"Here comes the circus now to steal your life away, Catch unwary children at their play, Disturb what was a peaceful island of calm, A storm is coming on the horizon. The traveler begs for you for his words to heed, To fear the evil thing that he proceeds, Recurring evil in the autumn times of sin, A mad collection of broken men. Thunder ripping out across the sky, Draw the lightning out of my mind, By the prickling of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes. The house of mirrors is your place of play, Ten thousand faces driving you insane, A carnival of hate now crawling through your mind, A gripping fear that leaves you paralyzed. Thunder ripping out across the sky, Draw the lightning out of my mind, By the prickling of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes."

Credit: Nuclear Assault’s "Something Wicked" and, of course, Shakespeare's Macbeth.

Hermione's long, shimmering gown swished down the stairs as she made her way to the great hall. Peeves and Nearly Headless Nick swept past her, reveling in their favourite celebration of the year. The Great Hall was done up with magical spells that made the ceiling appear to be lit by a huge, orange, full moon. Towering trees cast spooky shadows and bats screeched overhead.

The hall was lit by large, flickering candles and spooky music played. A dark haired, handsome knight walked towards her. Despite the black mask shielding his face, she knew those striking green eyes anywhere. "Harry." She smiled at him. He shook his head. "I'm not Harry tonight."

"Oh, excuse me. Should I just address you as the black knight?"

Harry smiled. "Sir Knight will do."

She playfully smacked his arm.

"You are supposed to be the knight in shining armor, so why are you the black knight tonight?"

Harry's smile briefly disappeared. "I guess I'm rebelling tonight." He then added, "You look lovely, Hermione. Although I know you are not one, you do look like a perfect angel."

"Thanks Harry."

"Um, hi Hermione. You look nice," Ron said, stumbling over his words. He was dressed in brown and wore a mask to resemble a spider and had 4 additional arms and legs dangling off him.

"Of all the things you could have been, why are you a spider?"

He laughed. "To try and confront my fears."

An unearthly scream shattered the air as fog swirled at their feet. "Wwwwhat was that?" Neville asked. Neville was dressed in blue as a large Cornish pixie.

"Nothing to worry about, it's just the banshee that was hired for tonight. She's up there in the tree," explained Luna – she was dressed as a genie.

They looked up to see the luminous figure with long, black hair swirling around her white, pale face. She peered down at all the revelers as if looking for the one whom death stalked.

Harry looked around and shuddered slightly when he saw Snape. Snape, as usual, was dressed in black. He had a long cloak around him and he had applied a paling charm. His skin had a deathly pallor and on his neck where two bloody puncture wounds. He smiled at Professor McGonagall and Harry saw two long, sharp, gleaming fangs.

"Doesn't Professor McGonagall look great?" asked Ginny, who was disguised as an emerald green mermaid. Professor McGonagall wore a silver gown and her hair hung down past her waist. They agreed she was obviously an enchantress.

Suddenly a cloud passed over the moon and the candles blew out. The banshee screamed again and a voice that everyone recognized as Dumbledore's spoke: "The cloud will move from the moon in five minutes. During that time, chocolate bats will fly rapidly around you. Those who catch the most bats will win the enchanted goblin cup; it will automatically refill with steaming mugs of hot chocolate with marshmallows whenever you so desire. Good luck."

Pandemonium broke out as everyone tried to catch the tiny chocolate bats. Once the five minutes were over, the winner turned out to be Seamus, who immediately drank a rich, creamy, hot chocolate from his steaming goblin cup.

A werewolf howled long and sorrowfully. Professor Lupin came into view holding a candle; he was disguised as a werewolf. Since it wasn't really a full moon, Harry and the others knew that it was just a disguise and no one had anything to fear. "Somewhere in this room you will find a magical pumpkin. It will wear many faces, but when it becomes a pirate it will contain a magical eyeball. If you hold it in your hand, it will look at the person you are to dance with, leading off the first dance of this spooky night, and will also award the two winners a big mug of warm butterbeer and free supply of one butterbeer per weekend for the rest of the school year."

