Disclaimer: Many of the characters, thoughts and ideas that are in this fan fiction are not of my own design. Though this story is from my imagination, I realize that this is the property of Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling. This is not J. K. Rowling's work. I also read many FFs and if you see something similar to another work it is entirely unintentional. I have posted this on harrypotter.com as well…. I'd also like to say that in this chapter I include four songs written by modern artists for the ball…. I give credit where credit is due…. I put all of these artists in the band that comes to the ball… look for the artist that I mention prior to the song is the artist who sings and/or performs the songs that are written! I do not own these songs in anyway! They are simply a means to an end in the story…. So please understand that I do not claim them in any way!
Becky (rebcschult and PrincessOfCliffiesRCS)
P.S. Please read and review!
In General to all of my fans – I'm so sorry that I haven't put up another chapter until now! I've been busy with the Wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday…. I hope you will all forgive me! Anyhow enjoy this new chapter!!! Oh and please note I have added something to the disclaimer for this chapter!!! Thank you all for reviewing and for your comments and compliments!!! They are all welcome and appreciated!
usakoesm – WELCOME! And thank you for your compliments and comments! How very clever of you to notice that! You are actually the first person to notice that from anywhere that I have posted this ficcy!!! Thank you!!! I was thinking that I hadn't made that clear enough! *wipes brow* :-D
Butler – Thank you for your wonderful comments!!! As for twists and turns… tee hee! well let's just say that I do enjoy a little twist and turn now and again! lol :-D
Chibi-Bex – WOW! Thanks for your wonderful comments compliments!! I'm so glad you like it!!! And let's just say that more will become clear in this chapter! I hope you enjoy it!!!! And yeah Snape is being a little…. nasty shall we say? lol :-D
Jake – Thank you so much for your wonderful comments and continuing interest!! I am sorry that I have been away for so long with the holiday and all!!! But as you requested here is more!! :-D
CHAPTER FIFTEEN – ALL HALLOW'S EVE
6:30pm Halloween found the Common Room packed with first through third year students, as they had just come back from the special feast made just for them. Harry, Ron, and Neville were sitting in the Common Room, too, waiting anxiously for their dates, though Harry had to wait longer because he was going to meet Cho down by the Great Hall. Ron, despite being incredibly nervous about his first dance with his girlfriend, was complaining about how hungry he was.
Neville on the other hand had become quite the chatterbox. He was nervous, but only because he hoped that the dance lessons that he had had the previous night with Nicholas, Ron, and Harry, were going to be enough. He remembered all too well how much he stepped on Ginny's toes at the last ball, and he didn't want to do that again this time.
Harry had just checked for about the thousandth time to make sure that he had put the vial of the Imperius potion into the pocket of his dress robes. Harry pulled it out and hoped that there would be enough, then put it back into his pocket again.
Neville having run out of a mental checklist for himself, that he had been going over with himself out loud, turned to Harry. "So, Harry, what are you going as?"
"Godric Gryffindor."
"Wow! Why – How did you chose that?"
"Well, I was having a hard time sleeping last night. Ron noticed that I was still awake when he came up from the Common Room at 1am…."
"It wasn't 1am," said Ron indignantly. "It was 12:56am, thank you very much."
Harry and Neville snorted.
"Anyway…. Apparently, Hermione got him reading Hogwarts, A History and he found that he liked it…."
"I never said I liked it! I just said that there were… some interesting things in there…."
Harry and Neville laughed.
"Well, then those 'interesting things' were enough for you to take the book out of the library, then weren't they…." Ron blushed and busied himself with something unseen on the floor. "But he gave the book to me to look through, said he got his idea of what to dress up as in the book. I spent about an hour flipping through it and found nothing of interest. But as I flipped through the last of the pages, my eyes landed on a portrait of a man and a woman. The man had green eyes and dark hair like mine, so I felt that he was as good as any. When I looked down at the names under the portrait, it said Godric and Leona Gryffindor."
"Wicked! So is Cho going to be Leona?"
"No, she said that she had something else interesting in mind. But she said it was Hogwarts related, so that we would match in a sense."
"Cool. And what about you, Ron?"
"Well, as Harry so nicely pointed out, I found what I'm going as in the book too. There was a section on the origins of Magic and it talked about Egypt. I remembered the part about Egypt that I loved the most back two years ago, during the summer, when I went there with my family was the Mutant Skeletons. But Hermione reckoned that that costume might scare people too much so I chose the other thing that fascinated me, the Mummies."
"And what about Hermione?"
"She's going as one of the Egyptian Witch Princesses."
"Wicked!"
Nicholas came down to the Common Room to see all his friends off to the ball. He watched as Fred and George took their dates Katie and Angelina down to the Great Hall early to get a good seat for the rest of them just like they had planned. Nicholas was sad that he wasn't going to get to see any of the fun that would go on at the ball that night. But Harry had promised that Colin would be asked to bring his camera to the ball so that they could get some good pictures.
Just then Colin came down the stairs, his camera swinging from his neck. Nicholas smiled to himself, knowing that there would be plenty of good pictures taken, as Colin was always snapping pictures about something. Colin stood looking up the girls' staircase and smiled as Natalie came down the steps in a stunning deep purple robe, her hair resting down her back in a long braid-like twist. Colin offered her his arm after staring at her for a few moments openmouthed. She took his arm, smiling, and they walked arm and arm to the portrait hole. Colin crawled through first and held the portrait open for her and helped her through the hole.
Several others seemed to come down at that moment, some already in their costumes. They all met up with their dates and left swiftly. The only people who seemed to be left that were going to the ball were Harry, Ron, and Neville who were still waiting for their dates. Nicholas walked over to the three of them, and seeing the simple looking masks in their hands Nicholas asked, "So explain to me how those simple masks become the elaborate costumes that I've seen leaving the Common Room."
Harry smiled. "It's quite interesting actually. In Transfiguration, today, we were given these plain masks. Professor McGonagall had us all try them on before we did anything to them, and then look around the room. They did nothing. All we saw was that we all had masks on our faces. But then when we took them off she told us to tap them four times and then say 'Vera Exhibeo', followed by what we wanted to be. Then she had us all try on our masks again. When we looked around the class everyone looked different. We looked like what we were going to be for the ball. Only there was a slight catch…. There is always some sort of tell tale sign who it is… For instance, my scar is still there somewhere on the costume."
"Wicked! So could you all put on your masks? I'd really like to see what I'm going to be missing!" said Nicholas.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes!"
