Samhain

Draco POV: 

Hallowe'en. Samhain. The day of the dead. One of the two most important celebrations in the magical world alongside Yule. The traditional celebrations are no longer observed in Hogwarts, having been changed to Hallowe'en and Christmas some time in the last few decades.

Truth be told, I've only ever participated in the traditional celebration for Samhain a couple of times since I was born and it was a very boring affair. It was just a bunch of people talking in low voices, sitting in a room with bread and salt.

There was no ritual to contact the dead or the summoning of ghosts or anything like that. It's purely a day to venerate the dead and is usually celebrated in different ways. Some people come together and tell stories, and some people prefer to carry out their veneration on their own. It's a deeply personal matter.

I didn't pay it much mind until grandfather Arcturus passed away, and then Samhain became a day to remember our short time together. Families in the wizarding world don't follow a religion, but ancestor worship is prevalent. I don't worship my ancestors what with most of them being deplorable people and long dead besides, but for people I knew personally? I can set some personal time aside for remembrance.

The important holidays don't have much magical significance, neither Yule nor Samhain. The ambient magic of the planet has a cyclical nature, rising and falling throughout the year. It's only slight, but there is an effect.

Spring is the season of growth and new beginnings, and magic follows this trend, promoting growth and feeling vibrant. Summer is the season of vitality, warmth and joy. Magic is at its peak during this time and promotes activity in everything. Autumn is the season of harvest, of change. Magic wanes during this period. And finally winter. It is the season of endings. Magic stills like the water at the bottom of a well. Then spring comes and the cycle starts again.

The cycle of magic doesn't have much effect on humans. Some rituals are required to be performed on the solstices or equinoxes of the seasons, those being the midpoints of the different changes in magic's yearly cycle. Some potions are the same as well, but this cycle doesn't affect humans otherwise. It's only a slight change after all.

It has a larger effect on magical flora and fauna, affecting their life cycle. I'm not sure just how much they depend on it because it follows the change of seasons just like non-magical nature, but I know it's at least a little. It's a background process in this world, I don't pay it much mind other than vague curiosity.

Some people celebrate the summer and winter solstices along with the spring and autumn equinoxes, but most don't. Yule and Samhain, or Christmas and Hallowe'en respectively, don't have any magical significance that I can detect but are widely celebrated.

It's often told in fanfiction that Samhain is the day when the veil between the living world and the world of the dead grows weakest. As far as I can tell, that's not true. It might be for all I know, but I think I would have sensed it given that I have some affinity for death. I have died before after all and I'm constantly close to death during training, but I've felt nothing.

The castle changed decor overnight, courtesy of the house elves, and now pumpkins are decorating the halls and bats flying all over the ceiling. The castle's lighting is darker as well, with many candles floating around and the braziers burning low.

It's a spooky but fun atmosphere. I was enjoying it at least. After classes that day, I took the afternoon to spend a little time alone and honour grandfather's memory before joining the year group in Ravenclaw Tower.

Our entire year group was small, only 11 people, so everyone knew everyone. Even if Morag and Sue Li kept to themselves, we all still knew each other decently well and there weren't any major disagreements. I sat next to Daphne, who had saved a chair for me next to her.

"Thanks," I said.

She gave me a short nod, her face expressionless. "Nice afternoon?" She asked quietly.

I smiled. "Great actually. I raised a toast to Grandfather and explored the castle some more," I said. "What about you? I know you like to spend Samhain with family."

"I took a walk around the lake earlier and have exchanged letters with them. It's not the same, but I'll be fine." She said.

"What are you two whispering about?" Padma asked from next to Daphne, startling her slightly.

"Personal matters Padma, personal matters," Daphne said. I nodded in agreement with her. I'll back her up if she doesn't feel like being social.

Padma took the hint and left us alone for the moment and rejoined the conversation with her friends.

I raised an eyebrow at Daphne questioningly, but she chose to say nothing to my unvoiced question. I shrugged. It seems she's having an off day.

