Author's Notes: It has been a very long time since my last update. But,
here is one more chapter in the story.
Disclaimers: Nothing you recognize from the books and/or movies belongs to me.
Chapter 61: Twelfth Night
Mira forced restraint upon herself when the first course of the feast magically appeared before her. Although she was very hungry, she was determined to not let word that she had spilled soup down the front of her robe, work it's way down the social pecking order to her cousin. She watched her manners, and tried her best not to gawk at the exotic and elegant finery surrounding her. Professor Snape wasn't in the mood to make idle conversation and seemed to be surreptitiously scanning the hall for somebody or something. Mira turned to her other tablemate, the Charms instructor and head of Ravenclaw house, Professor Flitwick. Flitwick was a lively and cheerful sort, who was simmering with excitement. He proudly explained his role in helping with the enchanted decorations, which ornamented the great hall, and pointed out specific things to Mira, such as the live fairies twinkling in the Christmas trees.
A troupe of dancers entertained the diners between courses. After the last of the plates were magically whisked away to the kitchens, the dancers would converge on the dance floor for a brief performance. The style of dance was somewhat like muggle ballet, but without the elaborate costumes and toe shoes. The female dancers instead wore very flowing diaphanous robes, which trailed and swirled about them as they engaged in graceful spinning and sweeping motions to the lilting tempo of the orchestra. As the dancers took their leave, the musicians lowered the volume of their playing, and the next course magically appeared before all of the guests.
After a fine dessert of tiny flaming puddings with silver and gold leafed holly sprigs for garnish, the feast came to an end. The hall buzzed with conversation during the interval between feasting and dancing. A pair of house-elves draped in brocade table runners opened the side door of the great hall to admit the wizarding press, who were confined to the area near the orchestra stage. Mira caught the eye of a very old wizard seated just a few chairs away from Headmaster Dumbledore. The white haired old man was staring at her wistfully and smiled when she caught his eye. He wore a heavy brown velvet robe with a pair of wyverns embroidered on the wide lapels. The flying serpents' wings shimmered and their long tails rippled as if they were soaring through the air. With a self-conscious little smile, Mira quickly looked away.
Professor Snape nudged her gently with his knee and explained what would happen next. Mira started to ask him if he knew the white haired old wizard, but was interrupted by a fanfare of trumpets from the orchestra. Dumbledore and McGonagall rose and turned towards the table Mira was seated at. Professor Flitwick got up from his chair and made his way to the front of the center table, across from the Headmaster. He removed an enameled bronze coat of arms, bearing the school crest, from the front of the head table. He stepped down from the platform the head table was situated on, and stopped at the edge of the dance floor.
McGonagall and Dumbledore walked around opposite sides of the table and joined each other behind Professor Flitwick. Snape squeezed Mira's hand and they rose in unison with Professor Sprout and Hagrid. They stepped away from their seats, and the professor led her solemnly to stand at McGonagall's side. Hagrid and Sprout positioned themselves at Dumbledore's side.
All at once, the twenty-four people seated at the sides of the headmaster and deputy headmistress rose and stepped away from their chairs. Two couples at a time, they left their positions and stood on the platform behind the headmaster and school heads of house. When the last two pairs reached their position, magical photography flashbulbs exploded in multicolored flashes of light and puffs of smoke.
The orchestra began to play a regal processional tune. Flitwick, the school crest-bearer, stepped forward, followed closely by Dumbledore and McGonagall. Sprout and Hagrid were next, and then Snape led Mira slowly down the step and into the procession. Two by two, the school governors and their partners followed suit. The professor led Mira down the length of the dance floor, where they then turned back and took their positions on the dance floor. The school representatives and guests of honor were configured in small groups for a formal opening dance. Mira did not recognize any of the other witches and wizards in her formation.
When the last couple reached their position on the dance floor, the orchestra brought the processional music to a close. The music they played next wasn't quite as slow and ponderous, but was still very formal and somber. The opening dance was very similar to European medieval court dances. In unison, the couples stepped forward and touched the backs of their right hands to their partner's and then stepped back into line. They followed with their left hands. Then they stepped forward, right palm to right palm and made a clockwise circle around each other. This was mirrored with a counterclockwise circle. The next phase of the dance saw the women step forward to be met by a different man in the configuration. The couples then repeated the same series of steps, switching positions and partners. After every man had a turn with every woman in the sextet, they finished by repeating the series of steps once more with their partners.
At the end of the dance, the women curtseyed and the men bowed. The spectators applauded and the dancers broke formation. Professor Snape took Mira by the arm and led her off of the dance floor. Some of the couples from the processional remained on the floor, and were joined by many of those who had been seated at the long rows of tables. The orchestra started playing and the guests began to dance. More or less, the dancing was a form of waltz, with very little physical contact.
Mira and the professor stood in the shadow of a large pillar and were approached by a house-elf bearing a tray of slender crystal goblets containing a pale violet colored liquid that looked like champagne. Mira accepted a glass, Snape declined. She took a sip, and realized that it was like champagne, but vaguely fruity. Another house-elf followed suit with a tray of squat goblets containing a dark amber liquid. The professor accepted a glass of this drink, which Mira assumed was a brandy or whiskey. While they stood in the shadow, sipping their drinks, Mira asked the professor if he knew the old wizard who had smiled at her. He said that he didn't know him personally, but the old man had been on the school governors' board ever since he had arrived to teach at Hogwarts.
