Chapter 13 of 21
Just a Ball
For the week until Christmas Harry avoided the Gryffindor Tower as much as possible. He had determined from the books on merfolk that he needed something to absorb the screeching. He had tried pillows, blankets and other objects that could be formed around the golden egg but nothing seemed to work. After about two days Harry decided that a break was necessary and started on his homework. The teachers had seemed to go out of their way to assign plenty of it anyways.
“Yeah, it’s like they thrive on sucking all the fun out of the holidays,” Sirius said grimly and he and James gave Remus dirty looks.
“WHAT?”
“Don’t think we forgot about your treachery Professor Moony,” James said through narrowed eyes, “Joining the enemy.”
“So horrible,” Sirius put his fist to his mouth and continued in a strained voice, “We tried to help. We saw the signs,” he faked sobbed.
“The reading, the tutoring sessions,” James said also in a strained voice shaking his head, “Now his only hope is the T.A.”
“Teacher assistant?” Lily asked.
“No,” James answered, “Teachers Anonymous. Come on Moony say it. After me, my name is Remus Lupin and I am a teacher.”
Remus just groaned and put his head on his hand.
“Come on Moony, acknowledging you have a problem is the first step towards recovery. We will save you,” Sirius said hugging Remus who rolled his eyes. Lily’s lips were twitching.
Hermione, Ginny, Fred and George would come into the library to check on Harry from time to time but they seemed to be at a loss at what to say or do. All of them agreed that Ron had been out of line but had respected Harry’s wishes and stayed out of it. Harry figured it would only add fuel to the fire if Ron saw his family on Harry’s side and not their own brother. It touched Harry that Fred, George and Ginny were standing by him but that didn’t erase the hurt he felt by his best friend sharing the same feelings as Draco Malfoy.
Speaking of Malfoy, Harry’s seclusion in the library had given the Slytherin student the opportunity he needed to once again start up his taunting but this time he aimed it towards the Weasleys and Hermione. One night during dinner, Harry was returning to the library from the kitchens when he overheard voices around the corner. Slowly and quietly, Harry checked around the corner to see who it was only to see Malfoy standing with Crabbe and Goyle at his sides in front of Hermione and Ginny.
“Malfoy hasn’t got a clue of how to treat two ladies,” James said.
“More like Malfoy is a scared little ferret that couldn’t talk to a toddler without backup,” Lily snorted.
“Don’t deny it, Mudblood,” Malfoy said snidely. “Potter couldn’t find anyone to take to the ball so he had to settle for you.”
Harry took a step back so he was still out of sight. He didn’t want Malfoy to know he had heard the comment. “I’m sorry, Professor Moody,” he said innocently. “I haven’t seen Malfoy. Should I let him know you’re looking for him?”
They all laughed.
The sound of fast footsteps filled the hallway. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were running the other way as fast as they could to avoid another encounter. Leaning against the wall, Harry waited patiently until he saw Hermione and Ginny come into sight. Both of them saw Harry and only Harry realizing that it was just a ruse to scare Malfoy. Smiles broke on their faces before they fell into uncontrollable laughter.
When the laughter diminished, Harry looked at them closely as they approached. The fact that Malfoy had cornered them in a deserted hallway brought back unpleasant memories. “Are you two all right?” Harry asked seriously.
Hermione and Ginny nodded. “We can handle Malfoy,” Hermione said confidently as she moved to Harry’s left side and wrapped an arm around his. “Your method was better though. He’s a jumpy little ferret isn’t he?” She flashed him a smile which Harry didn’t return.
“I think Malfoy is never going to live the ferret thing down,” Lily said chuckling.
“Nope,” Sirius shook his head, “And he deserves it.”
“I’m sorry for not being there for you two,” Harry said softly as his gaze fell to the floor. “I just can’t bring myself to face Ron. I have enough on my plate with the Tournament, schoolwork and the ball without constantly proving that his life is better than mine. I thought the first task would be enough to show that being a champion isn’t all fun and games. I guess I was wrong.”
“I don’t think Ron’s problem is just about the championship, I think he is jealous of the whole Boy Who Lived thing,” Lily said grimly.
“I don’t see why,” James said.
“He’s used to being overlooked at home and then he gets overlooked at school too,” Sirius said and at James lost look he elaborated, “He has a bunch of brothers that are successful so he doesn’t stand out then at school, where he could finally stand out, he has a famous friend.”
“You don’t know what’s like to compete with siblings James and at school you are popular so you can’t relate,” Lily said.
Ginny shook her head as she moved to Harry’s right side and leaned against the wall. “I hate to break it to you, Harry, but Ron has always been the jealous type,” she said honestly. “He has five brothers who are all successful in their own way. Bill was Head Boy, Charlie was Quidditch Captain, Percy was Head Boy and the twins are trying to start this joke shop. To be honest with you Ron was jealous the night your name came out of the goblet. His worry for you the following morning was stronger pushing the jealousy aside.”
