Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Harry Potter, or HBP would have been different!
A/N: This is my response to an old challenge, "The Second Task: Your take" by Aurabolt. Seeing GoF movie gave me good ideas for this one. I'm starting from First Task, though, leaving it as in the book, but rewriting it in my way. Not really necessary, but I thought it would be nice. Please, if you read, leave me a comment, it makes my day! Oh, you may find a mixture of book and movie in some parts…that's because I tried to insert in the way the book tells the things some scenes I loved from the movie!! There's an another version of this, that does not meet the requirements, so I've posted it as a one shot. It is called "The Yule Ball - Alternative Take". If you're interested, please read and review that too!
The Yule Ball
Once within the castle walls, they went straight to the Gryffindor common room to rest a bit, then they met with Hermione.
Harry had decided to tell Sirius all about the first task, so he had written a really long letter in which every detail of him against the Horntail was described. After a long walk they reached the Owlery, and there Harry, with Ron's help managed to attach the letter to the owl Sirius had sent him.
Then they let him fly away, while walking back to the common room.
"I guess Fred and George have snatched enough food from the kitchens by now, the party for you should be ready" Ron said to Harry.
Hermione was on their tow, still a bit sceptical about Harry's chances of winning the tournament, not because she thought he was not capable, but because she seriously doubted the other two tasks would be less risky, while Ron was sure of that.
So they finally entered the common room just to find it full of people, food and drinks, pumpkin juice, Butterbeer, sweets and so on.
Fred and George had done a great job.
While there, Harry tried opening the egg, but only a strangled noise came out, something not understandable, that kept all wondering what he would have to face in the next task. But it was soon forgotten, and everyone had fun that night.
During the party, the twins mentioned how disposed the Elves were in giving them all those things, and that gave Hermione a great idea.
"So, how do you enter there?" she asked nonchalantly.
"There's an hidden door behind a painting of a fruit bowl. You tickle the pear and the knob appears and…hey, why are you asking?" Fred said suspiciously.
"Nothing, mere curiosity" she replied.
Days later, Ron and Harry could not find her, till she arrived at full speed and dragged them back with her.
They reached the painting, and revealed the door, then entered.
There, Dobby was, and greeted Harry enthusiastically.
So the House Elf told them how he got hired there, with Winky too. But while Dobby wanted a wage, the other Elves resented that. Hermione hoped they would soon see Dobby was right.
After all, she was the founder of S.P.E.W….
Days later, during one Transfiguration lesson, Harry and Ron were playing to make time pass, when Professor McGonagall scolded them.
"Potter! Weasley! Will you be attentive, please?" she said coldly.
Harry and Ron wondered what was so important to be heard. After all the lesson was almost finished, they ahd done all what she had requested…however, they started listening all the same.
"Now that Potter and Weasley are behaving like their age needs," McGonagall said with a cold stare to them, "there's something important you need to know. The Yule Ball is nearing, a traditional event in the Triwizard Tournament, a chance to socialize with our foreign guests. Only students from fourth year to seventh can go, but you can invite someone younger if you want. You've got to wear robes for the occasion, and girls will be allowed to wear their hair down. But that doesn't mean the other rules can be broken. Gryffindor house has a long tradition and I won't allow you to disrupt it in one night. Now, class is dismissed"
Everyone started going away.
"Potter, I need a word with you" the professor said.
So he walked toward her desk.
"Potter, the Champions and their dates…"
"What dates?"
"The dates for the Ball, Potter. Your dates for the dances"
"I'm not dancing" Harry said.
"Oh, you are instead. I'm telling you. As a tradition, the Ball is opened by the Champions and their dates"
"I'm not dancing" Harry said stubbornly.
"It's the tradition, and you'll honour that. You are a Champion of Hogwarts and you'll do what's requested of you. So, find yourself a date, Potter"
"But...I…"
"You've heard me, Potter"
Days passed, but Harry had not invited a girl to the Ball. He now thought it would have been better another go with the Horntail than having to invite someone to the Ball. Almost everyone remained there for Christmas, while usually he was one of the few that chose to do so.