The dancing consisted of sets of two or three waltz-like paired dances, followed by a more formal court type dance with small groups of four or six. Mira soon realized that Professor Snape had absolutely no intentions of setting foot back on the dance floor. He had been sipping from the same glass for nearly a half hour. Mira leaned against the column and watched the women's glittering costumes sparkle in the candlelight. She imagined what would happen if the orchestra spontaneously broke out into a wizarding rendition of the Hustle. The mental image of a couple hundred highborn witches and wizards shaking their backsides in unison made her bite her lip in an attempt to suppress a fit of the giggles. The professor looked at her, one eyebrow raised.
"Are you okay? Don't tell me that glass of champagne went to your head."
"Oh no, I just had an amusing thought. That's all."
The music ended and the orchestra leader announced that they would be taking a very short break. Professor Snape took Mira's arm and led her back up to the head table, where a handful of people were sitting in conversation. They sat and said very little to each other. The professor was definitely uptight and not enjoying himself in the least. Mira couldn't decide whether it was because he was just plain uncomfortable being there, or if there was something else going on. He had been having his moods again. Ever since he brought her to stay at Hogwarts, she felt that he had something on his mind. She knew that he wasn't telling her everything regarding the incident with the man disguised as him. He wasn't sleeping well, he wasn't eating much, and despite his efforts in simply spending more time in conversation and shared tasks with her, he was often distant and distracted. He kept stealing quick glances around the crowd, as if he expected to see somebody he knew.
There were at least two hundred people in attendance, most likely more. Mira watched the orchestra return to the stage and resume playing. Dozens of people drifted from the sidelines back onto the floor, and the press roamed around the area where the orchestra was situated, confined there by Dumbledore. This way, they were only able to interview the people who wished to be interviewed. Which Mira noted, was a significant number of the guests. Colored flashbulbs flashed and puffs of colored smoke drifted up and dissipated in the air as the photographers took their enchanted moving photographs.
She was caught up in watching a flamboyant female reporter in the most gaudily colored robes, when a couple she recognized from Susan and Albert's dinner party approached the head table. She wracked her brain trying to remember their names. He was a ministry official, involved in customs and imports. But that's all she could remember.
They introduced themselves, and the woman said that she thought she recognized Mira from Susan's New Year's Eve party, but wasn't quite sure until the procession. Mira stood and introduced them to the professor, who was slightly unnerved at being made to socialize with strangers. They sat together and made polite conversation about current events in the European wizarding community. The wife explained that their daughter would be attending Hogwarts when she was a little older, and being concerned parents, they were hoping to be nominated to the governing board. Mr. Comstock would be retiring his position in the springtime and her husband was on the short list of potential replacements. Mira learned that the old man who had smiled at her was Mr. Comstock, the oldest member of the governing board. While not quite as old as Headmaster Dumbledore, he was certainly beyond the normal muggle old age.
The orchestra conductor announced that another formation dance was about to begin, and the woman suggested that they all four join in. Professor Snape shot Mira a look, which resembled a cross between anger and fear. She took his hand and leaned down to whisper in his ear.
"Just this one, please. They're friends of my cousin, and I really can't say no."
With a slight narrowing of his eyes, Snape stood and led Mira behind the other couple, onto the dance floor. It was a standard formal formation dance. All slow posturing and precise movements. After the final bow and curtsey, the couple thanked Mira and the professor for the dance, and went to get a drink. As they were getting ready to leave the dance floor, a man Mira didn't know approached them and asked the professor if he could have the pleasure of a dance with his lady. Snape looked at Mira, she shook her head, and he handed her over to the young man and retreated back to the head table.
Mira learned that the man had recently returned from an extended travel tour. He had finished up at university the previous Spring, and spent the Summer and Fall traveling through Europe, on a tour of all the major wizarding settlements. He was the only son of a prominent highborn family, which traced their lineage back to the days of Merlin. His parents were abroad on family business, unable to attend the ball, and had passed the invitation along to him. Unable to find a date in time, he had the family's house-elf take in his father's fancy dress robe to fit, and he just came on his own for something to do. He was quite charming, and Mira thought a superb dancer.
They shared a couple of dances, making polite conversation. Before the third song in the set began, the man in the full mask who caught Mira's eye earlier, approached and gestured that he wished to cut in. Mira didn't recognize him at all. His face was completely obscured by a Venetian carnival mask; and he walked very stiffly from the heavy brocade of his formal robes. Mira looked up, trying to make eye contact with him, and saw that the eyes of the mask were covered in a fine gold mesh. She shrugged and offered her hand to her mystery partner. He took it in a richly gloved hand, and lightly rested his other hand on her hip. This one was dancing a little more closely than was the custom. Mira tried to start a conversation with him, and he just shook his head and touched a gloved finger gently to her lips.
Silently, he waltzed her around the dance floor, spiraling farther and farther away from the head table. Mira looked over and saw the professor watching them intently; with a very strange look on his face, which Mira interpreted as a twinge of jealousy. After all, the mystery man was closer than the norm. Much closer than the young wizard she had waltzed with earlier. Close enough that she could feel the warmth of his body through the heavy brocade fabric. Her partner guided her closer to the orchestra stage. As they turned in time to the music, Mira looked across the hall, and noticed that the professor looked very serious. She hoped he wouldn't be upset with her for dancing with the masked man. After all, it wasn't her fault that he was getting a bit close.
