CH 10

Harry - James - Potter - Harry - James - Potter

It wasn't long after a Transfiguration lesson that Harry learned about his responsibility regarding the upcoming Yule Ball and his position as Champion. He'd been told about this kind of tradition from his Portrait Professors and he told McGonagall, "I already know that Professor. I'm prepared to play the part."

"You must more than just play a part, Mr. Potter," she said with an indignant sniff.

"No Professor," Harry said. "I didn't put my name in the cup. I don't even want to be a part of this frippery and pompous tournament, but I will…" He quelled her outrage with a serious glare of his own. "I may be only fourteen, but I do understand my responsibilities in this situation. Will that be all?"

"Don't take that tone with me young man," she replied sternly. "I just wanted to be sure that you'll do nothing to embarrass our House. You do know how to dance, do you not?"

"Well, since my name was entered under a different school...," Harry started to say, and then he faded at the harsh look that woman was giving him. It wasn't time to push back, so he pretended to look embarrassed by his outburst and said, "Yes, ma'am, I do understand and yes I can dance."

"See that you do," she said. "You're dismissed."

Harry left the classroom without another word and then immediately knew how it'd be trying to find someone he could stand being around long enough to dance with. He headed to his next class. That's when noticed that many of the girls in his year were giving him big fluttering eyes, trying to gain his attention. He put his head down and silently groaned.

A few days later, his friend Ron was pointing out the girls and describing some of their physical flaws and bonuses. Harry shook his head and told him. "I've already decided who I'm going to ask, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to do it right now before it's too late."

He made his way to the third year Ancient Runes class that he knew was taking place. He waited for the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor class to come out and then he approached the girl. "A word please," he asked of the blond wispy haired girl. He led her away from her classmates and one specific redhead with dashed hopes that he had come for her. He said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Luna said.

"Will you be my partner for the Yule Ball," Harry asked.

"Of course," she smiled. She looked to the others that were milling about in curiosity. "I bought a special dress for that purpose. It's got fairy wings on the back."

"That's wonderful," Harry said and frowned looking down at her bare stocking feet. "They run away again?"

"Yes," she replied and sat down on the stone bench nearby.

"Instead of a flower or corsage can I bring you shoes," he asked, thinking about a pair of soft leather charmed shoes that he was certain she'd appreciate and he was hoping to make as the object of a test for his Tanning Lessons. "I will need them back after the Ball for a short while, but when they return they're yours until your feet grow."

"My dress is a pale lilac," she said. "I'd love the shoes in a light green colour. It will almost be like the muggle story of Cinderella."

"That with a little bit of the Greek myth about Perseus," Harry hinted at the type of shoes he would get her.

He knelt at her feet and the girls in the corridor twittered at the romantic look of it, as he took the measurements for each of her feet. He noted them down in the small notebook he carried for his ideas on charms, runes and whatever else struck him to use when he wanted to enchant or create things. Then he took out a black muggle ink marker and drew Runes for warmth on the bottoms of her stocking feet.

"I'll come for you at seven thirty so that if adjustments are required, we can do it then," Harry said. He picked up one of her little feet, kissed the top of it gently and winked at her with a side, glance to the audience they had.

Luna knew that he was playing for them and knew that he wasn't really interested in anything serious with any girl or boy at this point in time. She agreed to play along because it was frankly quite fun to twist the peoples' minds. She did it all the time with her flighty talk and this was just another way. She knew his game, flicked his ear and said, "You'll have to allow pictures of us to be taken. I want some for remembering and some for the Quibbler."

"As you wish," Harry said. "I'll see you then." He stood up after activating the warmth spell linked to the Runes he'd drawn and then walked away with a wave.

Luna looked to her warming feet, lifted them and pointed her toes in the direction of the others milling about. She smiled and said. "What a thoughtful boy!"

Harry - James - Potter - Harry - James - Potter

Ever since Professor McGonagall had announced the Yule Ball, Ron became a more, shallow prat than before. His friend Hermione was offended by his attitude and the way he judged every girl he saw based on the way they looked. He kept pushing his ideals onto Harry until the Boy-Who-Lived had enough of it.

