Chapter 67: Deathday Party

Chapter 67: Deathday Party

"Why would anyone find it appealing to celebrate the day of their death?" pondered Tracey, neatly stowing her Charms books in her bag. She continued, "It sounds rather somber and gloomy, in my opinion."

The rain hammered against the glass windows of the Ravenclaw tower, turning them into inky black mirrors. Yet, inside, the room was warm and inviting, radiating a cozy ambiance. The atmosphere buzzed with studious energy, as students were still immersed in their books and studies after the tutoring session.

"Well, I have no interest in visiting a Deathday Party instead of the Halloween feast. Will there even be food for the living?" injected Terry Boot, who was putting the finishing touches on the Potion Homework he was working on.

"Yeah, me neither. I would rather have fun at the feast," nodded Anthony Goldstein from beside him.

"No worries, it was just something I promised Nick. You don't need to come with me, but the invitation is open if any of you are interested," replied Harry with a smile, understanding that not everyone saw the deeper benefits of having the Hogwarts ghosts or other ghosts as allies. This was probably the political side that his lessons at the Gremory Mansion had taught him.

However, he wasn't the only one who realized the advantages of having the ghosts as allies. They were not only useful for different kinds of spying, but they likely possessed a vast collection of information and secrets acquired over centuries of their afterlife.

"I am coming with you. It sounds interesting and offers a unique opportunity," nodded Daphne, seeing the potential benefits. Since Daphne decided to go, her best friend Tracey decided to join them.

Hermione already planned to attend the party with Harry, regardless of the circumstances. She was purely interested in the new experience. Padma, having nothing better to do, also decided to join them.

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Halloween arrived, and the students eagerly anticipated the feast. The Great Hall had been adorned with the usual live bats, Hagrid's enormous pumpkins were carved into lanterns large enough for three men to sit in, and there were rumors that Dumbledore had arranged for a troupe of dancing skeletons for entertainment.

But Harry didn't regret his decision to agree to the Deathday party, as he still didn't feel like celebrating Halloween. However, some of the others had their regrets as the rumors about the Halloween feast became more abundant.

"Hermione gently reminded the others, 'A promise is a promise.' They had all agreed emphatically, 'You said you'd attend the Deathday party.'"

"You really don't have to. It was my agreement," Harry interjected.

"No, we should go. We made a commitment to accompany you," Daphne replied, emphasizing her commitment to keeping her word.

So, at seven o'clock, Harry, Hermione, Daphne, Tracey, and Padma purposefully walked past the entrance to the bustling Great Hall, adorned with glimmering gold plates and candles, and instead made their way toward the dungeons. The passageway leading to Nearly Headless Nick's party was also illuminated by candles, but the ambiance was anything but cheerful. The long, slender, jet-black tapers burned with a vivid blue flame, casting an eerie, ghostly light even on their own living faces.

With each step, the temperature noticeably dropped, causing Harry to shiver and wrap his robes tightly around him. He couldn't help but hear a sound resembling the scraping of countless fingernails against an enormous blackboard.

"That's music?" asked Padma with a shiver running down her spine.

As they turned the corner, they came face to face with Nearly Headless Nick, positioned by a doorway adorned with black velvet drapes.

"My dear friends," he greeted them in a mournful tone. "Welcome, welcome... I am delighted that you could join us."

With a graceful gesture, Nearly Headless Nick removed his plumed hat and beckoned them inside. The sight that unfolded before them was truly extraordinary. The dungeon was filled with a multitude of ethereal beings, their pearly-white figures exuding a translucent glow. They floated and swirled, gracefully navigating the crowded dance floor.

The air was filled with the eerie melody of thirty musical saws, played by an orchestra stationed on a raised platform draped in black fabric. The haunting sound resonated throughout the chamber, setting a mystical ambiance.

A chandelier overhead blazed midnight blue with a thousand more black candles. Their breath rose in a mist before them; it was like stepping into a freezer.

"Well, this is a fascinating sight," said Harry as he looked around the hall filled with ethereal figures, wearing clothes from different times. He recognized some of them from around the castle, but many were unfamiliar to him. Since his acquisition of the Philosopher's Stone, he had gained a deeper understanding of souls and could sense that the ghosts were more than mere imprints. Each of them had a soul bound to the earth through some unknown force, creating their ethereal forms. "Shall we take a look around?"

"Yes, but let's be careful not to walk through anyone. It can be quite the faux pas for ghosts," warned Daphne as her blue eyes wandered through the hall.

They set off around the edge of the dance floor. Along the way, they encountered an assortment of peculiar specters. There was a group of somber nuns, their countenances shrouded in gloom. A disheveled man burdened by clinking chains crossed their path. They even exchanged greetings with the Fat Friar, a cheerful ghost representing Hufflepuff House, engaged in conversation with a knight sporting an arrow lodged in his forehead.

Harry found it entirely expected to witness the presence of the Bloody Baron, a gaunt Slytherin ghost covered in glistening silver bloodstains. Other spirits wisely chose to maintain a wide berth around him, giving him a wide berth as he glided through the crowd.

"Hello, Baron," greeted Harry, as he tried to maintain good relationships with all inhabitants of the castle, including the ghosts. He often engaged in conversations with him.

"Youngest Potter, so you are also here to attend this gathering," greeted the intimidating and bloodied ghost, the boy who showed no fear of him. "You remind me so much of your ancestors when I was a student at Hogwarts. Always finding allies everywhere. Very good," praised the Slytherin ghost in his cold voice.

This was new information for Harry. He had never known that the Baron attended Hogwarts with one of his ancestors. From what he knew, the Baron was one of the first students at Hogwarts, and the Potter family was founded more than a century later. "You knew my ancestors? I thought the Potter family wasn't that old."

"Oh, I am not talking about the Potters," replied the Baron with a cold smirk.

"Wait, you knew someone from the family that married into mine giving us our most Ancient title? Can you tell me about them? At least what they were called," asked Harry, shocked, as he had been trying to find out more about them for a while. But nothing about them was written in the Books he found.

"I will only tell you the name. You will have to discover their legacy yourself," said the Baron quietly, as Harry and his friends listened closely. "It's... Peverell."

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