The dance ended and her mystery partner guided her off the floor, near the orchestra stage. He gestured to her that he was going to get a drink. Mira thanked him for the dance and he excused himself. She was about to head back across the floor to the head table when a reporter called out to her.
"Miss! Would you like to be interviewed for a new publication? It's called London Witch Journal, and I'm covering the ball for the debut issue."
The man had a camera around his neck and carried a rolled up scroll and a feather quill in his pocket.
"I don't know. It's my first time at one of these events, and I really don't know what to say."
"Oh please, Miss. None of the others care to give me the time of day, seeing as we're such a new publication and all. It'd really be a favor to me if you gave me a good interview. And that's something you don't usually get when covering these events. The perspective of someone who's never been to any such thing before."
"Well, okay. I suppose. What would you like to know?"
The man took Mira by the hand and led her off the dance floor, beside the orchestra stage and started to ask her questions about the ball, and how she came to be at the head table. She looked up towards the head table to point out the professor, but noticed that he wasn't there. Probably, he had just gone to find a drink or speak with the headmaster. She thought little of his absence and turned her attention back to the reporter.
Professor Snape recognized something in the masked man's movement, which triggered a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. He was certain that it was Malfoy. He recognized the mannerisms and something about him just felt wrong. He had lost them in the crowd as the waltz set ended and the musicians prepared for another formal formation dance. With a sigh of relief, he noticed that Mira was safe, being interviewed by a reporter. He turned his attention to where he saw the masked man last.
The professor saw the man lingering near a side exit. He quickly moved through the crowd to catch up with the man, his hand gripping the wand in his pocket. Just as the man slipped out the door, Snape caught up with him and grabbed his shoulder.
"Slipping away so soon?"
The man stopped in his tracks, shoulders stiffened. Slowly he turned to face the professor.
"Well, well; if it isn't the traitor. What keen eyes to spot me through my disguise. It was good enough to fool your ladylove."
"It would be the first time one of your disguises fooled her, Malfoy."
Lucius Malfoy laughed in amusement.
"Ah, yes. I suppose I was a little bit distracted that night, I assume the Obliviate curse didn't take?"
Professor Snape removed his wand from his pocket and held it to Malfoy's chest.
"Just what are you and your wife playing at, Malfoy? Did you think that your perverted little game would go unnoticed?"
"But it nearly did. Had the potion not gone wrong, neither you nor your lowborn whore would have ever known a thing."
The professor backed Malfoy against the wall, blocking his wand from view with his body, and stared at the masked man with blazing eyes.
"Tell me what this is all about Malfoy. Or would you rather wait and explain it at your trial?"
Malfoy started to laugh, a deep quiet laugh.
The reporter was chatting with Mira near the stage, when a large man in a Carnival mask similar to the one her earlier dance partner wore approached her and asked her for a dance. He explained that he ran into the professor at the drink station and he had given his permission. The reporter thanked Mira and kissed her hand. Blushing, she took the large man's hand and followed him to the dance floor. He gripped her hand and pulled her close to him, his other hand firmly cupped around her waist. They danced slowly, and Mira could feel the man's hand slide from her side to her back, where he fumbled around with his hanging sleeve. While intimate for wizarding dance standards, he wasn't making any inappropriate advances, so she followed his lead in the dance.
Lucius Malfoy straightened against the brick wall and cleared his throat.
"I'm afraid that there won't be any trial. Because you are going to put your wand back into your pocket and let me go."
"You honestly think I am going to let you walk out of here, after what you have done?"
"You have no choice. You see, while you were busy playing cat and mouse with me, my servant has been following Mira. He's got his wand to her back, and with one gesture from me, he will lead her into the shadows and whisper the killing curse into her ear."
The professor kept his wand on Malfoy but looked over his shoulder towards the dance floor. He saw a large masked man dancing with Mira, holding her quite close. The tip of a wand was visible just peeking out from his hanging sleeve. Malfoy wasn't lying. The man could kill her instantly without making a scene.
"Call your man off Malfoy. This isn't about Mira. It never was. Let her go and we'll settle this once and for all in a duel. Just you and me, here in the corridor."
"Oh, but I think not. You see I'm not interested in duels or settling scores. I have bigger plans for you my old friend, much bigger plans. Plans, which unfortunately will have to wait. In the meantime, I suggest you put the wand down, and back away. Once I am clear of the building, my servant will let Mira go and leave unchallenged. If you try and stop him, he is under orders to kill Mira and as many others as he can before he is taken down himself. Binding spells are such a wonderful thing, are they not? You know he will sacrifice himself without a second thought to do my bidding. Now, put the wand down and back away."
With a slightly trembling hand, the professor lowered his wand and stepped away from the masked man, and looked out to the dance floor. Malfoy nodded, turned on his heel and limped quickly down the hall. The professor watched his retreating form, wanting to run after him and curse him into oblivion, but knowing full well that the servant would do as ordered and Snape just could not risk it. The large man kept his eyes on the doorway and the professor, after enough time had passed to give Malfoy a chance to make it to the portcarriage; he guided Mira towards another service entrance. He stopped dancing and lifted his mask slightly, to kiss her hand. He slid the wand back up into his sleeve, and quickly disappeared down the corridor, leaving a confused Mira standing alone on the edge of the dance floor.
