Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Chapter 6 – The Christmas Ball
After the incident with the troll, Ron and Hermione stopped fighting and actually gave being friends a chance. That isn't to say that they didn't argue – Harry didn't think anything would ever stop that from happening – but they were much nicer to each other and insults were now quite rare. Harry was glad. Ron had quickly become his best friend, while he had formed a friendship of sorts with Hermione, always enjoying discussing various topics with her, and he was quite happy that he could do both at the same time now. He found that it also made time move faster, with classes and studying going more smoothly, and so he was surprised when November quickly passed, and it was only two weeks until the Christmas holidays.
"I'm such an idiot!" He said one morning during breakfast as he joined Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table. "I should have gotten these to you weeks ago! Here." He handed them each a rather fancy looking envelope and their confusion turned to shock when they saw the seal.
"This is from the Ministry of Magic!" Exclaimed Hermione as she carefully opened the letter, Ron doing the same, though with much less care.
Dear Miss Granger,
You are cordially invited to the annual Christmas Ball at the Ministry of Magic this holiday season. The Christmas Ball, a tradition since the Ministry's founding in 1707, is in celebration of the Winter Solstice and the rebirth of light and magic as we enter a new year.
The ball will be held on the solstice, December 21st, at 8:00pm. Dress is formal, dress robes preferred, though muggle formal wear is acceptable. Please arrive through the visitor's entrance in the public washrooms across from Dover House in Whitehall, London, and present this invitation upon arrival.
The Minister for Magic looks forward to welcoming you to the Ministry!
"The entrance to the Ministry of Magic is in a loo?" Hermione asked, her nose scrunched up in distaste.
"Yeah, but it's not really a loo." Said Harry. "That's just another deterrent for muggles. There are all these wards around it, and you have to be a witch or wizard to pass through. Once you do there's this little antechamber where security is and then you enter the Ministry proper."
"It's all underground, you see." Added Ron. His dad worked at the Ministry and he'd been there several times over the years. "To hide from the muggles. But it doesn't look like it's underground. There's this wicked spell that makes it look like it's above ground and the Magical Maintenance Department can change the weather to whatever they want. Dad said that one time when they wanted a pay raise there were hurricanes for two months straight!" Harry chuckled remembering when that had happened. Cornelius had complained about it quite a lot and eventually had given in just to see some sunshine again.
"That all sounds fascinating." Said Hermione. "Seeing the Ministry of Magic is quite the opportunity. Thank you for the invitation, Harry."
"Yeah, thanks mate." Said Ron. "Just one question though, are we going to be the only kids there?" Ron knew it was quite the honour to be invited to the Ministry's Christmas Ball. It was usually only the wealthy and powerful within wizarding society who managed to get their hands on an invitation, at least that's what his dad had said.
"No." Said Harry. "There'll be lots of people our age. The ball became a sort of family affair once I started going. Cornelius wanted me there to show me off, but knew it'd look odd if only one child was there, so he invited other children as well, and now it's expected that you bring your family with you. I do have to warn you though, it will mostly be the Slytherins who are there." The three looked over to the Slytherin table and spotted Malfoy holding court with the other first years, and several older students as well; his family held such prestige and power that many wanted to get in with him. "Anyways, your parents are invited too, Ron, and your brothers and sister." Now he turned to Hermione and looked quite embarrassed. "I couldn't invite your parents, Hermione, I'm so sorry! I promise it's nothing against them, there's just not a way to work around the wards at the Ministry to allow two muggles in without tearing the wards apart." Hermione opened her mouth to speak but Harry rushed on. "You can come with me though, Aldora said she'd pick you up at your parents' house so we can arrive together." Hermione smiled.
"Thank you, Harry, for thinking of me. I knew when I decided to come to Hogwarts that I'd be entering a different world and that my parents couldn't really be a part of it. So, while it is a bit sad, I'm not offended that my parents can't go." Harry looked relieved and finally dug into his breakfast.
