[A/N: Princess Sophia is a real person. She was the fifth daughter of King George III and lived between 1777 to 1848. She was rumored to have had an illegitimate child that was sent away after birth. In my story, this child was kept and loved (and was a wizard). If you want more information, run a Wikipedia search for 'Princess Sophia of the United Kingdom.' I also went against my usual thing of bashing Ron to give him a chance at redemption. I know, I know but he's only eleven and frankly, I wanted a change-up in how I handled his character.]


Chapter 15: I don't remember serving toad…

Great Library, same time

Hermione peered around her father's hand to the scroll containing their family tree, "Daddy?"

Dan Granger blinked owlishly, "Baby, I think…if this is correct, then we're descended from royalty." He sat down heavily in a chair and just stared out at nothing. Emma picked up the scroll to examine closer.

"So I could be a princess too?" Hermione asked in a small voice.

Emma smiled consolingly at the hopeful look on her face and brushed her daughter's hair with her hand, "It's doubtful, sweetie. If anything, you would be too far down on the list to even bother with a title. Just knowing and being able to reference it should be enough of an honor."

"So how did this child of royalty become recognized in the magical world?" Hermione pressed.

"If the child were magical, he or she would've received an invitation to come study here at Hogwarts. I imagine the same holds true for you, my dear," Peeves replied with thin smile, "It should be noted that even though the child was royalty, he still would've been classed as a muggleborn and unfortunately seen as 'less' than the pureblood aristocrats. I vaguely remember him, which is why when I saw your father; I thought he and therefore you must've been related. Princess Sophia's son, Thomas was sorted into Slytherin House in September of 1811. If there were any honors or what he did after graduating, I'm afraid I don't have that knowledge."

Dan returned from his introspection, "Peeves? Potential royalty aside, this Hector Dagworth-Granger; he sounds like he'd be an important figure in this world?"

Peeves bowed his head, "Yes, sir. In the magical world, he would've be the equivalent of a Lord. There are no ranks above that really. We do not have our own king or queen, prince or princesses. If he were attending the Wizengamot session, he would be addressed as Lord Hector Dagworth-Granger, Head of Dagworth-Granger."

"What did he do to achieve this title?"

Peeves took the scroll back from Emma and looked up the information, "According to this, he founded the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers and made multiple notable contributions to the advancement and efficacy of then current potions as well as creating new ones." He handed the scroll back to Dan who took it with shaky hands, "If I may sir, I would suggest you contact the Goblins of Gringotts and request they run a Line of Inheritance Test on your daughter. That would clear up any confusion as to the validity of this scroll."

Dan slowly nodded his head in thought, "Thank you, Peeves. I think we'll do that."

Peeves bowed and departed.


February

It was a blustery, chilly day on 4 February 1992 when the floo in Daggerclaw's office flared green and two people, one adult and one child, stepped out and cleaned the soot from their clothes. Of the two, it was the child who was the most nervous for being there today. Ronald Weasley was going to be appearing in front of the review board to see if he could convince them to allow him to return to school that year, start fresh in September or never return at all.

Daggerclaw nodded once towards the Weasley Head and youngest son, "Shall we? The Board is meeting in the conference room." He waved both towards the door. As they walked, Daggerclaw observed the boy in question. He seemed quiet and subdued; completely unlike he was before his suspension. His clothes were cleaned and pressed, his shoes polished. He nervously picked at his cuffs, but that was understandable.

After entering the conference room and getting settled, a tray of sweets were pushed closer to the Weasleys, easily within reach of Ronald. Ron saw the tray slide over and began to sweat a bit. He purposively sat on his hands and focused on the portrait across the room to keep himself from being tempted. He never noticed a nod of approval from his dad or from Daggerclaw.

A knock on the table by the Inquiry Head, Madam Griselda Marchbanks, quieted the others, "Alright, let's begin shall we? This meeting is to determine the status of Ronald Bilius Weasley and his eligibility to return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on this day of four February nineteen ninety-two." Lady Marchbanks then proceeded to read off the infractions and charges leveled against Ron.

"Mr. Weasley, do you have anything to open with?"

Ron looked over at his dad who gave a half smirk, "She's talking to you Ron." He started a bit then turned to face the Head, "Um… n,n, no…"

"Very well. Rather than try to hear from young Mr. Weasley as to what his punishment at home entailed, we shall be using his memories. Is the pensieve ready, Headmaster?"

Daggerclaw slid the ancient pensieve onto the table, "It's ready, Madam Marchbanks." Daggerclaw reached over and instructed Ron to think about what his life was like from that first day all the way to this morning. With a finger, he withdrew a silvery, glowing strand of light from the side of Ron's temple then dropped it into the bowl. The Board then dropped in a finger each, "We are ready." Daggerclaw activated a rune on the side of the bowl which caused their eyes to glaze over.

Ron looked puzzled, "What are they doing?"

Arthur pointed at the bowl, "The rune inscribed bowl is replaying your memories of what you went through for the past three months."

Ron's eyes widened, "Wicked."


