HP:[" the Illithid Inquisition"]

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Further discussion was cut off by the arrival of Professor Snape, who had a potion for Lupin to drink. Lupin said it helped him with a condition he suffered from. It confirmed to Harry that Lupin was a brave man indeed. Harry certainly lacked the courage to drink anything that Snape had brewed. And Lupin held the defense against the dark arts post that everyone knew Snape badly wanted to teach himself. Harry was filled with an almost irrational desire to smash that potion in case it had been poisoned. But Lupin drank it quickly without comment. After that Harry returned to Gryffindor tower to await the return of his friends.

Ron and Hermione were full of stories about all they had done in Hogsmeade and the many sights they had seen. They had gone to all the best stores, like the candy shop: Honeydukes and Zonko's Joke Shop. They had seen warlocks, hags, and even an ogre at the Three Broomsticks inn, where they had enjoyed the warning taste of butter beer. They had gone to the magical post office and seen the hundreds of owls ready to take a message anywhere in the world. They had even gone to the Shrieking Shack, supposedly the most haunted place in all of England.

That last one sounded especially impressive to Harry considering just how many ghosts called just Hogwarts their home. There were the four house ghosts like Nearly-Headless Nick, the Gryffindor house ghost who's beheading had been botched so his head was still connected to his neck by a thin strip of skin and muscle. There was the prankster poltergeist: Peeves, the bane of caretaker Filch's existence, and the cause of half the delays that any class might suffer throughout the year. They even had a ghost teacher, Professor Binns who taught history of magic. And there were what seemed like a dozen other ghosts tied to the castle because of things that had happened to them when they were students here. Like Moaning Myrtle who haunted the second floor girls bathroom where she had been killed by Tom Riddle over fifty years ago now.

Harry had thought that hearing of everything his friends had done would've made him feel jealous and miserable over not going, but he wasn't. The sight of how happy and excited his best friends were drove any unpleasant or self pitying thought out of his head. The fact his friends had brought him a small treasure trove of sweets, food and jokes as souvenirs certainly helped as well. In fact that touched his heart more than he would've expected it to. Harry felt an urge to tear up at what his friends had done for him which he only barely fought down. It all blindsided him.

I know you don't think about money but you are somewhat aware of it. Esharry commented as Harry wondered where that all had come from as they all made their way down to the Halloween Feast. Neither Ron nor Hermione ever have much pocket money. Ron's family doesn't have much period, and while Hermione's parents are successful dentists they only ever convert as much wizard money as they need for her education. It is a big sacrifice on their parts, you do well to be grateful.

Harry knew that. It always moved him when his friends went out of their way for him. But he had never been this affected by it. It was like this display in particular touched something raw in him. Esharry made no further comment, but by then the feast had started and Harry had other things to occupy him.

Harry had never had a bad meal at Hogwarts but even by the school's high standards this feast was excellent. The food was perfect, and the Hogwarts ghosts put on a display of precision flying for mid meal entertainment. At the end of it, Nearly-Headless Nick himself took center stage to perform a rendition of his own beheading to the delight of all. Afterwards he joined the Gryffindor's for conversation.

"Nick, what are the ghosts over at the Shrieking Shack like?" Harry asked after the ghost floated over an empty seat near him.

"I'm afraid I don't know for certain." Nick denied. "I've never been there. But I've heard from reliable sources that they are a wild and rough sort of bunch."

"Don't tell me a Gryffindor ghost is scared of them?" Ron cut in. "Not even a basilisk could hurt you, Nick, what have you got to worry about?"

"I'm certainly not scared of them." Nick said in an offended tone of voice. "But it would hardly do for a respectable spectral citizen such as myself to be seen with such a disreputable bunch. Now if you want to know some reputable if rough kinds of ghosts I have some suggestions."

Nearly-Headless Nick spent the rest of the meal regaling them with stories of the various wizard knights he had known of over the years, the tragic ends they had often come to, and their escapades as ghosts afterwards. It was a far more entertaining history lesson than they had ever gotten from Professor Binns. It was also astounding to hear of how often wizards and witches got caught up in the wars of muggle kings back before the statute of secrecy was implemented. By the time the feast was done, Nick had every Gryffindor, and most of the other students wrapped up in his tales and it was almost a shame to have to retire to bed.

This proved more difficult than Harry would've expected. There was a large crowd blocking the entrance to Gryffindor tower. Even Percy couldn't get the crowd cleared and by the time Harry got to the front of the crowd, Professor Dumbledore had been summoned. Harry was just about to demand to know what was the hold up when he saw for himself what had left everyone speechless.

The entrance to Gryffindor tower was blocked by a magical painting of a very large woman, warmly known as the Fat Lady. Since it was a magical painting the Fat Lady could move, speak and even travel to other paintings around her or other portraits of herself located in other places. Only she could open the door to Gryffindor tower and would only do so if the person asking entrance knew the password she had made up for that term.

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