Chapter 7

"I can't believe it!" Ron screeched to Neville as they wildly cheered their champion.

The celebration in the dormitory continued well into the night, but the siblings and one Potter huddled safely together into the rooms far up north.

"We might as well sleep here," Edmund groused. "Say, where were you, Lu?"

Susan plopped her head onto his lap where they rested on the couch in front of a crackling fire. "Lucy got detention, can you believe it?"

"What? Our innocent Lucy?" Peter placed a shocked look upon his face but couldn't hold it for long, dissolving into laughter.

Harry checked to see if the younger girl's feelings were hurt, but was glad to see her with a manic grin.

"Yes, it was me!" She proclaimed. "I annoyed Moody during the Defense Against the Dark Arts class by asking if there had ever been a hedgehog patronus. I even made him come with me to the library to look it up. He was so furious with me, he wrote it down: No Hedgehog Patronus, Lucy! Then we sat through detention all during the first task. It was alright though. I apologized, and so did he."

The youngest sister's face fell forward in sadness. "Moody said his temper always came from his tyrannical father and weak willed mother. He wished he had someone like me around when he was growing up."

She swung her face back to Harry. "I heard you were hurt. Do you need me to heal anything?"

Peter soothed her gently, "Harry hurt his arm slightly, but Madam Pomfrey mended him right up."

Lucy nodded, "She always was good at healing even at a young age."

"She is old enough to be your grandmother, Lucy," Harry pointed out.

"We all have old souls, especially you, Peter!"

Her oldest brother ducked the pillow thrown at him by the blonde. "Hey!"

"Was that what you were asking Hermione? An amplification spell?"

Peter jerked his head towards his only brother. "You were the one to suggest not attacking. I was merely taking a page from your playbook with diplomacy."

Edmund threw a second pillow at his brother. Pretty soon it turned into a full blown pillow fight.

The boy who lived was breathless with laughter. When was the last time he experienced normalcy like this? Though the Pevensies now knew of his fame, they still treated him as an ordinary boy. The group even spoke to him of the common areas of London they were all familiar with, and simple Muggle activities.

He felt like no one outside paid any attention to him within the extraordinary group, and he couldn't be any happier.

"Susan, would you go to the Yule Ball with me," the green-eyed boy shyly proposed.

The pretty girl raised a single eyebrow. "Gladly, Harry, but as friends."

Her eyes shifted to a far off place the Pevensies often had. "I've had my fill of lipstick and boys for a lifetime, plus someone has to keep an eye out on Peter and Edmund. Wouldn't you like to attend the Ball with Ginny or Parvati?"

The wizard shook his dark mop of hair, half glad and half disappointed. He knew Susan had received many requests, but the 5th year Gryffindor had turned them all down.

"I don't need a target for You-Know-Who to fixate on. Besides, I don't think I'm ready to be dating just yet. I'd be happy to go to the Yule Ball with you, as friends."

The soft strains of music, the chattering of students as they were made up in their formal dress robes. Really, it seemed to be an excuse to hold a party on Hogwarts' grounds.

The Chosen One was prepared for a night that was not fun or enjoyable, but he had passably blundered through the opening dance thanks to the light footsteps of Susan Pevensie. Harry spied Ron failing with Padma Patil.

Lucy Pevensie was escorted on the arm of the other champion of Hogwarts. Peter and her disparate heights seemed comical, but they moved elegantly together. The diminutive Slytherin appeared to be the only first year in the entire Hall.

Edmund and Luna spoke quietly together on the outskirts. The young boy refused to dance claiming even a giant was better than him at waltzing. The third year Ravenclaw girl was glad to attend with a friend, and ecstatic at getting a closer look at her schoolmate's extraordinary aura.

"It's like stars and fireworks, Edmund!"

The elves had done a marvelous job.

"Oh they look just like kings and queens!" The students marveled at the rich material, and beautiful autumnal colors.

Several from Beauxbaton took note of the Pevensie sisters' design of their gowns. "C'est incroyable! It must be duplicated when we return!"

Moody scowled as he threw out Fred and George from the festivities.

"You idiots are going to poison three schools if you throw that Ghost Pepper powder into the punch bowl!" he roared.

The DADA professor clumped back to the benches far away from the immature teenagers.

"What am I doing here?" he groused.

"Why are you here?" a small voice spoke beside him.

He reared back, gripping his wand, but relaxed immediately to see the little girl beside him.

"Lucy! You scared me."

"Some Auror you are. You looked marvelous, by the way, dancing with Professor Sinistra."

The old man chuckled. "It was actually quite enjoyable."

Those strange eyes again. They were sad now. He hated that look on her.

"You should do things you enjoy more. Maybe get away from this place, and start again. I've heard America's nice."

He listened to her sweet words. "Perhaps, when my task here is done. I'm in too far, Lu." The magic eye roved as he licked his lips nervously.

"It's never too late. Believe me."

Moody scowled. "Get back to your brothers and sister. You have an egg to open."


Don't ask me where the elves got the material for their robes. Definitely not from pillowcases. At the Yule Ball.

Hope you're enjoying reading,
Grignard