Harry let out a sigh and tilted his head back until it hit the wall. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?” he asked.
“And make you feel worse for something you had no control over?” asked Hermione. “You had enough to worry about. I don’t think Ron’s jealous of you being a champion anymore. I think it has more to do with everything that’s happened since then.” At Harry’s confused look Hermione continued. “You spend all your time studying now which isn’t a bad thing…it’s just different. Then you befriend Viktor Krum, an international Quidditch player and celebrity just like you.” Harry moved to defend himself but Hermione silenced him in placing her free hand over his lips. “Hear me out. It was the right thing to do, Harry. Those girls were really annoying and Viktor appreciated someone treating him normally for once. You have other people in your life now. I think Ron’s worried that he will be left behind, that you won’t need him anymore.”
“That’s stupid,” James cried.
“No it’s not James,” Remus said, “He is insecure. He is afraid of loosing his best friend.”
“So he treats him like rubbish in an attempt not to lose him? Doesn’t make sense,” James said back.
“No one said human behavior made sense,” Lily said.
Harry stared at Hermione in complete confusion. “That’s ridiculous,” he said bluntly. “Ron’s my best friend. Nothing could possibly change that.”
“We know that, Harry,” Hermione said patiently, “and, in time, Ron will realize that too.” She glanced over at Ginny before returning her attention to Harry. “Listen Harry, why don’t you spend some time in the Gryffindor Tower tonight? You look exhausted. When was the last time you had a decent night’s rest?”
“He can’t even remember that!” Sirius cried.
“Good Hermione,” Lily said approvingly, “She’ll get Harry to rest.”
Harry shrugged his shoulders. Truthfully, he couldn’t remember the last time he had slept through the night. He just had too much on his mind. Taking his silence as acceptance, Hermione and Ginny pulled Harry into the library where he gathered his things then was ushered to the Gryffindor Tower. The Common Room was empty which wasn’t surprising considering everyone was still at dinner.
Not wanting to go to bed yet, Harry walked over to the sofa and sat down. He opened his Transfiguration book and resumed reading. Hermione and Ginny hurried up to their dorm rooms and brought back some of their own schoolwork. Hermione sat down on the opposite end of the sofa while Ginny sat down in a chair next to Harry’s side of the couch. This wasn’t what they had in mind but at least Harry wasn’t secluding himself anymore.
Everyone was surprised to see Harry when they returned from dinner. Several asked how Harry was doing on the second task while others tried to press Harry for who his date was to the Yule Ball. Harry carefully evaded these questions and returned his attention to his book. Eventually the commotion died down and everyone retreated to their respected rooms. Harry was one of the first to go. After so many days alone the noise had become too much. Throughout all of the commotion Harry couldn’t help but notice how Ron steered clear of him in the Common Room. The tall redhead sat alone with a resentful look on his face. That was all Harry needed to know Ron hadn’t moved past his jealousy yet.
James huffed and scowled.
The feeling of something wet against his face quickly pulled Harry out of his slumber. Opening his eyes, Harry saw a bunch of blurry fur and had to laugh. He didn’t need his glasses to recognize the big ball of fur that had just licked his face. Wrapping his arms around the dog’s neck, Harry held on tightly, not wanting to let go for a long time. He had really missed Midnight. He didn’t realize how much until now.
“Sirius! Cant you wake him up like a normal person?” Lily asked. James and Remus stared at her and James said.
“But he isn’t normal!”
Sirius shook his head.
“Hey Midnight,” Harry said softly into Midnight’s fur. He could feel his body shaking but didn’t know why. All he knew that his godfather was here and that everything from the past few weeks was hitting him full force. He heard a pop and felt arms wrap around him hold him. No words were said between them until Harry stopped shaking.
“What’s going on?” James asked.
“Everything is hitting him now because he feels safe,” Remus said. James and Sirius looked lost so he expanded, “It’s like when you are in a dangerous situation. You act on necessity. You put your fears in second plan so you can react and save your self. But once you’re safe again and you relax they come to the front and you feel the effects. Harry was so overwhelmed with work and everything that he put his feelings in second plan to function. But now that his parents are there to take care of things for him he can allow himself to feel.”
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“Happy Christmas, Pronglet,” Sirius whispered as he gently rubbed his godson’s back. “Moony’s downstairs waiting for us. It appears that we have a lot to talk about. Why don’t you change into something warmer and meet us downstairs? We’ll have an early breakfast and talk about whatever you want.”
“Yes, please do,” Lily pleaded.
Harry nodded and released his hold around his godfather’s neck. Sirius let go of Harry, slid backwards and smiled at Harry as he ruffled the teenager’s hair. The simple action only made Harry grin. It felt like for one moment everything was normal again, just like the past summer. Harry waited until Sirius left the room then jumped out of bed and changed into a pair of jeans and a jumper. Once he had put on a pair of socks and his shoes, Harry left the dorm room in a hurry. He ran down the stairs to see Sirius and Remus talking quietly in front of the fire.
