The idea had occurred to me that maybe Fred was playing some sort of joke on me. That he might not show up to the ball at all and I would be left alone and humiliated. I had dismissed the idea as soon as it had come to me. Fred and George liked to play jokes, but they'd never do anything that would purposely hurt someone. I was still greatly relieved to see him standing there at the top of the stairs smiling. The dress robes that Fred wore were formfitting and nearly new.
"Evenin' ladies." Fred said with a bob of his head.
"Good evening Fred." Emily answered back giggling as she curtsied. Fred maintained his smile as he gave Emily a very goofy bow.
"I believe Ron is waiting for you in the Entrance Hall." Fred said to Emily.
"Right," She nodded. "See you two later!" she called back before rushing off to find Ron.
"Didn't think I was going to show?" Fred asked raising an eyebrow at me.
"What makes you say that?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest.
"You looked relieved to see me." He countered.
"Maybe I was simply relieved to see you. I've been nervous about this whole thing. There's no way I'll be able to dance in front of everyone without messing up. I'm going to look foolish…"
"Relax." Fred said placing his hands on my shoulders. You only look foolish if you act like a fool." He told me very seriously. "And as far as everyone else, forget them. We're going to have a great time tonight. And if you mess up, I'll be right there beside you, alright?" I nodded. Fred Weasley had never struck me as the type to give inspirational speeches before. He didn't stay serious for very long though. Following my nod he straightened himself up puffing his chest out like I'd seen him do many times as he impersonated his brother Percy. "Then let us join the others my lady." He held out his arm, and I looped mine around his elbow. For some reason, I couldn't help but smile.
The Entrance Hall was packed with students all milling around waiting for eight o'clock. Students who were meeting partners from different Houses were edging through the crowd trying to find one another. Despite the Hall being filled to near capacity Fred and I had no trouble finding Harry, Emily and Ron.
"Took you long enough!" Ron barked as we approached.
"He's just saying that because we've been waiting in this crowd so long." Harry told us. "Say Alice you've met Luna before right?" He asked me as I notice a small blonde girl next to him for the first time.
"Yeah we've met a few times. Nice to see you again Luna." I nodded in her direction.
"Why hello!" She answered as if she hasn't noticed Harry and I talking about her the last few seconds. Then again knowing Luna Lovegood, she probably hadn't. The oak front doors opened, and everyone turned to look as the Durmstrang students entered with Professor Karkaroff. Krum was at the front of the party, accompanied by a pretty girl in blue robes. Everyone was lurking around trying to see who the girl with Krum was. I couldn't help but smile as all the boys were craning their necks, apparently none of them could spot Hermione without her bushy hair that was now shiny and twisted up into an elegant knot at the back of her head. She was wearing robes made of a floaty, periwinkle-blue material. But even I had to admit she was holding herself differently. Maybe it was just the absence of the twenty or so books she usually had slung over her back. I waved to my friend as she smiled nervously, not used to all the attention.
It wasn't very long before Professor McGonagall's voice rang throughout the Hall, "Champions over here, please!"
"I guess that's us." I said to Fred.
"We'll we're not going to leave a Hufflepuff to represent all of Hogwarts are we?" He asked taking my arm again. I rolled my eyes not wanting to point out that most of the students would rather have a Hufflepuff Champion than a Slytherin.
"I guess we'll see you lot inside then." I smiled, before letting Fred lead me off towards McGonagall. Professor McGonagall, told us to wait on one side of the doors while everyone else went inside. We were going to enter the Great Hall in procession while the rest of the students were seated. I took this time to examine the Champions and their partners. Fleur Delacour had come with Roger Davies of Ravenclaw. Davies looked so stunned by his good fortune in having Fleur for a partner that he could hardly take his eyes off her. Personally I found her to be a bit stuck up, but that was his problem. Cedric and Cho Chang were next in line. Cho had been attempting a conversation with her fellow Ravenclaw, but it was failing because of his constant sideways glances in Fleur's direction. Fred and I stood next to them as the two boys struck a conversation about the only thing they had in common, quidditch. Hermione looked relieved when she and Victor made their way to my side.
