It seemed as though the pressure that had been building around the castle leading up to the first task had deflated, and an attitude of good cheer pervaded the school the morning after the task.

Vegeta awoke in his personal bedchambers in the dungeons. They were his personal quarters because his fellow Slytherins thought that their champion deserved the extra personal space. Thus, they moved their beds into the common room.

In fact, when the Prince devoted further thought to it, the devotion his fellow students were giving him seemed to extend far beyond normal schoolhood admiration. After all, it was unusual to refer to someone who was supposedly a peer as "Lord Vegeta".

Nor was it normal to create shrines, or make offerings in Vegeta's honor, or rename the house the "Church of Latter-Day Saiyans.". Strangely enough, a vast majority of the Slytherins had apporached him, begging for physical training so that they may look muscled, like their lord. Vegeta obliged, and many of the Slytherins had taken up punishing martial arts training. Vegeta was nearly certain that he had inadvertently become the god of a new religious cult. When he realized this, he smirked.

Now that he knew that the Triwizard Tournament would be no challenge to him or his skills, Vegeta turned his focus towards another goal. His true goal, the defeat and death of the vile traitor, Kakarrot. Somehow, the simpleton, as well as his mutant half-breed son, had discovered a way to maintain their Super Saiyan state for long periods of time. With luck, he would soon extract an explanation for Kakarrot, so that the fool may sow the seeds of his own demise.

Concurrently, the Gryffindors were waking up from their all-night party, with the exception of Goku, who would be passed out for the whole day after ascending to the super drunk status only a few hours earlier.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione had already left the common room to grab breakfast, so Gohan planned to meet up with them later. He exited the portrait hole, only to find the baffling sight of Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle. They all looked highly frazzled, and strangely enough, they held suitcases in their sweaty, shaking hands.

"Um, hi. Is there something I can help you boys with?" Gohan said, trying his best to be friendly. "Look, you have to let us crash here! We can't stay in our dorm anymore!" Draco pleaded, genuflecting in front of Gohan. The half-Saiyan felt a sinking disappointment in his chest.

"Don't tell me; it has something to do with Vegeta." Gohan sighed. "We were kicked out of the Slytherin dorm by our own housemates! They said that we were dishonoring the great and terrible Lord Vegeta. He's taken over!" Draco said pitifully. Crabbe and Goyle were crying openly, great big tears streaming down their chubby cheeks.

Any animosity Gohan felt towards the three bullies was overwhelmed by sheer pity. "Uh, alright, I guess you guys can stay. Then again, it's not really my call to make. I'll go ask Professor McGonagall." Gohan turned away, only for his arm to be grabbed by Malfoy.

"No, don't tell her! She'll never allow it! Just give us a place to sleep! I'm begging you!" Malfoy said. "Hmm, he doesn't seem like the type of guy who would beg so easily. Something must really be up." Gohan thought.

"Sure, you guys can stay here. I'd hate to leave you out in the cold." Gohan said, contrite. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle ran into the common room like little children, stepping over the prone body of Goku on the way.

"Man, this is gonna be trouble…" Gohan went over to his splayed biological father, nudging his shoulder. "Dad, wake up." The boy said shortly. "Oh hey Gohan, what's up?" Goku mumbled into the carpet. "I'm pretty sure Vegeta started a cult." Gohan explained. "Oh, that's no good. Somebody should stop him!" Goku replied woozily.

"Yeah, I was kinda hoping it would be you. You know you're the only one of us who can even attempt to reason with him." Gohan was feeling the beginnings of a headache. "Look, Daddy's not feeling so well right now, Gohan. I'm sure Vegeta can wait." Goku then tried to go to sleep again, but Gohan persisted in his nudging.

After enough prodding by Gohan, however, Goku eventually trekked down to the Slytherin dungeons, a feeling of trepidation compounding the closer he got to their common room. With bloodshot eyes and twitching demeanor, he knocked on their door.

The chamber door opened, seemingly by itself. Goku was greeted at the entrance by a herd of Slytherin students. Interestingly, instead of wearing their normal uniforms, they were donning yellow muscle shirts with grey sweatpants. Their physical shape surprised Goku as well.

There were precious few students at Hogwarts Goku would consider to be in athletic shape. Their muscles were usually doughy and unimpressive, nourished on a diet of porridge and corned beef. The same could not be said of the Slytherin students now. They had gained definition in their arms and legs, and many had lost a significant amount of body fat as well.

