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( 𝔳𝔬𝔩𝔲𝔪𝔢 𝔦𝔦, 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖜𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖞-𝖔𝖓𝖊 ) — the yule ball
The walls of the Great Hall had all been covered in sparkling silver frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling. The House tables had vanished; instead, there were about a hundred smaller, lantern-lit ones, each seating a dozen people.
The Champions and their partners got into line and followed Professor McGonagall inside. Everyone in the hall applauded as they entered and started walking up toward a large round table at the top of the room, where the judges were sitting.
At long last, when all the food had been consumed, Dumbledore stood up and asked the students to do the same. Then, with a wave of his wand, all the tables zoomed back along the walls leaving the floor clear, and then he conjured a raised platform into existence along the right wall. A set of drums, several guitars, a lute, a cello, and some bagpipes were set upon it.
The Weird Sisters now trooped up onto the stage to wildly enthusiastic applause; they were all extremely hairy and dressed in black robes that had been artfully ripped and torn. Evangeline had never heard any of their songs; in her household, it was a cardinal sin to listen to anything other than pure-blood piano music.
They struck up a slow, mournful tune; the brunette observed Harry as he walked onto the brightly lit dance floor, carefully avoiding catching anyone's eye (she could see Seamus and Dean waving at him and sniggering), and next moment, Parvati had seized his hands, placed one around her waist, and was holding the other tightly in hers.
It wasn't as bad as it could've been. In a mere matter of minutes, many of the students had come onto the dance floor, so that the champions were no longer the center of attention. Neville and Ginny were dancing nearby — she could see the ginger girl wincing frequently as the Longbottom boy trod on her feet — and Dumbledore was waltzing with Madame Maxime. Even Mad-Eye Moody was doing an extremely ungainly two-step with Professor Sinistra, who was nervously avoiding his wooden leg.
Although Evangeline had remained in her seat, her appearance certainly didn't go unnoticed. She was used to crude comments here and there from some of the older boys, but that was just immaturity. However, at the Yule Ball she simply looked bewitching.
Her hair was spelled into tight ringlets, half-up and half-down with a stray strand framing the right side of her face. A gorgeously lapis lazuli necklace proudly laid just above her tasteful cleavage, accompanied by matching drop earrings. The dress was the real star of the show, though — a royal blue silk gown, simple yet stunning.
