The Spirited 13 Days of Halloween

A/N: cookies to everyone who had read the story thus far! thank you!! also it's my birthday...i know no one will care but i'm estatic about that and am willing to share...>:)

review responses:

discolemonade: yeah...that was wierd but i've always liked him and wanted him to relax...and don't worry...the ginny bashing doesn't end there ^^

usmc gal: yeah she is...i needed a "villan" in this and she was there, wanting to take harry away from ginny so it worked out ^^ and she will get her's soon enough

chakahlah: i've got most of the chapters written but a chapter a day keeps the weasley twins happy ^^

hieisdragoness18: just wait...tomorrow snape features big time >:)

uchiha mikomi: you too? (well...now and xmas time ^^) i figured why not combine pranking with the unlucky number 13? *shrug* it was awesome!!

thrnbrooke: thanks a lot darlin'!

and now...the next big prank!!

23 October, Day Five

Theodore Nott smiled to himself as he stood and dusted himself off. It had taken him some time to cast this spell--he had started at five and the bell was due to ring in half an hour--but it was well worth it. He was sure the teachers were going to find a way to keep teaching despite this prank but that was okay. He was getting tired of doing nothing all day.

No, this prank was sorely for amusment. He wondered how long it would take for the teachers to realize what the prank was and how long it would take them to sort out a solution.

Oh, yes. He could not wait.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry sighed when Ron moved down the table to sit with Ginny. Hermione tsk'd and said, "Don't worry about him. You know he'll come around."

Harry picked up some toast, not feeling particularly hungry this morning. After the fight with Ginny and now Ron, he didn't feel like eating anything. "I know. It's just hard to know that he won't just trust me on this."

Hermione looked over at the Slytherin table where a certain blond wizard was trying very hard not to look at Harry. She smiled. Somehow, she just knew that despite Harry's problems at present with the remaining Weasleys at the school, Harry would be unable to spend much time moping around.

"Then I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I told him last night that we were taking a break," Hermione said.

Harry eyes went wide. "A break?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes. I know you don't want to know the details about our relationship but even though I do love him, I don't want to be with someone as immature as him. There is a lot of ignorance and prejudice right now and I for one won't stand for it. And if that means taking a break from Ron, so be it."

Hary smiled. "Good for you, Hermione." Harry's eyes drifted over to the Slytherin table. "Maybe we all should try and make an effort."

"Well, I know of one way we could," Seamus said as he dropped into the vacant seat next to Harry, "Or, rather, a way you could."

Harry raised an eyebrow and looked at Hermione who looked curious. Dean sat next to Seamus and added in, "There's a rumor going around that Dumbledore is going to hold an Halloween ball for the whole school. You could ask a certain blond wizard from Slytherin as your date."

Harry blushed beet red. "What? I don't--"

Seamus chuckled. "Please, Harry. We have all heard what Ron has been saying--not that we believe all of it--and we've also heard the school rumors. I think you do like said blond wizard and would like nothing more than to ask him to the dance."

"Well, what about you two?" Harry asked, desperate to get off the subject of him and Draco. "Why don't you two get it together finally?"

Dean smirked and held up a hand which was very closely intertwined with one of Seamus'. "All ready there, mate. Now, we're not talking about us. We're talking about you and Draco."

Their conversation was rudely interrupted by Ginny who moved between Harry and Seamus. "Hi Harry. I just heard that Dumbledore was going to hold a ball on Halloween. I was wondering if you might--"

Harry saw Draco stand up at the other end of the hall and quickly interrupted Ginny. "No. I'm all ready thinking about asking some one else."

Ginny's ears turned pink. "Who?"

"Me," Hermione said, "Since I won't be going with Ron, Harry's been kind enough to ask me so I don't have to go alone."

Ginny's eyes narrowed. "Why not?"

Hermione smirked. "Because, dear, I refuse to be with some one who is childish and immature and who refuses to see differently from the Prophet."

Ginny's jaw dropped. Hermione turned to Harry. "Ready for Defense class?"

Harry nodded eagerly. "Yeah."

They walked out with Seamus and Dean following them and Harry said, "Thanks. For back there."

Hermione smiled and linked her arm with Harry's. "It's quite all right. I won't pretend to understand everything going on inside that head of yours or what happened with Ginny but I know what Ginny's been like these last months."

"Well, well," a very surprised voice joined their conversation, "Isn't this cozy? Two Gryffindor couples."

Harry wanted to drop his arm suddenly from where Hermione had linked with him but he knew that would look more guilty and he knew that he didn't want to make that impresion with Draco. He smiled instead and held out his other arm. "Room for one more, actually."

Draco blushed and started stammering. Hermione smirked and snagged Draco's sleeve and urged him to walk with her. "Don't worry about it. He gets cheeky sometimes."

"Hey!" Harry protested, "I do not!"

Hermione winked at him. "I say you most certainly do."

Harry huffed and looked away. Draco chuckled and then he was walking next to Harry, their hands almost linking. Behind them, Hermione, Dean, and Seamus smiled at each other.

"Don't worry about it, Harry," Draco said, "I don't believe it. I'm sure you're a gentleman."

Harry blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, right."

The five minute warning bell suddenly went off and they all hastened into the classroom.

As soon as all of the students were settled--for once, Gryffindors sharing a couple of tables with Slytherins--Remus stepped in and waved his wand for silence. A piece of chalk started writing the lesson on the board and the quills started stratching away.

"Now, this lesson--what on earth?" Remus tried to start the lesson but was interrupted when music started blaring from seemingly nowhere. However, no sooner had Remus stopped talking when the music stopped.

The students started whisper amongst themselves, knowing it was likely to be another prank. Remus smiled to himself and tried to talk again. Once more, the music overrode Remus' words. The students started to laugh and Remus chuckled himself.

After a moment, Remus used his wand to call the students back to order and used his wand and the chalkboard to keep the lesson going.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After class, Hermione, Harry and their new group--Seamus, Dean, Draco, and Blaise--were walking to the library to finish the essay Remus had assigned. They were supposed to have a double lesson, with the second half being a practical lesson but because of the prank, Remus had instead assigned an essay about the history of the shield charm.

"Well, that was different," Harry commented, "Kudos to whoever thought of it."

"It definitely had to be one of the seventh years," Hermione commented, "No one else would have that kind of power."

"Are you sure it isn't just Remus who is cursed?" Draco asked.

"No, it's all over the school," Neville said as he joined them. He was on a modified course schedule because of his independent study in Herbology before starting his apprentinceship under Professor Sprout after the holidays.

"I ran into the students coming from Care of Magical Creatures and from Potions," Neville explained, "It's affecting all of the teachers."

"Awesome," Dean said.

"At least it's not interrupting classes anymore," Hermione said brightly.

"I have to agree with you there," Harry said, "It was getting boring doing nothing. At least the holidays are busy. This really wasn't."

"So, cheers to this prankster!" Seamus yelled.

TBC...