Leona walked down to the Great Hall to check in on the House Elves work. It was six pm and they were supposed to be finished. When she came upon the doors she didn't hear any sound so she assumed that they were done. She opened the door and was pleasantly surprised at what she saw. The Halloween Committee decided that they liked the idea of a haunted carnival/gypsy theme and was decorating everything accordingly.

The room was magicked to look like they were in a circus tent, the stripes came in all the house colors, red, gold, silver, blue, green, and black* and were faded well to give a vintage feel. Levitating off the tables were of course the pumpkins carved by some of the first years during their study period. There was also loads of food to be had that varied any where from Halibut to Candy corn. Basically, if you craved it, the house elves prepared it.

Leona waited at the doors to welcome some of the students and wait for her friends to arrive.

Mari reached the Great Hall early. There were other students already filling in and Mari went up to Leo.
"Hey, I see you prepared this hall very nicely," Mari grinned at her friend and looked around, "I like the floating pumpkins, you should let them drop on students are some point... That would be funny.. And possibly hazardous!"
She watched and waited for other friends to arrive as well, "Can't wait to find out who the king queen and jester are!"

"Yeah, I know!" Leo said cheerfully at Mari glad she had shown up, "and don't worry, I have no doubt that these pumpkins are going to be used for warfare," she teased recalling the feast from when she was a first year in which she opted out early in fear of ruining her dress. She was a pansy back then, thinking about it. She adjusted her blue green cocktail dress and looked around at the students slowly arriving.

Emma walked down the grand staircase in a light green cocktail dress, matching beautifully with her chocolate colored eyes and hair. After waving and talking to some of her friends, she made her way into the Great Hall. She immeditely saw Leo and Mari, standing together chatting. Walking up she smiled, and said.."Hey guys!", turning to Leo she added..""You did a magnificent job with the great hall, it looks awesome!"

Alfie had gone to the great hall ealier to help the elves and now hoped that everything was ready. Alfie slowly walked into the room with her celtic dress she had made after last years Ball.

As she took her first step into the room Alfie saw Leo, Mari and Emma. Walking over to them she hoped that everything was Okay.

"Hi, Leo everythung looks great. Emma you look very nice in you green dress. Mari you look very nice too."

Alfie's hair was lying limp and hanging down, all Alfie had wanted was to not look out of place but she seamed to have been just as out of place as late year. "Oh well maybe better luck next year." Alfie mumble to herself.

Scalett followed close behind Alfie. She wore a sunshine colored dress that had been especially designed for her by Remy, and reminded Scarlett of sunset on a sandy beach. She hoped the pumpkin fight wouldn't get too crazy because she really like her Remoriginal, but if worse came to worse..."Hi everyone, all to food sure looks great Leo, and the decorations run well with the theme."

"Oh thanks," Leo said with a smile and greeted alfie, emma and scarlett, "Thanks for all your help planing," she said to scarlett. Leo looked around as slowly people began to show up. "Pretty cool," she said to herself about the place then looked at the food and began wondering what she wanted to eat first, it all looked so good.

Alfie smiled at Leo then got some cheesy brains and bat wings. Looking around for the bubling, smoking drinks she helped the elves make.

"So Leo Sorry I didn't only help the elves make regular food but I just had to make these." Alfie pointed at the brains and bat wings.

Alfie hoped that everyone would know that it really was cauliflower with cheese for the brains and the bat wings where really chicken wings. As for the drink, it was punch with dry ice in it.

Emma smiled at Alfie and Scarlett as they came in. "Aww thanks, Alfie!" she said, looking over her own dress quickly. Looking at Scarlett she added.."You helped with this! You did an awesome job!" she said happily. She looked at the food prepared by Alfie and the elves.."How long did it take you to make these?"

Mari grinned as her friends appeared, "Hey Emma, Scarlett, Alfie, you guys look great!"
She looked down at her own pink cocktail dress and grinned, "We look hot huh?"
SHe lauhged a bit and listened to the others talk, "I'm sure it didn't take a long time, just alittle touch of magic!"
Mari looked around to see if anyone else was coming toward them.

Ankaa emerged from the coolness of the Slytherin dungeons and walked over to the Great Hall. She stood outside listening for a minute to make sure she could hear people inside - she didn't want to be first in. She heard voices so she smoothed her long emerald green dress and checked her hair for the hundredth time and stepped out into the light and warmth of the Great Hall. She saw Leona greeting people at the door

"Hey Leona, you've done a great job here, it looks fantastic and so do you."

She continued into the Hall and picked up a drink of cherry beer. She looked round and saw Emma, Mari, Scarlett and Alfie all standing together and talking so she went to join them.

"Hey guys, you all look fabulous and look at these decorations! This party is going to be so much fun."