Girls kept giggling like mad thinking about the Ball and what they were going to wear that night.
He didn't understand why they should always move in groups. It was almost impossible to find a girl alone.
He had already in mind who he wanted to ask, but hey, thinking and doing where not the same thing. He needed to find the courage to do so.
Ron tried reassuring him, after all he was one of the Champions, every girl would love to go with him. And in fact many invited him, but he refused, sometimes gently, other times less politely.
Hermione was right. All the girls following Krum were there because he was famous. Harry doubted he would have been invited if he hadn't been a Champion and hadn't scored that well in the first task.
Less people insulted him in the halls, apart for the Slytherins of course, but that was another story.
Some professors had stopped giving them assignments, they were obviously distracted. Flitwick let them play all his lesson.
Binns, on the other hand, wasn't so supportive. Death had not stopped him from teaching, a Ball would not do so.
Of course McGonagall and Snape continued their lessons, and the Potions Master placed a test the last day of term.
Harry was so distracted about having to ask a girl that he missed the most important ingredient for the antidotes, the bezoar, so his grade was extremely low. Not that it would have been excellent if he put it in, after all Snape hated him, but still…
One day they visited Hagrid, and he told them about an interview with Rita Skeeter. He told them all what she was interested in was his relationship with Harry, and that she wasn't really happy when nothing bad came out on the boy.
"She should have interviewed Snape. He would have feasted on me, I'm sure" Harry said. "So, you coming to the Ball, Hagrid?"
"Yeah, I think I'll come to have a look. Seems it will be really nice. Have you invited someone yet, Harry?"
"Nope"
Hagrid changed the matter.
Hermione kept nagging Harry about the Egg.
"If you don't want to study, you could at least make something useful with the Egg"
"Come on, I've got till the 24th of February. That's two months and a half!" Harry protested.
Then the matter shifted to the Ball when Fred and George entered the room, and showed Ron how to invite someone.
Fred invited Angelina who accepted.
"You know, we really should do something. Harry. Especially you, that are a Champion" Ron commented. "We don't want to end with a couple of trolls"
"What?" Hermione sputtered indignantly. "A couple of what?"
"Well, you know, I would not like to end up with Eloise Midgen" Ron said.
"Her acne has improved lots"
"Yeah, but her nose isn't straight"
"So you're telling you'll go with the best looking girl that takes you, no matter how her mind is?" Hermione said, enraged.
"Yes" Ron said.
"Well, go on then. At least Harry isn't that thick. Are you Harry?"
He said nothing. He thought Ron was not that wrong after all.
Interpreting right his silence, Hermione stomped away.
Next day, Harry was bewildered in looking how wonderful the castle looked that Christmas. Probably the staff wanted to impress the guests…
After lunch, he strengthened his resolve.
He would ask Cho to the Ball no matter what.
So he found her with some friends, and asked her to speak with him a moment.
He managed to choke out the words.
"Willyougototheballwithme?"
"What?
"Will you go to the Ball with me?" he repeated, blushing.
"Oh" she said, blushing too. "I'm sorry, Harry. I'm already going with Cedric. But hey, in your year there's something really nice you could go with. She's in your house too"
"Oh. Ok, thanks"
That night, when he entered the common room, he found Ron on a couch, surrounded by people.
"Hey, what's happened here?" he asked.
"I don't know why I did that. I'm so stupid" Ron babbled.
"What did you do?"
"He asked Fleur Delacour to the Ball" Ginny said.
Harry smiled.
"So, what happened?"
"She didn't even reply, simply looked at me like I was rotten fish. And then, it was like I was myself again, and I ran away. She was talking with Diggory"
"Ron, she's a part Veela. That's why you felt strange. Probably she turned on her charm for Cedric, but he's already going with Cho"
"What?"
"I asked her today, and she told me" he said.