Seeing a group of thugs like these might have intimidated the average student, but Goku felt nothing but confusion as he gaped at them. "So, how's it going, fellas? Is Vegeta home right now?" Goku asked innocently.

One particularly brutish acolyte stepped up to face the Saiyan. "What business would a piece of Gryffindor slime like you have with Lord Vegeta?" He said in a low voice. Goku scratched his messy black hair. "Well, he's a good pal of mine, you see." He responded.

"Lord Vegeta has no friends. You are either his follower, or his enemy. You must be one or the other. There is no in-between." Another girl said in creepy monotone. "Uh, I don't really get what you're talking about…" Goku said, shrugging.

The Slytherins grew hunched, seemingly ready to attack Goku at any moment. "Be at peace, my disciples." Vegeta called from out of nowhere. The crowd of goons instantly parted, revealing Vegeta's smug visage to Goku.

He was wearing his Slytherin garb, although unlike the other students, a black cape was streaming from his shoulders to the floor. He was in his Super Saiyan form, his blonde hair and shocking blue eyes taking Goku by surprise. A brown-backed novella was tucked in his arm, the title "The Prince" embossed in gold lettering on the cover.

"Vegeta, what is the meaning of this?" Goku asked with uncharacteristic weariness. "Ah, just the clown I wanted to see! I must ask, how are you, Kakarrot, old sport?" Vegeta asked as he wrung the other Saiyan's hand. Goku frowned; something was definitely up.

"I take it you're attempting to master the Super Saiyan form, as well?" Goku asked directly, not in the mood for games. Suddenly, a dark-skinned Slytherin ran up on Goku. "How dare he speak to the master in such disrespectful tone!?" The boy shouted.

Vegeta put a placating hand on the student. "Silence, Zabini! I appreciate your sentiments, but you must learn to control yourself! After all, we wouldn't want to misbehave in such good company, would we?" Vegeta said quickly before turning to his entourage. "Leave us at once. You all are expected to perform your morning training as usual." When given this command, the Slytherins filed obediently out of the common room, leaving Goku alone with Vegeta.

Goku raised a quizzical eyebrow. "How did you get those kids to follow you like that? No offense, but you're not exactly the most charismatic person I've ever met." Goku said, very serious in his delivery.

"It's simple; I am finally getting the respect I deserve." Vegeta replied simply as he took a seat in a plushy armchair. "They're treating you like some sort of god!" Goku said heatedly. "Exactly. The respect I deserve. Anyways, to answer your question, yes, I am attempting to master the Super Saiyan form. After all, the transformation is my royal birthright." Vegeta said with considerable pomp.

Goku decided not to bring up that he had achieved the transformation first. "Ah, so you think that you'll be strong enough to fight Cell when we return to our world?" He asked in friendly manner.

"Cell?" Vegeta said incredulously, as if Cell were nothing but a particularly amusing sideshow. "Please. I will crush Cell underneath my boot like the insect he is for daring to mock our heritage. And then, you will be next to feel the full extent of my Super Saiyan wrath." Vegeta threatened.

"I can't wait to fight you once again after you've improved, Vegeta. I wish you good luck on your training! Speaking of which, what do you think about that golden egg? It made a horrible sound when I opened Harry's." Goku asked. "Oh, that? I'm sure I won't need to bother with it. Such children's mysteries are beneath me. I like how it looks, though. It makes a fine trophy, nonetheless." Vegeta sneered at Goku's back as the other Saiyan left the room. Goku left unannounced, not wanting to trigger Vegeta's temper.

After Goku left, Vegeta found a classroom that was normally empty, and sat in the center of it. He crossed his legs and tented his fingers. "I must find serenity if I am to master the Super Saiyan state. Be calm, Vegeta." He centered his thoughts. "Bulma, I will come back to you. I will stake my life on it. And Trunks…" He was thinking of his one-year old son, not his counterpart from the future dimension. "I must teach Trunks the old ways, the true ways of the warrior. Who will carry on the legacy of the Saiyans if not him?" Vegeta felt a calm emptiness within him, and he strove to reach it.

Goku spent little time thinking about Vegeta's blatantly sinister movements, and later that morning, the entire Hogwarts student body was called to an assembly by their heads of houses.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the Yule Ball is fast approaching- a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity to mingle with the foreign delegation. The dance will only be open to fourth years and above, although you may invite a younger student if you wish." Professor McGonagall explained crisply to the Gryffindor population.

