Six long weeks in detention
Professor McGonagall looked out of the window of the head master's study and was just in time to witness a Durmstrang student put the leg locker jinx on a first year Ravenclaw girl. Karkaroff the Durmstrang headmaster was standing less than three meters away from the incident seemed oblivious to the event. Minerva McGonagall sighed, there had been many reasons the Triwizard Tournament had failed to be revived in the last hundred years and this was one of them. She'd had her reservations the moment Dumbledore had told her about the event, and those reservations only grew once the overseas students and their respective heads had arrived at Hogwarts. Besides the extra pupils and the demands that had put on the school staff, a feeling of unease and tension had descended on the castle between the three sets of students. At first McGonagall had assumed this was natural, there was bound to be some rivalry. But this was something more. This deep feeling of mistrust had grown at the goblet of fire ceremony when Potter's name came out, and despite the fact Moody had pointed out that tri meant three and the magic involved to make the goblet think otherwise was well beyond the abilities of a snotty 14 year old like Harry made no difference to the two visiting heads
Karkaroff and Madam Maxime only took this as proof that Dumbledore himself was cheating, something they naturally pasted onto their students. This had ended up in several scuffles in the corridors and pupils had to be escorted between classrooms as a result. The only ones not involved in this display of emotion were the Slytherins who'd seemed to have formed an uneasy alliance with the Durmstrang pupils. Now barely two hours after the end of the first task Dumbledore and McGonagall were in crisis talks with the tournaments organisers Barty Crouch and Ludovic Bagman.
It didn't take a genius to see that the other head teachers were going to get their own back for what they saw as Dumbledore's rule breaking. Everybody involved in Hogwarts knew their champions were going to be marked down no matter how they performed against the dragons. But when Karkaroff had marked Harry so low it burly registered on the scoreboard feelings boiled over. The ensuing fight had only stopped when the security wizards brought in to look after the dragons stepped in, and now Madam Pomfrey had a hospital wing full of injured students. As far as Minerva McGonagall was concerned the whole thing should be called off, so what if Hogwarts forfeit the trophy.
"Ludovic does have a point Barty, what do you think Minerva?"
Dumbledore's words brought McGonagall back to the here and now.
"What?" replied McGonagall
"The idea of announcing the Yule Ball early, give the pupils something to focus on" Bagman bleated out.
Minerva eyed him up and down. He was a funny looking man and the fact he still insisted on wearing his old quidditch robes mad him look odder.
"Well that's agreed then" a cheeky look on Bagman's face as he took McGonagall's silence as a sign of agreement.
Harry and Ron walked into the Gryffindor common room the next morning to see a large crowd around the notice board. The squeals of excitement from the girls giving rise to the notion that Bagman's idea had in fact been a good one.
However the sound of Lee Jordan's voice over the noise soon put a stop to that.
"If they think I'm spending my Christmas night with that load of foreign arseholes they have another think coming"
"Sorry mate no choice" said Fred Weasley in his ear drawing Lee's attention to the part of the notice which read
"Attendance is compulsory for all students year 4 and above"
The Yule Ball's announcement only seemed to polarise the three schools even more, but this time between the boys and the girls. All the girls even those from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons were excited. Yet the boys especially those from Hogwarts deeply resented the idea of the Ball. It was bad enough they were being forced to spend Christmas night at school, let alone mixing with the enemy. They'd have to endure a room of giggling girls as well.
This feeling of resentment grew when two days later another notice appeared proclaiming the start of dance classes after school.
"What? Give up my free time to learn to ponce around like a prat they can fuck off" was Seamus Finnigan's answer on seeing the piece of paper pinned to the notice board, and Seamus wasn't the only one who felt like this. So much so the poor attendance from the boys to the first dance class resulted in a third notice stating that anybody breaking school rules would be put in detention for the next six weeks and taught to dance unless they attended the twice weekly classes
The effect of this third notice was two fold. Firstly both Filch and Snape seemed to go into overdrive in their mission to punish wrong doers so much so that a rumour spread around the school that the caretaker and the potions master were in competition to see who could put the most pupils in detention. The proof of this seemed to come when Cormac Mclaggen tried to jinx a Beauxbatons boy in the corridor Both Filch and Snape rushed towards him from either end of the corridor and spent the next 15 minutes arguing as to whom had seen Mclaggen first.
Secondly the feelings toward the overseas students was galvanised as a sage mentality descended on Hogwarts. As Dean Thomas put it "We wouldn't be having to put up with this shit if they weren't here".
