The Girl Who Lived

The Yule Ball

I awoke abruptly on Christmas. Can you guess why?
Ginny.
That's why.
She keeps throwing pillows at me to wake me up.
"Wake up, lazy butt! It's Christmas!" She squealed, then did the same to Mione.
"Ugh, I'm up," I groaned. With a whish of my wand, my hair was brushed and I was wearing decent clothes.
Then I noticed the pile of presents at the end of my bed. There had to be at least ten. Normally, I got a box of tissues or something from Uncle Vernon.
I rushed to the floor and opened the first one I saw. A prank book of course. But not any prank book. It was written by Fred and George of their best pranks ever. I smiled. They were going to love what I got them.
Next, I got a book on Quidditch from Harry, and a Nimbus 2001. He thinks I'd be good at Quidditch. I guess we'll find out.
Ron got me Chocolate Frogs and Fizzing Whizbees.
Mione got me a copy of Hogwarts: A History (typical Mione).
Ginny got me a crap ton of candy (thank God for her).
Mrs. Weasley made me a sweater with the letter H on it.
I didn't know what to get everyone, so I got what I hoped they'd enjoy.
Fred and George: a book of muggle pranks
Harry: a quidditch book
Rob: Chudley Cannons poster
Mione: A book of pranks (with a note saying she needed to have more fun in life).
Ginny: some sweets
Harry and Ron met up with Hermione and me in the common room, and we went down to breakfast together. We spent most of the morning in Gryffindor Tower, where everyone was enjoying their presents, then returned to the Great Hall for a magnificent lunch, which included at least a hundred turkeys and Christmas puddings, and large piles of Cribbage's Wizarding Crackers.
We went out onto the grounds in the afternoon; the snow was untouched except for the deep channels made by the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students on their way up to the castle. Fred, George, and I started a snowball fight against Harry and Ron. Mione chose to watch.
At five o'clock said she was going back upstairs to get ready for the ball.
"I'll come with," I told her.
"What, you need three hours?" said Ron, looking at her incredulously and paying for his lapse in concentration when a large snowball, thrown by George, hit him hard on the side of the head. "Who're you going with?" he yelled after Hermione, but she just waved and we disappeared up the stone steps into the castle.
~*~*~
"Oh my God, Mione. You're beautiful. Ron's going to be so jealous!" I smiled.
"You look amazing, as well!" She replied.
We smiled.
Mione was wearing a pink layered dress that got darker as it went down. Her hair was pulled back with one stand loose on the side. She was breathtaking.
I was wearing a lavender dress with pearls on the top section. I just wore my hair down, but I straightened it.
I told Fred before they Mione and I would meet him there.
On our way to the Hall, Mione told me who her partner was.
"Oh my God, Mione!" I squealed. "Good for you!"
"Who are you going with?" She asked me.
"Fred."
We made it to the Great Hall and I found Fred. "Oi! Fred!" I yelled to him.
He smiled at me. "Hey, H! You look amazing."
I blushed.
Then Professor McGonagall's voice called, "Champions over here, please!"
Professor McGonagall, who was wearing dress robes of red tartan and had arranged a rather ugly wreath of thistles around the brim of her hat, told them to wait on one side of the doors while everyone else went inside; they were to enter the Great Hall in procession when the rest of the students had sat down. Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies stationed themselves nearest the doors; Davies looked so stunned by his good fortune in having Fleur for a partner that he could hardly take his eyes off her. Cedric and Cho were close to me too. Krum and Mione were nearby, so I smiled at them.
"Hi, Heather!" she said. "Hi, Fred!"
Fred was grinning at Hermione in. When the doors to the Great Hall opened, Krum's fan club from the library stalked past, throwing Hermione looks of deepest loathing. Pansy Parkinson gaped at her as she walked by with Malfoy, and even he didn't seem to be able to find an insult to throw at her. Ron, however, walked right past Hermione without looking at her.
Once everyone else was settled in the Hall, Professor McGonagall told the champions and their partners to get in line in pairs and to follow her. We did so, and everyone in the Great Hall applauded as we entered and started walking up toward a large round table at the top of the Hall, where the judges were sitting.
The walls of the 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 about a dozen people.
I concentrated on not tripping over my feet. I caught sight of Ron and Padma, and Harry and Parvati as I neared the top table. Ron was watching Hermione pass with narrowed eyes. Padma was looking sulky.
Dumbledore smiled happily as the champions approached the top table, but Karkaroff wore an expression remarkably like Ron's as he watched Krum and Hermione draw nearer. Ludo Bagman, tonight in robes of bright purple with large yellow stars, was clapping as enthusiastically as any of the students; and Madame Maxime, who had changed her usual uniform of black satin for a flowing gown of lavender silk, was applauding them politely. But Mr. Crouch, I suddenly realized, was not there. The fifth seat at the table was occupied by Percy Weasley.