Both of the Marauders had concerned looks on their faces that were immediately hid by smiles when they noticed Harry hurrying towards them.
“Like he isn’t going to notice,” Remus snorted.
“I hope you guys make him feel better,” Lily said.
“Yeah, and give Ron a good smack on the head,” James said. Lily smacked his head.
Remus pulled Harry into an embrace but not before noticing the shadows under Harry’s eyes. “Happy Christmas, cub,” he said while smoothing out Harry’s messy hair. “Are you ready for breakfast?”
“You do know that’s a lost cause right Moony?” James asked ruffling his own hair.
Harry looked up at Remus and nodded, unable to stop smiling. “Happy Christmas,” he said happily. “I can’t believe you came.” His smile suddenly vanished. In his four Christmases at Hogwarts Harry couldn’t remember ever seeing a parent here. “Are you two going to get in trouble for being here?” he asked nervously.
“Us?” Sirius asked in mock shock. “Never. You, Pronglet, are looking at two of the chaperones for the Yule Ball tonight.”
“Excuse me, WHAT?” Lily said appalled, “Was Dumbledore high?”
“You mean like on one of the towers,” Sirius asked, “What’s that got to do with anything.”
Remus and Lily couldn’t help it. They burst in laughter.
“She means on drugs Padfoot,” Remus chuckled.
“Ah,” he said and turned to James, “What’s drugs?”
“No idea,” James shrugged. The other two just laughed harder.
Harry blinked a few times as he tried to process what Sirius had just said. He could see Remus as a chaperone. Remus had been a teacher last year and had a tendency to act like an adult. Sirius, on the other hand, had a tendency to act more like Fred and George Weasley than an adult. He couldn’t imagine what Sirius would do surrounded by those who would just encourage his love for pranks.
“Chaos, Harry. That’s what would happen,” Lily said knowingly.
“Professor Dumbledore approved this?” Harry asked skeptically.
Remus held back a laugh. “That was my initial reaction,” he admitted with a wink then gently pushed Harry towards the portrait entrance.
“So little faith,” Sirius said in mock offense.
“Now, come on. You know how cranky Padfoot gets when he isn’t fed on time. We can talk on the way.”
“So cranky Moony, so cranky,” James shook his head and Sirius narrowed his eyes at him.
“Hey!” Sirius said as he followed. “I do not get cranky! Stop poisoning my godson with lies Moony!”
Sirius glared at Remus who was biting back a smile.
“Oh, Moony, you know Padfoot so well,” James said smiling. Sirius glared turned back to him.
They left the Gryffindor Tower, stepping into an empty hallway. Looking out the window, Harry saw that the sun was only just beginning to rise. It was still early enough for them to walk to the Great Hall without seeing anyone else in the hallways. Harry listened to the banter between Sirius and Remus concerning eating habits. It was only when they entered the vacant Great Hall that Sirius and Remus realized how quiet Harry was being.
Sirius wrapped an arm around Harry’s shoulders and pulled the fourteen-year-old into a one armed embrace. Harry looked up at Sirius and smiled, trying to assure the man nothing was wrong. He was just so accustomed to the quiet and being alone to realize that this wasn’t normal behavior. Sirius smiled back before glancing over at Remus as if he were silently confirming his beliefs.
“Yes, please and now DO SOMETHING!” Lily yelled.
“Ouch, Lily I am sitting just next to you,” James said rubbing his ear.
Sitting down at the Gryffindor table, Sirius and Remus slowly started loading their plates with food, stealing glances at Harry the entire time. Eventually the silence became too much. “All right, Harry,” Sirius said at last. “What’s going on? You seem like a completely different person than you were a month ago. Did something happen that we should know about?”
“YES! Ron is being an idiot, and Malfoy cornered Harry, and Ron is being an idiot, and he has to compete in this tournament, and Ron is being an idiot, and everyone keeps treating Harry like he put his name in the goblet and Ron is being an idiot!” James cried.
“Ok James, we get it: Ron is being an idiot,” Lily patted him.
Harry bit his lower lip nervously. He didn’t know what to do. If he told Sirius and Remus everything they would probably be upset since they took his participation in the Tournament so personally. They take everything with me personally.
“You bet we do!” Remus said nodding his head and crossing his arms.
“It’s just been a long term,” Harry said with a shrug. “I’ve been working a lot on the clue for the second task so…”
“So you just decided to run yourself down?” Remus asked gently. “Harry, as much as we admire your determination, you can’t ignore your body’s need to sleep and eat. What else is weighing down on you? You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders.”
Harry hesitated. Was it really that obvious? Did he really look that bad? Letting out a tired sigh, Harry let his frustration get the better of him. “Ron and I had a small row,” Harry admitted then explained what happened. Once he finished Harry buried his face in his hands to avoid the looks Sirius and Remus were bound to give him.