"I don't think I ever want to become famous." Hermione whispered so that Krum couldn't hear.
"Why not?" I asked her in a low voice.
"All the attention all of the time! It must be awful for Victor to have to endure the constant staring." I chuckled.
"Hermione for once no one was staring at Krum. They were all looking at you!"
"Me? Why I haven't done..."
"They don't know it's you. They're all trying to figures out who that beautiful girl with Victor Krum is."
"Oh that's ridiculous. I'm sure everyone knows it's me." I shook my head.
"Watch." Fred and Cedric were involved in a very civil discussion about Hufflepuff's chances at the House Cup next year. I gently tapped Fred on the shoulder, he turned mid-sentence facing me. "Sorry to interrupt boys, but I just wanted to introduce Fred to Victor Krum's date." Fred turned looking closely at Hermione. Realization took to his face, and Fred smiled.
"Hello Hermione, I didn't see you there behind the fancy hair and dress robes."
Hermione shifted awkwardly in place before smiling back.
"Thank you Fred. It's nice to see you too."
"See?" I asked her as Fred returned to his conversation with Cedric. Hermione didn't say any more on the subject but her cheeks did grow pink as she stared off into the crowd. As students entered the Hall we waved to Harry, Luna, Emily and Ron who were some of the first to pass by us. I watched bitterly as Draco Malloy and Pansy Parkinson past, thuggish Crabbe as Goyle trailing behind them. George and Angelia were the next familiar faces to pass by us, but not before promising to save us seats at their table. Neville and Ginny were among the last to file into the nearly full Great Hall. Once everyone else was settled in the Hall, Professor McGonagall had us line up in pairs and follow her into the Hall. Fleur and Roger led the way, Cedric and Cho following behind them. Without a word Fred offered me his hand, I took it smiling. I heard footsteps that I assumed to be Krum and Hermione filing behind us. The Great Hall applauded as we entered. The walls of the Hall had been covered in sparkling silver frost, a snowy white garland was strung about the room. The House tables had vanished. Instead there were about a hundred smaller, lantern-lit ones, each seating about a dozen people. We followed Professor McGonagall up toward a large round table at the front of the Hall, where the judges were sitting.
Dumbledore smiled happily as we approached the top table, but Karkaroff seemed to be sulking as he watched Krum and Hermione draw nearer. Ludo Bagman, was clapping as enthusiastically as any of the students; and Madame Maxime was applauding politely. Only when we were close to the table did I notice the absence of the Mr. Crouch. The fifth seat at the table was occupied by Percy Weasley. Once our small parades made our way to the judges table Percy motioned for me to take the empty seat next to him. Fred tightened his grip on my hand slightly, but guided me over towards his older brother. The smug look on Percy's face made him look like a kid who just stole a cookie from the cookie jar.
"I've been promoted," Percy burst out and from his tone I thought he was announcing his election as supreme ruler of the universe. "I'm now Mr. Crouch's personal assistant, and I'm here representing him."
"Why didn't he come?" Fred asked leaning in from my left.
"I'm afraid to say Mr. Crouch isn't well, not well at all. Hasn't been right since the World Cup. Hardly surprising, overworked. He's not as young as he was, though still quite brilliant, of course, the mind remains as great as it ever was. But the World Cup was a fiasco for the whole Ministry. Then we had the tournament to arrange, and the aftermath of the Cup to deal with, that revolting Skeeter woman buzzing around. No, poor man, he's having a well-earned, quiet Christmas. I'm just glad he knew he had someone he could rely upon to take his place." I didn't have to look at Fred to know that he was rolling his eyes at his brother's pompous attitude. Ignoring their sibling rivalry I turned to the food on my plate. Only to realized there was no food on the glittering golden plates. Instead there were small menus lying in front of each place setting. I looked up at Professor Dumbledore for an answer. He sat a few chairs over, staring pensively at his menu. He then turned his attention to his golden plate and spoke to it very clearly. "Pork chops!" Instantly Pork Chops appeared. The rest of the table followed Dumbledore's lead, placing our orders with our dinner wear. While we ate judges and Champions alike engaged each other in conversation. It was the first time any of us had the chance to talk socially and I started to think that maybe the triwizard tournament might not be such a bad idea.