Harry put his mask on. Instantly he looked like the portrait of Godric Gryffindor. His lightning bolt scar was no longer on his forehead, but on the sleeve of his cloak was a lightning bolt design just like his scar.
Next Neville put on his mask and he became a male Centaur. Surprisingly enough the upper body of the Centaur completely matched Neville's upper body, which had become much less out of shape with his growing confidence.
Finally Ron put on his mask and he became an Egyptian Mummy, with tufts of red hair sticking out through the bandages over his head.
Nicholas smiled as they removed the masks. "Wicked! I really wish I was going…."
"Us too, mate," said Ron.
Then they quietly discussed one last time what their plans were before the girls finally made their way down to the Common Room. Ginny was wearing a set of Chocolate brown robes that matched her eyes. Neville was obviously entranced by Ginny, as he stood there openly staring at her for several moments.
Hermione was wearing brilliant off-white robes and her hair was sleek and shiny and half up in a top knot, half hanging at her shoulders. She sent Ron a smile that made him weak in the knees.
The girls smiled at each other, knowing just by the looks that they were getting from their dates that they looked good.
Once Ron had recovered, he offered Hermione his arm and they all headed toward the portrait hole. Harry crawled through first and offered a hand to help the two girls through.
As they arrived at the entrance to the Great Hall, Cho came up the stairs from her Common Room. Harry's jaw dropped, as he looked at her in shimmering blue and black satin robes. Here hair that usually was up in a bun, now flowed elegantly down her back, with specks of flashing gold in it. Cho smiled and gently closed Harry's mouth with her hand.
"You look beautiful, Cho."
"Thanks." She kissed him on the cheek.
They put on their masks and instantly were transformed into their costumes. Harry and Cho, as Gryffindor and the Gray Lady, Ravenclaw's ghost, walked in first. Then came Ron and Hermione. Ron's Mummy had a tall, tan, Egyptian Witch Princess on his arm with Hermione's dark blond hair, styled exactly the way she had it when she arrived in the common room. Finally Neville and Ginny, as male and female Centaurs walked in, Ginny's flowing red hair, strategically placed to reveal none of her female features.
Harry looked around the hall for Fred and George. He finally spotted a red howler envelope floating in the air next to a beautiful white snowy owl and knew that it was Fred and Katie at a table close to the staff table. Harry's eyes then fell on the other occupants of their table. There was a lovely Woodland Nymph and a Cornish Pixie. Harry chuckled to himself. Only Fred and George would think to go as a Howler and a Cornish Pixie. They all sat down at the table, waiting for the feast to begin.
While they were waiting for all of the professors to come, Harry looked around at the many assorted creatures and odd things that took up the room. There was an assortment of people from the school's past meandering around as well. Some were humorous, others were somewhat scary, all of them were unique.
As he looked around, there was a conversation that had picked up between Angelina, the Woodland Nymph, and George, the Cornish Pixie. It was quite amusing listening to George's voice sounding like a Cornish Pixie's high-pitched squeal. Though Harry couldn't quite understand what the two of them were saying, as he was sitting across the table from them.
Something behind them caught his eye though. He looked up at the staff table and was shocked to see a huge tree sitting there, right in the middle of that part of the room. He studied it and saw that it looked very much like the Whomping Willow that he and Ron had had a few run-ins with. But there was something odd about it…. Harry couldn't quite put his finger on it until….
He saw long white streaks down the front of the bark and blue eyes with a twinkle in them peering out from the trunk. "Dumbledore?" asked Harry out loud. All of the others looked where Harry was looking.
"Where? I heard the he is going to do something big…. I want to see his costume!" asked Pixie George.
"When did a tree get brought into the Great Hall?" asked the screaming Howler Fred.
Several of the students that were in the hall had heard the screaming question from Fred and looked up to the Head Table. Most gasped and stared openmouthed. People, creatures, and other odd things started crowding into the front of the room. Murmuring ran through the crowd as they all pointed at the tree.
"Don't you see," said Harry above the din, getting up and walking over beside the tree. "This isn't a tree at all…. It's professor Dumbledore!"
The tree almost seemed to shake with laughter. One of the branches moved down and lifted something. Suddenly Dumbledore was standing there holding up his mask and the tree had disappeared. He came over and put his hand on Harry's shoulder as everyone laughed and clapped for the Headmaster. "I guess that was not as clever a disguise after all. You saw right through it."
"Actually, sir, it took me a few minutes to figure out that it was you."
"Yes, but not even Professor McGonagall figured it out until I showed her. Well done, Harry."
"How did you know…?"
With a twinkle in his eyes, Dumbledore lifted Harry's right arm and pointed to the sleeve where the shape of his scar resided.
"Oh…"
Dumbledore turned to address the rest of the students and teachers standing there. "I would imagine that the rest of those who are coming will be meandering in shortly. In the meantime please sit and order some food from your plates. The dancing shall begin in just under an hour. I would appreciate it if we all removed our masks while eating. Thank you and enjoy."
He went and sat down, ordering the chicken from the plate in front of him. Instantly his meal appeared in front of him. He began to pick up his utensils. Everyone, realizing that the show was over, returned to their seats and ordered their dinners as well.
While they ate, Harry, Fred, George, Cho, Neville, and Ginny looked around for Draco and his cronies, but had yet to find them. In fact, there were very few Slytherins rambling about. Harry started thinking that perhaps they weren't going to show up. He frowned, but realized that there was always another time to do what they had planned, if need be. He turned back to his plate and noticed that one in their group was not eating, but rather pushing her food around on the plate.
Harry leaned over to the girl sitting to the right of him and asked, "Hermione, are you okay?"
She looked up with worry in her eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm not so sure about this, Harry…. What if we get caught? What if get into trouble? What if…"
"Too many what ifs, Hermione. We didn't get caught when we made the Polyjuice Potion in our second year, at least not really. Or when we used your time turner in third year, or when you helped me to perfect the charms last year…."
"Yes, but those were all things that we did to ourselves. It didn't involve other students and I am now a prefect. I have to set a good example for the younger students…"
"If you don't want to participate for fear of punishment, you don't have to. There're enough of us now that if you want to drop out of doing this, it's okay…"
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely…. It would be more fun if you were enjoying this too, but… I completely understand."
Hermione smiled. She nodded, making it clear that she didn't want to participate for the time being.
"Besides at the moment it doesn't even look like most of the Slytherins are going to show up tonight. There aren't too many of them here."