“Excuse me, what look?” James asked his friends with an annoyed raised eyebrow.
“No look, Harry is just being his usual doubtful self,” Lily tried to calm James.
“Better be,” he huffed.
Sirius rested a hand on Harry’s shoulder while Remus touched Harry’s arm. “We know this has to be difficult for you, Harry,” Remus said softly. “It’s hard to remember the bad when the good is so appealing. I have a feeling Ron knows your life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be but figures it’s easier to blame his problems on something he can’t control rather than something he can. He can’t get a date to the ball because he’s not popular is a more self satisfying excuse than he’s too uncomfortable to ask someone. Don’t worry. Ron will come around.”
“We can always count on Moony for the logical explanation,” Sirius said fondly. Remus blushed.
“You both come from completely different backgrounds,” Sirius added. “You have lived your life as someone who was different than everyone else and tried to fit in. Ron has always been one of the group; trying to stand out like the majority of the students here. None of them have any idea what you went through before you received your Hogwarts letter, what you’ve had to go through since then and what you are up against because of it all. People like to look at the rewards and not the struggles made to receive them.”
“PADFOOT! That was so, so,” James struggled to find a word, “profound!”
“I can be deep,” Sirius said the other three burst in laughter.
“So what do I do?” Harry asked his guardians. “He wouldn’t come near me last night in the Common Room. I hate that his brothers and sister are taking my side. I hate that Hermione is on my side. It feels like I’m forcing them to choose between us.”
Remus leaned closer to Harry. “You’re not forcing them to do anything, cub,” he said sincerely. “They are making a choice and they choose to agree that Ron has no right to blame his problems on what has been done to you. Don’t worry. Ron will come to his senses soon enough.” He gently nudged Harry and smiled. “Eat up then we’ll go back to the Gryffindor Tower and open presents.”
“Yey, presents!” Sirius cried clapping his hands.
“Such a big baby,” Remus said shaking his head.
Harry nodded and started eating his breakfast. They had just finished their meal when students started entering the Great Hall. Ignoring the curious glances cast their way, Harry left with Sirius and Remus for the Gryffindor Tower. Entering the Common Room, Harry noticed that there were a few people coming down the stairs on their way to breakfast. He led the way up to his dorm room, noticing his dorm mates were still asleep by the snores coming from Neville and Ron. Their coverings were pulled shut to block out the sunlight that now filled the room.
They entered the room quietly. Sirius and Remus sat down at the head of Harry’s bed while Harry took position at the foot by the pile of presents. Harry had sent theirs to Black Manor and according to Remus had been opened the moment they arrived. Sirius was never one for patience. Harry had given them framed pictures from their time at Hogwarts this summer along with a few items from Zonko’s for Sirius and a few enchanted golden bookmarks for Remus that could keep tract up to the very word that had been read last.
“Harry knows you two so well,” Lily said pleased.
Harry opened his presents from his friends and Mrs. Weasley quickly, surprised to find one from Ron. Glancing over at Ron’s four-poster bed, Harry could only wonder what was going on with his best friend. Sirius and Remus noticed Harry’s confusion but stayed quiet. He picked up Remus’ gift and opened it to find a black leather photo album with golden letters that read: The Potter Family. Harry opened the album with shaky hands. In the first picture was a bespectacled boy who looked exactly like him holding the hands of a man tall and thin black haired man and a thin woman who had dark brown hair and glasses. They were smiling and laughing. Harry ran his fingers over the picture. It couldn’t be, could it?
“Hey, that’s me and my parents!” James said excitedly.
“Are these my…my grandparents?” Harry asked in a wavering voice.
“This album has pictures of you parents, your grandparents and even your great-grandparents,” Remus said gently. “It is charmed to add pages when needed so we can add pictures of you to it. I tried to do the same for the Evans’ side of your family but your Aunt wasn’t too cooperative.”
“How petty of her!” Lily said angry.
Harry looked up at Remus as he closed the album and held it against his chest as if he were afraid that it would somehow vanish from sight if he let go. “Thank you,” he said gratefully. “I never knew what they looked like before. Did you two know them?”
Sirius and Remus nodded with reminiscing looks on their faces. “Your grandparents were wonderful people Harry,” Sirius said with a smile. “They took me in after I ran away from my own family. We’ll tell you more about them later. Finish opening your presents!”
Harry rolled his eyes at his godfather’s childish antics. There were times it seemed impossible that Sirius was older than him. Of course it wasn’t until Hogwarts that Harry actually received a Christmas present so Harry’s lack of Christmas excitement probably had something to do with that. Picking up the final package, Harry bit back a smile and opened it. He found two items inside. The first was a penknife with attachments that could undo any knot and unlock any lock. The second a red leather-bound book with gold curvy lettering. Harry had to laugh when he saw what the lettering said: The Most Successful Pranks of the Marauders.
“Yes! Thank you Padfoot!” James cried. Lily huffed.
