So, here you have it, the final chapter right before the Yule Ball. And for those who theorized it, you were right, this chapter is from Hannah's perspective. I guess I no longer need to keep you in the dark or uncertainty about who Harry invited to the ball.

HANNAH X

She was carefully arranging her dress. It had to be adjusted perfectly. No folds or any imperfection was to be seen. She carefully shopped the dress with her mother during summer, choosing a relatively simple one of very high quality, made of the best silk there was on the market, made to perfectly espouse her body. It was all black, comfortable to wear, light, very decent, covering enough of her shoulders without making it prude, and made to dance. For Hannah was planning to dance a lot tonight. She couldn't wait for the feast at the beginning of the ball to be done and to start twirling everywhere under the songs of the Weird Sisters.

"Are we done, Sally?" she asked to her friend behind who was making the final adjustments. Sally had proven herself very talented in fashion matters, to Hannah's mild surprise.

"Almost." She touched a place with her wand. "Here. Everything should be fine."

She zipped up Hannah's dress. Hannah turned to look at herself in the mirror, admiring the work. "It's perfect. Thank you, Sally. Do you want any help?"

"My dress is already all arranged. Just help me to zip it behind."

Sally put on her dress herself, and Hannah closed it behind her back. Unlike Hannah, Sally-Anne opted for a yellow dress, indicative of her belonging to Hufflepuff. Hannah found it a little too flashy, but if that was what Sally liked, she wouldn't argue with her.

They were all there, the five girls in their fourth year at Hufflepuff, preparing themselves for the ball. Susan seemed to be almost ready, but she was still currently brushing her hair, a lot more than necessary according to Hannah. Angela and Megan were putting on their shoes, ensuring they fit with their dresses. Now it was time for Hannah to take care of her hair. Again, she got Sally's help.

Usually, Hannah either let her hair fall free or arranged them into a single braid falling, sometimes behind her back, but more often than not falling over her shoulder, on her front. The latter arrangement came from the fact that when she was younger, she loved to bring her hair together into two pigtails falling on her front shoulders. Progressively, she varied her hairstyle, and complexified her pigtails to look more mature, finally only arranging them into a single one. Today, however, she wanted to try something else, something she thought would look very pretty on her.

First, she wanted for the separation in the middle of her head to not be noticeable, something which Sally put all her efforts into, although she couldn't manage to entirely hide it. Then she wanted her hair to cover her ears, instead of falling behind and before them. Finally, since she expected to dance most of the night, she didn't want her hair to fall on her chest, which often happened since she wore them relatively long. However, she didn't want to cut them either. Most of the people she asked their opinion about it said it wasn't worth cutting your hair for only one night when you could avoid it. So instead, Sally arranged her hair in such a way that they fell free, but gave them an appearance of bigger volume where they fell on her shoulders, only getting under them by a few inches.

Once her hair was taken care of, Hannah looked at the result in the mirror. She asked Sally to make one or two adjustments, and then everything was perfect. She then put a small necklace around her neck, barely visible. She smiled to herself. Yes. That was it.

She was ready. She couldn't wait to see the effect she would have on the boy she invited to the ball. And she couldn't wait to see everyone's face at seeing her with him. People would not believe it. Hannah was worked up, ready to rush. But she had to wait. There was still time before the Yule Ball was opened. And Sally needed her help for her own hair, while the others had not finished their preparations yet.

Sally mostly arranged her hair on her own, but she needed Hannah's help for some minor operations that were harder to make. The result was quite impressive in Hannah's opinion when they were done. Sally had always been timid, in a way similar to Susan but way worse. Sally never retorted or fought back, while Hannah's best friend could stand her ground when she wanted. Megan and Angela, on the other side, were not hesitant to face anyone who dared to defy them, much like Hannah, although she preferred to avoid confrontation when possible. But today, Sally was really stunning. Ernie should feel lucky for going with her to the ball.

"Okay, everyone," Hannah said all of a sudden. "I can't stay here. I'm not holding on my feet. I'm going to the common room."

And on that, she left the other girls. Anyway, they didn't need her anymore to prepare themselves. Once out of the tunnel, she was met with a vision she never thought she would get at Hogwarts. The common room of Hufflepuff was full of people dressed for the greatest moment in their lives. Refined hairstyles, necklaces, earings, hairnets, bracelets, rings, shawls, all to accompany the most sumptuous dresses she ever saw draped girls she met every day in her life. The boys were not without extreme charm either. Their hair combed, and their robe dresses making them all look handsome and dashing. None of them, though, could reach the same level as Hannah's date for tonight. She was eager to join him, but for now, she would go to see her friends. She found Ernie pretty quickly.

