The spicy aroma of fresh cinnamon had stretched throughout the entire great hall for breakfast. There were large baskets full of warm croissants and small rolls of bread. The cauldrons were carrying a few different types of oatmeal. There were small bowls of fruit on the side, drizzled with a teaspoon of sugar. There were pitchers of the typical pumpkin juice and orange juice on the top of the four long wooden tables.
There were a few pitchers of warm cider on the top of the wooden tables due to the fact that the season of winter was approaching. There were kettles of warm water for tea and coffee. There was a basket of different types of teabags, laying in the middle of the long tables. There was a small pitcher of creamer off to the side. And there were bowls of sugar for the tea.
The different types of owls were flying into the entrance of the great hall, dropping letters for the students. Many of the students were sitting at the long wooden tables, grabbing various foods for their breakfast. There were a few students walking into the great hall, finding a seat next to their dearest friends. The great hall was a busy place in the early mornings.
The Patil twins were walking through the aisle of tables in the great hall, linking their arms together. They turned their heads and looked at a particular handsome boy, whispering to each other. They giggled to themselves, brushing past the famous dragon slayer with playful smiles on their faces.
"Hi Harry," Padma and Parvati said in a simultaneous motion. They brushed past the boy at the table, walking down the aisle of tables in the hall.
In response, Harry looked over his shoulder to view the two girls. He turned back around in his seat, showing no particular interest in either one of the twins. He directed his attention towards the girl sitting across from him at the table. He reached down and grabbed the gold goblet off the top of the table, bringing the drink towards his lips.
Slowly, Harry tipped his head backwards slightly to consume the beverage. He was keeping his eyes trained on her face, watching her nose scrunch. She was hiding behind a large newspaper, reading the absurd articles. She lifted her head and peered over the edge of the newspaper, catching the fourth year boy in the middle of his act.
He lowered the goblet from his lips, sending a warm smile towards her. The pumpkin juice dripped out of his mouth, landing in his lap. He looked down at himself, reaching forward to grab a napkin off the top of the table. Her lips curved into a genuine smile, pushing the newspaper in front of her face to hide the evident blush on her face.
"Did you read this?" Rose questioned, turning her head to look between her three different friends. "I can't believe it! She has done it again," she exclaimed in a tone of disbelief.
Her friend peered over her shoulder to read the newspaper clipping.
"Miss Black," Hermione said. "A plain but ambitious girl seems to be developing a taste for famous wizards. Her latest prey (sources report) is none other than a loyal bachelor: Cedric Diggory. No word yet on how Harry Potter is taking this latest emotional blow," Hermione concluded.
The black and white newspaper had a picture of the two embracing before the first task. The photograph was in the shape of a heart. The black words were surrounding the giant heart in the middle of the newspaper, sparking the interest of millions of readers.
"It's all nonsense," Rose stated. She reached up and grabbed the newspaper, crumpling it in her hands. She tossed it over her shoulder without a care in the world.
There was a young boy walking down the aisle of tables with three large packages in his grasp. He walked towards the group of fourth year students, placing the large packages on the empty bench. He handed the first package to the rightful owner.
"Parcel for you, Mr Weasley." The little boy said, handing the brown package to him.
Instantly, Ron turned around in his seat for the package. He reached up and grabbed the package from the little boy, placing it on top of the table.
"Thank you, Nigel."
Hesitantly, Nigel walked around the other side of the table with the other two packages in his hands. He placed the two packages on the empty bench, turning to address the fourth year girl.
"And these are for you," Nigel said with a proud smile on his face.
In that moment, Rose reached down and grabbed onto the two packages. She sent him a small smile of gratitude. She looked back down at the two large packages in her hands, reaching up to unravel the old string around the brown packaging.
Instantly, Nigel turned his body to look at the famous dragon slayer. A broad smile stretched across his lips, staring at the brave fourth year. The two girls turned their heads and looked at the young boy in slight confusion, clearing their throats to grab his attention.
The two boys turned their heads and looked back at the young boy, furrowing their eyebrows in confusion. However, Ron reached up and nudged the young boy in the side. He placed his hand on his chest, pushing him away from the table with a shake of his head.
"Not now, Nigel. Later. Go on," Ron whispered in a low tone of voice. He pushed the boy with his hand, hoping that he would catch the hint.
Slowly, Nigel went to walk away from the group. The three students turned their heads and looked towards the red haired boy, waiting for some sort of explanation. He lifted his head and looked between the three of them, shrugging his shoulders in defeat.
"I told him I'd get him Harry's autograph," Ron admitted in a soft tone of voice.
"That is very sweet of you, Ronald." Rose said with a smile. He only rolled his eyes in annoyance. She reached up and pushed the brown packaging away, staring down at the teal blue fabric in the package.