When the champions and their partners reached the table, Percy drew out the empty chair beside him, staring pointedly at me. I took the hint and sat down next to Percy, who was wearing brand-new, navy-blue dress robes and an expression of such smugness that I thought it ought to be fined.
"I've been promoted," Percy said before I could even ask, and from his tone, he might have been announcing his election as supreme ruler of the universe. "I'm now Mr. Crouch's personal assistant, and I'm here representing him."
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. They picked up their instruments, and I suddenly realized that the lanterns on all the other tables had gone out, and that the other champions and their partners were standing up.
"Come on!" Fred hissed. "We're supposed to dance!"
I tripped over my dress as he stood up. The Weird Sisters struck up a slow, mournful tune; I walked onto the brightly lit dance floor, carefully avoiding catching anyone's eye (he could see Harry and Ron waving at me and sniggering), and next moment, the four champions and their partners were dancing.
It wasn't as bad as it could have been, I thought, revolving slowly on the spot. I kept my eyes fixed over the heads of the watching people, and very soon many of them too had come onto the dance floor, so that the champions were no longer the center of attention. Neville and Ginny were dancing nearby — I could see Ginny wincing frequently as Neville trod on her feet — and Dumbledore was waltzing with Madame Maxime. He was so dwarfed by her that the top of his pointed hat barely tickled her chin; however, she moved very gracefully for a woman so large. Mad-Eye Moody was doing an extremely ungainly two-step with Professor Sinistra, who was nervously avoiding his wooden leg.
Fred and I sat down next to Harry, Ron and their partners after the song was over.
Parvati sat down on Harry's other side, crossed her arms and legs too, and within minutes was asked to dance by a boy from Beauxbatons.
"You don't mind, do you, Harry?" Parvati said.
"What?" said Harry, who was now watching Cho and Cedric. "Oh never mind," snapped Parvati, and she went off with the boy from Beauxbatons. When the song ended, she did not return. Hermione came over and sat down in Parvati's empty chair. She was a bit pink in the face from dancing.
"Hi," said Harry. Ron didn't say anything.
"It's hot, isn't it?" said Hermione, fanning herself with her hand.
"Viktor's just gone to get some drinks."
Ron gave her a withering look. "Viktor?" he said. "Hasn't he asked you to call him Vicky yet?"
Hermione looked at him in surprise. "What's up with you?" she said.
"If you don't know," said Ron scathingly, "I'm not going to tell you."
Hermione stared at him, then at Harry, who shrugged.
"Ron, what — ?"
"He's from Durmstrang!" spat Ron. "He's competing against Heather! Against Hogwarts! You — you're —" Ron was obviously casting around for words strong enough to describe Hermione's crime, "fraternizing with the enemy, that's what you're doing!"
Hermione's mouth fell open.
"Don't be so stupid!" she said after a moment. "The enemy! Honestly — who was the one who was all excited when they saw him arrive? Who was the one who wanted his autograph? Who's got a model of him up in their dormitory?"
"Guys, let's all calm down. We're all supposed to have fun tonight, not the opposite," I sighed.
Mione stormed off.
"Vare is Herm-own-ninny?" said a voice.
Krum had just arrived at their table clutching two butterbeers. "No idea," said Ron mulishly, looking up at him. "Lost her, have
you?"
Krum was looking surly again.
"Veil, if you see her, tell her I haff drinks," he said, and he slouched off.
"Made friends with Viktor Krum, have you, Ron?"
Percy had bustled over, rubbing his hands together and looking extremely pompous. "Excellent! That's the whole point, you know — international magical cooperation!"
To my displeasure, Percy now took Padma's vacated seat.
Fred whispered to me. I nodded my head as he walked away.
The top table was now empty; Professor Dumbledore was dancing with Professor Sprout, Ludo Bagman with Professor McGonagall; Madame Maxime and Hagrid were cutting a wide path around the dance floor as they waltzed through the students, and Karkaroff was nowhere to be seen. When the next song ended, everybody applauded once more, and I saw Ludo Bagman kiss Professor McGonagall's hand and make his way back through the crowds, at which point Fred and George accosted him.
"What do they think they're doing, annoying senior Ministry members?" Percy hissed, watching Fred and George suspiciously. "No respect . . ."
Ludo Bagman shook off Fred and George fairly quickly, however, and, spotting me, waved and came over to their table.
"I hope my brothers weren't bothering you, Mr. Bagman?" said Percy at once.
"What? Oh not at all, not at all!" said Bagman. "No, they were just telling me a bit more about those fake wands of theirs. Wondering if I could advise them on the marketing. I've promised to put them in touch with a couple of contacts of mine at Zonko's Joke Shop. . . ."
Percy didn't look happy about this at all, and I was prepared to bet he would be rushing to tell Mrs. Weasley about this the moment he got home. Apparently Fred and George's plans had grown even more ambitious lately, if they were hoping to sell to the public. Bagman opened his mouth to ask me something, but Percy diverted him.
