Chapter Twenty: A Ghostly Halloween

Chapter Twenty: A Ghostly Halloween

Saturday, 31 October 1998

Severus was confident that Slytherin House would acquit itself well at the party. Although some of the Muggles chosen were more infamous than famous, including Brutus, Dick Turpin, and Billy the Kid, he could recognise no tyrannical megalomaniacs on the list that the prefects had provided him the previous day. Although there would be no award for overall best costume, there would be awards on a House-by-House basis, each House's costumes being judged by the other three Houses. Minerva thought that would make it fun for the students without engendering any inter-House rivalry, which she was trying to tone down that year. In fact, she was using the Halloween party to initiate a new plan of hers, in hopes that there might be more friendships made across Houses.

Minerva was instituting a new fortnightly mixed seating arrangement in the Great Hall at dinner time. The long House tables would be done away with for that night, substituting instead many round tables, each of which would seat eight students. At each place, there would be a token indicating Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin, and a student could sit in any seat that had their House token. Each table would have two tokens per House. Between the losses of the previous year, the uneven Sorting that autumn, and those who had decided to leave school after their OWLs, the Houses were somewhat unevenly divided, but Minerva felt that there would still be enough mixing even if two or three of the tables had fewer than eight people.

Severus was sceptical that the plan would do very much to encourage friendships among those of different Houses, but he didn't see that it could hurt. A few of the staff who had been at Hogwarts for years were worried that Minerva meant this as the first step to the complete dissolution of the House system, but Minerva said that as long as she was Hogwarts Headmistress, there would be four Houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, and that the Founders' Houses were an integral feature of Hogwarts, which, in her opinion, could not be eliminated without changing Hogwarts into a different school altogether. Albus had been very quiet during the discussion at the staff meeting, seeming to have no opinion or feeling on the matter one way or the other.

Afterward, Severus had asked him what he thought of the new mixing at dinner, and Albus said that he thought it was good for the students to get to know each other better, and eliminating the House tables once every two weeks might help that along. Severus pressed him for more about what plans Minerva might have for the future and what he thought of them, but Albus simply smiled, shrugged, and said that Minerva was Headmistress and that it was important for her to be able to implement her plans without the previous Headmaster interfering, even if only by airing his opinions publicly.

"She always seeks my advice, Severus. She bounces her ideas off of me before she mentions them to anyone else. She knows what I think of each idea that she proposes, and she considers my opinions. I also know of other plans that may or may not ever see the light of day in the staff room or a Board of Governors meeting. It would be grossly unfair of me to try to sway others one way or another simply because I may or may not like some of the other plans that might follow as a result...or which might never come to pass. No other headmistress or headmaster has had to have the previous headmaster on staff. Former headmasters and headmistresses have all conveniently resigned, retired, or died, leaving the next one to take over as best they saw fit. I had the benefit of the headmasters' and headmistresses' portraits to advise or inform me in the privacy of my office; I did not have Headmaster Dippet sitting in staff meetings chiming in with his own ideas on how things should be done. It makes matters no easier that I am also married to her. When it isn't a question of Minerva's authority, I am happy to give my opinion, and at length." Albus smiled. "And you are her deputy, Severus. I do not hear you debating her policies with her at the staff table, yet I am sure you discuss your opinions openly with her during your private meetings with her or during meetings with her and the Heads of House. You recognise when it is appropriate to question or challenge her and when it is important, in your role as Deputy Headmaster, to support her."

"But if you like the plan, why not say something supportive?" Severus asked. "People may think you disapprove of it if you say nothing."

"If anyone were to ask me, as you just did, I would tell them that I support the plan whole-heartedly. But I would rather not try to sway anyone one way or the other. I also don't want to appear as though . . . as though Minerva can't be the Headmistress without me there to guide her, or without me there to persuade people to support her. It is a complicated situation."

Thinking it over, Severus could see Albus's point. No wonder the wizard was having power-withdrawal. Not only was he more-or-less unwelcome on the Wizengamot, though it had been his decision to retire from it, but at Hogwarts, he had to squelch any of his natural impulses to speak up and join an argument about something in a staff meeting. Perhaps that might change over time as people became used to him being just another faculty member and stopped seeing him as Headmaster Dumbledore, which had been his role for forty years. Then he could speak up for or against something without people whispering, "well, if Dumbledore doesn't like it...and he's her husband!...there must be something wrong with it," or, "of course he supports it, he's married to her," or, "if Dumbledore's supporting it, it must be his idea," and the like.

Severus looked in the mirror and adjusted the black, double-corded agal around his long white keffiyah. He turned his head to look at his partial profile, first one side, then the other. Not bad, though it did seem to be lacking something. He didn't know what it was. Since his head was covered by the long keffiyah, he hadn't bothered with doing anything to change his hair, so that couldn't be it. He shrugged.