"Wow! Ernie! Look at you!"

He hugged the moment he saw her. "You're not bad either, Hannah! Really! You're going to stun a few guys tonight." She blushed.

"Don't make me blush already. I put on some makeup."

"Sorry. I'll leave it to your partner to make you blush all he wants."

She laughed. Ernie, of course, knew who she was going with, and he was very happy for her. The fact he was from another house mattered little to him since the first task. Megan came out of the dormitory at this moment, and Wayne went immediately to her, sharing a deep kiss with his girlfriend. Hannah envied them, though maybe by the end of tonight, she would be in a boy's arms, kissing him too. Her mind filled with dreams.

"I suppose you're eager for the Weird Sisters to play?" Ernie asked her.

"Oh, yes. I can't wait. Is Cedric here?" She wanted to see him before the ball, when he would probably be unreachable.

"He left a while go. His date is from Ravenclaw, so he had to join her in the Entrance Hall. And the champions must arrive sooner than the others."

She couldn't wait for so many things. She couldn't wait for the doors of the Great Hall to open and to see how it was arranged for the occasion. She couldn't wait to see the park outside and how the professors decorated it. She couldn't wait to hear the Weird Sisters and the other groups rumored to perform tonight. She couldn't wait to dance. She couldn't wait for an entire night of festivities. She couldn't wait to go outside and meet her date.

Her heart was beating so quickly as excitement kept growing within her chest. She felt it was about to explode. Butterflies filled her stomach. Her legs were jumpy. Her hands and arms were shaking, so hurried she was for the evening. But she remained inside the common room of Hufflepuff a little longer, to discuss further with her friends. Maybe they would get to head together to the Great Hall if she could hold.

"Are you sure I'm all fine?" Justin asked out of nowhere.

Hannah looked at him in pity. The poor boy. He was clearly not comfortable in his robes. "Wait a minute. I'm going to help you."

She loosened his robes in various places to make him look more natural and comfortable, although she needed many attempts to succeed, her hands shaking so much it was hard to get the right adjustment.

"Here. Feel better?"

"Yes. Thank you, Hannah."

She felt sorry for him. Despite his smile and looking better, and Hannah also feeling a point of excitement in Justin, she knew that the night wasn't looking as he hoped for. Well, who knew? It was Christmas, and things could take completely unexpected turns in this time. Hannah looked at the way to the dormitory. Angela and Sally-Anne were coming out now.

"Sally!" Ernie hailed her.

Hannah watched what would happen with interest.

"Hi, Ernie. Wow. You're really handsome like that."

"Thank you, Sally," he replied, not without a shade of red appearing on his cheeks. "You're quite pretty you too, tonight."

Sally furiously blushed on her side. Hannah thought of it as so cute.

"Merry Christmas," she told Ernie. "Again."

She giggled uncontrollably. Hannah didn't think she ever saw Sally like that. She looked around. Justin was still mostly alone in this large group of people.

"Hey, Justin. It's going to be a great night," she told her friend. "You'll see."

"I somehow doubt it."

"Don't be negative. This is Christmas. So smile." She encouraged him with her own smile, and he returned it. "Good. Now, promise me you're going to enjoy it."

"I promise," he said.

"You promise what?"

"I promise you that I will enjoy the ball."

Hannah was satisfied. However, she kept growing restless. She talked to a few more people, while not staying far from Justin. Finally, however, she couldn't hold back.

"I'll see you in the Great Hall, Justin, okay?" she asked him, not leaving time to respond as she walked away to the exit of the common room. He could stand here and wait for Susan. Hannah, on her side, walked through the hole in the wall and came outside in the corridor adjoined to the Entrance Hall… only to be confronted with him.

She didn't expect to see him there. She thought she would meet him in the Entrance Hall. And yet here he was, Harry Potter, waiting at the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room.

"Hi, Harry," she said, totally surprised. Harry had been pacing and did not seem to have noticed her presence before she called him.

"Oh. Hi, Hannah."

They looked at each other. She had to admit, Harry was quite… it was difficult to say. Harry was not considered particularly handsome by most girls most of the time. However, today, despite his hair still ruffled (maybe she could have asked Sally to give him a hand), he was quite handsome, wearing green dress robes that matched the color of his eyes. Harry seemed to be looking at her too. Did he find her pretty? She wondered. She had her answer in no time.

