Hogwarts is my Home

Chapter 24: A Ghost Party! (CH 8&9)

My fellow teammates of our Quidditch team rallied around me whenever they saw me and at the next practise. This was just the motivation I needed to continue playing. "We'll show them that a muggle-born is just as good as they are."

October 31 was soon approaching, and I couldn't help but remember what Harry had told me on my birthday, about how he wanted me to be around for all his important days.

I sat beside him at breakfast that morning. "What are you doing on Halloween?" 

"Not much. There is this one thing I was invited to, but I don't think you'll want to go."

"Why not?" I asked curiously.

"It's a Death day party."

I gasped. "It's not for your parents, is it?"

"No. Nearly-Headless Nick's. But seeing as you almost turned into a ghost last year, I didn't think-"

I grabbed his hand to shut him up. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Just then, Spencer walked through the doors.

"Spencer," Harry called. She started walking over. 

"Hi, Toni!" 

"Hi, sister."

"Spencer, are you free Halloween night?" 

She glanced quickly at me before answering. "I'm sorry, Harry, but I don't see you like that."

"No, not that. There's just a party that I wondered if you wanted to go to? Ron and Hermione will be there, too."

"Oh, well if Ron.. and Hermione are going, then sure. What kind of party is it, anyway?"

"A death day party."

"There'll be ghosts," I whispered.

"A ghost party!" Spencer exclaimed. "I'd love to! When is it?"

"Tomorrow at 7."

"Oh, we'll miss the Halloween feast! But they must have something there we could eat."

"Toni can always smuggle food up to Gryffindor tower- we can get you in." I nodded.

"Thanks." She walked over to the Ravenclaw table.

"You don't think she fancies me, do you?" Harry asked heavily. "Because..."

"No. I think she likes Ron."

"Good." He stared at me for a few seconds, then said, "Toni-"

I quickly gathered all my books and said, "Class is starting soon, I gotta go."

"Okay," he said sadly.

"By the way, Spencer really likes ghosts for some reason, so could you make sure she doesn't make a fool of herself tomorrow?"

"You got it." 

I bent down and hugged him around the shoulders before walking off.

For whatever reason, I didn't want to hear Harry tell me that he likes me. I know I feel the same way, but I'm two years older than him- it's just weird. But if I'm being completely honest, I didn't think two years was that big a deal- I was just worried about what everyone would say to us.

The Halloween feast was great like always. This time Dumbledore got dancing skeletons. The pumpkins Hagrid had grown had gotten so big that it appeared that some of the first and second years could live in them.

I gathered food for the four at the party like I said I would, with help from Fred and George.

Dumbledore dismissed us. People chattered about how much they loved the feast, but that all stopped when we reached the bathrooms on the first floor.

I couldn't see what, but something was written on the wall. Whatever it said, it wasn't good.

"Enemies of the heir beware? You'll be next, mud-bloods." I recognised that cold voice as Draco Malfoy's. I heard him call that foul word every day in my head since that day Ron spit up slugs.

Mr. Filch made his way to the four second years, and just as he was threatening Harry, Dumbledore showed up.

"Everyone... will proceed to their dormitories immediately," he said in a shaky voice. "Everyone except you four."

The crowd dispersed into four little ones. 

I stayed put and let everyone bump into me as I tried to spot Dumbledore. Once I saw him, I stood right in front of him.

"Antonia, get to Gryffindor Tower."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"I strongly advise against you staying here," Snape spoke in a drawn out voice.

I turned to him. "If you think I'll leave those four-"

"Antonia," Dumbledore spoke again. "They'll be with me."

I nodded once, then walked off in the direction of Gryffindor Tower, not looking at any of my friends.

All the talk about Slytherin's secret chamber over the next few days made me laugh silently. My beliefs were simple- if Professor Binns- who knew everything there was to know about this castle- didn't believe the chamber existed, then neither did I.

That didn't stop Harry, Ron, and Hermione from believing the chamber was real; and once they suspected something to be true, they'd go to any length to prove it.

I heard them talking in the common room Thursday night about how they wanted to use a Polyjuice Potion to sneak into the Slytherin Common room and find out who the heir is themselves. Knowing that only a sixth year or above could ever make such potion successfully, I fueled their flame by agreeing to go to whatever teacher they wanted me to to ask for Moste Potente Potions.

"Who's dumb enough to fall for a fourth year asking for a seventh year book?" Hermione said thoughtfully.

"Lockhart," Ron said at once.

"Lockhart," Harry said in agreement.

"Lockhart?"  Hermione asked in disbelief.

"Lockhart," I confirmed.