Halloween Dance! (1351)

Headmistress Ellington sat back in her chair at the High Table, waiting for the festivities to start. The past year, they’d had quite a lot of positive feedback about their feast/dance hybrids. Fiona thought perhaps they should start doing every big holiday like this.

“Here they come,” she sighed as excruciatingly loud students started filing in.

The Great Hall was a sight for sore eyes. Jack-o-lanterns lined the ceiling, which magically matched the storm that was rumbling outside. Perfect Halloween weather. The long tables had been put away and replaced by six-seater round tables placed throughout the hall, covered with orange and black tablecloths. The banquet tables were empty aside from gold plates and goblets. There were no bats this year; too much guano. Tons of ghosts roamed eerily, however, waiting to spook some unsuspecting child.

“Everyone seems to be settled,” Professor Rowling notified her.

Ellington nodded and walked up to the podium, clearing her throat. “Happy Halloween, everyone! Enjoy yourselves!”

That was the quickest speech she’d ever given, and it got more cheers and applause than all the other ones combined. All at once, the banquet tables along the walls were covered with food and drink, the instruments starting playing loudly by the dance floor, and chatter filled the Great Hall.

(OOC: Gold = Marigold, Purple = Dimia, Green = Kolby, Blue = Thea, and Brown = Petyr)

Thea was one of the first ones into the Great Hall, walking in with Kerry and Petyr. They all agreed to go as a friend group, taking turns on dances and such. Kolby seemed alright with it, probably preferring it, instead of her having a date.

"Woah," Kerry said, looking around the Great Hall. Kolby had described Hogwarts dances to her before. But, seeing them in person, was something completely different. It was gorgeous. She clapped when the Headmistress gave her speech and people immediately started to dance, as the first song began. People weren't shy here. Thea smiled and watched the people.

"I brought you some food," Kerry told her, as they sat on chairs at a table. They ate their little nibbles, watching the people dance. Thea could instantly tell the noble from the peasant. She thought about her two dance partners. Both of them were peasants. Would they even want to dance? Would she get to dance tonight? Thea was suddenly regretting her choice not to actively find a date. Surely someone would have asked her if she had put herself out there a little more. But, she was just a wallflower, always in the background of some scene.

She smiled, though, as a Hufflepuff noble a grade above her asked her to dance. She accepted and danced with him on the dance floor. She did not recognize him at first. But, after they danced a little bit, he introduced himself as Kolby's friend, Mick Rainey.

"Oh. I remember you from the tourney," she reminded herself. He smiled.

"You look beautiful tonight. And, I'm not just saying that as Kolby's friend," he told her. Thea blushed and thanked him. He was a smooth talker. They danced the first dance and then he went to get her a drink. She went back to the table and Kerry gave her the thumbs up. She blushed again and noticed that Dimia and Alec were nearby. She waved at them, smiling. Kolby came up to her, to make sure that she was alright.

"I'm having a great time! I do have one question, though. Did you tell Mick to dance with me?" she asked her big brother.

Arya stood nervously at the top of the stairs in the Entrance Hall, waiting for Gavin to meet her. It's not that she was nervous about going with Gavin; they'd gone to every dance together. She was (stupidly) nervous about how he would react to her dress. It was far more feminine than she was used to, being a pale lavender shade.

"Wow," someone said behind her. She turned to see Gavin staring at her in awe. "You look amazing."

"Oh, um, oh," she stuttered, blushing.

Gavin just laughed and held out his arm for her to take, and they entered the Hall. The place looked so cool, and she was pleased to see that there were no bats this year.

"Good evening, Arya," the Bloody Baron greeted her, floating right through an unsuspecting boy. "How are you faring?"

"Evening, Baron," she smiled, trying not to laugh at the boy running away. "I'm well, how are you?"

"Oh, just awful," he moaned spookily. "See you around."

Arya smiled at Gavin's stunned expression as he stared after the ghost. "C'mon, let's go grab a table," she said, pulling him along.

"I don't want to be late Walt," Marigold rushed along the Gryffindor. They met at the Hosptial Wing to help each other get ready and Walt insisted on redoing her hair, which she spent a lot of time on.

"We're not going to be late. I just need two more bobby pins," Walt told her. Marigold sighed as Walt pulled at her hair. She assumed that he was making it look great.

"There. Perfect," Walt told her, showing her the hair in the mirror. Marigold gasped. It was perfect.

"How are you so good at hair? Thank you. I love it," Marigold told him. He smiled and helped her up and they walked to the Great Hall. Marigold giggled as Walt blushed when Ron came up to get him. Marigold stood by one of the giant windows, where Asher told her to in his invitation. Marigold looked at the stained glass; this one window made the Gryffindor crest, which is probably why Asher liked it so much.

