I particularly loved making this chapter!
The Yule Ball is perhaps my favourite scene in the movie!
Chapter 8
- One, Two, Three -
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, Harry'd want you here." Neville smiled pulling out a sheet of parchment reading the password to the Fat Lady painting. Teddy had gone past the Gryffindor common room, hoping to congratulate Harry personally when Neville had offered to let him inside.
Teddy couldn't remember, nor cared, if it was against school rules. "Teddy, you're here!" Hermione smiled, waving at him. The whole house was celebrating and the twins were holding Harry up on their shoulders.
"We knew you wouldn't die Harry." George said.
"Lose a leg." Fred continued.
"Or an arm."
"Pack it in altogether."
"NEVER!" They shouted together, lowering Harry back on the ground.
"Hey, Teddy. How'd you get in?"
"Neville let me in." He explained, hugging Harry. "Congrats!"
"Thanks."
"You look like hell." Teddy looked him up and down. Harry was still covered in scratches and bruises. Harry shrugged in return. "Bet you've look worse though."
"No argument there."
"Quiet!" Seamus silenced the common room, grabbing the golden egg and passing it to Harry. "Go on, Harry! What's the first clue?"
Harry held the golden egg, wiping its shiny surface with his sleeve. "Who wants me to open it?" He held it up and the whole common room roared in response. Harry did, twisting the top and the egg opened up. Teddy covered his ears as a high pitched, horrific screech came from the golden orb. Harry immediately shut it.
"What the bloody hell was that?"
All head turned to Ron who was standing on the staircase to the boys dormitories. Harry and Ron stared at each other in the awkward silence.
Fred coughed, facing the rest of the Gryffindor students. "Alright everyone, go back to your knitting. This is gonna be uncomfortable enough without all you nosey sods listening in."
The crowd disbanded and everyone seemed to find something to do. Hermione sat by the fire with her book, while Teddy watched from the sidelines.
"I reckon you'd have to be barking mad to put your own name in the Goblet of Fire." Ron finally said.
Harry looked back at him. "Caught on have you? Took you long enough."
"Wasn't just me who thought you'd done it. Everyone was saying it behind your back."
"Brilliant. That makes me feel loads better.
"At least I warned you about the dragons."
Teddy sat down in one of the common room armchairs, causing a few stares from the other Gryffindors.
"Hagrid warned me about the dragons.
"No, I did. Don't you remember? I told Hermione to tell you that Seamus told me that Parvati told Dean that Hagrid was looking for you. Seamus never actually told me anything, so it was really me all along. I thought you'd be alright, you know, after you figured that out."
"Who could possibly figure that out? That's completely mental."
Ron smirked for a small second. "Yeah it is isn't it. Suppose I was a bit distraught."
Hermione shook her head."Boys." She sighed.
The Great Hall was alive with chatter. Everyone was still talking about the first task and the upcoming challenges which were sure to be harder and more dangerous. Teddy cut into his pancakes after coating them in maple syrup.
"I heard Professor McGonagal's got something new planned instead of Transfiguration." Ron said. "Wonder what it is?"
Thud!
"I can't believe it! She's done it again!"
Teddy looked at the issue of the Daily Prophet which Hermione had thrown down on the table. "Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl, seems to be developing a taste for famous wizards. Her latest prey sources report is none other than the Bulgarian bon-bon Viktor Krum. No word yet on how Harry Potter's taking this latest emotional blow." She read aloud.
Teddy squinted his eyes and his fist tightened around his fork. "That vile, nosey-"
"Parcel for you, Ron." A small boy said, holding the brown paper parcel. Ron took it with a smile.
"Thank you, Nigel." he small boy didn't move, instead he stared at Harry. "Not now, Nigel. Later. Go on." Ron whispered and the boy moved along, looking a little deflated.
"What was that about?" Teddy asked, swallowing another mouthful on pancake.
"I told him I'd get him Harry's autograph."
