The Big Dipper

The Patronus

The start of December brought wind and sleet to Hogwarts. Drafty though the castle always was in winter, Ursula was glad of its fires and thick walls, and particularly grateful for the extra blankets that appeared in the Slytherin dorms. The Durmstrang ship and Beauxbatons carriage looked chilly, though Ursula supposed they were likely enchanted. Hagrid, she noticed, was keeping Madame Maxime's horses well provided with their preferred drink of single-malt whiskey; the fumes were distracting to the Care of Magical Creatures class. This was unhelpful, as they were still tending the horrible skrewts and needed their wits about them.

"I'm not sure whether they hibernate or not," Hagrid told the shivering class in the windy pumpkin patch next lesson. "Thought we'd jus' try an' see if they fancied a kip... we'll jus' settle 'em down in these boxes..."

There were now only ten skrewts left; apparently their desire to kill one another had not been exercised out of them. Each of them was now approaching six feet in length. They had thick gray armor now, as well as powerful, scuttling legs, fire-blasting ends, and stings or suckers. The class looked dispiritedly at the enormous boxes Hagrid had brought out, all lined with pillows and fluffy blankets.

"We'll jus' lead 'em in here," Hagrid said, "an' put the lids on, and we'll see what happens."

But the skrewts, it transpired, did not hibernate, and did not appreciate being forced into pillow-lined boxes and nailed in. Hagrid was soon yelling, "Don' panic, now, don' panic!" while the skrewts rampaged around the pumpkin patch, now strewn with the smoldering wreckage of the boxes.

The sixth years ended up going after the skrewts one at a time, stopping them with spells and leashes and whatever they could. There were more than a few burns and cuts between them as they tied up the last of the ten skrewts. Ursula took off her gloves, wiping her sweaty face.

"I'll leave 'em to the fourth years from now on," said Hagrid. "I think it's time I showed yeh something new."

Ursula and the others couldn't pretend that they weren't relieved. Along with an increase in festive cheer, December also brought the announcement of the separate task that Ursula and her friends had gotten a great deal of amusement out of through gently teasing Lilian.

Professor Snape gathered the Slytherins in the common room before dinner, making it much more crowded than usual. The older students had staked their claim to the comfortable furniture, with Cassius quite happily combining intimidation and his prefect powers to make a couple of second years move, so Ursula and Lilian sat on either side of him on one of the couches, with Adrian in an armchair and Vanessa perched on the arm of the couch. The students murmured excitedly among themselves, as few of them knew what the special event was.

"Silence," said Professor Snape, lip curled contemptuously, and all chatter ceased at once. "The Yule Ball is approaching. It is a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament. It is also an opportunity to... socialize... with our foreign guests."

Lilian suppressed a giggle at Professor Snape's obvious displeasure for the whole event.

"Only fourth years and above are allowed to attend," continued Professor Snape. "Although you may invite a younger student if you wish."

An outbreak of giggling cropped up among the younger students. Professor Snape glared them back into silence.

"Dress robes will be worn," he said, "and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. However —"

He sent another fierce glare around the room.

"— standards of behavior, particularly those expected of Slytherin house, must be upheld," finished Professor Snape. "That is all."