He reached out and Summoned the long, garish, curved knife from the top of his dresser and stuck it in the front of his belt. The belt, a multicoloured woven affair that Gareth had found for him in a rummage through a Muggle thrift shop in Edinburgh, was, with the knife, the most colourful part of his costume. Over the white, kaftan-like thawb, he wore a long, fine woolen bisht of deep blue. The cloak had been grey, but McGonagall hadn't liked the effect when he saw the entire outfit on him earlier that day, and he had performed a permanent Colour Change Charm on it. Severus could have charmed the cloak back to grey or even made it black, if he had really wanted, but he liked the deep intense blue that Gareth had chosen, and it picked up some of the colours in the belt and the coloured glass on the hilt of his knife.

Gareth had wanted him to wear sandals, but not only did Severus not want to wear sandals, he had pointed out that it was unlikely that given Lawrence's activities, he had worn sandals. They had compromised by deciding on a pair of tan lace-up desert boots; although Severus thought the boots seemed somewhat anachronistic, they did the job and were comfortable. Severus didn't remember the last time he had possessed a pair of boots in anything but black. Even his dragonhide boots were black.

Severus stepped back and tried to view more of himself in the mirror, wishing for once that he had a full-length mirror so that he could judge the effect of the entire costume. He turned, swirling his cloak about him, and he quirked a small smile. Not as much billow as his usual robes, but there was still something satisfying about it. It was a bit peculiar not wearing any trousers, but McGonagall had told him that the cuffs peeking out from under the thawb ruined the effect. For a very brief moment, he considered charming his thawb so that it couldn't be raised by anyone and the hem would remain at his ankles where it should be, but such a charm would affect the drape and flow of the fabric. He shook his head. Daft idea. No one was likely to turn him, the Hogwarts Potions master and Deputy Headmaster, Head of Slytherin House, upside down, or try to raise the skirt of the robe to expose his underwear.

He Summoned his watch from the top of the dresser and wound the chain several times around his belt, shortening it so that neither the watch nor the fob dangled. He hoped it was secure enough that way. Frowning, he drew his wand from the wand pocket that Twiskett had sewn into the side of his thawb, and cast a spell on the watch chain to keep it from loosening. He wished he had thought of a watch pocket when he'd had the elf put the wand pocket in.

He opened the watch and glanced at it: time to leave to meet Minerva. She was dressing in Madam Pomfrey's rooms so that she could surprise Albus. She and Severus agreed to walk in together as Headmistress and Deputy. Perhaps he could look in a longer mirror whilst he was at Poppy's. Surely the matron had a full-length mirror. On the other hand, he didn't want to appear vain. He'd just wait and see.

Severus took the back way up to the matron's rooms on the fourth floor, only running into two students, both Ravenclaws, one of whom said, "Cool, Professor!" when they saw him. Severus merely grunted and glared. He was losing his touch if students were beginning to feel free to express themselves like that. They'd soon lose all respect for him if he let it continue. On the other hand, Hermione had felt free with him, and she hadn't lost her respect for him. Not that he wanted his students to become as familiar with him as Hermione was, and he certainly did not want to be friends with any of them, but perhaps it might not hurt too much if he allowed them a bit of slack now and again. Special occasions, such as fancy dress parties.

He presented himself to Madam Pomfrey's door portrait and waited for her to fetch her mistress. The portrait was of a long-dead Astronomy teacher's wife, a Mrs Framingham, who had taught housewitchery twice weekly to give her something to do whilst in residence at Hogwarts. After her, there had been two more housewitchery instructors until Albus finally allowed the nonacademic subject to die a long-overdue death when the last one retired when he was a student in the seventies. Mrs Framingham, a cheerful witch in a gingham frock and a peaked black cap, returned a moment later.

"The witches are in the bedroom. I've been asked to allow you entry to the sitting room, and they will join you shortly."

The door clicked open, and Severus pushed on the door handle. He had only rarely been in the matron's private quarters, and he felt awkward standing in the unfamiliar space and waiting for the witches to emerge.

The door to the bedroom opened a crack and Madam Pomfrey's face appeared. "We'll be just a tick, Severus. Help yourself to a drink from the sideboard, if you like. Have a seat! You look terrific, by the way!" She disappeared again, and he could hear Minerva grumbling about something, then Poppy laughing.

Severus smirked and glanced at the bottles arrayed on the sideboard. He didn't pour himself a drink, though. He sat in one of the two upholstered armchairs, rearranging the drape of his keffiyah about his shoulders, bringing one end around his neck. There was something very satisfying about wearing the headdress. It was long, it flowed, it could be rearranged in a number of ways, including being wrapped about the face to hide one's features. Yes, an admirable piece of clothing. A pity he could find no reasonable excuse to begin wearing one daily. In black, of course.

He was interrupted in his musings by the entrance of the two witches, and he stood. His eyebrows rose as Minerva came in. "You are not Mata Hari," he said, looking Minerva up and down.

"No," she said, sighing, but with a smile. "I decided that if any of the boys decided to do further research into the lady in question, they might discover photos of her in her . . . more revealing attire. Imagining me then in such a state of undress might do them irreparable damage. So, the aviatrix it was!"