Hermione gave him a questioning look and started glancing about the room. She had to admit that Harry was right. She shrugged and turned back to her plate which, she realized, she hadn't even really touched yet. Aware suddenly that she was famished, she began to eat.
Just then the door opened and many of the Slytherins walked into the Great Hall wearing black dress robes, masks in hand. They sauntered over to the empty tables and sat down. They all ordered their meals and ate quickly. There seemed to be some sort of private joke travelling amongst them. Several of them were putting their heads together.
Harry watched them with mild interest as they looked about the room with wide, sly grins on their faces. A really bad feeling swept over him. He got a chill that ran up and down his spine, and he shivered visibly.
Several of the Slytherins got up and made their way about the room. Draco and his cronies came over to their table, drinks in hand. "So if it isn't Muddy, Potty, and all of the remaining Weasels. Oh and of course Widebottom and some useless Quidditch players." Crabbe and Goyle guffawed stupidly looking at each other and talking to each other quietly.
All of the people at the table tensed visibly and Harry had to hold Cho's arm tightly to keep her from doing something rash. He could hear what she wanted to do to Malfoy. Harry projected calming thoughts into her mind. Think about what our plan is and what you can do then…. She relaxed slightly.
Draco stood, leaning against the back of Harry's chair. "What do you want, Malfoy?" asked Harry bitingly.
"I should think that that would be obvious, Potty."
"Enlighten me."
Draco leaned in and whispered, "I guess you'll just have to wait and see. There is a surprise coming tonight, Potter. You have been forewarned."
A sense of dread and foreboding passed through Harry. He knew that Malfoy was telling the truth, but beyond that he could not decipher from Malfoy's mind what was going to happen. Malfoy pushed back from the chair rather forcefully. Harry muttered something that no one could hear just before Malfoy drank down the rest of his juice. Crabbe and Goyle followed Draco's lead and drank down theirs too. Malfoy moved away and went back to his table.
Harry turned back to the table and looked at Hermione. She nervously handed him something under the table, and Harry slipped it into the pocket inside his robes. After a few minutes, Harry noticed a dazed look in Malfoy's eyes and again Harry muttered something that only those near him could hear. Malfoy suddenly seemed to come alive again, as if coming out of a trance.
Once everyone was finished with their food, Dumbledore got up and asked them all to stand so he could move the tables out of the center of the room. The tables moved back against the wall, at the same moment that the doors flew open and Norbert the Dragon entered the room. Several people near him, cowered in fright until Norbert lifted a claw and lifted something off of his face. Suddenly Hagrid appeared where Norbert had been.
"Sorry," he said helping a girl near him to get to her feet. "I din' mean ter scare yeh…"
Dumbledore chuckled as Hagrid made his way up to the staff table. Hagrid whispered something to Dumbledore who appeared to get angry very briefly and then nod toward Hagrid. "Stay and eat, Hagrid. Then return to your duties." Hagrid nodded and sat down, ordering a heaping plate of pork chops and a goblet of mead.
Everyone crowded out onto the dance floor. The Chimaera, a new and wildly popular group ran to the stage to an excited applause. The women in the group were wearing iridescent green and purple patched robes with their hair hanging down their backs, while the men were all in crimson and gold robes with a picture of a Chimaera on the back, each having a unique hairdo. They picked up their instruments and were about to begin playing when the doors of the Great Hall opened.
From where Harry was he couldn't see what was going on. There was a stunned silence before all of the people near the entrance began running toward the head table, screaming. Harry was still trying to see what was going on, when suddenly his scar started burning and he fell to his knees, almost getting trampled by people running toward him.
Harry could finally see the entrance to the room now that most of the students were behind him. Through his pain he managed to make out several darkly clad figures, including one at the front with a snake like face. It was Voldemort. Voldemort raised his arm and his cold cruel laughter filled the room….
Harry had been in the process of pulling his mask down over his eyes when Voldemort had stepped in. Now it slipped down over his eyes and instantly the burning in his head subsided. His right forearm began to burn, but not unbearably. Harry at his arm questioningly and realized that he was back in his costume. Still confused, he thought for a moment why Voldemort wouldn't affect him, as much, in his costume. Then he remembered what Professor McGonagall had said earlier that day when they had worked on their masks.
"Remember, chose what you are going to be, wisely, as you will take on some of the properties of what ever you become. For instance, say you wanted to be a ghost…. You would not only appear see through, but also become that way. You would also feel cold to the touch and not as tangible to you partner, unless they were a ghost as well. But you will retain a very recognizable part of yourself someplace on your costume…."
It all made sense now to Harry. In the form of Gryffindor he wouldn't be affected that much because Gryffindor wouldn't be if he were to face Voldemort. Harry got to his feet and faced his mortal enemy. He stood defiantly looking at Voldemort, who continued to laugh in a most odd way. He seemed almost to be laughing gleefully, yet still in his cold cruel way.
Harry furrowed his brow as he looked into the snake-like… blue eyes? Harry began really studying the figures that stood before him. Voldemort was laughing uncontrollably with his hand up and pointing at the group. There was no wand in his hand. And there were tufts of white blond hair showing from beneath the hood of the cloak.
The other figures, Harry realized did not seem very threatening as everyone first thought. One was a girl that looked very much like the Sorceress Morgana. There were two Deatheaters, one male and one female, and what looked like Salazar Slytherin and his wife, Sorcha. They all appeared to be laughing. Not to mention most of the Slytherins were still standing by the entrance to the hall laughing as well.
Harry started walking toward the group. He muttered something under his breath and Voldemort, Slytherin, and the male Deatheater all stopped laughing and reached up to their faces. Suddenly before them appeared Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, looking like they were under a trance again, briefly.
When the others in the group realized that Malfoy had stopped laughing and had taken off his mask the other three did the same. Lucy-Ann Rodney, Malfoy's girlfriend, stood off to the side of Malfoy. Millicent Bulstrode stood next to Crabbe. And Blaise Zabini was standing near Goyle.
Professor McGonagall began to step forward toward the group by the door. "Explain yourselves! How did you get back out in the hall? And what were you all thinking dressing up like that?" She had reached the group now. "Better yet, you had best all follow me."
Dumbledore looked about the room and said calmly, "Well, now that the crisis has been averted, please resume the festivities, while the situation is remedied. Thank you." Dumbledore nodded to a person that Harry could not see and swept out of the room.
Shortly thereafter Snape followed them out. Harry furrowed his brow. Where did he come from? He wasn't been in the hall during the whole of dinner…, thought Harry
Harry told Draco and his cronies, with his mind, that they had better explain themselves fully to the Deputy Headmistress. But he too wanted an explanation. He told Draco to open his mind to him so that he could see everything.
