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***
There was a heated argument going on in the Gryffindor common room about what Gryffindor things to do. Because the freshmen had been excused from their Halloween lessons and there was still plenty of time before the dinner party, the boys had decided to get together and do something fun. Since they couldn't think of anything educational to do (Lydia's offers to study were rudely ignored), there was still something fun to do. One of the boys suggested that Malia tell them about Muggle entertainment, and she ran into the room after a bit of thinking, returning a minute later with some sort of stained mat and a small panel with a mini roulette wheel.
- Well, what's this? - Looking at the girl incredulously, Isaac asked.
- And this, my dears, is the main invention of mankind,' Malia said, placing the "mat" on the floor.
Looking at her fellow students, she said in disbelief:
- Do you seriously not know what this is? It's a twister! - Tate said with a wave of her hands.
- Well, what are we supposed to do with this twister of yours? - Allison asked, twirling the panel in her hands.
- It's not a whistler, it's a twister,' Tate said, rolling her eyes. - It's a game. With this one,' Malia pointed to the tape measure with a nod of her head, 'the host chooses a body part and the colour of the circle. Here,' she pointed to the mat, 'you have to perform tasks. For example, if my right hand falls out and blue, then I have to put my right hand on the blue circle,' the girl illustrated what, how and where to do for clarity.
- Oh, I think I've got it! - exclaimed Stiles. - Dibs on me first.
- There's more than one person playing here. It's no fun alone,' Tate said. - Let us show you, and then you can come along, okay? - the girl asked. After nodding in agreement, Malia moved to her starting position, and Stiles did the same.
- How do you choose? - Matt asked, looking at the arrow panel with the same scepticism.
- Oh, right,' Malia began to explain. - You twist the arrow and wait for it to stop. Whichever colour it points to, you say,' said the girl. - It's the same with body parts.
- Okay, let's try it,' Matt said scratching his head.
After a few seconds, it sounded:
- Left foot on red.
The boys completed the task, and Stiles exclaimed disappointedly:
- 'That's easy!
- So far,' Malia grinned.
After a few minutes Malia and Stiles resembled a real Gordian knot. To the laughter of the boys, they were doing task after task, grunting and laughing.
- It's unreal already! - exclaimed Stiles, red as a crab. His left leg was held under the knee of the other, and Stilinski held all his weight in his arms. At Scott's ringing laughter the boy, cursing loudly and roughly, fell, almost crushing Malia. The next instant she rolled aside with a groan.
- Was it easy? - Tate asked, breathing heavily. A smile lit up her face.
- Oh, yeah. Very,' Stiles said sarcastically, shoving McCall, who was practically crying with laughter, in the shoulder.
That's how the boys spent the rest of the time before dinner. The only one who didn't play was Lydia, who, despite the others' entreaties, decided to watch the action.
***
- Dear students! Today is a terrible day!' Albus Dumbledore began his Halloween speech with the kindest of smiles, laughing at his own pun. - How wonderful this holiday is after all! Yes just like all the others. So let us not delay, and let us begin our feast! - the headmaster concluded with a wave of his hands.
- I couldn't think of a better speech,' Stiles mumbled, stuffing his mouth with food.
And the next moment, before anyone could even start eating, all the lights in the hall went out. Totally.
- Hey, Scott, where are you? - Stiles swept his hand through the darkness, and when he accidentally poked his friend in the eye and heard a loud whoop in response, he breathed a sigh of relief. - Oh, there you are.
- What the hell?' came Isaac's voice from nearby. Judging by the sound of crashing dishes, Stiles wasn't the only one who'd decided to check out his surroundings by feel.
A moment later, a pumpkin with a carved face and a candle inside appeared on each student's plate. Screaming loudly ( literally), the pumpkin spit out some sort of ball with a tiny light inside it into each person's hand.
- What the hell is that? - Allison whispered with either horror or disgust.
As soon as Stiles opened the balloon and pulled out a rolled-up piece of paper, the light flared upward, toward the ceiling.
- Ne paveas repentino vertitur,' the boy said in Latin, arching his eyebrows at the bridge of his nose. - Don't be afraid of the unexpected? What?' the boy looked round in bewilderment.
- More like unexpected turns, - Martin, who was sitting nearby, corrected him.
- What about you? - Stilinski asked, looking at the girl with interest, leaning over Scott and looking at her note.
- Creek interdum sino vos ut irritum libero,' she read, looking at Stiles perplexed.
- Creek interdum sino vos ut irritum libero? - The boy translated, raising his eyebrows.
