The Hogwarts Hocus Halloween Hextravaganza, Before Midnight.

[pumpkinpatchsir.livejournal.com]

((Okay, the party will be divided into two parts, one taking place before midnight, and one after the Halloween spell is starting to work. This is the first part, obviously. The other will be posted immediately afterwards but takes place roughly five hours later or so, in game time. Remember, this post is for partying only, and no people-turning-into-their-costumes crack!))

ASK NOT FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS, IT TOLLS FOR THEE

Jack watched the words that were magically carved above the door to the Great Hall, in plain view of everyone entering it, and he smiled secretively. Everything was set. Tonight was going to be interesting. Who would have known magic could prove to be so useful? He made a mental note to investigate this even more for next year. Now that Sally was here, he'd be able to discuss it with her at great length. She always had such lovely ideas.

Since Jack was not exactly a beginner in the scaring people business he had carefully checked out the atmosphere of Hogwarts and gotten a distinct impression of what was considered frightening here. Outside the Great Hall the lights were out and shadows lurked in the corners. At irregular intervals (but always when one was least expecting it) the mad cackle of a deranged evil clown echoed through the Entrance Hall. Small cats black as midnight stroke around the walls, not speaking to anyone but constantly smiling evilly at anyone passing them, showing gleaming, pointed teeth. Also, because Jack never had it in him to resist the absolute classics, bats were hanging upside-down near the ceiling.

Inside the Great Hall, it was less dark and spooky, but still obviously Halloween. Cool white mist was trickling along the floor. Jack-o’-lanterns hovered in the air around an area cleared for dancing. Along one wall stood a large table with various Halloween treats: pumpkin pie, candy corn, toffee apples, hot cider, mini-cakes and a large bowl of punch.

The Halloween party could begin.

Comments

[world-builder.livejournal.com]

"The nineteen seventies, I believe," he said, sipping at his own punch--he didn't know what was in it, but it was quite tasty. "I've seen more than a few, you know, a few bizarre galactic costumes, but I must say this outfit is, is up there with the strangest of them."

He nodded to her cat ears. "Do those, ah, do those have any special significance?" he asked.

[tartan-pussy.livejournal.com]

"Oh, the seventies," Minerva said, laughing, "I should have known. Muggles wore the most outlandish clothes then."

She pointed to the ears, "These? My animagus form happens to be feline. A rather appropos costume, don't you think?"

[world-builder.livejournal.com]

"Animagus?" He'd heard the word, but had only a very hazy idea of what it meant. "Does, does that mean you can turn into a cat?" He considered a moment. "That, really I must say that's quite impressive. I've never, you know, never encountered a people that could transform into animals."

[tartan-pussy.livejournal.com]

"Yes, yes I can. I intend on holding a transfiguration class on that subject, actually. You ought to attend!"

[world-builder.livejournal.com]

"I, well, I would be most pleased to, er, to do that," he said, inwardly boggling over the idea of turning into an animal. "Do you, you know, do you choose your animal, or does your animal choose you?" And if the latter were the case, would he wind up some Earth creature, or would he turn into one of the crabs from Vogon?

[tartan-pussy.livejournal.com]

"I'm afraid the animal chooses you. I've seen a few unfortunate animagi who ended up as dung beetles or sloths!"

[world-builder.livejournal.com]

Slartibartfast burst out laughing. "How does the animal choose, then? Is it some aspect of, you know, of your personality?" He could see how McGonagall could be a cat--she seemed a very independent, tidy person, much like the (admittedly few) cats he'd encountered.

[tartan-pussy.livejournal.com]

"Well, the animal you become usually follows your personality. That poor boy who turned into a sloth was terribly lazy- I'm honestly surprised he even figured out how to become a proper animagus."

[world-builder.livejournal.com]

"Good grief." Knowing him, he'd probably wind up some kind of bird--a gangly, feathery perfectionist. "Really, I don't, I don't know how useful being a sloth could be," he mused.

[tartan-pussy.livejournal.com]

"Well.. I suppose if you enjoyed growing moss on your back," Minerva mused. "Oh, not all animagus forms are terribly useful, I guess."

[world-builder.livejournal.com]

"I should, should think a dung beetle would be, you know, downright embarrassing," he said. "Though it could be, be worse...you could be a fruit fly, or something of that nature." He didn't want to speculate what kind of personality would make a person a fruit fly.

[tartan-pussy.livejournal.com]

"You know, I've never heard of someone turning into a fruit fly. Though there's a first time for everything..."

[world-builder.livejournal.com]

He laughed. "As long as it's not, not me," he said. "I don't want to, you know, to set a precedent there." Wouldn't that be embarrassing, just when he wanted to earn Minerva's good graces? Wait, when had he started thinking of her as 'Minerva'? Must be the punch. Yeah, that's it. Punch.

[tartan-pussy.livejournal.com]

"I highly doubt you'd be a fruit fly, my dear Slarti." "My dear"? What was that? Must be the gillywater.

[world-builder.livejournal.com]

He did his best not to read anything into that. "I, well, I should hope not," he said. "I'm not sure I could, could face the world. And I certainly wouldn't, you know, wouldn't want to know what it would say about my personality." He finished his punch, but didn't immediately go for more. "I can, really I can see why you're a cat, though--you seem very...oh, what's the word? Very comfortable, in yourself." He paused. "Oh dear, I do, I hope I haven't offended you."

[tartan-pussy.livejournal.com]

"Oh, heavens no. I do quite enjoy being a cat."

[world-builder.livejournal.com]

That was a relief. "Do, do other cats--real cats--know the difference?"

[tartan-pussy.livejournal.com]

"Unfortunately, yes. They have a terribly uncanny sense about those things. I don't doubt you could blend in were you a sloth, though."

[world-builder.livejournal.com]

He laughed, ladling more punch. "Oh, not, not a sloth," he said. "That would be almost as bad as a fruit fly. I certainly wouldn't want to grow, to grow mildew." He didn't really know what a sloth was, but if it was slow enough he wouldn't be surprised if it did grow mildew.

[tartan-pussy.livejournal.com]

"But yes, animagus forms aren't exactly perfect, you know. They are in appearance, yet animals seem to be able to tell the difference..."

[world-builder.livejournal.com]

"Has anyone ever, you know, studied why? It would be fascinating, probably, to know how they can tell."

[tartan-pussy.livejournal.com]

"Well, you're still in control of your body as an animal, so that little bit of humanity seeps through..."

[world-builder.livejournal.com]

"Human intellect, rather than animal instinct?"

[tartan-pussy.livejournal.com]

"Yes, exactly. It's very important to hold onto that humanity when assuming an animal form."

[world-builder.livejournal.com]

"Could you, you know, get stuck that way, if you, if you didn't hang on? Does the form influence your thoughts?"