"So what kind of games do we play with the Yule Ball?" Goku whispered to Krillin. "It's not that kind of ball, Goku. It's a time where you can dance." Krillin sighed. "Oh. That sounds alright too!" Goku smiled.

Meanwhile, Gohan was sitting with the golden trio. Harry and Ron whispered and joked with each other while he and Hermione listened attentively to the teacher. As soon as McGonagall mentioned the word "dance", Gohan instinctually glanced over at Hermione, who was already looking at him. The nervous half-Saiyan quickly averted his eyes elsewhere. His thumbs twiddled madly, and his right foot tapped like a sewing machine.

"Yes, dress robes will be required. The dance will start at exactly eight o' clock on Christmas Day in the great hall, and will be done at midnight. "It will be an opportunity for us all to, er, let our hair down, so to speak." The statement was humorous for the students, as Professor McGonagall had never let her hair down, not even metaphorically. Even as she spoke, she wore her graying locks in a tight bun.

"However, that will NOT be an excuse to behave like a group of babbling baboons! If I hear that a Gryffindor, especially, is misbehaving, I shall be most displeased." This cowed most of the students, and the Gryffindors hustled from the room as soon as the bell rung.

Harry tried to be the first out of the room, but unfortunately, fate had other plans for him. "Mr. Potter! A word, if you please." McGonagall called after him. Gohan, Ron, and Hermione offered their wordless sympathies as he went to speak with his Transfiguration teacher.

Gohan, Ron, and Hermione waited in the outside hallway for Harry. "So, a dance, eh? This should be fun!" Gohan said bracingly. Ron turned to look at Gohan as if he had suddenly sprouted antlers. "How can you be smiling? You can't seriously be considering asking a girl to the dance!?" Ron said, trembling.

"Well, I've never been to a dance before, but I bet it'll be a good time. I always liked dancing with my mom when I was a little kid." Gohan said. Ron retched at the cheesiness of the statement, while Hermione practically cooed over how adorable she thought it was.

"Oh come now, Ronald. Gohan's got the right attitude." Hermione said while smiling. She was dismayed when Harry entered the hallway having the same disgusted countenance as Ron.

"McGonagall says that I have to find a date for the dance." Harry said in abject terror. His three friends laughed, but Gohan was slightly confused. "Why don't either of them just ask Hermione?" He thought. "Well, maybe she'd like to go to the dance with me! I'll ask her tonight!"

Meanwhile, Professor Snape was giving a similar spiel as McGonagall's to the Slytherin students. To the potions master's surprise, the students were refusing to wear their uniforms, donning gym clothes instead. To Snape's further surprise, no matter how many points he took away or detentions he bestowed, the Slytherins refused to take off their new clothes.

However, he still had a professional attitude to maintain, and he delivered the announcement of the Yule Ball with his signature detachment. "…And to any students who may be planning any pranks or horseplay….know this; anyone who besmirches the name of Salazar's house will suffer my wrath. Personally. Any questions?"

There were none. This was because most of the students had fallen asleep. Due to Snape's extended pronunciations, the Slytherin assembly was longer than the other three house meetings combined. Vegeta chose to play along, although he certainly didn't plan on attending the ball himself. That is, until Snape laid a hand on the Prince's shoulder.

"Mr. Vegeta, I like what you did with your hair. Also, I'm fairly certain that you started a cult in my house." Snape hissed. Vegeta turned around just enough so that Snape could see one of his sea-green eyes.

"Take your hand off of me at once." The Saiyan Prince said in a dark voice. Snape did not do so. "Explain your actions. How did you brainwash hundreds of wizards at once? Even the Dark Lord at the peak of his power-"

"Do not compare me to your paltry wizards, for I am like no other. However, I did not brainwash any of your precious students. They chose to follow me of their own free will. You see, the Church of Latter Day Saiyans is an enlightened cult that respects the individuality of its members." Vegeta smirked.

"Don't give me that rubbish! If you do not disband your little club at once, I will take this matter to the headmaster." Snape threatened. "I am not afraid of him." Vegeta responded immediately. "He has powers even beyond you." Snape said. Vegeta scoffed at the ludicrous statement.