"Hey Ankaa, you look great too. Let's go get a table before the food get's cold." Scarlett had not eaten all day because she had been very busy with costumes and makeup and hair, and she was famished. She headed for a table that had plenty of room for the girls and thier dates.

Alfie smiled and was going to tell how long it had taken her to help the Elves but someone had tried to answer for her so she just said, "how would you like to try the fried worms or maggets? If you don't like them you could have some gasy ghost," pointing to the white ghost shaped cakes.

"Then there are the spider bergers and the centipede dogs over here. We even made ghoul gulosh." Alfie was very proud of the food and all the weird names she had given them.

Emma smiled at Alfie, "Ill try them, if you could please tell me what is in them!" she asked politely, hoping her friend would not make her try them without knowing. She watched as some of the other girls went to get seats.

Alfie laughed when Emma ask what was in the food and Alfie thought about letting her find out on her own but then, Alfie remembered how it felt to have tricks polayed on her but not ones as good tasting as these. "Emma it's okay the fried worms are really just fried roman noodles, the maggets are just fried rice and the gasy ghost you will just have to try those I won't tell you about them. As for the spider bergers they are just hambergers, the centipede dogs for hotdogs with licorice legs and the ghoulosh is just golosh."

Alfie told all this to Emma in a whisper so that the others wouldn't know. "Hope you enjoy the food as much as I enjoyed making it all."

Emma grinned at Alfie. "Thankyou..dont worry your cooking secret is safe with me!" she said. She walked over to Scarlett and Ankaa. "So do you guys want to get some food?" she asked, hoping they would say yes, because now that Alfie had told her about the food, she was starving.

"I'm famished," Scarlett said to Emma, "and I don't care if these really are spiderburgers. I am sure it tastes good if Alfie made it. And to answer your earlier question, I didn't do the decorations in here, that's all Leo, but I did decorate the ballroom and I organized the activities in Hogsmead." Scarlett was loading up her plate as she spoke. When not a bit of plate could be seen, she sat down and dug in. "This is delicious as usual Alfie."

Being so happy Alfie couldn't help but smile and blush a little. It aways seamed to surprise her how much the people here that tryied her food like it.

Alfie loved to cook and loved watching people eat the food faster then she could make it.

Still blushing Alfie looked at Scarlett and said, "How do you like the names? It fits the day don't you think?"

Sil walked into the great hall. He was supposed to be meeting Jo later for the dance, but hoped he might run into her here. Whether he did or not, he wasn't about to pass up a feast. One of the best things about being a Hufflepuff, he mused, was that the dormitory was closest to the kitchens and great hall. He started heaping food onto a plate, eating much of it before it even made it that far.

"Whoever made the cauliflower brains did a good job," he sid. "They look almost like the real thing. Not as chewey, though."

Leona nodded at her friends and wasn't seeing anyone that particularly wanted to socialize with her, so she went to a table and looked at all the good food. She wasn't very hungry though. Halloween wasn't going to be the same without her best friends. Even though one of them was thinking about going to the dance, she would be too busy with her date to pay her any mind. She sighed as she went right for the cheesecake.

"Alfie," Scarlett said after swallowing some bat-wing, "The names are the best part. They give the food the perfect Halloween seasoning."
Scarlett noticed Sil scarfing on the run. "Hey Sil," she called, "You are going to give yourself a tummy ache eating like that and then you won't be any use to Jojo at the ball. Come sit with us."
Scalett also noticed Leo attacking a peice of cheesecake. She smiled at her to let her know that Scarlett did want to socialize.

Alfie was glad to see that everyone was ejoying her food but she knew she had to hurry and get things straighten out with Dream soon or Dream might miss the feast and ball.

Alfie smiled and said, "glad you like it, but I have to go. There are other things I need to do before my night can slow down."

Walking to the doorway Alfie took one last look to make sure everything was just right, then left.

Running as fast as she could Alfie placed the charm on herself to make her but not her dress disapear.

Emma looked over at Sil. "If you are looking for Josephina, she is still in her Slytherin dorm, getting ready for the ball!" she said with a grin on her face. She hadnt said Jo's full name in a long time, and it felt so good to just say it now and then.

She quickly waved goodbye to Alfie, before putting her food down and looking around the room. "Have any of you seen Mark lately?"

"I think I saw him trying to figure out how to tie his tie up in the Tower." Scarlett replied to Emma. "Though he could've just been hiding from all the hairspray and perfume floating around the common room, not to mention all the curling irons and underthings. We turned the common room into a beauty parlor/dressing room. Poor Mark. It's like having a dozen sisters. I don't know how he doesn't renounce the red and beg Remy for a spot in the dungeon where he safe from all the torture devices we girls use to look nice. Not that we would let him go."