Poppy laughed heartily.

"And you are . . . a . . . scientist?" Severus guessed, looking at the matron's clothing, which included a long, smock-like dark grey lab coat over a long, drab, dark blue dress. The neck of an Erlenmeyer flask emerged from one of her smock pockets.

"Madame Curie," Poppy said.

"Playing against type, I presume," Severus said drily.

"What?!" She sputtered indignantly.

"I simply meant that, although you are clearly not unintelligent, you are more inclined toward taking care of people, being . . ." How could he dig himself out of this one, he wondered. "Being a generously warm caregiver. Madame Curie spent her time in laboratories, not with people. She is also . . . drab. You are not. That is all I meant."

"Oh. Yes. I had thought that, too," she replied, mollified. "I'd become stir-crazy if I had to spend all day every day in a laboratory with little human contact. And who are you? A sultan or . . . an Arabian king?"

"He's Lawrence of Arabia, of course," Minerva said, her eyes twinkling.

"Oh. I remember the film. I saw it with Murdoch years ago." Poppy looked him up and down. She drew her wand. "Do you mind, Severus? A slight change? A little bit of a Glamour? If you don't like it..."

"If I do not like it, you will remove it," Severus said with a nod. Perhaps she knew what it was that didn't look quite right.

The matron waved her wand, and Severus felt a tickle of magic brush over him. Another tickle of magic made him blink.

"What did you do?"

"Take a look for yourself, Severus," Minerva said, smiling with approval. "Very nice job, Poppy."

"There's a mirror on the bathroom door," Poppy said, opening that door so that he could see himself.

Severus stepped in front of the mirror. He raised an eyebrow. Poppy had made two simple changes, but Severus could see their effectiveness immediately. His skin was now tanned and his eyes were blue. The blue eyes blinked back at him. He almost didn't recognise himself. He quirked a brief smile and nodded.

"Very good. Thank you, Madam Pomfrey."

"Madame Curie, please!" She turned to Minerva. "Shall we all go down together?"

"Actually, I told Albus that you would stop by his playroom for him, Poppy. I hope you don't mind. I know I should have asked you first, but..."

Poppy laughed. "Are you kidding? And be the first to see Albus in fancy dress? And, I presume, walk in on his arm?"

Minerva smiled. "I knew you'd see the advantages of my plan."

"No one consulted me," Severus said, a slight scowl on his face, but his newly blue eyes sparkling.

"You said you'd be happy to meet me here and go down to the Great Hall with me," Minerva said with some consternation.

Severus's lips twitched with humour. "That's when I thought I'd be walking in with Mata Hari!"

Minerva laughed, and Severus chuckled.

"I do think that when you see Albus's costume, Minerva, you may regret your choice," Severus said. "He will turn heads."

"So will you, Severus," Poppy said. She eyed him. "You cut quite a fine figure."

"Hmph. It was McGonagall's idea. He helped me find most of it, too."

"Ah, but you are the one wearing it, and you look very . . . dashing," the matron replied. "It was a good choice. Gareth has an excellent eye."

Severus rolled both of his. Nonetheless, he was pleased that his costume was an apparent success, at least with Minerva and Poppy.

"Albus put in a doorbell yesterday," Minerva said. "It's the little black handle next to the door. Just pull down on it."

"All right, I get the hint! I'm on my way...but I would like a dance with your escort later," Poppy said as she opened the door.

"We shall see!" Minerva replied.

Poppy winked at her, then left and closed the door behind her.

"Let's give them a few minutes, then we'll go down," Minerva said.

"We may want to give them ten minutes, in case Albus is having the same problem with his costume as he did when he showed it to me."

"Hmm, intriguing! What problem?"

"I will tell you later. I will say that I declined to help him with it." Severus smirked. "He managed by himself. Poppy might be more adept and willing. I am somewhat disappointed that you are not Mata Hari, but I think you are right that Earhart is a more appropriate choice for the Headmistress of Hogwarts."

Minerva smiled at him conspiratorially and whispered. "Don't worry...the Mata Hari costume and jewellery will not be wasted. I thought I'd throw Albus a little private dance party later tonight."

Severus groaned and covered his eyes. "Please, Minerva, I did not need to know that!"

Minerva laughed. "So you think we should still give them a bit more time?"

"Yes. We will also make a more impressive entrance if we wait a little. Filius and Pomona are having a couple of their students announce the characters as they enter. We should try to enter among the last in order to make a greater impact."

"I think I'll have a drink whilst we wait, then," Minerva said. "Would you like something?"

"Water," Severus said.

"Soda water? Tonic water? Bitter lemon?"

"Bitter lemon . . . haven't tried that."

"Bitter lemon, then. Ice?"

He shook his head, and she shrugged, then poured herself a small sherry. She handed him his bitter lemon and raised her glass. "Slàinte!"

