The Yule ball.
The seven Slayers and Maria were in the Muse's room on the sky-ship, the golden egg that Harry and Matilda had won was on her desk.
"So, do you know what it is yet?" Aria asked.
"Unfortunately, I was not told what the egg was for, the head teachers and I will not find out until at least a week has passed to allow the champions a chance at solving it themselves, it seems that the event organisers realised we were telling our champions about the tasks and didn't think it fair." Maria said.
"There's a latch at the top, maybe you have to open it." Layla's voice came from her radio.
"Worth a try." Harry said with a shrug.
Harry lifted the egg and undid the latch, only to drop it and cover his ears in pain from the loud shrieking emitting from it, Vida and Maria had dropped to the floor due to their heightened hearing making it worse for them, Fred and George looked ready to join them, Matilda was the same state as her brother as was Layla, but Aria looked as if she was just standing too close to a loud speaker. Matilda managed to focus enough to use her magic to close the egg and lock it, everyone gave a sigh of relief when the shrieking stopped.
"WHAT WAS THAT!" Vida yelled.
"WHAT?" Maria yelled back.
The screeching from the egg had obviously damaged their hearing. The group waited for the girls' healing powers to repair the damage before carrying on.
"What was that meant to be?" Harry asked.
Maria shrugged. "I don't know, and I would remember something like that since it took away my hearing momentarily."
"It's a language." Aria answered.
Everyone turned to her.
"What?" asked Fred.
"How'd you know."
Aria shrugged. "Because I heard voices singing but it closed before I could make them out."
"But that was screeching." Fred stated.
"Maybe to us, but not to our sister." Layla said.
"Since she's a Siren she's more accomplished in the ways of language, even the ones that don't sound remotely anything like it." Vida explained.
Maria sighed and went to her bookcase, after some searching she pulled out a book on languages and searched through it. "Let's see, let's see. A language that sounds like screeching to the normal person, Sirens can understand it. Ah, here it is!" Maria pointed to a page she stopped at. "It's Mer folk."
"I guess that makes sense, Sirens did originally live almost side by side with Mer folk back in the time of the Greeks and Romans." Matilda said.
"Right. It says here that above water the language of the Mer folk seems like indistinguishable shrieking, but underwater you'd be able too hear their sweet voices clearly and understand them." Maria said. "I've only ever heard Mer folk underwater, so that's why I didn't recognise it."
"Anyone for," Fred said.
"Going to the pool," George said.
"Or something then?"
"Why don't we just put Aria in a sound proof room with the egg and get her to relay the message?" Matilda asked.
"Or that could work." George said.
A few minutes later Aria stood in one of the spare rooms of the sky-ship with the egg, the room was soundproofed and the others were waiting outside. Aria opened the egg and listened carefully to the Mer folk sing.
"Come seek us where our voices sound,
We cannot sing above the ground,
And while you're searching, ponder this:
We've taken what you'll sorely miss
,An hour long you'll have to look,
And recover what we took.
But past an hour - the prospect's black
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."
Once Aria was sure the song was over she closed up the egg and opened the door. She then relayed the message.
"So, I'm guessing that we'll have to go into the lake and retrieve something that's been taken from us within an hour." Matilda said.
"But what would we sorely miss? Anything we hold of value is back home or at the academy." Harry said.
"Call us paranoid, but I don't think they'll take a personal belonging." Vida said, conveying the thoughts of herself and sisters.
"More like, someone personal to you." Layla said.
"If that's true, who would they take?" Fred asked.
"They'd be suicidal to try anyone from Muse academy." George said.
"I don't know, they have been proven to be incompetent." Layla said.
"Let's worry about the matter tomorrow, we all need rest after such an eventful day." Maria said with a shake of her head.
Begrudgingly, the seven Slayers went to their rooms.
"A what now?" Fred asked.
"A Yule ball." answered Matilda.
