A/N
I rescheduled the date of the Yule Ball and put it on the 21st of December, the real date of the Winter Solstice. I needed a few days out of Hogwarts for last moment Christmas shopping (in the chapter 22).
This chapter is a bit difficult to read. I used a number of time jumps to integrate memories about former events. Please read carefully.
.
Yule Ball (Part 1)
Hogwarts – 21st of December
.
It was the eve of the Yule Ball. A solemn mood was in the air while the students gathered to celebrate the special occasion. It was wonderful to see what the Prefects had done to the Great Hall under Professor Flitwick's supervision. All was glittering and sparkling, ready to be the background for some wonderful hours of festivity.
Harry bowed slightly and returned the smiles as the twins passed him with their dates. He could see how nervous Fred was. It was completely needless as the girl on his arm showed her most dazzling smile, apparently impressed by the new robes he wore. Harry had bestowed the twins with new robes as an earlier Christmas gift, a gift both boys had really appreciated, and their dates as well.
"Fred? George? Do you have a minute?"
As both boys stepped nearer, Harry drew a scroll from his pocket. He breathed deeply several times, drawing composure from the presence of the girl at his side. Professor McGonagall had ordered the Champions to gather at the staircase near the entrance to the Great Hall in preparation of their grand entrance. Not only would they have to enter the Hall as the last guests, under the eyes of all students, teachers and Ministry officials, but they would also start the first dance together. This was an attention he really didn't want but Daphne stayed calm at his side, her soft smile and graceful motions doing much to overcome his jitters.
A few steps away Fleur was speaking with her sister. Gabrielle had been close to fainting as she watched her older sister battling the Dragon and had tried to stay near her as often as possible since then. Since Hermione had tried to calm the girl – despite the former animosity between Hermione and Fleur – the Beauxbatons Champion had been much nicer. Certainly it had helped how Daphne's mother prevented any burn scars from blemishing her perfect skin.
Harry didn't like the boy at Fleur's side. Roger Davis was ogling his date, saliva dripping from his mouth. It was partially the fault of the Veela charm, but still he could behave better. The twins had told him about the pen friendship of Fleur and their older brother Charlie, that began after the first task. Regretfully he had to work today, and the rumour was that Fleur had chosen Roger because he was a fair dancer, not too bad looking and overall, most importantly, no real competition to a Dragon tamer. Poor Roger, Harry grinned.
With much more enthusiasm Harry had greeted Viktor Krum and his date. Since his snatch-the-egg-fly-by manoeuvre, Harry's relation towards Viktor had improved immensely. Both had problems with fame interfering with their daily life, both had to live with very high expectations, and not only around the tournament. Harry hoped that this friendship would survive the end of the year, as it would be nice to have someone like Viktor out there. His date was Katie Bell. Harry had noticed Viktor's stare as he watched the Gryffindor – Hufflepuff game a month ago, and after his success with the Fred-Angelina-Matchmaking he had tried his hand at another couple. Both had been too afraid to ask the other one out and both were really happy now.
The last Champion, Cedric Diggory, had at least been able to ask himself, and he had asked someone he really liked. That he was able to watch a happy looking Cho Chang without any lump in his stomach, was a sure sign that Harry's crush was over now. In the end he was relieved not to have asked her a few weeks ago. This way was far better. He had at least been on speaking terms with her again, thanks partially to Cedric openly supporting Harry. With his changing behaviour and the support of the other Champions after the task, much had turned to the better in the school. Despite many still believing that something was very wrong about the choosing, all, more or less, stopped to insult him and many students had started to be content with his participation.
"I'm certain that Harry did nothing to cheat his way into the tournament. Whoever was the culprit of this despicable act, it wasn't Harry", Cedric had stated clearly and loudly the morning after the first task. "But after his performance yesterday and how he was able to outthink and outmanoeuvre the Dragon, I'm quite sure that everybody shares my opinion, that Harry Potter is a worthy participant of the tournament."
