Chapter Sixteen:

Tournament Ball

The next morning came and excitement and anxiety hung in the air. Hermione decided to leave early to avoid the others, especially Ron, to think over the previous day's events, namely Harry's conversation with the mysterious American. It was obvious that something was going on, but what, and why. Then there was the strange symbol on all three of their cloaks. The symbol was on their right shoulders was very familiar to her, but she couldn't place it. He had noticed she had noticed it and asked her to not mention it, not yet at least. With everything that happened between her and Ron she had been too distracted to think about it further. The symbol had been a circle with a triangle, at each point there was a magical beast, a dragon on the top corner, a phoenix on the left corner and a sphinx on the right. She would have to research it later.

She found herself in the market area. She wasn't there to buy anything, or really to do much of anything. She had mostly left the confines of her hotel room to just clear her head and not do too much of anything else. That's when she had noticed Draco Malfoy talking to someone, but she couldn't see who. He noticed her and immediately said good bye to whoever he was speaking with and made his way over to her.

"Draco, where have you been?" asked Hermione.

"It's not like you to worry about me, Granger," his voice completely professional.

"Harry's not the most forgiving person in the world, even less so than Ron even, and I figure if he can give you a second chance, we should as well," said Hermione truthfully.

"I'm sure that's what every said about Snape and Dumbledore," said Draco coolly, "Always be careful who you trust, and watch those you do trust closer than those you don't."

"You can always trust us," said Hermione, not quite getting why he was always so suspicious all the time.

"How, when you don't even trust each other?" asked Draco accusingly

"Of course we trust each other," said Hermione defensively.

"Then why did you blame him, when you know it wasn't even his fault?"

"What are you talking about?" she had been hoping to avoid this question, not wanting to really talk to anyone about it, least of all Draco Malfoy. The tone in her voice told Draco that she knew exactly what he was referring to.

"Come off it!" he said sternly, "It's almost impossible to completely resist Fleur's veela charm, especially when she's using them on purpose. It's like resisting the Imperious Curse and Legimency at the same time. Bloody Hell, Ginny even forgave Harry!"

"What do you mean Ginny forgave Harry?" asked Hermione, "I didn't even know anything happened between them."

"You've also been avoiding having any form of conversation with anyone," accused Draco, but went on with the rest of the explanation, "I'm better at Occulmens than Harry, so I was able to block out Fleur's veela charm better than him. She caught us off guard when she turned it on, and with such great force I'm surprised Weasley could remain standing. Anyways, our mental shields were already shaky and then when you tried to hex them, his concentration broke and his only thought was to protect Fleur. He did so with such force that he was able to save protect Weasley as well. Ginny had overheard Harry tell me that Fleur had been the only thought on his mind at the time, and they had a row the same night you and Weasley did. It didn't help that Weasley's main focus was already on Fleur. It made him that more susceptible to her charms, and without all the mental shields that Harry and I have, he was finished."

"I had no idea…" said Hermione, "I didn't even give Ron a chance to explain either… I've been such an insensitive prat!"

"Things with that American and your little rendezvous with Viktor Krum yesterday didn't help much either," Draco reminded her, and that's when she immediately noticed it. She had known she had seen it before and now she knew where. The fastener on Draco's cloak also bore the same symbol. "You shouldn't worry too much though; he's trying to find a way to apologize to you with out losing his pride, so he'll easily forgive you as long as you forgive him for going out with Lavender Brown yesterday."

"Thank you, Draco," she said, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure Hermione," he replied, she was thrown off by the use of her first name, but did not let it detour her.

"What does that symbol mean?" asked Hermione. "I'm unfamiliar with it. I just wondered what it meant."

"You saw it didn't you?" asked Draco, Hermione nodded, "It belongs to an old Confederation of Wizards belonging to three different orders. It's all I can say to you for now without giving too much away. This is neither the time nor the place to discuss this." He looked around quickly, "A lot of things have been happening lately, but I promise I'll let you all know when I can."

Ginerva Potter decided the Ron and Hermione needed to work out their problems on their own, so she spent most of the day with her sister-in-law Fleur getting ready for the Tournament Ball later on that evening.

"I just can't wait for ze ball tonight! Bill will be arriving tonight and we're going to spend ze 'ole night togezzer!" said Fleur excitedly. "'E is just so 'andsome!"

Ginny smiled, she knew the Fleur's devotion to Bill was genuine and was only strengthened when Bill had been viciously attacked by an untransformed werewolf by the name of Fenrir Greyback, during her fifth year at Hogwarts. "Too bad he can't stay for the whole tournament," she said sadly.

"At least 'ou got 'Arry! Eet's sweet 'ow 'e always looks at 'ou!" said Fleur, Ginny smiled and blushed at Fleur.