"Should we leave for the feast now?" Questioned Mandy loudly, receiving a round of nods. I wasn't paying attention to the previous conversation but still left to the Great Hall with the group at the prompt.

I tugged Daphne's arm and gestured with a backwards nod. She followed my lead and we hung back during the journey to talk privately.

"You okay?" I asked gently.

She sighed slightly, minute exhaustion entering her expression before she righted herself to her usual expressionlessness. "I've just been frustrated of late." She said.

"Anything you want to talk about?" I asked.

"I know you warned me before we came, but I didn't expect school to be this bad." She said, voicing her thoughts. "The teachers are great, but lessons move so slowly and we skip most of the spells in the books." She said.

I nodded. "That's to be expected. I did warn you. Haven't you been doing things in your mindscape during classes? I only pay minimal attention to the lessons and spend most of my energy reading in my mind. Then I practice magic outside of class. I know you do too. I do teach you." I said.

"That's true. And I have been, yes." She agreed.

"So what's the issue then?" I prodded.

"I guess I'm just disappointed at how little enthusiasm there is about magic from the others in our year." She said.

I understood then. "Ah, I get it," I said.

"I just don't understand! Even the muggleborns are the same!" She exclaimed quietly, expressing her frustrations.

I shrugged. "I don't have an explanation for that either. What about Granger? Or Padma?" I asked, knowing they were enthusiastic about learning.

She snorted in response. "Granger isn't the same. She wants to be the best student, not the best witch, being good at magic is just part of that. I don't like her anyway, she's too nosy for her own good, always prying into other's business. If she wasn't in Potter's camp, she would be an outcast." She said.

"She'll grow up in the future. I think she's just insecure." I said.

She raised an eyebrow. "You think so?" She asked.

I nodded. "She's obviously used to being the smartest person around, anyone can see that. It must have been strange to come into a new world and find that that isn't true." I said shruging. "I imagine she'll settle down eventually, she has Potter and Longbottom to help her, she'll get better," I said.

I was pretty confident in that. She's not as bad as she was in the series due to the changes I've made. Those tips I gave her on the train helped her avoid offending a lot of people with her attitude and the two boys gave her friendship.

"And Padma?" I asked.

"Padma is only interested in enchanting." She said succinctly. "She's a good witch, but she doesn't have the same drive as us." She finished.

I nodded. I know Padma wants to be an enchanter when she grows up, so it makes sense.

"Daphne. You can't expect other people to be like us. Our obsession isn't something common." I said.

She sighed. "I know Draco. I'm just complaining for the sake of complaining at this point." She said.

"Oh? Are you in a mood?" I teased gently.

She snorted softly. "Don't start. But no. Those were just excuses. I'm frustrated with you actually." She said, giving me a look.

"Me?" I was surprised.

"Yes. You." She nodded. "We haven't been spending much time together since school started. Even your lessons are less frequent." She said.

Now I felt awkward. "Well... I just assumed you would want some space to be with your friends." I said.

Her expression softened slightly. "Draco. My friends are my friends. They're not going anywhere. But you, I feel like you've been drifting away since we came here." She said, a little upset.

And now I felt guilty. Great. "Sorry," I said. "I thought giving you some space would be good for you. Let you make new friends and expand your social circle. Find other things to enjoy." I finished.

"You're my best friend. You teach me magic and share my obsession. You believe that I can cure the blood curse. Not even my parents believe that." She said, her voice earnest. I nodded, feeling contrite.

"I feel like you're leaving me behind." She continued. "Don't think I haven't noticed your disappearing acts. The others may believe you when you say you're practising in empty rooms, but I know you better than that. Mipsy can pop you away to your private mansion whenever you feel like it, but when I asked her, she said hasn't taken you back there since school started." She said.

"I..." I started.

"Draco." She said gently but with steel, cutting me off. "Please don't lie to me or try to make excuses."