"Mari?" Marigold heard behind her. She turned around and smiled. Asher stood there, dashingly handsome, in clothes that he clearly borrowed from Gavin. He looked really nice and Marigold blushed.

"Wow. You look.....just.... wow," he told her. Marigold giggled and thanked him, a little flattered.

"Um....oh! Right. This is for you," he said, handing her a yellow rose with red tips. She giggled, knowing that last year she only got a yellow rose, that represented friendship. The red tips meant falling in love.

"Thank you," she said, quietly. This was awkward, yet at the same time, romantic.

"You're welcome. Ummm....I think Gavin has a table over here," Asher told her. He took her hand and they located Arya and Gavin.

"Hi! Has anyone seen Adele yet?" Marigold asked, sitting down at the table.

Adelaine waited by the giant hourglasses that held the house points. Gryffindor was in the lead at the moment, but Ravenclaw wasn't too far behind. Now that the season's starting up, we'll get there, she thought, thinking of Quidditch to take her mind off of things.

"Hey," Symon greeted her sullenly.

"Evening," she smiled nervously. "Um..is everything okay?"

Symon was quiet for a moment, then took a deep breath and exhaled. "A lot has been happening lately. With you and Seamus."

"About that, I think -"

"Just let me finish," he cut her off. "I think it's best we just...focus on our friendship for a while."

Adele stared at him, not sure she'd heard him correctly. Was he...breaking up with her? But I was going to do that first! she thought, her stomach sinking. Of course, it wasn't technically a break-up. They were betrothed, yet not really a couple.

"You need to figure out what there is between you two," Symon continued earnestly.

"I agree," she nodded, pretending not to notice the disappointed look on his face. "So..friends?"

"Always," he smiled. "Let's go."

She took his arm and they entered the Great Hall. It was already packed full, so it took a moment to find their friends. When they finally did, they reached the table right as Marigold was asking after Adele.

"Right behind you," she said in a spooky voice, directly in Marigold's ear, before laughing. She slid into the empty seat next to her, Symon taking a seat across the table.

Kolby was preparing for the big performance. Davy and the Ministry were standing under the Slytherin crest stained glass window. He took a deep breath as he went to Thea. She needed to stand back. Davy plans, combined with the performance, was to release a toxin that causes intense boils to the skin, to the point of hospitalization. But, Kolby, with Arya's help, switched the toxin with some laughing gas. It was to last another five minutes and is completely harmless. But, still, he didn't want Thea in the zone.

"No. I didn't tell him to dance with you," Kolby told his sister. He smiled, seeing that Mick was taking care of her.

"Alright. Hang back against the wall for the next little bit. I don't want you getting hurt," Kolby told her, letting her go back to the party. Kolby was making his rounds. He had to warn a few people, telling them to keep their distance. The laughing gas was very centralized and didn't spread too far. But, if they were towards the middle of the dance floor, they would definitely be affected

"Kolby! Shall we get this show on the road?" Davy suddenly asked him.

"Ummm, sure. Let me check on the ghosts again and get my costume on and then, we'll get started," Kolby told him. Davy smiled and nodded. He was ready to terrorize some students. Kolby sighed and went to do what he told. He didn't have time to warn the others. But, hopefully, everyone would be safe.

Kolby took a deep breath, straightened his costume, and told the ghosts to start. The Bloody Barron smiled and suddenly, the entire Great Hall went dark. Kolby heard a few people scream and he cued the music. People seemed to calm down as the ghosts started to sing.

"Boys and girls of every age
Wouldn't you like to see something strange?
Come with us and you will see
This, our town of Halloween
This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Pumpkins scream in the dead of night
This is Halloween, everybody, make a scene
Trick or treat till the neighbors gonna die of fright
It's our town, everybody scream
In this town of Halloween" the ghosts started, a little fake town popping up and they dancing. Pumpkins were impaled on spikes, flying from the ceiling. Kolby saw some girls gripping onto their partners and Kolby smiled as they loosened up, seeing that it was mostly harmless. Now, it was personal fears.

"I am the one hiding under your bed. Teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red," sang one ghost that was transformed into a monster. The ghost terrorized this little girl until she fainted. Luckily, her partner caught her.

"I am the one hiding under your stairs. Fingers like snakes and spiders in my hair," sang another ghost, picking on another first year. She didn't faint but she looked very frightened.

"This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!
In this town, we call home
Everyone hail to the pumpkin song" the ghost sang in unison. Now, it was Kolby's turn. He jumped up on a table.

"In this town, don't we love it now? Everybody's waiting for the next surprise," he sang, the light from the spotlight, hitting him in his Mayor costume, with his pumpkin mask on. Of course, most of the Ministry was helping with this and Kolby was no exception.