In Ronald's memories, Month 1…

They witnessed the hardship of the new reality that Ronald had to endure in order to earn a dry and sheltered place in the dry goods shed. They witnessed his trials that first week when after just one day of stubbornness; Ronald had to sleep with the animals while wearing all the clothes he owned just to stay warm. From there it was endless hours spent in hard, manual labor cleaning out the various animal pens, feeding and care for the various farm animals as well as the tending to the family garden and orchard. They saw Ronald try to adjust to this new life with its restrictions on who was able to help him and how he would be rewarded or punished further. They saw that he had both good days and bad ones. The good days saw him rewarded with higher quality and quantity of food, entertainment from his magazine collection or materials for sleeping like a better bed, blankets and a heater. The bad days saw him losing random items depending on the severity of his failure to complete tasks.

One thing they noted (and were pleased with), Arthur Weasley never punished his son to an extreme. Physical punishments were limited to a light stinging hex on the boy's hands after he was caught attempting to steal vegetables from the family garden.

Month 2…

During this period, the board saw Ronald undertake the need to stay current on his school work regardless of how difficult it was. They saw him consult with his older brothers when they came home from school for the holidays and apply that learned knowledge to the assignments. They noted that Ronald never used his wand (it had been taken away from him) but as far as they could tell, his time spent on theory was producing good results. They saw him start to make plans for a long term stay within the shed including figuring out how to build shelving and storage for his clothes, entertainment and food. His mood swings and belligerent behavior had reduced to the point where small inconveniences no longer bothered him.

Ronald was seen being given greater amounts of free time during this month as well for good behavior. He had earned the right to take meals inside the house with the remainder of the family but was still barred from his room. He was still required to tend to his chores as they were posted but they weren't as strenuous as they first were.


When the 'lights came on' in the eyes of the review board members, a couple of them shifted uncomfortably in their seats and readjusted their robes. In the time that they had been in the memories, the sweets tray remained untouched to their surprise.

"Mr. Weasley, after our examination of your punishment, the board feels that you have earned the right to decide whether or not you wish to return now, restart in September or if you so desire, begin homeschooling. We acknowledge that it has only been two months of your three month suspension but feel that it has been going on long enough for you to make a decision. What do you wish to do?"

Ron looked down at his hands and thought about the question, "Um, I'd like to return. Being at home used to be fun but I don't want to repeat the past two months."

"Do you wish to return now or in September?"

Ron took and let out a deep breath, "Now. I want to come back now."

"Mr. Weasley, Senior? What are your feelings on this matter? Do you feel that your son has learned his lesson?"

Arthur glanced at his son who sat there nervously picking at his fingers and staring down at his lap, "I do, Madam Marchbanks. It's taken a lot of blood, sweat and tears but I think he's finally starting to understand that things could've been a lot worse. Had I felt the need, I could've disowned him entirely. I'll admit that in my early anger, I had considered it but I wanted to give him a chance to redeem himself…which he has done." Ronald looked up at his dad with tears in his eyes.

Madam Marchbanks made a note of that on her records, "Then you shall return but be under a probation period of one month. If at any time during that month you relapse, you shall be expelled with no possibility of return. If that is all?" She glanced at the others then knocked on the table, "This meeting is adjourned."


Ron was ecstatic about getting to come back to the castle, he even jumped up and whooped with joy then immediately blushed and bowed his head in embarrassment. Arthur clapped him on the shoulder and smiled warmly at him.

"What do you say if we headed home to pack your trunk?" Ron nodded rapidly and followed his dad out the door. They arrived home and gave his mother and sister the good news then got permission to go pack. He raced out the door to his shed as fast as he could without being too careless and burst into his room. He dragged his trunk to the middle of his room and began pulling out his clothes and gear from all the places he'd stashed them then slammed the lid down and grabbed the handles to drag it back to the living room in record time. His parents were standing by the floo, amused by his enthusiasm. (His sister had already disappeared into her room.)

Once back in Daggerclaw's office, Arthur pulled Ron's wand out of his pocket and presented to him, "Remember Ron, you have one last chance to prove to me, the headmaster and to everyone else that you've changed."

Ron took his wand and smiled, 'I'm back!'


Slytherin Common Room

Ronald and his father entered the common room and received a rather frosty audience. Everyone was either standing with their arms crossed or seated on the couches and chairs. No one appeared to be very welcoming of his return. Ron's face fell but he understood; he'd greatly embarrassed the honor of Slytherin as well as threatened the well being of one of their own. Severus stepped up and sneered at the red-haired boy, "Mr. Weasley…how nice of you to return. Your room assignment has been changed seeing as how no one wants to be in the same room as you." He thrust out a slip of parchment into Ron's hand, "Make no mistake, if it were up to me you would never have been allowed to return." He turned and strode off.

Arthur silently took his son to his new room assignment. It was barely bigger than a storage closet really but definitely bigger than the shed back home. Ron peered around at the bare, roughly finished walls and let out a silent sigh.


Third Floor Weightlifting Room, that same morning

Millicent Bulstrode was staring intently at the animated exercise charts determined to learn how to use these free-weights and machines even if it killed her. 'Well, the free-weights are easy to figure out, duh. It's the machines that are confusing.' She watched as the chart's female demonstrated the proper method and speed for a bicep curl. She picked out a four and a half kilo dumbbell and proceeded to slowly copy what she saw. The training manuals had recommended that she start with a lighter weight and learn how to do the movements properly with higher repetitions before attempting to use the heavier weights.

