The Phantom of Hogwarts
(The True Story)

Chapter Five: Masquerade

Hermione knocked on her Head of House's door then waited. Moments later, Professor McGonagall opened the door.

"Hello, Ms. Granger. Won't you come in?"

Hermione nodded. "Thank you, Professor."

Professor McGonagall closed the door behind her, then swept around to sit at her desk.

"Ms. Granger, please have a seat." She waited until Hermione chose a chair and sat. "Mint?"

"No, thank you, Professor."

"The reason I called you to my office, Ms. Granger, is because Mr. Weasley came to me this morning with the most fantastic tale. He claims that you and he were in the common room when the fireplace came to life and called him an arrogant fool. He also claims that the mirror cracked as a pair of green eyes appeared in its reflection."

Hermione sighed. "Ron was tired and rather frustrated at the time of the supposed event."

"So, you don't recall a voice or a pair of green eyes?"

"I remember him claiming to see a pair of eyes and hearing a voice. What does Ron believe that it was?"

Professor McGonagall adjusted her glasses. "Mr. Weasley believes that it was the Phantom of Hogwarts."

Hermione forced a giggle.

"Do you find this amusing?"

"Sorry, Professor. It's just the idea of a Phantom. I expect such from Luna, but —"

"He also said," Professor McGonagall interrupted, "that you stopped the rain in the Great Hall."

"What?"

"He claims that you asked the Phantom to forgive you, and the rain stopped."

Hermione's gaze dropped to the front of the desk as she struggled to keep her composure.

"Ms. Granger, you're possibly the brightest witch that has ever passed through my classroom. Surpassing even Professor Snape. The way that you command your magic. It's almost as if you have a private tutor."

Hermione's gaze snapped back to meet Professor McGonagall's. "Professor?"

"Be mindful, Ms. Granger, of the methods you pursue in your quest for knowledge. They can lead you down some slippery slopes."

Hermione's throat cracked as she tried to speak, but her words had failed her.

"As for this incident with Mr. Weasley. I would hope that if something fantastic does ever occur, that it would you to knock upon my door first."

Hermione nodded. "Yes, Professor."

"You may go, Ms. Granger, and please tell him that I said to get some rest."

Professor McGonagall smiled, sending Hermione's eyebrows skyward. "Thank you, Professor. I will."

Hermione exited the office, then made a direct line for the Great Hall. When she got there, she found Ron telling all who listen about what had happened the night before.

"Honestly, Ron," Hermione growled, slamming her book bag down on the table. "I just came from Professor McGonagall's office, where I had to answer questions about what you dreamed last night. You best be glad that they're not chucking you off to St. Mungo's right this minute."

"It wasn't a dream," Ron retorted. "You were there! You saw what happened!"

"I saw a fire start inside the grate, and the heat caused the mirror to crack. Apparently, one of the Hogwarts house-elves was too distracted by your ranting to do their job properly."

"The hissing, Hermione, and the eyes in the mirror."

"Probably your eyes reflecting in the firelight."

"Okay, then, Ms. I-Have-An-Answer-For-Everything, what about the rain in the Great Hall?"

Hermione whipped her wand out so fast that Ron stumbled backward in shock. "Careful the names you call people, Weasley. Next, you'll be calling me Little-Ms. Know-It-All, like all the Muggle children did in grade school."

As her breathing slowed, she recognized how all her friends were looking at her.

"Easy, Hermione," Neville interjected, holding up his hands and stepping in between her and Ron. "Ron's just all hyped up over the legend of the Phantom and everything else that's been going on like the enchanted ceiling."

Ron opened his mouth to argue, then glanced at Hermione's wand tip and reconsidered.

Hermione lowered her wand. "Well, the next time you decide to get somebody called into our Head of House's office to discuss your dreams, just don't."

She dropped down to the table beside Luna, then shoved her plate away.

"Did you meet with him last night?" Luna whispered.

Hermione looked down as she shook her head. "No. I went to where he normally meets me, but he never came."

"What Ron told us. Did it really happen?"

Hermione nodded.

"Maybe he was too upset to meet. That's the logical answer."