Harry frowned as the music started up and everyone began to slowly come out of a trance-like state of fear. They all began to come to the dance floor in couples and groups, feeling that, even though there was never really a threat to begin with, they were safer in crowds or groups.
Harry needed a quiet place to concentrate. He looked around at the group of his friends and they slipped off to the corner, where their table was. They sat down, took their masks off, and spoke quietly about what had happened.
"Well, I guess that our fun with Malfoy is over for the evening. Snape will throw the book at him!" said Ron.
They all looked at Harry whom they knew had slipped Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle the potion, with the help of Hermione. "I'm not sure right now, actually. I can't really understand what is going on with them, because I need a quiet place to hear what's going on in Draco's mind."
"Why don't we go for a walk out in the rose garden?" suggested Cho.
They slipped around the edge of the dance floor and out into the entrance hall, where the front doors stood open, letting in a gentle fall breeze. They walked out the door and into the garden.
There were jack-o-lanterns floating about ten feet above and lighting up the winding ornamental paths. They all sat down on a stone bench that seemed to stretch just for them. They quietly waited for Harry to tell them what was going on….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Draco stood with the other five that Professor McGonagall had brought to her office as she continued her three-minute tirade. "What were you thinking? You know that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is the most feared wizard in the world! You can't be so daft to think that you would not have gotten a response like that! How did you even get out of the Great Hall? Explain yourself!"
Draco struggled to make up a lie but only the truth fell from his lips. "We just wanted to stir things up bit, for the Dark Lord. We wanted to show that even Hogwarts is not out of his reach. We sneaked back out when that stupid half-giant came into the hall. Then waited for precisely the right moment and came back in with our masks on…."
Professor McGonagall looked like she was having an internal struggle. She had the appearance of someone who had just stuck a very sour lemon into her mouth. After a few more moments of very tense silence, she looked up toward the door of her office, causing Draco and the others to turn and look. There, in the doorway, stood the Headmaster with a very palpable aura surrounding him and the usual twinkle in his eyes was gone. Behind him was their head of house, Snape.
Draco and the others seemed to cower under the stares of the three Professors. The silence of the room was deafening. Draco swallowed hard and waited for the judgement to be passed upon him and the others.
Dumbledore finally turned his eyes away from the six students and looked at Professor McGonagall and then Professor Snape. "I believe that the punishment should fit the crime. Mr. Malfoy is obviously under some sort of mind control, I can sense its power there, but it is weak at best. I believe that it will be easily overcome.
"But that does not excuse him, or any of his accomplices, from this crime. They will return to the ball and give a public apology. They will be allowed to stay at the ball without their masks. However, there will be no further attempts to scare the other students tonight… or a more severe punishment will be given. If, however Mr. Malfoy or any of his friends, choose to make his fellow students laugh however… that would be fine." He looked deep into Draco's eyes over the top of his half-moon spectacles and a slight twinkle almost seemed to return to his eyes, briefly. "Now, I will leave you to your head of house, as I am sure that he has some additional punishment."
Snape stepped forward and reamed the six of them out, as Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall stepped out of her office.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry had been sitting quietly, for the most part, with his eyes closed for some time. Harry had looked angry once, shuddered once, and gasped twice, before grinning slyly and then widely. They all were anxiously awaiting him to open his eyes and tell them what he saw. Suddenly his eyes flew open and everyone jumped.
"Sorry," he said.
He projected part of what had happened into their minds, and their reactions were very similar to his. They all looked mad at the comment that Draco had against Hagrid. They shuddered to feel the very palpable power of Dumbledore when he entered the room. They gasped when they realized that Draco got off easily from the Headmaster.
Hermione, who had been against the plan from the beginning of the night, said, "I can't believe it! Dumbledore saw that he was under mind control and he let him off! Harry, we should never have given him that potion! He would have gotten what he truly deserved if we hadn't!"
Harry looked at her. She suddenly calmed down and a look of pure enjoyment passed over her face before she burst out laughing.
"What?" yelled Fred and George together. "What is so funny?" continued Fred.
Harry smiled and projected what came next into the rest of their minds. They all gasped, as they heard Dumbledore's comment about it being okay for Draco to "make his fellow students laugh". Then with the look that Dumbledore had given to Draco, there was a message that had floated through to Harry's mind, which he projected to the others….
"Very interesting though that this mind control seems to have been put on him only in the last hour… and he had been planning this little deception since he had found out about the Masque…. It would be a true punishment if he thought that he had made the decision to do things to make others laugh, on his own." It was at that moment that Dumbledore's eyes began to twinkle.
Everyone sitting in the garden began to laugh. That was as close as they were going to come to getting approval from their Headmaster to follow through with their plans. When everyone calmed down again, Harry finished showing them the last of what happened.
After about 10 minutes of ranting and raving about how they had shamed the house and scarred it for the next seven years, Snape finally gave out his punishment to the six students. They were to report to Filch everyday for a month and they were to help him with his cleaning duties, or anything else that Filch needed them for.
They all stood there in shock and were disgusted by the prospect of having to help a squib with his daily duties, especially when it required doing "servant stuff". They scuffed their feet and handed all of their masks to Snape as they left to return to the Great Hall to make their public apology, so that they could enjoy their last night of freedom.
The group of them scrambled to get to their feet, with wide grins on their faces. They knew that Draco was probably already giving his public apology and they wanted to be there when he finished to begin to carry out their plan.
Draco had just gotten up to the stage when Harry and his friends had entered the Great Hall. They were excited that they hadn't missed the apology.
Draco looked extremely put out and out of his element. He had never really had to apologize for anything before in his life, at least not to this scale. He felt humiliated and as he stood there looking at the sea of angry faces in front of him, he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous too.
He looked at Dumbledore and Snape, who were standing off to the side of the stage, waiting for him to get on with his apology. Snape had his arms crossed and foot tapping. Dumbledore simply stood there, patiently waiting. Draco cleared his throat and mumbled something softly.
"What was that, Mr. Malfoy? I don't believe that they heard you," said Snape with a bite to his voice.
"I'm sorry for playing such a nasty trick on everyone."
"I think there may be some people in the back who didn't hear you," seethed Snape.
"I'M SORRY THAT I PLAYED THAT TRICK ON EVERYONE!!"
