Rose Weasley and The Beast of the Black Lake, year 2

Trick or Treat

"Max, I'm wet, and I'm freezing cold," Rose said mid-Halloween day when being led secretly through the castle.

Max rolled his eyes at her complaints. She had just come into the common room after taking a shower where Max forced her into her shoes and had drug her out. He had successfully kept his plans a secret, but Rose wasn't one for surprises.

"Won't you just get into the Halloween spirit of surprise?" he asked, trying to ignore how cold he was too.

The October air was freezing and the castle was empty because most third years and above were permitted to visit Hogsmeade, the local all magic town, a couple times a year. This year, one of the Hogsmeade dates were set on 31, October. They stepped on crunchy leaves as they headed outside across the courtyard where the statue resided. This statue was the only known safe secret passageway in and out of Hogsmeade. Them, being only in second year, weren't permitted to go but had gone last year anyway by means of masks. Drawing closer, Max caught sight of Al and Scorpius leaning against the one-eyed, humped witch statue with expressions somewhere between excitement, curiosity, and anxiety.

Rose's face brightened when seeing them waiting for her and looked up at Max with playful curiosity. She put on a blank expression when approaching the boys; she didn't want to let on how much she had missed them.

"What are you guys doing here?" Rose asked kindly.

The boys glanced at Max. "We don't know yet," they replied.

Rose's expression fell a fraction; Max could tell that she wanted them to miss her as well. "Based on where we're standing, or more accurately, what we're standing in front of, on this day, where do you think we're going?" Max asked.

Rose smiled broadly, then suddenly dropped her grin. "But Max," she said. "We haven't planned anything, we don't have masks or costumes, and we're still not old enough to go without being expelled!"

"We're not going to Hogsmeade exactly," said Max with a mischievous smile. All three of his friends furrowed their eyebrows in confusion. "You need to trust me." Max smiled as this brought back a major déjà vu from his first year when meeting these people for the first time. It was then also that they had followed him across the grounds mysteriously as he took them to a magical garden. Today though, he was taking them somewhere almost exactly opposite.

He opened his mouth to utter the words, 'dissendium' when a booming voice behind them startled the group to jump.

"Happy Halloween, yeh lot!" It was Hagrid. He was striding up with an armful of pumpkins probably for the Halloween feast.

"Hello, Hagrid," they all said in unison, which only happened when they were hiding something.

Hagrid looked suspicious for a moment at the four kids smiling with their hands folded neatly behind their backs. "Wha'r yeh lot doin' down er' on Halloween?" he asked.

"We were just admiring this statue," Scorpius replied, gazing fixedly at the witch's mangled face.

Hagrid stared up at it too. "I've never liked tha statue, creeps me out," he said.

The four looked at each other amusedly, Hagrid being taller than the thing itself and the burliest man you'd ever see.

"It makes a lot'a funny noises this time o' year," he said. "Anyhow, I best be getting these er' pumpkins to the great hall." And he walked away.

The kids waited until he was long out of sight before Max quickly spoke the spell that made the hump of the witch scrape loudly until it revealed a hole big enough for a small person to fit inside. Max went first, followed by Scorpius who didn't want to go before Rose because she had landed on him last year, then Al slid down the shaft, then Rose. Everything was pitch black after the hump closed and with a 'lumos' four wand tips illuminated the earthy walls and ground.