Vegeta exchanged a hard glare with Snape for a moment before the prince closed his eyes in amusement. "Hmph. I will ask them not to be so fanatical in the future. However, it is not because of your ridiculous threats that I do so. I simply grow bored of their constant, smothering attention." Vegeta said haughtily.

"You are perhaps the most Slytherin student I have ever had the displeasure of having under my charge." Snape said. "I'll take that as a compliment." Vegeta said. "By the way, you have to get a dance partner for the Yule Ball." Snape said with vindictive pleasure. Vegeta's frown deepened.

Gohan braced himself when he and his friends returned to the Gryffindor common room, as he did not tell them of their new guests. When Harry saw Draco Malfoy sprawled out on the couch closest to the fireplace, he very nearly vomited.

" By Merlin's Armpit Hair, that's a horrible surprise. And what exactly do you think you're doing in our common room, Malfoy?" Ron said with extreme hostility. "Why, didn't you get the news, Weaselby? Crabbe, Goyle, and I are crashing here for the time being!"

Hermione's voice had grown dangerously shrill. "Who is responsible for this?" Her voice made even Draco's skin crawl. "Now, Hermione, I can explain-" Gohan began to raise his hands in a quelling gesture, but Hermione rounded on him immediately.

"YOU LET HIM INTO OUR DORM?!" She yelled. Harry and Ron began to chuckle. "Surreal, seeing her chew out someone else for a change." Ron sniggered. Draco smirked while placing his arms behind his head on the sofa.

"But Hermione, he didn't have anywhere else to go!" Gohan protested weakly. She stepped back, her anger momentarily being surpassed by sheer confusion. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"It's our beloved champion, Prince Vegeta. He's taken over the Slytherin House and turned it into some sort of dojo. We were cast out by our own dormmates. Said something about our lack of faith." Draco spoke up with a small degree of sadness.

"Surely you've already complained to your father about being exiled from your own house?" Harry said viciously, having no sympathy for Draco at all. "Or maybe Daddy wouldn't like to hear about the noble scion of Malfoy being forced to quarter with dirty Gryffindors, hmm?"

"Wait, that Vegeta bloke started a religion? I figured he was cocky, but not to this extreme!" Ron said. "I don't think he did it intentionally, believe it or not. My dad went to go talk to him this morning and he even said as much. I don't know if I believe that though." Gohan said.

"Actually, it makes sense. The Slytherin House, throughout its history, has produced a lot of leaders. Most of them were evil, highly ambitious, and powerful. Since the house was built on those three pillars, students who exemplify it to a certain degree would rise to a position of leadership in the dorm. Does Vegeta fit any of these descriptors?" Hermione explained. "All three to the largest degree possible." Gohan replied.

"And there is the answer. Malfoy, you may stay here, but there will be no problems. Am I clear?" Hermione said strictly. "Yeah, no problems, or else Hermione will give you another knuckle sandwich!' Ron laughed. Draco bristled, but obeyed.

That night, the first snow of the year fell on Hogwarts, and Harry, Gohan, Ron, and Hermione bundled up in warm cloaks before heading outside to help Ron with his flying practice.

Ron was an enthusiastic and dedicated student, and Gohan enjoyed teaching him the basics of ki. In terms of skill, he was an intermediary between Harry and Hermione. He wasn't quite at home in the air like Harry was, but the ginger was able to carry himself with grace nonetheless.

"Finally, I can do something none of my other siblings can do! This is awesome!" Ron exclaimed happily. Gohan grinned at him in pride. It was well past dark when they finally went back into the castle. They ran into Draco again and as Harry and Ron began to bicker with him, Gohan leaned in to whisper in Hermione's ear.

"Would you like to come to the ball with me?" He asked. Hermione gasped, her cheeks flushed. She briefly glanced over to Ron, before meeting Gohan's eyes. "I'd love to!" She said faintly. "Alright, awesome. Now I just need to find some dress robes!" Gohan said a little more loudly.

Draco laughed at Gohan. "Ha! You Gryffindor plebians can't even afford dress robes! Then again, compared to great-aunt Tessie's shower curtains, I suppose Gohan got off light!" "Shut it, Malfoy!" Ron said hotly, not hearing anything of Gohan and Hermione's exchange. "He actually has a point on that one, Ron." Harry laughed in spite of himself.