"I dunno, Luna. It's the first time that he's ever left me waiting all night."

Before Luna could respond, the Headmaster stepped to the podium and cleared his throat.

"Attention, everyone. As you finish up your delicious breakfasts, I have an announcement to make. Due to unavoidable circumstances, we are rescheduling the annual Ball. We have decided to move the Ball to the first of November."

"That's only two weeks away!" Lavender shrieked.

"In addition," Professor Dumbledore shouted over the commotion to quiet the hall, "to this, we have decided to make it a masquerade ball, in honor of Halloween. To keep the young ladies from having a nervous breakdown, we will be scheduling a special Hogsmeade visit for the following Saturday. This should give everyone plenty of time to prepare. That is all."

"Let there be chaos," Luna muttered.

As if on command, the entire hall broke out into babble. However, it didn't stop there. The commotion spilled over into the classes, the evening, and into the weekend as well. All any of the older students could talk about was the masquerade. All, except for Hermione. Her mind held one concern. One face, hidden from her view, consumed her thoughts.

"I call to him, but he does not answer."

"I'm sure he has his reasons," Luna assured her as they met for their Tuesday lessons.

"He told me that he couldn't teach someone that wasn't committed." Tears streamed down her face. "He must have decided that I was too easily distracted and found someone else."

Luna handed her a handkerchief. "Nonsense, Hermione. You're the brightest witch in Hogwarts, with or without his tutelage. He could never find another to replace you."

"Then he's just given up on me and has gone back into hiding until one worthy of him appears."

Luna sighed. "Do you want to cancel our lesson for the evening?"

"No. No. No." Hermione wiped her face. "Just give me a chance to go freshen up, and we'll have your lesson."

Hermione left the Library and hurried to the nearest lavatory. Luna watched her round the bend, then closed her eyes.

"Phantom of Hogwarts, hear my plea. Come back to your Hermione. She needs you."

~~~Phantom~~~

Hermione joined the throng of fifth, sixth, and seventh-years preparing to make the journey into Hogsmeade. The girls were finding their shopping partners while the boys were breaking into groups for either joke shop, sweet shop, or tavern visiting. As usual, she stood at a distance. Then two hands took hers.

"Ready to go shopping?" Ginny and Luna chorused.

"Hey, Ginny. Hey, Luna. I'm not going to be good company today."

"Doesn't matter," Ginny stated. "You have to have a dress and a mask. The ball is next Friday."

Luna squeezed her hand. "I can feel your thoughts. You must go! It's Ginny, and I's first time going, and you have to be there."

"Look!" Lavender shouted. "They're opening up the gates!"

The crowd began moving like cattle as they headed out of Hogwarts and down towards the village.

"I'll be all alone again."

Luna smiled. "No, you won't. I won't have a date either, so we'll drink punch together while we watch Ginny dance and snog Dean."

"Luna!" Ginny choked out.

Hermione busted out laughing as they ventured into the square. She lost her troubles amongst the many dresses, shoes, and masks. Hermione helped Luna pick out a white dress covered in snowflakes. Overall, a good distraction, she mused. Ginny chose a dark pink dress with roses that lined the bottom hem. Finally, Hermione found hers. It called to her. An emerald green gown with stardust glitter. Luna gave her a knowing smile but said nothing.

"Your masks and shoes will match your dresses," the shop matron assured them. "They will be ready and delivered to Hogwarts on Friday morning."

The girls thanked the matron, then headed down to the Three Broomsticks to get some butter beers. They had just found a table when someone cleared their throat.

"Pardon my interruption," Draco greeted, nodding to the girls.

Hermione nodded and smiled. "What can we do for you, Draco?"

"Um, well, I was wondering, that is, if you didn't already have a partner for the ball … Well," he cleared his throat again. "Hermione, would you care to accompany me to the ball next Friday?"

Hermione's eyebrows traveled into her hairline while both girls stared at her. "You want me to accompany you to the ball?"

"Um, yes, that is, would you do me the honor?"

Hermione glanced over to see that Ron was watching the exchange with extreme interest. "Yes, Draco. I would love to accompany you to the ball."

"Excellent! I mean, I'll meet you outside your common room at seven that evening." Draco nodded to the table, strolled away, not even caring to hide the smile spreading across his face.

Ron glared at their table, then stormed out of the tavern. Ginny continued to stare, speechless at Hermione, who calmly sipped her butterbeer.

"Brambles and blackthorns," Luna muttered.

Ginny shook herself. "What's wrong, Luna?"

"I was hoping that Ron would ask me to make Hermione jealous."

"You wanted him to use you to make me jealous?"

Luna shrugged. "Well, he couldn't very well use his sister, now could he? At least not in this country."

