Ch 28 The Halloween Ball
The grey-haired wizard with the badly frayed cloak sat by himself at a table with his back to the wall. He dropped a few coins on the table as the short, limping witch dropped off a tall mug emitting sparks and green smoke with a grunt. She snatched up the money and walked back towards the bar in the dingy, smoke-filled tavern. His hand hovered over the vile concoction for a moment and then his eyes returned to scanning the disreputable crowd. Though his eyes kept darting around, they returned time and again to a pair of wizards on the far side of the room, barely visible through the haze that hung thick in the air.
His eyes shifted quickly as the front door opened and in stepped a witch with a dark blue robe, her hood covering most of her features in shadow. The witch looked around and then moved slowly towards him. "Is this seat taken?"
"Yeah," grunted the wizard, dismissing her with disdain.
"Where are your manners, Harry Potter?" she whispered as she pulled out the chair and sat down.
Harry's eyes snapped back to the witch, staring at her intently. While his hands rested lightly on the table, there was no sign of anxiety or surprise on his face. "Excuse me, but do I look like a half-blind boy with a lightning bolt on his forehead? I wouldn't have any more drinks if I were you, witch." Then he turned away from her again and ignored her.
"Excellently played, Potter. You're very good. But I really don't have time for this game. However, I do have something for you, as long as you promise not to stun me again."
Harry snapped his attention back to the witch at his table and looked at her closely. "It couldn't be!" his mind screamed. "He wouldn't dare come back to the wizarding world!" Harry vision shifted slightly and his fear was confirmed when he saw the brightly glowing head. As if she could read his thoughts, the witch smiled.
"Give me one reason I shouldn't stun you right now," he growled.
"I've already proven that your wizard prison can't hold me. I won't go back there again."
"Then why shouldn't I kill you right now before you assassinate somebody else?" hissed Harry as his body slowly tensed for action.
"Because you're not a cold-blooded killer like I am. You had your chance. But I didn't come here to talk about the past, I have something you might be interested in seeing."
"What are you talking about? And why on earth should I trust you? You just admitted that you're nothing but a cold-blooded killer."
"True, but that has nothing to do with my general trustworthiness. But in light of our previous encounter, let me try to explain why I want to help you now."
Harry relaxed only slightly as he saw the witch draw a deep breath and look away before continuing. "Those potions they gave me in your prison didn't completely knock me out, they kept me awake but paralyzed and unable to do anything. And they forced me to relive the experiences of my past victims. Most of them deserved death, but there were some, too many, who were innocent victims-they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time-like this young woman you see before you. I saw things from perspectives I never could have imagined…" The Yonnua's eyes returned to Harry's face. "I can never fully undo what I have done, but I…I want to try and make things better."
"How? How are you going to make things better? You can't bring those you've murdered back to life."
"No, but I can track down those who would harm others. Like myself. Like the Death Eaters. I can save the lives of future victims…"
"By killing them?" hissed Harry. "You don't have the right to act as judge and…"
"I'm a hunter, it's what I do best. Besides, we both know you can't stop me unless you kill me. And they won't keep me in Azkaban alive, I'll either escape again or they'll have to kill me. So make your choice, kill me now or sentence me to death in Azkaban. You be the judge." The witch then sat in her chair and looked at Harry, waiting for him to decide.
Harry's thoughts raced through his head. "What should I do? I can't just simply let him loose, can I? What if he killed another innocent victim? And yet Azkaban will never hold him-and he might kill somebody in his next escape. And I know what it would be like to be sentenced to Azkaban for the rest of your life and be drugged while there. And isn't he proposing to do what I do as an Auror? Don't I hunt down evil and destroy it? But can I trust him?" And then another thought struck him. "Did Dumbledore have a similar conversation with Snape years ago?" Harry looked up at the motionless witch and stared deep into her eyes before speaking. "If you want to make amends, why do it in the wizarding world? This form you have taken, she was not a witch. To the best of my knowledge, you have killed only two wizards. Most of your victims were probably Muggles. Why do you remain in the wizarding world where it is not as easy to pass yourself as a wizard? Wouldn't it be easier and safer to hunt down evil Muggles?"
