When he got to the common room, however, he found yet another thing to deter him from his rest. Sarah was sitting in one of the armchairs with a sobbing Hermione, doing her best to comfort her but getting absolutely nowhere. From what Harry could make out of her ramblings, Hermione was convinced that she was a terrible person and that no one would ever marry her. He sighed and walked over to sit on the arm of the chair.

"Aw, Hermione, cheer up," he said. "You know how Ron is, he'll have forgotten all about it by tomorrow night." Sarah nodded.

"He's right, Hermione," she said. "And if he doesn't, well he can just sit there alone and be bloody jealous."

"Yeah," Harry said. "Remember how mad he got at the Yule Ball when you were with Krum? Well he'll feel ten times worse this time...'cause he had you, and then he ruined it."

"No, Harry, I ruined it!" Hermione said. "I'm the one who was nagging him about his grades! If I hadn't been insulting him he'd still be going to the ball with me!" She began sobbing anew with the thought, and Harry and Sarah looked at one another, at a loss.

"And everyone in Gryffindor knew we were going, and it'll be so humiliating tomorrow when I show up alone!" Hermione cried. Sarah looked down at her, then up at Harry.

"Well, maybe Harry could go with you," she said, looking pointedly at him. Harry's eyes widened and he shook his head at her, but she continued.

"Or he could at least escort you," she said. "How does that sound?"

Hermione sniffed.

"I suppose that'd be better than nothing," she said. She looked up at him. "Would you, Harry?"

"Sure, I'll escort you," he said. It was the least he could do...Hermione was obviously very distraught about not having a date. Hermione smiled, getting teary again. Harry stood up so she didn't hug him and shoved his hands into his robe pockets.

"Thanks very much, Harry," she said.

"No problem," Harry said. He glanced at Sarah, but she was looking at the portrait hole. Harry and Hermione followed her gaze and saw Ron standing there, looking quite beside himself. He glared at Harry and shook his head, then stormed his way off to the dormitory. Harry glanced at Sarah and Hermione, who jerked their heads after him- well, Sarah did. Hermione had started sobbing again.

Harry sighed and followed Ron up to the dormitory, but when he got there he didn't see his best friend- he saw the hangings of his bed closed, though. Harry walked over to the bed and stood next to it for about five minutes or so, then Ron angrily pushed back the hangings and glared up at Harry.

"You spiv!" he yelled. Harry looked back at him, completely caught off-guard.

"What? What are you on about?" he asked.

"I know what you're up to! You've been waiting all along for me to drop Hermione so you could take her!" Ron snarled. Harry would have laughed if it hadn't been for the look on Ron's face.

"Are you mad? You know I fancy Sarah! Besides, me'n Hermione have been friends for too long for anything like that," Harry said. "She's all yours, mate."

"Oh no. I have the gen! You probably got all depressed 'bout Sarah and Malfoy on purpose, so I'd say something like that 'cause you knew she'd say something like what she did!" Ron growled, unrelenting.

"Ron, I don't know what the bloody hell you're talking about, mate!" Harry yelled back, getting a little annoyed. What was Ron's problem? "You're being dim, Ron. If this is 'cause I agreed to escort her to the ball, I only did that 'cause she was cryin' so much about you! I was trying to cheer her up!"

Ron glared at him, but didn't say anything...he'd been beaten, so rather than keep looking like a fool he closed his hangings. Harry waited a bit longer, than said:

"Ron? Do you wanna go with Hermione again now?"

"Get lost, Harry!" was the reply.

Harry shrugged and complied, going back to the common room chuckling. Hermione and Sarah were still there, and when he sat down next to them Sarah looked at him.

"Well? Why's he so wound up?" she asked. Harry laughed.

"All I have to say is he's really off his trolley- thinks I'm out to nick Hermione," he said. Hermione looked up, baffled, and Sarah laughed.

"But- well that's- thick," Hermione said. "He knows you wanted to go with Sarah- oh, whatever. I'm going to go to bed. G'night." Sarah sighed as she watched Hermione tramp up the stairs.

"I really hope this doesn't last much longer. Their rowing is complete rubbish- anyway, I'm quite knackered as well, so off to bed. I'll see you tomorrow," she said. She gave Harry a quick little hug and trotted up to the dormitories, leaving Harry alone, again, with only the prospected of going up to his own dormitory and facing a highly narked Ron. Still, it'd be more comfortable sleeping in his own bed rather than the common room, so he relented and went upstairs.

