Chapter 12
Pre-Ball Troubles
After a long week, the night of the Christmas Ball finally arrived. Excitement was found all over the school. All the girls could not stop talking of their "normal" dresses and all the boys could not stop talking about the girls in the dresses.
"I wonder what Parvati will look like" said Ron that morning as he picked up his books ready to go to the first class of the day.
"The same Parvati as usual, only in a dress" answered Harry.
"I can't wait to see Jennifer" said Ron with a sigh. Harry rolled his eyes and followed his friend out of the portrait.
Once they were downstairs, they met up with the rest of their house. The first person to come up to them was Kathy, a Gryffindor girl. "Hey guys!" she said cheerfully, "What's crackin!" Ron and Harry laughed.
"Is it just me, or are the American transfer students slightly messed up in the head" Ron whispered to Harry.
"Well," continued Kathy, oblivious of what they had said, "I just wanted to tell you the excellent news!"
"What news" asked Ron and Harry in unison.
"Well, since both of you didn't show up for breakfast, you obviously won't know. Alright I'll tell you. Since tonight is the night of the ball and we all need time to get ready, Dumbledore said that we are only going to have our three morning classes and then we're free for the rest of the day! He said to think of it as a second Christmas gift!" squealed Kathy with delight.
"Alright! We can have another snowball fight with Fred and George!" screamed Ron.
"So…" continued Kathy, "Who are you taking to the ball?"
"Well…I haven't really asked anyone. I guess I'll just take Hermione. How about you?"
"Oh, I'm going with your brother" said Kathy, turning slightly red.
"Fred?!" asked Harry and Ron wide eyed.
"NO!!" screamed Kathy, "George!"
"OoOoOoh…." said Harry and Ron together.
"How 'bout you Harry? Who are you taking?"
"Umm…I haven't really had a chance to ask anyone either. Is there still anyone available?"
Kathy laughed, "Not really, unless you want to take Millicent Bullstrode."
"Oh…alright…" said Harry disappointedly.
"I'm joking silly! Uh let's see…who in our house is still available…Well, if you beat Ron to her, you can take Hermione" said Kathy enthusiastically.
"Next…" said Harry with a heavy sigh.
"Uh…Angelina is still free"
"Really? Great! I'll ask Angelina then!" said Harry joyfully.
Kathy smiled, and then walked back to Lavender to carry on their conversation on dresses. Harry and Ron made their way to the first class of the day: Care of Magical Creatures, with none other than the Slytherins.
"Mornin' class" said Hagrid as he dropped a crate in the middle of the grass. "Today I'll teach you to care for a baby dragon."
"What?!" screamed Draco, "I thought dragons weren't allowed in the school."
"Yer right Mr. Malfoy. But baby dragons are an exception. I spoke to Dumbledore himself and since their eyes are still closed and they don't yet breathe fire, he allowed me to bring 'em in to ya."
"Just wait 'till my father hears of this madness" murmured Draco under his breath.
The class went on basically like this: they fed the dragons, cleaned the dragons, and watched as a baby fire-breathing dragon was discovered by Neville. Although no serious damage was caused, Neville got to the hospital wing with less hair than he started out with. "Poor Neville" said Hermione.
"I think she might fancy that kid" whispered Kathy to Ron.
"Yeah, maybe I won't ask her"
"Well," continued Kathy, "Parvati hasn't got a date. She was originally going to go with that new Ravenclaw, Pete, but he came down with a case of the flu so he can't go to the ball. Then that Hufflepuff, John, asked her, but she rejected him with an excuse about not going without Pete. Everyone knows that she only said no because he's not very good looking. Actually, he's terribly, terribly ugly."
"Oh…" said Ron. "Well, I'll try with her."
"Alright. If she says no, I'll try to knock some sense into that over washed head of hers."
After all the classes had finished, the houses returned to their Common Rooms. "So what do you think Harry? Should I ask?"
"Ron, if you really wanna go with Parvati, then just ask her."
"Alright Mr. Hotshot, how about you? Did *you* ask Angelina yet?"
"No…" started Harry, "But I'm going to do it as soon as Oliver gets away from her."
"So, Oliver, what is it you wanted to ask me?" said Angelina hopefully.
"Well," began Oliver, "Jennifer mentioned you still didn't have a date, and since I don't have one, I'd really love it if you would go with me."
"OH MY GOD!!!! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?! I'D LOVE TO GO WITH YOU OLIVER!!!!" screamed Angelina with joy.
"Guess I can't ask her" said Harry.
"Well, Kathy seems to be the gossip queen, so just ask her if anyone else is still available."
"Nah, I think I'll just stay here" said Harry sadly.
"Hey Harry, I heard what happened" said Kathy walking over to them.
"Wait a minute…how do *you* know?!?" asked Harry amazed.
"Trust me hunni, I find these things out" she said confidently.
"O…k…" said Harry.
"But, I have the solutions to ALL your troubles. You see, my friend, Noor, she don't have a date either. She's in Slytherin, but she's not a bitch like most of them. She's really nice. No one asked her so you can ask her if you hurry."
"Umm…o…k…well, where is she?" asked Harry.
"I dunno. But you can send her an owl since you won't be able to get into the Slytherin Common Room if she's in there."
"Good idea" he said, getting up and leaving the Common Room.