"Yeah, but with the tournament, we'll both be focusing to win and not be with each other!" Ginny told her with a sad tone in her voice.

"'Arry ees too sweet and loves 'ou too much! The tournament will be the last thing on 'is mind!" said Fleur reassuringly, "Besides, 'onight the last thing we should worry about ees the tournament! I just 'ope 'Ermione and Ronald make up before then, eet would be very sad eef they 'ad a 'orrible time!"

"Well, Fleur, it's like you said, we should just concentrate on the time we have will Bill and Harry!" said Ginny checking in the mirror to see if the necklace Harry had gotten her for her birthday went with her gown. "Ron and Hermione fight all the time, we should let it spoil the night for us!"

Both women were excited for the Tournament Ball and conversed excitedly about what each had planned for their husbands that night.

Harry meanwhile had set off to find Hermione, since Ron didn't feel like doing anything except mope. IF he had time, he'd try to find Draco. Instead, he got into yet another confrontation with a tan wizard, who was a bit shorter than Harry, who wore white robes.

"Harry Potter, my name is Malak Ruglia," said the wizard, "I have a message for you!"

'Great! What now?' Harry thought to himself.

"But we can't discuss this out here, if you will come with me we will be quite safe from prying eyes," Harry used Legimens to uncover any deception and to see if Malak's intentions were pure, "If you're quite finished reading my mind, I do have urgent business to attend to."

"Fine, lead the way!" said Harry, making sure he had his wand was ready; 'There's no sense in letting them know I can do wandless magic…yet.' He quickly thought to himself, after making sure all of his mental shields were in place. Malak led him down a deserted alley way, and took him inside a nearly empty room. "So, what message do you have for me?"

"We wish to make an alliance with you," said Malak cutting to the chase, "My lord is very powerful and shall reveal himself in due time. He is currently using the tournament as a way to find strong allies and scout out potential enemies. I would advise against standing against him! He is much stronger than the one you call Voldemort, and things have been set in motion that will shift the balance of things to our side. The choice is yours, do the noble thing and save your friends. When the war starts you don't want to be caught on the wrong side."

"You must be brave, not many people speak him name," noted Harry.

"Wizards like us have little to fear from the darkness," said Malak with confidence, Harry didn't need to be a Legimens to notice that Malak was hiding something, and that Malak's lack of fear for the Dark Arts differed very much from his own.

"Tell your master, that I will take sometime to consider his offer," Harry told Malak.

"He figured as much, and said he'd like to here your answer the in two day's time," said Malak before apparating with a loud pop.

'Just when I was just getting used to being normal,' Harry groaned mentally.

Shortly afterwards, Harry found Hermione having lunch and what seemed to be an enjoyable conversation with none other than Draco Malfoy, at a small café. 'Now I've seen everything,' Harry thought to himself, 'At least Ron isn't here, seeing Hermione enjoying Draco's company, no matter how innocent, would set him off worse than seeing Hermione with Krum again.'

'Better the devil you know, than the one you don't, eh Potter?' Draco's thoughts entered his mind, 'I actually got her talked into talking to him again.'

'Thanks, Draco… You know how jealous Ron gets,' Harry thought to Draco, 'So, you got Hermione talked into speaking with Ron? Ginny and I were going to try this morning, but she left too early.'

'Yeah, it was nothing. I'd just hate for them to lose what Pansy and I could never have. Even with the birth of our son in a few weeks, we still won't have that same spark that you and Ginny or that even Ron and Hermione have. Don't get me wrong, I still love her and would do anything for her, it's just that everything is so different for us.' There was sadness in Draco's thoughts that Harry had felt the last time they had dueled.

'That's very sweet of you Draco, who'd have thought you had such feelings underneath that cold and collected exterior of yours,' interrupted Hermione's thoughts, 'Harry, why don't you join us?'

Harry couldn't help but smile as he made his way over to them. "How'd you know it was me?" he asked Hermione as he sat down.

"Well, Draco and I were actually having a delightful conversation, until he became distant and distracted," Hermione informed them, "Not too many people are THAT highly skilled at Legimens as me or Draco, but I just touched his mind slightly after he quit talking at all, to make sure what the distraction was. That's when I heard what he was communicating to you about me, Ron, you, and Ginny. After that it was quite obvious who it was that had caught his attention."

"Well, you try to have two conversations at one time," challenged Draco.

"Who says I'm not right now," asked Hermione with a cocky tone in her voice, "I do tend to pick things up quicker than most you know!"

"Because, when you use Legimens to speak to someone you tend to concentrate a little harder than either of us, and you face becomes all screwed up and twisted," Harry exaggerated, and Hermione hit him playfully, "By the way, have you two ever heard of a Malak Ruglia?"