The witch leaned forward and looked intently at Harry. "It would be easier in the Muggle world. But I have a terrible debt to repay, one that can never be fully satisfied. And some of the greatest dangers to the Muggle world lie in the wizarding world. If I can help eliminate some of those dangers, perhaps the burden I carry will grow lighter. If not, the loss of my life is of no great consequence."
Harry just sat and watched her closely, thinking.
"If it made you feel any better, I would give you a wizard's oath not to kill anybody except in self-defense."
"Except that you're not really a wizard. Or a witch in this case."
"Understand this, Potter, for me to be effective, I need information. And I cannot extract information from a corpse."
"But I thought…"
"The mind drain is exhausting, but not necessary lethal. But we Yonnua have never had a reason to allow a victim to survive before. Once I have the information I need from those I stalk, I will turn them over to your justice system, if that makes you feel better."
"It would," sighed Harry as he sat back, having made his decision. "But why did you want to see me? Surely it wasn't just to tell me all this. And how did you find me here in Knockturn Alley?"
The witch chuckled. "Normally a good spy doesn't reveal their secrets, but I'll make an exception this once. I overheard you and your mentor talking during one of your drills in the Forbidden Forest. As for why I wanted to see you, here, have a look at these records later." Harry felt a small, thick book brush his knee. Watching the room, he quickly slipped a hand under the table and grabbed it, placing it quickly into an inner pocket of his cloak.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Fudge was a fool, but an occasionally clever fool-the worst kind. He chose the wrong friends, but he kept a very careful eye on where the money from these friends went. I imagine the new Minister would like to have a look at some of those records-it might help him weed out a number of hidden enemies from both the Ministry and the Wizengamot."
Harry's eyes widened. "Where did you get this?"
"From where Fudge himself had kept it in the hidden shelf in his library, of course. Remember Potter, information is one of the most powerful weapons of all. You know," she continued, pointing at the foaming, sparking mug, "it's tough to keep your wits about you drinking that stuff. Besides, that one looks like it would burn a hole right through your stomach."
Harry smiled and replied, "That's why I changed it to pumpkin juice."
The witch cracked another smile and finished. "Now I must be going." The witch stood to leave, then leaned back down and whispered, "Goodbye, Potter. And thank you for giving me a second chance." Then she turned and left.
Harry watched her leave, then glanced to the table he had been watching earlier. He knew they were already gone, he could no longer hear them conversing in his magical earpiece. He knew Hunt would be upset with him-he was supposed to be listening and learning how to find information from hostile sources. But if the information the Yonnua had given him was any good, he figured Hunt might overlook it this time. He waited another twenty minutes before leaving to rendezvous with Hunt, replaying the entire conversation with the Yonnua in his head and praying that he had made the right decision.
--
Later that evening, Harry sat across from Dumbledore in his office and finished his story. "And so I just let her walk out." He paused and then added. "Here's the book she left me. Samuel and I already checked it for trap spells-its clean." Harry got up and set the book lightly on Dumbledore's desk, then sat back down, waiting for Dumbledore to speak.
Dumbledore watched Harry thoughtfully over his steepled fingers. "I wish I could tell you that this was the correct decision and that all will turn out well as a result. However, I do not have Professor Trelawney's gift of predicting the future. Nevertheless, from what you have told me, this Yonnua has undergone a remarkable transformation. Showing mercy and sparing an enemy's life is always a noble act, and sometimes even brings about positive results we never imagined. Such has proven to be the case with Professor Snape. Hopefully it will turn out to be the case with this Yonnua. Only time will tell."
"But what if she kills another innocent person when I could have prevented it? Their blood will be on my head."