Meanwhile, Ron went to open the mysterious package. He pushed the packaging to the side, reaching up to take the top off the large white box. His eyes brightened at the sight of the little tag on the side of the package.
"Oh look! Mum sent me something," Ron exclaimed in an excited tone of voice. He pushed the top off the large white box, furrowing his eyebrows at the sight of the pink lace. He grabbed the brown material, pulling the long jacket out of the box.
He scrambled out of his seat, holding the long jacket in front of his chest. He looked down at the odd color fabric, furrowing his eyebrows in utter confusion.
"Mum sent me a dress," Ron breathed to himself in utter disbelief. He looked down at the odd piece of clothing, bunching up the pink lace near the top of the collar.
"Well, it does match your eyes. Is there a bonnet?" Harry asked, rummaging through the packaging. He grabbed a piece of frilly white lace, pushing it towards his friend's neck. The girls looked at each other, chuckling to themselves. But Ron scoffed to himself, rolling his eyes in annoyance.
"Nose down, Harry." Ron said with a playful smile on his face. He reached down and pushed his friend's hand away.
The long jacket was the color of maroon. The material was an old scratchy velvet, taking the resemblance of a long dress. There was pink lace around the collar and sleeves of the jacket. It was definitely a sight.
Hesitantly, Ron turned his body and walked down the aisle of tables with the jacket in his hands. He called to his little sister. He motioned to the dress, holding it out in front of him.
"Ginny," Ron said. "These must be for you."
"I'm not wearing that. It's ghastly," Ginny said with a scrunch of the nose.
The two girls looked at each other, stifling their laughter. They placed their own hands over their mouths, attempting to hide their laughter.
However, Ron could hear the two girls laughing on the other side of the table. He turned his head and walked back towards his group of friends, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. He tipped his head upwards, gesturing towards them.
"What are you two on about?" Ron wondered.
The two girls lifted their heads and looked towards the boys with broad smiles on their faces. They laughed softly.
"They're not for Ginny. They're for you," Hermione said with a small laugh. The other students at the table erupted in a loud form of laughter, huddling together to express themselves.
"If it makes you feel any better, I have my own fabric for the same occasion. I'll have to start sowing right away," Rose said. She reached down and grabbed the long piece of teal blue fabric, standing to her feet.
Then Rose grabbed the other package, tossing it towards Harry. He reached up and grabbed the brown package in his hands, staring down at it.
"What is this?" Harry asked, tilting the package on its side. He lifted his head and looked towards the girls, furrowing his eyebrows in utter confusion. The two girls looked at them with broad smiles on their faces.
"Your dress robes," Rose said most formally. The two boys turned their heads and looked at each other in utter disbelief.
"Dress robes? For what?" Ron exclaimed in a confused tone of voice.
~~~
The Gryffindor students were gathered in a large classroom for their lessons. The girls were sitting on one side of the room while the boys were sitting on the other side of the room. There was a large gap in between the two rows of students. There was a large blue gramophone to the side of the room, creating a static noise.
The head of the Gryffindor house was standing in the middle of the room with her hands in front of her. Her long back robes were draping on the floor, swishing around her body with each step. She turned her head and looked between the students, placing her chin into the air.
"The Yule Ball has been a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament since its inception. On Christmas Eve night, we and our guests gather in the great hall for a night of well-mannered frivolity." Professor McGonagall said in a loud voice.
The young ladies were sitting on the other side of the room, wearing the traditional black uniform skirts with black stockings. Their hands were placed in their laps neatly, straightening their backs in posture. The boys were slouching in their seats, spreading their legs wide out of disregard for proper mannerism. They crossed their arms over their chest, loosing interest in the lesson.
However, Rose looked across the room to study the different boys. Her eyes settled on the famous dragon slayer in the room, locking her gaze with his own. He scrambled in his seat, sitting in an upright position to impress her. Her lips tugged into a soft smile, stifling a form of laughter. He could feel the heat rising in his cheeks, tinting the color to a vibrant peach pink.
"As representatives of the host school, I expect each and every one of you to put your best foot forward. And I mean this literally, because the Yule Ball is (first and foremost) a dance." Professor McGonagall said in a simple tone of voice.
The different girls turned their heads and looked at each other with a hint of excitement in their eyes. They whispered amongst themselves, gasping at the mere thought. The boys groaned to themselves in defeat, tossing their hands into the air. They grumbled to themselves, mentally scoffing at the mere idea of a ball.
"Silence!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed, lifting her hands into the air. The students dropped into a tone of silence, directing their attention towards the professor.