The next morning the castle was all abuzz with feverish excitement, and Harry was reminded of various events in his history at Hogwarts...tense Quidditch games...the Triwizard Tournament...the Yule Ball....

He dressed quickly in something comfortable and made his way down to breakfast, finding very few people there and all of them male. He spotted Ron at the far end of the Gryffindor table with his head in his hands and walked over to him.

"Hiya," Harry said, grabbing a piece of toast.

"Morning," Ron said morosely. He looked up at Harry, who was happily munching his toast. "Look mate, I'm sorry about yesterday...."

"Don't worry about it, Ron," Harry said. "I understand."

"Are you sure? 'Cause I was really nasty to you, I mean, callin' you a spiv and all," Ron said. "I know you would never steal Hermione...I really cocked up."

"It's nothing, Ron," Harry said. "Just don't worry about it. So, are you gonna beg her forgiveness?"

"'Course I am," Ron said. "Soon as she comes down...if she does, that is. If not I suppose I'll just go on up to her."

"That's good," Harry said. "'Cause she was really worked up about losing you and everything. And I think Sarah was getting pretty tired of tellin' her the same things over and over again."

"What things?" Ron asked.

"'Bout how you were such a git," Harry said, grinning. Ron shoved him but was grinning as well. He reached over and grabbed his own piece of toast.

"Well I suppose that fixed her right up," he said.

"Yeah, I s'pose it did," Harry said.

"Oh, and Harry, you sure you're gonna be alright about tonight?" Ron asked, suddenly serious.

"What d'you mean?" Harry asked.

"I mean 'bout Malfoy and all," Ron said. Harry shrugged. Really it did bother him...but he wasn't going to give Malfoy the satisfaction of knowing that.

"I think he's just gagging," he said. "That, plus he's doing it to spite me." Ron shrugged.

"I suppose," he said, and took another bite of his toast before standing up.

"Well, I'm gonna try my luck with Hermione," he said. Harry laughed.

"Best of British to you, mate," he said. Ron grimaced.

"Cheers," he said. He waved and left the Great Hall.

Harry sat there for a bit, munching his toast and looking up at the cloudy ceiling. It was a good thing the ball was indoors, because it looked like it'd be dark and stormy all day. He was watching the massive bulk of clouds when he noticed a lot of people around him turning and looking at the teachers' table, where he saw Professor Teres. She was never present at breakfast, only dinner...and she was talking to Dumbledore and McGonagall, both of them looking very serious.

I wonder what that's all about, Harry thought.

A tall, slender, cloaked figure stood in the midst of a large, empty valley in Scotland. Not doing anything, simply standing. He remembered this valley...this was the place where his daughter had been conceived.

He'd thought she'd die. Thought she'd be perfectly useless, despite her excellent parentage. So he hadn't looked for her. He'd left her with the Malfoys, knowing that if she ever did come into her own, her upbringing would lead her to him.

Or so he'd thought...everything had been going fine until little over a month ago, when Dumbledore had made the decision to bring the girl to Hogwarts. Lucius hadn't been able to do anything about it, because under wizarding law all wizarding children had to go to school and be taught by professional teachers. Lucius tried money, but Fudge no longer trusted Lucius as he once had and seemed perfectly willing to go with Dumbledore again.

Once again, Dumbledore had ruined everything. Everything revolved around Dumbledore, from the loss of his daughter to Harry Potter's continual survival. The figure clenched his fists. That was the answer. Dumbledore had to be removed....

This was much more easily said than done...he'd never even been able to get the better of Dumbledore in a duel, and the man's mind was impenetrable. Unless he went through one of the children....

He tried to think. Who did Dumbledore care for the most? Harry Potter, obviously, but Harry had become too strong for him to simply have his way with him. The question was who of Dumbledore's pet children was the most vulnerable? Or maybe it was not a question of the children. Maybe one of the adults would better serve his purposes...but they were all wise in his ways.

What to do? the figure thought. Suddenly an idea struck him.

The vampire...her Dark nature would not allow her to resist him for long...yes...

Teres was the answer.