Dress for the Dead. Errand

Percival had never spent so long fighting with a needle. By the time the last button was stitched on and the banana head sat straight, his fingers were full of tiny pricks, and he could not stop laughing. As silly as it was, he did think it was kind of fun.

He slipped into the Hall wearing it for the very first time in front of others. The fabric had settled over his shoulders, the striped pajama legs swished around his ankles, and the banana hood narrowed his view to a yellow tunnel.

Looking around, candles warmed the room with a soft glow, and pumpkins sat in every corner. Fresh webs climbed the walls, and the big spider weaving them made him pause. He gave it a respectful nod before shuffling a few steps farther in.

“Novalie?” he called, then spotted the redhead already hugging the hosts and chatting a mile a minute. He lifted an arm in a banana wave she could not possibly miss and felt his nerves loosen.

He turned to take everything in and froze for a second when he saw a familiar face across the room. It took him a heartbeat to recognize her, but once he did, he could not help the smile that pulled across his face.

It was Maisie.

The smile faltered into a shy expression as a thought hit him. Would she recognize him in his silly banana costume? The costume felt about five sizes louder than anything he had worn in his life. He tugged the hood forward, then pushed it back again, not sure which looked less ridiculous.

Oh well, tonight wasn't about being serious.

@Novalie Moon
Mention for: @Maisie Gemmell

Reducio

Ability: Lovely Creature| Calming Presence|Chasers Interception
Word Count300

Open to Interactions

@Camille De Varenne

Harvey looked around with his brand new pumpkin eyes and fortunately the transformation from human to pumpkin had not left him blind. The showings so far were decent. Nothing blowing him away, but the evening was just getting started. Still plenty of time for a wow and plenty of time to show off his arm candy in the form of Camille De Varenne. If he could get the boy to cooperate that is.

“Me embarrass you? I know how to conduct myself in public thank you very much.” The clap back didn’t carry much gusto as Harvey’s black and hollow eyes squinted with bewilderment. His voice sounded as if it was coming from inside a jack-o’-lantern. It was dull, muted and echoed ever so slightly. Transfiguration was surely a crazy form of magic. Harvey’s pumpkin eyes shifted back to Camille. First as slits of irritation, but then softening as he let a sigh out of his snaggletoothed mouth. This evening would go no where fast if they remained at each other’s throat the whole time.

“Fine, not a word then.” Harvey had not spoken directly to Mr. De Varenne directly. His only instruction coming from his grandfather and none of which contained any “amusing” details. No need to tell him that of course for the Ravenclaw was correct in his thinking. Harvey was not only in this for the gold. Of course a full money sack felt a dream in his robe pocket, but the status gained was another boon that he hoped would payoff as much as the galleons. Harvey was a short, mediocre looking part-goblin with a surname that meant less than the dung fertilizing the greenhouses. To have a rich, pure blood with model good looks in his pocket? Yes please.

“We can use this evening to our advantage.” Harvey whispered in his weird pumpkin voice. “C’mon. Let’s mingle and be seen.” He would reach up to place his hand on Camille’s elbow in a hope to guide him along.

date 31/10/25

word count 611

outfit ⁺₊ ☀︎ ⁺₊

speech #8C2626

mentions @

notes open to interactions

Lucille had heard of the costume competition much too late. It was only when she had noticed the crowd of oddly dressed students unmistakably heading towards the Small Hall that she had followed and peeked inside. To her surprise, the room was littered with people dressed in costumes, almost all haphazardly done. There was a small round table that consisted of fabrics and materials which she assumed was for people like her, who had only just found out about this. Lucille glanced down at her current outfit, the Gryffindor uniform, and knew she needed to hurry up. Sprinting back to her dorm, she wasted no time changing into a plain white dress. That was the easiest thing to do right now, wasn't it? Especially since she had no idea how long the contest would last. Another hour or another 15 minutes? The uncertainty caused her to speed up, even though she was already running back to the hall. Finally entering, Lucille made her way to the small table, now relaxing, seeing as the party was in full swing, showing no sign of slowing down.

For a second, she gazed at the table forlornly, looking at the different materials and willing her mind to come up with something. Then, finally, she noticed the red fabric remaining, in quite a large amount, in fact. An idea slowly began to form in her mind, and she grabbed it quickly for fear of someone else reaching it first. Lucille fashioned the fabric into a hooded cape for her costume, getting by with minimal sewing. It was a good thing, too; Lucille was incredibly likely to prick herself with a needle. Good thing she hadn't decided to become Sleeping Beauty.

With the final fabric cut and the final stitch sewn, Lucille finally placed her scissors down, whirling the cape back and then tying it at the front. She flipped the hood over her head and took a step back, searching for a mirror or any reflective surface she might use to see how she looked. Finding none, Lucille shifted her focus to the myriad of people around her, dressed in all manner of costumes. She had expected more people wearing scarier costumes, but perhaps the suddenness of the event was why most people were dressed quite mildly. People likely didn't have a scary costume lying around for everyday use. But, it seemed there was a certain portion of Hogwarts that had a banana head somewhere, she noted, watching a group of people with the same, strange costume. It made her giggle, wishing she had thought of something like this first. Perhaps she would have, had she not just found out.