"Apparently it's tradition to have one." Harry said. "And it's also tradition for the champions to have the first dance."
"So we're being forced to go and we also have to bring dates."
The seven Slayers and the now Hogwarts quartet (Ginny had been added as a member after her reunion with her brothers) were gathered in the Vagabond lair, the Black twins had just gotten back from a meeting with Maria where they had been told about the Yule ball.
"Why are you two worried, it's not like neither of you can't dance or are short of options for dance partners." George asked.
"We know that, it's just that..." Matilda struggled to find the right reasoning.
"We would be fine if we had the choice to go, but we're being forced to do it and that just seems to take the fun out of it." Harry said for his sister.
The others nodded in understanding, something you usually enjoy you can suddenly not when you're forced to do it.
"Don't worry, we'll be there with you." Vida comforted them.
"Speaking of, we should get dates as well." Aria said wincing. "I can already feel the disappointment from all the people I'm going to turn down." she groaned.
Aria wasn't being narcissistic or anything, she had just had experienced turning down both boys and girls before because of her allure attracting them way to many times before. And since Hogwarts had never experienced a Siren before she was willing to be she'd get asked to go to the Yule ball a lot.
"You can go with us." Fred and George said seriously.
"Perfect!" Aria exclaimed. "Now I'll have a good reason to turn people down other that telling them that it's my allure making them want me."
"I don't know," Vida said. "There's three of us and two of you, it'd be awkward. We should add one more to even it out. Ginny!"
""Yes?" Ginny asked in confusion.
"Fancy joining me to the Yule ball?"
"Me, really?"
"Yeah, you're a nice girl so I can't see why not, plus it'll mean we go as an almost matching set with my sisters and your brothers."
"But...I'm a girl."
Vida rolled her eye. "I don't care, besides, I prefer girls anyway."
"Well...I-I..." Ginny stumbled for an answer. "Okay." she finally answered.
"Great!"
"I never expected you to be gay." Hermione said.
"I never hid it, you've just never been around me when I've shown it." Vida said with a shrug. "And I'm bi, we all are, I just lean more towards girls."
"Okay, leaning off that subject." Harry said. "Who are we going to take?"
"Why don't you go with Hermione," suggested Fred.
"And Matilda go with Draco or Neville." said George.
"Yeah, you don't have to love them in order for them to be your companions you know." Ginny finished.
"Hermione, you fancy going with me then?" Harry asked.
"Okay then." Hermione agreed.
Matilda turned to the two remaining boys. "Erm." she said, trying decide which to ask.
"Go with Draco." Neville said. "I'm sure I'll find another date. Plus, it'll save him from having to go with Pansy."
"Thanks, Nev." Draco said. "So, do you want to go with me?" he asked Matilda.
"Sure." Matilda said with a shrug.
"Now that we've got dates sorted, we can continue worrying about the second task." Harry said.
"Hurrah." Matilda said sarcastically.
A few days later Ginny and Hermione found themself invited to the Muse academy sky-ship, once aboard they were guided to a large room with other girls in it, including the Saxton triplets.
"Why are we here?" Ginny asked the triplets.
"Maria's making sure that all the girls form the academy that are going to the Yule ball have dresses, when she heard that you were going with me and Hermione was going with Harry she decided to get you both a dress as well." Vida explained.
"But I wont be able to a-"
"You don't have to, all the dresses are going to be free of charge." Aria told her.
"Really? But it must be expensive!" Hermione said.
"Dora, the Muse who's making the dresses doesn't care about the price as long as she gets to make them." Layla told her.
"Right!" Maria called out to all the girls. "I'll be taking your measurements and, if you'll allow, your pictures and then send them off to Dora to make your dresses along with any requests for the dresses you might have! When they're all done the rest of the Muses will be arriving to help with the preparations for the Yule ball, and Crysta will be giving dancing lessons!"
