Summary: Put on a mask, and the person you once were disappears. It creates a magical atmosphere with magical consequences. Scorose.

Disclaimer: It was the amazing JKR that created this world; I am simply momentarily inhabiting it.

Le Masque

Prologue

The Announcement is Made

It's not so important who starts the game, but who finishes it.

~John Wooden

Friday, October 31

7:00pm – 11:30pm

Great Hall

All Hogwarts students, fifth year and above (or those accompanied by a student fifth year or above) are cordially invited to an All Hallow's Eve Masquerade Ball. Please come and enjoy a night of food, music, and general merriment!

Dress code is formal. Non-Hogwarts students or those who have already graduated strictly prohibited.

Sincerely,

Headmaster Lipitz

"Oh! My! God!" The shrill scream echoed through the half empty Great Hall. Rose instantly recognized the voice, but as the sleepy students all snapped their heads in the direction of the scream, Rose acted like she didn't know whom it was. However, she was alone amongst her compatriots at the table. Both instantly swiveled their heads in the direction.

"What now?" Rose asked, muttering under her breath. Ella, the other girl at the table, heard Rose's annoyed muttering and turned back to the copper haired girl.

"If you were a little more positive, Carly's antics wouldn't annoy you so much, Rose," Ella, ever the optimist, explained. Had it come from anyone else, it would have sounded stuck up or condescending. From sweet Ella Rosemont, it was simply a matter of fact statement.

"I highly doubt that, Ella, but I'll give it a try," Rose retorted, the last half highly sarcastic. Ella scowled at Rose but was unable to respond by the arrival of the loud, excitedly bouncing Carly. The eyes that had landed on her when she first screamed out had followed her as she'd made her way throughout the Hall towards the trio of Ravenclaws and were now boring into the back of Rose's head.

"You'll never guess what's happening," Carly sing-songed as she took a seat next to Rose. In response, the rosette simply tried to ignore her friend and continue to eat her breakfast in peace. Ella, it seemed, had other plans.

"You're probably right, Carly. How about you tell us what has you so excited this early in the morning." Rose looked up from her pancakes and glared at Ella, who simply sat there looking completely innocent.

"Do you have a guess, Alfie?" Carly asked, successfully drawing the sole male of the group into the conversation and creating suspense for her piece of news. Alfie slowly looked up from the thick novel that he had quickly returned to after Carly's dramatic entrance. From the look on his face, it was obvious that he hadn't heard a word that had passed between the girls.

"Guess for what, Carly?" he asked, turning first to Rose then to Ella for answers to what Carly was talking about.

"I found out something amazing that will be happening at Hogwarts in the next few weeks and I want you to try and guess what it is!" Carly excitedly bounced up and down in her seat and giddily clapped her hands. Carly always loved being the first person with information and lauding it over her friends. Rose speculated that Carly enjoyed the power, prestige, and importance that was gained by always being the one with the information.

"You mean the Halloween dance?" Alfie asked, his tone extremely disinterested. Carly, Ella, and Rose all instantly turned to look at him, shock clear on all their faces. Alfie has never been that interested in what was going around him at Hogwarts in terms of social and extra-curricular activities. He was simply at school to learn, not to socialize. Him having information about a social event at the same time as Carly, the social butterfly, or even before her was truly surprising.

"What?! How?! What?! No way! Not possible!" Carly sputtered out through her shock. "How-how-how did you know that? I only heard it from Makayla whose dad is on the board of governors! No one else should know about it!" Carly became more and more hysterical as she spoke.

"There are posters up in the common room Carly," Alfie commented simply, returning to his novel.

"WHAT?!" Carly's second scream echoed once again throughout the Great Hall. In the past few minutes that the foursome had been talking, the Hall had rapidly filled with students. Now, they were all staring directly at the small group, wondering what was going on. Carly was a huge drama queen, but the loud, very undignified scream was out of character. What Carly did next didn't help the situation one bit.

Suddenly, Carly stood from the table. She did it with such force that she nearly knocked Rose off their shared bench. She then turned and bolted from the Great Hall. The eyes of the entire population of the hall followed her. Some students even stood from their spots to follow her progress.

Slightly humiliated by it all, Rose, Ella, and Alfie waited a few seconds for some of the heat to die down before they too stood and followed after Carly.

"A dance, huh?" Ella commented as they walked the halls back to the Ravenclaw common room.

"Yeeaaah," Rose commented, dragging out the word, "Should be fun." Sarcasm dripped from every syllable.

To be continued