Hagrid saw Mira's dance partner abandon her, and felt a slight bit of outrage at such a rude act. He approached Mira and offered to finish the dance set with her. Knowing the professor wouldn't mind, she accepted the offer and they eased their way back into the slowly moving crowd. Once he saw the servant leave the great hall, Professor Snape started working his way around the edges of the dance floor, towards the last place he saw Mira. He saw her dancing with Hagrid, and breathed a sigh of relief that she was in good hands. He turned towards the head table, where McGonagall, Sprout, Flitwick, and Dumbledore were sitting and conversing.
"Albus, I need to speak with you right away, it's urgent".
McGonagall opened her mouth to protest to the manner in which the Potions Master intruded into the conversation, but was cut off before she could say a word.
"Minerva, you need to hear this too."
Without apologizing or explaining to the other two professors, he stalked off the platform and into the antechamber where the guests of honor entered the great hall. The headmaster and his deputy followed behind, with a pursed expression on McGonagall's face, and a very concerned one on Dumbledore's.
They caught up with him and McGonagall immediately lit into him.
"This better be important, that was one of the rudest excuses for social manners I have ever seen!"
"Malfoy's back."
McGonagall's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"Malfoy's back? Are you talking about Draco? Is Draco here at the ball?"
"No, Lucius. Lucius is back. He isn't dead. He crashed the party in disguise. I tried to detain him, but he was here with a servant, and they threatened Mira. I had to let them go. I'm sorry, but they would have killed her, and possibly innocent bystanders. I couldn't risk it."
Dumbledore crossed his arms on his chest and looked down at the floor. McGonagall's eyes flitted from the professor to the headmaster, looking for an explanation.
"Did he say anything to you? Anything about the potion incident, or why he was here tonight?"
"No, nothing. I believe he was just here to taunt me. Or if he had other plans, they didn't work out as he expected. I challenged him to a duel in the corridor if he called his servant off of Mira, but he said he had other plans. I don't know what kind of plans he meant. But remember the matter we discussed Albus? I am almost certain it's connected. All of this is somehow connected. But it doesn't make sense."
Dumbledore looked back down at the ground, and gently stroked his long beard. McGonagall's cheek started to twitch, but she knew better than to disturb the old wizard while he was deep in thought. Dumbledore thought of the polyjuice potion, and what the Malfoys had done with it. He remembered the days when his Potions Master was a student at school and the tangled history he shared with Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy. He thought about the recent reports about former suspected Death Eaters being overheard talking about the return of the Dark Lord. And the dreams Harry had been having. Oh it did make sense. It made terrifyingly perfect sense. But, could they really have found a way to pull it off? If so, then the peace in the wizarding world would be short lived. He returned his thoughts to the here and now and took a deep breath.
"Well, if he was here, he most certainly is not here now. After the guests leave, I will reinforce the security wards and he will not be able to return. I'll contact the Aurors and step up surveillance on Narcissa and the other Malfoy properties. I'll take the evidence we have and try and make a case for a search warrant with the ministry. But I want your word that you will not try and handle this on your own, am I clear with that?"
The professor narrowed his eyes and breathed an exasperated sigh.
"I gave my word. I said I won't go after him on my own, and my word is good."
"But you would have fought a duel with him?"
"He came to me. I didn't go after him tonight, he came to me. Yes, I would have fought a duel with him. And in the condition he's in, I would have destroyed him."
"And it would have been unfortunate if you had. Don't let emotion cloud your reason. We do need to apprehend him. But we need him brought in alive and fit to be interrogated. Whatever he and his wife have been up to, it's not been simple mischief making. I fear they may be planning something, which could lead to devastating consequences. We have to be very careful how we handle this. Narcissa is no fool; she still has many people in the ministry who are loyal to her family name. Let me handle it right now. I'll find out what I can, and we'll make plans for action when we know exactly what we're dealing with."
"As you wish headmaster."
"Now, let's try and enjoy the end of the ball, shall we? Minerva, I promise to bring you up to date concerning the Malfoys over a late breakfast in my office."
The professor nodded to the older witch and wizard, and walked to the edge of the dance floor, to wait for Mira to finish her dance with Hagrid. Dumbledore patted McGonagall on the hand and waved for a house-elf, which was carrying a tray of strong drinks. The deputy headmistress would need one after the shock of hearing that Lucius Malfoy was alive and up to his old tricks.
The set of partnered dances ended and the professor wound his way through the crowd to Mira and Hagrid. Hagrid thanked Mira for the dance, and took his leave. With the evening coming to an end, Mira asked the professor if he wanted to dance. She noticed that the professor didn't balk, but agreed to dance with her without any fuss or sarcasm. They danced the first dance in the last set of three together, and old Mr. Comstock approached the couple and asked if he might share the next dance with Mira.
The ancient wizard explained to her that he had been a friend of her grandfather's and recognized Eloise's fancy dress robe and the family resemblance between Mira and her grandmother which had brought back a fond memory of a masquerade ball held many decades earlier. He asked about Eloise, and Mira made him promise to send her grandmother a letter. The song ended, and the old man escorted her off of the dance floor and handed her back off to the professor thanking him for the pleasure of having a dance with her.
The whole custom of men asking other men permission to dance with women was somewhat irritating to Mira, but in another way it was also a little bit charming. The bandleader announced the last dance of the evening, and the professor took Mira by the hand without her having to ask and led her to the center of the dance floor. She didn't know if he was actually enjoying himself, or just putting on a good show. And decided that she really didn't care.