"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. You may return to the floor. Miss Rodney…"
They each took their turns apologizing and the band was told that they were welcome to go back up onto the stage, whenever they were done with their break. Harry and the group of them decided to let the three that were under the power of the potion to have a few seconds peace before they began their pranks. They took the time to put the finishing touches onto their plan….
"We had better really make this good! After what they did tonight, they would deserve whatever we do to them…" said Hermione avidly.
"So are you back with us on this, Mione?" asked Ron.
"You bet I am! I nearly got trampled tonight when he came in like that, so did Harry! Now, I had a thought of what we could add to up the ante a bit. I know that it is something that Muggles do at Weddings to make fools out of themselves…."
After several minutes of fine tuning their plans, Harry looked over and saw the six miserable Slytherins sitting in the opposite corner of the room. The twins were ready to complete the their phase of the plan. When the band came back to stage and began playing their next set of songs, Fred and George took their dates out to the dance floor and began dancing toward the corner where Draco and his group sat.
When they just about reached Draco and his group, Harry muttered something under his breath. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle got a glassy eyed look for a few moments and then returned to normal. Harry waited for Fred to look at him and then he nodded to let them know that it was okay to begin.
Then next song that came on was a lively, sprightly tune and Fred and George walked toward the group. "What's a matter, Malfoy? Too afraid to join the dancing and singing contest?"
"What contest?" asked Lucy-Ann.
"Don't you remember? The one that they announced at the beginning of the dance. Oh…." Fred snapped his fingers. "That's right, YOU were out of the hall when they announced it…. There is a best dancing couples category, a best individual dancer category, and the best ballad singer category."
Lucy–Ann aggressively grabbed Draco's arm and dragged him out to the dance floor. The others followed them and all began dancing rather well to the lively tune. Fred and George looked at each other and then smirked widely. George muttered, "Perform the Chicken Dance," and he and Fred then projected the image that Hermione had given them just a few moments prior, into Draco, Crabbe and Goyle's minds. Suddenly they were doing a funny thing with their hands, flapping their arms, doing a sort of twist to the floor and back up, and then clapping. Then they repeated the steps many times, even after the music had stopped.
Lucy–Ann, Millicent, and Blaise were watching their dates humiliate themselves in horror. They stood there, mouths gaping open and blushing profusely. The three girls tried to drag their dates off of the floor, as people were starting to stare and laugh. But Draco would have no part of it.
The music changed to a slow song and the girls tried to get them to stop and they wouldn't. So the girls returned to their seats and watched the three of them make fools of themselves.
Fred, George, Angelina, and Katie returned to their table, laughing hysterically, as the three boys had begun doing the chicken dance. They noticed that Colin had gotten up from the table where he was sitting with Natalie and began taking as many pictures of the scene as he could, which made everyone at Harry's table laugh harder.
Once they had calmed down enough and the music had changed to a slow dance, Hermione and Ron got up with Neville and Ginny. They walked out to the floor and stood around the floor watching the scene with the many other students that were standing there. Ron, stifling a laugh, muttered something under his breath and suddenly Draco began singing very loudly and off-key to the instrumental music that was being played. Crabbe and Goyle started trying to harmonize with him, badly. They walked over to their dates and serenaded them on bended knee, horribly.
The three girls looked at each other and got up trying to get away, but the boys threw themselves at their ankles and wrapped their arms around them. Utterly embarrassed by the crowd of observers that were laughing hysterically at the fact that they were repeatedly singing a short ballad similar to the one that had been sent to Harry as a singing Valentine during his second year:
Your skin is as smooth as a Shrivelfig's skin.
You hair flows just like bubotubor pus.
Like lacewing flies, you have puffer-fish eyes,
And we hope that you girls will still love us.
They stopped singing when the instrumental piece was finished. When the music started up in a faster beat, they were once again on their feet and dancing the Chicken Dance. The three girls stormed out of the hall completely and utterly embarrassed, and not wanting to see what other stupid tricks the boys would do.
Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny returned to the table, laughing uncontrollably to the point that they were almost tripping all over each other. They all sat there laughing with the rest of the crowd.
When Draco and the others returned to doing the chicken dance, everyone looked at Harry and Cho, who, smiling broadly, got to their feet. Harry said, "And now for the best part!"
They walked to the dance floor and waited for the next slow song before Harry began muttering under his breath. Cho then added something and they walked away from the floor at the end of the song. The next song to was a slow song and instantly Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle looked glassy eyed, for a split second.
Harry and Cho got to their seats quickly so that they could enjoy the show that was about to begin. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle took out their wands and transfigured their robes into pink flamingo costumes, complete with pink tights, feathers that encircled their waists, wings, and hats the looked like flamingo heads. The costume alone made the crowd laugh at them.
Then they proceeded to attempt to do ballet in the very center of the room. Goyle actually got caught up trying to do a split. He couldn't move very well after that, but he tried. Crabbe actually grabbed Draco at one point and threw him into the air. Draco landed hard on his rump, but got back up and continued to dance, albeit more morosely.
They continued on in this way as long as the laughter and slow music were there. Then when a fast song started again they did a strange cross between very bad ballet and the chicken dance, still in their pink flamingo suits.
Finally, after the last song in that set for the band, Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle collapsed to the floor in a heap, breathing heavily. After they caught their breath, they got up and bowed their way out of the room to laughter. The last phrase that they heard, before leaving the room was, "You believe that you humiliated yourself by choice and will not remember being commanded to do so by any of the second generation of Marauders…."
Everyone at the table with Harry laughed hysterically. Fred and George literally fell out of their seats with laughter. Between his fits of laughter Harry looked up to the Staff Table and noticed that Dumbledore too was laughing quite consistently, though never losing his composure. Even Professor McGonagall was laughing hard, even though she looked like she was trying very hard not to laugh at all. Harry continued to scan the Staff table and every Professor there seemed to be enjoying the show, except of course Professor Snape, who got up and left part way through the ballet dancing and didn't come back until the band took stopped for another break.
Harry had noticed that Lina was sitting next to Snape and had felt his heart ache just slightly, before turning back to watch Draco and the others humiliating themselves, but he didn't seem to enjoy it quite as much. He still laughed but it wasn't as hard as it had been. And though Cho didn't want to admit it to herself, she knew exactly why.
After Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle had left, the band came back from their break, introduced themselves, and began the next set of songs. Since Harry and the other Second-Generation Marauders were done with their fun, they decided to really get up and enjoy the dance. Professor Fletcher stopped them and they all sat back down at the table.