I breathed deeply, letting out a gusty exhale. "You're right. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you away like I have lately." I said, sorting through my thoughts.

Her lips quirked up slightly. "Thank you. Apology accepted." She said. "So?" She questioned.

I smiled. "It seems I've been foolish lately. If you can forgive me, we'll pick everything back up again and then some. I have so much to show you! So much to teach you!" I said enthusiastically, feeling better after this little talk.

She was right, and now I felt like a fool. I have been neglecting her recently. That's not a good thing. I almost fell into the classic reincarnator trap of trying to direct other people's lives and forgetting they have their own agency. There isn't even a real reason for it, we've always been very close.

Maybe I thought she should have her own life outside of me. That was stupid on my part. Despite her young age, she isn't an idiot and can make her own choices. She has friends and family and she's not in a desperate situation anymore. We've spoken about her sharing my goals many times before, but I guess I still had reservations. It's time to cast those away.

"Good." She nodded. "So you will show me what you've been working on then?"

"Damn right, I will!" I exclaimed. "And there's a special room in the castle I just have to show you! It's magical!" I said.

Her facial expression didn't change much, but her eyes lit up like fireworks. "Really?" She questioned, her emotions joyous and hopeful.

"Really." I nodded firmly. "It's amazing! Words can't do it justice so I'll leave it as a surprise. I'll just say it'll blow your mind." I said.

"I'm looking forward to it then." She said.

"There is one thing though," I said leadingly.

"Yes?" She questioned.

I looked at her seriously. "If you want to continue following me, I will begin training you in how to fight. This is non-negotiable."

She seemed quite surprised. "Teach me how how to fight? Why?" She asked.

"If you want to accompany me on my journey to discover the secrets of magic, you will need to know how to fight. Not just to defend yourself, but to be able to fight at my side. Not just magic too. Weapons, unarmed combat, and magical combat. There will be a need for all of it in the future." I elaborated.

"I understand." She said determinedly. "If you think it's necessary, I'll learn." She said.

I nodded, smiling. "I do. I very much do. I bring this up because the place I want to show you is perfect for it." I said.

She nodded and stepped a little closer to me, our arms brushing together as we walked into the Great Hall for the feast.

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Daphne POV:

Despite all his intelligence, Draco can be quite stupid sometimes. The reason matters little, but he has been pushing me away since we came to Hogwarts. Even his lessons have been more sparse than before. I didn't mention it before to him because I thought it would be a temporary thing, but the issue persisted so I brought it to his attention.

The way his confusion left him and he returned to how he was with me previously made me giddy inside, even if I didn't show it outwardly. I'm sure he can tell, he always can. I can't wait to see what he's been working on or the room he's harping on about. I know he keeps a lot of things to himself, so I'm glad he's opening up more.

The mention of learning to fight seemed to come out of nowhere, but thinking about it made me realise he was right. There are many dangerous things in the magical world. Creatures, plants and people are all dangerous. I accepted, but it doesn't seem urgent to me.

He must have sensed this, however, because he brought it up soon after. We were in the Great Hall now, partaking in the ongoing feast and chatting about the upgrade he gave to his trunk. The rest of the year group left us alone tonight, which I was fine with. I like the girls, but they aren't Draco.

I was impressed with what he was telling me as he described the dimensions he opened in his trunk, demanding he show me later, before Professor Quirrel burst into the Great Hall, babbling about a troll of all things.

"Troll!" He shouted. "T-t-troll in the dungeons. Thought you ought to know...." He trailed off, before.... fainting.

I leaned into Draco's side. "Did that really just happen?" I questioned rhetorically, dumbfounded at the spectacle.

Draco couldn't answer me because the Great Hall exploded into a cacophony of noise. The students were shouting and screaming in fear while the teachers looked on, shocked.

Dumbledore stood up then. "SILENCE!!!" He yelled, magic aiding his voice so it boomed powerfully and gathered all attention on him. "Prefects will escort their houses to the dormitories, while the teachers will follow me to the dungeons." He finished calmly, taking control of the situation. Never mind that the Hufflepuff and Slytherin dorms are in the dungeons.