Perhaps even more than the support of the other Champions, Harry had liked how Professor McGonagall had changed. Not in her heart – he was sure that McGonagall never believed him to be a cheater – but in her outspoken behaviour. The day after the first task she had forbidden anyone to wear the "Support Cedric – Potter stinks" badges or to insult any Champion in speech or writing. Naturally, it hadn't really stopped Malfoy and his cronies, but the simple fact that a teacher had reacted, that a teacher had shown sympathy and support like this, had felt so good. Harry had been near tears as he thought about the past and how often he had wished for a gesture like that. But it is the following scene that left him really flabbergasted…
.
Great Hall – Dinner time – 25th of November
.
"For a long time," Deputy Headmistress McGonagall started, "we have allowed in our hallowed halls a kind of behaviour that isn't appropriate to a school of Hogwarts' reputation."
Carefully watching the other teachers, Harry saw a variety of reactions. Madam Sprout and Professor Flitwick seemed to agree with Minerva, while Snape showed a bland expression with a hint of boredom. Headmaster Dumbledore apparently would have liked to stop Minerva, but whatever she planned: it was in her rights to do so, probably due to her position as Mistress of House Gryffindor and not Deputy or Professor.
She slowly walked down the hall, Sprout and Flitwick following her, and continued: "I have to admit that it needed the hint of a former student, a Slytherin for good measure, to let me realize how careless we… how careless I have been."
Agatha… Harry's eyes wandered to Daphne and her short nod confirmed his suspicion. A week ago, after the Hogsmeade visit, Agatha Pinegrew had accompanied them back to Hogwarts, to 'meet an old friend'. So it had been Minerva she wanted to meet. For a moment he pondered about what else could have been on her mind, before he returned to listen to Minerva's words.
"As you all know, every young wizard and witch is welcome at Hogwarts, may he belong to the oldest Pureblood family or be born to a family of Muggles who never before heard a single word about magic."
More than one Slytherin sneered, but hastily looked down as McGonagall turned towards them.
"Pureblood, Half-blood or Muggleborn… or Newblood as some of our Scientists call them nowadays - much more appropriate regarding that they infuse new blood into our wizarding pool - we all are some kind of family, all together in our quest for knowledge and happiness."
Sure enough it was no coincidence that her eyes rested on the Slytherin table as she continued: "But some of us can't accept, this and while we can't enforce friendship between old and new, we certainly can try to enforce politeness and stop looking away from insults and hurt."
She had stopped below the hourglasses, used to count points for every house. With a low voice Professor McGonagall casted a spell, then she continued with a loud and grave voice: "From now on it is forbidden for every Gryffindor and carries an automatic penalty of ten points to use the term Mudblood within the grounds of Hogwarts."
As she spoke the last word and under the gasps of everyone, the hourglass shortly flared and ten points were deduced from the counter.
Instantly, Madam Sprout followed her by casting the spell and uttering the words, Professor Flitwick only seconds behind:
"From now on it is forbidden for every Hufflepuff and carries an automatic penalty of ten points to use the term Mudblood within the grounds of Hogwarts."
"From now on it is forbidden for every Ravenclaw and carries an automatic penalty of ten points to use the term Mudblood within the grounds of Hogwarts."
Again the hourglasses flared and ten points were deduced from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw.
With Snape still sitting at the teacher table and the Slytherins using that word ten times more often than everybody else, it was again only a gesture. But it was a very significant gesture, meaning much to Muggleborns like Hermione. Many Slytherins smirked, certain that Snape would never follow Minerva's lead in this matter. But a few students at their table looked thoughtful, perhaps pondering for the first time about the word and what it meant to their targets.
Perhaps he should be angry, that it needed Agatha's intervention to push Minerva in this direction, to push her to react at last. Perhaps he should be angry that Dumbledore and Snape weren't willing to follow Minerva's lead in this matter. But he was simply too happy about it, too happy for Hermione. And Dumbledore's glare of death was a welcome bonus.