The girls were thinking of all the possibilities of different colored dresses, pondering on their attire of the evening of the dance. The girls were thinking about the different boys, wondering which boy would ask them to the dance. The boys didn't seem to care as much and contemplated to find some lame excuse to skip out on the dance. The girls were ecstatic and excited. The boys were not.
"The house of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the wizard world for nearly ten centuries. I will not have you, in the course of a single evening, besmirching that name by behaving like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons." Professor McGonagall stated in a serious tone of voice.
The Weasley twins were standing behind the row of boys. They had crossed their arms over their chests, raising their eyebrows in amusement. They turned towards each other, snickering to themselves quietly over the tongue-twister.
"Try saying that five times fast, huh?" Fred whispered to his other twins. Naturally, George took up the challenge.
"Babbling bumbling band of baboons," George whispered in a quick motion. The twins went back and forth, attempting to see who would be unable to say the phrase. Each one repeated the phrase, passing it off to the other twin. The twins were able to say the phrase without any problem, nodding their heads in a synchronized manner.
Slowly, Professor McGonagall turned her head and looked over the majority of the students in the large room. She stepped forward, clearing her throat to grab the attention of the students. She placed her hands outwards in an elegant motion.
"Now, to dance is to let the body breathe. Inside every girl, a secret swan slumbers longing to burst forth and take flight." Professor McGonagall said with a proud smile on her face.
The boys were practically squirming in their seats, feeling a sense of discomfort in the room. The boys crossed their arms over their chests, mentally wondering if the lesson was ever going to end. They were only sinking further into their seats.
Out of pure boredom, Ron turned his head and looked over the majority of the girls in the room. He leaned over in his seat to whisper a few words to Seamus with a mischievous smile on his face. He chuckled softly to himself.
"Something is about to burst out of Eloise Midgen, but I don't think it's a swan." Ron whispered in a loud tone of voice. The different girls turned their heads and looked towards the boy, sending him a glare. He cleared his throat awkwardly, dropping the childish smile on his face.
"Inside every boy, a lordly lion prepared to prance." Professor McGongall said, turning her head to address the group of boys in the room. She pursed her lips together, staring down at the red haired boy. She motioned towards him with her hands. "Mr Weasley," Professor McGonagall beckoned.
"Yes?" Ron mumbled.
He lowered his head, shifting his gaze upwards in an innocent manner. He was staring at the professor with a look of discomfort on his face. She walked towards him with a smile on her face. She reached down and placed her hand on his shoulder, attempting to lure him out of his seat.
"Will you join me, please?" Professor McGonagall questioned in a soft voice.
Hesitantly, Ron stood to his feet in a reluctant manner. He walked towards the middle of the room, receiving a few cheers from the boys. The professor placed her hands in the air, looking down at her feet.
"Now, place your right hand on my waist." Professor McGonagall instructed in a serious tone of voice. She reached down and motioned to the spot on her waist, placing her other hand on the top of his shoulder. His eyes widened in utter belief.
"Where?" Ron asked.
"My waist," Professor McGonagall repeated.
He placed his hand on her waist, receiving a few wolf whistles coming from his older brothers. He turned his head and looked towards them, sending them a warning glare. However, Professor McGonagall reached down and grabbed his hand to place it back on her waist.
"And extend your arm," Professor McGonagall added.
The boys were watching the scene with broad smiles on their faces, chuckling over the sense of discomfort in the boy's eyes. The Weasley twins were looking at their younger brother with genuine smiles on their faces, wiggling their eyebrows in surprise.
On command, the caretaker reached up and placed the needle on top of the record. The cracking noise of the record echoed through the large blue gramophone, playing the soft tone of music. The music streamed through the large room, signaling the start of the dance.
"One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three." Professor McGonagall said, waltzing around the room with her little partner. The poor boy was forced to dance with the professor, moving around the room in an elegant manner. The Weasley twins were humming to themselves, mimicking the movements of the dance in the back row.
Instantly, Harry turned his head and peered around the side of the students. He motioned for the twins, watching as they walked towards him. They leaned down, looking at him with broad smiles on their faces.
"Never gonna let him forget this, are you?" Harry questioned with a grand smile on his face. The twins looked towards their younger brother, shaking their heads in denial. They chuckled softly to themselves.
"Never," the twins stated proudly. They moved back to their spot in the room, crossing their arms over their chests. They hummed to the music in a teasing sort of manner, dancing with each other around the small space at the back of the row.
"Everybody come together," Professor McGonagall said in a loud tone of voice. The girls eagerly jumped out of their seats, walking towards the front of the room. They looked over the range of boys, hoping that one of them would approach them with an invitation to dance.