The next day, Piccolo, who had been stewing in his room in depression, made Gohan a tuxedo using his Clothes Beam. "That is still your most metro attack." Gohan commented. "Indeed." Piccolo grunted as he held up the black suit for his son.

"I'm kinda nervous about this, Mr. Piccolo. I've never danced with a girl before!" Gohan worried. Normally, Piccolo had no patience for such "mushy stuff", as he put it. However, his fondness for Gohan outweighed his annoyance, and he even spared a small smile for the boy.

"It's something every human boy must do before he becomes a man. Just be confident, and you'll be fine. Then again, I am a sentient plant, so any romantic advice I give you should be taken with a grain of salt." Piccolo said gruffly. "I appreciate it anyways, Mr. Piccolo! Say, that reminds of something I was meaning to ask you. How did my parents meet? Was it romantic?" Gohan asked. "No." Piccolo responded. "No, it wasn't."

December flew by, and Harry and Ron's search for dance partners became increasingly frantic. Harry had his eye on the attractive Ravenclaw Cho Chang, but she was always hanging out with an impenetrable gang of other females, making his progress minimal.

He finally worked up the courage to ask her to the ball, only to find that she had already been spoken for by Cedric Diggory, of all people. He walked back to the Gryffindor common room in dejection, seeing Ron in a similar situation. His friend was moping in the corner, his sister Ginny talking to him in a soothing voice.

Harry approached his ashen-faced friend. "What happened?" He asked numbly. "Ron asked Fleur Delacour to the ball. I don't know what made him believe that was a good idea." Ginny snarked. Ron explained the situation to a growing crowd of Gryffindors, Draco and his goons stopping by to listen as well. Goku and Krillin, bored, also wandered by.

"You'll never believe who Neville asked to the ball, though. Hermione!" Ron said, hoping to deflect some of the crowd's mockery onto Neville. "He said that she was really nice, always helping him with his work and whatnot- then she ended up turning him down, said that she was already going with someone else." Ron explained, some of the color coming back to him.

"Hey Goku, word on the street is that Gohan asked that Hermione girl to the prom, or whatever they call it here." Krillin said offhand. "Oh, really? Wow, my son is growing up so fast! They seem like they'll make a great couple." Goku said happily. "Yeah, it's just a shame that he's gonna have to leave her behind once we find a way back to our world. Poor kid." Krillin thought sadly.

Hermione entered the common room with a large stack of homework. She looked very stressed. "Oy, Hermione- you're a girl." Ron said. "Yes, that's correct, Ronald." She said in a clipped voice. "Why don't you go to the ball with Harry, or me?" Ron asked boorishly.

"I can't come with you," she said, "I am already going with someone else." She then trudged up to the girl's sleeping quarters. "She's lying." Ron said with absolute certainty. "No, she isn't." Ginny said with exasperation. "What? Well, who is she going with, then?" Ron asked sharply. "I'm not telling you, it's her business." Ginny responded.

"Ouch! Shot down by Granger, how humiliating is that?!" Draco laughed. "SHUT UP, MALFOY." The other twenty-five students in the room shouted. Harry took a deep breath, wondering who he would take to the ball. He decided then and there that he would just ask the next girl he saw.

At that moment, Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown, two rather ditzy girls in Harry's grade, walked through the portrait hole. Harry didn't particularly like them, but they weren't horrible people by any means. He walked directly up to the Indian girl and asked in businesslike tone, "Parvati, would you like to go to the ball with me?"

After roughly five minutes of giggling and blushing on Parvati and Lavender's part, Parvati accepted Harry's offer while also agreeing to set up Ron with her sister, Padma. After the girls left, Harry and Ron went down to dinner, commiserating all the while.

Meanwhile, Fleur Delacour was walking through the entrance courtyard to the Beauxbatons carriage, accompanied by her standard entourage of twenty other girls. They were heading to their bedrooms to turn in for the evening when suddenly, a lone figure stopped them in their tracks.

"Which one of you is Fleur Delacour?" Vegeta questioned impatiently. "Why should we tell you anything, you creep?!" One of the girls said snobbishly. "It is fine, girls." Fleur parted the barrier of people around her and faced Vegeta. Both champions wore proud, sneering demeanors.

"What do you want, Mr. Vegeta?" Fleur asked. "Oh, nothing extreme, I assure you. Now, as a champion, we both are obligated to find a date for this Yule Ball nonsense. Now, from what I have been told, I hear that you find none of the mongrels around here up to your impossibly high standards." Vegeta said gruffly.

