Light In The Dark

Chapter Seven

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                   Nightfall covers Hogwarts as soft music spills from the dance hall while everyone gathers in the hall wearing beautiful dresses and dashing suits. Harry and Ron are walking down the stairs into the hall, their hands slightly brushing together. Ron begins to fidget with his outfit. "Leave it alone," Harry said as he smacked Ron's hands from his outfit.

                   "Poor kid, bet she's alone in her room crying her eyes out," Ron said with a frown.

                    "Who?" Harry asked in confusion.

                    "Vero, of course. Come on, there is no way she was ok with Hermione going to the ball with someone else," Ron explained. Soon the boys approach the Patil twins.

                    "Hello, boys," the twins say in unison, wearing beautiful colored Indian dresses.

                    Padma looks over at Ron in surprise, "Don't you look...dashing," she said.

                    "Oh, Harry, there you are!" McGonagall called out as she rushed over. "Are you and Miss Patil ready?" she asked, confusing Harry.

                    "Ready, professor?" he asked.

                    "To dance. It's traditional that the three champions, or in this case, four are the first to dance. Surely I told you that," she said.

                    Surprise and worry filled Harry's eyes, "No," he said.

                    "Oh well, now you know. Oh, as for you Mr. Weasley, you may proceed into the great hall with Miss Patil," McGonagall said, then walked away. Ron leads a very reluctant Padma into the dance hall. Harry and Parvati remain outside the hall waiting. Hermione peeks in from atop the stairs looking for any signs of Vero, but she is nowhere to be found. She sighs sadly and begins to slowly walk down the stairs in an elegant dress made of floaty, periwinkle-blue material. Her usually bushy hair was now sleek and twisted up into an elegant knot at the back of her head.

                    Parvati is the first one to notice her, "She looks beautiful," she said in awe, catching Harry's attention and causing him to turn around and stare at Hermione in amazement. As she reaches the end of the stairs, she is met by Viktor. He is dressed in a bright red shirt with a matching fur-lined cape attached to a leather strap and a black leather belt with the Durmstrang crest on the belt buckle, brown breeches, and black leather boots. He gracefully bows and goes to offer her his arm but stops staring at something behind her. Hermione notices and looks behind her, seeing Vero walking towards them in a grey slim-fit three-piece tuxedo. Her usually short straight brunette hair was curled and a little longer, now reaching a little bit passed her shoulder. A jeweled silver vine lay in Vero's hair on the back of her head. Hermione stared at her as if she was an angel sculpted by god himself. But the moment was ruined as she noticed Fleur clinging to Vero's arm. She wore a stunning dress made of silver-grey satin while her silky blonde hair was pulled into an elegant French bun. Jealousy fills Hermione's eyes as she watches them walk past her.

                   Minutes later, fan-fair horns blow, and the doors to the dance hall open. All the students in the room move, leaving a clear path to the dance floor. The crowd applauds as the champions begin to walk in, with Vero and Fleur at the front of the group. "Is that Vero Riddle? With Fleur Delacour?" Padma asked in surprise, catching Ron's attention. His eyes fill with surprise then he notices Hermione and Viktor behind them.