"Harry, you cannot control the actions of all those around you, nor accept responsibility for all the consequences of their behavior. Life is so much more complex than that. Consider this: are you sure you could have captured her before she harmed or killed someone in the pub? Or if you did capture her, would you then be responsible if she escaped again and killed some guards in the process this time? You cannot burden yourself with that much responsibility, Harry. You did the best you could in a difficult situation-I would have followed the same course had I been there instead of you."
"That helps, Professor. Thanks."
"Have you looked at this book, Harry?"
"Briefly-I recognized a few names. Hunt and I were more worried about making sure it wouldn't blow up in our faces or portkey us somewhere nasty."
"Yes, yes, I can imagine," chuckled Dumbledore. "Ahh, this is very interesting," he continued as he flipped through a few pages. "Arthur will be very interested in looking at this as well, I imagine. Yes, this book should keep both Arthur and Madame Bones very busy for the next several months weeding out the bribed and the traitorous within the Ministry of Magic and the Wizengamot, if these accounts are true and can be verified. Do you mind if I pass this along?"
"That's why I brought it-I figured you and Arthur would get more use out of it than I would." Harry rose to leave. "Thanks again, Professor."
"I am always here for you, Harry, anytime you need to talk."
--
Harry found Hermione in the library looking at old newspapers and recounted the day's events. To his surprise, she was as open minded as Dumbledore about the Yonnua' s apparent change of heart, despite its vicious attack on her.
"Of course its acts were evil, but I'm not sure it was. From what Hunt and you have told me, it doesn't sound like the Yonnua really thought much about what they did. It sounds like most of them live in a very simple but brutal world of Darwinian struggle where only the most powerful and ruthless survive. Now I'm not trying to justify what they did, but if they had no real conception of morals, of the difference between right and wrong, then we can't hold them to the same standards we hold."
"Hermione, you can't worry about whether something attacking you is aware of the finer distinctions between right and wrong-not when lives are on the line. If you have a vampire trying to kill you, you have to destroy it if you can."
"I'm not saying you should Harry. But you can't really compare the Yonnua and vampires. They're different. Vampires at least have some concept of what is right and wrong having been human once. From what you've said, I'm not sure the Yonnua have any idea of right and wrong. Both have free will to make their own choices, though both have difficulty making good choices-vampires because of their need for blood and the Yonnua because of their apparent lack of knowledge about morality and ethics. There are spells that can help reduce a vampire's attraction to human blood and therefore gain better control over their actions, but some refuse to use them-like werewolves who skip their potions. What I'm saying is that if she really has changed, if she really has gained some sort of understanding about right and wrong, then this is a huge step. If she has truly changed, then there might be hope for the other Yonnua as well."
"You're not going to organize a support group or something for the Yonnua, are you?" joked Harry lightly.
Hermione chuckled good naturedly. "Of course not, that's completely different from the issue of house elves' rights. But think about it, she might be able to provide a lot of help tracking down evil wizards."
"We'll see I guess. If she can help and if she has really changed." Then he looked at the stacks of newspapers in front of Hermione. "Why are you looking at these newspapers? There's nothing about Atlantis in them is there?"
"No, but remember when you told me about Artemis Dumbledore?"
"Yeah, did you find something?"
"Read this," she suggested, and pushed one of the papers over to him to read.
"In a tragic accident last week still under investigation by Aurors, Artemis Dumbledore died when her cottage burnt down. The actual cause of death has not yet been determined, and foul play is suspected because of the mysterious nature of the fire, and because her husband, Albus Dumbledore, has made many enemies in his efforts to rally wizards to defeat the Dark Wizard Grindelwald. Private services will be held later this week. She is survived by her husband of two years, Albus Dumbledore, her mother, Olivia McGonagall, and her younger sister Minerva McGonagall."
Harry looked up at Hermione in complete shock. "Dumbledore was married? To McGonagall's older sister? Whoa…Dumbledore married McGonagall's older sister…wow…"
"Harry, you're repeating yourself."
