March 20, 1974 - Spring Equinox
Elena didn't quite know what she was doing at a Ministry ball of all places. Neither did the other Hogwarts champions it seemed. After all, they were all winners. Decidedly the best in their year, the best of the school. And who was she? No one. She had barely even placed.
Still, none of them, not even McGonagall could argue when Newt Scamander himself had invited her to the Ministry ball, an event he had not attended for the past twenty years. It was a certifiable Big Deal. At least Mary was here. She had won the History category, surprising the judges by being the youngest winner out of the entire school.
Elena had managed to scrape by in Herbology, coming in third, undoubtedly boosted by both Regulus's expertise in the subject and the lack of participation of students from other years. Frank Longbottom had been the one to place first, sheepishly answering the majority of the theoretical questions correctly. Mary had swooned and then nearly fainted when she realized she'd be going to the ball with him. Well, not with him with him, but close enough.
Third place had been enough to fulfill McGonagall's requirements for essentially surviving another year relatively unscathed. But what was she to do when one of the most celebrated wizards of the century had decided to take an interest in her? And for what? Sure, she had done alright in the theoretical portion, but she had blanked on a lot of the latin names for the plants she was meant to identify, something that Marlene McKinnon got a right laugh out of.
The judges had given her a half point for saying some of the names in Spanish, which was close enough to give the idea that she sort of knew what she was talking about, even though it was mostly bull compared to Frank's perfect pronunciation.
That still did nothing to explain the famous Newt Scamander's apparent interest in her.
Knowing Marlene, she'd probably come up with something insane, like Elena seducing him with an illegal love potion or bribing him to get an invite to the ball. After all, that was the reason why most people bothered competing in the first place. The only real glory that people got from participating at Hogwarts was from joining the Quidditch team.
According to Mamá, Hogwarts used to put on the best drama productions. They had often used The Tales of Beedle the Bard as a basis for many of the stageplays they would put on, since they were well-known enough to be easily turned into pantomime. During Mamá's seventh year, she had a lead role in The Warlock's Hairy Heart that was performed during the Halloween feast.
Apparently, some of the special effects they used were a bit too realistic and a couple first years fainted. Still, this was not the first time that a Hogwarts play had gone too far. The very last play ever put on was The Fountain of Fair Fortune. Mamá wasn't quite sure of the details, but according to one of her old Hogwarts' connections, a few years after she had graduated there had been an accident involving an Engorged Ashwinder and the Herbology professor at the time. There hadn't been a play since.
Elena would often think of these stories that Mamá would tell her of her days at Hogwarts and despair at how much they differed. Unlike Elena, she hadn't struggled to belong, as was obvious from the rare pictures she occasionally showed Elena from that time. She was always smiling, surrounded by people, clearly loved. Elena would kill to have a fraction of that. She couldn't understand why Mamá chose to sever her ties with the magical world that loved her. She said it was so she could marry Papá, but couldn't she love both magic and Papá?
"Elena, are you alright?"
Mary was looking at her concernedly.
Elena shot her a nervous grin.
"Yes, sorry. Just nervous."
"God, me too! I can't believe we're actually here, and with all these famous people. It's so nerve wracking, what if they decided to talk to us? I'm not sure what important people talk about during parties."
Elena had no idea either. She spotted the refreshments table, chock-full with elegant dishes and sparkling beverages, wondering if she could get away with not having to socially interact with anyone besides Mary for the duration of the ball.
The ballroom was decorated lavishly. While Elena had thought that nothing could outdo the Great Hall's ever-changing ceiling and the floating candles that lit up the room, the immense chandelier in the middle of the room seemed set on changing her mind. More so than the stunning decorations, the ladies of the room all seemed to sparkle, wearing gowns and tiaras that blinded Elena and made her feel absolutely child-like.
These women were not only beautiful, but also incredibly accomplished and from high-ranking families. Estella had mentioned that her own mother frequently attended Ministry balls, and growing up she'd punish Estella for playing with her fancy dresses and getting them dirty before events. It was embarrassing for a lady who sat on several administrative boards to have stains on her frock.
Elena could easily imagine Mamá among these women, thinking back to a photo she had not meant to see bookmarked in between the pages of one of Mamá's old school journals. She had been dancing with a tall, dark-haired boy that swung her around elegantly, as they spun in the center of what looked like the Great Hall. It was folded so she couldn't see the boy's face very clearly, but Mamá looked incredibly happy.