"Round that corner, man hiding in the trash can
Something's waiting no to pounce, and how you'll
Scream! This is Halloween
Red 'n' black, slimy green
Aren't you scared?" the ghost sang, continuing in their dance pattern.

"Well, that's just fine
Say it once, say it twice
Take a chance and roll the dice
Ride with the moon in the dead of night," two witches sang, flying on brooms near the ceiling and hitting back and forth a ball that exploded into a smoke skull. Kolby could see that it was not as terrified now and more fun for the audience. He felt a surge of power and he smiled.

"Everybody scream! Everybody scream!" he yelled, ghosts terrorizing someone while he said it. Some people really did scream, but there were some smiles on their faces.

"In our town of Halloween!" the ghosts finished. Kolby smiled as the song continued, as he hopped from table to table until it was time for Davy's entrance. Finally, it was Davy's entrance. The laughing gas began coming out of the cauldron, as he emerged from the cauldron. He tried to be menacing, but he started laughing. Everyone that was near the cauldron started the laughing, as the song died down. Kolby bolted from the Great Hall and changed back. He slipped back in and smiled, seeing all the happy laughing people.

(OOC: I got lazy with the typing but it's just like the movie lol)[/b][/b]

Deirdre hurried along the corridors to the stairs near the Great Hall where she agreed to meet Peyton. She was late thanks to poor planning, her hair having been much more difficult to reel in than she'd originally assumed. That and her dress was difficult to cinch on her own.

Once she reached the stairs she found Peyton waiting for her with a patient smile. "There you are. I thought I might have to give up on you." He told her. It was obviously a joke. Deirdre could see in his eyes he would never do that.

"Well, it's good I finally arrived then." She replied happily. "You look very handsome."

It was hard to tell in the candle light but it seemed he was a bit red in the cheeks. "Thank you, Deirdre. And you look positively stunning."

Deirdre smiled and took his arm for him to lead her into the dance. When they entered things were just starting up with the Ministry. "What on earth.." When the laughing gas kicked in she was even more confused. "Why would they use laughing gas?"

Peyton seemed to have no idea either so they went to where she saw Kolby sneaking back in. "Kolby, what's going on?"

[[Mira & Elsa]]

Mira and her crew were running pretty late for the festivities thanks to Elsa; she kept redoing her hair and changing the colors on her gown. Seamus and Edwin were waiting in the Hufflepuff common room, and their patience was running out.

"Elsa, come on," she groaned, pacing back and forth in their dorm. "You look fine, we need to go!"

"Ugh, alright, alright," the girl sighed, tightening a hair ribbon. "How do I look?"

Elsa was every shade of scarlet imagineable. Personally, Mira thought it made her look a bit...risque. She could never tell her that, though.

"Fantastic, let's go," she said firmly, grabbing Elsa by the wrist and pulling her downstairs.

Edwin and Seamus both looked up in relief.

"Bloody hell, finally," Ed said, rolling his eyes. He looked at Mira and gulped, his cheeks on fire. "Oh, wow.."

Mira blushed and smiled. "No time for that, let's get a move on."

The group headed to the Great Hall in an awkward silence. Seamus seemed like he would rather be locked in a dungeon than here, and Elsa was already tired of him since she was all about the chase. They arrived to the dance just in time to see a bunch of Slytherins doubled over in laughter. Wonder what that's about, she thought.

"There's empty seats at Peyton's table," Ed pointed, leading the way.

"How's it going, guys?" Peyton waved as they sat down.

"I'm starving," Elsa muttered, immediately heading to the buffet.

Peyton leaned in and spoke to Seamus. "Seriously, how's it going?"

"I dunno, mate," he shook his head. "Shoulda jus' stayed in tonight."

"You need to cut the crap, Seamus," Ed sighed. "Just talk to her."

"Oh yeah? An' how d'ye think that'll go?" he snapped. "She'll be too busy with 'er precious betrothed te even look at me."

"So you're just gonna give up?" Peyton crossed his arms.

"I've already done too much damage as it is, ye know?" Seamus frowned.

Mira felt a little uncomfortable, but her curiosity was getting the better of her.

"Um, pardon me," she interrupted. "I'd like to point out that, erm, Symon is dancing with someone else."

Reyna readjusted her pearls and looked around the increasingly crowded Great Hall. They were sitting at a table with Dimia and Alec. Truthfully, she was a little anxious that her date wasn't going to stick around for long.

"Why are you so nervous, m'lady?" Finn asked quietly beside her.

"Finnius, you don't have to call me that here," she laughed.

"Sorry, force of habit," he smiled. He'd been their stable boy for years. "So really, what's on your mind?"