The 'Sticky Webs’ started singing while the students scrambled to find the magical pumpkin. As Hermione searched, her halo fell off and, bent down to pick it up, she saw something orange gleaming in a hollow of the towering oak tree. She made her way over to it and picked up the magical pumpkin. It's faces changed while the 'Sticky Webs’ sang. When she saw the evil face of a pirate, she opened it and took out the slippery eyeball. Professor Lupin's voice echoed across the hall again: "Congratulations, Ms. Granger! Enjoy your dance and your butterbeers." The eyeball spun and landed on a lean figure in black wearing a hood and a black mask.

She squinted, but whoever it was sank back further in the hood. He carried a scythe in his hand and Hermione laughed. "I'm the good angel and you are the angel of death. Light and dark, how appropriate."

The dark angel didn't respond but held out his gloved hand. Hermione took it and his arm slipped around her waist as they moved across the floor. He was a fabulous dancer and Hermione was almost sad when the dance ended. Whoever he was drank his butterbeer down quickly and then walked to the other end of the hall. It was then that Hermione realized the dark angel walked with a slight limp.

Professor Snape stood in the glow of the full fake moon and flashed his fangs at the students. "This night isn't all fun and games; evil lurks in our midst. Pull out your wands and ready yourselves for the flying gargoyle who will try and grab and fly off with you. The first who can immobilize him and lock him into this gilded cage will win a bottle of polyjuice potion. Those who lose and end up flying with the gargoyle…." Snape stopped for a moment to smile evilly and lick his fangs, "…will become my midnight snack." He waved his wand in the air and the golden gargoyle flew through the air with a raucous shriek.

The second Snape stepped down, the banshee gave the worst bloodcurdling cry of the night and pointed her long boney finger at him.

Snape, underneath the paling potion, turned deadly white as he looked up, startled by the frightening specter.

Draco's heart did a painful jump. Banshees predicted death. He shivered at the onset of a sudden chill.

Across the room Hermione gasped, "Did you see that? The banshee pointed at Professor Snape."

"Oh, don't worry Hermione. Everything about this evening has been staged," Ron stated.

"I hope you are right," she replied with a frown.

They took off in search of the golden gargoyle and, much to everyone’s surprise, Neville shouted "Immobulus" at the gargoyle and pointed his wand.

Harry almost laughed when he saw the look on Snape’s face. He was positively stunned.

Snape managed to clear his throat and mutter, "Congratulations, Mr. Longbottom. Here is your potion. Be careful what you use it for."

Neville beamed.

The music started to play again.

"I love this song! Do you want to dance?" Hermione asked Ron, who blushed and managed to stammer, "Um, yeah, okay."

They made their way out to the floor.

Harry danced with Luna, but he couldn’t get the banshee out of his head. A touch of fear entered his heart as he glanced at Snape. What if Hermione was right? What if the banshee predicted death and Snape was the next one? What if it happened because he was helping him? He shivered slightly.

Harry was a grabbing a drink of butterbeer when he turned to find Snape standing beside him.

"Potter, I need for you to come with me."

"Why?" Harry narrowed his eyes. What did Snape want with him on Halloween?

"It’s important." Snape didn’t elaborate, just stared at him with his dark eyes.

He put down his butterbeer and followed Snape out of the Great Hall.

Snape went up to one of the alcoves and loosened a brick. He turned to Harry, grabbed his arm, and then reached for something inside the brick.

Harry gasped when he felt the familiar tug of a portkey. When he next blinked, he froze at what lay before him.

Panicked, he looked at Snape. "Why did you bring me here! Why do you hate me so much!!!"

"Potter, calm down," Snape said quietly.

"Give me the portkey. I want to go back." Harry tried to grab it from the ledge where Snape had placed it.

"Potter, no. You need to be here right now." Snape put his hands on Harry’s shoulders, restraining him from grabbing the unicorn.

"Get your hands off me." Harry pulled back and glared at Snape, anger overwhelming him.

Snape realized that, aside from that first shocked glance, Potter had completely avoided looking at the arch with the ragged veil.

"There is a reason I brought you to the Ministry of Magic tonight, and I assure you that it’s not to torture you, it’s not to be cruel, and it’s not because I hate you," Snape quietly explained.

