𝘋𝘈𝘕𝘊𝘐𝘕𝘎 𝘞𝘐𝘛𝘏 𝘖𝘜𝘙 𝘏𝘈𝘕𝘋𝘚 𝘛𝘐𝘌𝘋/𝘵𝘰𝘮 𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦 (English version)

Chapter 34

Halloween, 1996

During Halloween, the school took on a different look.
Autumn gave it a touch of the eerie, yet it was also enchanting, perfectly suited for a day where fear, the macabre, and a dark atmosphere reigned supreme.
As every year, Dumbledore organized a pumpkin-carving event in the Great Hall for the first three years so they could celebrate as well, since they wouldn't be allowed to attend the evening party.
The party had become the most talked-about event, with each girl meticulously planning her scary look, while every boy was busy pranking their friends as much as possible.

Sarah had spent the last few days running back and forth between the Great Hall and the Headmaster's office. She wanted to keep everything under control, and the idea of Dumbledore intervening against one of their choices was her biggest nightmare.
The Weasley twins arrived at school in the early afternoon, pulling a large cart full of items and food from their shop.
"New products for the party of the year. We'll make you look good, trust us," they said.

The Gryffindor watched them place their items on the large professors' tables, which, for the night, would be used to serve food and drinks.
Other students brought in large crates of alcohol, trying not to be seen by the professors, who occasionally entered to check on the preparations.
Sophia had handled the decorations and was pleased with the result—the room was absolutely perfect for the night.
Sarah hated to admit it, but she had done an excellent job.
When it was seven, only two hours before the start, Hermione took Sarah with her, leading her to their dorm room.
"I get that you want to organize the party as best as possible, but you can't show up dressed like that," she said, pointing at Sarah's school uniform.
They hurried to get ready, and Sarah put on the dress she had bought with Pansy a few days earlier. She would be the Corpse Bride for the evening.

(Small note: we'll pretend "The Corpse Bride" movie exists, even though it came out in 2005.)

She had tried to convince Tom to dress up properly for the evening, but had given up when he shot her a deadly look.
She put on her white dress and let Ginny do her makeup, who had been waiting for October 31st for years to show off her artistic skills on her friends' faces.

"You'd be a hit in the Muggle world, you know?" Sarah said, making the redhead laugh.
She grabbed her clipboard with all her notes and rushed to the common room, where she found Sophia and Anthony, already dressed and ready.
"Corpse Bride, absolutely—" the Ravenclaw was interrupted by the Hufflepuff.
"Predictable! But you look great, Black," Ivory admitted.
Sarah laughed.
"I'll take that strange compliment, thanks. You both look amazing."
She looked around as some people entered the room, glancing around curiously.
The Weasley twins quickly put on softer music to cover the chatter, setting the mood for the party.
"Weasley's Wizard Wheezes here for you tonight, with fantastic new items! Come on over!"
Their table was immediately surrounded by students. Once again, Sarah's choice had been spot-on; the Weasleys were truly a hit.

Before long, the room was filled with students aged fourteen to seventeen, all dressed up, even the Slytherins, whom Sarah noticed entering a bit later.
"Sarah, I have a feeling this will be the best Halloween party we've had at Hogwarts," Pansy said, smiling at her.
"The Weasleys?" Mattheo asked, glancing toward the table. "I'll leave you to chat—I'm going to see what they brought." He made his way over to the Weasleys' table, starting a conversation with them about some prank ideas.

The Gryffindor tried to move away from the group to continue inspecting the room, but a hand settled on her hip, pulling her back.
Tom was wearing the exact costume she had suggested, a light layer of makeup making him look paler, like a ghost. The Gryffindor smiled, placing her hands on his face.
"I can't believe it... the great Tom Riddle finally celebrating Halloween in style."
The boy chuckled, pulling her closer.
"Only because someone in particular asked me to. You know I'm not one for these things."
Sarah gently kissed the Slytherin's lips, trying not to smudge her lipstick, but he pulled her in closer, deepening the kiss.
Tom's lips were red and stained, and Sarah tried to clean the traces of lipstick off, but it was useless.
"Your fault, not mine."
Together, they joined the others in the center of the dance floor, though Tom would have preferred to sit in a quiet corner.
His hands were on Sarah's waist as he tried to let loose, just for that night.