With a shrug, she sipped her butterbeer. "Symon," she admitted, gesturing to where her brother danced unenthusiastically with a fourth year Slytherin.

"You know he sort of called things off with Adele earlier," Finn told her.

"Seriously?" Was he crazy? They were betrothed, there was no calling things off. "Anyway, I suppose you'll want to go dance with someone?"

Finnius smiled pleasantly and nodded, standing up. And off he goes, Reyna thought. To her surprise, however, he was holding his hand out to her. "Care to dance? You are my date, after all."

"R-really? Yes, of course!" she grinned from ear to ear, praying that she wasn't blushing. She took his hand and let him lead her to the dance floor.

"I reckon Symon'll have a pretty hilarious look on his face when he sees us, too," Finn smirked.

Reyna laughed, absolutely giddy. Aside from her valiant Sir Cole, she'd only ever had eyes for Finnius Ruddock - and now he was her date. Would wonders never cease?

The dance continued after the song. Spirits alive and well. The song actually seemed to liven everything up, despite the laughing gas. It didn't last long, but enough to send some people into a panic. They calmed down when the laughing stopped and the music continued with the dance. Asher swept Marigold to the dance floor and they danced and danced.

"That was quite a show," Asher commented. Marigold laughed and nodded.

"It was very entertaining," Marigold agreed, as they danced. They were towards the middle of the dance floor. Marigold looked at Symon dancing with some random girl, a little worried. Her smiled fell and she turned her head to look at Adele. Asher took her chin and Marigold blushed.

"Don't worry about the drama. Let's just have fun tonight. Davy has been stopped for the most part tonight and Adele and Symon can sort things out for themselves. Let's just have fun, okay?" he told her, the music slowing down, turning into a slow dance. Marigold smiled and nodded, acquiescing. They slow danced, swinging back and forth to the music.

"So, Ms. Seeker, how does it feel to be a legit Quidditch player?"Asher asked, making her do a twirl. Marigold laughed and Asher smiled.

"It's nice, I guess. I'm a little nervous about the upcoming season," Marigold told him honestly.

"Well, don't be. The season is going to go how the season is going to go. Once the final score is up, there's not much you can do to change it," Asher explained. Marigold nodded and they continued to dance, enjoying the slow gentle music. Asher sighed and looked over Marigold's shoulder.

"Seamus really messed up with Adele huh?" Asher asked. Marigold looked behind her. Seamus was still moping, although almost everyone was supposed to dance. Marigold smiled and grabbed Asher's chin.

"What did you just say about drama?" Marigold countered. Asher chuckled and took her hand and twirled her around again.

"Did I tell you that you look beautiful yet?" Asher asked. Marigold blushed and giggled and looked at the floor.

"Marigold, what changed? Last year, we weren't this close," he reminded her. Marigold looked over Asher's shoulder, where Jacob had been staring at them from the sidelines.

"I don't know. Don't focus on that. Let's dance," Marigold told him, as the slow dance ended and the fast paced dances came back. Asher smiled and they continued to dance.

Emmanuelle laid on the sofa in the Slytherin common room, her arm covering her eyes to block out any light. She'd been sick all afternoon - food poisoning. She suspected someone had sabotaged her pumpkin juice, but she couldn't prove it.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to," Rowan rolled his eyes, sitting impatiently in an armchair.

"Yes I do," she insisted. "Zis is ze first event of ze year, I cannot miss it!" She paused to gag a little. "Patrick will be back soon, oui?"

"Here he is now," Adam said.

"Got the potion, here ya go," Patrick grimaced, slinking into the room and handing her a vial.

Emmy sat up and eagerly took the greenish liquid. A few seconds passed, and then she perked right up. Merci Merlin! she thought, jumping up and running to a mirror. Her complexion was even ghostlier than usual, but that could be fixed with a pinch of her cheeks. She smoothed down her gown, fixed her hair, and headed out the door without even glancing at the boys. They ran after her as soon as they realized she was gone. They were an hour late to the dance, but she didn't mind. She wasn't looking spectacular enough to "make an entrance" like usual.

"Shall we dance?" Rowan asked, ever the gentleman.

"Oui," Em smirked, taking his hand and letting him lead her to the dance floor.

She surveyed the room as they twirled. The upstart goody-two-shoes clan was all over the place; Adele and Symon surprisingly weren't together, and that Irish lad was slumped over at another table with a Hufflepuff and a Gryffindor. Davy's little Raven was dancing with her tempermental lion. Mon dieu, she thought, spotting Reyna dancing with that handsome Puff. Why did he look so familiar? Apparantly Em wasn't the only one to notice.

"Ah, imbecile, you stepped on my foot!" she exclaimed.