'One thousand…hold…One thousand…squeeze…One thousand…' she chanted in her mind as she slowly raised and lowered the dumbbell holding at the bottom of the motion without locking her elbow or squeezing her muscle at the top all the while maintaining a firm grip. She breathed in through her nose and slowly released it through her mouth, making sure not to clench her teeth or bite her tongue. Her body position was spot on and a sweat began to break out the longer she went. When she completed the bicep curl set, she shook out her arms then moved to another position; this time it was dumbbell raises. She sat securely with her feet flat on the floor about shoulder width apart and brought the dumbbells up to shoulder height. With a smooth push, she lifted the dumbbells until her arms were fully extended and lightly tapped the weights together. After a full circuit with all the free-weight positions, she moved onto the seated machines like the leg curls and barbell pull-downs.

'The girls are going to be so envious of me when they see just how powerful I become!'


Tracy Davis and Daphne Greengrass arrived just as Millie was completing her cool-down run around the indoor track and watched in amazement at the way Millie seemed to thrive in this environment. 'There's no way anyone's going to get me to work out like this. Now if it were in the pool, that'd be different…' both girls thought.

"You done exercising, Millie?" Tracy called out as the brunette approached.

"One…huff…more…lap…." She puffed as she made the turn past her friend.

After that one additional lap, Millie came to a stop and bent over at the waist then stretched to the ceiling. The girl grabbed a towel and puffed out that she was going to take a shower and that she'd meet the other two at the pool.

In the locker rooms, Millie admired herself in the floor length mirror and posed a couple of times and imagined what she'd look like with prominent muscles. Her stocky physique already had some muscle definition but she wanted more.

'I wonder who I should talk to about better nutrition?'


Grand Baths of Hogwarts

Tracy gazed out over the gorgeous white marble and ancient styling of the surrounding courtyard baths. It wasn't a traditional bath like the one they used in their dorms but more of a pool where she could swim and play like a fish. The layout looked like a pool within a courtyard of a two story villa. It had marble statues of mythological creatures lining the balustrades; the second floor was where the exercise rooms were located. Millie could see where she'd be able to gaze down and see who was in the pool itself while she was exercising. The exquisite royal blue tiling lined the walls and floor of the pool itself. The crystal clear waters were lightly rippling from the jets of water that sprung up from fountains lining the edges of the pool. Stairs entered the pool from the East and West points; there was a shallow section around the stairs as well as a wading pool nearest the North wall. There was a small grotto at the South end that featured a waterfall entrance. Roman columns supported a balcony adjacent to the second floor. There were lounge chairs scattered throughout with small tables between them. Safety devices lined the south wall, while extra towels and swim toys were stored in an open faced cabinet. Labeled archways led off to different rooms such as a sauna, lounge, the exercise rooms, a lazy river, the changing rooms and the main entrance and exit. Lighting was provided by torches spaced evenly around the perimeter walls and in hidden sconces along the edge of the balcony. The three girls stood there and silently marveled at all the luxuriant beauty before them. When Tracy looked up, she could see the enchanted ceiling was displaying a sunny day with scattered white puffy clouds.


Both Tracy and Daphne were already dressed in their bathing suits as the burly girl entered the poolroom. With a feral grin Tracy yelled out, "Cannonball!" She took a huge jump and curled up into a ball before hitting the water with a giant BAH-WHOOSH! The resulting wave splashed over Millie's head and caused the larger girl to just shake her now wet head in haughty derision. Daphne managed to stay out of the way by the simple expedient of quickly walking over to the stairs when Tracy made her jump.

When Tracy popped back up and pushed her hair out of her face, she grinned deliriously at her friend, "Come on in, Millie!" Millie just snorted and slid in more sedately. Daphne swam over and hovered next to her blonde friend with a contented smile on her face.

The three girls cavorted around the pool; laughing and squealing, splashing one another, diving, racing each other to the opposite sides, floating on the surface watching the enchanted ceiling as it displayed the sky outside and just reveled in being a kid with no pressing need to go anywhere or do anything. Daphne was enjoying the fact that there were no disapproving adults that would admonish them for behaving in anything less than proper public decorum. A couple of other bathers did have to yell out to Tracy to slow down a few times when the excited girl got ahead of herself but for the most part they were free to be themselves.

"Ahhh…I think I could live here," Daphne sighed. The other two agreed with the sentiment.


"Hey, Trace? Daphne? You want to go check out that river thing?" Millie asked.

"Sure. I've been really curious about it." The three climbed out and trailed water behind them as they approached the equipment counter being staffed by one of the Hogwarts elves. The rules to get an inflatable raft were simple: you had to sign the raft out and tap the parchment with your wand to attach your magical signature. This was done as a safety feature in case of emergency.