One by one each girl was measured and the ones who had ideas for their dresses wrote them down along with them, though some like Vida and Layla took longer to measure due to their extra appendages needing to be accounted for.
"Okay, that's everyone." Maria said, looking at the list of measurements. "You can all leave now, I need to get the boys done as well."
It was the day of the Yule ball and all the girls from Muse academy plus Ginny and Hermione were getting changed into their dresses in a large changing room provided by Hogwarts, even the Muses were getting changed into their own dresses. Ginny looked unsure as a Neko in a sapphire-blue dress helped her with her dress, makeup and hair.
"You'll be fine." Vida assured Ginny from behind the screen she and her sisters were getting changed behind.
"But Ron and Dumbledore are going to see, then my mum will find out." Ginny said. "I was told not to be around any of you."
"If you were going to listen to Dumbledore or your mum then you wouldn't be here."
"I know, but I still can't help but feel afraid."
"We'll all be here for you, if Dumbledore tries anything you can always join us at the academy and you still have your father and other brothers for support family-wise."
"There, done." the Neko named Jemma said.
Jemma pulled Ginny in front of one of the mirrors in the room to show off how she looked. Ginny was amazed by how she looked, her dress was made up of different shades of red with a long trail and long wide sleeves, matching shoes, her makeup made her look slightly older but wasn't overdone, the front of her hair was pulled behind her head and pinned in place while the rest of her hair flowed down her back.
Jemma laughed at Ginny's expression. "Can't believe it's you can you?"
Ginny nodded.
"You look amazing." Vida complimented from behind Ginny.
Ginny turned around to see the Saxton triplets all ready to go. All three of them wore matching kimonos which were a mixture of red, white and black, the kimonos were too long to see their shoes, their hair was styled in a traditional Japanese way (they triplets had obviously altered their hair lengths to achieve this) with hair chopsticks and little bits of jewellery in (though Vida had managed to style her hair differently enough to cover the left side of her face), they wore no makeup though, and in their hands they held a fan each.
"Speak for yourself." Ginny said back. "You all look like you belong in a valued china doll collection."
Vida laughed behind the sleeve of her kimono. "You certainly know how to say the right things."
"Now," Aria said. "Where's Matilda and Hermione?"
"We're here!" they here'd Matilda call.
They turned around to see the two girls ready to go as well. Hermione wore a pink dress with her hair pinned up behind her head (basically like she did in the movie). Matilda wore a blue dress that was slit at the bottom with white underneath, she wore matching shoes, a small amount of make up, the tips of her red hair were no longer black with her hair flowing freely, and to top it all off she wore a pretty blue ribbon in her hair.
"You're wearing your ribbon again, it's so precious." Vida said.
Matilda smiled. "I thought it would be a nice touch, you know?"
"It looks very lovely." Layla commented, her fan hiding her mouth while the radio in her obi conveyed her words.
"I'm guessing all of you will be hiding behind your fans tonight."
"After how many times all of us got asked before the ball and how many are probably going to ask for a dance, I think it's needed." Aria deadpanned.
"How many times did you get asked?" Hermione asked.
"We lost count after fifty-two."
"That many?" Ginny asked.
"Unfortunately." Vida said. "And some didn't like it when we turned them down, even when we told them we already had dates."
"Nothing a little bash on the head didn't solve though." Layla commented, smirking from behind her fan.
"Did any of you have to turn anyone down?" Aria asked.
Ginny shook her head.
"Just one," Hermione answered. "Viktor Krum. But he didn't seem that bothered by it, I don't he struggled to find a date."
"A few." answered Matilda. "They all took the turn down well except for one, Ronald."
"Ron asked you out?" Ginny scoffed. "Why am I not surprised, and why do I think Dumbledore put him up to it?"
"Yes, well, he did not take the rejection well, mumbling something about me meant to be his future wife, he got even wore when he found out Draco is taking me. He actually tried to attack Draco, but he accidently tripped and fell down the stairs instead." the smile on Matilda's face suggested it was anything but an accident.