This feeling of resentment and hatred which was close to breaking point only to get worst when the uneasy alliance between Slytherin and Durmstrang finally broke down. Caused when a Durmstrang boy had the nerve to ask Pansy Parkinson to the Ball. This was one step too far and not just for the Slytherins but all of the Hogwarts boys and any Hogwarts girl who accepted an invite to the Ball from what were now been referred to as "THEM" was ostracised by boys and girls alike. For now the Hogwarts girls were getting in on the act. Up to now the ill feeling had mainly been amongst the boys, with the girls been more concerned about dresses and fashion tips But that all ended with the circulation of a rumour saying the only reason the overseas students were asking the female pupils of Hogwarts to the Ball was because the girls were perceived to be easy.
The night of the Ball finally arrived and the Gryffindor common room was packed with students all dress in their finest robes, but it was far from a party mood
"There's no way I'm dancing" Dean told Seamus "It's bad enough I have to go to this fucking thing"
A murmur of agreement met this remark.
"Come on lads cheer up at least try and have some fun" and with that comment Fred Weasley and his twin opened their robes to show a bottle of fire whiskey each of them had concealed.
"At least the punch will be lively" George said with a grin.
The time came for the Students to leave the common room and they made their way to the entrance hall. As the Hogwarts pupils mingled the noise was tremendous. But an awkward silence fell as soon as the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students arrived.
At 7pm the doors to the Great Hall opened and they lined up for the entrance of the champions. Not a word was spoken until The 4 champions and their escorts appeared, then the cat calling and whistles began. The loudest of which seemed to be aimed at Fleur Delacour who's large pink hooped dress finished in a fine array of jewels brought the worst out of girls. Once the champions and the guests of honour had sat down at the top table which was on a small raised platform, everybody else got drinks and sat down. It was clear the Weasley's weren't the only ones who'd spiked the punch. Within a short while one sniff of the drink was enough to make most people light headed, but this didn't seem to stop Madam Maxime and Hagrid enjoying several large glasses of it.
With continuing murmurs of contempt the feast began and after the food came the long boring speeches which didn't improve the mood of the hall at all. Next it was the formal dancing. Dumbledore stood up and waved his wand. The tables zoomed to the edge of the room, moments later music seemed to becoming from the very walls of the Great Hall. To an ever increasing volume of boos and hisses the champions and their partners got up and took the floor for the first dance. It finished a few minutes later to a chorus of cat calls and insults from the floor and a smattering of polite applause from the top table. The next dance started and a few of the staff jointed the floor in a vain hope the students would follow. But 45 minutes later only a few pupils had ventured forward with the majority staying firmly sat in their seats.
"It's a tough crowd" said Bagman leaning across the table to talk to Dumbledore "Time for the big guns I think"
Dumbledore grunted his agreement and stood up again. His wand waved again and the music stopped, and this time a stage appeared in the middle of the dance floor.
The candles and torches in the Great Hall dimmed to almost darkness. The sound of a loud wind filled the large room, quickly followed by a flash of lighting and the roll of thunder, cackles and cries seemed to fill the air which grew louder and louder as the lighting flashed again and another clap of thunder deafened everybody. Suddenly the Hall was plunged into darkness as the candles finally went out, only to relight seconds later with a blue flame and on the stage appeared The Weird Sisters.
A roar of approval from all quarters met them. It looked like Dumbledore's instance he be allowed to book the biggest band in the wizarding world may have finally done something that the tournament had thus far failed to do in uniting the three schools
With in seconds of the first chords being played the dance floor was packed. A broad smile beamed from Bagman's face as he watched from the top table. However Dumbledore didn't seem to share Bagman's joy as he'd spotted what Ludovic had failed to see, that the pupils while dancing were not mixing. His mood didn't lighten when a few songs later the band's lead singer shouted
"Do you want to go wild?"
This was normally the call that introduced the band's wilder songs and for the dancers to go mad.
The fast drum beat started and was soon joined by a heavy bass line, moments later the Hogwarts boys had started a mosh pit, jumping around, pushing into each other. A few of the Durmstrang boys joined. The pushing became more intense. Suddenly Dean Thomas was sent flying across the floor. He hit somebody, there was a female cry, the sound of ripping material and he hit the ground Fleur Delacour next to him. Having hit her head Fleur went dizzy for a few seconds. Dean got up quickly and shouting apologies made to help Fleur up, but it quickly became clear there was something wrong.
"Yov stupid bov look, look vat yov hav done" Fleur's shouts only just heard over the band.
The jewelled pink dress had a large tear in it.
"Yov did that on purpose yov fat bastard" she screamed
Dean continued to protest his innocence but by now a group of Beauxbatons boys had surrounded their champion and were talking rapidly in French.
