Despite the very heavy load of homework that the fourth years had been given for the holidays. Y/n was in no mood to work or spend much time in the common room when term ended, he instead chose to spend the majority of his days of the week leading up to Christmas inside the Room of Requirement alone.
Gryffindor Tower was hardly less crowded now than during term-time, it seemed to have shrunk slightly too, as its inhabitants were being so much rowdier than usual. Fred and George had had a great success with their Canary Creams, and for the first couple of days of the holidays, people kept bursting into feather all over the place. Before long, however, all the Gryffindors had learned to treat food anybody else offered them with extreme caution, in case it had a Canary Cream concealed in the center, and George confided to Harry that he and Fred were now working on developing something else. Harry made a mental note never to accept so much as a crisp from Fred and George in future. He still hadn't forgotten Dudley and the Ton-Tongue Toffee.
Snow was falling thickly upon the castle and its grounds now. The pale blue Beauxbatons carriage looked like a large, chilly, frosted pumpkin next to the iced gingerbread house that was Hagrid's cabin, while the Durmstrang ship's portholes were glazed with ice, the rigging white with frost. The house-elves down in the kitchen were outdoing themselves with a series of rich, warming stews and savory puddings, and only Fleur Delacour seemed to be able to find anything to complain about.
"It is too 'eavy, all zis 'Ogwarts food." they heard her saying grumpily as they left the Great Hall behind her one evening after dinner and Ron was skulking behind Harry, keen not to be spotted by Fleur. "I will not fit into my dress robes!"
"Oooh there's a tragedy." Hermione snapped as Fleur went out into the entrance hall. "She really thinks a lot of herself, that one, doesn't she?"
"Hermione... who are you going to the ball with?" said Ron. He kept springing this question on her, hoping to startle her into a response by asking it when she least expected it.
However, Hermione merely frowned and said. "I'm not telling you, you'll just make fun of me."
"You're joking, Weasley!" said a voice behind them and they turned to see Malfoy standing with Atticus, Grabbe and Goyle. "You're not telling me someone's asked that to the ball? He laughed.
"Who would ask a Mudblood to the ball..." Atticus asked looked disgusted by the very idea. "Especially one like you Gra..." But Atticus was never given the chance to finish his sentence.
"Stupefy..." A tired voice said and Atticus fell forward, passed out before he even hit the ground. The six all quickly looked to see Y/n standing with his wand raised.
"How dare you!" Malfoy cried.
"Would you like to be next Mr Malfoy?" Y/n stopped him and turned to him his wand still raised. "My patience is running dangerously thin these days, So...I suggest you take your friend...and leave." He continued not even attempting to refer to Atticus as his brother anymore.
"You'll be hearing about this." Malfoy scowled as he motioned to Grabbe and Goyle to help Atticus up and carry him away.
"I look forward to it..." Y/n said dryly and with that, the Slytherins left taking Atticus with them.
"Y/n that was brilliant!" Ron grinned now to him.
But Y/n put away his wand and walked past him, Harry and Hermione without saying a word to any of them and headed up the stairs.
"What was that all about? He stuns his brother and then walks away like nothing happened?" Ron asked the two confused.
"He was out late again, heard him sneaking back into the common room at three o' clock this morning." Harry said.
"Three?" Ron asked. "He can't of slept long then, I gotten woken up at seven by Neville tripping over his trunk and saw Y/n's curtains were open and his bed empty."
"Look! Pigwidgeon's back." Hermione said wanting to change the topic now.
Ron's tiny owl was twittering madly on the top of the icicle-laden banisters, a scroll of parchment tied to his leg. People passing him were pointing and laughing, and a group of third-year girls paused and said, "Oh look at the weeny owl! Isn't he cute?"
"Stupid little feathery git!" Ron hissed, hurrying up the stairs and snatching up Pigwidgeon. "You bring letters to the address! You don't hang around showing off!"
Pigwidgeon hooted happily, his head protruding over Ron's fist. The third-year girls all looked very shocked.
