Harry wasn't sure what prompted him to unload his heart to Neville but he felt better. Tired, like he'd taken a long jog, but calm for the first time in a while.
They entered the Great Hall at the tail-end of dinner. The entire Gryffindor table was absent. Harry turned to Neville in confusion when he made eye contact with Alabasandria at the high table. Sitting next to her was Sirius and Harry felt his face flush in embarrassment.
Nope! He did not want to talk to either of them. He dragged Neville from the hall before either adult could speak to him.
They headed up instead to Gryffindor Tower. The noise emanating from within could be heard from a floor away. The Fat Lady couldn't hear them shouting the password over the noise but she let them in regardless. There was a riotous party unfolding. Someone (probably the twins) had set up flashing rave lights and the thumping bass of wizard metal music pounded off the walls. There were clumsily arranged streamers and decor in red and gold strewn across every surface.
"What's the occasion?" Harry shouted at Lavender who was manning the punch bowl.
"You! Ron and Hermione seemed worried about you. They said you disappeared after lunch. George suggested we cheer you up since you missed the last party the night you got chosen. And well… that one was kinda a bummer. It was tense, I'll say. This one will be much better. Here, have some punch. Fred put a lot of Dragon's Breath Vodka in it."
Harry took a cup. It was filled to the brim. He took a hesitant sip and gagged at the sharp taste. Mama had let him sip some firewhiskey once, and he'd almost vomited. This wasn't much better even if it was watered down with a citrus punch. Neville laughed nervously as he took his own cup.
"Won't we get in trouble?" He shouted.
"Oh c'mon! Will McGonagall give all of us detention? Besides, I'm keeping guard. We have a strict third-year and up limit for drinking. We're being very safe."
Harry shrugged, appeased, and took a larger sip. Neville gagged as he tried his drink.
"Here, cheers." They toasted their cups. "As you said, I guess we aren't kids anymore!"
The rest of the night was a blur. He ran into his friends at some point. He gave Ron a big hug and when Hermione asked why he was half covered in wet mud, he didn't remember why that was so. Harry was a giggly drunk. He couldn't stop laughing. Everything was incredibly funny. One of the Weasleys (they'd morphed together in Harry's mind) was dancing on a table and Harry just watched them and giggled like an idiot for a while.
He felt similar to the high he got from ritualistic murder, just without the murder part. Carefree, lightheaded - although more clumsy than powerful.
Things got chaotic and out of control at record speed. The twins unleashed some experimental fireworks that blinded most of the partygoers and resulted in someone tripping over someone's cat - Alicia's or Katie's maybe. Harry hadn't known, he didn't keep track of people's animals. The point being, that there was a dead cat and the vibe was soured. Harry, who needless to say, was absolutely shitfaced, grabbed the dead cat by its tail, slurred out something incomprehensible, and promptly brought the thing back to life.
This would have been a stupid thing to do had everyone else not also been shitfaced, because instead of panicking, everyone cheered and got right back at it. (Poor Alicia however, would forever be confused by the odd behavior of her cat who suddenly required no food and spent most of its time staring at things it could not see, as still and silent as a ghost.)
"You know I love you, right Hermione?" Harry sobbed. He reached over to pat Hermione's hair. Hermione, who was actually Luna, but with no idea what an appropriate amount of alcohol was, and thus convinced that she was actually Hermione and not, in fact, Luna, sniffled and hugged Harry.
"I love you too," she sobbed. "You're my best friend, you know. I'm so happy!" She wept because she wondered if all the creatures in the forest were happy too. Did the Thestrals require more snacks? Should she start knitting scarves for the House Elves? Luna had so much love to give and so few arms with which to dish out said love. God, she wished she had more arms. "Harry, do you know a spell to give me more arms? So I can pet all the creatures of the woods?"
"Of course I do," said Harry, though he did not. "That's the best idea I've ever heard, Hermione."
Luckily, this was the moment the prefects decided that enough was enough and they were saved from whatever abomination Harry was about to create.
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