Author's Note: None
of this belongs to me. This story is
based on Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling and will
feature "offstage scenes" as well as scenes from the book reinterpreted from
Hermione's point of view.
Hermione's 4th Year
Part 9: Professor McGonagall's Announcement
By Elanor Gamgee
After the First Task, things finally started to get back to normal between Ron and Harry, much to Hermione's relief. They were still being very careful around each other, as if each was afraid the other might take offense at the smallest thing, but they were definitely friends again.
As glad as she was that they had
made up, Hermione couldn't help but feel a bit left out now. Ever since she had arrived at the Burrow
before school started, she had become more and more aware of the fact that her
two best friends were such boys. Although giggly girls like Lavander and Parvati disgusted her, Hermione
occasionally founding herself watching them and wishing she had female friends
like that. Ginny was her friend, of
course, but then…well, Ginny was Ron's little sister, and there were just too
many things Hermione couldn't share with her. In fact, she was sure that most of the girls she knew would never
understand her friendship with Ron and Harry. Much of the time, she wasn't entirely sure that she herself understood
it.
Now that the immediate danger of
the First Task was over, and Ron and Harry had each other to talk to, Hermione
was finally free to work on S.P.E.W. again. She went back to spending time alone in the library doing research; she
wanted to find more support for the wand-use position that S.P.E.W. would
take.
Despite his performance in the
First Task, Viktor Krum was still looking surly, and, to Hermione's irritation,
he was still spending lots of time in the library. Now that the impending excitement of the First Task was over, the
giggly girls didn't appear quite so regularly, but it was still often enough to
annoy Hermione greatly. Though she had
complained to Harry and Ron about the presence of the autograph-seeking girls,
she had to admit to herself that it was really Viktor Krum's presence she found
unnerving. The way he looked at her
just made her uncomfortable, though she couldn't explain why. One day, when she had been working alone at
her usual table, she had seen him start to walk toward her. When Krum had seen her look up at him, he
had changed direction and left the library. She still wasn't sure what that was all about.
Hermione hadn't had time to
wonder, however, as she was so focused on S.P.E.W. In addition to doing more research, she had found the entrance to
the kitchens (thanks to Fred) and tried to get the house-elves to join
her. Though she had had little success
so far, she had at least reunited Dobby and Harry, and found Winky. She wanted to help all the house-elves,
especially Winky, so desperately, and it was so frustrating that they didn't
seem to want to help themselves.
Ron didn't help matters, as he
kept referring to S.P.E.W. as the "House-Elf Liberation Front" and telling Hermione
that she was wasting her time. She
found it infuriating that he didn't take the issue seriously, particularly as
she thought his persuasive sense of humor and family connections would make him
an ideal ambassador for the cause.
Then, one Thursday in
Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall made an announcement which would take
Hermione's mind off S.P.E.W., at least for the moment. It was the end of class, and Hermione was
going over her notes for Arithmancy while Ron and Harry were dueling with fake
wands next to her.
Ron swung wildly and jostled
Hermione's elbow. She rolled her
eyes. "Honestly," she muttered.
"Potter! Weasley! Will you pay
attention?" boomed Professor McGonagall's irritated voice from the front of
the room. Hermione closed her book and
sat up straighter as the fake wands turned into a tin parrot and a rubber
haddock.
"Now Potter and Weasley have been
kind enough to act their age, I have something to say to you all. The Yule Ball is approaching—a traditional
part of the Triwizard Tournament. Now,
the ball will be open only to fourth-years and above—although you may invite a
younger student if you wish—"
Lavender and Parvati were giggling
a few rows away, which Hermione felt was distinctly undignified. They both looked around at Harry, then
Lavender glanced over at Hermione. A
smile spread across her face as she looked meaningfully at Ron, then back at
Hermione, raising her eyebrows.
Hermione flushed as she tried to
ignore Lavender. A ball, she
thought, this should be interesting. She had read about the Yule Ball as being part of the Triwizard
Tournament, of course, but she hadn't thought really thought about it with
everything else that had been happening. A ball would mean dressing up…and going in pairs. Hermione was surprised to feel an
uncharacteristically girlish thrill at the thought.
She suddenly realized that
Professor McGonagall was still speaking. "…eight o'clock on Christmas Day,
finishing at midnight, in the Great Hall. Now then—"
Professor McGongall went on to
tell the class about the standards of behavior for the ball, but Hermione was
hardly listening. She found herself
wondering if her blue dress robes would be fancy enough. As for the question of partners…well, she
supposed that she would go with Ron. Lavender
seemed to think that he would ask her, and maybe she was right. She was sure they would have fun if they
went together. Hermione was surprised
to find that her ears had gotten rather warm at the thought.