.
Present
Harry looked down at the scroll, looked nervously at Daphne, seemingly waiting for some support. But the black-haired beauty only smiled: "It was your plan, I only offered some ideas. It's your show, Prongslet."
The nickname certainly caught the boys' attention and their dates grinned broadly as they noticed the excitement of the twins. With a sigh Harry handed over the scroll to Fred. Harry gestured for him to read it and waited nervously.
"What…" Fred hesitated? "I don't understand."
"I… and Daphne… see…" Harry harrumphed, waving uncertainly. A small punch from Daphne prompted him to jump a bit: "Don't push me."
A poke of her index finger: "Tell them."
"Alright, alright," he grumbled. "See… we know that the two of you want to open a joke shop after school. We think it is a great idea. We all need more joy around us. But it is hard to start something completely new, so we wanted to help. Daphne and I decided to invest in your shop."
Obviously Fred and George were at strife about agreeing, overjoyed, and refusing stubbornly something they could only assume to be a charitable gift. Hastily Daphne interjected: "It's not pity or something. It's more like an investment. We're really certain that you'll have a lot of success with your idea. But…"
She pointed towards a paragraph on the scroll: "You have to work for it. Both of you are incredible intelligent, but also incredible lazy regarding schoolwork. Three OWLs… really? "
"To say your parents were disappointed would be an understatement, you know that", Harry added. "So we decided to offer you an incentive. 1,000 Galleons will be yours at the end of this school year… if your sixth year exams are at least acceptable. One year later, after your NETWs there will be a bonus depending on your performance. Each of you can fetch up to additional 500 Galleons."
It was quite a sight to see the twins totally speechless and flabbergasted. This they certainly didn't expect. They knew how happy, especially their mother, would be about a fair graduation and with this incentive they had another reason to make an effort. And perhaps she would be more welcoming to the whole idea if they showed her this contract. It had been Harry's idea to help the twins, Daphne's idea to demand good marks – something that endeared the idea even to Hermione. He had to loan the money from Daphne, but she had happily agreed to help him."You simply have to win the tournament to pay your half," she had explained with a grin.
"Thank you… thank you both," Fred at last was able to utter. "This is… incredible."
"You're welcome."
"Oh," George suddenly remembered, turning towards Daphne: "Why did you call him Prongslet?"
Harry blushed, the colour only deepening as Daphne explained. "To begin with: his Patronus is a stag. And then… do you know the names Prongs, Padfoot and Mooney by any chance?"
"Aaah… yes." Both twins now stared at them with wide eyes. "What about them?"
"Prongs was my father," Harry sighed, prompting the twins' eyes to widen even more. "And I know Padfoot and Mooney quite well."
"We're unworthy," both twins exclaiming, bowing in an exaggerated manner under the giggles of their dates.
"Stop it, gits," Harry growled, unable to hide his grin. "I spoke with them. They're willing to meet you, share a few of their recipes with you… if" he stopped them raising his hand "if you fulfill this contract. You see… it all depends on your efforts." In reality Padfoot, in particular, hadn't demanded anything like that, but Harry didn't have to tell them this.
.
The next minutes passed with the twins and Harry speaking about the shop and the Marauders. From time to time they looked up to watch friend and foe pass them.
Tracey and Blaise walked by, certainly one of the more impressive pairings this evening. Luna clung to the arm of Michael Corner. As far as Harry knew the Ravenclaw boy had originally planned to ask Ginny to be his date – one of the many things that had changed in the last weeks. Now he tried his best to be a real gentleman towards Luna, the stern advice of Harry certainly helping as much as the not so veiled threats of what Neville and Hermione would do to him shouldn't he behave like expected. "For every of her tears you'll shed three" had been one of the more harmless threats.
The smirk of Draco, the weak but honest smile of Astoria, the curt nods of Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode, the flaming glare of Theodore Nott… they all were only short interruptions while they waited for a special duo to arrive.