- Screaming sometimes allows you to break free,' Lydia corrected again. Stiles only twitched an eyebrow, unable to find the strength to lament.
- What about me? - Scott asked. Apparently only Stiles and Lydia knew Latin. Martin took the paper from him and after a few seconds answered:
- Te potest numerare in amicis,' the girl replied with a slight smile.
- Huh?' McCall exhaled with a perplexed blink.
- You can count on your friends,' Stiles answered for Lydia and smiled broadly.
Allison had 'Numquam timere, quidquid accidit. "*, Malia had "Felicitas est prope. "**, Matt had "Nihil erit occultum in aeternum. "***, and Isaac had "Amicis tradet, hostibus fieri amici. '****.
- Look at that! - Looking up at the ceiling, Scott said.
As he lifted his chin and stared at the ceiling, Stiles gasped. All the lights that had come out of the boys' balloons were now flying high up under the stone vaults and glowing. Each light was a different colour. It was blue, purple, turquoise, burgundy - here and there some glowing ball flashed. In some unfathomable way the boy found his own among all this shimmering roundelay. Suddenly the lights began to fly sharply downwards, towards the students. Barely reaching their 'master', they immediately turned into some tiny fluffy lumps.
- Unbelievable. It's impossible! Such magic is beyond the reach of Hogwarts students! No one can do it! - Lydia whispered, looking at her 'gift' in amazement.
- What are we supposed to do with them now? - Stiles stretched out. - What kind of magic is this?
- 'These are our Halloween presents for you,' Dumbledore said suddenly, forcing the students to turn their heads in the same direction again. - 'They are called crypters. They are a sort of reflection of their owner's soul. Sometimes you can even find your true mate by them - if crypters fall in love, it's forever. And more often than not, their masters will be together afterwards. That's why they're also called love sniffers. In fact, crypters are angels, but inferior, so they can simply be considered companions, a kind of familiars. They are loyal to their master for the rest of their lives, and will be practically a copy of their owner. If you have never heard of them, do not be frightened, this is a very complex section of magic, which you will not learn about in an ordinary book. They don't require any special care, don't worry. It's like an ordinary cat, only smaller and perhaps more powerful,' the headmaster said with a smile. - The messages you have read can be taken seriously, or even disregarded. It's up to everyone,' he said with a warm look round the hall. - Oh, yes, I almost forgot. For such incredible magic, please thank our beautiful Head of School, Alice. Thirty points to Gryffindor! - Albus grinned and waved his arms. The pumpkins, which had appeared so suddenly out of nowhere, disappeared and the hall was lit up. - And now I propose to conclude our beautiful banquet.
***
- So, how'd you like that? - Matt asked in the bedroom, climbing into his bed.
- I think it's great. Alice is something! You'd have to be able to do magic like that at seventeen. Even Dumbledore probably couldn't have done that at his age,' Stiles laughed, pulling on his pyjamas.
- Don't make such statements,' Scott chuckled, shoving his friend in the side.
- What are we supposed to do about it? - Isaac nodded at the four crypters that were nestled comfortably on his bed. They were, naturally, multi-coloured. Stiles's crypter was bright red, and Scott's was gold. The combination was already the cause for some wicked jokes from the other Gryffindors. Matt's baby was grey and Isaac's was purple.
- I don't know, but I'm going to really look after Tim,' Stilinski stretched out, gently picking up his creeper.
- Tim? Really? - Scott chuckled. - 'Well, I'll have Cripp then.
- Oh yeah, Scotty, that's the most original thing you could think of,' Stiles rolled his eyes as he pulled the blanket over him and put Tim on the bedside table. It didn't upset the kid, though. He jumped off the bedside table right onto the boy's head and burrowed into his hair. - Hey, mate, this isn't going to work,' Stiles tried to pull the angel out of his own hair, but it was in vain.
- Oh, Stiles, it's no use. If he's really your copy, you won't even be able to move him. He's probably just as stubborn,' Scott showed his friend his tongue and laid Cripp on the pillow beside him. Cripter, squirming contentedly, made himself comfortable and seemed to fall asleep immediately.
- So Cripp will be as hard to get up in the morning as you are,' Stiles said wryly, and turned out the light.
- Guys, let's get some sleep,' Matt said.
- Wait, what are you guys going to call yours? - Stiles asked suddenly.
- Thor,' Isaac answered.
- Well, probably Collie. Yeah, Collie,' Matt stroked his crypter's head.
- 'Now let's go to sleep,' whispered Stilinski. - Good night, guys. Good night, Tim.
The boys immediately fell into the realm of Morpheus. As did their angels, though.