"This is true. Also, I like what you did with your hair." Fleur said. "Thank you, I find the look to suit me as well. Anyways, since neither of us want to participate in this garbage, I suggest we sign up to be partners. Then, we can get the token amount of dancing required out of the way and move on with our lives from there. Deal?" Vegeta asked shortly.

Fleur raked her eyes up and down Vegeta's incredibly muscular frame. She looked at his electric blue eyes for a moment before shaking his gloved hand and saying, "Deal."

Christmas Day finally came, and with it, the day of the ball. Goku, Gohan, and Krillin came down to the common room to find the Gryffindor children (and Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle) opening their Christmas presents. The Z-Fighters were bemused to find that they, too, had presents underneath the tree.

"So what exactly is Christmas, anyways?" Krillin asked. "Ah, I bet they don't celebrate Christmas over in China, do they, laddie?" Seamus goaded. "Well…no." Krillin sighed, not even bothering to correct him.

"It's a holiday where we celebrate friends, family, and stuff like that by giving each other gifts. It's also characterized by music, lights, and a special meal which we'll be having with the teachers at lunch." Dean explained as he examined the new West Ham poster he got from Harry.

"Oh, I see. Sorry we didn't get you guys anything, it's just that we don't have something like this in our world- I mean country." Gohan stammered. "Don't worry about it, lads. Come on and open your gifts, before they get cold." Dean waved it off.

The Z-Fighters got generous presents from the friends they had made at Hogwarts. Goku had received oodles of food, Firewhiskey, and novelty items from Fred and George, as well as a book titled Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them from Hagrid. Goku normally didn't like to read, but he vowed to page through the book to show appreciation to Hagrid. "Haha, awesome! Thanks for the gifts, guys!" Goku laughed.

Krillin received various trinkets from the students, but the gift that had surprised him most was Neville's gift. It was a clearly expensive silver cauldron and potion brewing kit. "I guess the kid hasn't forgotten about the time I helped him in Snape's class." Krillin thought fondly. He looked over to Neville and smiled at him, a grin that the shy boy happily reciprocated.

Gohan sat down with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. When they saw their friend, they shoved a pile of gift-wrapped boxes towards him. "Sorry, I didn't get anything for you…" Gohan said apologetically. "You taught us how to fly. I'm pretty sure we're even now." Harry said nonchalantly.

From Ron, Gohan got an orange book entitled Flying with The Cannons, as well as a bag of Honeydukes chocolate. From Harry and Hermione, he received copies of the school-mandated textbooks. "Now you don't have to borrow from us anymore! Plus, you seemed pretty interested in them." Harry said.

"Thanks so much, you guys!" Gohan felt a lump in his throat. He was lucky to have such good friends, and he had never felt happier in his entire life than he did right now.

Piccolo swiftly made his way out of the common room after waking up. He had done some research on the holiday of Christmas, and was rather indifferent about the whole thing. He was about to climb out of the portrait hole when he suddenly felt a petite hand on his shoulder.

He turned to see that Luna had been the one who had stopped him. "What do you want, kid?" Piccolo said far more rudely than he meant. "Oh, I just thought you shouldn't leave without opening your present." Luna said with an airy whisper. Piccolo suddenly felt rather guilty.

He took a small blue box from Luna's hands, quickly opening it. It was a wood carving of a magical creature she had once told him about, Piccolo believed it was called a Crumple-Horned Snorcack. Enclosed at the around the carving were three purple gis, similar to the ones he usually wore.

"I hope it's the right size. I figured since you always seem to be working out, you could use some more training clothes. I sewed them myself." Luna said with an adorable smile. Piccolo held the tunic in front of him. It was the perfect size, and the fabric was light and breathable.

"Thanks, kid. It's a nice gift." Piccolo responded. Suddenly, she hugged him, wrapping her arms around his muscled frame. The Namekian frowned, but allowed the display of affection. "You're a good friend, Mr. Piccolo." She said. Piccolo smiled, ruffling her hair with his clawed hand. "Man, who would have thought that the Demon King Piccolo would accept a hug, of all things….I must be getting soft." The Namekian thought wryly.