Harry shared a short smile with Daphne, a smile that caused butterflies in his stomach and a rush of feelings he didn't want to think about at this moment, minutes before he had to dance with her. Daphne was in a deep conversation with Angelina, Alicia and Katie at the moment. All three girls had started a friendship with her in the last month. Angelina had especially searched her vicinity, beginning with that important discussion about Fred two months ago. Harry knew that Daphne had been able to make an even stronger impression in a conversation one month later.
.
Third of December
The Quidditch team had returned from their practice, faces sour and bodies exhausted. Harry, sitting together with Hermione, Neville, Luna and Daphne as he did very often now, had wondered what happened, especially as he noticed the absence of Ginny in the group and the angry faces of all Weasley brothers. Knowing Angelina, he simply kept his mouth shut and waited for her explosion. He didn't have to wait for long.
"We evicted her from the team."
She hadn't to say the name but it did surprise Harry nonetheless. Quidditch was serious matter for Angelina, nearly as much as it had been for Oliver. To evict her Seeker – and a good one as Harry had to admit at that – certainly had been a difficult decision.
"Katie demanded an ultimatum… either Ginny or her."
Harry nodded. Katie, one of the many 'cat people' at Hogwarts, had been especially furious about the whole matter. As far as he knew she hadn't spoken a single word to Ginny so far and only glared at her, barely restraining from doing something much more aggressive. Such tensions were wreckful for a team.
"And the Weasleys?" Neville asked. Harry had wondered too how they reacted.
"Ron disapproved as expected – but not enough to leave the team too. And the twins… they agreed." Harry was surprised, but only slightly. Sure… they were family and certainly would always love and protect her. But a position in the team was hardly essential for survival and they had been as disgusted as everybody else. Not only did their sister willingly hurt an animal, but she also broke Harry's trust. He had given the tomcat to her to stay safe and she did this horrible thing because of envy.
"And now?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know," Angelina shrugged. To find a new seeker would be difficult. She could more or less expect to lose the games against Ravenclaw and Slytherin, especially with a keeper like Ron.
"I never understood," Daphne suddenly started, "why you never integrated some of the ideas from Muggle sport."
At Angelina's quizzical stare, Daphne explained: "Did you know that every Muggle team has stand-by players? And not only players who start playing should a member from the main team get hurt. They shift. Why don't the teams consist of… let's say ten players. You could have a stand-by chaser-seeker and a beater-keeper or something like that. They could train with the team and… in consultation with Madam Hooch… it could be allowed to shift players in the games. Perhaps a shift could be allowed after two hours of game or a fixed number of shifts. It could be a real tactical decision: do I shift now or do I save up in case of an injury?"
"That's brilliant," Harry uttered and Angelina agreed.
"It's not something I invented, I only read about it. By the way," Daphne continued: "Three games per team? Six games per year? It's not very much, don't you think ? Why don't they let each pairing play two times against each other. Or there could be two teams allowed per house. Gryffindor Lions against Gryffindor Wildcats… a new era of competition," Daphne grinned.
"You've really given a lot of thoughts about this," Angelina assessed and stared thoughtfully at the Slytherin girl. "I'll speak with the other team captains and Madam Hooch about this."
"But this doesn't solve your Seeker problem," Hermione interjected.
"No, it doesn't," Angelina sighed.
"Harry will play for you," Daphne simply stated.
"What?" Harry wondered.
Daphne sighed, a hint of anger on her face: "You don't really want to forego Quidditch for a whole year? It means so much for you and I won't allow Dumbledork to send you into this stupid tournament and also deny you the joy of Quidditch." Harry only stared. They had been discussing the matter more than once and Daphne had never wavered from the idea that the Headmaster was somehow involved in the whole matter. The simple fact that the culprit had to have intimate knowledge about the Goblet made it clear for her who was responsible. And she was right about his love for Quidditch. He regretted having to leave the team and it would be nice to play again with the twins and the awesome trio of chasers.
