Lily Potter and The Pearl of Fate

Chapter 10: The Halloween Trick

Lily's thoughts went abrupt when two figures, laughing and joking, pranced into the Great Hall. She groaned: it were James and Cedric, both carrying huge baskets.

"What are you two up to again? Firing people up the sky like what you did last year at the open day of Hogwarts?" Lily asked.

"Calm down, it's different this time."

Different? Not better, then, but just a different trick?

"C'mon, Curious-girl, look, treats! Specially made by me, Cedric, and James."

"Don't call me that!" Lily tutted, clearly irritated.

"Who wants some Halloween treats?" James cackled, unaware of the teachers telling them to stop at the High Table.

"There are Pumpkin Pops, Bat Bites, Marshmallow Munch... You never know what you get!" Cedric added.

That attracted a swarm of first-years.

"Lily, do you know that they are all jokes?" Rose hinted to her impatiently.

James snickered. "Oh, don't listen to her, Lily-Billy. Come on, sis, you're going to be the first one! Prove your bravery to us!"

"Are you sure? I never know, just like you said, what I get! What if they are all spiked with amortentia, or some other unknown potion? I REALLY NEVER KNOW!"

"Oh, come on! Lily, don't be silly! Do you think I am going to poison you or stuff?? Really, are you even a Gryffindor? Listen, 'You might belong in Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart! Their daring, nerve and chivalry, set Gryffindors apart!' Know that, Lily-Silly? Are you brave enough? Maybe for once the Sorting Hat was fooled!"

Lily fumed. As much as she didn't like being insulted, she didn't like everyone looking at her as a cowardly girl. So -

"I NEVER KNOW IF YOU TWO WERE BLIND WHEN MAKING THESE! Anyways... Listen, everyone, just to prove to these two stupid pranksters that I AM a TRUE Gryffindor, I am going to try one. If I turn out to be unconscious, or tricked in any sort of way that I will be confused in any sort, don't ever trust James the Joker and Cedric the Pranker ever again."

Maybe that was her fatal flaw: being unable to tolerate insults.

Slowly and trembling, Lily extended her hand to the nearest basket. It was a funny looking, square-shaped marshmallow. Lily tossed it around in her hand. It was as fluffy as a cloud, but bad omens always happen like that - a graceful scene with sudden horrors within. Gathering all her nerves, she bit into it.

The effects were instant. A splat of strawberry cream splattered in front of her, leaping out and shouting "The truth can't be always said!" Other than that... it didn't seem to have any effect on her.

"Now Lily. I want you to tell me what do you think of Cedric."

That was weird. Why would James ask her that? But Lily, being the first tester, must bear in mind that she was doing this to prove her worth...

"Cedric?" James suddenly burst into fits of laughter. His expression told her that he was expecting something... well, funny to him, but bad to Lily.

"I think Cedric is just an annoying pranker." Lily said as a matter-of-factly.

Lily could swear that she saw a hint of disappointment on James' and Cedric's faces, but they tried their best to hide it.

That was it. Like magnets and iron, all the other students were drawn to them, thinking that nothing worse would happen except for a tiny little joke. Well, at least Lily could get a glimpse of Rose shaking her head. The pumpkin-shaped sweets labelled "Pumpkin Pops" jumped up to the eater's head, creating a huge fit of giggles. The sweets with bat wings on them made squawking noises once released from their packages.

Laughter erupted from the hall, and Lily was sure the people from outside could hear the deafening noise.

Then a rising commotion made her attention switch over to the other side of the hall.

"Now, Lila, tell me what do you think of Cedric."

Lila must have eaten that square little marshmallow. But then, something different happened. The chocolate-flavored splat hovered in front of her, screaming, "SNOGGING HUGO! SNOGGING HUGO!"

Snogging Hugo? Lily could have promised anyone that she had never seen Hugo and Lila together.

"HUGO? What? HUGO! Seriously, would I have such a bad taste when it come to love?? Of course, I now am proud to present my ultimate crush, the one and only Cedric Dawndew!!!!!"

Yuck, Lily exclaimed silently. They were still so young!

Same things happened to quite a few of other students - Declaring their "love" for Cedric.

Rose sighed. "See, I told you! Those two never do anything without particular jokes! That's why they chose you to be the first eater - the basket nearest to you was filled with the exact same type of sweet!"

"We ate the same thing but I didn't have a crush on anybody. I swear it was Cupid Crystals. I knew it from the look on Lila's face. Only it had no effect on me. Why is that?" Lily was confused now.

"You know, I hate to admit this, but for once I do not know. Let's check it in the Library later, to see if some special witches and wizards are immune to certain types of potions," Rose phrased it intelligently. "You know, as my mother says, when in doubt, go to the library."

WHY WAS IT THAT THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO ALL OF THE STUDENTS WHO HAVE EATEN THE MARSHMALLOWS, BUT NOT her?