Draco chose that moment to address my thoughts on learning to fight. "When our house leaves, activate your stealth ring and come with me." He whispered. "I will show you why you need to learn how to fight." He finished.

I nodded without saying a word, curious as to what he wanted to show me. The troll? Nevertheless, I trusted him so I followed his lead when he whispered "Now." Tapping the rune on my ring to activate it as he grabbed my hand.

Slipping away was easy. We had been keeping to ourselves throughout the feast so no one noticed when we left. Thankfully, the rings were connected through sympathetic magic so we could still see each other but faded, like a ghost with colour.

I watched as he sniffed a few times, confused as to why, before he led me by the hand through the castle towards the second floor. The feeling of my hand in his made me feel all tingly, but above that provided a sense of safety.

The first night we met at the ball, I developed a bit of a crush on him. That crush has faded by now, but never went away entirely. People say you never forget your first crush. As time passed and we continued spending time with each other, he acted oblivious. I knew better than that, however, especially after I unlocked my soul-sense from reaching the 7th stage of occlumency.

One of the first things he taught me when I did was how to sense things outside of my own body. It was simple to start with, but I soon realised just how much you can learn with it. My soul-sense doesn't cover far, barely two metres, but I've learned a lot already.

I can sense other's entire being when I do and sense things at a deeper level. And I'm still learning, getting better every day. I know for a fact that Draco's body is abnormally strong. He can hide his emotions from me, and I can't see past the fog around his magical core. His soul also seems very... normal. Granger's soul is brighter than his! Call me crazy but I don't believe it.

This was why I became sceptical of his ignorance of my feelings. The initial crush may have faded, but it was replaced by much deeper feelings. Admiration, respect, and above all, a deep level of trust. I trust him as much as I trust my own family. I know he knows this, he can surely feel it so I don't know why he pretends otherwise. 

My thoughts halted there as a disgusting stench pervaded the hall and sure enough, we were walking right to the troll. Rounding a corner, the lumbering beast was walking through the hallway without a care in the world, a massive club that looked like an uprooted tree trunk leaning against its shoulder. Grey-green skin that looked like stone, taller than Hagrid and a large, protruding belly.

"So why did you bring me to see this?" I asked, repulsed by the smell but intrigued nonetheless.

"You've never been the holder of a ward scheme before, have you?" He asked in response. I shook my head, wondering why that would be his question.

"I ask because you would understand immediately if you have." He explained. "I hold the wards to the Black mansion and when inside, I know everything that happens within. It might be different since Hogwarts is so big, but I guarantee you that Dumbledore knew exactly when the troll entered." He said.

My eyes widened in realisation. "That's just the start too. Hogwarts is one of the most fortified places in the world. The castle is a literal fortress of magic. The ward scheme is one of two of the most complex pieces of magic I've ever seen. For a troll the get inside, it has to be allowed entry." He continued.

"Then there's the surveillance. All the portraits, ghosts, elves, statues and everything else report to the headmaster. It says so in Hogwarts: A History. Then there's the castle itself. The castle is alive. I know you've felt it, if only vaguely." He said and I nodded. "The castle wouldn't let the troll in unless it was directed to." He finished.

I stood there in silence as we observed the troll, processing my whirling thoughts. "So Dumbledore knew..." I said flatly, horror creeping in.

"Of course, he knew." He nodded. "All of what I just said boils down to one thing: Dumbledore is playing games." He finished.

I felt a sinking feeling in my gut at the proclamation as he turned to look at me. "Of course, a troll is hardly a threat if you know how to fight and can use your spells creatively. Sure, they have decently magic-resistant skin, but they're not immune to physical force. Simply taking control of the club and shattering its skull with it is the most straightforward method, but how many students will think clearly in the moment?" He said

He was looking intensely at me now. "This is why I want to train you. Dumbledore is playing games at Hogwarts and it's no longer a safe place. I don't trust him to have the students' safety as his priority. He'll try to keep them safe simply to keep his image clean, but honestly? I don't think he cares beyond that." He finished.