"I already have a date for the Yule Ball," Harry said loudly in the Gryffindor common room. "You don't ask someone out to an important Ball or anywhere else just because they look pretty, you shallow wanker! You ask them because you're interested in them and want to have a good time with them. So quit yapping about the girls and go ask someone to be your date, already. You know I have responsibilities because I'm one of the Champions, so don't expect us to be hanging out that night either." He stood up and left the room. He ran to his private closet, locked the door and then entered his tent.

Meanwhile in the common room the girls were looking at Ron like he was some grub on the bottom of someone's shoe. Ginny ran up to her room to cry because the boy she wanted to go with hadn't even thought about asking her to go with him and it was Loony Luna Lovegood that was getting that privilege. 'That girl will pay for it,' she thought. 'I swear on a Gryffin's flight feathers, that she won't have a good time because that crazy bitch won't be going.'

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Harry took half a day to carve the general foot forms for Luna's feet. They were made for her size and a bit larger for enchanting measurement and to give her toes some wiggle room. It wouldn't do to make them too tight for her to wear.

He'd already had experience with making foot forms for his own feet and that of some of his fellow Canyon School students. It was something that they all had to learn before starting any process to make basic foot. He'd started making his own shoes using old cobbler methods and magic. His fellow students were of mixed descent so making small shoes was not a new thing for him. His instructors were kind of happy that a human was in the class because of their larger feet.

It was quite a simple method of doing it, since all it took was concentration and the proper tools. Of course part of their course work in Smithing was to make their own tools to create more items and the devices needed. Things like shoe nails, arrow heads, etc… They all had to be made before use.

There were other methods of magically making shoes using cobbler spells. But the needles used for sewing through several layers of leather still needed to be forged properly and made solid. He had made quite a few of those too.

He was at the drafting table planning the look for the girl's show, as he was hissing his displeasure with Ron's attitude about the whole thing. Of course his friend was not mature enough for a Ball of this nature. (…I don't think anyone in fourth year should be subjected to such a gaff…)

(…Why not…) Tiber hissed in replied from the tapestry portrait of a Smithing Room that had been created just for him. He'd been in that portrait some of the time to play around with the materials and devices in it.

Just like the Godric played in the Enchanter Portrait, while the women were in the Alchemy-Potions Lab one that Harry had finally managed to find. It was one that had a wall of books along one side of it. Rowena still would have preferred to have a separate Library Portrait, but Harry hadn't been able to find or get one made yet. He did have the line on an artist in the States and hoped that the person would take a commission to paint a magical library without any person in it.

(…Our society or I guess it would depend on where you live, 'cause some of the purebloods here have more of a handle on their responsibilities which include things like Balls, but not the muggle-born or those raised with less means…) Harry said. He drew a few lines and knew that the shoes would be made from the basilisk skin pieces that he had. (…It's just an impression that I have. The Yule Ball should be for those in their fifth year or higher…)

"Now boys talking in a language that others cannot understand, is just rude," Rowena said.

"Rowena, we didn't know that you were there," Tiber said. "What brings you here anyway?"

"We always visit with Harry when he's around," she said. "Besides he seems to have finished a set of delicate foot forms and I'm curious about them."

"I'm making dancing slippers for my date," Harry said. "She tends to lose her footwear and this is also going to be my project for the tanner lessons."

"She loses her shoes?" Helga said in a questioning tone.

"It's more like the other students in her House are hazing her," Harry said.

"Hazing," Godric said. "What's that?"

"They pick on her and are a little mean to her," Harry explained. "I met her when she was in her first year and I was the one being shunned by the entire school. She just said that her shoes walked away with the Wipsas, whatever those look like."

"Are you sure she said Wipsas," Rowena asked.

"Yes," Harry said. He looked up and asked. "Why?"

"She's a Seer then," Rowena said. "Or else she's a very young one, since what she's seeing are the magical spirits that exist in the world. Is she being trained?"

"I'm not sure," Harry said. "I think her father indulges her flights of fancy or that he might be more aware of her situation. No one at the school can really teach her that skill though. I know she didn't take Divination Class because she told me that the woman teaching it is cracked."

