It was the day of the Yule Ball. Jody, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Fred, and George were outside. Fred, George, Ron, and Harry were having a furious snowball fight. Ron and Harry against Fred and George.
"I hope he doesn't get too sweaty," Jody said, as she watched Harry throw a snowball which nailed Fred on the side of his head.
"Who?" Hermione asked. She did an intake of breath. "Are you going out with one of these boys?"
Jody nodded. Then said, "guess which one it is."
Hermione looked out at the boys and then said, "Erm - it's Ron, isn't it?"
"Ew, no."
"Fred?"
"Nope."
"George?"
"Er - no."
"Then it's Harry, right?"
"Yes!" Jody exclaimed, "he asked me out three weeks ago!"
"Are you serious?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah," Jody said, "why?"
"Oh no reason that's all," Hermione said, looking down at her knees.
Jody looked at Hermione, but she kept her gaze down toward her knees. Could Hermione possibly like Harry? Or was she wanting to go to the ball with him?
Jody sighed and looked down at her knees too thinking. Then a loud yell brought her back to her senses.
"Ow! Hey that one hurt!" yelled Harry.
Jody looked up to see Harry on the ground. Jody jumped up just as Hermione did and ran over to Harry.
"What happened," Jody said, helping Harry to his feet.
"Fred, that one had a rock in it!" Harry said, rubbing his head, "was this some kind of joke?!"
"Oops. Sorry, Harry," said Fred with a grin, "that one was for Ron."
"What?!" Ron yelled, "are you trying to kill me or something!"
"No," Fred said, looking at George who was grinning to.
Harry took Jody's hand and they walked over to the steps and sat down. Jody checked Harry's head and saw a goose-egg. It was the biggest bump she had ever saw.
"You've just got a big bump on your head, that's all," she said.
"Oh good," said Harry. Then he added, "I got you a Christmas gift, Jody. Close your eyes."
Jody smiled and closed her eyes.
"Okay, open them."
Jody opened her eyes and saw a small box on her lap. She picked it up and opened it. Inside was the most beautiful ring she'd ever saw. It was silver with a heart that read 'my angel'.
"Oh, Harry, I love it," said Jody, hugging him.
"Merry Christmas, my angel," he said, and he kissed her.
"Merry Christmas to you too," Jody said, kissing him back.
"Get a room, you two!" George yelled.
"Yeah!" bellowed Fred.
Jody rolled her eyes at the pair of them then stood up.
"Well," she said to Harry, "I'm going to get ready for the dance. See you in a little bit."
And she left, Hermione behind her. Jody gave another sigh and looked at the ring Harry had given her.
"You know what?" Jody said to Hermione as they approached the Fat Lady.
"What?" Hermione asked, "Fairy Lights." The Fat Lady swung forward and they entered the common room.
"I just had a crazy thought," Jody said as they went into the girls' dormitory. "What if Harry dies before he leaves Hogwarts?" Jody asked as she got her dress robes out of her trunk along with her high heels and make-up.
"I don't know," said a voice from behind Jody and Hermione. Jody turned around and saw Amethyst standing in the door way, a smug look on her face.
"I don't recall asking you, Amethyst," Jody said as she did her make-up.
"Well, I don't recall you asking my one true love out," Amethyst retorted. She, too, got ready for the ball.
Jody and Amethyst had once been best friends, but not anymore because Harry had found Jody more gorgeous than her. Jody put her dress robes on and then her high heels.
"So, Hermione, who are you going with?" Jody asked a few minutes later. She was waiting for Hermione to finish getting ready.
"Oh... I'm going with Viktor Krum," Hermione replied as she put her hair into a tight bun just like McGonagall's.
"I'm going with Zacharias Smith," said Amethyst as she got up to leave. "Well, I must go find him." And she left, waving bye at Jody and Hermione.
"Listen, Hermione, you wouldn't mind if I went to find Harry, do you?" Jody asked.