"Huh? Oh, my bad," Rowan said, staring over her shoulder at Reyna.

Thea went up and hugged her brother after the performance. Even though she stood against the wall, a ghost still found her and scared her. She hugged Kolby, glad to just have someone familiar. A Ravenclaw and a Hufflepuff came walking up to him, affected by the laughing gas.

"Just take deep breaths. It surely can't last long," Thea told her, letting go of Kolby and trying to calm the girl down.

"That was great Kolby!" Thea told her brother. Mick then came up, seeing the Great Hall begin to clear of the laughing gas. He smiled and offered his hand to Thea. Thea took Mick's hand and they went back to dancing.

"Thea!" Elma greeted as they got on the dance floor. Thea noticed a few other people on the dancefloor that were Kolby's friends. She continued to dance with Mick for a while, before going to get some dinner. She got a little plate of snacks and sat down to eat.

"Are you sure, Davy? Are you absolutely sure you want to do that? It's your last year at Hogwarts. Wouldn't you rather finish school?" Thea overheard two Slytherins talking.

"If I finish school, I can't confront my sister. She has to have an inkling of who I am. That I'm her brother. But, I don't think she even knows," the one named Davy told the other. Thea was a little concerned. His sister didn't remember him?

"But, Davy, by causing more chaos, it may distance her further from her. After all, she is in the Templar. Let's take a break for the night and a few days later, you can try to talk to her," the other Slytherin told him. Davy got up and walked out. The other Slytherin sighed and followed him. Thea smiled as Mick came with drinks and they got to talking.

Adele sat at the table, drumming her fingers on the side of her chair and staring into space. She was by herself, aside from some random Gryffindor couple who plopped down at the wrong table and were now huddled together, talking giddily; it made her positively sick.

"Care to dance?" Robb asked her politely.

"No, thank you," she responded. He sighed and sat down next to her.

"Why so glum, chum?"

"Seamus is an arse."

"Of course he is," Robb nodded, not even questioning her. "But as far as arses go, he's the best."

Adele looked at him and laughed. I suppose that's true, she thought. "Erm, I'm gonna have to leave you here, sorry.."

"Not a problem," he smiled.

She stood and walked over to Seamus, who sat glaring at the dance floor. "Elsa is a doxy," she said, crossing her arms. He looked up at her with an eyebrow raised. "Why would you go out with someone like her?"

"I see we're not holdin' back now, eh? Okay," he replied, sitting up straight. "I wanted te see if I could make you feel the way ye always make me feel. An' it worked!"

Adele's jaw dropped, but she quickly recovered and sat down diligently. "It did. And because of it, Symon's dumped me. "

"He what...he dumped ye?" Seamus repeated incredulously.

"Yes, because I was so torn over you, you crooked-nosed knave! So what're we going to do now?"

"Let's dance!"

"Fine!" she shouted.

"Fine!" he yelled back, grabbing her hand and leading her to the dance floor.

[[OOC: Cue applause and screams, they're finally together!]]

Arya and Gavin had been dancing for what felt like a year, so she finally stepped on his foot and pulled him over to a chair by the buffet. She realized in hindsight that she could've just asked him to stop and sit with her, rather than injure him.

"Here's some ice," she said, handing him a slab from the drink table that she wrapped in a cloth napkin.

"Thanks," he grimaced as he put it on his foot. "You should really brush up on your moves."

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered, leaning back and relaxing. "Bloody hell, is that Seamus and Adele?"

"Alright man, ya finally got her," Gavin laughed, watching them dance.

This is gonna be a dramatic year, I can tell already, Arry thought, grabbing a cauldron cake. She noticed Asher and Marigold dancing close by and called them over. Ash waved and headed to them, with Marigold in tow.

"Sup, guys?" he smiled, looking at Gavin. "Oh, mate, what happened to your foot?"

"I'm a clumsy dancer," Arya answered, deadpan. "Have you guys noticed that in a matter of an hour, Symon and Adele have split, Symon is dancing with someone new, Adele and Seamus are together, Elsa is with who knows, Ed and Jon aren't speaking, and Finn is dancing with Symon's little sister?"

"Blimey," Ash muttered, looking around.

Marigold looked at the dance floor. Everything did seem very topsy turvy. She smiled, though, seeing Walt talking to the Hufflepuff that hosted the party. They seemed to be having a good time.

"Marigold," someone called out to her. She turned around and Robert was there. Robert didn't associate with Marigold outside of the Hospital Wing, seeing that the teacher-student relationship they have could be turned perverted. But, apparently, there was a problem.

"I'm gonna borrow her for a second," Robert told Asher. Asher nodded and Marigold went with Robert to the hallway in front of the Great Hall. Robert then looked around the hall and passed her a quill. When Marigold touched it, they were teleported somewhere else. It was a Portkey. They were in the Forbidden Forest, a little outside of Hogsmeade.

