families through her mother, who was a Selwyn. Rowan would have never pegged that Sirius would fall for Tiffany considering she was a Slytherin. The old Sirius certainly never would have so, at least the one from Potter's timeline. However, this Sirius was even someone, who Rowan considered a friend even if he tended to have a one-track mind that tended to be Quidditch oriented.

Life truly is full of infinite surprises and with that thought in mind, Rowan shrugs her shoulders. "Well, serves them right," she murmured under her breath, before glancing up at the pitch-black night sky reflected on the ceiling of the Great Hall through patches of fluttering bats with the only glimpses of light are distant twinkling stars.

Shaking her head, Rowan rose to her feet, before moving over to the first years and transfer students and nudging them onto the dancefloor. She only had to gently prod them as the braver ones among them pulled their friends onto the dancefloor. And for the most nervous she firmly took them by the hand and placed them onto the dancefloor, where friends pulled them into the group to dance.

Though Rowan did have to hide her laughter with a crinkled smile as she watched some of the younger years. There in the corner of the ballroom, the fearless figure of Lockhart danced without a care in the world to the embarrassment of his friends. Though the smile faded away as she recalled the face of one, who had just as much as courage and had been kind, S.R. Wilkes.

All trace of cheer disappears from Rowan's face leaving behind only a solemn expression for the rest of the night. S. R. Wilkes entire life had been robbed including his soul. She hoped that wherever he was that he might find joy and be full of life. It was all she could hope for, but she would avenge him, and that much she had sworn.