Chapter 13

We made our way into the Great Hall, hardly saying anything, but it wasn't an awkward silence. As soon as they'd open the doors, everyone had gotten quieter. They were too busy looking around at the Great Hall.

I mean, okay, it's a school for magic, so I knew the decorations were going to be better than some streamers and a few cheesy Wizard Crackers, but this was really amazing, whatever some of the students from Beauxbatons were muttering under their breaths.

It looked like an ice castle. The walls sparkled with sheens of ice, bunches of holly, ivy, and mistletoe hung under the enchanted ceiling which, tonight, made in look like we were having a ball under the starry black sky.

"So," Fred said, "What are we supposed to do now?"

"Sit down, I guess," I said, gesturing to a small, circular table, one of the hundred or so that had replaced the four House tables.

"What about dancing?" Maya asked rather sadly.

"I think that's after dinner," George said, looking relieved.

"Yeah, dinner's first," Elizabeth said briskly, "So where do you all what to sit?"

We chose seats at one of the empty tables, leaving six seats open. Gabriel and Maya had placed themselves on either side of Elizabeth, and George took the spot on Maya's other side. I ended up in between the twins.

"Does anyone see Alicia anywhere?" I asked, craning my neck to scan the Great Hall.

"No," Fred answered, "But come on, Ange! I like Alicia and all, but do you really want to sit with Eric Hale?"

He had a point there, but Alicia was my best friend, and this was a big night. I couldn't alienate her just because she'd made one bad decision. Besides, maybe we were all wrong about Eric. Not that I thought that was very likely.

"I don't know," I said, and then Katie Bell, followed by Leanne and two boys I didn't know, walked over.

"Hey, guys," she said, "Is it okay if we sit here?"

"Yeah, go ahead," I grinned.

"Hey, Katie," said George, "Weird, really, that I haven't seen you in so long."

"I know," she said.

"Anyway," he went on, "This is Maya, and that's Elizabeth and Gabriel."

She smiled at them.

"You play Quidditch with George, Fred, and Angelina, right?" Maya asked.

"Oh, yeah," she said, "Chaser."

The four of them took seats, leaving the two on the other side of Fred open.

"You're saving those for Alicia, right?" Katie asked.

"Um, I guess," I said. "Actually, I was just looking for her…"

"She's over there, Angelina," Gabriel said, pointing. "She's just sat down."

He was right. She was sitting next to Eric at a table across the Hall, surrounded by a bunch of Ravenclaws.

"Thank Merlin," Fred sighed, "Eric Hale is just about the last person I want to sit next to."

"Hey, all," Kenneth Towler said from behind us. "Mind if we sit?"

Without waiting for an answer, he and Patricia Stimpson took the last remaining seats.

Fred turned to me. "Make that second last."

Katie and I giggled, but Kenneth didn't notice.

"So I know all of you," he said, nodding to the original six of us, "But I don't know you four."

"Well," Katie said, trying to compose herself, "I'm Katie, and this is Thomas and Leanne and-"

"I'm Franklin," the short boy on her right said, "Her boyfriend."

The slight wrinkle of Katie's nose told me she didn't exactly agree with this term, but she didn't say anything in contradiction.

"Well, I'm Kenneth and this is my girlfriend, Patricia," Kenneth said pompously.

"I didn't know you two were dating," Elizabeth exclaimed.

"Um, well," Patricia said, looking embarrassed, "I guess this is our first date."

"And I'd always thought you were smart," George muttered, but only Maya and I heard him.

Just then, applause broke out as the champions and their dates entered the room.

"Why are they clapping?" Kenneth asked, apparently missing this.

"For me," Fred said seriously, "Didn't you know? I was recently crowned King of England." He stood on his chair, waved at everyone, and gave a bow. I pulled him down.

A couple people laughed, others stared, but for the most part no one noticed, too busy looking at the champions.

"You're such an idiot, Fred," Kenneth rolled his eyes, and then coughed rather obviously, "Three O.W.L.s."

Fred, George, and I just stared at him, and then turned away.

"Jeez, Harry looks white as a ghost," Fred remarked. "I mean, you'd think he'd be used to this sort of thing by now, wouldn't you?"

I shrugged. "Some people never get used to being the center of attention, and some people," I looked at him, "Never get over it."

"Who's Viktor Krum's date?" Elizabeth asked.

"Huh?" Gabriel said, and I suspected he'd only had eyes for one of the champions.

I frowned. "I don't kn-"

Then Katie gasped. "Oh my gosh," she said, "Isn't that Hermione Granger?"

"No!" said George.

"Hermione?" Fred said skeptically. "I guess it sort of looks like her, but-"

"No, Katie's right," I said. "It's Hermione."

"No," George said again. "It can't be."

Maya was looking kind of peeved. "Who's Hermione?"

"She's one of the twins' brother Ron's best friends," I told her, "But normally she looks totally different. And I had no idea she was even friends with Viktor Krum. I mean she's like three years younger than him."

"Yeah, she wouldn't tell anyone who she was going with," Fred said. "Ron asked her about a million times, but she wouldn't say."

"He looks right ticked," George said, "Ron, I mean. He's not even looking at her!"

"Hey, George," Maya said, apparently trying to pull his attention away from the subject of Ron and Hermione, and back to her. "Isn't that your brother?"

"Yeah, Ron? That's what I was just saying-"

"No, not Ron. I forget his name, but he graduated from Hogwarts. He's sitting up at the top table."

George looked. "What?"

"It's Percy," I said increduously, "Harry's just sat down next to him. He doesn't look exactly look thrilled..."

"What the heck is he doing here?" Fred asked.

"I don't know. Crouch isn't here, though. Maybe he couldn't come, so he sent Percy," George suggested.

"Kind of hard to believe, though, seeing as the last time we saw them together, Crouch didn't even know his name."

"Oh, yeah, Weatherby Weasley," George sniggered, and they both laughed.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Didn't we tell you about Percy's new boss, Angelina?" George asked.

"Oh, yeah," I said, starting to laugh.

"What happened?" asked Maya.

George told her, and even though the twins and I already knew the story, the four of us laughed so hard that we didn't notice that everyone had ordered until Elizabeth pointed it out.

When we'd finally sobered up and were talking the first bites of out meal, Kenneth said that he didn't really think it was all that funny, but maybe that was because of his high intelligence.

Fred remarked that he's often wondered if Percy got claimed by the wrong parents or something, and that his real name was supposed to be Weatherby Towler.


Hey!

I'd really, really, really appreciate a review! Please! I really like to know what people think.... or even just if anyone is reading this!

-Julie