-H/G-
The end of term came quickly and December 21st arrived with much panic and chaos in the Fudge household. Harry had just arrived home last night, term only ending on Friday, December 20th, and Aldora was in a right state as she tried to welcome him home, ensure they were all properly kitted out for the ball that night, and deal with several other issues that always arose beforehand. By five o'clock, as she finally retired to her room to get ready, she was run ragged, but still managed to look refreshed when she emerged almost three hours later.
"A vision, my dear, as always." Said Cornelius, giving his wife a kiss. "Are we all set then?"
"Yes, I'll go pick up Harry's little friend and we'll meet you in the atrium at ten to eight, sharp." She confirmed. "Harry, stop pulling at your bowtie, you'll undo it!"
"That's what I'm trying to do, it's too tight." He complained. Aldora tsked but dutifully waved her wand and the bowtie untied and retied itself.
"Better?"
"Much, thank you." Aldora nodded and bid them goodbye before apparating away to get Hermione, while Cornelius took Harry by the hand and apparated them to the Ministry. The ladies joined them only a couple minutes later and Aldora took her place next to Cornelius, while Harry took Hermione's hand and led her to stand next to them.
"Receiving line." He explained. "We have to welcome all the guests as they arrive."
"Oh!" Hermione gasped. "Well, I should not be here then, it's your family-"
"No, you're staying with me." He interrupted firmly. "You're not leaving my side until Ron gets here. There'll be too many people who hate muggles and I'm not leaving you to their mercy." Hermione nodded timidly. She'd read, of course, that there were those in wizarding society who disliked muggles and muggleborns, believing they were beneath them, but she'd yet to really meet any. Guests started arriving then and Hermione could see that Harry was very comfortable with the role he had to play and was very charming, dazzling many he talked to. Each time he introduced Hermione as his good friend, and top student in their year at Hogwarts, and by the twelfth or thirteenth person she greeted, Hermione began to relax a little. She was put on high alert though when Harry tensed beside her, and she could see why.
"Lucius, Narcissa, and young Draco, of course, welcome!" Cornelius greeted the Malfoys warmly, as did Aldora, though Harry was much more reserved.
"Mr. Malfoy." He was the picture of perfect etiquette and manners, smiling as he had for each guest, but he was not trying to charm them as he had the others, and Hermione heard the coldness in his tone. She'd known, of course, of his rivalry with Draco, but aside from an insult here and there, the two ignored each other at school, and she knew nothing about his relationship with Draco's parents. "Mrs. Malfoy, welcome." He took her hand and kissed the back of it, as he had several of the ladies that night, though it was clear he was choosing about whom he greeted in such a manner. "May I introduce my good friend Hermione Granger? She is also top of our year at Hogwarts."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy." She decided to copy Harry and greeted them formally with a smile.
"Likewise, I'm sure." Lucius' drawl was anything but sincere, but Hermione ignored it. Mrs. Malfoy didn't even deign to speak to Hermione and the two turned back to converse with Cornelius and Aldora, leaving them with the youngest Malfoy.
"Potter." Draco sneered
"Malfoy." The two didn't even pretend to be cordial with each other, knowing from experience that the adults were sufficiently distracted.
"Granger." Draco's sneer deepened.
"Malfoy." She greeted rather dismissively, and heard Harry snigger beside her.
"Can't believe they even let you in, given your…heritage." Harry stiffened again but Hermione didn't let it bother her.
"And I'm shocked that your ego even fit through the door." Draco snarled and was about to retort, but the adults' attention was back on them.
"He would be delighted, Minister." They heard Mrs. Malfoy say as they turned towards them.
"Excellent! Hermione, dear, I know how dull and tedious standing here must be for you, so Draco has kindly agreed to escort you inside until Harry can rejoin you."
"I'd much rather Hermione stayed with me." Harry said at once.
"Nonsense, Harry, you are all friends here. It will be much more fun for Hermione to be with her classmate." Harry gritted his teeth and knew Malfoy was doing the same.
"Of course." He ground out turning to Hermione. "I'm so sorry." He whispered.
"It's alright." She replied. Seeing that the adults' attention was once again not on them as they bid their goodbyes, Harry turned to Draco.
"You better be on your best behaviour, Malfoy. If you hurt Hermione in any way, I swear to Merlin you'll regret it." Draco smirked, seeing that his rival was clearly upset.