The portraits chuckled at that and Helga nodded, "She'd know, if she was a real Seer with spiritual connections or if there was something wrong with the Professor."

"Show us the slippers you're making for her then," Rowena asked, curious as to what the boy was planning to make. "Oh those are going to be lovely."

"I'm hoping to be able to charm or enchant them to always return to her feet whenever they start to feel cold," Harry said. "I know that she had Muggle shoes with fake wings on the sides of them, but I'm thinking these would be more appropriate for the ball."

They were like ballet slippers without the long ribbons to tie around her legs, but they had gossamer wings of magic to flutter on each side of the shoe. He spelled the shoes to appear in coloured magical light to show what they were supposed to do.

"That's wonderful," Rowena said. "We already know that you can make the shoes. It will just be a matter of ensuring that the spells will hold."

"I know," Harry said. "I'm running through the series of runes to carve on the leather before I begin to work them on the shoe forms. Any ideas on what I should consider?"

The portraits and Harry continued their discussion and ideas, until it was time for Harry to do his regular schoolwork. Since that night he'd work on them during most of his spare time. Just to be sure that they'd be ready in time for the Yule Ball.

Harry - James - Potter - Harry - James - Potter

The day of the Yule Ball arrived and Harry was called to visit the Ravenclaw common rooms by the house-elf Dobby that he'd met in his second year of school. "Harry Potter, sir, something happened to little miss' dress," the little creature said. "Please come with Dobby."

"Of course," Harry said. He picked up the box with the finished shoes and hurried. He followed Dobby to the Ravenclaw common room and then used his Parseltongue language to use Slytherin's override system to the entrance of schools different Houses. "Where is she?" He asked, as walked into the Ravenclaw common room. "Where is Luna?"

"She in her room," Padma Patil told him. "Where do you think you're going?"

She watched in shock as Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, walked calmly up the stairs leading to the girls' dorm rooms. No boy had been able to get past the first landing, as the stairs always turned into a slide, to dump the boys down, not only that there were magical barriers and wards against any boy from entering the girls' room.

"Luna," Harry knocked on the door. "Is everyone decent in there?"

"I am," she said opening the door, wearing only her bright pink and yellow house-robe. She had silent tears running down her face. "I'm alone too." She opened the door to let him in.

He looked around and then noticed the pieces of material all around the room. He whistled and said, "Looks like they went wicked step-sister on you. Do you happen to have a fairy godmother in your pocket?"

Luna giggled and said, "No. Are those my shoes?"

"Yes," he said and gave her the box. "Try them on and stay on that side of the room." He pulled out his wand and then he used it with a bit of other magic to gather the pieces of the dress. It was a simple thing with long, light purple sleeves and a bodice to match, a traditional high waist and three tones of colour for the long skirt. He found the wings, which had been shredded with magic destroying their inherent charm and shook his head at the viciousness of girls who were jealous. (…i…) "Geez, they were mean, let's see if I can't be a fairy godfather in this case."

(…Original assembly…fuse together…stabilitas vestitoris…) He hissed. His magic and the words reassembled the dress back to its original pre-shredded form. The wings were made with very thin clear wire and a couple of gauzy layers of material. His first spell had fixed those too. He then hissed (…Ala Volitaire…) and the wings started to flutter like butterfly wings.

He waited for a moment, hoping that he'd said the right spells. It wasn't often that he had to use those spells nowadays, but during his past summer those were mostly what he'd used to repair his clothes until he could purchase some new ones.

"There you go," he said to her slightly surprised look. "The rumours were true about the Parseltongue," he said with a shrug. "I'll wait outside and guard the door while you get ready for our date."

Luna still had tears in her eyes, but this time they were from happiness. She may have been flighty around people, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't be upset to have missed the Yule Ball. The girls in her dorm never liked her because she beat them in their studies, but she had a very good idea of who was responsible for this mess. "Thank you," she said. "You are most gentlemanly."

Harry bowed to her and did exactly as he promised. He stood outside the third year girls' dorm room and glared at any third year that attempted to pass him. "Sorry," he pushed Martha Morningstar away from the door. "My date is getting ready in peace and I cannot let you disturb her."

