In our fourth year, Dumbledore decided to throw a ball in honor of him being made the permanent Headmaster of Hogwarts, since he was acting in Professor Dippet's absence.
It seemed like everyone had already agreed to go with someone, leaving only the few who were left. James had already asked Lily, Remus had agreed to go with a fourth year, and Peter had asked a second year. So, that only left me and Sirius. I hadn't really planned on going in the first place, since it was over the Christmas holiday and I usually spent it with my father, and Sirius was narrowing down his choices, since so many girls were interested in him taking them.
The six of us were sitting in the library, before term ended and James had brought up the subject of the ball. "I don't think Sirius should even go to the ball." I said, looking up from the letter that I was sending to my father.
"Why not?" Sirius asked, looking very hurt.
"Because, knowing you, you'd play some stupid joke and ruin the whole thing for everyone." He looked aghast at the thought.
"What makes you think that?"
"Because, I know you and you can't last one hour without playing a prank on someone."
"That's not true."
"Oh, please, you're doing it right now!" I pointed out as I saw him stick a dungbomb into Remus' pack.
Hey!" Remus said, pulling the dungbomb out of his pack and throwing it out the window, which James had quickly opened for him. Sirius laughed until he noticed that I was giving him a knowing look.
"Okay, so what's your point? So what if I play a few jokes on people?"
"A few? Come on, that's all you think about! If you paid half as much time on your schoolwork than you do on playing jokes on people, you'd be getting straight A's." I said, truthfully.
"So what are you saying?"
"I bet that you cannot play a trick on anyone during the ball." He looked at me in awe. "Yes, the ball. I want you to suffer, during this bet."
"Okay, so what are we betting?" He asked, more interestedly. I thought for a moment about how much more I could torture him, but then I figured that not pulling any pranks at the ball would make him suffer enough. So, I decided on some money.
"I'll pay you ten Galleons if you cannot play a single joke on anyone on the night of the ball." I held out my hand for him to shake as to seal the deal. He stared at it for a moment.
"All right. Ten Galleons." He said, shaking my hand.
"It's a bet, then." I said.
"But, how are you going to keep an eye on him at the ball?" Lily asked with a slight smile. She had a point. I hadn't thought about that.
"Why doesn't Sirius take you to the ball, Nikolett?" James asked. I stared at him in awe for a second, but then I figured that it was a good idea. It would be the only way that I could keep an eye on him. I looked at Sirius with an evil smile and he knew that he couldn't try to change my mind. He looked as though he was reluctant as he agreed, but there was a twinkle in his eye that you just couldn't miss.
"All right. We'll go to the ball together." He said. I smiled as I went back to my letter to my father, to whom I now had to explain that I wasn't coming home for the holidays.