The three girls grabbed their rafts and waded into the shallow 'beachfront,' laid down on the rafts and pushed off, letting the current take them along. There was a slight breeze that wafted through the branches and leaves of the trees; the river itself was lit from below using hidden glowing crystals embedded into the walls. The ceiling was enchanted as well and displayed the same sunny scene. 'If you close your eyes, you could almost hear birds chirping in the foliage,' Tracy mused dreamily. They passed small cutouts where rafters could take a break from the current. There were mini cascades of water over boulders dotted along the river way; there was even a waterfall over what appeared to be a cave of some type! With a brief flurry of paddling, the three adventurers managed to get themselves heading along the alternate route towards the cavern. As they traveled into the darkened cavern, they saw that the tunnel featured stunning stalagmites and stalactites from the ceiling and floor. It was lit with more of those glowing crystals and even what appeared to be bioluminescent moss attached to the rocks. Streams emptied into the main course and there were flowers of every color and hue. It was almost too much to take in at once but Tracy vowed to spend as much time here as possible.

After a few minutes of just silent cruising and relaxing, Millie looked over at her best friend and smiled at the entranced look on her face, "You should see your face, Tracy. You look like you've seen Merlin."

Tracy sighed, "It's just so hard to believe that all this has been here for so long yet my parents never told me about it because they didn't know. Dumbledore was an idiot for locking this away." She heard Daphne and Millie voicing their agreements.


"Beep, beep! On your left, watch your arms," they heard a boy's voice coming from behind them as they exited the cavern. Millie paddled with her hands to spin her raft around and spotted none other than Harry Potter himself swiftly approaching on his own raft.

"Hey, Harry!" Both Millie and Tracy greeted the raven-haired boy, "Wanna slow down and join us?"

Harry reached out and lightly gripped the embankment 'curb' to slow his approach until he was just slightly behind them, "Hey Tracy, Millie, Daphne. How many laps have you done?"

"Just started. Millie's been working out in the weightlifting room before joining Daphne and me in the pool. Where's Hermione? I would've figured she'd be here with you," Tracy replied. She then noticed he had something in his hand, "What's that?"

"Fried courgettes. You want to try one?" Millie and Tracy shook their heads while Daphne accepted one. "No worries. There's plenty more in the kitchens if you change your minds. As for Hermione, she said she had something she needed to do then she'll join me afterwards."

"How many laps have you done, Harry?" Millie asked as she repositioned herself again since the current had slowly rotated her.

"Four so far. I love this river thing, it's so relaxing. I can't wait for nighttime when the stars come out." Millie looked up at the ceiling where she could see a cloud scudding across the sky.

After a couple more minutes of silence, Tracy piped up, "Did you hear the news? Ronald Weasley is back in school." Harry made a face.

"Let's hope he's learned his lesson and stays away from my stuff. That hurt when I found out what he'd done."


Hermione appeared as the trio approached the start of the river and waved for them to pause so she could join in. She was dressed in a pretty, pale green one piece bathing suit that left her arms and legs bare as opposed to the neck to knee ensemble that the three pureblood girls were wearing. All three pureblood girls were staring unabashedly at her, or rather her revealing (to them at least) bathing suit.

"Wow, Hermione! You've got a lot of daring to expose yourself like that in public," Millie commented as she took in the racer back strap of the swimsuit.

Hermione looked puzzled as she glanced down at what she was wearing, "What are you talking about? It's a one piece; I'm not showing anything off. Not like I got anything to show off at this age anyways." She grumbled the last.

Millie pointed between herself, Daphne and Tracy, "Our bathing suits would be considered a tiny bit mature for our ages because we opted for the ones that expose our calves and knees. My mother almost got in trouble with my dad for allowing me to purchase this."

Both Harry and Hermione were puzzled by that but could only shrug it off and chalk it up to conservative ideals of the magical world.

"So what were you laughing about when you came around that last bend?" Hermione asked.

"Tracy was making a joke about the return of Ronald Weasley to our House. She suggested that we put a cowbell around his neck to warn others when he's nearby," Daphne replied.

Hermione got a displeased look on her face, "That's mean. He's a rude boy and did some terrible things but that's over now. He's not still like that is he?"

"Well, he just got back this morning but I'm still going to be on my guard for a while," Millie admitted.


Later…

When they finally got out of the river and split along gender lines to get changed back into their regular clothes, Millie asked Hermione if the swimsuit she wore was comfortable and if it were appropriate to wear while weightlifting.

Pursing her lips in thought, Hermione shook her head, "Probably not appropriate for weightlifting unless you were wearing leggings underneath. If you were to move or bend at the wrong moment, the other patrons would get more than they bargained for."

Tracy and Daphne let out a strangled snort while Millie blushed bright red, "Yeah. Definitely not a good idea then. Would you be willing to help me pick out the right outfit? I did my work out in robes and it just didn't feel good. I think I was sweating more than I should have."

Hermione smiled reassuringly and patted her friend on the arm, "No problem. I'll just write to my mum and ask her to send me a catalog from home.


Ministry for Magic, Minister Cornelius Fudge's Office

Cornelius was busy fielding reports of the usual goings-on in his administration and let out a sigh of frustration, 'What I wouldn't give to have someone as a second in command to handle all this nonsense! Who cares if the tea service on Level Three is out of sugar? Just go out and buy some, dammit! This is not the sort of thing he should be getting reports for.'