"We'll see, Potter." He held out his arm for Hermione who reluctantly took it.
"We will both be cordial to each other, Draco," Hermione declared. "Or it is not Harry you'll have to worry about. I have no qualms about sticking my foot where it will hurt the most if you're anything but a gentleman." Draco's smirk disappeared and the two followed the Malfoy parents into the ball room proper. Harry spent another forty-five minutes greeting what must be every person in the wizarding world who held even a modicum of influence. There were several other Slytherins and their parents, as well as Ernie Macmillan from Hufflepuff and his fellow Gryffindor, Neville Longbottom who arrived with his formidable grandmother. Finally though, the people he had been waiting for arrived.
"Arthur, welcome, welcome, we're so glad you could come." Cornelius greeted a redheaded man and his wife before moving on to the three children they'd brought with them. Eventually they made it down the line to Harry and Ron smiled brightly at him.
"Hiya, Harry."
"Hey, Ron."
"These are my parents, by the way, Arthur and Molly."
"Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley it's a pleasure to finally meet you." He greeted, kissing Mrs. Weasley's hand.
"You as well, Mr. Potter."
"Harry, please." He waved off the formality and turned to the other two Weasley siblings. One was Percy, a fifth year Gryffindor prefect, whom he greeted happily, though the other he'd never met; she seemed quite shy, sticking to Percy's side like glue.
"This is my sister, Ginny." Ron introduced a bit dismissively, as an eleven-year-old boy would of their little sister.
"Miss Weasley." He greeted, kissing the back of her hand as well. Her faced flushed a deep red and Harry wasn't sure what to do now, so he settled for smiling and turned back to Ron.
"You have to go rescue Hermione. She's with Malfoy as an escort." Ron's face twisted into a look of anger and disgust and he nodded, practically pulling his parents away from the receiving line so he could go find Hermione. Harry was stuck standing there for another fifteen minutes before Cornelius decided it was acceptable to disperse. He rushed off then, looking for Ron and Hermione in the sea of people, barely remembering his manners as people greeted him again, as if they hadn't just talked with him in the receiving line. He knew they wanted more time with him, or rather with The Boy Who Lived, for they always did, but he wasn't about to indulge them this time. Finally he located his friends and was glad to see that Ron had successfully rescued Hermione. They were standing with Neville off to the side of the dance floor and Harry quickly joined them.
"Was Malfoy alright?" Was the first thing he asked.
"Yes. He did as the Minister asked and stayed with me until Ron found us. We didn't really talk or do anything but kind of just stood behind his parents as they talked with people." Harry breathed a sigh of relief.
"Good. I was worried he'd be his usual self."
"You should have told me Hermione was with Malfoy, Harry." Neville spoke up. "I would have rescued her too." He seemed a little put out, but not overly so. Harry had known Neville for years. The Longbottom family was an old one and Neville and his grandmother always attended the Christmas Ball and other Ministry events, but he'd never really gotten a chance to make friends with the other boy. Although Mrs. Longbottom, Neville's grandmother, was well respected by all, she had never truly recovered from the loss of her son when Neville was baby and had let the family's standing fall just a bit too much for Cornelius to deem Neville an acceptable friend.
"Sorry, Neville." He replied sincerely. Sharing a dorm at Hogwarts he'd gotten to know Neville better and considered him a friend now, though he was not close enough to join the trio that he, Ron and Hermione had formed. "So no twins tonight?" He then changed the subject.
"No." Ron laughed. "Mum deemed them too much of a liability to attend. She was convinced they'd pull some prank on high ranking Ministry officials and then Dad would lose his job or something."
"It probably wouldn't go that far." Said Harry. "But no doubt they'd pull a prank." The four Gryffindors continued to chat throughout the night, pausing only for the odd interruption of someone wanting to talk to Harry. He did so politely every time, but ended the meeting as quickly as possible and he didn't once make any rounds and further charm the important guests. Cornelius would be disappointed, but Harry didn't care. For once he was having a good time at this thing and he wasn't about to end that.
A/N - Review Please!