“Is this supposed to be a hint?” Harry asked with a raised eyebrow referring to the book.
Sirius grinned proudly while Remus groaned in annoyance. “I can’t believe you gave him that of all things,” Remus said to Sirius. “What happened to agreeing on everything we gave him first? That was your rule!”
“Excuse me Moony! What do you have against such a wonderful gift?” James asked hands on his hips. Remus just shrugged.
“And since when does Sirius make rules instead of break them?” Lily asked.
“Now see, that wounds me. Deeply, deeply wounds me,” Sirius said with a long suffering sigh and a dramatic hand on his forehead.
“What?” Sirius asked innocently. “I’m only passing on our legacy to our only heir. What’s wrong with that? Besides, Harry’s not like us…well, he’s not like James and me. He’ll use the book responsibly…well, within reason of course. Come on, Moony. Harry of all people deserves to have a little fun now and then. I’m just giving him a little nudge in the right direction.”
Remus rubbed his eyes in frustration. “A nudge?” he asked. “That book is the biggest nudge I’ve ever seen.”
“Yes, and you are supposed to be a responsible adult,” Lily said. The boys couldn’t help themselves. They burst in laughter.
“Sirius a responsible adult, that’s so funny,” James said chuckling.
Harry didn’t bother admitting that he had no intention of using the prank book any time soon. It was another link to his father and the rest of the Marauders when they had been his age. It would also look extremely suspicious if pranks that hadn’t been seen since the days of the Marauders started appearing again. All of the teachers would immediately suspect him unless he let the twins borrow the book…
“Oh, no! The school wouldn’t survive,” Lily dreaded. James and Sirius eyes were sparkling with mischief.
After Harry thanked his guardians repeatedly for the presents, Sirius pulled out Harry’s winter coat and tossed it at him. Taking the hint, Harry bundled up and walked with Sirius and Remus for a stroll on the grounds. Sirius and Remus grabbed their cloaks on the way out of the Gryffindor Tower. They had left them on the chairs in front of the fire.
The moment Harry stepped onto the snow covered grounds he found himself being tackled from the left by a large four legged creature otherwise called Midnight by Harry and Padfoot by Remus. Remus had quickly moved out of the way to avoid being taken down also. Harry couldn’t help laughing as he tried to fight off the large black dog. Remus eventually came to Harry’s aid and pulled the animal off allowing Harry to scramble to his feet. That was all the time he had before Midnight broke free and started charging at Harry again. In order to defend himself, Harry started throwing snowballs at Midnight who tried to catch them in his mouth.
Lily laughed, “That’s just so, so, Sirius!”
They eventually tired and resumed to walking around the grounds. That was when Hermione and Ginny joined them. Hermione nearly tripped over her own feet in shock when she heard Sirius and Remus would be chaperoning tonight. Sirius and Remus also managed to convince Hermione and Ginny to stop calling them by their formal names. Hermione had more trouble with Remus than with Sirius
“Excuse me, why is that Moony gets more respect than me?”
“Probably because he is more isn’t an overgrown child,” Lily said casually, “Besides, I thought you didn’t like being called Mr. Black.”
“That’s beside the point,” Sirius huffed.
since he had been her teacher but by the time lunch arrived both girls were on a first name basis with the Marauders.
After a large lunch in the Great Hall (Sirius and Remus once again sat at the Gryffindor table with Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Fred and George), Sirius loudly proposed a snowball fight. The majority of the Gryffindors quickly agreed at the idea with students from other houses joining in a little more slowly. Gryffindor and Hufflepuff had the biggest turnout and immediately formed Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff match. There were plenty of Ravenclaw students who mixed between the two teams and a few Slytherins from the younger years. There were also a few Durmstrang students, including Viktor Krum who joined Harry’s team.
A cease fire was called around five o’clock. Everyone was covered in snow and soaked to the bone. The girls who participated were the first to leave, claiming that they needed the time to get ready. The boys followed reluctantly, wanting to warm up more than anything else. As he entered the Gryffindor Tower, Harry was suddenly pulled aside by Angelina and Katie. From the looks on their faces Harry could only assume he had done something wrong.
“You have some explaining to do Harry Potter,” Angelina said sternly as she held up a gold chain with a charm of a broomstick on it.
“Why? What’s that?” James asked.
“Oh, he bought them gifts,” Lily cooed.
“Then why are they angry?” James cried lost.
Harry looked at Angelina and Katie nervously. He knew about the gift. He had gotten one for each of them. “You don’t like it?” he asked. “The clerk said it was perfect for a female Quidditch player.”
Katie Bell’s gaze softened instantly. “Of course we like them Harry,” she said. “We were just surprised to find them this morning. We just wanted you to know that we didn’t teach you because we expected you to give us something. We helped you because we wanted to.”
“That’s why they are angry?” James cried, “Women.” He muttered shaking his head
It suddenly made sense. They were afraid that Harry felt obligated to buy them something. “I know that,” Harry said softly. “And I wanted to do this. Both of you gave up a lot of time to help me. I just wanted to thank you for it.”