"Yeah, but wow. Dumbledore married. And she died before he defeated Grindelwald." He looked up sharply at Hermione. "No wonder he wanted to make sure that I wanted to be an Auror before he gave me the sword. He lost his wife while he was fighting against Grindelwald."
Harry and Hermione sat quietly, holding hands and thinking somberly about the sad events of nearly half a century before. He glanced at the heart shaped pendant hanging around her neck and spoke softly. "I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you Mione. I think I would completely lose it. I don't think I could…"
"Shhh, Harry. Nothing is going to happen to either of us," whispered Hermione in a soothing tone.
"Predicting the future now, are we? I thought you always claimed that Divination was complete rubbish," teased Harry.
Hermione chuckled lightly. "Look, Harry, we've had more than our share of dangers in our years together here at Hogwarts. And no doubt there will be more for us in the future. But I know that no matter what happens to either of us, nothing will ever come between us. You will always be there for me, and I will always be there for you, no matter what. And when the time comes for one of us to embark on the next great adventure, as Dumbledore describes it, that doesn't mean that's the end of us. You should know better than anyone else that love is stronger than death," she grasped his hands and squeezed them tightly. "Harry, my love for you will last throughout this life and into the next, just like your parents' love for each other and for you."
Harry simply nodded, unable to force any words out of his mouth past the lump in his throat that emerged as he thought about his parents and Sirius. It was easy for Hermione to say that, she had spent most of her life surrounded by loving family and friends. Harry had only known people who loved him for several years and he simply couldn't bear the thought of losing any more of them than he already had. To try and change the mood, Harry asked how her research on Atlantis was going.
Hermione replied, slightly confused. "What? Oh. I'm afraid there's not much more I can do here. I've read everything in our library, and just about everything Madame Pince has been able to borrow from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. And I'm still not much closer to finding any answers than we were when we began."
Harry's eyes widened in wonder. "Are you sure this is such a good idea to be continuing? I mean Corlyn seemed a bit shady to begin with, and now we know that one of the people he sent to watch over us is a vampire. One who's already killed several people."
"And who also saved my life. I know, Harry. But I've given this a lot of thought. Even if Corlyn remains suspicious, it doesn't mean that the quest itself is a bad idea. We could still prevent serious problems by finding these artifacts from Atlantis before anyone else."
"So what's the next step? Where do we go from here?"
"Well, the Quidditch team is set to play its first match at Beauxbaton's next month, right?"
"Yeah, but I don't see…"
"Well, I've read most of the material they can send here. But they might have some more materials that they can't send, that they keep in a special archive. And the Wizarding University is nearby-I'm sure they would have some important sources I could look at. I figure we can get permission from Dumbledore to go a few days early or stay an extra few days after the Quidditch match that weekend to do some research."
"That sounds like an excellent idea. Get a few days out of school in the French countryside, maybe go and…"
"Harry. If we go, we will be in the library doing research."
"Oh! Of course, Mione. I wouldn't think of planning anything fun," mocked Harry and the he laughed as Hermione reached over and tried to punch him, which earned them both stern looks from Madame Pince, even though they were the only ones in the library.
"Come on, let's head back. It's been a long day and I'm feeling pretty tired. And Ron's scheduled an early practice in the morning," he said, pulling her up.
"Poor Harry," teased Hermione as she gathered up her books.
--
Harry stood on the edge of the Quidditch pitch and looked at the stadium in amazement. He could have sworn that half of the school was there, sitting in the stands.
"Alright, stop gawking! Let's get in the air. I don't have much time to whip you lot into shape for our first match against Beauxbatons!" roared Ron, stepping onto the field. "And some of you need a lot of work!" he added, glaring at Malfoy and the two Slytherin beaters.