"Why then? To try and force me to talk about . . ." His eyes went to the veil for a split second. "I won’t, and there is nothing you can say or do that will make me," Harry said defiantly.

"This is not part of our lessons or our talks. You don’t have to say a word to me. I have done this because I know how much the loss of Sirius hurts you."

"Then forcing me to be here is the cruelest thing you could do," Harry yelled at him. "I want to go back to Hogwarts, NOW!"

Snape took a breath to calm himself so he could continue to speak quietly.

"We aren’t going back until you listen to me."

Harry turned and headed for the door. Snape grabbed his arms and pinned him against the wall.

"Stop for a moment! Aside from being known as Halloween, this night is also known as Samhain, and it is special night for witches and wizards."

Harry stopped struggling, although anger was evident in his green eyes.

"Samhain marks the end of the old year, a time when the veil between this world and the next is at it’s thinnest and contact with those from the other side may be made. On this night, we celebrate and honour those we have lost. I thought you might like to be here tonight."

Harry swallowed heavily. "You mean, I could see Sirius? My parents?" he asked hoarsely.

"You won’t see them in their physical form outside of the veil. They won’t come to life and they won’t step outside the veil, but you might see shadows of them behind it. You can talk to them through it, but they won’t be able to talk to you, but you may feel their presence."

For the first time that night, Harry did more than quickly glance at the veil. He looked at it as if trying to see someone behind it. Snape released his grip on him and went over to the arch. Out of his pocket he took a small candle and lit it. He placed it on the floor in front of the veil. Harry followed him, his heart beating rapidly.

He sat down on the floor near the candle. "Can I please be alone with it." He looked up at Snape.

Snape shook his head. "No, I don’t think that would be a good idea."

Harry stared at him. "I won’t go through it."

Snape’s eyes closed. "You almost overdosed on Dreamless Sleep potion. I can’t take that chance, I can’t trust you. I’m sorry."

Harry tried again. "Please, Professor Snape."

Snape stared at him for a long moment, then shook his head.

"I promise I’ll stay right here. I won’t move. You want me to trust you, but you won’t trust me. Please, if Sirius or my parents show up, I want to be alone with them." Potter’s voice was a desperate plea. He blinked quickly and dropped his gaze to the flickering candle.

Snape knew he was fighting back the emotion creeping over him. He sighed. "Against my better judgment, I’ll give you a few minutes. Do not break my trust again," he added sternly.

As soon as Snape left, Harry looked up at the veil. "Sirius? Mom? Dad? Are any of you there?"

The ragged veil just fluttered slightly from the breeze left when Snape had shut the door.

"Please, if you are there, please let me see you." His voice broke. Tears started falling from the corners of his eyes. His throat closed up as he remembered Sirius falling through the veil.

His heart jumped when through the glaze of tears he saw a shadowy figure. It slowly took shape and suddenly he saw Sirius. A sob caught in his throat. He took a ragged breath. "Sirius, I’m so sorry," he choked. "It was all my fault, I didn’t listen to anyone. Voldemort totally fooled me and you died because of it. I didn’t mean to, I just wanted to help. All I keep seeing is the look in your eyes when you fell through the veil. You shouldn’t have died, it was much too soon."

Sirius shook his head sadly at Harry. Harry felt him trying to reach out, to comfort him to tell him to stop blaming himself, but he couldn’t any more than Harry could stop all the pain.

"No, please don’t go again," Harry choked out. As the Sirius figure stepped back, he was smiling warmly at Harry.

"Noooooo!" The last bit of control he had disintegrated. His hands came up to cover his face as racking sobs shook his body.

Snape stepped back into the room when he heard Potter’s cry. He hoped what he had done wouldn’t be a setback for him. Just as he was about to go over to him, Lily stepped up to the veil. His heart jumped when she looked at him, smiling warmly and silently mouthed the words "thank you." He nodded to her before her gaze dropped to her son.

Tears came unbidden to Snape’s eyes and the enormous hollow ache he felt when she had died came back ten fold, knocking the air out of him.