"Clear off!" Ron snapped at them, waving the fist holding Pigwidgeon, who hooted more happily than ever as he soared through the air. "Here... take it, Harry." Ron added in an undertone as the third-year girls scuttled away looking scandalized. He pulled Sirius's reply off Pigwidgeons leg. Harry pocketed it, and they hurried back to Gryffindor Tower to read it.
Everyone in the common room was much too busy in letting off more holiday steam to observe what anyone else was up to. Ron, Harry, and Hermione sat apart from everyone else by a dark window that was gradually filling up with snow, and Harry read out the letter.
"Dear Harry,
Congratulations to you and Y/n on getting past the Horntail and Hebridean. Whoever put your names in that goblet shouldn't be feeling too happy right now! I was going to suggest a Conjunctivitus Curse, as a dragon's eyes are its weakest point..."
"That's what Krum did!" Hermione whispered.
"Y/n and Harry's ways were better I still think." Ron said.
"I'm very impressed." Harry continued reading again. "But don't get complacent though. You've only done one task, whoever put your names in for the tournament's got plenty more opportunity if they're trying to hurt you. Keep your eyes open...particularly when the person we discussed is around and concentrate on keeping yourselves out of trouble.
Keep in touch, I still want to hear about anything unusual.
Sirius."
"He sounds exactly like Moody." said Harry quietly, tucking the letter away again inside his robes. "'Constant vigilance!' You'd think I walk around with my eyes shut, banging off the walls..." "
"But he's right, Harry." said Hermione, "You have both still got two tasks to do. You really ought to have a look at that egg, you know, and start working out what it means..."
"Hermione, he's got ages!" snapped Ron.
"That hasn't stopped Y/n from starting on his." Hermione told him.
Ron just ignored her. "Want a game of chess, Harry?"
"Yeah, okay." said Harry. Then, spotting the look on Hermione's face, he said, "Come on, how'm I supposed to concentrate with all this noise going on? I won't even be able to hear the egg over this lot."
"Oh I suppose not." she sighed, and she sat down to watch their chess match, which culminated in an exciting checkmate of Ron's, involving a couple of recklessly brave pawns and a very violent bishop.
Y/n awoke very suddenly on Christmas Day. He had once again been in the room of requirement till the early hours of the morning before sneaking back to the common room. As he sat up rubbing his tired eyes he wondered what had caused his abrupt return to consciousness when he heard a voice.
"Dobby! Don't do that!" It was Harry.
Y/n's brow furrowed. 'Dobby? Why was he in the dormitory?'
"Dobby is sorry, sir!" Y/n heard Dobby squeak anxiously. "Dobby is only wanting to wish Harry Potter and Y/n Grindelwald 'Merry Christmas' and bring them a present, Sir! Harry Potter and Y/n Grindelwald did say Dobby could come and see them sometimes, sir!"
Y/n drew the curtains to his bed open now to see Dobby stood on Harry's bed.
"Y/n Grindelwald, Sir!" Dobby said as he and Harry looked to see him. "Dobby has come too..."
"It is alright Dobby. I heard you telling Harry." Y/n stopped him.
Harry took his glasses from his bedside table, and put them on. His yell had awoken Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville. All of them were peering through the gaps in their own hangings, heavy-eyed and tousle-haired.
"Someone attacking you, Harry?" Seamus asked sleepily.
"No, it's just Dobby." Harry muttered. "Go back to sleep."
"Nah...presents!" said Seamus, spotting the large pile at the foot of his bed. Ron, Dean, and Neville decided that now they were awake they might as well get down to some present opening too.
Y/n got out of his bed, ignoring a small pile of gifts at the bottom of his bed to focus on Dobby, who was now standing nervously next to Harry's bed, still looking worried that he had upset Harry. There was a Christmas bauble tied to the loop on top of his tea cozy. "Can Dobby give Harry Potter and Y/n Grindelwald their presents?" he squeaked tentatively.