"Cheers." Severus tasted his drink. He paused. He tasted it again, then he drank off half the glass. "Very good."

Minerva smiled. "I thought you might enjoy that. People often drink it with gin, especially in warm weather."

"So I have heard. I think I would prefer it this way, without the gin."

"Found a House ghost yet, Severus?" Minerva asked, sitting down in the armchair and crossing her trousered legs.

Severus sighed and sat down on the couch. "Not yet," he admitted glumly. "The Fat Friar came to see me this morning, said he had the perfect ghost for us. I told him to bring the ghost by to see me, but I haven't seen him since." He had hoped to find a ghost before Halloween, but his students would just have to be disappointed.

"I wonder who it could be," Minerva mused. "Over the years, I've met most of the resident ghosts. The majority of them are rather . . . self-absorbed. Not that ghosts don't tend that way, in any case, but the House ghosts are much more interactive, even the Baron was, despite his perennial silence. They are more present than a lot of the other ghosts."

Severus nodded. "That was part of the problem with many of the ones whom I . . . viewed." One could scarcely say he had interviewed them. "They seemed very stuck, for lack of a better description. One of them, in fact, kept repeating the same three things." He shuddered. "It was gruesome, actually."

"What did he say? Or don't I want to know?"

"It was a she." He took a swallow of his drink. "Not the baby. Not the baby, too. I'll put the baby in the ground with you."

"That is awful."

"Especially the way she was saying it. And she had a little cloth or blanket in her hands. She kept twisting it. It was as though she was stuck in a nightmare. I'm surprised that she even knew to come to see me."

"Word spread amongst the ghosts," Minerva said. "She probably just went to you because everyone else was."

"Mm." He opened his watch, then snapped it closed. "We should go now, whether Dumbledore's ready or not. We want fashionably late, not tardily unnoticeable, if we are to make a grand entrance." He stood and offered Minerva his arm. "Shall we, Headmistress?"

Minerva rose and placed her hand on his elbow. "I don't feel particularly elegant in this outfit...you outdo me in the elegance arena this time, Severus."

"But you look like an adventurous free spirit." He cocked his head, looking at her in her Amelia Earhart persona, with her short, lightened brown hair, brown leather flight jacket, tan shirt and trousers, and a long paisley scarf tied loosely around her neck. "It suits you."

"Enough of the mutual admiration society," she said briskly. "Let's go make our entrance!"

They walked down the stairs, a few students passing them on their way down, some of them turning for a double-take, clearly unsure which sight was more amazing: their Headmistress in trousers or her Deputy, tanned, blue-eyed, and in his flowing Arab dress. Severus could hear a low buzz coming from the Great Hall as they approached the ground floor. Filius had said that they would have dinner first...the house-elves waiting for the Headmistress to take her seat before serving, which had apparently been the regular practice at Hogwarts at one time...then bowls of punch and snacks would appear and there would be music, the tables moved to the edges of the room so that anyone who wanted to dance, could. There would be a break during which the voting for best costumes would take place and everyone could help themselves to fancy Halloween-themed desserts. This would all be followed by more dancing.

Severus felt there was too much dancing on the schedule and that the party would go too long, but at least he hadn't had to do very much of the planning or preparation. And perhaps it would tire out the students so that he could spend a quiet Sunday reading, or go into Hogsmeade and meet Hermione and Gareth for a drink. It was convenient that his two friends both lived in the same house, even if it was uncomfortable for him in other respects, most particularly the fact that Hermione was living with the witch whom he had permanently maimed in a terrifying attack in that very same house.

He shoved these unwelcome thoughts to the back of his mind as he and Minerva stepped up to the open doors of the Great Hall. Most of the round student tables were filled, and it appeared that Minerva's House-mixing plan was being accepted with no dissidents: each table had no more than two students from the same House. It did seem that the students were tending to sit with others in their own year, but that was to be expected, he supposed.

"May I announce you, Professors?" Jamie Brett asked politely.

Severus nodded shortly. "Lawrence of Arabia and Amelia Earhart."

The Ravenclaw pointed his wand at his throat and cast a nonverbal Sonorous Charm. "Amelia Earhart and her escort, Lawrence of Arabia!"

"Nice nonverbal charm, Brett," Severus said gruffly. It was, after all, a special occasion.

Jamie's eyes shone. "Thank you, sir!"

It was obvious as he and Minerva walked up to the staff table, which was still on its raised dais, that the students were enjoying seeing their teachers in fancy dress. He thought that the students themselves had done well in assembling and creating their costumes. There were a number of duplicates, particularly a few prominent kings and queens of England, but for the most part, they were individual and usually recognisable.

Poppy and Albus...Madame Curie and Sir Percy, the Scarlet Pimpernel...stepped toward them from the table where they had been speaking with a few of the students, first- and second-years, including Suzie Sefton. Severus truly hoped that Suzie would restrain her desire to try everything she'd never eaten before. Her stomach just didn't do well with new foods. She was adventurous enough for a Gryffindor, and heedless enough, as well. Severus still did not know why the girl had been Sorted into Slytherin, aside from her apparent instantaneous crush on him.