"Robert. I was.....is everything okay?" she asked, putting her feelings of disdain aside. She wouldn't have left with him if they were leaving the dance, much less Hogwarts.

"Look," Robert said, pointing to the silhouette of Hogwarts on the horizon. Marigold felt her mouth drop open a little bit. There were black shadows flying around Hogwarts, looking for an opening  through Hogwarts defenses.

"They know that we're here," Robert said, referring to the Baums, the family that rivaled them in Germany and trying to destroy their empire in Germany.

"What are we going to do?" Marigold asked him.

"You come and find me immediately if they attack. I don't think they will tonight, but know that we're being watched. I'm going to show you this safe house. You are to come here if you can't get to me," Robert told her, as they walked through the woods. The leaves crunched beneath their feet as they walked. Marigold stopped when she saw the safe house. It was the cave. Flashbacks raced to her mind of the sphinx and the siren. She grabbed her sides, remembering the sphinx pinning her to the ground. Marigold followed Robert into the cave. She kept her mouth shut as they walked, the cave feeling much more familiar this time.

"You're room is the left fork. It has enough food and water for a week. The painting leads to the third-floor hallway if you can't get to me. Don't tell anyone about this," Robert told her. Marigold looked around the room. It was a smaller room, just off where the siren was located. She could see the river from the doorway. There was a small bed, a cabinet, and a painting. Marigold had one thought; This would be good for Templar.

"Do you understand?" Robert asked her. She nodded and Robert kissed her forehead. They then opened the painting and walked back to the dance. Robert nodded to her before going back to the Hospital Wing. Marigold smiled as soon as she stepped into the Great Hall.

"You have a leaf stuck to your shoe," Gavin told her when she approached her group. She pulled it off of her shoe and pulled Asher back onto the dance floor before anyone could ask questions.

Kolby was paranoid. So paranoid. Davy was sulking. His pain didn't work. He was looking for someone to take his anger out on. Kolby was a prime subject. He was the coordinator. Kolby kept his head low and his back to the wall, watching the dancers. Then, he went into the courtyard outside the Great Hall. He looked up to the sky, noticing the defense were sometimes flashing. And, he noticed that a girl was crying, sitting on the bench, her head buried in her knees.

"Are you okay?" Kolby asked the girl. She shot her head up; it was Elsa. Kolby took a deep breath expecting a barrage of complaints. She just wiped her tears and shrugged.

"I just want to be loved," she said quietly. Kolby sighed and stood their awkwardly. They weren't really friends. But, not enemies either.

"Look, Elsa, I'm going to be honest with you. Maybe you shouldn't have strung along so many guys. You have two great guys that wanted to go with you and you just jumped on Seamus, practically ruining his relationship with Adele," Kolby told her. Else seemed to think about it and nodded.

"I guess. I just...." Elsa tried to say and sighed. Kolby just stood there.

"Kolby!" a Ministry member called out to him. Kolby looked at the dance and then at Elsa. Then, he offered her his hand. Elsa looked at his hand and took it. They went back to the dance.

Once the laughing gas had finally worn off Deirdre and Peyton took to the dance floor. It was nice to finally spend some time with him other than on strange adventures.

"So, did ye miss me while I was ill last year?" She asked him curiously.

He chuckled as he twirled her and pulled her back to him. "Of course I did. Anyone would be mad not to. It's not the same without you."

The brunette giggled. "It's good te hear, truly. I haven't been feeling ta best since Hogsmeade."

Peyton stopped their movements and made her look him in the eye. "You'll be alright, Deidre. I know you will. You're strong and kind, you'll survive him."

"I don't want te survive him, Peyton."She told him. "I wish I could marry a man of my choosing. I would prefer te marry someone who cares about me."

He sighed and held her close. "I know. I hope you can find a way to be happy. A girl like you deserves happiness."

There was a short laugh next to them and when Deirdre looked Cormac was standing there. He was sneering at them, his curls smoothed back from his face. His entire outfit was silver and black. All darkness and glinting edges of metal.

"I believe my betrothed owes me a dance, peasant." He spat at Peyton, grabbing Deirdre's wrist to pull her away. "When we're married I won't be allowing such closeness with the help, Deirdre."

He dragged her off the dance floor over to his friends from the Ministry. "Look who I have, gentlemen. Our little plaything from last year. I suppose it's a good thing that dragon didn't roast her alive or I wouldn't have my future wife." The group started laughing.

Deidre tried to pull away but it seemed Cormac wasn't about to let her go. Fear clenched her heart and made it hard to move. Hopefully they didn't have anything else planned or her.