Disclaimers: Nothing you recognize from the books and/or movies belongs to me.
Chapter 61: Twelfth Night
Mira forced restraint upon herself when the first course of the feast magically appeared before her. Although she was very hungry, she was determined to not let word that she had spilled soup down the front of her robe, work it's way down the social pecking order to her cousin. She watched her manners, and tried her best not to gawk at the exotic and elegant finery surrounding her. Professor Snape wasn't in the mood to make idle conversation and seemed to be surreptitiously scanning the hall for somebody or something. Mira turned to her other tablemate, the Charms instructor and head of Ravenclaw house, Professor Flitwick. Flitwick was a lively and cheerful sort, who was simmering with excitement. He proudly explained his role in helping with the enchanted decorations, which ornamented the great hall, and pointed out specific things to Mira, such as the live fairies twinkling in the Christmas trees.
A troupe of dancers entertained the diners between courses. After the last of the plates were magically whisked away to the kitchens, the dancers would converge on the dance floor for a brief performance. The style of dance was somewhat like muggle ballet, but without the elaborate costumes and toe shoes. The female dancers instead wore very flowing diaphanous robes, which trailed and swirled about them as they engaged in graceful spinning and sweeping motions to the lilting tempo of the orchestra. As the dancers took their leave, the musicians lowered the volume of their playing, and the next course magically appeared before all of the guests.
After a fine dessert of tiny flaming puddings with silver and gold leafed holly sprigs for garnish, the feast came to an end. The hall buzzed with conversation during the interval between feasting and dancing. A pair of house-elves draped in brocade table runners opened the side door of the great hall to admit the wizarding press, who were confined to the area near the orchestra stage. Mira caught the eye of a very old wizard seated just a few chairs away from Headmaster Dumbledore. The white haired old man was staring at her wistfully and smiled when she caught his eye. He wore a heavy brown velvet robe with a pair of wyverns embroidered on the wide lapels. The flying serpents' wings shimmered and their long tails rippled as if they were soaring through the air. With a self-conscious little smile, Mira quickly looked away.
Professor Snape nudged her gently with his knee and explained what would happen next. Mira started to ask him if he knew the white haired old wizard, but was interrupted by a fanfare of trumpets from the orchestra. Dumbledore and McGonagall rose and turned towards the table Mira was seated at. Professor Flitwick got up from his chair and made his way to the front of the center table, across from the Headmaster. He removed an enameled bronze coat of arms, bearing the school crest, from the front of the head table. He stepped down from the platform the head table was situated on, and stopped at the edge of the dance floor.
McGonagall and Dumbledore walked around opposite sides of the table and joined each other behind Professor Flitwick. Snape squeezed Mira's hand and they rose in unison with Professor Sprout and Hagrid. They stepped away from their seats, and the professor led her solemnly to stand at McGonagall's side. Hagrid and Sprout positioned themselves at Dumbledore's side.
All at once, the twenty-four people seated at the sides of the headmaster and deputy headmistress rose and stepped away from their chairs. Two couples at a time, they left their positions and stood on the platform behind the headmaster and school heads of house. When the last two pairs reached their position, magical photography flashbulbs exploded in multicolored flashes of light and puffs of smoke.
The orchestra began to play a regal processional tune. Flitwick, the school crest-bearer, stepped forward, followed closely by Dumbledore and McGonagall. Sprout and Hagrid were next, and then Snape led Mira slowly down the step and into the procession. Two by two, the school governors and their partners followed suit. The professor led Mira down the length of the dance floor, where they then turned back and took their positions on the dance floor. The school representatives and guests of honor were configured in small groups for a formal opening dance. Mira did not recognize any of the other witches and wizards in her formation.
When the last couple reached their position on the dance floor, the orchestra brought the processional music to a close. The music they played next wasn't quite as slow and ponderous, but was still very formal and somber. The opening dance was very similar to European medieval court dances. In unison, the couples stepped forward and touched the backs of their right hands to their partner's and then stepped back into line. They followed with their left hands. Then they stepped forward, right palm to right palm and made a clockwise circle around each other. This was mirrored with a counterclockwise circle. The next phase of the dance saw the women step forward to be met by a different man in the configuration. The couples then repeated the same series of steps, switching positions and partners. After every man had a turn with every woman in the sextet, they finished by repeating the series of steps once more with their partners.
At the end of the dance, the women curtseyed and the men bowed. The spectators applauded and the dancers broke formation. Professor Snape took Mira by the arm and led her off of the dance floor. Some of the couples from the processional remained on the floor, and were joined by many of those who had been seated at the long rows of tables. The orchestra started playing and the guests began to dance. More or less, the dancing was a form of waltz, with very little physical contact.
Mira and the professor stood in the shadow of a large pillar and were approached by a house-elf bearing a tray of slender crystal goblets containing a pale violet colored liquid that looked like champagne. Mira accepted a glass, Snape declined. She took a sip, and realized that it was like champagne, but vaguely fruity. Another house-elf followed suit with a tray of squat goblets containing a dark amber liquid. The professor accepted a glass of this drink, which Mira assumed was a brandy or whiskey. While they stood in the shadow, sipping their drinks, Mira asked the professor if he knew the old wizard who had smiled at her. He said that he didn't know him personally, but the old man had been on the school governors' board ever since he had arrived to teach at Hogwarts.