Keeping the ill-fitted hood over her head, Lucille began to walk around, looking at the decorations more than the people. The spider-webs in particular. She attempted to see if there might be spiders wandering around their webs and, sometimes, she felt as if there were, although it was beginning to seem like just a trick of the light. The Small Hall didn't seem like itself anymore, with the candles and pumpkins strewed around adding so much to the spooky, fall aesthetic. So unlike the Hogwarts she knew and was beginning to love. Concluding that no one she knew had arrived yet, Lucille made her way to the edge of the hall, keeping the door within her sights, in case one of her friends decided to walk in. She was sure they'd hear of it sooner or later, the same way she had. In the meantime, Lucille scanned the students who were already here, taking in all the costumes and looking for someone interesting to talk to.

Banner by Lucille Rosenhart<3

date	place	tags	wc	speech	outfits
31/10/25	Small Hall	@Leo Noxley@Lucille Rosenhart open to interactions	799/200	#36563c	xxx

It was the evening of October 31st, also known as Halloween. People were talking about a costume contest, and Rosaline had also seen the poster around the castle. She loved Halloween because she could dress as anyone she wanted, and, of course, for the candy. It was not her fault that she had a sweet tooth.

She and Leo had become good friends lately, especially after they went to the ball together, so this time they had decided to wear matching outfits. Ghibli movies were her favorite, and she figured maybe they could do a Howl and Sophie outfit. Surprisingly, Leo knew the movie and agreed to be Howl. The character quite suited him because they both changed hair color with their moods. She was always fond of watching Ghibli movies. Though she lived in a magic world, the worlds in those animations still weren’t the same, more whimsical than reality itself.

That was why she was wearing a cerulean blue dress in her room. The bodice was adorned with exquisite lace, while the sleeves featured a gorgeous ruffle that flowed from one shoulder across the chest to the opposite side. The waistline was slender, and the satin skirt flared out elegantly. Her blue eyes matched the dress perfectly. Wearing it, she twirled around, feeling the skirt’s graceful sway.

Donning a straw hat decorated with red and white roses, she gave herself one final check in the mirror. Running her fingers through the unfamiliar white strands of her enchanted wig, her hairstyle was now shoulder-length and wavy white. It felt rather strange, yet suitable enough. The hair was glossy and smooth, even under the indoor lighting. Okay, this should be it, she thought, feeling ready. Her spirits were high, excited to see what other people would wear.

Quickly heading down the stairs from Gryffindor Tower to the Ground Floor, she and Leo would meet up at the event. She suddenly thought of how Howl and Sophie were lovers. Her face flushed crimson like the red roses on her hat. Oh, no, she hoped he didn’t misunderstand why she offered these outfits. She had chosen this outfit just for the fun of it. But could it be the subconscious at work, hinting at something? She shook her head, dismissing the thought. The flush on her cheeks gradually faded as she steadied her pace, nearing the destination.

She felt quite out of place wearing this outfit within the castle walls, yet it was Halloween, and she didn’t think anyone would mind it. She doubted the wizard-born and pure-blood students would recognize the costume, or even the half-bloods. Still, this didn’t stop her from enjoying her outfit now.

Standing before the door of the Small Hall, she could hear that there was already playful chatter inside. She wondered what everyone would wear and who would be there. All this would be answered when she opened the door. Her hand rested on it, and she pushed it open.

The Small Hall had transformed into something totally different from its usual style; the spider webs brought a spooky atmosphere, and the carved pumpkins made it more festive. She couldn’t help but show a wide grin. Finishing taking in all the decorations, she glanced around and found there were some acquaintances and friends there. Camille wore a devil’s costume, there were two horns on his head, but maybe not counted as a costume, more like an outfit she could imagine Camille wearing. It suited him very well, and it was still fresh to see him in this kind of event. He was talking with a… pumpkin man? She figured she shouldn’t interrupt them and turned around, seeing another familiar figure. It was Lucille, her amazing dormmate. She seemed to have just arrived here, like Rosaline, and stood in a corner across from the door. The red cape on her might be from the table full of fabrics. Though it wasn’t the most extravagant costume, she thought it was lovely on Lucille. Rosaline waved at her with a big smile.

After looking for people she knew, she finally noticed other interesting costumes. People dressed as bananas in pajamas were everywhere. She giggled at the sight of it. What a brilliant idea. Wondering if there were people she knew inside the banana heads, she suppressed a smile.