Mira was in heaven. She was dancing with Edwin (who was surprisingly talented) and she felt as if they were the only two people in the room. The song was a slow lute ballad that reminded her of something a troupe of gypsies performed to at a festival back home.

"Things seem to be working out well for everyone tonight, huh?" Ed asked, smiling down at her.

"Hm? Oh, yes," she nodded. "What?"

"Mira, pay attention," he laughed. "Look, Seamus and Adele, Peyton and Deirdre, Elsa and...Kolby? That's a shocker."

"She's dancing with Kolby?" Mira perked up, looking around the room. "But she hates Kolby."

"He's a charming bloke in his way, I suppose," Edwin shrugged, spinning Mira around.

Suddenly, all the candles flickered and blew out, and the music stopped. With an excrutiatingly loud crash, windows on all sides of the Hall busted into a billion pieces and dark-cloaked figures flew in. The students screamed and ran around amidst the chaos, trying to get out. Mira looked around, blaming Davy until she saw him - he was running around with the rest of the students. The teachers were dueling with as many intruders as they could. Edwin grabbed Mira's arm and pulled her out of the Hall; they hid behind a large stone statue in the Entrance Hall. When Mira peeked back into the Great Hall, she noticed something odd: aside from those dueling with the professors, they didn't seem to be harming anyone else. They were shooting bursts of light, but that seemed more like a strategy to confuse people. In fact, it looked like they were searching the room.

"C'mon, lets try to get to your dorm!" Ed decided, taking her hand and running down the stairs.

Emmy and her crew had joined the rest of the Ministry at a table in the corner, and were lounging around when the attack began. She couldn't help but be a little impressed, assuming it was some elaborate scheme of Davy's; after all, even first years knew about his big attack at last years House Cup feast.

"Davy, was this you??" Rowan asked, looking over.

"Bloody hell, I dunno what this is!" Davy exclaimed, getting up and running for the door.

That was all Em needed to hear to wipe the smile off her face. Bursts of light and smoke were flashing all around, but she could not for the life of her tell whether or not they were actually harmful or just illusions. She jumped  out of her seat and covered her head with an empty tray as she pushed and shoved her way out of the Great Hall. Mon Dieu, she thought mischievously. If all Hogwarts events are like this, I'm going to enjoy this place!

What a wonderful night, Reyna thought gleefully as she danced with Finnius. For a stable boy, he was quite a good dancer; where did he learn?

"Don't look now, but Symon has just spotted us," Finn whispered, amused. "Actually, go ahead and look."

Rey discreetly turned her head and burst into a fit of laughter before turning back to Finnius. Symon was across the room, staring at them in pure disbelief. She wondered how long he'd been doing it.

"I'll be gettin' a lecture tomorrow, that's for sure," Finn grinned.

"Me as well, don't worry," she smiled back.

Their laughter died down quickly, however, as the Great Hall fell under attack. Finnius was one of the few who didn't stop to gawk at the invaders, flying around and fighting with the teachers. He immediately took her by the hand and pushed through the crowd.

"My dorm's closer, let's go!" he exclaimed over the deafening screams, pulling her along.

Arya had gotten separated from Gavin in all the chaos. What in the world was going on?! She was almost positive it was Davy's doing. She was almost positive, until she ran smack dab into the man himself, which knocked them both to the ground.

"Blimey, ya little minx, watch it!" he growled, hopping back up and running away.

If we weren't under attack right now... She never had time to finish that thought, however. A large smoking ball of white light was coming straight at her. Arya jumped up, but not in enough time. The ball hit her right in the face...or did it? Her face felt hot for half a second, but that was all. What the bloody hell type of witchcraft..?

"There you are!" Gavin shouted, panting as he pulled her into a quick hug. "That thing hit you, are you okay?? There's not a mark or anything..."

"I'm fine," she shrugged, confused. "I don't know what this is all about, but we'd better get out of here before they run out of teachers to duel."

Gavin nodded in agreement, and they held hands tightly as they ran for the Entrance Hall.

Seamus and Adele only danced for a short while before the attack started. She wanted to stay and look for Marigold, because she thought it was too big a coincidence that Robert would show up, Marigold would come back with a leaf on her shoe, and now the Great Hall was under attack by someone other than the Ministry of Mischief.

"Adele, we have te go!" Seamus yelled.

"But what if she's in danger?!"

"Marigold's a big girl, she can handle herself," he assured her. "An' she's got Asher on her heels, ye can be sure!"

Adele frowned, but took his hand and followed him through the crowd. Marigold wasn't her only concern, though. Where was Symon? She knew for a fact that he could definitely handle himself, but she was still worried. And what about Arya? Gavin? Deirdre? All of her friends were on her mind. When she caught glimpses of a few of them exiting the Great Hall, she was a bit more at ease.