As he continued reading, an unusual sense of dread started creeping up his spine. It was almost as if he were being watched by a malevolent spirit. The feeling got darker and more pronounced just as he was about to reach for the reports on the recent werewolf sightings. His door opened and the last person he'd ever expect to see again waddled into the room.

"Hem, hem." Dolores Umbridge said in an overly saccharine sweet voice and a smile that didn't reach her eyes.


The population of the Ministry for Magic could've been knocked over with a feather when news of Dolores Umbridge's return arrived. Nearly everyone remembered the reign of terror and corruption that followed the squat witch wherever she went. It didn't escape anyone's notice that 'The Toad' (as everyone knew her as but never spoke aloud in her presence) had learned some new lessons while exiled in the Amazon. While still just as squat and toad-like in appearance; the new Dolores had dropped several stone in weight and projected an air that made her previous menacing seem like an overzealous toddler. She'd had even appeared to be wearing a necklace of some kind made of bones, feathers and gemstones. Whatever its purpose, no one had any doubt that it was probably nefarious in nature. The Toad was now a viper and she was on the hunt.

Dolores had spent her time well in exile keeping abreast of the news of her homeland. She had maintained her coterie of spies and informants to bring her all the information she craved so as to properly make her return…memorable. She knew about Dumbledore's recent ousting and 'reassignment' to the colonies plus the gala that was held at Hogwarts to celebrate the re-opening of the Grand Baths and Great Ballroom. It disgusted her greatly to see that the Wizarding Customs and Etiquette classes were paying great dividends in easing the tensions between muggleborns and purebloods. Then came the knowledge that the exercise rooms encouraged the usage of disgustingly inappropriate clothing and activities that no 'proper pureblood' would ever enjoy. 'Lifting weights like those dirty muggles or cavorting around like drunken animals, the shame their parents must be feeling!'

Additionally, she discovered that muggles had been even allowed to step foot within the hallowed halls of Hogwarts to attend the gala! Where was the outrage and demands for retribution in the Daily Prophet? The lack of response that any proper pureblood should have been feeling at having to suffer the presence of those animals at a prestigious gathering was most distressing. 'Why, even Lady Malfoy was seen conversing and seemingly having a wonderful time with the muggle parents of the whelp who co-discovered the rooms turns my stomach,' she groused every time she thought about it.

She had a plan on how to disrupt things and bring back the natural order of Magical Britain.


Hogwarts Kitchens, a week later

Hermione surprised Tiny when she asked the Head Kitchen Elf if she could use Harry's cook station. Said elf's mouth flopped open and closed like a landed fish for a moment, blinking rapidly in confusion. Harry was leaning over the counter reading through his notes for his next demonstration, listening to the conversation quietly.

"If Mister Harry is saying it is okay with him, Tiny doesn't have a problem," the little elf said with wide eyes, her head tilted in confusion as she looked back and forth between the two children.

Harry didn't have a problem with it so Hermione quickly got set up and pulled out a recipe she'd wanted to make for the longest time. Tiny and Harry each pulled up a stool so they could watch and asked if Hermione would be willing to explain what it was that she was attempting.

Shrugging her shoulders Hermione began her explanation, "What I'm going to attempt to make is called 'Pork Ginger Potstickers.' To start, in a large bowl, combine pork, cabbage, mushrooms, garlic, green onions, hoisin, ginger, sesame oil, Sriracha and white pepper." She dumped the prepared ingredients into a bowl and tossed them to coat them with the sauces. Tiny could tell that young miss didn't have the same sort of flair that Harry Potter did but it got the job done.

"Hermione? Why didn't you show how you prepared the ingredients?"

Hermione tilted her head, "Because…well, I figured you could tell what I'd already done. It's not like I was going to be showing this off to the others like you do." Harry bobbed his head so she continued.

"To assemble the dumplings, place wrappers on a work surface. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the pork mixture into the center of each wrapper. Using your finger, rub the edges of the wrappers with water. Fold the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape, pinching the edges to seal." Deft fingers made quick work of this step. Next she pulled out a large skillet, added a tiny bit of oil and swirled it around the bottom.

"Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add potstickers in a single layer and cook until golden and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Serve immediately with soy sauce, if desired."

Tiny carefully picked up a potsticker and put it in her mouth, chewing thoughtfully at the taste and texture. Bobbing her head she said, "It is not bad. Different than what Tiny is used to but very tasty."

Harry popped one in his mouth and grinned while chewing, "Tastes great, Hermione. See? I told you that you could make more than just biscuits and the occasional grilled cheese sandwich." Hermione blushed at the praise.

"What are you planning on making?"

"Well, seeing as how Valentine's Day is coming up, I'd thought I'd make some donuts."

Hermione blinked, "Do…donuts? Why donuts and not something more Valentine-y?"

"It's for the Valentine's Day Ball buffet and I didn't want to make anything where I'd have to hover when I'd rather be dancing with my best friend."

"…" again with the blinking, Hermione was silent as she turned her big brown eyes onto him.

"Say that again, Harry?"

Harry reached over and took her hands in his, "I would like it if you would be my date for the Valentine's Day Ball and dance with me."