Angelina and Katie smiled and kissed Harry on the cheek before hurrying up the stairs. Harry just watched them go before joining Fred, George and Neville by the fire. He hadn’t seen Ron all day and couldn’t help wondering where he was. Everyone was telling Harry to be patient and wait for Ron to come to him but Harry missed his best friend. He never realized how much he depended on Ron to lighten the mood until now.
The fourth year boys changed into their dress robes quietly. Harry wore emerald green robes that Sirius had insisted on buying, making sure his necklace consisting of small black glass-like squares was hidden underneath his black collared long sleeve shirt that he wore underneath his robes. He didn’t need anyone noticing it tonight. Harry still wore his wand holster around his wrist out of habit. It was almost like the piece of dragon hide that held his wand felt like a part of him. He felt naked without it.
Walking down the stairs to the Common Room, Harry noticed that Ginny was waiting for him. Her red hair was pulled back into a fancy twist with small beads inserted all over it. The navy blue dress robes she wore were slightly form-fitting, revealing her slender frame. She looked up at Harry smiling, a gesture he returned. Now all he had to do was hide how nervous he actually was.
Reaching her, Harry offered his arm which she quickly accepted. “You look very nice Ginny,” he said. “Are you ready to go?”
“A perfect gentleman,” Lily said approvingly.
Ginny blushed at the comment and nodded. They left the Gryffindor Tower and proceeded to the Entrance Hall. Neither of them said a word. Harry noticed that Ginny was fidgeting a little bit and figured that she was just as nervous as he was. The Entrance Hall was packed with students, all waiting for the doors to the Great Hall to open at eight o’clock. They didn’t have to wait long before Professor McGonagall called for the Champions to join her. Harry and Ginny were the last to join the group.
Cedric’s date was Cho Chang, a pretty Ravenclaw who was a Seeker for their team. Fleur Delacour had arrived with Roger Davies, also a Ravenclaw along with being the house team captain. He seemed more infatuated with his date than listening to anything anyone was saying. That left Viktor Krum and his date that Harry couldn’t help but bite back a laugh at. It was Hermione looking extremely nervous and extremely different. Her hair was pulled back similar to Ginny’s and her dress robes were light blue in color.
“Krum! That was Hermione’s date?” Sirius cried.
“Quite obvious actually,” Lily said at James and Sirius looks she added, “Harry heard someone with an accent ask her out.”
“Could have been any of the exchange students,” James said.
“Except he said he recognized the voice,” she said back triumphantly.
Deciding to have a little fun, Harry nudged Viktor who looked at Harry in confusion. Harry motioned for Viktor to lean closer and waited until the Bulgarian Quidditch player complied. “You better take good care of her or I might just have to kill you,” he said playfully earning a laugh from Viktor.
“Don’t vorry, Harry,” Viktor said. “I promise to treat her vell.”
They waited as everyone entered the Great Hall before lining up and following Professor McGonagall. As the champions entered, applause filled the air. Harry was concentrating so much on not tripping that he didn’t notice anything until they reached the large circular table at the far end of the Hall where they judges were already seated. Professor Dumbledore was seated at the center with Professor Karkaroff on his left and Madame Maxine on his right. Sitting next to Madame Maxine was Ludo Bagman who seemed to be having the time of his life. Seated next to Professor Karkaroff was the last person Harry expected to see: Percy Weasley.
“What’s Percy doing there?” Remus asked.
“No idea, but Crouch isn’t there so maybe he is filling in for him,” Lily said.
“But why wouldn’t he be there if he is one of the organizers?” Sirius asked, “Not that I am complaining after what he did to me.” He finished with a growl.
Judging from the gasp he heard escape Ginny’s lips she hadn’t expected it either. This wasn’t good. The last thing Harry needed tonight was Percy threatening Harry on how to treat his baby sister. Ginny had mentioned that she had sent an owl to Mrs. Weasley to let her know but ordered her mother not to tell any of her brothers…for Harry’s sake.
The champions and their dates filled the remaining seats of the table, Harry and Ginny unfortunately sitting by Percy. The moment they sat down Percy started in on how he had been promoted to Mr. Crouch’s personal assistant and would be covering for Crouch. Harry had to admit that it was probably better this way since Sirius was chaperoning. He didn’t want to think what Sirius would do with coming face to face with the very person who was responsible for your false imprisonment again.
“I would punch him!”
“Hum, Sirius, that wouldn’t go overly well,” James said.
“Whose side are you on James?” Sirius yelled.
“Yours, I’ll help you punch him,” he placated his friend.
“Good!”
Dinner passed by quickly. It seemed that Percy was more focused on looking important than worrying about who Harry’s date was which was a relief to Harry and Ginny. Glancing around, Harry noticed the entire Hall seemed to be sparkling with silver. Countless streams of garland crossed the ceiling. Small tables filled the Hall with a lantern placed in the middle of each table as a source of light.