"'Course you can." said Harry. "Er...I've got something for you too."
Y/n was slightly surprised. Harry had gotten something for Dobby? But he quickly realized this hadn't been true when he saw Harry quickly open his trunk and pull out a particularly knobbly rolled-up pair of socks. They were old and the foulest colour of mustard yellow, The reason they were extra-knobbly was that Harry had been using them to cushion a Sneakoscope for over a year now. He pulled out the Sneako-scope and handed the socks to Dobby, saying, "Sorry, I forgot to wrap them..."
But Dobby was utterly delighted. "Socks are Dobby's favorite, favorite clothes, sir!" he said, ripping off his odd ones and pulling on the oversized ones. "I has seven now, sirs..." He told Harry and Y/n. "But sir..." he said, his eyes widening, having pulled both socks up to their highest extent, so that they reached to the bottom of his shorts. "They has made a mistake in the shop, Harry Potter, they is giving you two the same!"
"Ah, no, Harry, how come you didn't spot that?" said Ron, grinning over from his own bed, which was now strewn with wrapping paper. "Tell you what, Dobby... here you go... take these two, and you can mix them up properly. And here's your sweater." He threw Dobby a pair of violet socks he had just unwrapped, and the hand-knitted sweater Mrs. Weasley had sent, Dobby looked quite overwhelmed.
"Sir is very kind!" he squeaked, his eyes brimming with tears again, bowing deeply to Ron. "Dobby knew sir must be a great wizard, for he is Harry Potter's greatest friend, but Dobby did not know that he was also as generous of spirit, as noble, as selfless..."
"They're only socks." said Ron, who had gone slightly pink around the ears, though he looked rather pleased all the same. "Wow, Harry..." He had just opened Harry's present, a Chudley Cannon hat. "Cool!" He jammed it onto his head, where it clashed horribly with his hair.
Y/n didn't wait to see Ron open his gift to him which had been some more items he had bought for him at the Quidditch World Cup in secret while Harry had distracted Ron. Instead, he lifted his trunk from under his bed and placed it on his bed. He opened it and turned to Harry's bed. "Dobby." He called the house elf's name getting his attention. "I am afraid I did not have time to get you a present, However, I would like you to take any one item of clothing that you like from my trunk. Not including my school robes of course as I will still need those."
Dobby stood bewildered by Harry's bed. "Y/n Grindelwald is letting Dobby...choose sir..." He croaked then burst into tears with his flappy ears over his eyes.
"You do not need to cry Dobby." Y/n said as he lifted the small house elf and placed him down on his own bed.
When Dobby looked down at all the clothes within the trunk he began to cry even harder still. "Dobby couldn't possibly accept such a gift Y/n Grindelwald, sir! The gift of clothes is already more than Dobby deserves... to be given the choice of choosing his own gift... Dobby is unworthy."
Y/n sat down on his bed beside Dobby now looking down at the house elf. "Please Dobby, this gift is not only for Christmas but one of our everlasting friendship." Y/n told him. "I do not wish you to worry about the cost of any of these clothes, for their value is low compared to the heights I value our friendship."
Dobby just burst into tears again as Y/n calmly pat his back.
When Dobby finally calmed down and with some encouragement from Harry and Ron he finally began to look through the trunk filled with clothes settling on a scarf. Y/n took it out and wrapped it around the house elf who beamed at him happily.
Dobby then handed a small package each to both Harry and Y/n.
Y/n carefully opened his parcel to find a pair of socks.
"Dobby is making them himself, sirs!" the elf said happily. "He is buying the wool out of his wages, sirs!"
The left sock was silver and the right sock was black both had patterns of wands in the opposite colour upon them.
"Dobby, These are beautiful." Y/n said putting them on straight away.
"Yeah, they're... they're really...well, thanks, Dobby." said Harry as well, and he pulled his own on.
Dobby's eyes began to leak with happiness again. "Dobby must go now, sirs, we is already making Christmas dinner in the kitchens!" said Dobby.