'Eep! A, a DATE?!' she squealed in her mind. Clearing her throat lightly, "An actual date?"

Harry nodded, "Yup, all the fixings too. We'll both get dressed up, I'll escort you to the Great Ballroom; you and I will dance the night away. Then when it's all over, I'll escort you back to the dorms where you get to squeal and act all girly with the others on your side of the Sett."

She giggled and whapped him lightly on the arm for that last joke. Then she gasped, "I need to go write to my mum so I can get a dress for the Ball!" She dashed out the door and was gone for barely a minute before she dashed back in and gave Harry a strong kiss on the cheek, squealed in happiness and excitement then said that she would be pleased to go to the Ball with him before running away again.

Tiny burst out laughing at the look on Harry's face as she clicked her fingers to get the dishes washed.


Friday 14 February 1992, Hufflepuff Common Room

Harry wasn't the only one to have a date for the Ball. Pretty much everyone was dressed up in some fashion. Justin Finch-Fletchley had thought it would be funny to wear the novelty t-shirt that looked like it had a tuxedo image on the front. His date to the Ball, Megan Jones of Ravenclaw, was not as amused and made him promise not to wear it. The Weasley Twins found out about the shirt however and asked to see if they could copy it into something that would fit them. When they arrived at the Ballroom, the two boys were wearing something that even Albus Dumbledore would've hesitated on. Their shirts kept rotating through various colors and patterns, gave off bursts of light like a photographer's bulb and made all sorts of squeaks and burps as they moved. (Minerva intercepted them before they entered and demanded that they either change into something more appropriate or face detention.)

Harry was patiently waiting in their common room with Neville and a couple of others so they could escort their dates to the third floor. Neville was checking over Harry's bowtie and pronounced in good condition, "Relax, Harry. It's just an evening spent with Hermione not you going off to war or something."

Harry chuckled, "Hermione said something similar on the train coming up here back in September. Whew… I don't know why I'm so nervous. It's not like she and I haven't shared a dance together before. My uncle Remus taught the both of us some of the usual dances found in these things before we started school." He rubbed and flexed his fingers to try and dispel his nervous energy.

A momentary hush fell over the assembled Puffs as the girls started making their appearance. Harry spotted Hermione immediately and forgot how to breathe. She had her hair piled up on top of her head with a pair of ringlets framing her face. She was wearing a floaty, periwinkle blue dress that stopped just short of her ankles with a mesh yoke of some kind holding it up on her shoulders. It was demure and age-appropriate yet giving the appearance that she was maturing young lady. The solid neckline stopped just below her collarbone and had a light dusting of rhinestones across the chest. In all, it looked like she was an angel sent down from heaven to him. He must have said something pleasant (he hoped) and held out his arm for her to take.


Third Floor, Great Ballroom

The Valentine's Day Ball was in a word, 'Spectacular.' The elves, supervised by Argus Filch and several other teachers had done an absolutely wonderful job of decorating and arranging the events of the night. The press was camped out near the base of the stairs so they could get the best angle for their photographs. Both kids were amazed at how elegant and opulent the decorations were just in the main foyer. 'It sure beats anything our primary school put together!' Hermione's eyes were sparkling with delight as her ears picked up the faint sounds of music playing and began tugging on Harry's arm to take her dancing.

When they got into the ballroom itself, both kids let out gasps of delight. It was as if the grandeur of romantic eras gone past had revisited them for that night. There were already many couples gracefully moving to Shostakovich's 'The Second Waltz' and dressed like something out of a period movie they'd both seen on the telly a couple of years ago.

"Oh, Harry…" Hermione squealed as he took her hands and spun her into position then led at the next cue.

As they were dancing and thoroughly enjoying their time together, Harry suddenly had a case of the shivers as if a ghost had passed through him (he had that happen once and swore to pay more attention to where he was walking next time.) He swept his eyes over the other couples and the crowd lining the floor but couldn't see anything or anyone that could cause such a sensation so he paid it no mind.


Front Entrance to the Castle

Dolores Umbridge waddled into the castle as if she owned the place. She spotted a first year Slytherin and asked where the festivities were being held. The firstie, Vincent Crabbe, pointed in the direction of the stairs and stammered that it was being held on the third floor and that the stairs had been locked into place for the evening. The Toad didn't even thank him as she stalked off. Vincent wiped his brow and glanced at the cake on a plate he was holding, he wondered if the cake had been tampered with as the notion of that huge toad speaking to him was making him doubt his sanity. 'I need to go to the Infirmary to get checked out.'

As she entered the Grand Foyer, Dolores was initially impressed despite her original ideas that there was no way that Hogwarts could ever hold anything better than what the Ministry usually held. The decorations were tasteful and harkened back to a time when civility and nobility were expected as part and parcel of everyday life. Back in the days when the mudbloods and half bloods knew their places, 'unlike these days when they've been given leave to run around like the animals they are.' Her features darkened when she spotted several mudbloods daring to mingle with their betters and nearly went over to intervene but held off. They weren't worth bothering with, their families not highly placed enough to warrant interference.