"You could simply turn up at the games until Angelina finds someone for the position. You're better than Cho and Malfoy everyday, even with your eyes bandaged and on a broken broom. At least one of us should be able to play." Harry blushed as he heard Daphne's lavish praise, knowing that she normally didn't say something like that only to please him.
Turning around to the now even more thoughtful Angelina, Daphne repeated: "Harry will play."
.
Present
Deep laughter and girlish giggles announced the arrival of the remaining Gryffindors. Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas had to support their exalted dates Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown. Apart from "Peeves", not much was understandable from the sentences because of the giggles but it became quite clear what was so funny a few seconds later.
Ron, who had been already rejected by Fleur – in a very insulting manner – and Hermione, apparently hadn't realized how pissed the rest of the girls had been about his 'a girl needs only bodily attractiveness, all the rest is negligible' attitude. His behaviour towards Hermione hadn't been helpful either and in the end every single Gryffindor girl had refused his invitation to the ball. One of the loudest and more insulting refusals had come from Katie. Ron had hoped that she would agree to go with him, with her two fellow chasers already accompanying the twins, but obviously Katie had a different view. And that was even before Viktor Krum – heartthrob of all girls at Hogwarts and especially all Quidditch playing girls – had asked her. In the end he had to ask Ginny, his sister being equally unsuccessful in her search. As a third year she needed an invitation to the ball and in the end she had to blackmail her brother to take her there.
And what a pair they were: Ron in his old and moth-eaten robe, stylish outdated even in the wizarding world for at least a century. And Ginny in a deep red dress, revealing enough to give her mother a heart-stroke. Harry had to admit that she looked very nice in that dress, very athletic and attractive. At least she would have without her clash with Peeves.
Nobody knew why Peeves hated the younger Weasleys like this, but it was no secret that the Poltergeist had started to harass them a few weeks ago. The rumour was that the Bloody Baron and the other house ghosts had bribed him into constantly following them, throwing insults and dung bombs at them. How he got hold of such a number of dung bombs was another secret yet to be solved.
The traces of several colours were still visible on hair and clothes despite their attempts to vanish them. And as they passed the other Gryffindors a mix of smells reached their noses, mostly disgusting and nearly overwhelming. Ron and Ginny certainly wouldn't enjoy the evening, and Harry assumed that it was only the well-known Weasley stubbornness that brought them here. This and Dumbledore's wish to have them here, the Headmaster overruling, once again, Professor McGonagall in the matter. They looked stubbornly ahead as they passed Harry and his friends, only Ginny's eyes darting in his direction with a hint of tears visible. His anger was still strong, but in that moment he felt a tiny hint of pity for the former Gryffindor princess. It must be hard to fall so deep.
"It's okay," the girl at his side whispered as she gently pressed his hand.
.
Hogwarts – Gryffindor Common Room – evening 24th of November
As Harry reached the Gryffindor common room, expecting to see a large assembly of partying mates, he was astonished to see a room full of depressed people. Ginny was nowhere in sight and as he asked about the mood nobody gave a satisfying answer. Little did he know that Neville had ordered them to stay quiet until Poppy had a look at the tomcat. The mood didn't improve in the next hour and certainly it was at least partially his growing uneasiness, the feeling of missing something important, that led Harry to react somewhat sharper that usual to Ron's glaring.
"What?" Harry growled. "Still thinking that I cheated my way into the tournament? Still thinking that I want to be there and that it is all so easy? How could I ever think that you're my friend, my best mate?"
Ron grumbled something in response through compressed lips, but Harry only understood the word "Mum".
"What?" He asked. "With your mouth always open while speaking and eating at the same time, can't you answer now a bit more understandable?"
