Hermione sighed as she listened to the fights happening all around her. Man those boys were really getting into it.

"You let the cat out of the bag didn't you? I told you not to do that!" Ginny said from next to her.

"I knew this would happen!"

"You did this on purpose? You're really low."

"Ginny! No I knew they would fight. Trust a boy to be unsubtle. I knew it would come out and I fully anticipated a fight, but in the Great Hall?!"

"At least some of our plan is working."

"What? You mean setting up the meeting for the girls involved? Yes we did that. Getting them together with the boys? No we didn't bloody well do that!"

"Calm down 'Mione! We will do these things."

"The ball is in three days!"

"I know. Its virtually impossible but we've done the impossible before."

"Alright! That's IT!!! SHUT UP YOU MORONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Hermione suddenly roared. The arguing boys fell silent, as did the rest of the hall. Hermione had risen and she now faced the boys with fire blazing in her eyes. None of them had ever seen her this angry. Desperately she tried to keep it under wraps, because all of them had little chance of survival if she really lost her temper. It didn't do to piss off the cleverest witch at Hogwarts.

"We have some problems here, don't we?! Look, I chose Fred because I fancy him. All of you, except Malfoy, are dear friends to me. Just because you all asked me to the ball, doesn't mean we should fight over it." She snarled, keeping her anger behind her teeth. "If you boys carry on like this, I will never speak to any of you again. And I mean that for all of you. Harry and Ron, you too. It's a stupid ball! That's no reason to act like the immature pin heads you are now displaying to all of us! I know my choice was hard to stomach but frankly I don't care! I don't give a damn how you feel about it! It's like Dumbledore says, we all have to make choices and they shape our characters. I made my choice, but now I'm reconsidering it. I'm not so sure anymore that I want to go with any of you. In fact, Neville? Ask me to go to the ball with you."

"W-what?"

"You heard me. Fred, you're dumped. Neville, will you go to the ball with me?"

Poor Neville cast a nervous glance at Harry and Ron, both of whom looked on the verge of losing their tempers big time. Then a grin spread over his face. He gave an almost Malfoyesque smirk at the five boys before he nodded. Hermione smiled as Neville took her hand and kissed it. Her previous suitors looked ready to pounce.

"Come on Neville, I seem to remember you requesting my help on one of your potions essays." They got up to leave, but Hermione didn't lead the way out. She turned to the boys. Then an evil grin spread itself across her features.

One by one she went around the boys in front of her.

Five slaps echoed around the hall.

"Not again!" groaned Draco.

Ginny hurried after them into the entrance hall.

"Hermione! What was that?"

"That was me taking charge." She shook out her hand. "I wish those boys would learn how to shave properly." she displayed her hand and it was not only red but also had little white lines and dots in the red.

"Beards do tend to grow out by dinner time. You've never heard of the five o'clock shadow?" Neville said, feeling his own.

Hermione and Ginny looked blankly at him.

"Oookaaay….." they said together.