He leaned on the table and looked around at all of them. "So," he said. "You had a bit of fun with the Imperius Potion I see…. It's a good thing that the Ministry has denied the existence of the potions, or I'd have to report you for using an Unforgivable curse." Everyone in the group looked horrified, they hadn't expected anyone to completely figure it out other than Dumbledore, nor had they ever thought of the consequences if someone else did. Professor Fletcher actually smiled slyly and chuckled. "Good show…. Full marks. I think you used it very well, because that Malfoy character did need to be brought down a few pegs. But heed this warning, do not let that sort of fun happen outside of school." They all nodded and Professor Fletcher left the hall.
They all shared a look before they got up again and went to the edge of the dance floor. They all realized that this was truly going to be the first dance that they were going to do together. Harry, Ron, and Neville were getting a bit nervous, but Harry vowed to dance with Cho the very next song that the band started.
The Chimaera's lead singer to this point had been Maria Nayler and she announced that the band would be stirring things up a bit by having each of the band members perform a song that was their favorite in the repertoire of the band. She first introduced Sarah McLachlan, who told the crowd that she was going to sing "Fear".
As the music began Harry's heart began to thump in his chest, but he put that aside when he looked at Cho's face and saw the smile resided there. He turned toward Cho and offered her his hand. "Would you like to dance?"
She turned her head and saw his hand out to her. She gladly took it nodding her head and smiling. They moved onto the dance floor. Cho put her head on Harry's shoulder, as he skillfully lead her, revolving on the spot.
Sarah McLachlan began the tauntingly beautiful song:
Morning smiles
Like the face
Of a newborn child
Innocent Unknowing
Winter's end
Promises
Of a long lost Friend
Speaks to me of comfort
But I fear
I have nothing to give
I have so much
To lose here in this lonely place
Tangled up in your embrace
There's nothing I'd like better than
To fall
To fall
To fall
To fall
Wind in time
Rapes the flower
Trembling on the Vine
And nothing yields to shelter
From above
They say Temptation will destroy our love
The never ending hunger
But I fear
I have nothing to give
I have so much
To lose here in this lonely place
Tangled up in our embrace
There's nothing I'd like better than
To fall
To fall
To fall
To fall
Morning smiles
Like the face
Of a newborn child
Innocent Unknowing
Winter's end
Promises
Of a long lost friend
Speaks to me of Comfort
But I fear
I have nothing to give
I have so much
To lose here in this lonely place
Tangled up in our embrace
There' nothing I'd like better than
To fall
To fall
To fall
To fall
Cho smiled at Harry at the end of the song and walked off the dance floor arm in arm with him. As she got off the floor, she noticed some of her friends waving at her frantically. She rolled her eyes and looked at Harry as they walked back to the refreshment table to get a drink. She looked at his profile and watched his expression. Behind the gentle smile that he wore on his face was a great pain and sadness that had nothing to do with his past.
When they got their drinks and sat down at their table, her friends once again caught her eye with their frantic waving. With one last glance at his face she said, "Would you mind it terribly if I went for a walk with my friends. They've been trying to get my attention all evening."
"Sure. No Problem."
She was about to get up when she turned back to him and looked right into his emerald green eyes, the ones that she had fallen into on several occasions, and this time was no exception. "Harry… I know that there is someone else that you'd like to dance with here tonight…. She just happens to be dressed up as Godric's wife, Leona…. I know that you didn't plan to dress up in costumes that go together, but you did."
Harry looked at her quizzically.
"If you dance with her, I'm okay with that."
"But, I'm here with you…."
Cho put her hand up to his mouth. "Harry, don't argue with me…. I know where your mind is and I know where her mind is too. I've had a great evening of fun and you dance wonderfully. I will not forget that you were willing to give this night to me. But I know your heart, perhaps better than you know it yourself. It's hard to see things sometimes. I know that your heart breaks just a little when you see her with someone else… but so does hers when she sees you with me. I can't tell you the number of times that I have felt her looking at us and I found that I was right. You two are meant to be together, even though your age does not permit it right now…." She grabbed his hand and then started getting up.
"But…."
"Harry, don't argue with me. You have found the one that you are supposed to be with."
"But she's not! She was put under the Imperius Curse to make me think that she…."
"Oh, Harry…. That was all a ruse and you know it!"
"But Snape…."
"If you don't take advantage of this night Harry, when you can truly let your feelings be free, behind that mask, then you are missing out on the only opportunity to ever freely tell her how you feel."
"Won't everyone know?"
"No. Only those who truly know you. For all they know I could have transfigured my mask again to match yours. I'm going to leave now with my friends, and I'm not coming back tonight. Again thank you, for giving me a dream to remember. I will always love you, Harry Potter. But just like that saying 'If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, it's yours…. If it doesn't it never was.' I love you enough to let you go. If you come back to me then I'll know that I was wrong, but… I know that I am not wrong." She kissed him on the lips and got up leaving Harry to his very confused thoughts.
Harry watched her leave, looked into his cup, and pushed it away. This was turning out to be the best and the worst night of his life. He sat there and blankly watched as Maria Nayler introduced the next song that the band would perform was chosen by Robert Miles, and being that he was the instrumentalist of the band, she was going to sing the vocals for the piece called "One and One".
Haunting music began as Ron finally got the courage to take Hermione out onto the floor.
The sky isn't always blue
The sun doesn't always shine
It's alright to fall apart sometimes, mmmm
I am not always you
And you are not always mine
It's all right to fall apart sometimes
After all is said and done
One and one still is one
When we cry, when we laugh
I am half, you are half
The heart isn't always true
And I am not always fine
We all have an angry heart sometimes
After all is said and done
One and one still is one
When we cry, when we laugh
I am half, you are half
Look how far we have come
One and one still is
One moon (one moon)
One star (one star)
I love the one we are
One thread (one thread)
One line (one line)
Let's stand still in time
One moon (one moon)
One star (one star)
I love the one we are
One thread (one thread)
One line (one line)
That runs through our lives
After all is said and done
One and one still is one
When we cry, when we laugh
I am half, you are half
Look how far we have come
One and one still is one, ah
Ooh.
Harry watched them through part of the song. He could see that Ron and Hermione were really a couple now. They were enjoying every moment of the dance together. He felt the old jealous feelings that he had had earlier in the year sneaking in through the back door of his mind. He shook his head and vowed not to let those feelings to enter his mind again. When the song was over Harry got up from the table and swiftly walked out the doors to the garden to get fresh cool air into his lungs.