"As if I ever wanted to be your friend, you looser," Ron yelled suddenly. "Without your fame you're nothing. How often have I saved your ass, think only about the chess game in the first year. But every time only you got the praises. Even Mum likes you more because you're the boy-who-lived and not only her sixth son. Mother wanted me to be friends with you since the beginning, but now I've enough. I hate you, you disgusting snob."
Harry was shocked. He had been aware of Ron's jealousness before, but not that he could see him like this. If Ron really assumed that Molly appreciated him more than her own son, then he could understand his behaviour a bit better. And Harry had to admit that it wasn't all pure invention. Molly and her "I love you like a son" had always been a bit creepy. How could a mother say something like that after only three years of knowing him, after he spent only a total of a few weeks at the burrows?
Before he had a chance to answer to the accusation, the portrait at the entrance opened and two students entered. Neville he had expected, even not with this sour expression. But it was the other one that totally flabbergasted Harry: Daphne.
"Daphne, what are you doing here?"
Whatever answer he had expected, it certainly was neither her very seriously spoken: "He'll survive" nor the answering gasps of relief or the gestures pointing towards the girls' dorm on her question "Where is she?".
Who'll survive? Who is there? Harry pondered, realizing too late that Daphne was on her way to the staircase to the girls' dorm. "Daphne?" Shocked, he watched her ascend the staircase. That Neville clasped his shoulder and repeated "he'll survive, Harry," didn't help in the least. To him and everybody else in the room, he declared "Daphne healed him". For some seconds a clutter of words from all sides didn't allow Harry to get some real answers. It only ended as Ron, who tried to stop Daphne, was himself stopped by the staircase transforming into a slide.
Moments later an angry argument erupted up there. Daphne became visible again, dragging Ginny behind, clenching her hair angrily. Ignoring the insults of the furious red-head, Daphne shoved the girl down the staircase without further warning, following her an instant later. For a second Harry wondered if she had stopped in front of a real staircase instead of the slide or if she had risked hurting Ginny.
"Petrificus totalus!" Ron, who had stormed to his sister's rescue, suddenly found himself in a full body bind cast, to Harry's shock, by no less than Neville. Apart from lessons the boy had used never anything like this spell and that he did was only another sign that something was surely amiss here.
Ginny scramble back, trying to get some distance between her and the now incredibly furious looking Daphne.
"How could you? How could you hurt him, wound him? You could have killed him, you bitch."
Ginny tried her luck with an Expelliarmus, followed by a stupefy spell and her infamous bat boogey hex. Dodging the first, shielding against the second with a Protego and banishing the bats without halting a step – Daphne certainly impressed more than Harry as she advanced towards Ginny.
"Expelliarmus," Daphne's counter attack was far more effective. Harry, who now started to move between the girls, was stopped cold as Daphne threw her wand towards him. Pondering a second too long what Daphne was about to do, his hesitation allowed her to reach the Weasley girl. Seizing Ginny by the collar, her anger allowed Daphne to hurl her against the wall.
"How… could… you… hurt… Balou?"
Every word was accompanied by another vicious slap, Ginny's cheeks redder than her hair within seconds, her lip split. Harry, just starting to advance again, despite Neville's attempt to stop him, startled again. Balou?
"He nearly died because of you and your stupid jealousy," Daphne yelled at the top of her lungs, her mouth only inches away from Ginny's face. The normally so feisty girl was totally subdued now. Gasps from everywhere accompanied Daphne's words. They had known, they had seen, but to hear it was completely different. Harry paled. "What have you done?" Daphne standing between him and Ginny was the only thing holding him back.
"If you have problems with my presence then attack me, hex me; punch me. But don't attack the tomcat that Harry entrusted to your care."
Retreating a single step, Daphne glared at Ginny: "If you ever again touch him…"
Her carotid pulsating, her face and neck red with fury, Daphne was a sight to behold and nobody dared to do something even if they wanted to.
"Aaaargh," a last cry of rage announced her last hit. With full force her fist hit Ginny in the middle of her face, breaking her nose and sending her head back hard enough against the wall to knock her out cold.