"Could you do me a small job Dobby?" Y/n asked.
"Anything Y/n Grindelwald sir." Dobby smiled.
Y/n took a small parcel out of his trunk and handed it to the elf. "Could you deliver that to the person written on the label when you get time later today?"
"Dobby would be honoured with such a task Y/n Grindelwald." Dobby said as if tasked with a vital mission and he hurried out of the dormitory, waving good-bye to Ron and the others as he passed.
Y/n sat and quietly opened his presents now with the others in his dormitory. Mrs Weasley had sent her usual Christmas package this year including a new sweater Silver, with a picture of a black dragon on it. Y/n remembered Charlie had said he would tell her all about the first task. She had also sent a large quantity of homemade mince pies.
Harry had gotten Y/n a broom maintenance kit and Ron had bought him some of his favourite sweets from Honeydukes.
Y/n opened a parcel from his grandmother next. Her present to him was an expensive black shirt and silver tie. A note was included with them and he began to read it.
'I thought that both these items would pair well with your dress robes for the Yule Ball. We cannot have one of the Hogwarts champions not looking at his best.
Merry Christmas Y/n, While I remain anxious about the tasks you will face ahead, I am still so very proud of you.
Love your Grandmother.'
One final parcel remained and Y/n slowly picked it up. As he did he read a small tag that was attached to it that said. 'To Y/n, Merry Christmas. Love Hermione.'
Y/n just sat and looked at the parcel for a good while before he decided he didn't want to open it right now, instead placing it into his trunk and closing it.
Harry was opening his gifts at the same time. Hermione had given him a book called Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland, Ron, a bulging bag of Dungbombs, Y/n had given him wallet for his Galleons, Sirius, a handy penknife with attachments to unlock any lock and undo any knot, and Hagrid, a vast box of sweets including all Harry's favorites. Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, and Fizzing Whizbees and like Y/n he had also received Mrs Weasley's package thought his including new sweater was green.
When presents had been opened Y/n, Harry and Ron all got dressed and began to head down to the common room together. But there sat in one of the armchairs waiting for them was Hermione.
"If you will both excuse me, I need to get back to work." Y/n said to Harry and Ron.
"Where are you going?" Ron called after him but Y/n quickly exited the common room through the portrait hole.
"Seriously, Where's he keep going all this time?" Ron asked Harry and Hermione as he and Harry reached her.
"I think he's gone to work on the egg again." Harry told him.
"He's been working on that thing for weeks. Why's he going to do it now on all days?" Ron complained about his friend's continued absence.
Hermione felt she knew the reason but stayed quiet.
"Guess he feels he needs to solve it early?" Harry said unsure.
Ron just sighed now. "Whatever, I'm starving... Breakfast?" He asked the two.
Y/n was walking through the castle corridors now feeling despondent. It had been ever since Hermione had told him that she was going with Viktor Krum that he had been feeling this way. But why? Why did he feel this way? Y/n didn't understand.
"Unbelievable!" Fleur Delacour's voice echoed through the empty corridor Y/n had been walking through.
He looked up ahead to see her standing nearby.
"Miss Delacour?" He called out to her surprised by her appearance and she turned to face him looking very annoyed. "I thought the Beauxbaton preferred to stay in their carriage? Could it be you are taking a liking to the castle?" He asked her.
"no, zis castle is much too drafty." She complained.
"Perhaps. But it is still home to me." Y/n said as he looked around at the castle walls with a fondness. "May I ask what brings you to the castle today then?" Y/n asked her now.
"My partner, Meester Davies. He as become unwell and now he cannot attend zee ball." Fleur told him.
"I see, I am very sorry to hear that Miss Delacour." Y/n said to her.
"An you will have a date for zee Yule ball I Imagine of ourse? Leaving me az zee' only champion without a artner." Fleur said.
"I do not have a partner...actually." Y/n told her.
" You have no partner?" Fleur asked him surprised.