Ron had been allowed considerable input, but several Slytherin members had been added over his specific objections, as he reminded the Gryffindor students every day in the Common Room. The Hogwart's team consisted of Ron as captain and Keeper, the Ravenclaw backup Keeper, Ginny, Gabrielle, and a boy from Hufflepuff as Chasers, with Amelia Smythe from Gryffindor as backup Chaser, the two Slytherin Beaters and a backup Beater from Hufflepuff, and Harry as the Seeker, with Malfoy as his backup.
Three hours later, Harry was tired, sore, and chilled to the bone, along with most of the team. He ignored Malfoy's loud complaints about the practice, and waited with Ron and Ginny for Hermione to catch up.
Her cheeks pink with cold but her eyes glittering merrily, Hermione observed, "You know, if you guys spend half as much energy flying against the other teams as you do fighting amongst yourselves, you should win this tournament pretty easily."
"As always, thank you for your profound insights, Hermione," bristled Ron.
Harry raised an eyebrow and looked at Hermione, but he really didn't have the energy to get involved.
"So, Hermione," interjected Ginny smoothly, "do you have an outfit picked out yet for the Halloween Masquerade Ball?"
"Well, I have a few ideas, but since I haven't been officially asked out yet by anyone, I don't even know if I am going to go. What about you?"
"Oh, yes. My date officially asked me last week and we're going to go as…"
Ron had stopped in shock, as had Harry. They watched in silence as the two girls walk off to the castle together, still chatting. Then they turned to each other and spoke simultaneously.
"Who thinks they're taking my little sister to the dance?!?"
"What does she mean I haven't officially asked her?!?"
Again at the same time, they asked each other a new question.
"Do you know who's taking my sister?"
"Do you know what she means by officially asking her?"
Ron and Harry looked at each other and started laughing. "You first," chuckled Harry.
"Do you know who's taking my sister to the dance?"
"Sorry, mate, not a clue. Neville maybe?
"Neville?! But he already took her to a dance. And he only asked her because Hermione turned him down. Why would he want to ask her again?"
"Hey, I don't know for sure. That was just a guess. But I would probably keep your thoughts about it to yourself, at least around Ginny. You say stuff like that to her face and she might hex you into next week, Ron. Anyways, what's this stuff about officially asking people supposed to mean?"
"Well, have you actually said to Hermione-Would you like to go to the Halloween Masquerade Ball with me?"
"Well, no. I just thought that since we're already a couple that we'd automatically…"
"Well, don't assume anything, Harry. From what I can tell, girls still like to be asked to these sorts of things."
Harry snorted. "So you're an expert now, eh? Tell me, who have you officially asked to the ball?"
"Nobody. I'm going stag. That way I'm not tied down to just one girl and I keep all of my options open."
"So most of the girls are still upset about you snogging Padma, Lavender, and Jennile the same night? Nobody wants to go with you, huh?" joked Harry.
Ron glared at Harry for a moment before replying. "Well, some are still a little upset about that. But in case you didn't notice, there were more than a few girls watching our practice today who would go to the dance with me in a heartbeat if I asked them. But the way I see it, why reward one girl's wishes, and crush the dreams of all the rest? This way, there's plenty of me to go around."
"Yeah, just keep telling yourself that Ron."
"I'm really not in the mood for a lecture, Harry," retorted Ron, his temper rising.
"And I really can't understand how you can keep justifying to yourself that it's perfectly OK to treat girls this way." As Ron started to respond, Harry raised his hands. "But I'm done wasting my breath on it."
"Good."
"Fine."
They continued in silence for a minute and then Ron asked Harry, "So, how do you think our Chasers are doing?"
"They're doing well-they're really fast, but I think it will take a few more practices for them to get used to flying together. And I hate to say this, but I seriously think you ought to consider giving Malfoy some time at Chaser."
"Are you out of your mind?! They made me take that worthless…"
"Yes, everyone in Gryffindor is well aware of that fact Ron. But he is the best flier on the team after me, you, and Gin. He doesn't do us any good sitting on the bench."