Then they talked about Neville, who had asked Hermione.
"And she said she was already going with someone" Ron said. "But I don't believe it"
She arrived then, and Ginny told her about their accomplishments.
"All the pretty ones already taken, Ron? Eloise starting to look nice to you?" she teased him.
"Hermione, Neville is right. You're a girl. Will you come with one of us?" the redhead said.
"I can't. I'm already going with someone"
"Oh, come on. That's rubbish"
"Ron, just because e you took three years to notice I'm a girl this doesn't mean everyone does"
"Ok, we know you're a girl. Now, will you come with one of us?"
"I can't! I've told you!" she said, then stomped away.
"She's lying" Ron said.
"No way" Ginny chimed in.
"So tell us with who she's going"
"It's not my place to tell you"
"OK, then you can go with Harry"
She blushed. "I can't. I'm going with Neville" then she walked away.
"What's happening to everyone?" Ron wondered.
Harry saw Parvati and Lavender exiting the room and ran after them.
"Parvati, will you go to the Ball with me?" he asked. The girl thought about it for a moment, then accepted.
"Perfect. Lav, will you go with Ron?"
"I can't I'm going with Seamus"
"Hey, Harry, my sister in Ravenclaw, Padma, is free. I may ask her" Parvati suggested.
"Great. Keep me informed" he said, grinning.
He hoped Padma Patil had a straight nose. As for him, Cho was right. Parvati was a nice girl, after all.
Christmas came, finally.
Harry was woken up by Dobby, and soon his fellow Gryffindors were up too.
They all opened their gifts together, then they went down in the common room. From there, they headed to the grounds, where a wild match of snow balls started.
In the early afternoon, Hermione excused herself saying she had to go to get ready for the Ball.
"What have you to do, that takes you three hours?" Ron asked. "And by the way, with who are you going?"
She simply waved her hand walking away.
Much later, the boys went to get ready too.
They dressed with their robes, but Ron was particularly unhappy with his own. He kept saying they seemed a girl dress.
Then he decided to cut the laces with a Cutting Charm, but that left the wrists and the collar ravelled.
"I still can't get how the two of you got the best looking girls in our year" Dean said to Rona nd Harry.
"Animal magnetism" Ron grunted, still unhappy with his dress.
In the common room they met their dates, well, apart for Ron.
"My sister Padma is waiting for you in the Hall" Parvati said him.
"Ok, I'm going"
"Are we going down too?" she asked Harry.
"Of course" he replied, even if he preferred remaining up there.
In the Entrance Hall, the two couples waited with the others for the Great Hall to be opened, and then Professor McGonagall took the Champions and their dates apart.
It was then that Harry spotted Cho. He thought she was really stunning, and wondered how would have it been to be in Cedric's place.
"My, she's gorgeous" Parvati whispered near him.
"Yeah, she is" Harry said dreamily. Only, he noticed Parvati was turned on the other side. So he turned too, and his jaw probably hit the floor.
There was Hermione, coming down the stairs, but she didn't look like Hermione. She was the most beautiful girl he had seen that night, and that was saying something.
In her periwinkle dress, with her hair finally smooth, she grinned at him, and he could only grin stupidly back. He noticed her teeth had been fixed, and now her smile was shining like never before.
If he was allowed that, he would have switched dates with whoever was taking her to the Ball, but then he saw the only one he didn't expect to taking her arm. Viktor Krum.
So the four couples entered the Great Hall, and McGonagall led them to the table of the judges.
Everyone stared at Hermione speechless, but with really not flattering looks. Harry felt like going and punching all of them, including Ron.
He then sat near Percy, who was substituting Barty Crouch who was ill, and Cho and Cedric, but kept looking on the other side, toward Hermione. He then heard Krum talking a lot, for the first time.
They were chatting about Durmstrang Castle.
"Now, Viktor, if you tell your lovely date something more I'm sure she'll be able to find us…" Karkaroff chimed in.
