Ron, Hermione and Harry made there way up to Gyffindor tower in silence,
and Ron was still deep in thought.
"Why am I feeling....the way I'm feeling? Hermione's been my best friend
since... well since we saved her from the troll and she took the blame in our
1st year. She's always been the same old Hermione. Same bushy hair, same
eyes... everything. What's change now? Nothing. Well if he was completely
honest she had changed. She had change from a bossy know-it-all schoolgirl
to an intelligent young woman.
He chanced a quick glance at her. She was staring at the floor, like Ron,
deep in thought.
"I wonder what she's thinking about?" Ron said to himself. Before he could
question this though, he found himself in front of the Gryffindor tower.
They still didn't know the password.
"Password?" The Fat lady said
"Nuts, what are we gonna do?" Ron heared Harry say next to him.
"I know it! Hang on!" Said a voice behind them. They all turned around and
saw Ginny Weasley running towards them, her flaming red hair flying behind
her. Harry's stomach did a weird kind of Suma-Sault. Ginny was defiantly
not how he remembered her. Like all her other brothers, she was tall and
her face had defiantly matured a great deal over the years.
"How do you know it?" Ron asked his sister questionably.
"Professor Magonagal told me when I was going to the Great Hall earlier."
Ginny said wearily, flinging her long red hair behind her shoulders.
"Anyway, should we go in?"
"Yeah, let's go" Hermione said impatiently.
"Sherbet Lemon" Ginny said loudly. The fat lady smiled and opened the door
for them.
"Hey that used to be Dumboldore's password didn't it?" Ron asked Harry as
they walked into the common room and sat down near the fire.
"Yep, in our 2nd year I think. I don't know what it is this year though"
Harry said scratching his head thoughtfully.
"Knowing Dumboldore, it'll probably be something wacky and strange" Ginny
said laughing a little.
Suddenly Proffesor Magonagal came in. "Students quiet please...Quiet...QUIET!" She shouted over the noise of the Gryffindor Tower. Everyone immediately went silent. "Thank you" She said more calmly. " Now this year is going to be a special year for all the school. As you know, you were asked to buy special robes for a special occasion and I suppose you were all wondering if there was another ball this year like there was during the Twizard Tournament. Well your guesses were quite correct. There is going to be another ball this year!" Excited whispering started as soon as Professor Magonagal has said the word 'Ball'. Hermione & Ron exchanged awkward glances. They hadn't talked much about what had happened between them at the Yule Ball. "However!" Professor Magonagal continued loudly over the excited chattering. "This is a very different kind of ball. This ball is going to be for Headmaster Dumboldore's Retirement!" Everyone who had continued to whisper stopped abruptly. "But Dumboldore can't stop being headmaster! Who will be our new one?" Dean Thomas said very loudly, with a hint of anxiousness in his voice. Voices ushered in agreement. "Now-now look! I'm as happy about Dumboldore leaving as you all are, but it's his choice and his choice alone and all we can be is be very supportive and happy about the choice he has made." Professor Magonagal said, sounding quite upset about it as everyone else, but her face was still stern. "That is all. Now have fun for the rest of the year, and I will see some of you tomorrow in Transfiguration." She said and with that left. As soon as she had gone the Gryffindor Common Room filled with talk about the ball and Dumboldore leaving. "He can't leave! He just can't!" Hermione said angrily stamping her foot in frustration. "Well we can't do anything can we? Like Magonagal said, it's his choice. But I still think he's making the wrong choice" Ron said frowning. "What about the ball? Is he going to leave after that or wait until the end of the year?" Ginny said. The mention of the ball froze Hermione & Ron. They glanced at each other again. Realising what they were thinking, Harry tried to steer the convosation away from the ball. "Well, I hope he leaves at the end of the year. But in my opinion, I think Dumboldore's making a very bad move...hey that reminds me, want a game of wizard chess Ron?" Harry said looking at Ron. Unfortunately Ginny had spotted what Harry was up to and stopped him. "Oh no you don't Harry James Potter! These two! (She motioned to Ron & Hermione) have got to sort this out. Your Hermione's girlfriend for heaven's sake!" "Your turning into mum you are Ginny, that's exactly what mum said" Ron said quietly "Well, for once Ron I think she's right. You two have go tot sort it out. You can't keep avoiding each other-" "We're not avoiding each other!" Ron said angrily, cutting her off. "I was going to say" Ginny said just scowling at Ron "You can't keep avoiding each other every time the word 'Ball" is mentioned, or for that matter at the ball. You don't want another bust up again do you?" She said looking at Hermione to Ron. They didn't say anything, then Hermione said "Can we talk about this tomorrow? I'm a bit tired. Night all!" And with that rushed up to the Girls Dormitory without looking back once. Everyone looked at her as she went. Ginny frowned. "She can't keep avoiding this you know." She look back to where Ron was sitting, and was astonished to find that he wasn't there. She looked up to the boy's Dormitory and saw he had tried to creep up without anyone noticing. "And where do you think you're going?" Ginny said loudly making Ron jump. Ron turned