At the end of transfiguration, Professor McGonagall told them all to listen as she had an announcement to make. Dudley sighed. He just wanted to get back to the common room. The class hadn't gone well for him. His guinea fowl which they had been trying to turn into a guinea pig still had feathers—even Neville had done a better job of it, though his still had a beak. Hermione had managed it completely.

"The Yule Ball is approaching - a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above - although you may invite a younger student if you wish -"

Lavender Brown let out a shrill giggle. Parvati Patil nudged her hard in the ribs, her face working furiously as she too fought not to giggle. They both looked around at Neville.

"Dress robes will be worn," Professor McGonagall continued, "and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. Now then -"

Professor McGonagall stared deliberately around the class.

"The Yule Ball is of course a chance for us all to - er - let our hair down," she said, in a disapproving voice.

"But that does NOT mean," Professor McGonagall went on, "that we will be relaxing the standards of behavior we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most seriously displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in any way."

The bell rang, and there was the usual scuffle of activity as everyone packed their bags and swung them onto their shoulders.

Professor McGonagall called above the noise, "Dursley, Longbottom - a word, if you please."

"What's this about?" Neville muttered as they headed to McGonagall's desk.

"No idea, extra homework maybe?" Dudley suggested.

Professor McGonagall waited until the rest of the class had gone, and then said, "Dursley, Longbottom, the champions and their partners -"

"What partners?" Dudley asked. Beside him, Neville looked confused too.

Profesor McGonagall looked suspiciously at him, as though she thought he was trying to be funny.

"Your partners for the Yule Ball, Dursley," she said coldly. "Your dance partners."

"Huh? But I can't dance."

"Oh yes, you do," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "That's what I'm telling you. Traditionally, the champions and their partners open the ball."

"Yeah, but, I can't dance—as in, I don't know how," Dudley looked at Neville who also didn't look pleased at the prospect of making a prat of himself in front of the whole school

"Me too, Gran never taught me ..."

"And do I really look like I know how to waltz?" Dudley asked.

Dudley had a sudden mental image of himself in a top hat and tails, accompanied by a girl in the sort of frilly dress Petunia always wore to Vernon's work parties.

"It is traditional," said Professor McGonagall firmly. "You are both Hogwarts champions, and you will do what is expected of you as a representative of the school. So make sure you both get yourselves a partner."

As they left the classroom, Dudley swore. Neville snickered.

"It's easy for you, you've got a partner lined up with Lavender," Dudley said.

"Yeah, makes it a bit easier—I'd rather face the Horntail again than go up to a girl to ask her to a dance," Neville said. "Any idea who you're going to ask?"

Dudley shook his head. "No idea—someone nice,"

"Obviously," said Neville. "How about Parvati?"

"She's pretty," Dudley admitted. "But I don't think I've ever said more than three words to her. I'd feel weird suddenly asking her to the dance."

"I could ask, she's Lav's best friend,"

"Nah, that would make me seem like a 10-year old," Dudley said.

Neville laughed. "Well, I'd ask someone quick before all the good ones are taken. Don't wanna get stuck with a Slytherin."

Dudley grinned. This was the first actual conversation he had had with Neville for a while, and it seemed that things were better between them.

It seemed that most of the school had put their names down to stay at Hogwarts over Christmas this year. Everyone over the fourth year seemed to be staying, and a few of the second and third years too who were hopeful of being asked by an older student.

All of the girls seemed to be obsessed with the upcoming ball, giggling in the corridors and passing notes on what they were going to wear.

"Any idea who you're gonna ask?" Ron said as they passed a giggling gang of fifth year Ravenclaw girls, a few of which eyed Ron, Dean and Dudley hopefully.

"Nope," said Dudley. In truth, there was a girl who he liked but he was unsure of how the others would react if he asked her. "How about you?" Dudley asked.

"Yeah ... but she's always traveling by pack," his eyes followed the Ravenclaw girls, Cho Chang was among them.

Dean snickered. "Just go up and ask her,"

"Ask who?"

"Cho," said Dean. "It's obvious you like her."

Ron sighed. "Yeah, I do—but what if she says no?"

"She won't, she obviously likes you too."

Ron looked pleased. "I will if I can grab her by herself."

"I'd hurry up if I were you," Dudley suggested. "She's good looking—someone else is bound to ask her soon."

"Yeah ... yeah, maybe you're right," Ron said, suddenly looking a bit worried.

"She's there now," Dean said, pointing near the charms class where the girls were waiting to go inside. "Just go and say, 'Cho, would you like to go to the ball with me'."