"Igor, how many mysteries. Seems like you want to keep secret your school" Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling.
"Dear Albus, who of us doesn't want to keep for himself and his students all the secrets of the schools we have been assigned to rule?"
"Oh, I don't think I know all the secrets of Hogwarts, Igor. Just this morning I found an extremely interesting new room on the seventh floor…"
Fleur instead was criticizing Hogwarts and its decorations with Roger, who seemed under some kind of spell. Probably her Veela charms…
Then Harry noticed Hagrid waving at Madame Maxime, who replied cheerfully.
And then he heard Hermione trying to make Krum pronounce her name rightfully. He kept saying it wrong.
"It's Her-mai-o-ni" she said again, patiently.
"Hermy-own-ninny" Krum said.
"Almost" she said smiling at Harry, who smiled back warmly.
Then the moment Harry dreaded came. The champions had to open the dances.
The Weird Sisters started with a slow song, and Parvati directed Harry's hand on her waist, and then led the dance. He thought it could have been worse, after all. All what he had to do was slowly turn on his place, as she was the leading one.
Then at the end of the song he led her to a table.
"Aww, come on, this is so beautiful" she protested, hearing another song start.
"I don't like it" Harry lied. Truthfully, he had never heard it before, but he didn't want to dance anymore.
So he sat near Ron and Padma, who was swaying her foot at the rhythm of the music.
Soon Parvati was asked to dance by a Beauxbatons boy, and she vanished for the rest of the night.
Ron was scowling at Hermione and Krum, who seemed to have a really great time. Then she came to seat near them, a bit hot for all the dancing.
"Hello" Harry said.
"It's hot, isn't it? Viktor has gone to get something to drink" she said.
"Viktor? You're not calling him Vicky yet?" Ron said sarcastically.
"What, your wand's in a twist?" Hermione replied.
"I'm not explaining it to you"
"Ron, what…" she said.
"He's a Durmstrang! You're fraternizing with the enemy!" Ron said angrily.
She looked at him in shock.
"Don't be silly, the enemy. Who wanted his autograph? Who was so excited about him being here?"
Ron ignored her. "I guess he asked you when you both were in the library"
"Yes, exactly. What about it?"
"Did you try to get him involved in spew?" he asked
"No. Actually, he said he had been searching the moment to ask me for days"
"That's what he says. "
"What are you getting at?"
"It's obvious, he's trying to get information on Harry, or get so near that he can hex him"
"Oh, come on. He's never asked me a thing about Harry" she said, fully enraged now.
"Then he's trying to get you help him with the Egg"
"I would never! I want Harry to win! Harry knows that, don't you, Harry?"
"Of course, Hermione" he smiled reassuringly at her.
"Well, you've a strange way to show it" Ron said.
"The aim for the tournament is to connect wizards from different countries" Hermione explained.
"No, the aim is to win" Ron shouted. "Go search for Vicky, he's probably searching for you"
She left in a hurry.
"Nice chat, Ron. You're really a smooth talker" Harry said.
"Are you going to dance with me?" Padma asked.
"No"
"Very well" she vanished just like her sister, whose new friend found her a date so quickly Harry thought he used a Summoning Charm.
Then Percy neared them, and after a chat with him, the two of them moved away quickly. He was so boring…
On their way out from the Hall, Harry noticed Neville and Ginny, dancing a slow song, seeming to have great fun.
They set for a walk in the grounds, and noticed lots of couples hidden in the bushes, probably off to snog each other senseless.
Then they met Snape and Karkaroff, chatting animatedly.
The Potion Master noticed them, so they kept walking. Harry was really curious about what they were chatting about, though.
Then they spotted Fleur and Roger in a bush, and on the other side Hagrid and Madame Maxime.
Harry suggested going toward Fleur and the Ravenclaw, as they were so engrossed in each other that probably they could sneak away not seen, but Ron as so scared of Fleur that dragged Harry near Hagrid and Maxime.
They overheard their conversation about halfgiants, and their row, then they walked back toward the castle.