"How do you feel the tournament's going, Mr. Bagman? Our department's quite satisfied — the hitch with the Goblet of Fire" — he glanced at me — "was a little unfortunate, of course, but it seems to have gone very smoothly since, don't you think?"
"Oh yes," Bagman said cheerfully, "it's all been enormous fun. How's old Barty doing? Shame he couldn't come."
I excused myself and went to find Fred.
"Can we take a walk?" I asked. "It's awfully hot in there."
We set off along one of the winding paths through the rosebushes, but we had gone only a short way when we heard an unpleasantly familiar voice.
". . . don't see what there is to fuss about, Igor."
"Severus, you cannot pretend this isn't happening!" Karkaroff's voice sounded anxious and hushed, as though keen not to be over- heard. "It's been getting clearer and clearer for months. I am becoming seriously concerned, I can't deny it —"
"Then flee," said Snape's voice curtly. "Flee — I will make your excuses. I, however, am remaining at Hogwarts."
Snape and Karkaroff came around the corner. Snape had his wand out and was blasting rosebushes apart, his expression most ill-natured. Squeals issued from many of the bushes, and dark shapes emerged from them.
"Ten points from Ravenclaw, Fawcett!" Snape snarled as a girl ran past him. "And ten points from Hufflepuff too, Stebbins!" as a boy went rushing after her. "And what are you two doing?" he added, catching sight of Fred and me on the path ahead. Karkaroff, I saw, looked slightly discomposed to see us standing there. His hand went nervously to his goatee, and he began winding it around his finger.
"We're walking," Fred told Snape shortly. "Not against the law, is it?"
"Keep walking, then!" Snape snarled, and he brushed past them, his long black cloak billowing out behind him. Karkaroff hurried away after Snape. We continued down the path.
"What's got Karkaroff all worried?" I muttered.
"And since when have he and Snape been on first-name terms?" said Fred.
They had reached a large stone reindeer now, over which they could see the sparkling jets of a tall fountain. The shadowy outlines of two enormous people were visible on a stone bench, watching the water in the moonlight. And then I heard Hagrid speak.
"Momen' I saw yeh, I knew," he was saying, in an oddly husky voice.
We froze. This didn't sound like the sort of scene we ought to walk in on, somehow. . . . I looked around, back up the path, and saw Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies standing half-concealed in a rosebush nearby.
"What did you know, 'Agrid?" said Madame Maxime, a purr in her low voice.
I definitely didn't want to listen to this; I knew Hagrid would hate to be overheard in a situation like this (I certainly would have) — if it had been possible I would have put my fingers in my ears and hummed loudly, but that wasn't really an option. Instead I tried to interest myself in a beetle crawling along the stone reindeer's back, but the beetle just wasn't interesting enough to block out Hagrid's next words.
"I jus' knew . . . knew you were like me. . . . Was it yer mother or yer father?"
"I — I don't know what you mean, 'Agrid. . . ."
"It was my mother," said Hagrid quietly. "She was one o' the las' ones in Britain. 'Course, I can' remember her too well . . . she left, see. When I was abou' three. She wasn' really the maternal sort. Well . . . it's not in their natures, is it? Dunno what happened to her . . . might be dead fer all I know. . . ."
Madame Maxime didn't say anything. And I, in spite of myself, took my eyes off the beetle and looked over the top of the reindeer's antlers, listening. . . . I had never heard Hagrid talk about his childhood before.
"Me dad was broken-hearted when she wen'. Tiny little bloke, my dad was. By the time I was six I could lift him up an' put him on top o' the dresser if he annoyed me. Used ter make him laugh. . . ." Hagrid's deep voice broke. Madame Maxime was listening, motionless, apparently staring at the silvery fountain. "Dad raised me . . . but he died, o' course, jus' after I started school. Sorta had ter make me own way after that. Dumbledore was a real help, mind. Very kind ter me, he was. . . ."
Fred tapped my shoulder. I looked back at him, and he jerked his head over his shoulder. "Come on," he mouthed at me.
I followed him through the shadows.
He grabbed my hand and pulled me with him. We walked past rose bushes and took many turns. Then we came to a fountain (not the same one, of course). It was beautiful. There was sparkling blue water that came out the top and emptied into a pool. It was breathtaking.
Then, Fred did something unexpected.
He grabbed both my hands and looked at me in the eyes. Then he leaned in and lightly kissed me.
I wish I had kissed him back, though. I guess it was just such a shock that my crush would notice me.
He pulled away and we smiled at each other.
Then he walked away.
Is that how it's supposed to work? You kiss someone then walk away? I wouldn't know, since I was locked in a room my entire life, so maybe it is. But I didn't care either way.
Because Fred Weasley kissed me.