Author notes: This idea crept up on me one afternoon, just like the kids I had no idea what I had started.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No one knew how it had started; they just knew it was happening.
It had crept upon them in the night taking them all by surprise.
Now there was no going back, it was happening.
Some had tried to resist at first, sitting and watching it happen instead of joining their friends.
Neville had been quite vocal about not taking part.
“I don’t want to. My Gran will kill me if she finds out. Besides I don’t know how.”
It had been Seamus’ idea, the whole thing had apparently been thought up while he was bored in Transfiguration.
“Ah, come on guys. I promise it won’t get out of hand. All we need to do is set some rules and stick to them.”
The rules had been set and stuck to, but things had still gotten out of hand.
He had surprised them with the idea when they were bored. They had gone along with it on a whim. They should have known better.
It had only supposed to have been their year. However others found out and soon what had started in one dorm had spread to the common room.
Students, children, aged from eleven to seventeen were all taking part.
It had not been planned this way; the rules had not allowed for so many people.
Soon chaos overtook Gryffindor Tower as it spread via the paintings to a Hufflepuff dorm room.
Like a virus it spread from one House to the next. Word of mouth carried it across Hogwarts until it had touched every student at least once.
It was happening and no one knew how to stop it.
Thankfully by 4a.m. it had burnt itself out and the students went to bed.
However nothing would ever be the same again.
**********
The next morning the Great Hall was silent. Not a single student spoke to another. Breakfast was an awkward affair.
Things had been done which shouldn’t have.
Lunch was still quiet, but small groups were now talking uncomfortably about classes, homework and the weather.
By dinner, however, Hogwarts seemed to have returned to normal.
The first jokes about the night before filtered through the Great Hall.
Hermione sat nervously between Neville and Ron. She couldn’t look either of them in the eyes, at least not yet.
Friendships had been tested the night before; some had survived, others hadn’t.
Dean let out a heavy sigh. “Come on everyone. Cheer up, it could have been worse.”
Some muttered agreements, others made disapproving noises. Neville pouted.
“I don’t see how. I had to… me and Harry… it just wasn’t right.”
“We could have been in the Great Hall with all the other Houses.” Ron put in. “That would have been worse. Crabbe and Goyle, eugh!”
The group laughed for the first time since it had began.
“I don’t think it went that badly.” Seamus shrugged.
Hermione nearly choked on her food. “No Seamus, it did go badly. I’m sorry but I’m going to have to say I told you so. I said it was a bad idea and it was.”
“OK, OK.” Seamus put his hands up. “So we’re never playing spin-the-bottle again then?”