Harry Potter and Claire Smith's Adventures Book Two

Headaches and A Death Party

Chapter 7: Headaches and A Death Party

October had arrived at Hogwarts and a damp chill began to spread over the grounds and into the castle. Claire, Hermione, and Ron were in the Gryffindor common room waiting for Harry to return from Quidditch practice. Hermione and Ron were working on their homework while Claire was writing in her diary. Hermione had noticed that Claire had been writing constantly in her diary since the first day of school. In fact, in the past several months that's all she seemed to be doing. Hermione noticed that Claire was beginning to look slightly pale and it worried her. Ron and Harry seemed to be oblivious to the fact that their best friend looked sickly.

"Claire?" Hermione said.

Claire turned her attention to Hermione. "What's up?"

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked.

"Yea, why wouldn't I be?" Claire said, closing her diary.

"You just look pale." Hermione said.

"I just haven't been getting a good night's sleep for the past few days. No worries though." Claire said.

Hermione was about to say something when Harry came through the portrait.

"How was practice, Harry?" Claire asked.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Alright, I guess. Listen I have something to tell you three."

"What is it?" Ron asked.

"Well, we've been invited to Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday party." Harry said.

"Deathday party?" Claire questioned.

"How fascinating! I bet there aren't many living people who can say they've been to one of those!" Hermione said clearly interested in going to this party.

"Why would anyone want to celebrate the day they died?" Ron asked. "Sounds dead depressing to me…."

"You didn't tell him we'd show up, did you?" Claire asked.

However, Harry couldn't answer the question because the salamander that Fred and George had been feeding Filibuster fireworks to began to whiz into the air, emitting loud sparks and bangs as it whirled widely around the room. Percy came into the common room and narrowed his eyes at the Weasley twins. He began bellowing himself hoarse at them as the spectacular display of tangerine stars showered from the salamander's mouth. It was at that moment the four friends decided to retire to their beds.

Halloween soon arrived and Harry seemed to be regretting his rash promise to go to the death day party. The rest of the school was happily anticipating their Halloween feast; the Great Hall had been decorated with the usual live bats, Hagrid's vast pumpkins had been carved into lanterns large enough for three men to sit in, and there were rumors that Dumbledore had booked a troupe of dancing skeletons for the entertainment.

"A promise is a promise," Hermione reminded Harry bossily.

"Yea, after all you said you'd go to the deathday party." Claire said.

So at seven o'clock, Harry, Ron, Claire, and Hermione walked straight pass the doorway to the packed Great Hall, which was glittering invitingly with gold plates and candles, and directed their steps instead toward the dungeons. The passageway lead to Nearly Headless Nick's party. The passageway was lit by candles, but they didn't make the atmosphere cheerful. The temperature dropped with every step they took. They began to hear a sound that sounded similar to nails on a chalkboard. Claire began to have a major headache. She pushed the pain away, but the music wasn't helping at all.

"Is that supposed to be music?" Ron whispered.

"I'd rather listen to Celestina Warbeck." Claire muttered.

"But you don't like Celestina Warbeck." Harry said, remembering his first day at the Burrow and how Claire said she didn't like the singer but Mrs. Weasley did.

"Exactly, anything would be better than this." Claire said.

They turned a corner and saw Nearly Headless Nick standing at a doorway hung with black velvet drapes.

"My dear friends," he said mournfully. "Welcome, welcome…so pleased you could come…."

He swept off his plumed hat and bowed them inside.

"Shall we have a look around?" Harry suggested.

"Careful not to walk through anyone," Ron said nervously.

"Oh, no," Hermione said, stopping abruptly. "Turn back, turn back, I don't want to talk to Moaning Myrtle-"

"Who's Moaning Myrtle?" Harry said.

"She haunts one of the toilets in the girls' bathroom on the first floor," Claire said.

"She haunts a toilet?"

"Yes. It's been out-of-order all year because she keeps having tantrums and flooding the place. We never went in there anyway if we could avoid it: it's awful trying to have a pee with her wailing at you." Hermione said.

"Look, food!" Ron said.

The so called 'food' did not look appetizing at all. In fact, it seemed the food had been expired the same time as the ghosts' deaths in the room. Suddenly, Claire's headache worsened and she felt sick. She was pretty sure it had something to do with the rotten food smell and the music.

"Are you alright, Claire?" Hermione asked, noticing that Claire looked queazy.

Claire shook her head. "I think I'm going back to our dorms. I'm not feeling very well."

"You want me to come with you?" Hermione asked.

"No, it's fine. I'll see you tomorrow. Have fun." Claire said, walking out of the party.

She reached Gryffindor common room. She went to her dorm to find that her diary was opened on her bed. Claire frowned. She knew that she put her diary in her school bag. Her head began to hurt even more. She went over to her bed. When she picked up her diary, words formed.

It's time….

Claire heard movement from behind her. When she turned around, she gasped at the creature in front of her and then all went black.