"You're… You're very beautiful." The compliment was made awkwardly, but she didn't mind. It was the intention that mattered, and it was a nice compliment anyway, no matter how it was said.

"Thank you. You're quite handsome you too."

"Thanks," he stammered. He obviously wasn't used to that kind of compliments. She smiled at him, and he embarrassingly returned it.

"So, Harry…"

"Hey, Harry. I'm here. Sorry to be late."

The voice came from behind Hannah's back. She turned to see Susan emerging from the large crowd inside the Hufflepuff common room, wearing a black dress and sounding a little out of breath.

"Okay," Harry said. "We've got to go. McGonagall said…"

"Yes, that the champions must be early. I know. So, we go?"

Harry nodded. Then he and Susan walked away, in quite a fast pace for people who were going to a ball, leaving Hannah behind without giving any attention to her.

Hannah, on her side, was stunned into place. It was as if she was Petrified. Her eyes were staring at where the pair walked away moments ago. Her mind was reeling. It struggled to understand what just happened in front of her eyes.

Did I?…Did it just?…Did it really happened?... Did I just saw what I think that I saw?

She didn't know for how long she remained there, unsure, uncertain, unable to know what to think. And then, someone bumped into her, making her do a few steps forward.

"Hannah. You're blocking the exit," Ernie told her.

But she didn't care. She swiftly turned on herself, grabbing Ernie's arm.

"Did you see it?" she asked feverishly.

"See what?" Ernie asked, grimacing, probably because she was grabbing his arm too hard, but she didn't care.

"Did you see what I just saw? Did you see the same thing that I believe I saw?"

Ernie's face was confused. "What did you see?"

To hell with that. "Follow me."

"Hey, Hannah!" Ernie cried as she dragged him by the arm.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Sally said behind, but Hannah didn't care for anything they said, neither of them.

She ran, as fast as she could, getting through the corridor leading to the Entrance Hall, not caring about her hair Sally carefully arranged or the shoes that pained her feet and legs. When they finally arrived in the Entrance Hall, it was almost already full, with people wearing all kinds of dresses and robes from all horizons. In other circumstances, she would have stopped to contemplate that vision, but there was something else she wanted to see right now, to be sure that she actually saw it. So she dragged Ernie, who complained without her caring at all, to the top of the stairs nearby to get a better view. She searched.

And she found them.

Along with Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies, Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang, Viktor Krum and another girl she didn't recognize, Hannah saw them. The short ruffled black hair and the long, smooth, brownish red hair. Even from behind, she would recognize them everywhere.

"You see them?" she asked, pointing in their direction just as they moved, resulting in their faces coming into her field of view. No doubt, this was Harry Potter and her best friend, Susan Bones, at the Yule Ball. Together.

"Wait. Are Susan and Harry coming to the ball together?" Ernie asked.

It seemed so. Everything pointed towards this hypothesis. Hannah's mind was running high. There were so many questions she was asking herself right now.

"You knew?" Ernie asked her at her side.

But she couldn't answer. Her mind was busy exploring all the ramifications, all the possible explanations to this. Hannah was used to gossips, to surprises, to huge discoveries about everyone's life. But this… This was completely different.

"Hey, Ernie, Hannah," Sally, who just caught on them, said as she approached. "Did you see the girl with Viktor Krum? Is that Hermione Granger?"

Hannah frowned deeply. No, it wasn't Hermione. It couldn't be. If it had been Hermione… but her mind went numb once more when she looked more closely at the girl accompanying Krum. She was wearing a magnificent blue robe, and she was missing the characteristic messy hair… but it was definitely Hermione Granger.

"I can't believe it," Hannah whispered. "This Yule Ball… is going to be way more interesting than I ever thought it would be."

She was so focused on what she just discovered that she didn't notice Michael Corner, her date for the night, calling for her from the other side of the Entrance Hall.

I'll admit it, I purposefully tried to mislead you. But wait for the next chapter, which will contain many, many, many things, and explain a lot.

Please review.

Next chapter: Harry (and the Yule Ball)

Also, I may be beginning a cold or influenza as I write those lines. So I may not be able to upload the Yule Ball chapter tomorrow. Sorry for that, I really wish I could be certain that I will upload it on Easter. I will get it on AO3 as soon as I can.