"Well, I feel pretty good watching him sit and squirm on the bench, muttering and complaining."
"What I meant is that he doesn't help us win by sitting on the bench."
"Well, I'm the captain and…"
"And you asked me for my opinion. And I gave it. Do what you want, I need to talk to Hermione."
As Harry walked off, Ron shouted after him. "Try taking her some flowers, Harry."
--
As Harry sat in the Common Room with Neville, Seamus, and several of the other Gryffindors, waiting for their dates to come down, he kept fidgeting with the collar of the costume Hermione had picked out. Actually, it wasn't a costume at all, it was a replica of an Auror's dress uniform, complete with ceremonial dress cloak. Hermione had insisted he would look dashing in it, he simply felt overdressed. And the mask he had to wear with it rubbed his nose and looked rather silly he thought. But when he'd seen the other boys with their masks, he felt better-they didn't seem any happier with their costumes either. They were in the midst of a discussion arguing over who had the worst costume when they heard footsteps on the stairs. When Harry looked up, his heart skipped a beat. He saw several beautiful girls in a variety of costumes, including a princess with bright red hair, but the one that truly stood out to him was the chestnut-haired girl dressed as a fairy with gossamer wings in a flowing blue dress. At his look, she stopped on one of the landings and gave a little curtsy.
"Cat got your tongue, Harry?" asked a playful voice.
"Wow, Hermione. You look amazing tonight. I can't describe how beautiful you look tonight. I…wow!"
"Thank you, Harry. I'm glad you finally decided to ask me."
"I'm glad you accepted an invitation from a dim-witted wizard like myself."
She smiled and finished descending the stairs, hooked her arm through his, and let him lead them to the Great Hall behind the other couples. When they stepped through the double doors to the Great Hall, Harry and the others looked around the Hall in amazement. The Hall had been expanded and was filled with beautiful paintings, large marble statues, and enormous gilded mirrors everywhere. There was a bubbling fountain set in the center of the room, with small brooks flowing from it through beautiful gardens along pebbled paths. There were various elevated patios and clear patches of grass on which to visit or dance with nearby benches and tables loaded with food. At the far edge of the Hall was a band playing music while students chatted in small groups or danced in pairs.
Harry and Hermione visited for a while with Neville and Ginny, and then wandered off by themselves to look at the statues and paintings. After visiting with several other couples they bumped into around the magically transformed room, they found a small table and Harry brought over several glasses of punch. They laughed and chatted and were later joined by Neville and Ginny again. They tried to guess the identities of their disguised classmates scattered throughout the Hall before Harry leaned over and asked Hermione to dance.
"I thought you'd never ask," she laughed, half teasingly as he took her by the hand and led her from the table. They found a smoothly tiled patio and moved closer to each other. After Harry led her through a series of intricate spins and dips flawlessly, Hermione gasped in surprise.
"Harry, where did you learn to dance so well? I could have sworn you had two left feet three years ago at the Yule Ball."
"You were watching, huh? I thought you had a date for that one," teased Harry.
"He couldn't pronounce my name, Harry. So who taught you to dance?"
"Um, Ginny," coughed Harry in a low voice.
"Who?"
"Uhh, Ginny. She's been teaching me a few dance steps over the past couple of weeks."
"So you've been sneaking off with Weasley behind my back, have you? I see it wasn't Gabrielle I had to worry about all along-it was that scheming little redhead!"
"No, Mione! It wasn't anything like that. You know that…"
"I know, Harry," laughed Hermione. "But you should have seen your face just then…" Hermione then burst into giggles and leaned her head against Harry's chest, trying to muffle her laughter.
"You know, you really shouldn't play mind games with me like that, Mione. You're going to give me a heart attack one of these days."
"I know, I'm sorry. I shouldn't tease you like that." She then gave him a quick peck on the cheek and laid her head on his shoulder. Harry wrapped his arms around her waist as the band started a new song. Their bodies swayed softly as one to the music as the words of the song floated through the hall.