"Not for a lack of trying." Y/n told her with a sad smile. "There was one person I asked..." He looked down at his feet for a moment. "But she had already been asked by another." He finished and looked back up at Fleur.
But Fleur's reaction had changed now and she seemed to view Y/n with a tiny amount of respect that she hadn't before.
"Zen, We are both dateless for zee ball no?" Fleur pointed out.
"It would seem that is the case." Y/n said not quite following her.
"Zen if zat is the case. Is it not possible we go together?" She proposed.
"I would have to disappoint you Miss Delacour. I am not currently looking for a partner for the ball." Y/n told her. "I am sure you would not remain dateless for long. Quite a few of the other male students have mentioned you in the halls I must admit, Veela charms do tend to draw in a crowd of admirers, whether done intentionally or not."
"Not you owever..." Fleur said.
"I am sorry?" Y/n said confused.
"No, I am sorry. But I wanted to zest you... I av been using a small amount of my magic since we started talking to zee ow it would work on you, But you didn't change zat all." Fleur revealed now.
Y/n didn't now what to think. She had tried to use Veela magic on him only for it to fail?
"I am more zertainn zan before zat we could always go as acquaintances." Fleur suggested now. "Zey expect us champions to open zee dance with partners after all. This way we will both have a partner to zee ball but can both expect nothing from one zee other."
What Fleur was suggesting did sound rather reasonable. He was a champion and expected to bring a partner to the ball and if he was being honest he wasn't quite sure he wanted to face an angry Professor McGonagall either if he turned up with no partner.
"Then, Miss Delacour." Y/n began. "Would you be my partner to the Yule Ball?" Y/n asked her now.
"Yes, Meester Grindelwald I will." Fleur replied.
And like that, Y/n now had a partner for the Yule ball.
"I am sorry that I have to be your partner instead of Mr Davies."
"I do not mind." Fleur said truthfully. "You behave better zan I first thought you would Meester Grindelwald. Much better zan you're brother at least." Fleur said back.
"You have met Atticus?" Y/n asked surprised.
"Zey were one of zee first to ask me to zee ball." Fleur told him now. "Zey stood looking like I would never say no. But zey got a nasty shock when I did, After zat zey were very rude."
"Yes, that does indeed sound like Atticus. I am sorry for anything he might of said." Y/n told her.
"It was you're brother who has said zose zings not you." Fleur told him. "Now, I shall have to go. I will see you zis evening outside our carriage to take me to the ball." And with that she left.
'If I am supposed to be dancing with a partner tonight then I had better get some practice in at least' Y/n thought to himself as he began to head toward the seventh-floor corridor now.
It was afternoon when Y/n entered the Great Hall, The lunch looked magnificent. There were at least a hundred turkeys and Christmas puddings, Large bowls filled with either roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, Sprouts and some other vegetables. There were also large piles of Cribbage's Wizarding Crackers.
Y/n saw that Harry, Ron and Hermione were not present in their usual spot and so assumed they must have already eaten or not turned up to lunch yet. He sat down at the table now with Ginny in front of him and Neville to his side.
"Merry Christmas Y/n." Neville said cheerfully now.
"Merry Christmas Neville, Ginny." Y/n said to them both as he then began to put some food on his plate.
"Merry Christmas Y/n." Ginny returned the seasonal greeting. She debated with herself for a moment before finally deciding to say what was on her mind. "Look, Y/n I know that you wanted to go with..." Ginny looked around then leaned forward and spoke quietly so only he could hear. "Hermione. But you need to find a partner for the Yule Ball, Even Harry and Ron have got dates now..." Y/n saw she looked a little disappointed as she said it. "You can't be the only one left out."
"Thank you for your concern Ginny." Y/n said finishing with the loading of his plate. "But this morning I came to the same conclusion and have since asked someone to the ball."
"Y...You have?" Ginny asked surprised by this news. "Who did you ask?"
Y/n just picked up his fork now ready to eat. "You shall have to wait and see."