She spotted Lady Malfoy standing off a ways consulting with another young woman who was holding a clipboard and taking notes. She made her way over to greet them.

"Lady Malfoy, it is a pleasure to see you again," she said in her usual overly sweet manner.

Narcissa turned then looked down at the hideously ugly and squat witch before her, "Um, yes. Thank you. What…I mean, who are you?"

"Dolores Umbridge, Ambassador to Brazil. I must say that you have put together such a wonderful event. It's just a shame that you were forced to allow such…unworthy children to attend."

Narcissa was starting to get an inkling of an idea as to what this…ahem, woman, was talking about and decided to burst her bubble, "Ah, yes. I vaguely remember you. I'm afraid you have me mistaken with someone else. I am not the organizer for this evening's entertainment. That would be this young lady, Miss Penelope Clearwater of Ravenclaw." Penelope wrinkled her nose slightly at the insults Umbridge had thrown at her party and guests.

"Clearwater? I don't remember such a pureblood family the last time I was in Britain." Umbridge said with false sincerity.

"Dolores?"

Dolores turned at the interruption and spotted Cornelius as he walked up to the trio, "Why Minister, it's a pleasure to see you here too! I was just about to be introduced to this lovely young girl. Judging by her taste in decoration and event planning, she must be from a proper pureblood family." She tried smiling but it came across as more barracuda-like.

Cornelius' eyes narrowed slightly as he shook his head internally, 'Why did she have to come back? Who the heck let her back in the country?' "I'm afraid that you are mistaken Dolores. Miss Clearwater is actually a half-blood and quite talented at event planning, I've been told. Now that I think about it, I just may have to hire her when she graduates to host the Ministry Galas!"

Penelope laughed lightly, "I thank you Minister but I have my sights set on joining the DMLE."

"As an Auror? My, that is ambitious."

Penelope shook her head, "No sir. I wish to join the law side of the department perhaps as a paralegal to start with an eye on becoming a full solicitor some day."

Both Cornelius and Narcissa's faces became thoughtful; Cornelius was the one who spoke up, "Now that's a worthy life goal Miss Clearwater! When you graduate, come see me and I'll see if I can arrange a meeting with the department head. Now, if you'll excuse us? Dolores, a word." He gripped the toad woman's bicep and led Dolores off to the side and casting a privacy charm. Both Narcissa and Penelope watched as a silent Minister raged at the Ambassador for several minutes, waving his arms and angrily waving a pointed finger in her face before removing the charm and storming off. Dolores blinked a couple of times, shook her head as if the encounter were of no importance and waddled away towards the ballroom.

"Hmph! Be very careful around that…thing, Penelope. Nothing good can ever come from a situation after Dolores Umbridge has taken an interest in it," Narcissa warned the younger girl.


Buffet tables, a moment later…

Dolores took in the artfully arranged edible offerings; there were many dishes here that confused her, 'That one there appears to be raw fish over bundles of rice? Who would ever eat that? Osso buco? What is that? Ah, there we go! Steaks, roasted lamb, chicken…yes, that's more appropriate than that foreign junk.'

She selected the Ribeye with goat cheese and Meyer lemon honey mustard sauce, a side of garlic potato gratin and a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon and directed the elf server to send it to her table. She then headed off to an open seat and sat down. When no food immediately appeared, she grew irate at the insubordination of those miserable vermin.

"Where is my food?! I demand to see the manager!" she loudly complained.

Headmaster Daggerclaw calmly walked up to her table while carrying his own tray of food, "Madam Ambassador, I'm guessing that you were not told of how things are done here but on this night, you select your food and carry it yourself to your table. There is no wait staff to tend to your needs aside from cleaning up the empty dishes." She gave him a huff so he just turned and left.


Dolores tried to get her food by forcing her way back to her original place but was soundly rebuffed by the other guests, one of whom was Lord Malfoy.

"Madam Ambassador, I don't care to know what dining conditions were like in the wilds of the Amazon but here in civilization, we wait our turn before choosing our food," He sneered at the woman who was starting to emulate her amphibian namesake as she started inflating herself to build up to a good and proper rant. Then to add insult to injury, he turned his back on the squat witch and pointedly ignored her.

Dolores went for her wand but found it wasn't in her pocket! She wildly looked around for it when her eyes landed on Daggerclaw standing off a bit waggling it between his fingers!

"Temper tantrums that lead to wands being pulled are not permitted within these halls. Should you feel the need, we do have dueling rooms to allow you to blow off some steam but if you continue this blatant misbehavior, I will be forced to ask you to leave. Should you fail to do that, the Aurors will be called and they will make a scene. In the meantime, your wand will remain with me until you can prove that you can control yourself." He stared her down until Dolores stamped her foot and stormed off.


Out on the Ballroom floor…

Harry led Hermione through as many of the waltzes that they both knew. Her eyes were glistening and a bright, wide smile seemed to be permanently fixed on her face. As they twirled and moved through the steps as gracefully as they could (he did occasionally step on her feet), Harry remarked that this ball was a wonderful idea and that he was still in awe that it was all because she got curious as to what was down at the end of the hallway.