Pausing her observation of the party, she found a corner spot to wait for Leo. Her white hair gave off a silver shine under the candlelight, and the wavy hair framed her delicate features. She seemed lost in thought and wondered if she should just go chat with Lucille because she wasn’t really a party person, yet she really liked these kinds of events. In the end, she decided she would wait; after all, she had simply arrived too early.

Reducio ooc notes

Reducio stats stamina: 6 | evasion: 5 | strength: 5 wisdom: 8 | arcane Power: 7 |accuracy: 4 Lovely Creature

location: Small Hall

date: Oct. 31st, 2025

speaking: 0042A9

thinking: 80A7FF

After changing into his costume, Leo checked himself in the mirror to make sure everything looked good. This was the second time this month now that he was getting dressed up to meet Rosa this time for a fun Halloween party. The two had talked about the party and what they might dress up as before deciding to go together in a matching costume. He found it funny that Rosa was surprised he knew the movie when she had talked about Howl’s Moving Castle since he did grow up in a pure blood household but he spent time with his two cousins, Daisy and Brielle who’s mother was a muggle that married his mother’s wizard brother. When he would visit them he would get to experience a lot of things he didn’t usually see at his own house. Although his parents were pretty lenient about things of the muggle nature simply because they thought it was good for him to learn about both worlds to be a well rounded individual. As kids they would watch movies when the adults were talking, some of his cousin Brielle’s favorites were the Ghibli movies so he had gotten to watch some of them and he had taken a liking to Howl especially when he watched it.

He was excited for the opportunity to get to dress up like him now, hoping to get some of that Howl confidence too. Now he was just missing the final touch, he figured Rosaline would wear a wig or something to match Sophie’s hair but today Leo decided would be a good chance to use his special ability without it being suspicious or out of place. Yes, he was able to grow his black hair out longer to match Howl’s length and while staring at his eyes in the reflection he changed the usual dark brown eyes to a lighter blue color. Perfect! He thought to himself as he turned from the mirror, grabbing the coat and throwing it over his shoulders like Howl did and left the dorms to go meet with Rosa at the party.

He quickly made his way through the corridors to where the party was being held, excited to show off his costume but also to see everyone else’s costumes as well. He was curious to see who would end up winning the little contest in the end. It came across his mind that not everyone would know his costume but that didn’t bother him honestly he wouldn’t mind explaining it to others since he did like the movie a lot.

As he came up to the party, he saw lots of students gathered in the small hall for the event, everyone scattered around talking and checking out others costumes. Leo looked around the room, scanning for his costume partner until he spotted the unmistakable grey-white hair, hat and dress that Sophie has in the movie. A smile spread across his face as he made his way across the room to where Rosa was waiting in a corner, not even noticing others around that he probably knew as he was focused on going over to meet her.

Coming up beside her, he tapped her shoulder lightly, his smile turning into a slight smirk as he spoke. “There you are sweetheart, sorry I’m late.” The words itself was not something usual for the young Ravenclaw to say but he hoped she would get the reference as it was what Howl had said to Sophie when they first spoke in the movie. He couldn’t help but let out a playful laugh though after saying it to her, although he was supposed to be Howl tonight he definitely was not as charming as he was in the movie. Now that he was next to her he got to see the costume up close. Not surprisingly, Rosa made even this costume look amazing, grey hair and all. The color of the dress definitely suited her though and the hat as well looked cute on her. “You look nice in the costume,” He said to her, smiling. “Maybe you should keep your hair like that all the time.” He continued, playfully teasing her before looking around the room. “There really is a lot of great costumes tonight, tough competition.”

interactions: @Rosaline Everhart

ooc notes: Leo is using his metamorphmagus ability to have his eyes changed to blue and hair longer to match the costume

outfit: Reducio

word count: 712

Natasha was roaming through Hogwarts, humming songs under her breath, and just walking around the castle. As she reached near the small hall, she saw a bunch of students entering, dressing in the weirdest costumes.
She faintly remembered some posters around the school describing a costume contest of some sort, but she had been too focused on not getting lost to pay much attention.
Looking down at her current costume, the school uniform, she wondered whether she could pull off pretending to dress as a 'Classic Schoolgirl', or whether people would wonder why there was a weird firstie not in costume.
She decided that people would probably think she was weird, but seeing as she really wanted to check out the costumes and decor, she decided to go in anyway.
She stopped at the doorway and gasped. The decor was magnificent! There were cobwebs on almost all the walls, and carved pumpkins strewn across the floor. The hall truly looked spooky and haunted.
As she walked further inside, she noticed that there were a group of students-also not in costume-gathered around a table full of what looked like fabric and paper.
Suddenly it struck her! This was material people could use to make their own costumes. Smiling, she walked towards the table, mind racing as to what she could dress up as.
Spotting a familiar face, she grinned and walked towards Cane, "Cane, Hey!" she greeted, followed by a teasing, "I LOVE your costume by the way, 'Gryffindor Boy', very original."
Then, a little more seriously, she asked, "Have you decided what you are going to make out of all that fabric yet?"