Would you dance if I asked you to dance?
Would you run and never look back?
Would you cry if you saw me cryin'?
And would you save my soul tonight?
Harry could feel Hermione's soft breath on his neck as he hugged her closer.
Would you tremble if I touched your lips?
Would you laugh?
Oh please tell me this.
Hermione pulled back slightly and lifted her jaw slightly so that she could kiss him very tenderly on the lips.
Now would you die for the one you loved?
Hold me in your arms tonight.
Harry leaned his forehead against Hermione's as tears welled from his eyes, and then fell to mix with the tears falling down Hermione's cheeks.
I can be your hero, baby
I can kiss away the pain
I will stand by you forever
You can take my breath away
Hermione tilted her chin up again and looked deep into Harry's emerald eyes as both her hands brushed the sides of his cheeks softly and then gently pulled his face closer to her lips.
Would you swear that you'll always be mine?
Or would you lie?
Would you run and hide?
Am I in too deep?
Have I lost my mind?
I don't care, you're here tonight.
Harry slid one hand up her back where it got tangled in her hair at the base of her neck as he returned her kiss.
I can be your hero, baby
I can kiss away the pain
I will stand by you forever
You can take my breath away
As the world around them faded, they were snapped back to reality by a loud "Hem, hem!" Startled, they jumped apart and looked around. About ten feet away on a patch of closely trimmed grass, with her arms wrapped around Neville's waist, stood Ginny with a huge grin. Harry's deadly glare and Hermione's fierce scowl only widened her grin. "Wouldn't want Snape docking points from Gryffindor because of you two," she teased. Neville whispered something in her ear and she turned back towards him and resumed dancing. Harry and Hermione decided to ignore her and moved back together. He laid his cheek next to Hermione's as she rested her face in the crook of his neck and once again they swayed softly to the music.
Oh, I just want to hold you
I just want to hold you, oh yeah
Am I in too deep?
Have I lost my mind?
Well, I don't care, you're here tonight.
I can kiss away the pain
I will stand by you forever…
The last two verses held special meaning to the young couple dancing softly in each others arms and echoed the feelings they felt for each other. As the music slowly died away, Harry and Hermione slowly, reluctantly, broke apart and they headed back to their table for a cool drink. A few minutes later, they were joined by Ginny and Neville.
With a wide grin, Harry looked at the two and asked, "So, anything you two would like to tell us? Gin? Neville?"
Ginny laughed while Neville's cheeks turned slightly pink, but he didn't look away. Instead, he just smiled.
Harry chuckled. "I assume neither Ron or the twins knows anything about this…" At Ginny's sharp look, he continued, "Don't worry, I'm not going to tell them. Speaking of Ron, has anyone seen him? He was going to come by himself tonight."
With a derisive snort and a toss of her head, Ginny indicated a group of nine or ten boys across the Hall circled around a girl with long, silvery hair. Harry looked over and muttered, "Don't tell me…"
"Oh yeah. Ron, along with those other gits have been fawning over the French veela for the last hour or so. They're all making fools of themselves trying to impress her. It's pretty disgusting actually. But enough about Ron. Come on Neville, I want to go say hello to a few other friends-that is, if we can safely leave the two of you alone together," she teased.
"I wouldn't worry about us, Gin," replied Hermione. "But I will be keeping an eye out for the two of you when I do my rounds from now on," she threatened with a laugh. Again Neville blushed slightly while Ginny merely smiled at the challenge.
After they left, Harry remarked, "Who would have thought the two of them would ever get together?"
"Oh, I don't know, Harry. I think they're really good for each other. They balance each other very well. You might not really have noticed over the last year and a half, but Neville has been really different ever since we went to the Department of Mysteries after… Well, he changed a lot after that. I think part of it was the new wand he got that allowed him to improve his spellcasting immensely, but there's also a quiet strength about him that has emerged. And he seems even more confident and sure of himself with Ginny around. Plus I think he might help ground her a bit, help rein in some of her Weasley impulsiveness."