Aria laughed. "I can beat that. The idiot actually had the gaul to ask me out with my sisters around, saying that he would 'look past my freakishness for such a sexy lady'." she pretended to vomit.
"Let's just say that he regretted ever coming near us." Vida said.
"Wait," Ginny said. "Are you the ones who stuck him upside down to a wall in nothing but his underwear with 'sexist pig' painted on his chest?"
"Ask no questions and you shall hear no lies." Vida simply said from behind her sleeve.
Matilda looked at her watch. "Come on, Hermione, we should get to where the other champions and their dates are to meet up." she said. "See you all soon."
Matilda and Hermione then rushed off.
A few minutes later everyone in the room was ready to go. A sharp whistle drew everyone's attention and they turned to face the five Muses, who were dressed in silver and gold with the dresses in different styles.
"Okay, girls!" called Zoe. "Its time to go, make sure you have everything you want because everything in here will be transported back to the sky-ship once we leave."
The Muses turned around and left the room with all the girls filing out behind them. The boys were already waiting outside for them dressed in suits or dress robes, each girl quickly found their date.
Fred and George looked speechless at the sight of the triplets.
"Hello!" Aria called, snapping her fingers in front of Fred's face.
The twins shook their heads, snapping out of their stupor.
"You all look beautiful." they said dreamily.
"Why thank you. Shall we go then?"
Fred and George offered their arms and Aria and Layla took them, while Vida took Ginny's arm and they all headed towards the ball.
When Matilda and Hermione arrived where the champions and their dates were meant to meet everyone was already there but they weren't late, they quickly went over to Harry and Draco.
"You two took your time." Draco commented.
"Sorry, we got caught up talking to the triplets and Ginny." Matilda said.
As the group waited to go into the hall the looked around at the champions and their dates. Fleur was with a Gryffindor named Dean Tomas and she didn't look happy to be with him as he was just attracted by his allure. Viktor was with a female Imp from Muse academy named Jacqueline, on reflection they would go pretty well together considering her destructive nature. And Cedric Diggory was with a Ravenclaw girl named Cho Chang.
When the doors opened the Champions and their partners entered. The music started and they danced before the crowds of students before they could join in. Once the first dance was over the Black twins and their dates went to find their friends.
"Over here!" they heard.
The rest of their group were standing over at the food table. Neville was also there with a girl named Luna Lovegood.
"You danced very well." Ginny complemented them.
"Crysta's dance lessons paid off." Harry said.
"Speaking of her, when are the Muses going to take the stage?" Vida asked.
She got shrugs in return.
George took a drink of his punch and made a face. "This is too bland."
"It seems, my dear brother, that it needs something a little more." Fred said.
Fred reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a flask, he then handed it to his tail which sneakily pored some of the contents into the punch bowl before returning it to his hand.
"Ah, the wonders of a tail that acts like an extra limb." Vida said. "It's still got nothing on mine though." her own tail swished as if to prove her point.
"Come on, let's go dance." Aria said.
The Saxton triplets grabbed their partners and pulled them onto the dance floor, the triplets ignored the eyes on them while Ginny tried to ignore the glaring eyes of her brother.
"Remember," Vida whispered in her ear. "We're here if he tries anything."
After about an hour the Muses got up on stage and took over from the musicians already there; Dora and Melody took up the guitars, Maria took the keyboard, Zoe took the drums and Crysta took up the singing position. Each Muse took a turn singing a song while the students danced along. The ball was all together an enjoyable experience, especially since Dumbledore was mysteriously absent the whole time.
At the end of the ball the students departed with Ginny and Hermione heading back with the academy students as their belonging were on the sky-ship, and they were so tired from all the dancing that they just ended up bunking with Matilda.
If anyone's confused about the champions, I'm keeping them the same despite the age difference because I'm too lazy to create new characters.