𝔸𝕞𝕚𝕥𝕪 ⇾ Harry Potter

Chapter Ten

C h a p t e r T e n
B a m b l i n g B a n d O f B a b o o n s

Quiet chatter filled the hall during the quieter hour of breakfast. The house tables only held about ten students each as most had finished early for earlier classes.

Evelyn, Hermione, Harry and Ron did not have any early classes, so the group took their time to enjoy their meal.

Evelyn had been sitting reading a new muggle book Hermione purchased for her, when she felt a cold liquid splash against her arm.

"Harry!" She complained as she grabbed a napkin to clean the pumpkin juice that Harry had spat out.

"Sorry, sorry!" He fumbled as he tried to help the brunette girl.

"Look at this!" Hermione spat as she slammed the copy of the Daily Prophet she had been reading onto the wooden surface of the table. The trio quickly paid attention to the girl whose face was one of fury.

"I can't believe it! She's done it again. 'Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl seems to be developing a taste
for famous wizards. Her latest prey, sources report is none other than the
Bulgarian bonbon, Viktor Krum.
No word yet on how Harry Potter's
taking this latest emotional blow but it seems that Miss Evelyn Black was heartbroken by the bertrayl.'"

"What?" Evelyn snapped as she looked down at the paper. The picture on the article was from during the day of the first task. Rita had managed to catch a picture of Harry and Hermione hugging while she had just entered the tent. "I hate that woman," the girl muttered.

A young Gryffindor boy appeared next to Ron, catching the attention of the group. "Parcel for you, Mr. Weasley" he announced as he held a large box in his hands.

"Thank you, Nigel." Ron stated as he placed the box on the table. The blonde boy still lingered, with a dazed smile he stared at Harry, who quickly became uncomfortable under the watchful eyes of the boy.

"Not now, Nigel. Later," Ron whispered. The boy eventually left making Hermione glare expectedly at the redhead for an explanation. "I told him I'd get him Harry's autograph."

"Really, Ronald?" Eve signed. She watched as Ron ripped away the brown wrapping paper.

"Oh look, Mum's sent me something." He stated in surprise. Evelyn laughed as Ron removed from the box a purple coat which had embellishments of frilly pink trims and a laced collar.

"Mum sent me a dress," Ron noted in surprise.

"Well, it does match your eyes. Is there a bonnet? Ah ha!" Harry laughed as he pulled a frilly white fabric from the box, which Evelyn noticed was from the chest.

"Evelyn, Ginny. These must be for one of you," Ron stated causing his older sister to laugh while his younger sister looked at the item in disgust.

"I'm not wearing that, it's ghastly!" She responded with a scrunched nose.

Hermione joined Evelyn's laughter as they watched Ron's obliviousness. "What are you on about?" He asked.

"They're not for Ginny or Eve," Hermione giggled.

"They're for you," Evelyn pointed out which caused those listening near by to erupt into laughter. "They're dress robes," Eve told her brother.

"Dress robes? For what?"

*****

The Gryffindor students watched curiously as Mr Filch fidgeted with a very large gramophone in the corner of the room they had been summoned to.

All the Gryffindor students from fourth year and older were gathered into an empty room of the castle. The boys were instructed to sit in the chairs on one side of the rooms while the girls were placed on another.

Evelyn and Hermione chatted quietly as they watched McGonogall enter the room, everyone sat quietly as she greeted the students and began to speak over Filch's tinkering.

"The Yule Ball has been a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament since its inception," the professor began. "On Christmas Eve night, we and our guests gather in the Great Hall for a night of well-mannered frivolity. As representatives of the host school I expect each and every one of you to put your best foot forward. And I mean this literally, because the Yule Ball is, first and foremost...a dance."

Most of the girls turned excitedly to their friends, while the boys groaned unhappily.

"How exciting is this?" Hermione gushed to Evelyn who cringed at the news.

"Not that exciting," she replied. She hated the efforts of dressing up, and having to dance would be even more pressure.

"Silence!" McGonogall called. "The house of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the wizard world for nearly 10 centuries. I will not have you, in the course of a single evening, besmirching that name by behaving like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons."

"Now, to dance is to let the body breathe. Inside every girl, a secret swan slumbers longing to burst forth
and take flight. Inside every boy, a lordly lion prepared to prance."

Evelyn noticed that Ron had been whispering from his side of the room, which caught the attention of Professor McGonogall.

"Mr. Weasley," She called. "Will you join me, please?"

McGonogall guided Ron towards the centre of the room, Eve smirked as he was dragged unhappily to join her.

"Now, place your right hand on my waist," the professors instructed.

"Where?" Ron questioned appalled.

"My waist. And extend your arm. Mr. Filch, if you please."

Evelyn and Hermione shared a quiet giggle as they watched watched McGonogall count the steps in time with the music while Ron glared at the other students laughing at his misery.

"Everybody come together," McGonogall suddenly announced which caused all the girls except one to leap from their chairs.

Evelyn groaned as she remained seated, she dreaded the idea of dancing. And she was never the time of girl who fantasized going to any ball or meeting any Prince charming.

The boys were forced to leave their chairs and find a partner to practice with. Harry stood sheepishly, before he spotted his brunette friend was the only girl left sitting. Harry was quick to walk over knowing that this was his chance to avoid embarrassment with another girl.

Evelyn looked up as she noticed someone stop in front of her. "Care for this dance?" Someone asked.

Eve smiled seeing Harry in front of her with his hand extended. The girl quietly groaned before standing, she knew McGonogall would have her ear if she didn't dance. "Only because it's you," she replied as she took his hand.

The two teenagers spent the next hour dancing, which became a mess of attempting to dance with Harry's sling and the muttering of apologies every couple seconds when the boy would step on his friend's toes.

Evelyn was surprised to find she was quiet good at the dance, but she was more surprised to see she enjoyed the experience thanks to Harry keeping a smile on her face.