She had been too embarrassed to tell Mamá that she was set to attend the Ministry ball. Looking back, perhaps she should have, feeling incredibly out-of-place in the robes Valerie had let her borrow.
Elena had not gone home that summer so Abuela had not had the chance to give her her annual full-body measurement and fitting. There had been a sense of relief to have to be inspected from head to toe and have her growing imperfections put on display, but now she had no fancy clothes that fit her anymore and no money to buy them without telling Mamá about the ball. It would only invite questions she didn't know how to answer. Among them, McGonagall's threat to write home about her poor grades. But the main one being: what had spurred Newt Scamander to invite her?
Logically, it was likely to do with the practical portion. But how could he have known what had happened in the Forbidden Forest? She was sure no one had seen.
It was better not to think of these things. At least not with the seventh years shooting her mildly interested looks and Mary gripping her arm so tightly she thought she might leave permanent marks.
Apparently Longbottom had just gone to get punch and Mary was debating whether or not to go get punch at coincidentally the same time, worry knitted deep in her brows.
She did look lovely though. Mary had written home and gotten her mother to send her a beautiful pale yellow dress that complemented her dark complexion. Her mother had been so proud. Estella had given her a rare look of approval and even let her borrow an amber ornamental hair clip to put in her hair. There was no way Frank Longbottom would continue to see her as only a shy underclassman. That is, if he got his head out of his arse, as Valerie had put it.
Elena wanted things to go well for Mary. It's what she deserved.
Mary had a look of tortured constipation on her face, as she watched Bertha Jorkins approach Frank with a sly look in her eyes. There was no one Mary liked the way she liked Frank Longbottom. He was a year above, the same as the twins, and was a true example of Gryffindor chivalry. Elena's heart wrenched for Mary, who was impossibly shy when it came to her feelings, and often suffered from Estella's insensitive teasing. It was hard to take the advice of someone who never had a lack of suitor's falling at her feet.
Outside of the time she spent with Regulus in the library or by herself under the tree by the Great Lake, talking to Mary was when she felt the most at peace at Hogwarts. In between the moments when she'd be forced to mediate Estella and Valerie's near-constant bickering, Mary would share bemused looks with Elena and quietly help her answer the homework questions she was struggling with. Mary was the kindest person Elena had ever met, with a true heart of gold. If anyone deserved happiness, it was her.
Determined to not let anyone stand in the way of her friend's love life, Elena interlocked her arm with Mary's and strode confidently towards the drinks table. In the process of getting herself a glass of what looked like seltzer water, she "accidentally" shoved Bertha into a tray of apple tarts and pushed Mary towards her soon-to-be (god willing) beau. Mary shot her a terrified but furious look when she realized she was in smelling distance of Frank Longbottom.
Elena gave her a nudge and a surreptitious wink, as she set off to distract an disgruntled Bertha into a conversation about Xylomancy, a subject she had no idea was being taught at Hogwarts, and which was the only reason Bertha had even managed to place in the first place. Apparently, the Divination's professor was trying to get Selina Sapworthy to give a guest lecture at Hogwarts, so he thought that by adding Xylomancy as one of the categories of the Wizard Bowl, she'd be interested in visiting. He was also the only judge that knew anything about Xylomancy, given that it had something to do with twigs, and conducted the test similar to his regular class assignments.
It honestly sounded a bit spotty to Elena, but there was something reassuring about knowing she was not the only non-genius among the Hogwarts crowd. No offense to Bertha of course.
Bertha was honestly not that bad either. She made for entertaining conversation, being of the gossipy sort. Abuela had a rule about that sort of thing, something about flies or whatever.
En bocas cerrada no entran moscas.
It was nice though. Elena took another sip of her beverage and let out a loud laugh that caused a few heads to turn her way. She closed her eyes and felt her face prick warmly.
She glanced towards the refreshments table again and was delighted to see that Mary and Frank were talking, Frank looking very interested in whatever Mary was saying, who was shaking softly as she spoke in her slow, sweet way. Half-heartedly listening to some story Bertha was telling her about catching her friend Florence kissing a guy she had apparently called dibs on behind the greenhouses, Elena watched Mary undoubtedly charm the socks off Frank Longbottom.