"Hmmm," commented Harry thoughtfully as he watched them walk off before looking back to the group where he noticed Ron talking to Gabrielle. A few moments later he watched her laugh at something, nod her head, and then lead him towards the front doors of the Great Hall. Harry slowly shook his head in disappointment.
As the dance was ending and Harry and Hermione were helping clean up, Professor McGonagall walked up to them. "Miss Granger, I hate to ask an additional favor considering how much work you have already put into this Ball, but I was hoping you would be able to help with rounds tonight. I suspect we might have more than our usual number of students out wandering around after hours tonight. Perhaps Mr. Potter could help you round up the students and make sure they get back to their rooms…"
"Of course Professor, it's not a problem."
"Sure. Mione and I were just about ready to head up to the Astronomy Tower anyways…" grinned Harry cheekily despite McGonagall's glare and Hermione's amused frown.
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that, Mr. Potter. And thank you Miss Granger."
"Funny, Potter," smirked Hermione's voice as McGonagall walked away.
Harry pulled the Marauder's Map out of his pouch as they left the other prefects and Professors to finish cleaning up the Great Hall. They decided to start at the Astronomy Tower because judging by the number of dots on the map, that was where the largest number of students were to be found engaged in various post-dance activities.
Two hours later, they collapsed on the couch in front of the fireplace in the Gryffindor Common room.
"I cannot believe there are that many broom closets in this castle," muttered Harry tiredly. "And we must have kicked that pair of Slytherins out of at least two different closets on each floor."
"Don't remind me. And don't forget the pair that snuck into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. I can't imagine their shock when she brought Peeves and the Bloody Baron in to say hello," laughed Hermione.
"I'm just glad we didn't find Ginny and Neville anywhere-that would have been just too…uhh"
"Exactly," finished Hermione with a yawn. "Well, I think I'm ready for bed. Good night." Hermione rose and gave Harry a quick peck on the cheek.
Relaxing in the couch in front of the dying fire, Harry watched the dancing flames for a few minutes. He then stood, stretched his back, and walked to one of the windows and looked out at the full moon riding high in the night sky. The several inches of snow that had fallen earlier that night reflected the moonlight with sparkling brilliance as he gazed out thoughtfully. "I hope you're doing OK tonight, Remus. There's got to be a cure for you out there somewhere."
Then he turned slowly and walked upstairs to his room. Silently, he opened the door and stepped in. He was halfway to his bed when he froze, realizing something was wrong. He listened intently, trying to figure out what it was. He could hear Seamus muttering in his sleep, Dean's deep breathing, and Neville doing that weird whistling through his nose he always did. But he couldn't hear Ron snoring. He walked over quickly to Ron's bed and pulled back the curtains. Seeing nothing but an empty bed, he swore under his breath.
He sat down and pulled the curtains around him and pulled out his wand and the Marauder's Map. "Lumos. I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good. Where are you Ron?" he muttered as he folded and refolded the map, scanning it thoroughly. Not finding Ron inside the castle, Harry began looking at the grounds and paused when he saw a dot about halfway between the castle and the Forbidden Forest. Then he realized it wasn't moving. He leaped to his feet amidst several complaints from his roommates about the bright light and put the map back in his pouch. Then he disappeared.
"Hermione! Are you awake?!"
"Yes, but I was just about to-what's wrong?"
"Tell Pomfrey, Dumbledore, and Hunt to meet me in the infirmary as soon as they can…"
"Are you OK? Are you hurt?"
"Yes, no, I'm fine. And tell Fleur to come, she'll want to know."
"Fleur? Why? Who's hurt Harry?"
"It's Gabrielle. She's freezing, she's rambling incoherently, and she's covered in blood."
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Next Chapter: Things That Go Bump in the Night
***Author's Note: The lyrics I used are from the song titled Hero, sung by Enrique Iglesias.
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