For the Greater Good || Tom Riddle ||

Chapter Twenty-Three: Halloween

Halloween was upon Hogwarts along with a brisk chill and new layer of leaves that adorned the grounds. It was a Sunday, the last day of October, a day of rest and play for students to enjoy as the spirit of the holiday seeped into the castle walls. The school was alive with excitement, the short-lived somberness over Myrtle Warren's death hastily cast aside in light of the promise of candy, costume parties, and apple-bobbing. Professor Hollingshead had assigned the Ravenclaw Prefects the task of decorating the school with festive garlands to celebrate.

Gwen ambled down to the Great Hall, dressed in a modest black velveteen dress that she had picked out for the feast that was planned to take place that night. Simon was at her side, carrying a large pumpkin that he had taken from Professor Beery's personal garden. The boy had insisted that carving the deep orange squash with magic was "cheating" and that the "real fun" of the festive day could only be achieved by doing it with your own two hands. Gwen didn't bother to argue with him, the boy was as stubborn as a mule at times, especially when it came to his strange ways.

As they strode leisurely down the hall, Gwen conjured small black cobwebs to cover the medieval torches with a lazy wave of her hand. Two first years giggled with glee at the dainty webbing, amazed by the sight of wandless, silent magic. She continued to create detailed decorations down the corridor, hiding little enchanted spiders in the crevices of stone, amused by the thought of one dropping down in front of someone and dangling in front of their face.

It was known that the British Ministry of Magic had once attempted to impose restrictions on how wizards were allowed to celebrate Halloween, presumably in consideration to the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. Back home, Gwen knew many wizarding families that enjoyed taking to their brooms and casting Wingardium Leviosa upon unsuspecting Muggles' pets in order to watch the non-magical folk scramble as they chased their floating dog or rabbit around the garden. It was a tradition of sorts, to torment Muggles on All Hallows Eve. Surely, the British Ministry of Magic would have none of it at Hogwarts.

When the pair finally made it to the Great Hall, Simon gingerly put the pumpkin down on the Ravenclaw table with a weary sigh. He wiped his sweaty brow with the sleeve of his blue collared shirt, but not before he set down the serrated carving knife he had stolen from the House Elves in the kitchens.

"That thing is heavy," he huffed as he took a seat.

Gwen merely smirked. "You could have used magic."

"And what fun would that have been?" Simon countered with a crooked smile. "You don't need magic for everything, sometimes I like to put a little bit of elbow grease in!"

"Whatever you say," said Gwen. "But I couldn't imagine not being able to do magic."

A genuine smile overtook her face as she took out her wand and casted the Geminio spell on the pumpkin atop the table. Hundreds more appeared out of thin air, and although they were nothing but useless copies of the original, they would serve well as decorative jack-o-lanterns. With another flourish of her wand, the pumpkins began to float up to the ceiling.

Gwen smiled. The beauty of magic was undeniable. From the other side of the Great Hall, the Gryffindor Prefects could be seen charming the room with wispy black clouds that hung low and made the room look slightly more ominous. The Hufflepuffs, whose Common Room resided the closest to the kitchen, scurried in carrying trays and goblets loaded with sweets. Gwen managed to grab her favorite, individually-wrapped Exploding bonbons and stuffed them in her robe's pockets for safekeeping. Simon snagged a handful colored candy known as Bertie Bott's Ever Flavor Beans before he picked up the thieved carving knife and scooted closer to his pumpkin.

Just then, the Slytherin Prefects, Tom and a rather large girl Gwen did not recognize, swept into the room. And with them came a horrible flurry of thousand live bats that fluttered from the walls and swooped toward the jack-o-lanterns, causing the candles in the pumpkins to stutter and snuff out.