The weeks went by, and it was now the beginning of December, and Harry still had no clue as to the egg's secret. He tried everything he could, which included: opening it randomly, saying tons of silly phrases and then opening it, and even singing. Neither of those attempts worked in any way, and the Second Task was just two months away. On Saturday though, all of the Gryffindors were to report to one of the empty classrooms for a meeting with their Head of House. Harry and Ron sat on one side of the room with the boys, while Hermione sat on the side with the girls like they were instructed to do.
Professor McGonagall was standing next to Mr. Filch and Mrs. Norris, and walked in the middle of the classroom and talked to everybody. "A very special day is coming up for all of you," she started out saying "the Yule Ball is approaching, and it is mandatory for every student in Hogwarts, and the same goes for the students of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang as well. First of all, the Yule Ball is first and foremost, a dance. The girls giggled and the boys moaned. "There will be no inappropriate dancing or intentions allowed at the Yule Ball, and anyone found doing so, will be punished severely. Now, I will need a volunteer. Ah, Mr. Ron Weasley."
Ron was red in the face, as he stood up and walked to the Head of House. "Now, Mr. Weasley, put your right hand in my left, and your left hand on my waist." Ron said out loud "Where?" Professor McGonagall repeated herself, and said "My waist, Mr. Weasley." Ron placed his hand on her upper back, but McGonagall pushed his hand towards her waist, and said "Now, Mr. Filch if you would please?" Mr. Filch then played a classical song that McGonagall walked Ron through all of the dance steps of a simple waltz.
While they were dancing, McGonagall said to everybody ""Now find a partner and dance." All of the girls got up, but the only boy to get up was Neville, who danced with Ginny. Harry thought to himself "I'm not dancing with anyone unless it's Daphne…" then McGonagall said "anyone who doesn't dance will get a weeks' worth of detention!" Harry finished his thought by saying "or unless McGonagall is going to give out detentions like that." All of the boys got up, and picked a dance partner and started waltzing. Harry was partnered with Parvati. They had to keep practicing for an hour, before McGonagall would let them leave to go to Hogsmeade, or anywhere else for that matter.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked up to the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer, while Ron complained along the way. "I can't believe we have to go to a stupid dance, or have to do a weeks' worth of detentions if we don't go. That's criminal, that is." Harry and Ron sat down at a table, while Hermione went to go get the butterbeers. "Hey Harry, do you think Hermione will go with me if I ask her?" Ron asked. Harry responded "You'll only know if you try. Do you think Daphne will go with me if I asked her?" Ron gave Harry the same answer that he gave him. Hermione came to the table two minutes later with all three of their drinks. Harry downed his butterbeer in a matter of seconds, and being the best friend that he was, left Hermione and Ron alone by saying that he needed to get something from Honeydukes.
At Honeydukes, Harry was sampling the new chocolate that they had, when Ron and Hermione came into the store holding hands. "Harry, she said yes, and then we talked for a bit more, and now we're dating." Harry was shocked at how fast the two moved. It seemed he was right for leaving them alone for awhile. Now all he had to do was the same thing with Daphne, and hope that it would turn out as well as Ron and Hermione did. Harry said "Well let me buy us all some new chocolate that the owners just ordered. It tastes amazing." Harry bought all three of them some chocolate, and they walked out of the store eating it. "Oh, there's Daphne walking into Dervish and Banges. You going to ask her to the Yule Ball Harry? Harry?" Hermione turned around, but her friend wasn't anywhere by them. He was already inside Dervish and Banges.
Harry walked up to Daphne, and said "Hello Daphne. May I ask you something?" Daphne turned around, and looked at him with her blue eyes, then asked "What may that be, Mr. Potter?" Harry was resisting the urge to get on one knee, then asked her "Will you go to the ball with me?" Daphne looked at him in shock, but her look of shock turned into a smile as she said "Of course, I will." Harry reached for her hand, and was shocked when she didn't pull her hand away. They walked out of Dervish and Banges, and headed towards the castle. Along the way, they were just talking to each other. "You know, my godfather, Sirius Black, told me about how my parents were friends with your parents. If I had known that earlier, I would've tried looking for you a bit sooner."
They talked about themselves to each other, and by the time they reached the castle, they both felt like they had known each other on a personal level. Harry walked Daphne to the Slytherin Common Room, and watched her walk away, as he headed to Gryffindor Tower with a little bounce in his step. Harry entered the Common Room, and much to his surprise, Ron and Hermione were snogging. "Erm, should I just go upstairs then?" Harry asked the pair. Ron and Hermione broke off their kiss, and looked at him with a grin on their face. "No, you don't have to go upstairs Harry." Ron said, then Hermione asked "How did things go with Daphne?"
Harry sat down on a chair opposite of the two, and explained to them about how he and Daphne were going to the ball together, and how they both knew each other on a personal level now. "Before my mum and dad died," Harry started saying "when I was one, Daphne and I would always play with each other, when we went to visit them at times." The group went down to the Great Hall for dinner, and sat at the Gryffindor Table. Harry saw Daphne at the Slytherin Table and waved at her, she waved back. They ate dinner then went back to the Common Room. The very next day, Mrs. Weasley sent Ron his dress robes, and much to Ron's dismay, it actually looked like a dress. "She cannot expect me to wear this. It looks like a dress for crying out loud!" he complained loudly.