"Your date," Martha asked. "Who is it?"

"Luna," he told her.

"I have my own date to get ready for," she said with a sigh. "What happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"I was with Hermione Granger in Gryffindor for most of the afternoon," she said. "I owed her for the help she gave me last year. I did her hair, wait until you see it."

"Do you know about Luna's dress," Harry asked.

"It's beautiful isn't it," Martha said with a bright smile. "I wish I was brave enough to wear something like that."

"Harry, she can come in," Luna said through the door. "She wasn't around for it and she's nice."

"All right," Harry said and stepped aside. "This is going to stop. The hazing has gone on long enough." He looked pointedly at Martha. "It doesn't take much to be a Gryffindor. You just stand up for what is right," he then whispered. "Rowena would never have put up with this kind of thing and you must make your own stand sometime."

Martha nodded and the walked into the room. She turned to Luna and asked, "What happ…"

The door shut was once more and Harry was on guard against the other two girls that shared the dorm. "Sorry no," he told them. "Someone destroyed her dress in a fit of jealousy or allowed it to be done. Rowena would be very upset to hear about this."

"How would you know," Blyss Heathergrove asked. "There are no portraits of Rowena Ravenclaw."

Dorcas Cumbertooth then said, "Yeah, why would she care?"

"She'd care because I for one will tell her, you can bet that she'd want to have a few words with all the Ravenclaws about this," Harry said. "How do you know that there are no portraits? Maybe she didn't want to meet with petty little girls who have nothing better to do than to torture a classmate because she gets better marks than you. Just because she sees things that you just don't understand about..."

"Harry," Luna said, stepping out of the dorm room. "That's enough, but thank you."

"You're my date for tonight and my friend for always and under those conditions I'm duty bound to defend you," he said to her and then stopped to stare at the Fae image she portrayed. "My ethereal lady, please allow me to escort you this fine evening?"

"My gallant sir," she smiled softly. "But, of course."

Harry held out his arm and asked, "How are the shoes?"

"They are wonderful," she said, taking a hopping, step up and that had her drift down slowly. "I think I'm not going to like the day they no longer fit."

"I'm glad that they suit you," he said, as the whole of the Ravenclaw common room watched them leave. The girl in the wings, floated with every step. The students had been surprised that he'd been able to walk up the stairs to the girls' dorms. A few of the boys had tried after they'd left the common room and were immediately rejected.

"He's got to have power in him to defy the power of those steps," Terence Boot observed. His fellow Ravenclaws only nodded in agreement.

The rest of the evening went without much incident. Harry was the perfect date and kept his attentions on the girl. He did have to compliment Hermione on the way she was dressed when she arrived arm-in-arm with Viktor Krum.

Harry didn't falter when he danced with Luna, but that was because the slippers she wore was a cheat for him. They lifted her off the ground and allowed him to make steps wherever he wanted without harming her. "I have two left feet," he'd told her honestly. "I'm glad you let me make the shoes."

"You made them," Luna asked in surprise. "I thought you'd bought them."

"They're a project for a correspondence course that I'm doing," Harry confessed. "That's why they need to be sent off after the Ball is done. They're going to be graded and then they'll be returned to me with the grade I earn."

"But that means you can make me another pair when I outgrow them," Luna said with a mock furious look on her face.

"It takes too much time to make the shoe forms," Harry said. "I'm not yet trained in using the magical versions. Plus it took me two weeks to get the spells right on your shoes."

"I see," she said and then told him with certainty. "But, you'll make me my weddings shoes."

"That's a promise," Harry said with nod. "I'll do nearly anything for my friends."

Luna smiled up at him as he twirled her, semi-expertly around in place on the dance floor. He smiled back at her with complete understanding and that's the photo that the Daily Prophet had on the cover of their morning edition with the caption, 'BOY-WHO-LIVED in LOVE?'

Harry - James - Potter - Harry - James - Potter

TBC…

(...i...) Think of the dress in the movie "Ever After" during the ball scene where the girl was exposed to be a servant.