At one point Harry spotted again Snape and Karkaroff.
"Ron, I'll be there in a minute, you just go on, ok?"
"Ok, mate, but make it quick. I really want to go to bed"
So Harry set to try and eavesdrop the two adults' conversation.
Once back in the castle, Ron spotted Hermione wishing goodnight to Krum.
"Why didn't you snog him?" he asked her.
"You! What's your problem, Ron?" she asked, enraged.
"He's way too old"
"WHAT?! Is THAT what you think??" she replied, indignant.
"Yeah that's what I think"
"You know the solution then don't you?
"Go on..."
"Next time there's a ball pucker up and ask me before somebody else does...and NOT as a last resort!" she said, starting to sob.
"Well...th.tha..thats just completely off the point..." he replied, then spotted Harry.
"Harry!" he cried hoping for some help from him, for example a change of subject.
Hermione turned hastily. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" she shouted at him, then before he could reply she added, "Never mind, off to bed, both of you!"
And so they did, leaving her there, on the stairs to Gryffindor Tower.
"What the Hell has happened, Ron? Did you upset her about Krum again?" Harry asked.
"Come on, Harry. He's all wrong for her. He's too old, he's a Durmstrang…"
"Ron, just because she's gone to the Ball with him it doesn't mean they're going to shag or to get married! Have you such plans for Padma Patil? Because I tell you, I surely have not them for Parvati. So you did something uncalled for, and as usual ended hurting Hermione. Merlin, when will you learn, Ron?" Harry said, then turned.
"Where are you going?"
"To try and reduce the damage you've done" Harry bellowed behind himself, running down the stairs. The students who saw him probably thought he was mad, but he didn't care.
As soon as he got to the Entrance Hall, he spotted her on a balcony, alone. He ran to her. She was going to freeze out there with that dress.
"Hermione…" he started.
"What do you want, Harry?" she said angrily, wiping away her tears. "Leave me alone, will you?"
Harry felt stabbed at her cold words, but still, he turned and walked away.
After some steps he stopped. "I just wanted to let you know I think you were gorgeous tonight" he said, then he cast a Heating Charm on her, then resumed his walk to Gryffindor common room.
Although she had not let him speak with her, and see her weeping, Hermione was extremely pleased by his words and his nice gestures of searching for her and heating her. After all, she did be cold out there, alone.
She sighed, hoping some day her dream could come true, and after some time she retreated to her dorm too.
Next day the three of them ignored the row between Ron and Hermione. They informed her about Hagrid's parentage.
She admitted she had suspected it, after all he couldn't be a real Giant, but not a normal wizard too. Then the day in which they should restart lessons came.
An awful surprise arrived. At Care of Magical Creatures there was no Hagrid, but a woman substituting him. Soon they found out why.
Malfoy and his cronies gave them a copy of the "Daily Prophet" in which, on the first page, there was an article by Rita Skeeter revealing Hagrid's parentage and berating him for that.
That sent Harry over the edge, and if he could he would have killed the woman on the spot.
Then Hogsmeade weekend came. They tried searching for Hagrid everywhere, but to no avail. Finally they tried into the "Three Broomsticks" but there they found just Rita Skeeter talking about Bagman.
A row started between Harry and her, and Hermione chimed in.
"Shut up, girl, on things you know nothing about. I know things on Bagman that would make your hair frizzle. Not that they would need that…" she ended casually.
"You say something more like that about her and you'll find your bloody quill shoved up your ugly ass!" Harry hissed menacingly, before exiting the pub with Ron and Hermione.
Then they went to Hagrid's hut, where they found Dumbledore too. The Headmaster refused Hagrid's resignation, and then left the three teenagers with the halfgiant.
They managed to convince him to continue teaching, no matter what. Then he expressed his hopes of Harry winning the Tournament, and so, when they went back to the castle, the boy thought once again about the Egg. He would discover its secret soon, he owed Hagrid that.
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