It was complete silence that greeted Professor McGonagall as she entered the room, expecting something similar after she left the Hospital Wing a few minutes ago: Complete, stunned silence.
.
A broken nose and a mild concussion had been the diagnosis of Madam Pomfrey. She had healed the concussion and corrected the nose but didn't heal it completely. Leaving Ginny to run around with a nose splint for three weeks was her idea of punishment. Daphne had tried to convince the school nurse to similarly not heal her hand, as she wanted some punishment for her lack of self-control. But Poppy didn't want to hear it.
"Self-control is important, but sometimes it is okay to let go. Better than having an ulcer by thirty. And you'll need both hands to treat Balou. Your mother and I decided that you'll do the further treatment."
After he heard the full story about the incident and how Daphne had healed his Balou, Harry was torn between anger and relief. In the end Neville and Hermione found him standing at Balou's bed, hugging Daphne heartily, whispering thanks again and again.
Dumbledore had been furious. Apparently to hurt a Weasley was much more important to him than the welfare of an animal. Not that this reaction surprised Harry in any way after the Buckbeak incident. But Minerva had stepped in. Both girls, Daphne and Ginny, had to serve detention for their deeds. But while Daphne served her detention with Minerva, Ginny had to go to Filch after her release from the Hospital.
Minerva, the cat-lady, apparently used the occasion to speak a whole evening with Daphne. Harry's 'sister' didn't explain what they had been talking about but the difference in the behaviour between the girl and the professor was clearly visible to everyone after that.
Ginny, on the other hand, certainly liked her detention far less. Filch, grumpy and insulting even on his best days, had somehow learned about the reason of the detention and used every possibility in his repertoire, every experience from his long years as a caretaker, to make Ginny as miserable as possible. That even the twins weren't willing to prank him for his behaviour was a clear sign how much standing Ginny had lost with her action.
The clearly expected howlers of Molly directed at Daphne never showed up. Harry assumed that this had something to do with his long letter to Arthur, speaking about his long friendship with the family, how much he still liked most of them and how disappointed he had been because of Ginny and Ron. His hint towards Ginny's life debt certainly didn't hurt either.
Harry sighed. He really still liked most of the Weasley, especially Arthur and the twins. He even understood a little bit the reaction of Ron now, although he was shocked to learn that his three-year friendship with Ron had only been for show and on Molly's demand. He had to speak with the Weasley matriarch later, had to learn her reasons for doing so. Had it all been a lie? He couldn't believe it; he didn't want to believe it.
.
"She's so beautiful."
Katie Bell's deep sigh prompted Harry to look up and banish his bad thoughts. Neville floated down the broad staircase, looking stunning in his new robes. But Harry's jaw dropped down as he saw Hermione. The periwinkle dress clung to her curves, told everyone that she certainly wasn't one-of-the-boys anymore. She blushed as she noticed the reaction of Harry and the other boys. Luckily Daphne and the girls took it with humour and congratulated Hermione to her outfit.
"You'll be the Queen of the Ball, Hermione," Daphne declared. Harry was only able to nod weakly, prompting Daphne to add jokingly: "How eloquent, Harry."
Hermione smiled insecurely, her heart battering like a ram. Gently Neville bend her steps towards the Great Hall, the twins with their dates following swiftly.
"Ron was an idiot," Fred declared before he left and Harry could only agree.
Now it was time to start the ball and, a short time later, Professor McGonagall announced: "Ladies and Gentlemen: I present the Champions of the Wizard tournament."
.
A/N
The term "Newblood" I found in a story of Madm05 and I liked it very much.
About Ginny: a broken nose, healed without magic and forced to wear a splint, the insult of being beaten like this in a magical and physical fight in front of all Gryffindors, detention with Filch, evicted from the team, a letter to her father, avoided by everyone – I assumed her life would be miserable enough without invoking the life debt.