"Veil, ve have a castle also, not as big as this, nor as comfortable, I am thinking," Krum told Hermione. "Ve have just four floors, and the fires are lit only for magical purposes. But ve have grounds larger even than these - though in vinter, ve have very little daylight, so ve are not enjoying them. But in summer ve are flying every day, over the lakes and the mountains -"
"Now, now, Viktor!" said Karkaroff interrupted with a gruff laugh, "don't go giving away anything else, now, or your charming friend will know exactly where to find us!"
Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Igor, all this secrecy, One would almost think you didn't want visitors."
"Well, Dumbledore," said Karkaroff, displaying his yellowing teeth to their fullest extent, "we are all protective of our private domains, are we not? Do we not jealously guard the halls of learning that have been entrusted to us? Are we not right to be proud that we alone know our school's secrets, and right to protect them?"
"Oh I would never dream of assuming I know all Hogwarts' secrets, Igor," Dumbledore responded modestly. "Only this morning, for instance, I took a wrong turning on the way to the bathroom and found myself in a beautifully proportioned room I have never seen before, containing a really rather magnificent collection of chamber pots. When I went back to investigate more closely, I discovered that the room had vanished. But I must keep an eye out for it. Possibly it is only accessible at five-thirty in the morning. Or it may only appear at the quarter moon - or when the seeker has an exceptionally full bladder." Fred snorted causing pumpkin juice to come through his nose. Percy frowned at his younger brother not amused in the slightest. Dumbledore however, gave Fred a knowing wink. The idea struck me that the room Dumbledore was talking about must people the same room that Fred took me to when he asked me to the ball. Across the way Fleur was criticizing the Hogwarts decorations to Davies.
"Zis is nothing," she said dismissively, looking around at the sparkling walls of the Great Hall. "At ze Palace of Beauxbatons, we 'ave ice sculptures all around ze dining chamber at Chreestmas. Zey do not melt, of course . . . zey are like 'uge statues of diamond, glittering around ze place. And ze food is seemply superb. And we 'ave choirs of wood nymphs, 'oo serenade us as we eat. We 'ave none of zis ugly armor in ze 'alls, and eef a poltergeist ever entaired into Beauxbatons, 'e would be expelled like zat."She slapped her hand onto the table dramatically. Roger was watching her talk with a very dazed look on his face, and he kept missing his mouth with his fork.
"Absolutely right," he said quickly, slapping his own hand down on the table in imitation of Fleur. "Like that. Yeah." I turned away from their conversation, it was clear it was not going to progress any farther than Fleur insulting Hogwarts, and Davies too distracted by her looks to correct her. I instead turned my attention back to Hermione and Krum. Hermione was now teaching Krum to say her name properly. He apparently kept calling her "Hermy-own."
"Her-my-oh-nee," she said slowly and clearly.
"Herm-own-ninny."
"Close enough," she said, catching my eye. I sent her a sympathetic look that she accepted with a smile. Cho and Cedric spent most of their dinner whispering quietly to each other, even while Fred and I tried to engage everyone at the table in conversation. Eventually everyone had finished their meals and Dumbledore rose to his feet. He asked everyone in the hall to do the same. Then, with a wave of his wand, all the tables zoomed along the walls leaving the floor clear. He then conjured a raised platform into existence along the right wall. A set of drums, several guitars, a lute, a cello, and some bagpipes were set upon it. The weird Sisters entered the stage, to an eruption of applause.