I focused on the feel of my hand in his, letting it anchor me as the panic faded away. Dad and Mum both warned me to be wary of Dumbledore, but what Draco is saying is a few steps beyond that.

"How can you be sure?" I asked, trying to come up with another reason.

"Have you felt Professor Quirrel?" He asked pointedly. I nodded, wincing a little. I had, and there is something deeply wrong with him. His body is breaking down and there's something off about his turban, though I haven't been able to determine what.

"You think Dumbledore doesn't know what's going on with him?" He asked. I shook my head. Impossible. If I can feel it, he surely knows.

Draco pulled my hand again and we started moving again, leaving the troll behind. "The teachers can handle the troll, it's not our problem. There are no students on this floor and we don't want to draw any suspicion that someone was here. I have one more thing to show you. If the troll and what I said hasn't convinced you, this will." He said ominously.

The bad feeling from before was back and I kept silent as we moved, thinking through all that he told me. His arguments were compelling. Even if the castle doesn't tell the headmaster everything through the wards, a direct threat to student safety would definitely be reported.

I'm not nearly as good as Draco at sensing things, so when he stopped at the entrance to a corridor I focused up and sure enough, there was something there... some kind of ward...

"An alert ward?" I murmured.

Draco smiled brightly at me. "Excellent. Yes, this is an alert ward. Very well hidden too, I'm surprised you noticed. I see you haven't been slacking." He said.

I deadpanned at him. "Me? Slacking off? I'm almost insulted." I said, feeling incredulous at the mere idea of slacking in anything to do with magic.

"Hahaha. Sorry, sorry." He laughed. "Anyway, this is what I wanted to show you. This is the 3rd-floor corridor, the one Dumbledore mentioned at the opening feast. The painful death one." He said.

I started at that, looking around. It seems I was too lost in thought as we moved so I didn't realise exactly where we were. "So what's here then? And why the alert ward?" I asked.

He smiled. "That's the question, isn't it? If Dumbledore didn't want people here, they wouldn't be able to enter. He must be able to ward it properly right? He could even ask the castle to block it physically, there's no reason it should be left open as it is." He said and I found myself nodding with him. It was suspicious.

I felt through my soul-sense when Draco extended his magic to the alert ward, creating a hole in it that repaired itself the moment we crossed the threshold. Walking down the corridor, he stopped at a door. My soul-sense doesn't extend far enough to feel anything but empty space on the other side, but I could feel the door was locked. Not by any magic, simply the latch on the other side of the door. 

"Really?! This is all?!" I exclaimed, stunned by the carelessness.

Draco shrugged. "Well, I said he was playing games, didn't I? Even with soul-sense, you had a hard time noticing the alert ward. I doubt anyone else in the castle could do that. They'd need to cast numerous intensive scanning spells to find it. The best protection is Dumbledore himself, but not putting any protection in a supposedly dangerous part of the castle is just inviting trouble. " He said.

I found myself agreeing. Whatever the game being played, it's a massive risk to the students without any protections stopping them no matter how powerful Dumbledore is personally. Well, that's if whatever is behind this door is really dangerous. I trust Draco, but couldn't he be taking his dislike of Dumbledore too far"?

Draco then put his hand to the door and looked at me. "This is the other thing I wanted to show you. It will make you understand the need to learn how to fight." He said, casting a simple unlocking charm as he pushed open the door.

As the door swung open, my breath caught in my throat and I felt the blood drain from my face. I was too scared to speak at that point. The sight of a 4-5 metre tall dog with three heads was terrifying. It was standing up, looking at the door and sniffing, before acting confused as it couldn't find anything.