He walked aimlessly, through the drizzle that was in the air and when he snapped out of his trance like state he realized he could hear voices and that he had no idea where in the garden he was. He didn't want to eavesdrop so he began to look around to see if he could find his way back through the maze-like paths. He had just turned around, when he heard his name. He froze to listen to what was being said….
"Harry was there I tell you!" said Professor Clovis' voice.
"Well, he shouldn't have been. He knew that I was going to get you out," came the voice of someone Harry least wanted to be near.
"Severus, you don't understand. If he hadn't been there I would never have found my way back…. He risked his life to save me…."
"So did I! Do think I enjoyed having the Dark Lord discover me? He put me under the Cruciatus Curse for a long time because I let you go!"
"And yet you survived. Whereas if Harry was discovered, he would not have."
"Why are you so fixed on Potter? He is not your date tonight. I am! And you have shown me how much you enjoy my company, by accepting my invitation to come to the masque with me…."
"Look, Severus… while I am flattered by your… advances, I came with you because I had…."
It suddenly got very quiet and Harry sneaked around to where he could see his two professors. They were kissing. Harry felt as if his heart were made of paper and it had just been set on fire the ashes spreading on the wind. Even though it was killing him, he continued to watch, until the separated. Then something truly unexpected to both Harry and Snape happened. Professor Clovis slapped Snape across the face.
"Why did you do that?" asked Snape in shock, rubbing his cheek.
"Do not mistake my gratitude for helping to save my life as affection. I came with you tonight because you and I both have jobs to do. And I personally didn't want to come alone. You were the only one to ask me…."
"Who did you want to ask you? Potter? Don't tell me that you actually have feelings for one of your students…. You know that it is forbidden to pursue a relationship with a student!"
"I never said I was going to pursue my feelings for him while I'm teaching here…"
"So you admit it! You do have feelings for him. That's sick. You are so much older than him," said Snape bitingly.
"No more sick than you having feelings for me. The span between us is almost twice that of what it is for me and Harry!"
"That's different!"
"How is that different? You know what? No, I'm not having this discussion with you. I don't have to justify myself or my feelings to you or anyone else."
"I think that the Headmaster might feel differently about that," Snape seethed.
"You wouldn't," said Lina in a dangerous voice. "You know what? I don't even care! You go right ahead and tell him! Now, I will say this once and only once…. Stay out of my life! Thank you very much for helping to save my life, you have my gratitude. But after what you told me tonight, I do not care to have anything more to do with you. If you will excuse me, I have a job to do, and you should be getting back to yours as well…." She got up and started to walk away toward Harry. Harry, afraid that she would see that he had been eavesdropping, started back up the path. Just at the same moment that he did, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Snape had grabbed her wrist. He listened as he ran up the path.
"Never forget that you owe me a life debt, Miss Clovis…." Harry heard no more. He kept running for some time. Not paying any attention to where he was going, he got himself lost in the maze again. He found a seat where he could sit and reflect on what he had heard. He put his head in his hands. So, Lina really does love me too? He felt his confusion come to a peak. He truly wanted to run back down that path and pull her into his arms, telling her his every feeling about her, but he too knew that it was wrong for him to want to do that, since she was his teacher.
Maybe I can convince Cho that she is wrong…. I suppose I could learn to love her…. I did after all have a crush on her before, maybe I could tap into it again…. Lost in his thoughts he almost missed the voices that seemed to appear suddenly out of nowhere on a path that ran behind him somewhere. The group seemed to have stopped just behind him. Again, he heard his name. He was going to ignore what was being said until he heard Cho's voice speaking.
"Harry is a really nice guy, but I can't be with him."
"Why not?" asked one of Cho's friends.
"Well, for a couple of reasons really…. First, I know that his heart truly belongs to someone else, and I refuse to be second to anyone. And second, while I find him cute, it's not in the usual way. I've known since our fourth year and his third year, when I first played against him in Quidditch, that he has had a little crush on me and when he asked me to the ball last year it confirmed my suspicions of that…."
"So see, he does like you! I'm sure you could make him forget that other girl."
"Well, maybe, but like I said, I don't really like him like that. For one brief moment I thought I could possibly like him in that way, but… after tonight I found that I truly care for him more like a sister would a brother, not like a girlfriend should a boyfriend…." The voices faded away as they had resumed walking back toward the school.
Harry had heard enough. He knew that what Cho had said was true.
After sitting there for a few minutes longer he felt a hand settle onto his arm. He jumped and looked up straight into the eyes of the woman that he knew he loved. She jumped back a bit, startled.
"Sorry," they both said together.
"Harry, what are you doing out here in the drizzling rain? You could get sick."
"I could ask you the same thing… but I'm out here trying to figure out my messed up life."
"What do you mean?"
Harry proceeded to tell Lina about the conversation that he had had earlier in the evening with Cho and what he had just overheard her saying to her friends. He told her everything that was said, hoping that she would figure out why he had been so cold to her the past few weeks. He looked at her hopefully when he finished.
"You were there then…. I knew it! I remembered you bringing me back to my body, and I remembered feeling your pain and sadness, but I couldn't understand why until Severus just explained it to me. Oh, Harry, I was never under the Imperius Curse. Everything that you have felt coming from me has been true. I know that it's not right, but…."
Harry got up and walked away a bit. She was afraid that he couldn't except what she told him as the truth because of his belief that she was under the Imperius Curse. He turned back and looked at her confused face. The pain and confusion was evident on his face as well. He walked back to the bench and held his hand out to her. Looking into his beautiful emerald eyes she took his hand.
They walked hand and hand quietly for a bit. He didn't know where he was going, but he let his heart guide him. He just wanted to get away from where they had been, as Snape had been watching them and listening to them. He could feel that Snape was still behind them. Suddenly to his right came a rustling in the bush and some soft laughter. He and Lina kept walking, but he knew that Snape would be torn between wanting to follow them and doing his duty as a proctor to the dance. Harry knew though in the end, Snape would rather catch a pair of students, than following them.
They walked a little way further before Harry turned to Lina, and said, "Look, I know that we shouldn't explore our feelings for each other right now because of the fact that we are student and teacher. But couldn't we for just one night, where we are disguised and no one will truly know who we are, dance together and be free. Just this once…"
Lina looked at Harry and, feeling the passion of his request and knowing in her heart that she wanted that too, accepted his offer. They put on their masks and jumped when they both realized that they truly had chosen costumes that matched each other.