around. "Oh well..i'm feeling a bit tired myself. Let's talk about this in the morning yeah?" He said quickly, and walked quickly up to the boy's dormitory without another word. "Talk to him when you go up Harry will you? They've got to sort this out. Hermione's your girlfriend, and I suppose you'll be taking her to the ball?" Ginny said, shaking her head furiously up at the boy's dormitory. "Err..Ok. I'll try. But he'll probably pretend he's asleep or something." Said Harry. "And of course I'm taking Hermione to the ball. She'll look beautiful, won't she?" he said with a dazed look on his face. Ginny rolled her eyes. Then grinned. "Of course Hermione will look beautiful" "Harry? Harry? HARRY!" Ginny said shaking him. He had gone into a daydream. "Wha? Oh yeah. Sorry. What did you say?" Ginny frowned. "I said of course she'll look beautiful." Harry grinned. "Yeah..she will. Well I'm going to bed now. Night Gin" He said kissing her forehead. "Sweet dreams"
Suddenly Proffesor Magonagal came in. "Students quiet please...Quiet...QUIET!" She shouted over the noise of the Gryffindor Tower. Everyone immediately went silent. "Thank you" She said more calmly. " Now this year is going to be a special year for all the school. As you know, you were asked to buy special robes for a special occasion and I suppose you were all wondering if there was another ball this year like there was during the Twizard Tournament. Well your guesses were quite correct. There is going to be another ball this year!" Excited whispering started as soon as Professor Magonagal has said the word 'Ball'. Hermione & Ron exchanged awkward glances. They hadn't talked much about what had happened between them at the Yule Ball. "However!" Professor Magonagal continued loudly over the excited chattering. "This is a very different kind of ball. This ball is going to be for Headmaster Dumboldore's Retirement!" Everyone who had continued to whisper stopped abruptly. "But Dumboldore can't stop being headmaster! Who will be our new one?" Dean Thomas said very loudly, with a hint of anxiousness in his voice. Voices ushered in agreement. "Now-now look! I'm as happy about Dumboldore leaving as you all are, but it's his choice and his choice alone and all we can be is be very supportive and happy about the choice he has made." Professor Magonagal said, sounding quite upset about it as everyone else, but her face was still stern. "That is all. Now have fun for the rest of the year, and I will see some of you tomorrow in Transfiguration." She said and with that left. As soon as she had gone the Gryffindor Common Room filled with talk about the ball and Dumboldore leaving. "He can't leave! He just can't!" Hermione said angrily stamping her foot in frustration. "Well we can't do anything can we? Like Magonagal said, it's his choice. But I still think he's making the wrong choice" Ron said frowning. "What about the ball? Is he going to leave after that or wait until the end of the year?" Ginny said. The mention of the ball froze Hermione & Ron. They glanced at each other again. Realising what they were thinking, Harry tried to steer the convosation away from the ball. "Well, I hope he leaves at the end of the year. But in my opinion, I think Dumboldore's making a very bad move...hey that reminds me, want a game of wizard chess Ron?" Harry said looking at Ron. Unfortunately Ginny had spotted what Harry was up to and stopped him. "Oh no you don't Harry James Potter! These two! (She motioned to Ron & Hermione) have got to sort this out. Your Hermione's girlfriend for heaven's sake!" "Your turning into mum you are Ginny, that's exactly what mum said" Ron said quietly "Well, for once Ron I think she's right. You two have go tot sort it out. You can't keep avoiding each other-" "We're not avoiding each other!" Ron said angrily, cutting her off. "I was going to say" Ginny said just scowling at Ron "You can't keep avoiding each other every time the word 'Ball" is mentioned, or for that matter at the ball. You don't want another bust up again do you?" She said looking at Hermione to Ron. They didn't say anything, then Hermione said "Can we talk about this tomorrow? I'm a bit tired. Night all!" And with that rushed up to the Girls Dormitory without looking back once. Everyone looked at her as she went. Ginny frowned. "She can't keep avoiding this you know." She look back to where Ron was sitting, and was astonished to find that he wasn't there. She looked up to the boy's Dormitory and saw he had tried to creep up without anyone noticing. "And where do you think you're going?" Ginny said loudly making Ron jump. Ron turned around. "Oh well..i'm feeling a bit tired myself. Let's talk about this in the morning yeah?" He said quickly, and walked quickly up to the boy's dormitory without another word. "Talk to him when you go up Harry will you? They've got to sort this out. Hermione's your girlfriend, and I suppose you'll be taking her to the ball?" Ginny said, shaking her head furiously up at the boy's dormitory. "Err..Ok. I'll try. But he'll probably pretend he's asleep or something." Said Harry. "And of course I'm taking Hermione to the ball. She'll look beautiful, won't she?" he said with a dazed look on his face. Ginny rolled her eyes. Then grinned. "Of course Hermione will look beautiful" "Harry? Harry? HARRY!" Ginny said shaking him. He had gone into a daydream. "Wha? Oh yeah. Sorry. What did you say?" Ginny frowned. "I said of course she'll look beautiful." Harry grinned. "Yeah..she will. Well I'm going to bed now. Night Gin" He said kissing her forehead. "Sweet dreams"