I barely noticed, however. Too stunned at what I was seeing. The sheer size of the heads was staggering, they were as large as I am and just as wide with powerful jaws and teeth that looked like they could chew through granite. My previous thoughts were shut down and shut down hard as I took in the sight before me.

Draco pulled me back gently and closed the door, pulling us both into an alcove off the main hallway. I didn't realise I was shaking until he wrapped me in his arms. I fell into him, legs weak from the shock as he took me gently to lean against him, sitting us both down. It took a while before I could calm down again.

"D-draco..." I stuttered out. "Was that what I think it was?" I asked, finally getting my voice back.

"Indeed." He said grimly. "A cerberus."

I nodded weakly, basking in the safety I felt being held by him. Neither of us spoke as I processed what I just saw. It was about the scariest thing I've ever come across. I've read about the cerberus before. Magic resistance comparable to dragons or giants, saliva that impedes healing, and capable of eating damn near anything. Some mad wizards use them as guard dogs. It's considered mildly suicidal as their only known weakness is music.

"Feeling better?" He asked gently. I peeked up at him and nodded, managing a weak smile.

Just then, footsteps echoed and the shadow of Professor Quirrel was projected on the wall, recognisable by the turban.

"Mipsy, take us to my room please." Said Draco quietly.

A soft pop found us sitting on his bed. I was still being held by him and blushed slightly from the setting. I pushed it out of my mind because now wasn't the time for those thoughts.

"Thanks." He said to the empty air, although I knew Mipsy was there. She preferred not to be seen normally.

When I had finally calmed down to normal, I pushed myself up properly and sat across from him.

"A cerberus! In a school!" I hissed in fury, finally thinking through what I had just seen now that I was safe again.

He nodded seriously. "Now you see why you need to be prepared." He said.

"And the protections! There weren't any!" I said, barely registering his comment in my fury. "That child-endangering asshole! That..." 

Draco said nothing as I vented out my fury and disbelief at the audacity and recklessness of the man who placed a cerberus in a school. Eventually, I calmed down and found Draco looking at me with an amused expression on his face.

I felt my cheeks tinge pink in embarrassment at the loss of control before righting myself and focusing on what he said.

"Yes. I can see your point." I said, suddenly feeling vulnerable in the castle. Now that I know these dangers exist and the certainty that Dumbledore is playing dangerous games, the feeling of safety when walking the halls seems hollow.

He sighed in relief, smiling. "Good. I'm glad you see it. It will make me feel a lot better. Plus, you're not the kind of girl to hide whilst I go out and fight are you?" He asked rhetorically.

We both knew the answer. That being an emphatic NO. I made it my goal to follow him and share in his dreams. I won't be left behind.

I took a deep breath. "Thank you for waking me up to these dangers," I said, grateful for him showing me this despite the scare. "So. Training to fight."

"Yep. I'll be teaching you something new in addition to learning to fight as well." He said. "I'm sure you've noticed by now that my body is a lot stronger than normal?" He stated more than asked.

I nodded. "I'll be teaching you how I did it before I start your training. Follow what I teach you and you won't need rituals to strengthen your body, my method makes them obsolete. Just a warning, the training will be very tough. I'll be following how Grandfather trained me." He said.

I paled a little at that. He has told me numerous stories about how Lord Black trained him and it sounded brutal. It was definitely beneficial though. Earlier, when he took me to the cerberus, he was ready to either engage or flee at a moment's notice.

"Forget about all that for now, we can discuss it in depth tomorrow." He said. "How about you tell me what you and the other girls have been doing this past month? Anything new?" He said.

I was grateful for the change in topic, pulling me out of my thoughts for the moment and allowing me to truly relax. By the time I left his room to go to bed, I was feeling a lot better and looking forward to the training.

(A/N: This chapter was annoying to write. Had a bit of writer's block. I mean, why even bother going after the troll? I didn't want to just skip Hallowe'en though. I eventually thought of an idea, but it's not my best chapter all told. Anyway, enjoy!)