Minerva smiled. "My, you were right, Severus," she said in whisper. "Albus's costume is striking."

Severus nodded. Madam Pomfrey looked even more dowdy beside Albus, his costume was so colourful. Of course, he wouldn't tell her that. He knew enough about women to realise that would be a very bad idea unless he wanted to alienate her, which he didn't.

Several of the staff were already seated, so after Minerva had exchanged a few words with Albus, the four went up and took their seats, Poppy sitting to Albus's left rather than taking her usual seat at the end of the table next to Pomona. Filius had moved, as well, taking Poppy's seat beside Pomona. Severus supposed it didn't matter if they played musical chairs that night, since the House tables had been eliminated for the evening.

A moment after Minerva sat in the Headmistress's chair, the meal appeared on the table. Severus ate little at first, keeping a sharp eye on the students. It seemed that everyone was relaxed and having a good time, but he thought that the staff should be more vigilant than they were being. He would certainly have to patrol the usual trysting places later that night. Parties seemed to put the students in a randy mood, particularly when there was dancing. Severus didn't entirely disapprove of dancing, but he was uncomfortable with it, and had been since he had been a student, and he did think that it made his work more difficult, keeping the students from engaging in more intimate embraces than was allowed.

Severus particularly disliked finding younger couples together in some state of undress. It was unseemly, and a part of him felt positively repulsed by it. Another part of him simply felt angry, as though he had been deprived of some experience when he had been their age and still was being deprived, and at an age when it would be more appropriate for him to be engaged in relations than it was for the teenagers...though their hormones and lack of maturity commonly led them into such trysts. But any kind of closeness was difficult for him, and Severus couldn't imagine developing a relationship with someone to an extent sufficient for him to engage in any intimacies. And he certainly couldn't imagine anyone with whom he had no relationship spontaneously deciding that he was attractive and allowing him to initiate that kind of contact with her, let alone her initiating intimate contact with him. He was unpleasant, and everyone who knew him at all, knew that. Anyone who might allow that would have to be desperate. Or generous and feeling sorry for him.

"You look very good tonight, Severus. Excellent costume," Verity Vector said. "Lawrence of Arabia, if I heard correctly?"

Severus nodded. He glanced over at her, this time taking in more than her elaborate headdress. He hadn't a clue who she was. Someone classical. And someone who dressed highly immodestly. Her royal blue cloak was pushed back from her shoulders, leaving her bare arms free as she ate her meal, and her white gown, though gathered in pleats over her bosom, was obviously only a single layer of thin fabric, the curve of her breasts clearly visible. Severus felt his groin tighten. He looked away and cut into his slice of roast beef. Vector, whom he had never found a particularly attractive witch, though she was pleasant enough, had a very feminine figure. He'd never noticed it before, as he'd rarely seen her in anything other than her teaching garb. He could see Minerva's point about the Mata Hari costume, even if she were to wear something more modest than Vector was wearing. One thing for an ordinary member of faculty to dress on the outre side, quite another for the Headmistress to wear anything bizarre or suggestive. Trousers were probably sufficiently strange for the students. Showed she had legs under those robes she wore. He took another look at Vector's costume, trying to avoid staring at her breasts.

"You are . . . Helen of Troy?" Severus guessed.

Vector speared a carrot and shook her head. "Dido, Queen of Carthage."

"Ah. Interesting choice." He didn't know what else to say. He couldn't very well ask her whether she was wearing any underwear, which was at the forefront of his mind. He steered his thoughts to his mashed potatoes.

"Dumbledore certainly looks fine tonight," Vector remarked.

"Yes."

"I had wanted to come as Marie Curie, but then I learned that Poppy had already decided on her, so this was a last minute choice."

"I see." He still wondered about her underwear. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. He thought he could see her nipples. Back to mashed potatoes.

"Filius is especially cute tonight," Vector said with a sentimental smile.

Severus looked down the table and nodded. "Einstein," he said, recognising this famous Muggle instantly. Filius had let his fluffy white hair do as it liked that night, rather than taming it with a charm or wearing a hat, and he wore a large white moustache. Even Severus could admit to himself that the Charms teacher looked cuddly in his baggy cardigan jumper...although he'd never admit it aloud. "Highly appropriate for Ravenclaw. Who is Sprout?"

"Molly Pitcher. Some colonial American, I understand."

"I take it that Rath is Robin Hood?" Severus asked, indicating the taciturn assistant groundskeeper. He even had a quiver of arrows slung over the back of his chair and a longbow leaning against the wall behind him.

"Yes, and Hagrid is Little John and Shunpike's Will Scarlet." Vector, who had arrived in the Great Hall early to help Filius and Pomona, named off a few of the other characters for Severus. "Laura is Sylvia Pankhurst, a suffragette, David is Joseph Priestley, Sarah is Emily Bronte, Caspar is Gallileo, and Liv is some writer. Wolf?"