Harry's face went bright red and Teddy gave a small laugh. "Looks like you've got your own little fan-club, Harry."
"Oh, look." Ron said excitedly. "Mum's sent me something..." He opened the box and pulled out a large ugly brown frock. "Mum bought me a dress." Ron gasped in shock.
Teddy chocked on his orange juice and had to spit it back into the cup. "Well it does match your eyes, is there a bonnet." Harry said, looking through the box and holding up a white lump of fabric. "Ah-ha!"
Ron got up, walking further down the Gryffindor table, the frock hanging off his arm. "Ginny these must be for you."
Ginny giggled. "I'm not wearing that, it's ghastly."
Hermione now giggled and Ron turned around. "What?"
"There not for Ginny. They're for you." Everybody had joined in with the girls giggles. "Dress robes."
"Dress robes? For what?"
The question was soon answered by Professor McGonagall as they entered the Transfiguration classroom and took their seats. The tables and chairs had been moved to the sides of the room and the Professor instructed for the girls to sit on one side and the boys on the other.
"The yule ball has been a tradition of the Tri-Wizard Tournament since its inception. On Christmas Eve night we and our guests gather in the great hall for well mannered frivolity. As representatives of the host school I expect each and every one of you to put your best foot forward, and I mean this literally because the yule ball is first and foremost... a dance."
Groans came from the boys side of the room, while the girls sounded more excited.
Teddy was actually quite interested and sat slightly on the edge of his seat.
The Professor's face tightened as she glared at the boys. "Silence. The house of Godrick Griffindore, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin have commanded the respect of the wizard world for nearly ten centuries. I will not have you in the course of a single evening besmirching those names by behaving like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons!"
Behind him Teddy could hear the twins whispering to each other. "Try saying that five times faster."
"Babbling, bumbling band of baboons."
"Babbling, bumbling band of baboons."
"Babbling, bumbling band of baboons."
Teddy rolled his eyes, smirking.
McGonagall continued speaking. "I will soon ask you to pick a partner and together we will learn the simple Waltz." Teddy glanced over at the girls and spotter Arkie talking to her friends excitedly. His heart skipped a beat but he forced his attention back to the Professor when one of her friends spotted him staring.
"Now to dance is to let the body breathe, inside every girl a secret swan slumbers longing to burst forth and take flight." The Professor said, turning to the girls.
Ron leaned over, whispering behind Teddy to Seamus. "Something's about to burst out of Hilary but I don't think it's a swan."
Teddy's elbow collided with Ron's side. Professor McGonagall had turned around just in time to see the action and didn't look impressed. "Inside every boy a lordly lion prepared to prance. Mr Lupin, will you join me."
"What?" Teddy said before he could stop himself.
"To dance." She explained and he hesitantly stood up, wincing as he heard the boys chuckle softly behind him. "Now, place your right hand on my waist."
"Where? Huh?"
"My waist."
Teddy's hand went to the Professor's waist and someone whistled from the boys side. Teddy turned around defensively, but the professor forced him back into position. "Bend your arm slightly. Mr Filch..."
Mr Filch stood by a large gramophone which crackled before playing long and elegant music. "One two three. One two three."
Giggles were now coming from the girls side and Teddy wished nothing more than to dig a hole and bury himself in it.
'Transforming in the middle of class would be better this!' He thought to himself wishing a full moon would randomly rise over the horizon and give him a reason to run out of the room. But alas, the full moon was still a few weeks away and had no intention of showing itself while the sun was out.
"Alright, now everyone come together." The professor ordered. The girls were instantly on their feet. "Boys, on your feet!"
Neville was the first to stand. Teddy relaxed, glancing at Arkie who was looking around for a dance partner. He tried to take step towards her but the Professor didn't let him go. "Watch your footing, Mr Lupin." She said and Teddy hid his angry glare, trying to make it look like he was just concentrating.
He watched as Neville and Arkie paired up and began to dance with the music. Quickly, returned to looking down at his feet.