Harry Potter Short Stories

Choices 3: A memorable Yule Ball

The day of the Yule Ball dawned bright, clear and cold. It was a day of excitement and happiness for many but most especially, Cornelius Fudge, the Triwizard Tournament Committee, the employees of the Daily Prophet, especially Rita Skeeter, certain students and even a faculty member or two of Hogwarts and most joyful of all was Albus Dumbledore.

A ball is always a cause for happiness - if you are a female who has a date for the ball and a new gown and your hair and makeup has turned out making you look or at least feel beautiful. Even if you can't stand your date the fact that you are going and look and feel like a princess cancels out the fact that your escort is a frog and not a prince, but instead a Goyle, a Crabbe or a Ron Weasley.

Some males like the idea of a ball especially if they have a beautiful girl as their date. Believe it or not there are some adolescent males who are romantic and have silly dreams just like girls do about a moment during a special dance when.... Sigh – "Magic" might happen!

Even if you are a male and don't want to go to a dance let alone a ball, if you have managed to acquire a date (no matter how unwilling the girl or how bad she looks), well if nothing else you get to eat and drink (and hope the punch is spiked), make fun of people, get out of dancing with the girl except for maybe a slow dance where you can hopefully get a feel or better yet convince them to take a walk with you in a secluded garden or pathway and get some 'sugar' and if not, you have one more chance to get a bit when you take them back to their House, Ship or Carriage and try, try, try again.

Hermione Granger was happy, excited and very nervous. She was sad and dejected having lost Harry's friendship (at least for the moment) but she had been surprised and flattered when VIKTOR KRUM had asked her to the ball. He had even sworn on his life that he was sincere and that this was not a prank as some people who had been listening in and witnessed the asking immediately starting shouting.

She had her first gown, her hair and makeup were perfect (to her at least but not in Parvati and Lavender's opinion) and she felt...like a princess. And Viktor had really shown up much to her relief!

The Ravenclaws were all in fine form led by Cho Chang the date of the "Real Hogwarts Champion" and future winner of the Tournament, Cedric Diggory. Luna Lovegood had refused Roger Davies' offer noting that "What would Fleur say" and for her pains she was punished by Cho and her cohorts for 'insulting Roger' but at least she could now hide until after the ball.Su Li told her roommates that she didn't have a date and was told in return "Well who would want to go on a date let alone go to a Yule Ball with you," and they then spent several days laughing and taunting the girl. The day of the ball she had been snuck away by Winky the house elf to a hidden room where she and Luna prepared for their first date/ball.

Yes, Luna Lovegood had been asked to the ball by one of Viktor Krum's school mates. The shy Dieter Kruger had seen Luna in the Library and wandering through the halls and liked what he saw. He asked her very politely and even swore an oath much like Viktor had that he wasn't playing a prank and really wanted to take her to the ball.

Su Li had a golden gown in an oriental style while Luna was dressed in a silver creation that could only be described as...magical...and totally Luna. Both girls looked and felt like queens – there were already too many princesses roaming about tonight for them to be anything less than a queen.

Cornelius Fudge and the Tournament Committee were relieved when Dumbledore had suggested a way to force Potter to cooperate. So much depended on the Tournament being a success and Fudge really, really wanted the boy to...play nice despite all of the dreadful things that had happened to him, some of which Fudge not only knew about but...well had helped to pull off.