The rest of that week flew by and, before anyone knew it, Saturday morning had arrived, bringing with it a prefect and heads meetings (the heads had to be present at both). There it was announced that Hogwarts would be having a ball.
"To celebrate the New Year. Students from first to fourth year will be allowed to stay until 8 o'clock in the evening, those from fifth and sixth until 10, and the seventh years will be permitted to stay 'til midnight. This will give the leaving class a chance to relax before their graduation ball, which will be an extremely formal event. The heads will be planning the graduation ball, but I want all of you to plan the New Year's. So do with it as you wish – within limits, of course. You will meet to plan it every Sunday at 3:00 pm. You may use this time to begin. Good day." With that, Dumbledore exited the room, leaving behind several excited prefects and the head boy and head girl to begin their planning.
"Well, I think it should be a snow theme," a girl from Ravenclaw started. "You know, enchanted snow falling, everything white and glittery."
"I like that idea," said Hannah Abbot. "How about we have a masquerade ball?"
"Oh, that's original," drawled a younger Slytherin male.
"Well," piped up Parvati Patil, who had replaced Hermione as the female prefect for that year's Gryffindors, "let's add a twist then?"
"Have you anything in mind?" Harmony said from the wall she was currently propped against.
"Well," supplied another Hufflepuff, "what if everyone gets all dressed up and stuff, but then when they exit they're common room, their appearance changes? Like facial features, hair and eye color, height, etc. Then, when it's their turn to leave, they all change back to they're original form?"
"For once I agree with a Hufflepuff," Draco spoke from another corner. "That's a good idea." Amusingly enough for the Slytherins, the Hufflepuff started to blush and mumbled a thank you.
"So," the Head Girl started "now that we have that figured out, we still need music, food, decoration, publicity, a spell that would easily change a person's facial features, and a way to administer the spell on everyone attending the ball."
"Let's split up the jobs." Draco spoke once more in a commanding voice. "That way we all won't have to do as much work. Ravenclaws, you do music. Hufflepuffs, you're on decoration. Slytherins do food, and Gryffindors: publicity. Harmony and I will figure a way to work the spell." Harmony raised an eyebrow at having Malfoy volunteer her, but remained silent.
"We'll meet up here next Sunday at three like the Headmaster said to see how much progress we've made. We can also add some input on the different topics then. Alright?" the Head Boy asked.
They all agreed and broke off.
The next few weeks passed and before anyone knew, there were posters everywhere advertising the ball, False Witness, a newly popular band in the wizarding world, had been booked to play for New Year's Eve. Harmony and Draco could be found in the library daily, researching a spell that would disappear at different times and be applied easily to large groups of people.
It was the hardest project Harmony had ever undertaken, even more difficult than finding information on Nicholas Flamel in her first year. At least then she would have settled for any piece of knowledge she could have gotten but now, she needed very specific details.
"Argh! This is impossible!" Harmony, frustrated at having gotten nowhere, shouted while slamming the book she was reading closed.
"We'll figure it out, Harmony. Calm down," Draco said, not raising his head out of his book: Charming Charms.
"All of these charms will either disappear at the same time, or can't be cast on more than 100 people."
"Well, how about this?" Draco asked "Each teacher will be assigned to a different year, and the spell is cast on all of them then? Then when it's time to leave, their respective teacher will change them back."
"Draco, that's brilliant!" Harmony shouted, feeling quite relieved and bringing him into a huge hug.
She stayed there for a few seconds before she realized what she was doing.
'You're hugging Malfoy!'
'And... it feels... nice'
'NO! It's Malfoy!'
Harmony slowly retracted her arms, muttered something about speaking to the teachers about the charm, and ran out of the library.
'She was blushing!' Draco thought smugly. 'I knew no one could resist my charm and good looks.' With that thought in mind, Draco followed Harmony out of the library.