~~~Phantom~~~

The days slipped by, and despite her original concerns, Hermione found herself anticipating the ball. She and Luna spent their Tuesday night discussing the upcoming dance instead of practicing spells and going over potions.

When Thursday rolled around, Hermione had made up her mind. "I'm not going," she told Luna at the feast. "I'm not going to spend my whole night waiting for him like I did last Thursday."

"He'll come for you when he's ready," Luna hummed.

Hermione fought back the tears as she hissed, "Well, maybe I don't want him to."

Finally, Friday evening arrived. Afternoon classes had been canceled to give the students and the staff time to prepare. The whole of the castle remained decorated from the Halloween feast. Jack o' lanterns floated in the stairwells and corridors while an unnatural amount of bats lined the entrance hall.

Ron stumped down one of the third-floor corridors, taking swings at the glowing pumpkins hovering above their heads.

"It'll be fine, Ron," Neville pressed. "There'll be witches there without dates, and one of the lucky ones will get up with you by the end of the night."

Ron grunted. "If you're trying to cheer me up, please stop."

"Fine. Well, I'll see you at the ball. I've got to go get ready. Don't want to be late."

"Wait," Ron commanded, stumbling to a halt. "You've got a date?"

"Uh, yeah. Susan asked me."

Ron turned around and walked the other way. He wandered around several corners, not caring where he landed. Then he spotted a window at the end of the corridor.

"I wonder how far down it is to the lake," he scoffed.

Suddenly, the world around him went black, and from the darkness came a voice that chilled him to the bone.

"Let me help you with that, you arrogant fool."

The next thing Ron knew, gravity had given way. He flailed, trying to find something to grasp hold of. Then, the unmistakable sensation of blood rushing to his head sent him into a panic. He tried to scream but found his voice gone.

"Behold!"

Ron's vision cleared, and to his brief relief, he was right-side up. However, to his horror, he found himself bound by thick ropes to the side of Gryffindor tower.

"It truly is an incredible view. Good thing you dressed warmly."

Ron yanked his head to the right to see a figure standing on the ledge next to him.

"You play Quidditch, so I figured that height wouldn't bother you. The third-floor view is nice, but this truly takes your breath away."

Ron tried to shout, scream, or even whisper, but it was no use.

"Speechless? I know the feeling." The Phantom crouched down, then whispered, "Have you guessed yet who Hermione was going to meet when you, in your jealousy, ripped her dress? I'll give you a hint. It wasn't Malfoy."

Ron's eyes widened with horror.

"Now, you've got it. Suppose you had just controlled that jealousy, who knows. She might have chosen you in the end. However, your actions proved that you're not worthy of her. Why don't you just hang around and think about it for a while? I have another matter that I must tend to."