In no time Professor Dumbledore stood and requested for everyone to follow suit. When they did Dumbledore waved his wand and all of the tables moved to the walls which left the floor open. A raised platform appeared with several instruments on it. Applause broke out as the Weird Sisters took the stage wearing black robes that looked to be purposely ripped in various places. As the group picked up the instruments Harry followed the other champions’ lead and led Ginny to the dance floor.
Inhaling deeply, Harry purposely avoided looking around and kept his focus on what Angelina and Katie had taught him. A slow song began and instinct took over. Harry took Ginny by the hand and slowly spun her around before placing one hand around her waist and holding her hand in the other. Ginny reflexively placed her free hand on Harry’s shoulder and let Harry lead.
Eventually others joined the champions and their dates on the dance floor. When the song ended everyone applauded until the next song began. This was a faster one which must have been a popular one by the cheers that erupted. Ginny seemed to be more relaxed with more people on the floor and allowed Harry to put his lessons with Angelina and Katie to use. They danced for a few songs before taking a break and sitting down at a nearby table. Seeing Ginny’s flushed cheeks, Harry offered to get her something to drink and left when she accepted.
Reaching the table of refreshments, Harry picked up two Butterbeers and went back to where Ginny was sitting to see that she wasn’t alone anymore. It seemed that two of the chaperones felt the need to keep Ginny company. As Harry reached the table and handed Ginny her drink, Sirius and Remus suddenly stopped talking making Harry instantly suspicious but he didn’t say anything.
Lily and James eyed the other two with crossed arms.
“Yes?” Remus asked politely.
“What are you two up to?” Lily asked.
“Us Lily? We would never be up to anything,” Sirius said in a mock offended tone.
“For someone who couldn’t dance you seemed to be doing rather well out there Harry,” Remus said with a grin as Harry sat down. “Care to let us in on your secret.”
Harry shrugged his shoulders as he took a sip of his drink. He glanced over at Sirius and smiled. He knew he forgot to tell them something. “I took some advice,” he said innocently, “from someone very wise in their own way.”
They all laughed.
Sirius chuckled at the comment. “Very well put,” he said proudly. “Not all of us are book smart like good old Remus here. Some of us have to rely on a more trial and error form of learning.”
“In Paddy’s and Prongs’ cases it’s a lot of errors,” Remus chuckled.
“Well, what can we say?” James said with a straight face, “We strive to learn so we have to try a lot. Try turning Snivellus hair blue. Try charming his underpants to sing.”
“Try turning the fifth floor corridor into a swamp,” Sirius said.
“Yes, that idea is growing on me,” James answered and Lily and Remus groaned.
He stood up, moved over to Harry and rested a hand on the teen’s shoulder. “You two have fun tonight. We’ll see you later, all right?”
Harry nodded and watched his guardians vanish in the crowd of people. The song soon ended and Harry was pulled back on the dance floor by Ginny. They quickly formed a pattern along with Hermione and Viktor: dancing a few songs then taking a short rest. Hermione and Ginny would talk during the periods of rest while Harry and Viktor just shared a glance before smiling. It seemed that both of them were thinking the same thing: girls! Harry made a mental note to take Sirius up on having that discussion about the female mind because he certainly didn’t understand how they could just talk and talk and talk about nothing in particular.
The three boys looked at Lily.
“Yes?”
“How can you talk and talk and talk about nothing in particular?” Sirius asked.
“Well, that’s for me to know and you to wonder,” she answered with a cheeky smile.
Probably the most embarrassing moment of the night was when Angelina and Katie came by and demanded a dance like one of the special ones they had taught him. Before Harry could decline Katie had pulled Harry to his feet. Ginny, Hermione and Viktor watched in confusion as Katie an Angelina pulled Harry to the dance floor. The action seemed to catch attention from others as they passed. The song was a rather fast one and Harry immediately knew what dance they were referring to. It had been one of those sessions that Angelina and Katie were trying to make Harry have some fun and take his mind off of everything.
Knowing that he owed them for helping him not look like a total idiot tonight, Harry went along with it. They reached the middle of the dance floor, Harry facing Angelina and Katie. With a nod from Angelina, the three of them slid to their right so Harry moved in the opposite direction of the girls. Step after step was made from memory. Harry kept his eyes on Angelina and Katie, not wanting to see if anyone was watching.
When the song finally ended the crowd applauded and a slow song began. Harry felt a hand on his arm and looked to see Hermione standing there with a smile on her face. Looking over her shoulder, Harry saw Ginny was dancing with Viktor so he offered his hand to his friend. He put his hand on her waist and immediately felt how tense she was. Something wasn’t right.
“Hermione, what’s wrong?” Harry asked into her ear. “Did Viktor do something—”
“I’m gonna punch Viktor,” Sirius cried.