"Virginia Woolf?" Severus asked, having heard the name, though not knowing anything about her.

"Yes, that's it."

"And Cahill?" Severus lowered his voice, not wanting to draw the attention of the deadly dull History of Magic instructor sitting on Vector's other side.

"He's Teddy Roosevelt," Vector whispered. She glanced over at him quickly. "He didn't have to do much to himself, other than the clothes."

Severus snuck another look at the History teacher. Vector was right: Cahill was the spitting image of Teddy Roosevelt, right down to the mustache. He had Transfigured his eyeglasses to resemble those worn by the American president, and he wore an ugly three-piece brown tartan suit, but other than that, Severus didn't think he'd even changed the way he combed his hair. He was unsure whether that was a good point or a bad point when judging the costume, and he had no idea what criteria the students would use in voting.

Of all the male staff, Severus thought that Albus had the best chance of winning. His costume was beautifully done, and he certainly looked very handsome. Of the witches . . . Vector was certainly a candidate, particularly if most of the boys caught a good look at her in the right light. Severus wasn't able to avoid noticing that when she stretched out an arm to reach for a bowl of peas, the light shone through the gauzy fabric, outlining her breast. He had to concentrate on his meal and hope that no evidence of his reaction was evident. He pulled closer to the table.

"Do you know who Benetti's supposed to be?" he asked. She had charmed her hair white, tying it back in a ponytail, and was wearing a sort of khaki safari shirt. She also had a stuffed chimpanzee sitting on her shoulders. She looked as though she was having a good time sitting with Robin Hood and his merry men.

"Some British animal person. Don't remember who," Vector said. "Works in jungles. Studies chimps. Dame Somebody-or-other."

"Ah." Severus didn't know who that would be, either. He tried to see the Head of Gryffindor, who was sitting on the other side of Hagrid. "And Carter?"

"Sharon was already here when I arrived, so I'm not sure." Vector reached for her glass of wine, and Severus quickly averted his gaze. "Probably some very obscure Muggle," she added. "She has an advantage, being the Muggle Studies teacher."

"I can't even see what she's wearing, except that she has a hat on." Hagrid completely blocked her from his view.

"Western hat, cowboy kind of outfit. Bunch of medals and badges on her jacket, boots, gun belt, the works."

"Gun belt?"

"I presume the guns are fake," Vector said, "but she's got two pearl-handled revolvers, like in the films."

"I'll have to ask her," Severus said.

"Are you speaking of Sharon?" Minerva asked on his other side.

"Yes."

"Annie Oakley. American performer of some kind," Minerva said. "Filius is going to create lists of everyone...their real identities and their alter egos, so to speak...for the voting later, then after the party he's having the prefects put together a book with everyone listed in it with brief biographies of each Muggle. Mr Creevey is going to take photos...not individual ones, just general party photographs...and they'll be added to the book, as well. They're going to put it on sale to raise money for the Worthy Scholars Fund."

Severus nodded. The Worthy Scholars Fund had been called the Indigent Scholars Fund when he was a student. He probably would have been eligible for at least some book money, particularly after his mother had died, but he had never wanted to draw attention to his somewhat impecunious state. "Worthy Scholars" sounded less objectionable. There were probably additional "worthy" students following the war, although Zabini seemed to be providing fairly well for the Slytherins for whom he had attained guardianship.

Filius stood on his chair and signalled for quiet, then asked that the students please stand so that the tables could be cleared and rearranged. A few moments later, the centre of the Hall was clear.

"The Headmistress and Deputy Headmaster have graciously consented to begin the dancing," the Charms master announced brightly.

"I have?" Severus asked, looking at Minerva.

"I presumed, Severus. Headmistress's prerogative!" She laughed and held out her hand.

Severus sighed and stood, taking her hand. "Just a moment, Minerva," he said as they passed Albus and Poppy. He bent and whispered something to her.

"Reserving a dance, Severus?" Minerva asked.

"No," he said softly as they walked out onto the dance floor. The music began, he bowed stiffly, then took one of Minerva's hands in his and put his other arm around her. He leaned closer and whispered in her ear. "I was asking Madam Pomfrey to have a quick word with Professor Vector, perhaps help her with a charm on her costume."

Minerva turned her head and looked at him quizzically. "Charm?"

"Something to make her garment . . . more opaque. I do not believe that Professor Vector can realise how much of her is visible in certain lights," he said softly. "I did not feel comfortable telling her myself, but I thought . . . well, just that she should know."

Minerva smiled. "Very collegial and gentlemanly of you, Severus."

"Mm." He increased the distance between them.

By the time the first dance was finished, the floor was fairly well filled, though primarily with staff and older students, the younger ones standing more or less awkwardly along the sides.

"Do you think this much dancing is appropriate when there are so many of the younger years present?" Severus asked with a frown.