"I can't in front of everyone!" Ron said, ears burning at the thought.

"Me and Dudley will come as backup, won't we?"

"Yeah, but I'm not asking one of them too ..."

"You don't have to, we just need to give Ron moral support."

Ron swore softly, but seemed to be considering it.

"What's the worst that can happen?" Dudley said, giving Dean a push. "Other than her saying no, I mean, and humiliating you in front of a bunch of 5th years."

"Thanks, that's really filled me with confidence," Ron muttered, allowing himself to be led over to Cho and her friends.

They stopped talking and started giggling as they approached.

Dudley gave Ron a dig in the ribs.

"Hi Chi ... I mean Chang ... I mean Cho ..." Ron said, his face turning red.

Dudley sighed. Trust Ron to mess this up already.

One of Cho's friends started giggling.

"I was wondering if ... you know, you wanna go to the ball with me? The Yule Ball—at Christmas?"

Cho smiled. "You're the first to ask," she said pleased, "I'd love to go with you."

Ron's jaw dropped over in surprise. "You will?"

"Of course," she eyed Dudley and Dean expectantly. "Well? Aren't you going to ask someone too? Marietta hasn't got a date yet."

"Cho!" Marietta hissed angrily.

"I'm going to ask someone else," Dudley said quickly.

"Oh, who?" Cho asked eagerly.

"I dunno ..."

Ron and Dean chuckled.

"How about you, Dean isn't it?" asked Cho.

"I'm going to ask Parvati I think."

Dudley and Ron gaped at him.

"Parvati Patil?" Ron asked.

"No, one of the other Parvatis at the school," said Dean. "Of course Parvati Patil, who did you think I meant?"

"I had no idea you liked her," Dudley said.

"Neither did I until today," Dean admitted. "Then I just realised how nice she looks."

"Well, you ask her, and Dudley can ask whoever he's going to ask and we can all meet up together?" Cho suggested. Next to her, Marrieta was looking very annoyed.

As they walked off, Dean congratulated Ron. "See, that wasn't so hard was it?"

"Are you joking? I wanted to ground to swallow me up,"

"Well, you did call her Chi ..." Dudley said, laughing a little.

"And Chang," said Dean.

"Shut up," said Ron. "She said yes though," he straightened up and grinned. "You two need to get a move on or you'll be stuck with Eloise Midgen."

"I'm asking Parvati remember, and Dud can always go with Lockhart," Dean said.

Dudley gave him a push into a suit of armor with almost topped over.

To his surprise, Dudley didn't have to ask a girl. Quite a few came to him. A curly-haired Hufflepuff girl asked him that evening, as did Tracey Davies, a pretty Slytherin girl in his year. Dudley said no before even taking the time to consider it.

"She's quite good looking," Dean said.

"Yeah, but she's a Slytherin," Ron said. "Still ... I suppose Dud going with a Slytherin would piss Malfoy off a bit."

Talk was that Malfoy was going with Pansy Parkinson. The two were seen walking around the grounds of the castle holding hands. Malfoy seemed in better spirits this year. The bullying had died off a bit since the school was preoccupied with the Triwizard Tournament. Even Roger Davies was leaving him alone.

According to Hermione, a few girls were disappointed that Neville was going with Lavender. "Hannah Abbott was upset about it," she had said during herbology. "She had been hoping Neville would ask her."

"Fat chance," Dudley said. They were working on Flitterbloom's today, and Dudley had somehow gotten its tentacles ensnarled around his arm. He gave it a poke with his wand to make it let go. "Neville is going out with Lavender, no way would he not ask her. For one, Lavender would kill him. I've always thought she had a secret bad temper."

"Her friend Susan Bones is hoping you ask her," Hermione said, shrewdly. "Apparently she turned down Zacharias Smith in case you decide to ask her."

"She probably turned down Smith because he's a prize prat," said Ron. He had dropped his Flitterbloom on the floor was was hastily trying to repot it before Professor Sprout noticed.

"I don't think Dudley is going to ask her anyway, are you? I think you're going to ask someone else," Hermione said.

Dudley blushed. "Maybe,"

"Who?" Ron demanded.

"No one," said Dudley. "Well ... I dunno yet."

"I can't believe you were so adamant that I ask Cho, and yet you're too scared to ask ... Padma Patil?"

"Wrong," said Dudley. But he felt Ron had a point. If Ron could be brave enough to ask Cho Chang to the ball, then he should be brave enough to ask Luna.