The boys were cowering in their seats, hiding their faces with their hands. They fiddled with their fingers nervously. Slowly, Neville lifted his head and looked down the line of the other boys. He forced himself to stand to his feet.
Many of the boys lifted their heads to stare at him in utter disbelief. He walked across the room, approaching the group of girls with a nervous look on his face. He seemed to muster enough courage to approach Rose, staring down at his hands nervously. She tipped her head to the side, peering up at him with a smile on her face.
"W-Would you care to dance?" Neville asked, stumbling over his words.
Her lips curved into a broad smile. She felt bad for him as he must have been so nervous to approach her. She reached up and grabbed his hand, lacing her fingers with his hand. He lifted his head and looked up at her in shock. She chuckled softly to herself, pulling him towards the center of the room.
Meanwhile, Harry was sitting off to the side of the room. He watched the pair with keen eyes, staring at them with a hint of jealous in his eyes. He swallowed the heavy lump in his throat, wishing that it had been him. He wanted so desperately to be the one to dance with her.
At night, Ron and Harry walked towards their dormitories for the night. They could hear the faint sound of humming on the other side of the door, sending a wave of confusion through their bodies. They looked at each other with furrowed eyebrows, reaching up to push open the door to their shared bedroom.
In the middle of the room, Neville was dressed in his long striped pajamas. He was humming to himself, waltzing to the beat of his own tune. His hands were stretched outwards in the correct position. He was wearing a pair of newly polished black dress shoes. He jumped a little in his place, keeping his eyes closed at all times. He waltzed in the correct manner, spinning himself around the room for the grand finale.
During the daytime, Harry and Ron were walking to their next class. They walked into the entrance to the large courtyard, swallowing the heavy lumps in their throats upon seeing a bunch of pretty girls. They pushed their way through the large courtyard, walking beside each other for support.
"Why do they have to travel in packs? How are you supposed to get one on their own to ask them?" Harry asked with furrowed eyebrows.
They stopped in their steps to stare at a group of Ravenclaw girls. The young ladies turned their heads and looked towards the two boys with a look of disgust on their faces.
In response, Harry and Ron brushed past the group of girls without question. The boys breathed a small sigh of defeat, tucking their textbooks underneath their arms for security.
"Blimey, Harry. You've slayed dragons. If you can't get a date, who can?" Ron questioned.
"I think I'd take the dragon right now," Harry confessed.
There was a small group of Beauxbaton girls in their powder blue uniforms standing near them. The three girls scoffed to themselves in disgust. They walked in the opposite direction of the two boys, rolling their eyes at the mere thought.
"Why not ask Rosie?" Ron wondered. "I'm sure she'd be more than happy to go with you—."
"Are you mad?" Harry interjected. "She'd never go with the likes of me."
"And whys that?" Ron inquired.
"Because...because..." Harry struggled to find an excuse.
"Can't think of an excuse now, can you?" Ron said with a mischievous smile on his face.
"Because she deserves better than me," Harry finally said. By the tone of his voice, Ron was almost afraid to push it any further. So they dropped the subject.
Later in the day, the four children had gone down to the lakeside. Now, three of them were sitting on large rocks to oversee the grand view of the lake. The last one was standing in the short distance, talking with another student that had approached her. The other children had a textbook in their laps, reading through the lessons.
Near the shoreline, Viktor Krum was striding down the length of the lake. He was exercising, preparing for the next task. He walked around the long shoreline, throwing his knee upwards to strike his chest.
There was a large group of giggling girls trailing behind him, halting in their steps at the moment. He looked over his shoulder, mentally groaning to himself upon seeing a bunch of giddy schoolgirls.
With great hesitation, Harry turned his head to look down the length of the lake. His eyes landed on the familiar at figure of his dear friend who was still talking to some random student. Finally, Rose said her farewell and began walking back towards her group of friends. Almost instantly, Harry went back to looking at his textbook.
She flopped down beside her friends, sighing to herself in slight relief. She grabbed her bag and searched for her textbook so she could study with the rest of them.
"Who was that?" Hermione asked without lifting her head from her textbook.
"Ernie MacMillian. Hufflepuff," Rose explained briefly.
"How many is that now?" Hermione wondered with a small smile on her face.
"Four," Rose replied. She rolled her eyes.
"Any good ones?" Hermione questioned jokingly.
"None," Rose exclaimed in defeat.
Beside them, Ron tried to subtly turn his head to look at Harry sitting right next to him. But he was quickly nudged in the stomach to stop his pestering ways.
"You'll find the right one eventually," Hermione shrugged her shoulders. She honestly hoped Harry would take the hint right there and now.
"One can only hope," Rose said while looking directly at Harry. Only thing was that he didn't see her do this.