That day, Goku and Gohan partook in a snowball fight with the rest of the Hogwarts students, Krillin and Piccolo content to watch. Soon, however, it was time to get ready for the dance. Gohan, Harry, and Ron donned their dress robes. Gohan felt bad that he didn't have Piccolo use his Clothes Beam make some decent dress robes for Ron, the ginger-haired boy instead wearing the horrendous pink robes of his Great-Aunt Tessie.

"Say, Gohan, you never told us who you were going with." Harry asked offhand, adjusting his bow tie. "You'll see soon enough." Gohan remarked coyly. He felt that it would be better to surprise them. At that point, Neville opened the door to the bedroom. "Parvati and Padma are outside. Best not keep them waiting." He said.

"Right. I hope you have fun with Ginny, Neville!" Harry said. "Thanks! Those dancing lessons I've been taking will surely pay off now!" Neville said before bounding out of the room, highly confident.

"We'll catch up with you later." Ron said before he and Harry left the room with the grim air of a funeral dirge. On the way out, they passed by Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, all of whom were wearing robes of black velvet.

"Have fun wearing your Great-Aunt's robes, Weasley." Draco insulted casually. "Thanks, I will. You have fun dancing with pugface." Ron shot back just as glibly, referring to the infamously bitchy Slytherin girl Pansy Parkinson.

Harry paused, expecting Malfoy to make some sort of snarky remark towards him as well, but it never came. "Really? No insult?" Harry asked, a slight tinge of disappointment in his voice. "I haven't really been in the mood to piss you off lately, Potter, but I'll do my best. Hrm…." Draco strained, in deep thought. "Um….your parents are dead?" the blonde boy said slowly. "Alright, feel much better now, thanks." Harry said quickly before meeting Parvati in the hallway.

Later, Gohan was ready to meet Hermione. He would meet her in the courtyard before they would go to the ball together. As he left the common room wearing a soft black tuxedo, he glanced around the hall before taking flight through the castle.

He dropped to the ground right as he entered the courtyard. It was a surprisingly balmy night for the middle of winter, and the stars were especially bright, due to the lack of cloud cover.

And there Hermione was; Gohan could scarcely recognize her. She wore a blue dress made of some strange, floaty material. Her hair was curled into a ponytail that draped down to her back. She held herself differently, more elegantly. She seemed like a completely different person.

Gohan smiled nervously, offering his hand to her. "Ready to go?" He asked in what he hoped was a gentlemanly voice. She daintily took his arm. "Yes."

The Great Hall had been decked out for the ball, and no expense had been spared. Towering ice sculptures of reindeer and wizards nearly scraped the ceiling of the hall, which had been painted a glowing white. Instead of torches and candles, floating spheres of light were illuminating the dance floor and dining area. It looked like ten million fireflies had lit up the world. Silver frost adorned every surface, mistletoe draped over the tables as a centerpiece.

"Champions, over here, please!" Professor McGonagall, clad in a red tartan dress, called. Harry and Parvati bid Ron and Padma adieu and crossed over to McGonagall. Viktor Krum was also there, accompanied by an attractive girl from Beauxbatons. He wore crimson military-style dress with what seemed to a cape made out of wolf fur. The Beauxbatons girl wore a small periwinkle dress, her colors contrasting with her date's.

Harry felt a sudden urge to laugh when he saw Vegeta and Fleur. They weren't even touching each other, Vegeta leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. The Prince seemed uncomfortable in his green and silver suit, and Harry suspected that if he had his way, he would just show up to the dance in gym clothes. Fleur wore a beautiful white dress, but her expression was bored and imperious.

McGonagall looked around awkwardly at the champions before ordering them to line up in pairs. They would be dancing alone first before joined by the student body and teachers. The champions were introduced to the dance floor to applause.

Harry just focused on not screwing up and steeping on Parvati's feet. Luckily, she steered him so forcefully, he barely moved on his own. She seemed to be enjoying herself, however, so Harry was fine with it.

Krum and the girl from Beauxbatons had natural presence on the dance floor, and it was clear that the Bulgarian champion was well-versed in ballroom dancing. His fur cape swung and flapped about, but somehow, it never seemed to get in their way.

Vegeta made an unsurprisingly horrible dancer, and a blush of shame adorned his normally proud features the entire time. He had to use his super senses just to keep up with Fleur, such was his ungainliness on the dance floor.

However, the embarrassment was soon allieviated by the arrival of the rest of the student body. As the others began to dance, Vegeta and Fleur left, having done their legally required time of dancing. They each went back to their rooms, distinctly ruffled.