Pre-Ball Troubles
After a long week, the night of the Christmas Ball finally arrived. Excitement was found all over the school. All the girls could not stop talking of their "normal" dresses and all the boys could not stop talking about the girls in the dresses.
"I wonder what Parvati will look like" said Ron that morning as he picked up his books ready to go to the first class of the day.
"The same Parvati as usual, only in a dress" answered Harry.
"I can't wait to see Jennifer" said Ron with a sigh. Harry rolled his eyes and followed his friend out of the portrait.
Once they were downstairs, they met up with the rest of their house. The first person to come up to them was Kathy, a Gryffindor girl. "Hey guys!" she said cheerfully, "What's crackin!" Ron and Harry laughed.
"Is it just me, or are the American transfer students slightly messed up in the head" Ron whispered to Harry.
"Well," continued Kathy, oblivious of what they had said, "I just wanted to tell you the excellent news!"
"What news" asked Ron and Harry in unison.
"Well, since both of you didn't show up for breakfast, you obviously won't know. Alright I'll tell you. Since tonight is the night of the ball and we all need time to get ready, Dumbledore said that we are only going to have our three morning classes and then we're free for the rest of the day! He said to think of it as a second Christmas gift!" squealed Kathy with delight.
"Alright! We can have another snowball fight with Fred and George!" screamed Ron.
"So…" continued Kathy, "Who are you taking to the ball?"
"Well…I haven't really asked anyone. I guess I'll just take Hermione. How about you?"
"Oh, I'm going with your brother" said Kathy, turning slightly red.
"Fred?!" asked Harry and Ron wide eyed.
"NO!!" screamed Kathy, "George!"
"OoOoOoh…." said Harry and Ron together.
"How 'bout you Harry? Who are you taking?"
"Umm…I haven't really had a chance to ask anyone either. Is there still anyone available?"
Kathy laughed, "Not really, unless you want to take Millicent Bullstrode."
"Oh…alright…" said Harry disappointedly.
"I'm joking silly! Uh let's see…who in our house is still available…Well, if you beat Ron to her, you can take Hermione" said Kathy enthusiastically.
"Next…" said Harry with a heavy sigh.
"Uh…Angelina is still free"
"Really? Great! I'll ask Angelina then!" said Harry joyfully.
Kathy smiled, and then walked back to Lavender to carry on their conversation on dresses. Harry and Ron made their way to the first class of the day: Care of Magical Creatures, with none other than the Slytherins.
"Mornin' class" said Hagrid as he dropped a crate in the middle of the grass. "Today I'll teach you to care for a baby dragon."
"What?!" screamed Draco, "I thought dragons weren't allowed in the school."
"Yer right Mr. Malfoy. But baby dragons are an exception. I spoke to Dumbledore himself and since their eyes are still closed and they don't yet breathe fire, he allowed me to bring 'em in to ya."
"Just wait 'till my father hears of this madness" murmured Draco under his breath.
The class went on basically like this: they fed the dragons, cleaned the dragons, and watched as a baby fire-breathing dragon was discovered by Neville. Although no serious damage was caused, Neville got to the hospital wing with less hair than he started out with. "Poor Neville" said Hermione.
"I think she might fancy that kid" whispered Kathy to Ron.
"Yeah, maybe I won't ask her"
"Well," continued Kathy, "Parvati hasn't got a date. She was originally going to go with that new Ravenclaw, Pete, but he came down with a case of the flu so he can't go to the ball. Then that Hufflepuff, John, asked her, but she rejected him with an excuse about not going without Pete. Everyone knows that she only said no because he's not very good looking. Actually, he's terribly, terribly ugly."
"Oh…" said Ron. "Well, I'll try with her."
"Alright. If she says no, I'll try to knock some sense into that over washed head of hers."
After all the classes had finished, the houses returned to their Common Rooms. "So what do you think Harry? Should I ask?"
"Ron, if you really wanna go with Parvati, then just ask her."
"Alright Mr. Hotshot, how about you? Did *you* ask Angelina yet?"
"No…" started Harry, "But I'm going to do it as soon as Oliver gets away from her."
"So, Oliver, what is it you wanted to ask me?" said Angelina hopefully.
"Well," began Oliver, "Jennifer mentioned you still didn't have a date, and since I don't have one, I'd really love it if you would go with me."
"OH MY GOD!!!! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?! I'D LOVE TO GO WITH YOU OLIVER!!!!" screamed Angelina with joy.
"Guess I can't ask her" said Harry.
"Well, Kathy seems to be the gossip queen, so just ask her if anyone else is still available."
"Nah, I think I'll just stay here" said Harry sadly.
"Hey Harry, I heard what happened" said Kathy walking over to them.
"Wait a minute…how do *you* know?!?" asked Harry amazed.
"Trust me hunni, I find these things out" she said confidently.
"O…k…" said Harry.
"But, I have the solutions to ALL your troubles. You see, my friend, Noor, she don't have a date either. She's in Slytherin, but she's not a bitch like most of them. She's really nice. No one asked her so you can ask her if you hurry."
"Umm…o…k…well, where is she?" asked Harry.
"I dunno. But you can send her an owl since you won't be able to get into the Slytherin Common Room if she's in there."
"Good idea" he said, getting up and leaving the Common Room.