Chapter 23
December came along with the cold and snow. Everywhere Ewan went, his egg went with him. One night in the first week of December, Ewan was coming back from playing quidditch with Harry, he was utterly filthy. Mud all over. After grabbing some clothes and his toiletries he walked to the nearest prefect bathroom. Turning on the water, he dropped his bag to the tile floor, but before he could catch it, his golden egg rolled out falling into the large oversized tub.
"Damn it!" he cursed himself. Quickly stripping off his clothes he plunged into the water. Opening his eyes, he noticed his egg near the drain. He grabbed his hand on the egg, but his wet hand couldn't grip it. He accidently knocked the hinge off the top. At first he was more upset, as he didn't know if the egg was water proof, however instead of hearing the screams that usually came out of the egg, he heard a song:
"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're sorely miss,
An hour long you'll have to look,
And to recover what we took, but past an hour – the prospect's black,
Too late, it's gone it won't come back."
Ewan had to get a few more breaths to fully understand the song.
"'We cannot sing above the ground'… the Black Lake! 'We've taken what you're sorely miss'… taking something… okay. 'An hour long you have to look'… not a problem, I could use transfiguration, bubble-head charm, gillyweed… only have an hour… better practice my swimming…" Ewan looked at the mermaid picture on the wall. "Merpeople… and if this competition couldn't get any harder."
* * *
"Tyler, have you added the Sopophorous Bean to your potion yet?" asked Professor Snape, a week after the first task.
"Yes, sir. I'm now stirring counterclockwise seven times."
"Excellent, then I want you to stir once clockwise."
"Sir?"
"It gives the potion a much stronger effect."
"Yes sir. Sir, why do you still call me Tyler? Everyone else started calling me Potter again." asked Ewan.
"Calling you by the Potter name, would be disgraceful to you. Trust me when I say, it is easier for me to call you Tyler then to undermine you by calling you Potter."
"So it is true."
"What is?"
"You don't my dad?"
"I despise your father."
"Because, he was a jerk and prankster right? who had a big head and high ego."
"Who told you that?" Snape asked, shocked.
"Sirius."
"Black told you that?" he asked, even more shocked.
"Well, actually, Sirius told me some stories of when they were younger and I kind of assumed… but either way, I'm sorry for their actions. I'm secretly, I'm glad I'm like my mother."
"I' am too Mr. Tyler."
* * *
In the second week of December, Professor Flitwick called all Ravenclaw forth years and above together in one big room. "Now, as it tradition with the Tri-wizard Tournament, we will be having the Yule Ball on Christmas Day. The ball is open to fourth years and above- although, you may invite a younger student as you wish. Dress robes will be worn. It will start at eight o'clock and finishing at midnight. Now we Ravenclaw's have the honor of having the Hogwarts Champion in our midst so we must all show our fellow students and guests that we do represent. Speaking of our champion, Mr. Potter can you dance?" asked Flitwick.
Ewan blushed, hoping no one saw it. "Ah, yeah." He said.
"Miss Chang would you step forward." Cho Chang walked up.
"Mr. Potter, I will start the music and you and Miss Chang can demonstrate you're dancing skills." squeaked the small wizard.
"In front of everyone!?" whispered Ewan.
"Yes, Mr. Tyler." He answered walking the music player.
"Sorry about this" Ewan said to Cho.
"It's ok…"
Ewan got in position when the music started. He started. At first he was trying to be careful, but then Cho accidently stepped on his foot.
"Sorry."
"It's okay. That's been happening a lot lately…"
"Well, you're really tall…"
"Look I can do this better… Do you mind?"
"No."
So after that he started dancing naturally. "Oh very good, Mr. Potter. See here ladies, Mr. Potter can dance."
A few of the boys laughed but most of the females smiled or giggled. Ewan ignored them.
"So," he said to Cho, "Anyone you're hoping to be invited by?"
"Oh…yeah, Cedric, Cedric Diggory."
