"Professor, I don't see why I should have to perform tonight."

"Hermione, you are doing this because I said so. You have a miraculous voice, and I refuse to see you leaving this school without the others knowing about it. Because they don't, do they? Not even your two closest friends know you can sing so beautifully, do they? You haven't told them. I think you're ashamed of it. Are you?"

"No, sir, I'm not ashamed of it. I don't know why I haven't told them. I suppose it's because I'm afraid they'll laugh at me."

"I told you, you were ashamed of it. I'm sure Mr Potter wouldn't laugh at you. Mr Weasley on the other hand….probably would."

Hermione and Professor Flitwick were walking along the corridors to his classroom with Hermione's dress and shoes in her hands, hidden in plastic sheeting so that it would not be seen by anyone.

"I have a problem. I don't think I can perform in front of all my friends."

"That's just stage fright. It'll pass."

"It isn't too bad at the moment, but I know that in that moment before I have to get up onto the stage it will be terribly huge. There's another technical problem, do I enter with Harry or do they see me first on the stage?"

"If you want to surprise them then I would suggest you appear on the stage. We can light you beautifully. Ah! Here we are. In you go Hermione."

She entered the class room and he followed and set up the gramophone while Hermione conjured a screen to change behind.

"Not yet Hermione. Don't get changed yet. We shall first prepare your voice and then we shall prepare our princess. Come now, begin your songs."

The other girls weren't too far away in Myrtle's bathroom getting spruced up for the ball when they heard the music of the gramophone. It was familiar but they couldn't quite put a name to it. Ginny wanted to go and find out what it was but Katie held her back.

"Later, my little firebrand. I am sure it will be resolved when we appear at that ball looking as fabulous as we will."

Katie put her hands on her shoulders and then Ginny suddenly grabbed Katie's left hand.

"What's this? A ring on the engagement finger? Are you engaged? Angelina, your hand please? Ah, yes. When did my brothers pop the question? At the same time?"

"Yes. On our double date last night. We were so surprised but we thought it would never happen so quickly. We leave school next year and expected it to come shortly afterwards."

"Yes, we never thought it would come while we were still at school. I think we must be the only students in history who became engaged whilst still students."

"Actually you're wrong. James Potter proposed to Lilly Evans before they entered their last year in Hogwarts. Sorry, girls but they beat you." Ginny said, smirking.

"How do you know that?"

"Hermione told me. They were Harry's parents. He the head boy, she the head girl. He the school hunk along with Sirius and she was the quiet serious bookworm. Their romance is the stuff dreams are made of. Someday I'm going to write a book on it, well, either I will or Hermione will."

"Best leave it to Hermione, Gin, I've seen your essays." Luna said laughing.

"Come on, hair needs doing, make up needs to be applied and we have some princesses to make." The Patil twins said together in the same excited tone.

The boys assembled in the entrance hall and they looked very different. Their dress robes were in various colours but in more or less the same range of neatness. At least, no one looked like Ron during their fourth year ball.

Then the party of girls appeared on the stairs. Their dresses were equally colourful and perhaps even more so than the boys. As one the boys knelt before these born-again princesses.

The girls laughed and Harry, who was in the forefront of the group, looked up.

"Ten there should be, but nine there are here, these gorgeous visions before us. My friends have their fair maidens, but I do not. Where is my girl?"

"Hermione has vanished, and none of us know where she is." Ginny said smiling down on him.

The boys slowly got to their feet. The girls descended gracefully down the stairs and each went to their prospective partners. They then curtseyed to them and the boys bowed.

McGonnagal opened the doors to the great hall and called them in. Harry lingered by the staircase.

"You too, Harry, Hermione told me to pass on a message. It's a little riddle. Inside you will find me, where you never expected me to be, prepare yourself for a surprise. Come you can escort me in."

Harry offered his arm and his transfiguration teacher took it and they entered the Great Hall, where the music was just beginning to start.

A voice started to sing. It was a song that was very familiar. It started slow and held the pace of the waltz.

Then into to spotlight stepped the singer of this old Celtic lullaby.

It was Hermione.