She cast a sidelong glance in
Ron's direction. He was sitting bolt
upright, staring at Professor McGonagall with a look of horror. Hermione felt a wave of something like
disappointment pass over her.
The bell rang just then, and the
class hurried out, chattering excitedly. Professor McGonagall called out above the noise, "Potter—a word, if you
please."
Hermione cast a curious glance at
him as she and Ron continued out to the hallway and stopped to wait for
him. Lavender and Parvati came out of
the classroom behind them. Parvati saw
Hermione and Ron standing there, and whispered something to Lavender which made
her giggle shrilly. Lavender gave
Hermione a knowing look as she and Parvati headed down the corridor.
Hermione just rolled her eyes at
them and leaned against the wall. An
uncomfortable silence settled in between herself and Ron.
"Er—I didn't realize there was
going to be a ball, did you?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.
"No," said Ron distantly. He still looked a bit shell-shocked.
Hermione smiled gamely, wishing
Ron would just ask her and get it over with. She was almost sure he would; Lavender and Parvati's insinuations had
not escaped her, and somewhere during Ron's fight with Harry, it had occurred
to her that those hurt looks might be more than just feeling left out.
Hermione gave Ron another sidelong
look. He was still looking uncomfortable
and slightly afraid.
Harry came out of the classroom
then, looking just as horrified as Ron, and told them what Professor McGonogall
had said. "I have to get a partner. And I have to dance," he said
miserably. "I don't dance."
Ron appeared alarmed at this, but
sympathetic. Hermione looked at their
terrified faces and shook her head. Boys, she thought.
If Hermione thought that the
prospect of the ball would become less frightening to her two friends over the
next few days, she was wrong. Harry and
Ron began to remind her of frightened rabbits, as they cast wary glances at
knots of girls in the hallway. The
sound of giggling suddenly seemed to make them flinch, as though they had never
heard it before.
Hermione also noticed that their
horror at females did not seem to extend to her. In fact, she doubted they even realized she was a
girl. For some reason, this bothered
her more than she thought it should.
Harry had actually had several
girls ask him to the ball, one of whom was the blonde second-year who made
regular appearances in the library to stalk Viktor Krum. On the Saturday following Professor
McGonagall's announcement, Hermione was sitting at the lunch table with Harry
and Ron when a tall, dark-haired fifth-year Ravenclaw approached and asked to
speak with Harry.
Hermione saw Harry gulp as he
stood. He cast a frightened look back
at Ron as he followed the girl into the Entrance Hall.
A slightly jealous look flitted
across Ron's face before he turned back to Hermione. "He'd better watch out, or he'll be on the cover of Witch
Weekly soon."
"At least they're asking. If he's so nervous about getting a partner
for the ball, why doesn't he just say yes to one of the girls who asks?"
wondered Hermione.
Ron snorted. "Oh, I'm sure he has his reasons," he said,
glancing over at the Ravenclaw table.
Hermione followed his gaze. "Ah, yes, Cho Chang." She was careful to
keep her voice down so that Ginny, who was sitting a few seats down the table,
wouldn't hear. "Does he think we don't
know?" she asked, leaning closer to Ron and whispering conspiratorially.
Ron shrugged. "Who knows?"
Hermione thought for a
moment. "So why doesn't he just ask Cho
if he likes her so much?"
"Dunno," said Ron through a
mouthful of stew. "I guess it's harder
to ask her since he actually does like her." Hermione looked at Ron carefully, wondering if he was trying to tell her
something, but his voice was so casual she couldn't tell.
Harry came back to the table,
looking pale. "She asked me to the
ball," he said, slumping into his seat.
Ron started snickering
loudly. Hermione gave him a stern look,
then turned to Harry. "And what did you
say?" she asked.
"No," said Harry, poking at his
stew with his spoon.
Hermione sighed in exasperation
and turned back to her own stew. She
would never in a million years understand boys.
Across the table, Ron had finally
stopped laughing long enough to say, "She was quite good-looking."
Hermione narrowed her eyes at him,
but Harry winced slightly. "She was a
foot taller than me," Harry moaned. "Imagine what I'd look like trying to dance with her."
Ron started snickering again. Hermione looked from one to the other and
pushed back her chair in irritation. "I'm going to the library," she announced shortly.
As she walked away from the
Gryffindor table, she heard Ron's confused voice asking Harry, "What's her
problem?"