"Oh, didn't you see? The first- through third-years will only be here through the voting and dessert, then Hagrid and his merry men have organized activities for them in that old Defence classroom on the first floor. It's large enough to accommodate all of them. I think that Helena's going to join them for a while, too, before she heads home."

"She should stay at the castle more frequently," Severus said as they stepped up to a table that had bowls of punch set out on it.

"I don't see why," Minerva replied. "She has very light duties, and it was part of our agreement that she be able to live in Hogsmeade. She is always in attendance when she has meal or patrol duty."

"Hmmph." He looked around him at the students. He would keep an eye on the punch bowls. He suspected no one in particular, but there was always the chance that given the opportunity, one of the students would try to spike the punch, whether with alcohol or with some other substance. He handed Minerva a glass of punch and ladled one up for himself.

"Miss Earhart, may I have the pleasure of this dance?"

Poor Minerva, Severus thought as the Headmistress plastered a smile on her face and took Ezra Cahill's hand. He glanced around for Albus. He was still dancing with Poppy, in animated conversation with her about something. He sighed. He could think of only one way to save the Headmistress from the History teacher's tiresome drone, other than cutting in himself. And Madam Pomfrey had requested a dance with him. She'd probably been teasing Minerva, but nonetheless, if he were dancing with Poppy, Albus could then cut in and rescue Minerva.

He set down his glass of punch and walked onto the dance floor, quickly finding Albus and Poppy, who were apparently discussing some new treatment for scrofungulus. Not party talk, in his opinion, but better than inane chit-chat. He tapped Albus on the shoulder. "Pardon me, Sir Percy, but may I cut in?"

Albus grinned at him. "Of course, my boy! Madame Curie, do you mind? We can continue our conversation later."

"You might want to rescue your wife," Severus said as he took Poppy's hand, but looking at Albus. He gestured with his head toward the dancing couple. Minerva looked dazed and Cahill was talking nonstop, as usual.

Severus began to dance with Poppy, but watched Albus as he approached Minerva and Cahill. Minerva's relief was evident in her face when he cut in.

"What was that?" he asked Poppy, who had said something to him.

"Never mind," the matron said. She shook her head. "You didn't really want to ask me to dance, did you?"

"What? Of course I did." He looked down at her. She really did look far less than attractive in that outfit, but she was a friend of sorts, and she looked hurt. He pulled her slightly closer. No need to dance at arms-length, and this way, he'd see more of her face and less of her costume. "I thought perhaps you were teasing Minerva when you said you wanted to dance with, um, Lawrence of Arabia, but I thought I would see . . ."

"No, I was teasing her, but I did want to dance with you. You look very impressive this evening. That costume was a good choice...but I'd still have wanted a dance with you this evening even if you'd come as Quasimodo."

"I had been going to come as Thomas Becket, the martyr, but no one else seemed to like the idea." He sighed.

Poppy laughed. "I'm glad. I don't know as he would be as much fun to dance with."

Severus quirked a smile. She wasn't unattractive when she laughed. "It would still be me, the same miserable Potions master, whether I was Becket or Lawrence."

Poppy grinned. "Well, I'm still pleased you came as Lawrence. By the way, thank you for the advice about Verity's gown. She had no idea."

"I was concerned that when she stood, if she ever completely removed her cloak, even more of her would be visible below the waist," Severus said. "I thought she would be uncomfortable if she learned that too late."

"It was very considerate of you. I didn't mention that you told me, though. I thought it might embarrass her."

"It would embarrass me," Severus admitted, remembering his arousal when he caught a glimpse of Vector's breasts through the thin material.

Poppy laughed again. She certainly was cheerful, and oddly, it didn't bothered him when she laughed at something he said even when he hadn't meant it to be funny. She didn't sound mean, but as though she would laugh at herself just as easily.

"Would you care for something to drink?" Severus asked as there was a pause in the music. "The punch, or something from the staff table?"

"Just some punch, I think," she replied, following him off the dance floor.

He was just ladling some punch into a glass for Poppy, trying to include some fruit, as well, when the Fat Friar suddenly swooped in through the wall behind him. Severus jumped, splashing punch on his white thawb. He gritted his teeth and turned to confront the ghost.

"Good evening, Professor!" the Friar said happily, completely oblivious to the Potion master's mood. "I have brought him! Your new House ghost! If, of course, he meets your satisfaction." The ghost turned and gestured behind him, but there was no one there. "Come, come!" the Friar said, apparently to no one at all. "Don't be shy! This is Professor Snape, the esteemed Head of Slytherin House."

A slump-shouldered figure shimmered into visibility, faint, but clearly male.

"You need to introduce yourself!" the Friar chided. "Let Professor Snape see you!"

The figure shimmered further into ghostly materiality. Someone on the other side of Severus dropped a glass, and he heard a gasp.

"Francis!"

Severus looked over at the Headmistress. She took a step toward them just as Albus turned and caught sight of the new ghost. Albus froze and stared.

"Francis Flint?" Minerva asked, trembling slightly.