They walked arm in arm into the hall and most stopped and stared at them, and figuring that it was Harry and Cho, they greeted them that way. Harry and Lina didn't say anything to change those beliefs, but they didn't acknowledge that those beliefs were true either.
They walked to the edge of the dance floor and waited for the next song to begin. At the end of the song Maria Nayler once again came to the front of the stage. "I wish to introduce to you the newest and youngest member of the band, Daniel Bedingfield."
A very young looking wizard walked to the front of the stage and announced that he would be singing the song "If You're Not the One." As he turned to the others to see when they were ready to begin, Harry as Godric held out his hand to Lina as Leona. They walked to the center of the room and got lost in their embrace as Harry began revolving with her on the spot as Daniel began singing:
If you're not the one,
Then why does my soul feel glad today?
If you're not the one,
Then why does my hand fit yours this way?
If you are not mine,
Then why does you're heart return my call?
If you were not mine,
Would I have the strength to stand at all?
I'll never know what the future brings,
But I know you're here with me now.
We'll make it through
And I hope you are the one I share my life with.
I don't want to run away,
But I can't take it.
I don't understand.
If I'm not made for you,
Then why does my heart tell me that I am?
Is there any way that I can stay in your arms?
If I don't need you,
Then why am I crying on my bed?
If I don't need you,
Then why does your name resound in my head?
If you're not for me,
Then why does this distance maim my life?
If you're not for me,
Then why do I dream of you as my wife?
I don't know why you're so far away,
But I know that this much is true,
We'll make it through
And I hope you are the one
I share my life with,
And I wish that you could be the one I die with,
And I pray you're the one I build my home with.
I hope I love you all my life.
I don't want to run away,
But I can't take it.
I don't understand.
If I'm not made for you,
Then why does my heart tell me that I am?
Is there any way that I can stay in your arms,
'Cause I miss you body and soul
So strong that it takes my breath away.
And I breathe you into my heart,
And pray for the strength to stand today.
'Cause I love you whether it's wrong or right,
And though I can't be with you tonight,
You know my heart is by your side.
I don't want to run away,
But I can't take it.
I don't understand.
If I'm not made for you,
Then why does my heart tell me that I am?
Is there any way that I can stay in your arms?
At the end of the song there were tears running down Lina's face. The song truly betrayed how she felt about Harry. Harry too felt slightly in awe of the song that had just ended. They slowly walked off the dance floor where they had felt like they were the only ones dancing to the song, though they knew they hadn't been.
They walked by Neville and Ginny who had obviously still not been on the dance floor at all yet. The band announced that it would be the last song of the night and Neville knew that it was now of never. So he offered his hand to Ginny and swallowed hard. "Ginny, w-would you care to dance?"
Ginny took his hand, got up, smiled broadly. "I thought you would never ask."
Neville offered her his arm and she slid her arm through it. They walked out to the floor and waited for the song to begin. Maria Nayler announced that the last song would be chosen by the third witch in the group, Dido. She walked to the front of the stage and announced she would be singing the song "Take My Hand".
Neville turned and smiled at Ginny as Dido's beautiful unearthly voice filled the room.
Touch my skin
And tell me what you're thinking
Take my hand
And show me where we're going
Lie down next to me
Look into my eyes
And tell me
Oh tell me what you're seeing
So sit on top of the world
And tell me how you're feeling
What you feel now is
What I feel for you
Take my hand
And if I'm lying to you
I'll always be alone
If I'm lying to you…
See my eyes
They carry your reflection
Watch my lips
And hear the words I'm telling you
Give your trust to me
And look into my heart
And show me
Show me what you're doing
So sit on top of the world
And tell me how you're feeling
What you feel now is
What I feel for you
Take my hand
And if I'm lying to you
I'll always be alone
If I'm lying to you
Take your time
If I'm lying to you
I know that you'll find
That you believe me
You believe me
You believe me
You believe me
Feel the sun on your face
And tell me what you're thinking
Catch the snow on your tongue
And show me how it tastes (ay, ay, ay, ay, ay)
Take your time
Take my hand
And if I'm lying to you
I'll always be alone
If I'm lying to you
Take your time
If I'm lying to you
I know that you'll find
That you believe me
Take my hand
And if I'm lying to you
I'll always be alone
If I'm lying to you
Take your time
If I'm lying to you
I know that you'll find
That you believe me
You believe me
You believe me
You believe me
You believe me
You believe me
Even after the song ended Neville and Ginny were still dancing lost in their own private melody. Most of the students left shortly after the song was over, but Harry and Lina sat in the corner reveling in the only time that they could be together without anyone suspecting that there was anything between them. They held hands and sat close together. They watched Neville and Ginny dancing.
The other Second-Generation Marauders sat down with Harry and Lina waiting for Neville and Ginny to finish dancing. After a few minutes, Ron got up and said, "I can't take this any more! I know that he is part of our group, but she is my sister."
Hermione caught his arm as he started walking away. "Ron, you are not going to do anyone any good if you go over there all hot and bothered. This is Neville we're talking about after all! It's not like he is going to do anything inappropriate with her!"
"Yeah, Ron. Sit down!" piped in Fred and George.
"You're right, of course. But…"
"We'll just have a little talk with him later in the common room…," said Fred. The twins smiled wickedly.
"No, you won't," said Hermione dangerously. "He has just started gaining confidence in himself…. You leave him be. Or else…"
The twins frowned because they knew that they couldn't argue with a prefect. But instead they made secret plans to at least put the fear of Merlin into Neville, to keep him from hurting their little sister.
Harry could see that Ron was not going to relax until his sister was safely out of Neville's hands. "Ron, I'll go and let them know that the song is over if you'd like," offered Harry.
Ron nodded and sat back down as Harry got up and walked over to Neville. Harry tapped Neville gently on the shoulder. As if coming out of a trance, Neville looked blankly at Harry. "Erm, Neville the song ended about five minutes ago."
"Oh!" Neville blushed, as did Ginny, and they walked off the dance floor. The others all joined them and they left the hall swiftly. They headed back toward the common room. Harry and Lina separated from the group and went a different way.
They walked silently knowing that their time with each other was about to end. When they arrived at the portrait hole for Gryffindor, Harry turned to her. "It was great dancing with you tonight. I know that this can't happen again, but thank you for spending this time with me and maybe someday when the situation is different, we will be able to do this again."
Lina nodded in agreement. She brushed her lips softly on his cheek and walked away. Harry watched her until he couldn't see her anymore. He turned and entered the common room and without stopping went up to bed. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow, dreams of what could not be and nightmares plaguing him the whole night through….