Hermione thought for a moment and shook her head, Draco had a grim expression, "What did he want?" asked Hermione.

"Me, strangely enough, he said something about a war coming and not wanting to be on the wrong side. That his master had set things in motion that would shift the balance to their side."

Hermione glanced at Draco, "What did you say?" she asked Harry.

"I said I'd consider it, but I'm pretty sure they already know my answer. I don't really want to get involved in this if I don't have to, but it seems I am being pulled every which way," Harry answered her, "I don't like what going on, so I think I'd be best if we stayed alert for the rest of the time we're here. I'm afraid something big is going to happen."

"I have to go," said Draco standing suddenly, "The rules have changed; I may not make it to the ball tonight."

"Dra-" Hermione stood up, but was cut off by Draco.

"No time to explain," Draco said before apparating.

"Hermione, what's going on?" asked Harry, very concerned at that moment.

"I-I'm not sure, but I think it can wait until we meet back up with Ron, Ginny, and Fleur!" she said. Harry paid the tab and the apparated near the hotel. Anti-apparation wards prevented direct apparating in and out of the rooms of the hotel.

When they got back to their rooms, they were met by a distraught Fleur and a furious Ginny. "Care to explain why Ron came back about a half hour ago, furious as hell and saying that he and Hermione were through?"

"What do you mean?" asked Hermione, "I haven't even seen Ron since last night, and we haven't even spoken to each other since he went out with Lavender!"

"I was hoping you could tell me!" Ginny was still glaring at them, Harry in particular.

"Whoa! I didn't have anything to do with anything!" Harry said quickly.

"Honestly Ginny! We have no idea!" said Hermione.

"'E said something about 'ow much of a good time you were 'aving at a nearby café," said Fleur.

Realization hit Harry, Ron must have gone out to find Hermione after he had, but found her first. He must have thought that Hermione and Draco… Harry left the thought unfinished and looked at Hermione. She looked at him, coming to the same realization. "Harry, explain everything, I have to find Ron!" After she had left, Harry explained everything to Ginny and Fleur. Both of them had looks of relief on their faces.

"Ron can be such a prat! It's just like him to jump to conclusions," said Ginny, "Well, he isn't going to ruin our night, so you need to get ready, now!" she ordered Harry. Harry began to protest, but she gave him the look that would have rivaled one of Mrs. Weasley's that she would give to Fred and George if they were misbehaving more than usual, and just like Fred and George; Harry did as he was told.

Harry's emerald green dress robes matched perfectly with Ginny's ball gown, in fact, she had picked them out weeks ago. Fleur's gown was similar to Ginny's except it was lilac in color. Bill had black dress robes and had his long hair tied back. Neither Ron nor Hermione had returned by the time the others were going to leave for the ball which had everyone a bit worried. Ginny, however, was determined to not let their quarrel ruin the long romantic night she had wanted for so long with Harry. Fleur followed suit, and with a little bit of help from her veela charm, convinced Bill not to worry too much either. Harry knew better than to get on Ginny's bad side.

The World Tournament Ball was very extravagant. It reminded Harry of the Yule Ball in his fourth year at Hogwarts, when Viktor Krum, Cedric Diggory, Fleur and himself had each been champions representing their schools for a thousand galleons and what Dumbledore referred to as 'eternal glory'. All Harry got was a full year of misery, a death of a friend, and saw his worst enemy return to power.

The decorations went well beyond anything the three schools could have come up with. There were ice sculptures of various magical beasts, and the ceiling was bewitched to look like the night sky and flags from the participating countries were floating in the night sky, and there were suits of armor with the family coat of arms of former champions. No one was surprised Merlin had been the very first champion, but was intrigued to see that Godric Gryffindor had been a World Champion as well.

They all danced the night away and had a marvelous time, though Harry's thoughts constantly strayed to Ron and Hermione, who had never showed up. Harry and Ginny didn't even see Hermione until they got back to their hotel room. She looked like she had been crying and was holding an old ragged book.

"Hermione, what happened?" asked Ginny, the look on her face said that she would kill Ron based on Hermione's answer.

"Well… Everything!" sobbed Hermione. She was bursting with tears and Harry and Ginny sat on either side of her.

A/N: Well Harry and Ginny's night is shot, and Hermione and Ron are still in a rut. What will it take for them to make-up? Also nearly all the players are set, the cards are on the table, so who is on what side? What is Draco's role in the scheme of things and will Harry take sides in another war he doesn't want to be involved in? Is there really a threat worse than Voldemort? What power is Malak Ruglia's master seeking and how will it affect the outcome of the war?