The dancing consisted of sets of two or three waltz-like paired dances, followed by a more formal court type dance with small groups of four or six. Mira soon realized that Professor Snape had absolutely no intentions of setting foot back on the dance floor. He had been sipping from the same glass for nearly a half hour. Mira leaned against the column and watched the women's glittering costumes sparkle in the candlelight. She imagined what would happen if the orchestra spontaneously broke out into a wizarding rendition of the Hustle. The mental image of a couple hundred highborn witches and wizards shaking their backsides in unison made her bite her lip in an attempt to suppress a fit of the giggles. The professor looked at her, one eyebrow raised.
"Are you okay? Don't tell me that glass of champagne went to your head."
"Oh no, I just had an amusing thought. That's all."
The music ended and the orchestra leader announced that they would be taking a very short break. Professor Snape took Mira's arm and led her back up to the head table, where a handful of people were sitting in conversation. They sat and said very little to each other. The professor was definitely uptight and not enjoying himself in the least. Mira couldn't decide whether it was because he was just plain uncomfortable being there, or if there was something else going on. He had been having his moods again. Ever since he brought her to stay at Hogwarts, she felt that he had something on his mind. She knew that he wasn't telling her everything regarding the incident with the man disguised as him. He wasn't sleeping well, he wasn't eating much, and despite his efforts in simply spending more time in conversation and shared tasks with her, he was often distant and distracted. He kept stealing quick glances around the crowd, as if he expected to see somebody he knew.
There were at least two hundred people in attendance, most likely more. Mira watched the orchestra return to the stage and resume playing. Dozens of people drifted from the sidelines back onto the floor, and the press roamed around the area where the orchestra was situated, confined there by Dumbledore. This way, they were only able to interview the people who wished to be interviewed. Which Mira noted, was a significant number of the guests. Colored flashbulbs flashed and puffs of colored smoke drifted up and dissipated in the air as the photographers took their enchanted moving photographs.
She was caught up in watching a flamboyant female reporter in the most gaudily colored robes, when a couple she recognized from Susan and Albert's dinner party approached the head table. She wracked her brain trying to remember their names. He was a ministry official, involved in customs and imports. But that's all she could remember.
They introduced themselves, and the woman said that she thought she recognized Mira from Susan's New Year's Eve party, but wasn't quite sure until the procession. Mira stood and introduced them to the professor, who was slightly unnerved at being made to socialize with strangers. They sat together and made polite conversation about current events in the European wizarding community. The wife explained that their daughter would be attending Hogwarts when she was a little older, and being concerned parents, they were hoping to be nominated to the governing board. Mr. Comstock would be retiring his position in the springtime and her husband was on the short list of potential replacements. Mira learned that the old man who had smiled at her was Mr. Comstock, the oldest member of the governing board. While not quite as old as Headmaster Dumbledore, he was certainly beyond the normal muggle old age.
The orchestra conductor announced that another formation dance was about to begin, and the woman suggested that they all four join in. Professor Snape shot Mira a look, which resembled a cross between anger and fear. She took his hand and leaned down to whisper in his ear.
"Just this one, please. They're friends of my cousin, and I really can't say no."
With a slight narrowing of his eyes, Snape stood and led Mira behind the other couple, onto the dance floor. It was a standard formal formation dance. All slow posturing and precise movements. After the final bow and curtsey, the couple thanked Mira and the professor for the dance, and went to get a drink. As they were getting ready to leave the dance floor, a man Mira didn't know approached them and asked the professor if he could have the pleasure of a dance with his lady. Snape looked at Mira, she shook her head, and he handed her over to the young man and retreated back to the head table.
Mira learned that the man had recently returned from an extended travel tour. He had finished up at university the previous Spring, and spent the Summer and Fall traveling through Europe, on a tour of all the major wizarding settlements. He was the only son of a prominent highborn family, which traced their lineage back to the days of Merlin. His parents were abroad on family business, unable to attend the ball, and had passed the invitation along to him. Unable to find a date in time, he had the family's house-elf take in his father's fancy dress robe to fit, and he just came on his own for something to do. He was quite charming, and Mira thought a superb dancer.
They shared a couple of dances, making polite conversation. Before the third song in the set began, the man in the full mask who caught Mira's eye earlier, approached and gestured that he wished to cut in. Mira didn't recognize him at all. His face was completely obscured by a Venetian carnival mask; and he walked very stiffly from the heavy brocade of his formal robes. Mira looked up, trying to make eye contact with him, and saw that the eyes of the mask were covered in a fine gold mesh. She shrugged and offered her hand to her mystery partner. He took it in a richly gloved hand, and lightly rested his other hand on her hip. This one was dancing a little more closely than was the custom. Mira tried to start a conversation with him, and he just shook his head and touched a gloved finger gently to her lips.
Silently, he waltzed her around the dance floor, spiraling farther and farther away from the head table. Mira looked over and saw the professor watching them intently; with a very strange look on his face, which Mira interpreted as a twinge of jealousy. After all, the mystery man was closer than the norm. Much closer than the young wizard she had waltzed with earlier. Close enough that she could feel the warmth of his body through the heavy brocade fabric. Her partner guided her closer to the orchestra stage. As they turned in time to the music, Mira looked across the hall, and noticed that the professor looked very serious. She hoped he wouldn't be upset with her for dancing with the masked man. After all, it wasn't her fault that he was getting a bit close.
