A Most Unusual Halloween at Hogwarts

Chapter One

***

As Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down at the Gryffindor table for breakfast on October 29th, Dumbledore stood up as McGonagall tapped her goblet with her knife. The Hall fell silent.

"Good morning, everyone," Dumbledore announced, smiling. Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged looks. Dumbledore never made speeches at breakfast.

"As you all know, Halloween is in two day's time," he continued. "We have planned to have a Halloween party."

There was applause.

"I'm not finished," Dumbledore smiled. "It will be a costume party. Since Muggles dress as magical things, I have decided it'd be most amusing to dress as Muggle things."

All around the Hall, people glanced uncertainly towards their friends.

"Don't worry about finding a costume, however," Dumbledore said. "If you would all, please, pick up the catalog from underneath your seats..."

In unison, everyone bent down and picked up a thick catalog that was certainly not there a moment before.

"If you thumb through that," Dumbledore announced, "you will discover listings of many Muggle-esque costumes and such. There is a form in the back - copy the number of your chosen costume on it was well as your name, House, and year, and they will be delivered to you. Drop the forms by your Head of House's office, they will take care of it. And now, let us enjoy breakfast!"

As he sat down, the Hall erupted with talking and the clatter of silverware. Harry opened to the first page of his catalog as he helped himself to scrambled eggs and watched Ron skim through it, his brow furrowed. Hermione was already immersed in it.

"Wow," she said, flipping a page. "This is really well done. They have a photo of every costume, as well as descriptions of what all of the costumes are for and it explains everything."

After a moment's silence, she laughed and nudged him. "Some of these are so silly. Listen: clown, custodian, hula dancer, auto-repair man... oh, my, who would seriously dress up as a 'Plastic-y Blonde'?"

***

All day long, people were talking about the costume catalog. After dinner that evening, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting around a table with their catalogs, trying to decide what to choose.

"Ooh, I know what I want to be!" Ron exclaimed.

"What?" Harry asked, not looking up from the description of the 'American Tourist'.

"A postman!" he exclaimed. "No, wait - a cowboy! No, hold on, what's a telemarketer... oh, they sound dead annoying to me..."

"That'd suit you, then," Hermione said dryly, making a list of costumes on a piece of scrap parchment.

"Well, what do you have on that list?" Ron asked, peering over at it. Hermione pulled it away. Before she could respond, Ginny came up to them.

"Hi," she said, clutching her catalog. "Mind if I join you?"

Hermione pulled out a chair. "Go ahead. Do you know what you want to be?"

"Nope," Ginny said, opening her catalog. "I have some ideas, though..."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, maybe one of these." She gestured at a page.

Hermione leaned over and read. "Sexy U.S. Army Soldier... Fashion Designer... Sexy Catwoman... Hula Dancer... Sexy Policewoman... Sexy Wench... Belly Dancer..."

Ron jerked his head up from examining the description of 'Cowboy'. "What?" he asked loudly. "Sexy what, now?"

"Ron!" Ginny hissed. "I don't care what they're called, I like them."

"You are not dressing in anything marked 'Sexy'," he retorted.

"Like I care what you think."

"I'll... I'll tell Mum!"

She glared. "You wouldn't."

He nodded. "I would."

She smirked. "Then I'll tell Mum about you blowing all your pocket money on Playwizard magazines that one time."

Ron gasped. "You know about that?"

She nodded. "Of course."

He opened and closed his mouth several times before finally spitting out, "Fine!"

Harry, who hadn't been paying much attention, looked up, confused. They ignored him.

"You know what, Hermione?" Ginny said in a staged whisper. "Which do you like better: the Belly Dancer or the Wench one?"

Ron glared at her. Hermione shrugged. "I'm not sure."

"Well, then, I'll go ask a guy which one he thinks is sexier, and I'll wear that one." Ginny shot Ron a filthy look and stalked off.

Hermione watched her leave, then turned back to her catalog. "Oh, I know what I'm dressing up as!"

"What?" Harry asked.

"Um, well, it's a surprise," Hermione turned pink.

"Oh, please don't tell me it's Sexy Catwoman," Ron groaned.

"No," Hermione said, shooting him a look to rival Ginny's. "I'm just going to go give this to McGonagall. See you later."

Without another word, she went through the portrait hole and disappeared from sight.