Samhain

With most students worrying about their families in time of war and strife, Albus Dumbledore brought up the idea of having not only a venerable feast for Halloween but also including some mundane activities to rouse everyone's spirits.

The activities were to be kept strictly non-magical and the reason Dumbledore gave was that due to the ongoing massacre in the muggle world, it was the teacher's duties to look after the welfare of the muggleborns because they didn't have any shoulders to lean on in the magical world.

Headmaster Armando Dippet readily agreed and most of the half-bloods and the muggleborns embraced the idea enthusiastically.

This resulted in Dumbledore's image as pro-muggle in the eyes of many in Hogwarts.

However, this also had the unintended effect that the Slytherins who were already marginalised by Dumbledore and other pure blood's felt discontent towards him.

Even more worrying was that it had been announced in the morning that everyone was to present for The Evening Feast without exemption.

The pureblood students who had been thinking of performing Samhain rituals in their form a or other vacant room in Hogwarts felt discouraged by the high handedness and when voices against the idea arose, Dumbledore pushed it aside with the talk of unification and compassion towards their counterparts who didn't have the magic to protect themselves for attacks.

Hence on All Hallows Eve, when most muggle-borns and half-bloods we're looking forward to the evening's festivities, most pure-bloods dreaded it with vehemence.

However, they couldn't do anything about it.

Anyone who spoke against it was an instant target of others and nobody wanted to be the first ones to stick their necks out.

Therefore, the evening feast for All Hallows Eve arrived with a strained atmosphere in the hallowed halls of Hogwarts.

As the night approached, Harry could feel his magic thrumming wildly and had to keep a tight leash on it before it burst forth and attacked anyone.

Though successful in somewhat taming the magic, Harry knew it was a close call and his control was strained at best.

He dithered until the last minute but still went reluctantly for the feast in The Great Hall with a frown on his face and his magic coursing just under his skin.

Atleast, they didn't have to sit according to their age group, Harry thought morosely.

Thank Merlin for small mercies!

Thinking about it, he made his way towards Malfoy and his ilk and saw to his surprise that even Riddle was sitting with his cousin for once - something Abraxas hadn't allowed or Riddle hadn't deigned to do until now.

He wondered the reason for that but didn't pay much attention to it and went forward.

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Abraxas was listening to the mindless prattle going on around him and nodded distracted by whenever somebody turned towards him for a response.

However, in truth, he was distracted.

Not only distracted but also worried.

It was the All Hallows Eve and he knew that his cousin always felt antsy and gloomy on this day. Moreover, with this farce of a feast, he couldn't help but curse Dumbledore and his house.

What was the point of pandering to the mindless fear of the muggleborn students?

Wasn't it more imperative to think about their own in these times?

He didn't know what game Dumbledore was playing but he hated seeing their long-held traditions being neglected just because the muggleborns didn't know them or warrant comfortable with them.

The night they were supposed to honour the dead and departed was spent on eating hoards of sweets.

If this went on for a few more years, he could bet the Malfoy name that their traditions and holidays would be sidelined entirely.

Just as he was about to go and search for Hadrian Black, he saw the said person entering The Great Hall and gave an inaudible sigh of relief.

He didn't want to see what Dumbledore would have said or done if Hadrian had missed the feat when it had been explicitly told that no exemption was to be made.

He gave no visible physical reaction when he felt the state of Hadrian's churning magic and his actions didn't stop but he still paid more attention to his cousin and his hands clenched into fists in nervousness and worry.

Abraxas knew that most other pureblood heirs were of the opinion that Hier Black had complete and vicious control of his magic due to that ball incident from long ago but it was far from the truth.

His cousin had disclosed to him that All Hallows Eve was the one day when his magic was at its wildest and would even snap if Hadrian tried to keep a too-tight control over it.

Though many envied the great magical power Hier Black had at his fingertips, not many were cognizant of the troubles that came along with it.

He silently motioned for Reginald Greengrass to shift and make space for Hadrian, before gesturing to the now empty space with a prompting chin in a silent invitation.

When he saw his cousin quickly shooting into the seat, he tried not to let his worry show and tsked, "Where have you been? Are you alright?"

Hadrian gave him a heartwarming smile and replied, "So so, been better."

With practised ease, Abraxas filled Hadrian's plate with nutritious food from around them and then gestured for the other boy to start eating.

Truly Hadrian was too thin and waxy-looking for his own good these days!

He was once again rewarded with the trademark heartwarming smile from his cousin and he watched with rising satisfaction as his cousin started eating.

Unfortunately, at that moment, he heard the sound of breaking glass and when he turned his head around, he saw Tom Riddle looking sheepishly at everyone.

It seemed the juice glass he had been holding had broken and though Riddle had enacted a shield to stop the spreading juice and glass shards from landing on anyone, it still was a misstep to make such a mistake in front of the entire Slytherin house who pounced upon any weakness - deliberate or otherwise, like shark to the smell of blood.

Thankfully, no one was drenched but still, whispers and sniggers aimed at Riddle had started and Riddle looked completely mortified at his blunder - his wide eyes fleeting from one person to the next.

As the volume of the jeers rose, Riddle shrank his neck back.

However, before it could go on further, Hadrian Black took the situation under control and with a look at everyone around them spoke, "It's alright, Riddle. It happens to the best of us. After all, only who have a better connection with Lady Magic have their combination affected on Samhain night."

The effect was instantaneous and silence reigned around them!