“I don’t think he is the problem,” Lily said.
“—no!” Hermione said quickly. “It’s not Viktor. It’s Ron. I guess I’m just worried about him. Look at what he’s missing out on just because he’s too stubborn to apologize and admit he’s wrong. Things could have happened so differently…”
“I’m gonna punch Ron,” Sirius corrected.
“I don’t think his parents are going to appreciate that,” Remus said, “Don’t forget you are an adult there.”
“Ok, then, I’m gonna get the twins to punch him,” Sirius said with a smirk.
“…if I wasn’t a champion,” Harry finished for her. He had been thinking the same thing. “I know. I want to fix things with him but he won’t come anywhere near me. He didn’t even participate in the snowball fight this afternoon. Does he really hate me that much?”
Hermione tightened her grip on Harry’s hand slightly. “He doesn’t hate you, Harry,” she said sincerely. “He hates that he can’t be more like you. It took a lot of courage to ask Ron for permission and to ask Ginny to be your date.” Harry moved to object. “I know she’s just a friend but you were nervous about it, right?” Harry nodded. “Ron isn’t any different. He just wasn’t required to have a date like you were. He didn’t turn to his guardians for advice like you did.” She paused for a moment before grinning. “He didn’t get dancing lessons like you did,” she added candidly.
“Well, that’s his fault isn’t it? I bet he could have,” Lily said annoyed.
“Would you rather I step on your feet?” Harry asked seriously. “I didn’t want to look like a fool in front of everyone. Angelina and Katie were willing to help me. Is there something wrong with that?”
“NO!” the four cried.
Hermione shook her head as she looked into his emerald green eyes. “I’m just surprised,” she said innocently. “You have really changed, Harry. I didn’t realize how much until tonight. Remus and Sirius are definitely doing something right.”
James patted his friends and Lily beamed.
Harry couldn’t help but smile. He really didn’t know what he would have done this year if Sirius and Remus hadn’t been there to help. They had only entered his life last year and he was already so dependent on them. He honestly didn’t know what he would do without them. They made his life more normal that he could ever remember it being.
“Who would have thought the day would come when Sirius made someone’s life normal,” Lily chuckled.
Near the end of the night Harry was cornered by Fred and George who were already planning on when Harry would become their official brother. It took a lot of convincing for Fred and George to accept that Harry was only friends with Ginny and as they walked away he still had a feeling that they still didn’t want to believe it. That certainly wasn’t the reaction he was expecting but at least they didn’t try to kill him.
The Ball finally came to an end and everyone was sent to bed. Harry stayed behind and thanked Sirius and Remus for making this Christmas the best he could remember. The comment was meant as a compliment but it served as a reminder of the mistakes made that Harry had paid the price for. Sirius pulled Harry into a fierce embrace and reminded him to send Hedwig or use the mirror to keep the Marauders up to date. Once Sirius let go of the Harry Remus took his turn and hugged Harry just as tightly while reminding the teen to take better care of himself.
With a final farewell, Harry left the Great Hall for the Gryffindor Tower. The hallways were empty, leaving an eerie silence. The sooner he reached the Gryffindor Tower the better. He reached the moving staircases to see that someone waiting for him. Cedric Diggory.
“Hey Harry,” Cedric said with a smile. “I don’t think I’ve ever thanked you for the dragons.” Harry opened his mouth to say it wasn’t necessary but Cedric held up his hand to silence him. “I mean it. Not many would do what you did. How are you coming on your egg?”
Harry knew he could lie but he didn’t have the energy to. Besides, he doubted that Cedric was fishing for hints this late at night. “Slowly,” Harry said honestly. “I can’t seem to shut it up.”
Cedric laughed at the comment. “I had the same problem,” he said then leaned closer to Harry. “Until I took a bath,” he whispered. “Put the egg under water. On the fifth floor, the fourth door on the left of the Boris the Bewildered statue is the Prefects’ bathroom. The password is Pine-fresh. Trust me.”
“That’s nice of him,” Lily beamed.
Harry blinked at Cedric a few times as he tried to think of something to say. “Er—okay,” he said at last. “Thanks for the hint.”
Cedric smiled. “No problem,” he said. “Just so you know, everyone in Hufflepuff has been talking about the snowball fight. We had a lot of fun. We’ll have to have a rematch some day. Good night.”
Harry bid goodnight and traveled up the stairs torn between thoughts. He had to admit water made sense. Merfolk lived in the seas. It would make sense to hold the egg under water. I must be really thick not to figure that out. Another thought entered Harry’s head. Cedric had already figured it out. Harry suddenly felt extremely stupid. He felt like he really didn’t belong in this competition. None of the other champions were spending every waking hour trying to figure out the clue. Only him. This only served as a reminder that he was out of his league.
It hit Harry that it was only a matter of time before everyone else figured that out too if they didn’t already know it.
“No, Harry,” Remus scolded, “you just don’t see them working. I bet that they are having trouble too.”