Gohan and Hermione danced their hearts out, completely losing track of time on the floor. They seemed to do just as well during the upbeat pop songs as they did during the ballads. Gohan had a natural finesse that perfectly complimented Hermione's enthusiasm.

However, they soon had to go sit and eat dinner. Instead of being a magically supplied buffet, they ordered off of menus. Since they weren't being charged any money, Gohan ordered one of everything. The other students who had already sat down stared at Gohan as he scarfed down the mountain of delicacies, but he hardly cared, nor did Hermione, who at this point was used to Gohan's voracious appetite.

Meanwhile, Ron was sitting at an empty table, chugging a bottle of Butterbeer. Padma had already left to go dance with another partner. He narrowed his eyes at Hermione and Gohan, neither of whom had noticed him looking. "Lousy punk. Who does that tosser think he is-" his monologue was interrupted by a hiccup- "-being so nice and helpful and cute all the time? Really pisses me off."

"Um, are you OK, Ron?" Harry interrupted his friend's brooding. "Where's Padma?" He asked in concern. "I could ask you the same question. Except replace Padma with Parvati. Which makes it a different question. Anyways, where is she?" Ron asked venomously.

"Oh, she's taking a round with Neville. Those dancing instruction books he bought weren't such a waste of money after all, it seems. Anyways, why are you so stirred? Did Fred and George replace your breakfast cereal with rat poison again?" Harry asked.

"Worse. Look at who Hermione is dancing with." Ron gestured a shaky hand towards Hermione and Gohan's table. "Who, Gohan? Yeah, I saw them earlier. They make great dancing partners, don't you think?" Harry said.

Ron gave his best friend a withering stare. "I really thought you would take my side on this. Look at how smug Gohan is over there. Doesn't that bother you?" Gohan was laughing at a story Hermione was telling, and it was clear both of them were having a wonderful time.

"Um, I don't see it." Harry said, now rather alarmed. "Are you sure you're alright, man?" "Oh, yes, I'm fine. Go dance, have fun, Harry. You deserve it." Ron's voice was now strangely high-pitched. "Come on, let's go for a walk. You need to cool off." Harry dragged Ron by the arm into the cool night air.

Goku and Krillin attended the ball to eat, neither having any desire to dance. They didn't see Piccolo, which was no surprise. They knew Piccolo would rather have each of his fingernails individually plied off than engage in what he referred to as "human frivolity".

A short time later, Harry and Ron returned from their short walk. Part of them was confused about why Snape and Karkaroff were talking, part of them was disgusted about Hagrid's clandestine rendezvous with Madame Maxime. Their mystery had only deepened.

The ball was winding down at midnight, and Gohan and Hermione were one of the last couples off of the dance floor. They decided to cool off outside, flying high into the air.

Their bodies were sillhouetted against the white moon, both of them breathless. "That was…wonderful. I had no idea you were such a good dancer!" Hermione said, exhilarated. "Nor I you. I figured you were always too busy reading to have fun." Gohan said playfully. She gave him a weak shove on the shoulder for his jibe.

"I'm not running away anymore." Gohan thought as he leaned in, closing his eyes. Hermione closed her eyes as well, and they shared a chaste kiss in the cold winter night. They did not exchange a single word after that, silently bidding each other goodbye as they flew to their dorms.

A/N

Greetings, lovely readers, and thanks for reading the seventh chapter of Never Tickle A Sleeping Dragon!

So, if you've been keeping with the new DBZ movie, "Fukkatsu No F", then you would have seen the atrocious new blue-haired transformation for Goku, known as "Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan" or "SSGSS". Suddenly, GT doesn't seem bad. Of course, I'll still the movie just to support the franchise. Sorry, I jut had to get my thoughts out about that. If I were in charge of the franchise, it certainly wouldn't be going in this direction, that's all I'm Saiyan.

Like Piccolo, I don't consider myself an expert in the "mushy" romance genre. I do think, though, that Gohan and Hermione are a good match, and I hope you all find the romance blossoming between them to be believable.

Otherwise, Draco and his goons are rooming with the Gryffindors, and Vegeta is on his way to becoming a Full-Power Super Saiyan. Definitely a strange chapter to write, but in a good way!

Next chapter will be the Second Task. Hopefully it won't dampen our heroes spirits too much!