"No," said Hermione as she got up, "I've got to go find Viktor anyway. See you at the ball in a few, Jody." And she, too, left.
So Jody went down to the common room to find Harry standing in front of the fire, holding flowers in one hand and the other hand in his pocket. She rushed over to him and he handed her the roses and kissed her again.
"They're beautiful, Harry, thanks," said Jody as she hugged him.
"You're welcome."
Jody looked over at the grandfather clock. It was close to eight.
"Well, shall we go down to the ball, milady?" Harry asked, gazing down at Jody.
"Sure," said Jody.
She took his hand and they both left.
About three and a half floors down, Jody spotted Amethyst and Zacharias Smith. They weren't holding hands, instead they were arguing. Jody rolled her eyes. Harry said in a loud enough voice for Amethyst and Zacharias to hear, "my, you do look beautiful in that purple and white dress, Jody."
Jody grinned, but just as they were proceeding the stairs down to the ball, Amethyst yelled, "Harry, so you have been cheating on me?!"
"What?" Harry said in bewilderment.
"Amethyst, this is my boyfriend, don't you remember?" Jody asked, but just then Amethyst grabbed Harry's hand and started to tug him down to the ball.
"Harry!" Jody said, stamping the ground, her hands balling into fists. "Amethyst, you better let my boyfriend go!" She walked toward them and grabbed Harry's other hand.
"He's my boyfriend and you damn well know that!"
"Harry, tell her you're my boyfriend!"
And to Jody's amazement, Harry tugged his hand out of Amethyst's grip and put his arm around Jody.
"Sorry, Amethyst, but this is my girl here."
Jody grinned and put her arms around him. Then they both left. By the time they got down to the Entrance Hall, Professor McGonagall was in a frenzy.
"Oh! Potter, Adams, there you are! You better get into line with the other champions and their partners!"
Harry and Jody got beside Cedric and Cho. Cho was Jody's other best friend.
"Hey, Cho, I love your dress," said Jody.
"Thanks. Love yours, too," replied Cho.
"Jody, you do look lovely tonight," said Cedric, "doesn't she, Harry?"
"Yeah, she does," Harry agreed, carefully avoiding Cho's eye.
Jody was flattered. Just then the doors to the Great Hall opened and everyone else filed past them. A few of them waved at Jody or gave her the thumbs up.
When the last couple went in, did the champions and their partners walk in. Everyone was clapping as they made their way up to one of the round tables where the staff table usually stood. Jody and Harry took a place alone, sitting across from each other. Jody picked up the menu that laid on the table and looked around. She saw Martyn, her brother, sitting with a Beauxbatons girl, who was clearly eating a lamb chop. Jody waved at him, he waved back. His date looked around and gave Jody a dirty look, which she returned with pleasure.
"So, Jody," Harry said after a while, "how do you think out first date is going?"
"Oh, it's going pretty well, I suppose," Jody said, picking at her beef casserole. She hadn't taken a bite out of it yet for only one reason: she like didn't eat meat.
After dinner and dessert, Dumbledore got to his feet and said, "now it is time to dance. So will you all please stand up?"
Everyone got up and Dumbledore took out his wand. With one swipe of it, all the tables went against the wall. Everyone started to go to the dance floor. Jody looked at Harry. He bowed and extended his hand.
"May I have this dance, milady?" he said in a formal voice.
Jody blushed and giggled. "Yes." She placed her hand into his. They went out on the dance floor. Jody took Harry's hand into her own, while Harry wrapped his arm around her waist.
They were soon slow dancing; gazing into each other's eyes. They danced past people they knew. Hermione and Krum; Ginny and Neville; Amethyst and Zacharias; Fred and Angelina; George and Alicia; Martyn and that Beauxbatons girl, who glared at Jody as they past.
Jody and Harry stopped moving next to Cho and Cedric. She could feel Harry's hand beginning to sweat at once. But that didn't stop Jody from wanting to dance beside one of her best friends. When the song ended, everyone clapped for the Weird Sisters. Jody thought Myron Wagtail, the lead singer, was hot.