The weeks quickly passed, and it was finally Christmas Day, and also the day of the Yule Ball. Harry and Ron had to go to the Great Hall for breakfast without Hermione, as she was getting ready for the ball. When they got to the Great Hall, it seemed like almost every girl in the school was getting ready for the Yule Ball, as there were few girls in the Great Hall for breakfast. Harry and Ron had toast, orange juice, and bacon, and once again, Sirius showed up without them expecting it. "Sirius, what are you doing here now?" Harry asked after he hugged his godfather. Sirius replied "Dumbledore asked me to chaperone the Yule Ball. It seems that there are not enough teachers to watch this many students, so they've been asking parents and guardians to chaperone."
The three men talked to each other for most of the day by the lake, and caught up in each other's business. At seven o'clock, Harry, Ron, and Sirius went to go change into their dress robes. Sirius' dress robes were elegant, and looked like they belonged to royalty. They were black and silver with the Black Family crest on it. Harry's dress robes were black and silver with a sort of elegance about him, and Ron was stuck with dress robes that have been in his family for a long time, that actually looks like a dress. Harry went to go get Daphne, while Sirius waited for Courtney at the Entrance Hall, and Ron waited for Hermione in the Gryffindor Common Room. Harry headed for the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room, and waited for Daphne. He didn't have to wait long, as she came out in a black satin dress with silver tiara on top of her head.
He walked up to her, took her hand and kissed it, then said "You look beautiful Daphne." Daphne giggled a bit, then replied "You do not look so bad yourself Harry." They hooked their arms around each other, then went to the Great Hall. McGonagall approached Harry and Daphne, and told Harry "Mr. Potter, the Triwizard Champions are to dance first with their dates." Harry nodded, and took Daphne inside the Great Hall. When they walked in, HArry noticed that in the time from after breakfast until now, the Great Hall was transformed into a winter wonderland, and it looked the music started playing, Harry placed his left hand on Daphne's waist and his right hand in her left hand. As the music started playing though, Harry's nervousness showed, as he slightly rushed the dance.
In no time at all, everybody else was joining in. Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were dancing together, Hagrid and Madame Maxime were dancing together, Draco and Pansy were dancing together, and Ron and Hermione were dancing together. While Harry was dancing with Daphne, he managed to see Neville and Ginny dancing together also. "This is fun." Harry told Daphne, and she replied "Yes it is. I bet it will become even more fun after the formal dance is over." Harry smiled at her and continued waltzing in the Great Hall. At nine o'clock p.m., the formal music stopped, and the Weird Sisters started playing 'Do The Hippogriff' to which everyone was dancing and having fun.
Harry asked Daphne "Would you like something to drink?" Daphne replied "I would love something to drink." Harry went to go get them some punch, and ran into Ron at the punch bowl. "Harry, this Yule Ball is wicked! I'm actually kind of glad that McGonagall made us go to this thing. I would've missed the Weird Sisters, even though I'd much prefer Celestina Warbeck." Harry nodded his head in agreement and said "Me too, but I've got to get back to Daphne. I'll see you later." Harry took his and Daphne's drinks back to Daphne, and gave it to her. She took one sip of it and was in heaven. "This is some really good punch." Daphne said, then Harry tasted it, and could see why she said that.
At midnight when the ball ended, Harry took Daphne out to the gardens for a moonlit walk, despite the fact that his legs were killing him from all of the dancing. "It's beautiful out tonight, but it is a bit chilly out." Daphne said. Harry being the gentlemen that he was, took of the jacket to his dress robes, and gave it to Daphne. "Here you go. This ought to keep you warm." he said. She said "Thanks." with a blush on her cheeks. "You know Daphne, there has been something that I've been meaning to ask you for awhile." Harry said. Daphne asked "What would that be?" Harry answered "Do you want to, er, go out with me?" He looked at her while she pondered this, and let out a sigh of relief when she accepted.
He walked her back to the entrance of the Slytherin Common Room, and kissed her goodnight. "I'll come by early and get you tomorrow, so we can go to breakfast together." he said. Daphne nodded, went inside of the Slytherin Common Room. Harry was walking to the Fat Lady's portrait on the Seventh Floor, until he heard Snape and Karkaroff arguin. "You know it as well as I, Severus. It grows warmer by the day!" Karkaroff said. Snape replied "I have no idea about what you are talking about, Igor." Karkaroff then reached for Snape's left arm, which Snape pulled away. "You cannot fool me Severus. You know he's becoming stronger by the day, and it's only a matter of time before he comes back." Snape then glared at Karkaroff, then said "Then you better run, Igor. After all, you sent ten of his most dangerous followers to Azkaban to protect yourself."
Karkaroff opened his mouth then closed it again, then he walked away. Snape stayed behind to make sure there weren't any students who were participating in any inappropriate behaviors. Harry continued up to the Seventh Floor, while thinking about what he just saw. "Voldemort's becoming stronger, and someone put my name in the Goblet of Fire. Are these two connected, or is this just some weird coincidence?" he thought to himself. At the Fat Lady's portrait, he told her the password "Fairy Lights" and sat on the couch waiting for Ron and Hermione.
They came back nearly forty-five minutes later, to which Harry was slowly falling asleep on the couch. "Hiya Harry, you actually waited up for us?" Ron asked. Harry's head snapped up, and he said "Who, what, huh?" He looked up and saw Ron and Hermione, then said "Yeah, I waited for you two. I need to tell you something." He first told them about how he was now dating Daphne, then about Snape and Karkaroff's encounter. Ron said "Let's talk about this more tomorrow. I'm wiped out." Hermione and Harry both agreed, as they each went to their respective dormitories, and put on their pajamas, and went to sleep.
Harry once again had the nightmare he has been having since he came back to Hogwarts, and woke up to Neville coming into the dormitory, humming waltz music. "Hey Harry. I just got in. Guess what? Me and Ginny are dating now." Harry mumbled "That's great, Neville." then fell back asleep, as he had a busy day tomorrow.