Ethereal

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The Goblet of Fire

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The Hogwarts staff, demonstrating a continued desire to impress the visitors from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, seemed determined to show the castle at its best this Christmas. When the decorations went up. Harper noticed that they were the most stunning he had yet seen inside the school. Everlasting icicles had been attached to the bannisters of the marble staircase; the usual twelve Christmas trees in the Great Hall were bedecked with everything from luminous holly berries to real, hooting, golden owls, and the suits of armour had all been bewitched to sing carols whenever anyone passed them. It was quite something to hear "O Come, All Ye Faithful" sung by an empty helmet that only knew half the words. Several times, Filch the caretaker had to extract Peeves from inside the armour, where he had taken to hiding, filling in the gaps in the songs with lyrics of his own invention, all of which were very rude.

"So, who are you going with?" Hermione asked as she and Sadie walked back to the Gryffindor common room.

"I told you," Sadie said chuckling as Hermione smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry you couldn't go with Fred," she said as Sadie shrugged.

"Not his type," she said shrugging. "Fairy lights," she said to the Fat Lady, the password had been changed the previous day.

"Yes, indeed, dear!" she trilled, straightening her new tinsel hair band as she swung forward to admit them.

Entering the common room, the two looked around, and to his surprise they saw Ron sitting ashen-faced in a distant corner with Harry. Ginny was sitting with them, talking to him in what seemed to be a low, soothing voice.

"Why weren't you two at dinner?" Hermione said, coming over to join them with Sadie at her side.

"Because, oh shut up laughing, you two, because they've both just been turned down by girls they asked to the ball!" said Ginny.

That shut Harry and Ron up.

"Thanks a bunch, Ginny," said Ron sourly.

"All the good-looking ones taken, Ron?" said Sadie loftily. "Eloise Midgen starting to look quite pretty now, is she? Well, I'm sure you'll find someone somewhere who'll have you."

But Ron was staring at Sadie and Hermione as though suddenly seeing them in a whole new light.

"Sades, Hermione, Neville's right, you are girls. . . ."

"Oh well spotted," Sadie said acidly.

"Well, you can come with one of us!"

"No, we can't," snapped Sadie.

"Oh come on," he said impatiently, "we need partners, we're going to look really stupid if we haven't got any, everyone else has."

"We can't come with you," said Hermione, now blushing, "because we're already going with someone."

"No, you're not!" said Ron. "You just said that to get rid of Neville!"

"Oh did I?" said Sadie and her eyes flashed dangerously. "Just because it's taken you three years to notice, Ron, doesn't mean no one else has spotted we're girls!"

Ron stared at them. Then he grinned again.

"Okay, okay, we know you're girls," he said. "That do? Will you come now?"

"We've already told you!" Hermione said very angrily. "We're going with someone else!"

And the two girls stormed off toward the girls' dormitories again.