Ron blinked and found himself all alone, wishing that the Phantom would come back.

~~~Phantom~~~

Hermione bit her lip as she examined herself in the mirror. She had never been a fan of her own looks, and tonight she could see every imperfection. It's just Draco. It's just Draco. It's not like He's going to be there. The last thought sent a shiver up her spine.

"You look wonderful, Hermione!" Lavender squealed, shaking her by the shoulders. "Draco is in for a treat!"

Hermione sighed. "You look beautiful too. Your red dress really complements you well."

"Thanks! I do hope that Seamus likes it."

Hermione spied the amount of cleavage showing. "Don't worry, Lav. He'll love it."

"Ladies," Angelina announced. "Our gentlemen escorts await us."

Per tradition, the Gryffindor ladies paraded down from the dorms and through the portrait hole to where their partners for the dance awaited. As they stepped out, their suitor would step forward and offer their arm. Ginny stepped out to the waiting arm of Dean. Angelina to Lee. Lavender to Seamus. When her turn came, Hermione accepted Draco's arm, and they proceeded down the stairs and to the Great Hall.

"You look beautiful, Hermione."

"Thank you, Draco. You look handsome tonight."

Draco smiled as they entered the Great Hall. As always, the hall had been transformed into a grand ballroom. However, this time the decorations held the festive Halloween touch. Thousands of candles floated overhead while pumpkins twirled around like hundreds of miniature disco balls.

As Hermione surveyed the scene before her, she gasped when her eyes found Luna on the arm of-

"Colin?"

Colin Creevy turned and winked at Hermione while Luna waved dreamily with her free hand.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Professor Dumbledore proclaimed, "welcome to the Hogwarts annual ball! However, tonight is a masquerade! So masks up, and let the music begin!"

Hermione and Draco adjusted their masquerade masks. Draco bowed, then took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor. Per custom, the dance began in a formal manner. Later, it would give way to more modern choices of music.

"I must warn you. I've never waltzed before."

Draco smiled. "Just follow my lead."

As she suspected, Draco proved to be an excellent dancer. No doubt from years of private lessons. She focused her attention on his black mask, which matched his dress robes. They danced for minutes or could have been hours, for she could not tell you which, when the first break came. Draco escorted her over to one of the tables.

"Would you like some punch?"

"Thank you. I'd love some."

Draco smiled. "Then, I shall return."

While Hermione waited for Draco to return, she peered around the hall. She hoped to catch a glimpse of Luna or Ginny, but she found her view blocked by another figure.

"Evening."

Cormac McLaggen removed his mask, then swept her a low bow. "Evening, Hermione. Might I have the next dance?"

"Sorry, Cormac, but I'm here with Draco."

Cormac turned around just as Draco returned with their punch. "Draco wouldn't mind if I stole just one dance."

Draco looked from Cormac to Hermione, then frowned. "What say you, Hermione?"

"If Draco is okay with it, Cormac, then I'll grant you one dance."

Draco nodded to Cormac.

"Don't worry, Draco. I won't keep her away too long. I promise."

When the next number began, Cormac led her out onto the floor while Draco watched. To her surprise, Cormac danced well. Better than Draco, if the truth is told. They glided around the floor with grace and ease.

"You dance very well."

"Thank you, my Angel."

Hermione gasped as she looked up into his eyes. "What?"

"Forgive my deception, my Angel. I borrowed this face so that I could enter unannounced. The real Cormac is sound asleep, and when he awakens, he'll remember having a wonderful time."

"Why come to me now?"

"I've come to beg your forgiveness, my Angel. I have been ashamed and have hidden myself from you."

"Ashamed?" Hermione repeated as they twirled about. "What have you to be ashamed of? It was I that was weak."

"No. It was I. I let my anger get the best of me. It spilled over at the thought of another holding your attention for even a second. I had planned to hide myself away until I could control my emotions. However, being away from you felt like dying, and I could bear it no longer."

Everyone else had stopped dancing as they watched Cormac and Hermione spin around the floor. The music swelled the longer they danced.

"Oh, how I've missed you," Hermione sighed. "You never need hide from me, my Master."

"I've missed you too, my Angel."

He pulled her closer as his looks and clothes began to change. The next moment, the watchers gasped as his trimmed brown hair grew into a black mane pulled tight into a ponytail. His build became slender and his eyes a brilliant emerald green. His gaze absorbed her soul, and her heart soared as their lips touched. Locked in a passionate embrace, their magic exploded about them. It pushed the crowd further back.

When they parted, he whispered into her ear, "Come with me, my Angel."

"Wherever you wish to take me," she sighed, closing her eyes.

Another wave of magic swept through the crowd. In an instant, Hermione and the Phantom had disappeared from the Great Hall to rounds of shrieks and shouts.

A/N: Happy Halloween! I hope you're having a great time, and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter! Things are about to get interesting! Please review and let me know what you thought. Thanks again to all those that have reviewed and PMed! Special thanks to my Dad, AA, for being beta!

Until tomorrow!

JB