The dance ended and her mystery partner guided her off the floor, near the orchestra stage. He gestured to her that he was going to get a drink. Mira thanked him for the dance and he excused himself. She was about to head back across the floor to the head table when a reporter called out to her.
"Miss! Would you like to be interviewed for a new publication? It's called London Witch Journal, and I'm covering the ball for the debut issue."
The man had a camera around his neck and carried a rolled up scroll and a feather quill in his pocket.
"I don't know. It's my first time at one of these events, and I really don't know what to say."
"Oh please, Miss. None of the others care to give me the time of day, seeing as we're such a new publication and all. It'd really be a favor to me if you gave me a good interview. And that's something you don't usually get when covering these events. The perspective of someone who's never been to any such thing before."
"Well, okay. I suppose. What would you like to know?"
The man took Mira by the hand and led her off the dance floor, beside the orchestra stage and started to ask her questions about the ball, and how she came to be at the head table. She looked up towards the head table to point out the professor, but noticed that he wasn't there. Probably, he had just gone to find a drink or speak with the headmaster. She thought little of his absence and turned her attention back to the reporter.
Professor Snape recognized something in the masked man's movement, which triggered a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. He was certain that it was Malfoy. He recognized the mannerisms and something about him just felt wrong. He had lost them in the crowd as the waltz set ended and the musicians prepared for another formal formation dance. With a sigh of relief, he noticed that Mira was safe, being interviewed by a reporter. He turned his attention to where he saw the masked man last.
The professor saw the man lingering near a side exit. He quickly moved through the crowd to catch up with the man, his hand gripping the wand in his pocket. Just as the man slipped out the door, Snape caught up with him and grabbed his shoulder.
"Slipping away so soon?"
The man stopped in his tracks, shoulders stiffened. Slowly he turned to face the professor.
"Well, well; if it isn't the traitor. What keen eyes to spot me through my disguise. It was good enough to fool your ladylove."
"It would be the first time one of your disguises fooled her, Malfoy."
Lucius Malfoy laughed in amusement.
"Ah, yes. I suppose I was a little bit distracted that night, I assume the Obliviate curse didn't take?"
Professor Snape removed his wand from his pocket and held it to Malfoy's chest.
"Just what are you and your wife playing at, Malfoy? Did you think that your perverted little game would go unnoticed?"
"But it nearly did. Had the potion not gone wrong, neither you nor your lowborn whore would have ever known a thing."
The professor backed Malfoy against the wall, blocking his wand from view with his body, and stared at the masked man with blazing eyes.
"Tell me what this is all about Malfoy. Or would you rather wait and explain it at your trial?"
Malfoy started to laugh, a deep quiet laugh.
The reporter was chatting with Mira near the stage, when a large man in a Carnival mask similar to the one her earlier dance partner wore approached her and asked her for a dance. He explained that he ran into the professor at the drink station and he had given his permission. The reporter thanked Mira and kissed her hand. Blushing, she took the large man's hand and followed him to the dance floor. He gripped her hand and pulled her close to him, his other hand firmly cupped around her waist. They danced slowly, and Mira could feel the man's hand slide from her side to her back, where he fumbled around with his hanging sleeve. While intimate for wizarding dance standards, he wasn't making any inappropriate advances, so she followed his lead in the dance.
Lucius Malfoy straightened against the brick wall and cleared his throat.
"I'm afraid that there won't be any trial. Because you are going to put your wand back into your pocket and let me go."
"You honestly think I am going to let you walk out of here, after what you have done?"
"You have no choice. You see, while you were busy playing cat and mouse with me, my servant has been following Mira. He's got his wand to her back, and with one gesture from me, he will lead her into the shadows and whisper the killing curse into her ear."
The professor kept his wand on Malfoy but looked over his shoulder towards the dance floor. He saw a large masked man dancing with Mira, holding her quite close. The tip of a wand was visible just peeking out from his hanging sleeve. Malfoy wasn't lying. The man could kill her instantly without making a scene.
"Call your man off Malfoy. This isn't about Mira. It never was. Let her go and we'll settle this once and for all in a duel. Just you and me, here in the corridor."
"Oh, but I think not. You see I'm not interested in duels or settling scores. I have bigger plans for you my old friend, much bigger plans. Plans, which unfortunately will have to wait. In the meantime, I suggest you put the wand down, and back away. Once I am clear of the building, my servant will let Mira go and leave unchallenged. If you try and stop him, he is under orders to kill Mira and as many others as he can before he is taken down himself. Binding spells are such a wonderful thing, are they not? You know he will sacrifice himself without a second thought to do my bidding. Now, put the wand down and back away."
With a slightly trembling hand, the professor lowered his wand and stepped away from the masked man, and looked out to the dance floor. Malfoy nodded, turned on his heel and limped quickly down the hall. The professor watched his retreating form, wanting to run after him and curse him into oblivion, but knowing full well that the servant would do as ordered and Snape just could not risk it. The large man kept his eyes on the doorway and the professor, after enough time had passed to give Malfoy a chance to make it to the portcarriage; he guided Mira towards another service entrance. He stopped dancing and lifted his mask slightly, to kiss her hand. He slid the wand back up into his sleeve, and quickly disappeared down the corridor, leaving a confused Mira standing alone on the edge of the dance floor.