"Should we sit down?" Harry asked, wiping his sweaty palms on his dress robes.
"Yeah," Jody said, "I don't even like this song."
It was a fast pace song. As everyone went crazy over it, Harry and Jody went to find a table. Jody spotted Ron and Padma sitting at a secluded table. Padma had both her arms and legs crossed. Her lips were pressed together. She looked angry. Jody and Harry sat beside them.
"So, Padma, have you danced yet?" asked Jody.
"No," snapped Padma.
"Oh," said Jody, "no need to get all snappish at me."
"It's all because Ron doesn't want to dance," Padma said. She looked at Jody, then added, "you're lucky, Jody, at least Harry danced with you for one whole song."
I grinned. Then rounded on Ron.
"Ronald something Weasley!" Jody said in a very Mrs. Weasley like tone.
"Yeah?" Ron asked, looking at Jody.
"How dare you not dance with Padma! I mean look at her! Doesn't she look stunning in that dress?" Jody said.
Ron stared at Jody before resuming his conversation with Harry. She turned back to Padma.
"Did Ron ask you to come to the ball with him?" she asked.
"No," Padma said in a small voice, "Harry asked me for Ron. I thought I was going to have a wonderful time, too, just like my sister."
"Oh, I see," Jody said, "I've got it! Next song we're all going to dance."
She looked around at Ron, whose eyes grew big.
"Ron, you are going to dance with Padma. She didn't get all dressed up for nothing," Jody said. She looked down at her watch. The ball didn't end for at least another four and a half hours.
"All right," said Ron, "I'll dance with Padma for one song."
"No. You will dance with her for at least three songs. Then you'll take her outside to the garden."
"Okay."
When the next song ended, Harry took Jody's hand while Ron took Padma's hand, and they all went to the dance floor. It was another slow song. Jody and Harry were quite close to each other that their chests were almost inches away. Jody's thoughts got carried away as she looked up into Harry's brilliant green eyes.
Jody suddenly noticed how much she loved Harry. From his messy black hair, to his lightening bolt scar, all the way down to his shoes. She loved the way he talked; the way he walked, even the way he said her name. She just loved him and nothing could ever change that. Five minutes later the song ended and Harry kissed Jody while everyone else clapped.
The Weird Sisters cranked up a fast song, which Jody and Harry started to dance to. Jody saw two large bodies moving and could tell it was Hagrid and Maxmie dancing. Even Moody and McGonagall joined in! Jody also saw Dumbledore with a teacher whom she'd never seen before. Hermione and Krum soon came in. Their faces were bright red and they were panting. Krum lifted Hermione up in the air and moved on.
Everyone seemed to like the song because no one was sitting down.
By the time the song ended, Jody was tired, hot and thirsty. Harry and Jody sat down. Then Harry said, "I'll go get drinks."
Jody nodded.
About fifteen minutes later, Hermione and Krum came and sat down with her.
"So, having fun?" asked Jody.
"Yeah. Where's Harry?" Hermione looked around.
"Oh, he went to go get drinks."
Hermione nodded. They sat in silence for a few seconds. Jody looked down at her watch again. Only two more hours until the ball ended. Hermione and Krum got up and left to dance again. Soon Jody saw Harry approaching her, holding two butterbeers. He handed one of them to her and sat down.
That was then that she heard a loud clinking sound and a thud on the ground. Jody looked around and saw Harry on the ground, his hands over his face, rolling around and screaming. Jody dropped her drink and got to the floor next to him.
Then the screaming stopped and Harry just laid there. Jody saw Moody coming, behind him Hermione, Cho, Ginny, and Amethyst came. Hermione, Cho, and Ginny helped Jody to her feet. She watched as Moody took Harry away. Jody started to cry.
Hermione, Cho, and Ginny escorted Jody from the ball. They asked what happened. Jody just shook her head and ran all the way back to the common room.
It surly was a magical night... well, part way through, anyway.