"If you've something to say, say it in English you ignorant fuck" shouted Seamus who'd come to Dean's along with the Weasley twins, Lee Jordan and a few other Hogwarts boys. The Beauxbatons boys eyed them up, they were similar in number but the Hogwarts students looked mean. Something was said in French and the group made to move off lead by Fleur.
"That's right you French slut run off and go and get fucked" Nobody was sure who said it but the Beauxbatons boys heard enough, as one they turned and rushed Dean and his friends. Seconds later a full fist fight had broken out. Very quickly it grew into something bigger as more and more pupils joined in on both sides. Sitting head and shoulders above everybody else on the top table Madam Maxime spotted the disturbance, and on seeing her own students were involved, got up quickly go and break it up. But in rising from her seat found she was a little light headed, having drunk a several large glasses of spiked punch. The result was as the large frame of Olympe Maxime made her way down from the top table she cockled over and ended up tumbling to the floor.
"Look at the ugly troll pissed as a leprechaun" shouted a Durmstrang student nearby he and his schoolmates surrounded Madam Maxime and began to laugh and at her and one of them took a kick at the fallen headmistress. Hagrid only now realising his date had left the table saw what was happening. There was a roar as the Hogwarts gamekeeper took hold of the table and turned it over, sending plates and glasses flying, much to the astonishment to the other people on the top table who only now became aware the something was going on. With a crack of wood Hagrid grabbed a table leg then jumped to the floor
"Leave her alone you foreign bastards" he yelled running towards the Durmstrang boys wheeling the leg around like a club. On seeing Hagrid advancing towards his students Karkaroff shot up with wand in hand sending stunning spell after stunning spell at the half giant. Everybody scattered and as pupils bumped and pushed each other more fights broke out.
The Weird Sisters were used to things getting a little rowdy at their gigs. They had played Dublin the night after Ireland had won the quidditch world could after all. But even they had to admit this was more than a tough crowd as a mealy of fighting students including some Slytherin 7th years ended up on the stage sending instruments and band members in all directions. In less than three minutes of Dean's accidental push on Fleur the Great Hall looked like a war zone, with groups of pupils kicking and punching each other and teachers sending spells in all directions trying to regain order.
The Weird Sisters bass play smiled as he put down the five day old Daily Prophet then winced in pain. His eye still hurt from being punched he'd taken. The photo of Rita Skeeter looking up at him. The article below it telling of the incident, calling it a national disgrace. The details of fight and the catalogue of incidents leading up to it were listed in Rita's own emphatic style.
The bass player picked up the parchment of lyrics he'd just written and reread them
The Great Yule Ball
In the town of Hogsmeade the
School of Hogwarts was to stage a prestigious event
For Dumbledore this was a big one
With things to do and entertainment to rent
There was to be a big party for friends
And supports at the old castle in the great hall
And if you'll listen I'll make your eyes glisten
With the fights and feuds of the Great Yule ball
Chorus
Six long weeks I spent in detention
Six long weeks doing nothing at all
Six long weeks I spent in detention
Learning to dance for the Great Yule Ball
She stepped out and I stepped in again
She stepped out and I stepped in again
She stepped out and I stepped in again
Learning to dance for the Great Yule Ball
Butter beer on tap and mead for the ladies
Ziti and source for Severus Snape
The four Hogwarts houses
Durmstrang and Beauxbatons chasing the girls and dancing away
The Weird Sisters sang in their finest form
The guests responded and I lead them all
I'd spent six weeks in a detention classroom
Learning to dance for the Great Yule Ball
Chorus
Now the boys got hammered it was one hell of a party
Everyone dancing in couples and groups
An accident happened young Dean Thomas
Put his right legs through Miss Delacour's hoops
This gal she fainted then cried bloody murder
Call for her schoolmates, gathered them all
Beauxbatons swore they'd go no further
Till they'd revenge at the Great Yule Ball
Chorus
In the midst of the ruckus
Madam Maxime fell over her cheeks by now as red as a rose
All of Durmstrang declared she was plastered
Had a small drop to much I suppose
Now the great Hagrid so big and able
So his fair Olympe stretched by the wall
Tore the leg from off the table
And wheeled it around at the Great Yule Ball
Chorus
Boy oh boy this was a rumble
Myself took a lick from a wizard in green
But I soon replied to that nice introduction
And give him a terrible kick in the spleen
The Weird Sister's piper nearly got strangled
They squeezed his bellows chanters and all
The witches in the middle nearly got trampled
And that put an end to the Great Yule Ball
Chorus
They'd go well with the old Irish folk song the band had recently heard in Dublin. However he didn't Dumbledore would be letting them perform it at the Triwizard tournament closing feast some how.