Hagrid saw Mira's dance partner abandon her, and felt a slight bit of outrage at such a rude act. He approached Mira and offered to finish the dance set with her. Knowing the professor wouldn't mind, she accepted the offer and they eased their way back into the slowly moving crowd. Once he saw the servant leave the great hall, Professor Snape started working his way around the edges of the dance floor, towards the last place he saw Mira. He saw her dancing with Hagrid, and breathed a sigh of relief that she was in good hands. He turned towards the head table, where McGonagall, Sprout, Flitwick, and Dumbledore were sitting and conversing.
"Albus, I need to speak with you right away, it's urgent".
McGonagall opened her mouth to protest to the manner in which the Potions Master intruded into the conversation, but was cut off before she could say a word.
"Minerva, you need to hear this too."
Without apologizing or explaining to the other two professors, he stalked off the platform and into the antechamber where the guests of honor entered the great hall. The headmaster and his deputy followed behind, with a pursed expression on McGonagall's face, and a very concerned one on Dumbledore's.
They caught up with him and McGonagall immediately lit into him.
"This better be important, that was one of the rudest excuses for social manners I have ever seen!"
"Malfoy's back."
McGonagall's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"Malfoy's back? Are you talking about Draco? Is Draco here at the ball?"
"No, Lucius. Lucius is back. He isn't dead. He crashed the party in disguise. I tried to detain him, but he was here with a servant, and they threatened Mira. I had to let them go. I'm sorry, but they would have killed her, and possibly innocent bystanders. I couldn't risk it."
Dumbledore crossed his arms on his chest and looked down at the floor. McGonagall's eyes flitted from the professor to the headmaster, looking for an explanation.
"Did he say anything to you? Anything about the potion incident, or why he was here tonight?"
"No, nothing. I believe he was just here to taunt me. Or if he had other plans, they didn't work out as he expected. I challenged him to a duel in the corridor if he called his servant off of Mira, but he said he had other plans. I don't know what kind of plans he meant. But remember the matter we discussed Albus? I am almost certain it's connected. All of this is somehow connected. But it doesn't make sense."
Dumbledore looked back down at the ground, and gently stroked his long beard. McGonagall's cheek started to twitch, but she knew better than to disturb the old wizard while he was deep in thought. Dumbledore thought of the polyjuice potion, and what the Malfoys had done with it. He remembered the days when his Potions Master was a student at school and the tangled history he shared with Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy. He thought about the recent reports about former suspected Death Eaters being overheard talking about the return of the Dark Lord. And the dreams Harry had been having. Oh it did make sense. It made terrifyingly perfect sense. But, could they really have found a way to pull it off? If so, then the peace in the wizarding world would be short lived. He returned his thoughts to the here and now and took a deep breath.
"Well, if he was here, he most certainly is not here now. After the guests leave, I will reinforce the security wards and he will not be able to return. I'll contact the Aurors and step up surveillance on Narcissa and the other Malfoy properties. I'll take the evidence we have and try and make a case for a search warrant with the ministry. But I want your word that you will not try and handle this on your own, am I clear with that?"
The professor narrowed his eyes and breathed an exasperated sigh.
"I gave my word. I said I won't go after him on my own, and my word is good."
"But you would have fought a duel with him?"
"He came to me. I didn't go after him tonight, he came to me. Yes, I would have fought a duel with him. And in the condition he's in, I would have destroyed him."
"And it would have been unfortunate if you had. Don't let emotion cloud your reason. We do need to apprehend him. But we need him brought in alive and fit to be interrogated. Whatever he and his wife have been up to, it's not been simple mischief making. I fear they may be planning something, which could lead to devastating consequences. We have to be very careful how we handle this. Narcissa is no fool; she still has many people in the ministry who are loyal to her family name. Let me handle it right now. I'll find out what I can, and we'll make plans for action when we know exactly what we're dealing with."
"As you wish headmaster."
"Now, let's try and enjoy the end of the ball, shall we? Minerva, I promise to bring you up to date concerning the Malfoys over a late breakfast in my office."
The professor nodded to the older witch and wizard, and walked to the edge of the dance floor, to wait for Mira to finish her dance with Hagrid. Dumbledore patted McGonagall on the hand and waved for a house-elf, which was carrying a tray of strong drinks. The deputy headmistress would need one after the shock of hearing that Lucius Malfoy was alive and up to his old tricks.
The set of partnered dances ended and the professor wound his way through the crowd to Mira and Hagrid. Hagrid thanked Mira for the dance, and took his leave. With the evening coming to an end, Mira asked the professor if he wanted to dance. She noticed that the professor didn't balk, but agreed to dance with her without any fuss or sarcasm. They danced the first dance in the last set of three together, and old Mr. Comstock approached the couple and asked if he might share the next dance with Mira.
The ancient wizard explained to her that he had been a friend of her grandfather's and recognized Eloise's fancy dress robe and the family resemblance between Mira and her grandmother which had brought back a fond memory of a masquerade ball held many decades earlier. He asked about Eloise, and Mira made him promise to send her grandmother a letter. The song ended, and the old man escorted her off of the dance floor and handed her back off to the professor thanking him for the pleasure of having a dance with her.
The whole custom of men asking other men permission to dance with women was somewhat irritating to Mira, but in another way it was also a little bit charming. The bandleader announced the last dance of the evening, and the professor took Mira by the hand without her having to ask and led her to the center of the dance floor. She didn't know if he was actually enjoying himself, or just putting on a good show. And decided that she really didn't care.