Harry grew quieter. He looked up at the veil again and found himself looking into the sad eyes of his mother. "Mum?" He wished he could throw himself into her arms just once, but he knew it would never happen. After a warm smile, she, too, faded back. His head fell into his hands again and he shook from head to toe.

Snape had finally managed to compose himself. He went over to Potter, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, Potter, we need to get back," he said, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice. It had been sheer torture watching Lily step further back into the veil, once again lost to his sight.

After clearing his voice, Harry asked, "Can’t we stay awhile longer? I haven’t seen my father yet."

Snape looked at the veil one more time. It was vacant.

"No, Potter, I’m sorry. He would have come with Li, er, your mother if he were able. We need to go now, it’s late."

Harry shakily got to his feet. Chills were sweeping through him and the room had grown cold in the last while. He wiped his face repeatedly; the tears wouldn’t stop flowing.

Snape grabbed his arm and the unicorn again.

They were in the corridor of Hogwarts once more. Snape regarded Potter; he was pale and shivering. It was obvious to anyone that he had been crying. He realized he couldn’t just let him be alone tonight with others who had no idea how he felt and how consumed with grief he was. "Come with me, Potter." Snape took him down to his rooms and threw some blankets and a pillow down on the sofa.

Harry stood in the doorway of Snape’s room. He didn’t want to spend the night here, but he didn’t want to go to the Gryffindor dorm either where everyone would be happy after the party.

"Come in. I’ll let Professor McGonagall know you are here, and she can assure your classmates that you are okay." He looked at Potter, who looked as if he would bolt out the door at any given moment. "You don’t have to talk, you don’t have to do anything. You are here to rest and to try to get a good night’s sleep. That’s Loki by the way," he said, pointing at the large, black, furry cat that wound his way around Harry’s legs. "Come on."

Harry felt extremely uncomfortable being in Snape’s dark rooms. He had to fight the irrational suspicion that Snape would secretly poison him in his sleep, yet he countered his suspicion with what Snape had done today. He knew it was likely only because he was acting on Dumbledore’s orders. He would be safe here regardless.

He lay down on the sofa and the large black cat jumped up beside him. The cat peered at him intently with its large, orange eyes and started kneading his arm.

Snape sat down near him. "Did I make a mistake bringing you there tonight?"

"Wasn’t it Dumbledore’s idea?" Harry asked quietly.

"No, it was Professor Lupin’s and mine," Snape responded curtly.

Harry’s eyes looked into Snape’s. "Why?"

"We thought you might want the chance to see them again. To know that they aren’t gone forever, that they are there just beyond the veil. Since you and I have been working together, I thought it would be a good idea for me to take you."

Harry closed his eyes for a moment to suppress the tears that were welling up again. He would have to thank Lupin, but he couldn’t quite believe Snape had done this for him.

Snape continued talking. "I know how raw your emotions still are. So I wasn’t sure if this year was too soon. Should I have waited?"

His throat tight, Harry shook his head. He had gotten to see Sirius and his mother again. He was very grateful. He wanted to thank Snape, but couldn’t get any words past the enormous lump in his throat. He hid his face in Loki’s soft fur.

"Sleep now," came Snape’s voice softly.

Snape went outside, sitting on the massive stone steps to calm himself. The second he had seen Lily, his heart had started to race and it hadn’t quieted yet. She was so beautiful. The only bit of beauty he ever had in his life. Her heart was full of compassion and forgiveness. She was the only person in his entire life he had ever confided his childhood to and she had understood. Tears welled up in his dark eyes and his hands came up to cover his face.

A hand suddenly rested on his shoulder and a voice softly said, "Severus?" He hastily blinked and looked up to find Minerva standing beside him. She sat down and kept her hand on his shoulder. "It is a special night, we shouldn’t be sad, Severus. We should celebrate with those who are with us and those who are always near us." She smiled at him. "Would you care to join the rest of us for wee late night bite?"

He took a deep breath, blinking quickly, and nodded. After a short while of feasting and a lighthearted celebration with the rest of the professors, Snape returned to his rooms. Potter was fast asleep and Loki was waiting for him. When he settled down on his bed, Loki came into his arms purring loudly and nuzzled his head against his neck. Snape stroked the soft fur and went to sleep.