The two young friends giggled and commented on how the older couples were either successfully dancing or just flopping around like a couple of beached walruses. Hermione put on her best 'snooty face' and allowed Harry to guide her around the floor, her moves flawlessly matching his (but in reverse) every time they got near the couples who weren't dancing all that well. It didn't surprise her that Fred and George were two who didn't dance all that well or that they seemed to be going out of their way to be as obnoxious about it as possible (that and they were dancing with each other while their dates were standing off to the side laughing their heads off.) They spotted Neville as he danced gracefully with his date for the evening, Parvati Patil. Justin and his date, Megan Jones were standing off on the sidelines having a conversation while Susan Bones was dancing with Hannah Abbott while making silly faces at the other boys in their House.

"I'm surprised that Ron Weasley hasn't shown his face around the buffet yet," Harry remarked as he dipped Hermione over.

Hermione shrugged back, "I heard that he didn't want to do anything that might hurt his chances with his probation so he's staying in his room."

"Fine by me and that's the last you'll hear me talking about it. Tonight is all about you, my sweet, delightfully nerdy angel," he whispered in her ear making her shiver with delight.

"Delightfully nerdy?" she pressed with a raised eyebrow.

Harry laughed, "Too much?" She just giggled and let herself be swept away.

When the music changed to that of a slow 'sway and hold' type of dance, Hermione rested her head on Harry's shoulder and sighed in contentment.


After dancing as much as their feet would tolerate, Harry led Hermione off to where the food line was. He pointed out that they had the opportunity to either stuff themselves stupid with junk food without worrying about what her parents would say or if she wanted to get some real food in her. She thought for a moment before deciding to go the mature route and get some real food first before letting loose.

Harry looked over the assortment and decided upon a plate of Duck with Cherries in Chianti, roasted carrots with oranges, and a bottle of chilled Butterbeer. Hermione hummed with interest before deciding on getting Black Tie Scallops with Persian Barberry rice and a glass of non-alcoholic sparkling wine.

Once they were seated, Hermione took a bite and hummed in pleasure, "Harry? Did you make any of this?"

Harry shook his head, "Nope, this was completely done by the elves. My only contribution was crème brulee donuts over at the dessert table."


Press Camp, Grand Foyer

Rita Skeeter, Social Reporter for the Daily Prophet sat watching the guests and staff as they mingled, danced and ate with the gaze more appropriate of a hungry shark. She really wished that she could transform into her secret beetle animagus form to get the scoop on whatever juicy gossip might be had but she'd overheard the Deputy Headmistress commenting to another reporter that the wards on the school had been completely updated and improved upon, including those that would prevent unauthorized animagi to enter the school. When asked a follow-up question as to how the wards were able to identify an unauthorized animgagi, the Deputy Headmistress replied that it had something to do with whether or not said person was officially hired by the school and had their magical signatures registered. Minerva went to then describe the consequences of those foolish enough to attempt the intrusion such as a burning sensation across their body the closer they tried to get to the school all the way up to incapacitation in the dungeons while being forced to endure the sensation of pain akin to being hit with the Cruciatus Curse if they managed to breach the castle walls. (Little did Rita know, but Minerva staged that interview with the reporter just in case there were any members of the press who would foolishly think to spy on the students and guests.)

Just as Rita was contemplating whether or not to leave, Dolores approached the press camp.

"Ah, Miss Skeeter! It's been so long since I've been able to read your wonderful and insightful commentary."

Rita smiled emptily; she had no idea who this vile-looking woman was and offering the usual meaningless platitudes, "Thank you, ma'am. What is your role at this party?"

Dolores waved her hand, "Oh, you dear. I'm just a guest of the Minister himself! I am the Ambassador to Brazil, Dolores Umbridge, recently returned after an unfair and blatant attempt of character assassination by my enemies. They sought to discredit me by having me transferred to that backwater and primitive country several years ago. I just wanted to finally introduce myself to you as like I said, your columns are a delightful insight to the social coming and goings of our proud society."

"Yes, thank you for your compliments. So, how do you feel the event tonight is going? Have you seen the rest of the place?"

Dolores' face took on what she felt was heart-felt sadness but in reality looked more like she was suffering from stomach pains, "I haven't seen the rest of the newly discovered rooms but I have seen plenty that makes me feel that our once great society has taken a mighty downturn. I have seen and heard so many lower class mongrels stepping above their station to interact with our pureblood children! The audacity of it all is what pains me. Is there no one who will step up and force them back into their proper places? Why haven't their parents said anything? Why just a few minutes ago, I witnessed a mud…muggleborn dancing with Lord Malfoy's heir!"

Rita's eyebrows rose to her hairline, "Well, that is interesting! What else have you seen or heard? I must admit that we of the press are not allowed to venture further from this enclosure as if we were aberrant sheep."

Dolores leaned in a little closer, as if to impart a great secret, "Let me tell you…"


Recipes:

Crème brulee donuts (mention only, YouTube)

Pork Ginger Potstickers (Pinterest)

Ribeye with goat cheese and Meyer lemon honey mustard sauce (mention only, Google )

Garlic Potatoes Gratin (mention only, Google)

Black Tie Scallops (mention only, Google)

Persian Barberry Rice (mention only, Google)