PRONGSLET AND THE OLYMPIAN ALLIANCE

Chapter Thirty-Six

Three of the four champions had arrived and shown off their dates, so Milo was waiting on Angelina to show up, wondering if Angelina would come on her own or with a date. Milo had spotted Katie and Alicia together by one of the tables talking to each other. His eyes were scanning around the Hall until Cedric nudged his arm to bring him to look over at the entrance again. 

Turning around, Milo smiled as Angelina entered wearing soft red robes and in her company was Ginny Weasley. 

"Hey!" Angelina greeted Milo and Cedric before passing them. "How long have you two been here? I hope I wasn't running too late."

"We've only been here for a few minutes or so," Cedric told her, " so I think you're safe, people are still coming in."

"Glad you could join us, Ginny," Milo said greeting the youngest Weasley. "I was wondering who you were going to bring, Angelina."

"Well, I figured I had to bring someone fun and Ginny said she would have a good time, so I figured why not?"

"Plus, I'm a great dancer," Ginny added. "Also a bonus."

There wasn't much time for them to continue talking as McGonagall made her way over to each champion to announce that they would be starting off the dance first. 

"Aww, Mum! You look beautiful!" Milo exclaimed as everyone was to witness McGonagall in red tartan robes. Everyone was staring at the arrangement of thistles on the brim of her hat before Milo glared at all of them. "Tell her she looks beautiful!"

Suddenly, everyone was throwing compliments left and right at the Professor, bringing Milo to smile as McGonagall thanked all of them and told them to follow her as they walked towards the front table where Dumbledore was smiling at them as they approached. 

As they walked along, Milo was observing the decorations, such as the frosted walls, only to notice Harry and Cho talking happily with each other. They seemed to take turns blushing back and forth whenever one of them said something. Ron seemed to be in a bit of a pouty mood even with his date talking to him, mainly as his eyes were focused on Hermione. 

Hermione was talking to Viktor, paying absolutely no mind to Ron as she walked along listening to Viktor talk about Durmstrang.

"Vell, ve have a castle also, not as big as this, nor as comfortable, I am thinking, 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!" Karkaroff called to his student. "Don't go giving away anything else, now, or your charming friend will know exactly where to find us!'

Dumbledore interjected, wondering out loud if Karkaroff didn't want any sort of company at Durmstrang for a reason, the two of them laughing but neither one of them looking like they were genuinely enjoying the joking. It was stiff laughter as Milo would call it making everyone feel quite awkward.

But Milo's attention went to Percy Weasley, who surprised him by being there. Apparently, he was standing in for Fudge as he had been promoted to his personal assistant. He was complimenting Ginny on how she looked but Milo was distracting as Cedric nudged him once more to listen to Fleur complain about Hogwarts.

"Zis is nothing," the girl said, rolling her eyes at the decor of the castle. "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 armour in ze 'alls, and eef a poltergeist ever entaired into Beauxbatons, 'e would be expelled like zat."