Transfixed as she watched what had to be the beginnings of romance between Mary and Frank, Elena failed to notice when such a hush fell over the ballroom that even Bertha stopped speaking. Eyes-zeroed in on what micro-expressions she could decipher from a few feet away, Elena thumbed her rosary, hidden deep in her pockets, and prayed with all her might that this connection of souls would bloom into love. She might have looked crazy, staring intently at her friend, but there was something so entrancing about being able to bear witness to what could be the beginning of a life-long love.
"Getting on rather nicely, aren't they?"
Elena nodded, still watching carefully to make sure Mary would not be interrupted, not taking much notice of the man who had stood beside her. Bertha had apparently realized she was no longer being paid attention to and had left, presumably in search of someone else to gossip to.
"I can still remember the first day I saw Molly, beautiful she was, and mad as a hatter. Still can't believe she agreed to marry me silly ol' me. Not like I make much in my department, horribly understaffed as we are. Still, here we are, two strapping young boys later and the Weasleys are doing just fine, thank you very much."
Elena thought back to a conversation she'd had with Fabian over the summer.
"Wait, is your wife Molly Prewett? I'm friends with her brother, Fabian."
The wizard flushed and let out a hearty chuckle.
"Oh! My, well, what a small world, isn't it? Pleasure to meet you, I'm Arthur Weasley, Junior Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Department."
"Elena James. Nice to meet you too."
"Now, Miss James, you've got to take a look at these pictures we just got in of my boys the other day. There's Bill on the right, and that's Charlie holding my finger. And that's my Molly, out like a light still holding the boys in her arms, looking lovely as ever, if I may add-"
Arthur was nice and obviously in love with Molly. No wonder Fabian seemed fond of him.
"Oh and did you hear Newt Scamander's come today? He's not attended a Ministry function since Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald. I think he's here already, I heard some people making a big fuss earlier, although that's when I came to get a bit of sherry so I'm not quite sure. Make sure to be on the lookout though, I've heard he's a real interesting sort, traveled the world and all that."
Elena nodded, barely paying attention now to Arthur's winding monologue about the latest edition of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It sounded interesting and quirky, like most things he said, but she was too busy internally panicking to care. Newt Scamander was here.
Maybe if she stayed put, quietly listening to Arthur ramble about rubber ducks (?) and watch over Mary, then she could possibly avoid having to deal with whatever implications would come with meeting Newt Scamander. Unfortunately, fate seemed to not be on her side at that moment, when Arthur decided to abandon her for one of his friends from the Muggle Liaison Office.
But then there he was, shaking Dumbledore's hand, a tall and beautiful witch at his side. He was just as handsome as she remembered, which made Elena all the more nervous as she took a large gulp of her drink. She quickly realized it was a mistake, once a loud cackle escaped from her lips that felt as though it had erupted from her chest.
Feeling very much like the bottom half of a pantomime horse, Elena ran away to a far corner of the ballroom, beside some very convenient drapery and a comfortable chair. Plate loaded with treats, she anxiously chewed some fritter and genuinely questioned her what sort of temporary insanity had caused her to guffaw like she'd just gotten a new pair of dentures.
"Was it something I ate? What was I thinking, letting out a laugh like that? Abuela would kill me if she knew."
"I don't know, I thought it was rather charming. Then again, you are quite a surprising witch, aren't you?"
Newt Scamander had approached her with all the stealth and ease of a man who regularly befriended the most dangerous and stealthiest of creatures.
He pulled up a chair beside her, finally at eye level and all the more handsome for it. Elena felt embarrassed for noticing. He had his own glass of her same beverage, clearly labeled "Gigglewater" in a way that felt almost mocking. He took a swig of it and let out a high pitched laugh.
"That sure brings me back. Now, Miss James. Let's talk about the bowtruckles, shall we?"
A/N: What a night, huh? Did anyone of you guess it right? Newt Scamander finally makes an appearance. Next chapter there will be another time jump, so get ready for that. Let me know what you thought of this chapter pretty please. Reviews make me so so happy and motivate me to update faster. Also, please don't judge, but I totally put off studying for a midterm to write this chapter. If for any reason, then please at least write a review for that reason alone. Love you always!