"Minerva," the ghost said softly. "Yes. It's me. Francis." He looked around him, taking in the party. "Do you remember when we danced, Minerva?" He sighed. "So long ago . . ."

"You know this ghost?" Severus asked.

"Yes, we know him," Albus said softly. "I didn't expect to see you again, Francis, not on this earthly plane."

"I waited for Val. I waited. The house burned, and I still waited. I heard that the Dark Lord had been killed, and I waited, then I heard that he had returned and then that he was killed again, and still I waited. Val never came for me." He sighed again. "The Friar convinced me that I should relocate."

"It's a block of Muggle flats now," the Friar said. "I thought the Muggles might have more peace, and Francis might, as well, if he took up residence here at Hogwarts. Especially with the current opening in Slytherin House!" He seemed pleased with himself. "The best for all of us!"

At least this ghost seemed fairly articulate and oriented, as far as ghosts went, Severus thought. But would he be unsuitable in some other way? He was clearly a relatively recent ghost, since both Minerva and Albus knew him, but not so recent that Severus had any idea who he was.

"Who is he?" Severus asked, directing his question at Minerva and Albus.

"He is Francis Flint," Minerva replied. "He was a Slytherin when I was a student."

"Was he . . ." He didn't want to ask whether he had been a Death Eater, not now that all attention was upon them, the music silenced and all the students watching the proceedings with interest.

"He wished to oppose Tom Riddle," Minerva said. "Oppose him in some small way. That's why he was killed."

"I told Val we should go to you. I begged her to go to you. But she was proud, and it was too late for me. Did she? Did she finally go to you for help? Were you able to save her?" Francis asked.

Albus looked around at the audience. He seemed uncertain whether to say anything in front of the entire Hogwarts population. Finally, he nodded. "Yes, Valerianna came to me. I . . . we told her that we would help her." He sighed and rubbed his clean-shaven jaw. "We wanted to help her."

"She told us that she had things she had to do first. She wanted to attend your funeral, and then she was going to go to Gringotts and do a few other tasks," Minerva continued. "She said that she would meet us the next day. We had plans to bring her into hiding, but she never arrived at the meeting place. She had disappeared immediately after your funeral. A few days later, her body was found. I am sorry, Francis."

"But she never came for me. Alive or dead. And I waited for her." He looked downcast. "How long has it been?"

"Twenty years," Albus replied. "Valerianna died less than a week after you were killed."

The ghost seemed to deflate. "She did not look for me."

"She may not have been able to," Albus said gently. "I know that she was very upset by your death and she blamed herself. We told her not to attend your funeral, but she insisted."

"May I stay here, Headmaster?" Francis asked hopefully. "I grow tired of living in a Muggle flat."

"I am no longer Headmaster," Albus said. "Minerva is the Headmistress."

"May I stay?" Francis asked, pivoting toward her.

"You may stay here, of course," Minerva said. "But I cannot speak for Slytherin House. Whether you become the House ghost is a decision for Professor Snape to make."

"I cannot make such a decision here and now," Severus said as everyone's attention turned to him. "I will meet with you tomorrow morning. The Friar or one of the other House ghosts can show you where my office is. Do not follow Peeves. He is as likely to bring you to the Owlery as to the dungeons."

The ghost of Francis Flint smiled. "I remember Peeves! No, I won't follow him. Thank you, Professor."

"Don't thank me yet," Severus muttered.

"Friar, if you and Sir Nick could acquaint Francis with some of your usual haunts, make him at home, perhaps find him an empty cupboard somewhere, a place where he can go if he's feeling crowded, I would appreciate that," Minerva said. She looked around her at everyone watching and found Filius standing in front of Pomona. "Now, Professor Flitwick, I believe we need more music! Something cheerful."

"Something modern!" Filius agreed. He waved his wand and Filius's idea of contemporary Muggle music began to play. Severus recognised it as being an old Elton John song, "Rocket Man." Not the most upbeat lyrics, perhaps, but at least the melody was cheerful and it had a good rhythm, and the students seemed happy enough with the change from waltzes and Big Band music.

Severus watched as the Fat Friar and Sir Nicolas floated up through the enchanted ceiling, Francis Flint between them. This was one of the strangest Hogwarts parties he'd attended, and there had been some notably strange ones in the past.

NEXT

Chapter Twenty-One: Fancy Dress

Saturday, 31 October 1998

Severus must dance, and the students vote on the best fancy dress.

Characters: Severus Snape, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Poppy Pomfrey, Verity Septima Vector, Pomona Sprout, Filius Flitwick, Helena Benetti, Suzie Sefton, and others

Author's Note: You may remember Francis Flint and Valerianna Yaxley (née Crouch) from Resolving a Misunderstanding. Anyone who was curious about what became of Valerianna and Francis after they married, you have your answer!

Anyone who hasn't yet read the one-shot, "Enter, Peacetime," you'll likely want to read it before Chapter 23 of Long Vernal Season is posted. ("Enter, Peacetime" is here on TPP.)