"Seamus, I really think we need to find Marigold," she urged him again as they crouched behind a human-sized marble vase in the Entrance Hall.

"Guys! Guys, have you seen her??" Asher popped up behind them, trying to catch his breath. "I couldn't find Marigold anywhere!"

Deirdre screamed as the windows shattered. What the hell was going on? What were these things attacking the school and why were they even there. Then she began to panic. Where were Peyton and the others? Cormac grabbed hold of her again before she could run to find them and dragged her away from the Great Hall.

"Let go of me, ye git!" She yelled, trying to get his hand off of her. "I have to find my friends!"

"Oh, I'm sure your little friends are fine." He sneered. They took shelter behind the boar statue for a moment and he looked down at her. "Cockroaches can survive anything."

Deirdre was about to say something nasty to him when she saw Peyton making his way toward them. "Peyton!"

"Deirdre!" Cormac looked back at him before picking the girl up and running toward the Slytherin dorm. It wasn't stopping Peyton but the Ministry member wouldn't be against the chaos having a Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff in the dorm would no doubt cause.

It was chaos. It was pure chaos. And, Marigold felt so guilty. It was all her fault the Baum's were here. You stupid girl! You stupid, stupid girl! You should've told your friends! Marigold cursed, as the windows shattered. Asher pulled her close and they started to run before a white mist separated them. Marigold fell to the ground.

"Asher!" Marigold cried out, trying to reach through the mist. But, she screamed, feeling it burn her. Another white mist came straight at her and knocked her backward.

"Arresto Momentum!" Marigold heard a professor cast at her. She felt herself slow down as she hit the ground much more gently. Marigold fumbled for her wand as another white mist came at her.

"Protego!" Marigold cast. She stood up and took off running through the Great Hall. But, another white mist came and pushed her down. Marigold fell and felt the wind being knocked out of her.

"We got her boys!" she heard someone yell, as a bag was put over her head.

"ROBERT! WALT!" Marigold screamed as she punched at the White mists, trying to strike anything.

"You shut your mouth, you little minx! Confundo!" she heard cast on her. She felt her mind go lightheaded and she didn't know where she was suddenly.

"You idiot!" someone yelled at the first person. Then, Marigold was hoisted over someone's shoulder. Then, there was a feeling of being teleported somewhere. The bag was removed from her head as she was pushed to the ground at someone's feet. Marigold groaned and looked around. They were in a camp in the Forbidden Forest. Come on! Think! Thunk! Do something! her confused brain yelled at her.

"Very, very good boys. Anneliese Cosin. The Lost Cosin sister. How nice of you to join us princess," an ominous voice told her. Marigold looked at him. Axel Baum. The oldest of the Baum princes. Marigold groaned as she was hoisted to her feet.

"Who cast a Confundus Charm on her?" Axel demanded to know. No one stepped forward. He groaned.

"Well, Anneliese. How do you feel about your school being attacked?," Axel said, turning her towards the school. Marigold looked at Hogwarts in the distance. White mists were still attacking the school Marigold's mind instantly went to her friends, her professors. They were in danger. Tears pooled in her eyes.

"Please stop." she whispered. Axel chuckled.

"Gladly. If you agree to come with us back to Germany, on your own accord," Axel said. Don't! Wait....do it! Wait...wait.... her confused brain continued to think.

"I agree," Marigold said. Axel chuckled and helped her into a carriage, putting handcuffs on her hands.

"Back to Germany boys!" he called out. The Germans cheered and the carriage took off into the sky. Marigold watched as Hogwarts faded into the distance. I always cause trouble.... Marigold thought, feeling herself fall into a depressive slum.

Kolby was running through the Great Hall when he heard Marigold scream. He looked over to see her get hoisted over someone shoulder and teleported away. He continued running and came up to the Templar kids.

"Thea!" Kolby exclaimed, seeing his sister unharmed. He wrapped his arms around her. He took a deep breath. Everyone seemed unharmed.

"Marigold! Marigold!" Walt called out, wading through the crowd. He came up to the Templar group, out of breath. Suddenly, the attacks stopped and the lights comes back on.

"Walt! What's going on? What was that?" Asher demanded. Kolby did a head count of the main Templar group. Everyone was accounted for. Except for Marigold.

"Have any of you seen Marigold?!" Walt demanded over Asher.

"I saw her get hoisted over someone's shoulder and then they teleported away," Kolby admitted.

"What?!" Asher and Walt yelled in unison. Walt took off to find Robert.

"Walt, you have a lot of explaining to do!" Asher said, going after Walt. The group was in a frenzy. Then, they got an announcement from Headmistress Ellington.