A Blue Raven [1] // Harry Potter // Draco Malfoy

Valentines Day

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Valentines Day

No one moved.

Gilderoy Lockhart stood in the middle of the Great Hall with bright pink robes on, the walls had tacky pink hearts and roses climbing up them like vines. Across the head table were pink, red and white garlands – Professor Snape pushed the petals off his space and sat down, his eyes closed before looking up at his co-worker with disgust.

At our table, the jams where either strawberry or raspberry – the eggs, pancakes, tomatoes had been cooked as hearts. Instead of our morning pumpkin juice, it was replaced with thick smoothies with the cup's lines with strawberries and the tops containing whipped cream – sour rainbow sweets and blueberries.

Slowly we made our way inside – sitting at our tables, not sure what to do. Michael prodded the heart-shaped jelly in the middle of the table and watched it wobble.
"What's going on?" Isabelle looked around the room
Padma shrugged," No idea – probably a Lockhart plan."
Lisa nodded," He was going on about some huge plan he had in class yesterday and that we should all be prepared."
With a tap on my shoulder, I looked behind me to see a sniggering Seamus with tears in his eyes.
"Look at the Snakes." He gasps.

Turning around fully, we burst out laughing at the Slytherins standing around their own table – picking up the pink napkins with a fork and throwing it off the side of the table. Pansy Parkinson had her arms around Malfoy in a tight hug – this was one of the times we collectively felt bad for him.

"May I have your attention!" Lockhart called, standing in front of Dumbledore," Happy Valentine's day!"

Above us, rose petals rain down. They fell in my coffee and on top of my pancakes, pushing the coffee back it left a track mark in the petals as they kept falling. The stone floor was covered in petals and the dark wood of the tables had been blanketed in pink and white petals. Snape used his wand to create an invisible umbrella, this left a large circular pattern around him whereas the other Professors dusted themselves off as much as they could.
Through the middle of the hall, dwarfs walked in dressed as cupids, large angel wings on their backs and white clothes.
"Throughout the day, these angels will deliver any valentine's day gifts and cards  until dinner tonight!" He clapped," Makes sure you send a loved one something today!"
"Oi!" Padma whispered," Do you think we should- "
I nodded," Yes we should."
"She's going to hate it." Padma smiled.
"That's the point, I'll see you at lunch."

Isabelle turned to us as she used her book to cover her head," Yeah, we should get to class."
"Yes, we should." Hadleigh agreed, her eyes not leaving the event happening around us.
We gestured to Hermione, but she was transfixed on what was happening around her. Cueing up in front of the potion's classroom, it seems we were not the only ones to leave breakfast early. A huddle of Hufflepuffs had taken refuge on the stairs – eating what they could take from the great hall.

Whilst it was empty, I went over to Hermione and filled her in on the plan Padma had come up with during breakfast.  With a smile, she nodded as we separated to go to our tables.
Five minutes before class – Snape strides past us to open the door. He had the same unimpressed expression on his face as he took places at the front of the classroom.

When everyone was seated, Snape looked up from his desk, "ok, Today, we will be researching – "
The class as the door opened. We turned around in our seats as one of Lockhart's Cupids walked in. Holding a bow and arrow in hand – he shot an arrow in Harry's direction.
"His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad; His hair is as dark as a blackboard. I wish he was mine, he's really divine, the hero who conquered the Dark Lord." He through heart-shaped confetti at him before walking out of the classroom.
"As I was saying," Snape drawled," We will be researching the strengthening potion. In your tables, I want you to write out the ingredients, where you will find them both in the classroom as well as outside the classroom as well as how you would go about brewing the potion and if it has a counter potion. You have until the end of the lesson."