"I know Ced, he's one of my friends. You want me to order him to invite you?" he asked jokingly.
"If you want." She answered laughing. "What about you, have anyone in mind?"
"I have a girlfriend, if I don't ask her, she'll probably kill me."
"Who?" she asked
"Katie Bell, from Gryffindor." He said smiling.
"You must really like her, your eyes seem brighter when you mentioned her name."
"Really?" he asked blushing.
"Yeah, it's cute."
"Oh no 'cute'! I hate that word." He laughed.
* * *
The next day, Ewan asked Fred to get Katie from the Gryffindor Tower. She came out of her portrait hole with a face of confusion.
"Hey" he said smiling.
"Hey, what's up?" she asked.
"Well, you know I was wondering if someone tried to steal you from me by asking you to the ball?"
"Well there was this cute sixth year…" she said sarcastically.
"And what did you tell this sixth-year?" Ewan asked play along.
"…well, he asked ever so nicely, I couldn't break his little heart." She said hugging Ewan around the waist and looking at him with a smile.
"Yeah. What did the sixth-year say, when you said yes?" he asked with a grin.
"He kissed me…"
Ewan kissed her before she could say anymore. When he released her, he smiled. "What did you say after he kissed you?"
"I said 'you better not be late.'"
"I won't." he said, then kissing her again before going to the Ravenclaw tower.
* * *
Ewan and Le were coming back from their Arithmancy class when they saw Ronald Weasley going towards a group of Beauxbatons girls, including Fleur Delacour. He stopped before them galped then yelled:
"FLEUR, WILL YOU GO TO THE YULE BALL WITH ME?"
The Hall was silent, and then laughter broke out. Ron didn't even wait for a reply, he ran. Ewan was shaking his his, he remembered that age, the awkward age. He wondered if Ron would invite Hermione.
* * *
Five days before Christmas, found Ewan sitting in the library, next to him was The Grey Lady. He was researching the Black lake, while she was reading a book, or whatever ghosts do with books.
He kept reading the same sentence twice: "Merpeople are beings that live underwater… Merpeople are beings that live underwater… Merpeople are! Ugh!"
"What are your problems, Young Sir?" asked The Grey Lady.
"Reading the same material over and over and over… it's annoying."
"Perhaps you need a break." suggested Helena Ravenclaw. "Think of something else."
"Okay, Oh okay answer me this, why is it on the statue of your mother in the Ravenclaw dorm is she wearing that crown thing but in her other portraits, she's not?"
The Grey Lady looked sad and somewhat guilty for a moment. "I only told one other person the truth, I was very jealous of my mother. She was quite intelligent, as you know. I had wished to be as smart as she was, so I stole her 'crown thing', it is properly called a diadem. I stole it and hid it in Albania. I am very ashamed."
"It's okay, kids sometimes do mean things to their parents, we never truly mean it." said Ewan.
"Yes, but I was never able to get the diadem back, I can no longer find it."
"At least you wish you could return it. Your mother knows this. She's probably looking down from heaven and is very proud of you."
Helena smiled. "You are very kind, young Ewan. I' am thankful to have you in my house."
"I' am too."
"Now, back to your Merpeople."
* * *
The next day, Ewan was with Harry, Hermione, Katie, and the Weasley's in Three Broomsticks celebrating Ewan's seventeenth birthday. Ewan was making little fireworks erupt from his wand.
"Shouldn't you be researching what you have to do for the second task?" asked Hermione.
"Party Pooper!" complained Fred and George.
"Yeah 'Mione, we're celebrating!"
"What can I get you all?" asked Madam Rosemerta.
"It's Ewan birthday!" said Ginny.
"Oh, well, Happy Birthday, Mr. Potter. The big seventeen, right?"
"Yeah." said Ewan. "I'm legal to do magic whenever now!"
"Well, your Butterbeer is on the house. You all want butterbeer also?"
Twenty one butterbeer's later, the group made their way back to the castle for a snowball fight.