Ginny just frowned at this.
Meanwhile out onto the grounds, the snow was untouched except for the deep channels made by the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students on their way up to the castle. Hermione was sat on some stairs having chose to watch Harry and the Weasleys who were having a snowball fight rather than join in, and at five o'clock said she was going back upstairs to get ready for the ball.
"What, you need three hours?" said Ron, looking at her incredulously and paying for his lapse in concentration when a large snowball, thrown by George, hit him hard on the side of the head. "Who're you going with?" he yelled after Hermione, but she just waved and disappeared up the stone steps into the castle.
There was no Christmas tea today, as the ball included a feast, so at seven o'clock, when it had become hard to aim properly, the others abandoned their snowball fight and trooped back to the common room. The Fat Lady was sitting in her frame with her friend Violet from downstairs, both of them extremely tipsy, empty boxes of chocolate liqueurs littering the bottom other picture.
"Lairy fights, that's the one!" she giggled when they gave the password, and she swung forward to let them inside.
Harry, Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville all headed back up to their dormitory to see Y/n was already inside with his dress robes out on his bed with the shirt and tie he had received this morning.
"Hey." Harry called out to him and Y/n turned his head.
"Hello." Y/n said acknowledging them all
The boys all shuffled in and began heading towards their trunks now to take out their own dress robes.
"Was starting to make a bet you weren't going to show up for the ball." Ron joked to Y/n suddenly but his good spirits were ruined when he pulled out his dress robes.
"Given that my options are limited to either suffering through this ball or having Professor McGonagall potentially transfigure me... I chose the former." Y/n said as he began to unbutton the shirt he was wearing to get changed into his robes and soon he was standing in his black suit pants and jacket paired with the Black shirt, the dark colours all highlighted by the silver waistcoat and tie that paired with them.
The rest all began to change into their dress robes now as well, all of them looking very self-conscious when comparing themselves to Y/n, none as much as Ron, who surveyed himself in the long mirror in the corner with an appalled look on his face. There was just no getting around the fact that his robes looked more like a dress than anything else. In a desperate attempt to make them look more manly, he used a Severing Charm on the ruff and cuffs. It worked fairly well, at least he was now lace-free, although he hadn't done a very neat job, and the edges still looked depressingly frayed as the boys set off downstairs.
"I still can't work out how you two got the best-looking girls in the year." Dean muttered to Harry and Ron.
"Animal magnetism." said Ron gloomily, pulling stray threads out of his cuffs.
The common room looked strange, full of people wearing different colors instead of the usual mass of black. Which only helped Y/n who was still wearing mostly black stand out all the more. They saw Parvati waiting for Harry at the foot of the stairs. She looked very pretty indeed, in robes of shocking pink, with her long dark plait braided with gold, and gold bracelets glimmering at her wrists.
"You...er...look nice." Harry said awkwardly.
"Thanks." she said. "Padma's going to meet you in the entrance hall." she added to Ron.
"Right." said Ron, looking around. "Where's Hermione?"
Parvati just shrugged. "Shall we go down then, Harry?"
"Okay." said Harry, wishing he could just stay in the common room. Fred winked at Harry as he passed him on the way out of the portrait hole.
"I shall have to meet you there as well Ron, It is time for me to collect my own partner." Y/n said.
"Hold on, You've got a date?" Ron said. "I thought you were going alone, Who is it?"
Y/n had been so preoccupied that he hadn't thought about how Ron might take this news given that he had asked Fleur to the ball recently only to be rejected. But Y/n quickly realized it would be better if Ron found out from him rather than getting a shock at the ball itself.
"My partner for this evening is Miss Delacour..." Y/n told him.
"The Beauxbatons Champion?" Seamus quickly said.
"How the hell did you pull that one off Y/n?" Dean asked impressed.
Ron however just stared at him.
"It is not a date Ron." Y/n told him now. "This morning I happened to come across her in the castle and she told me that her partner had become ill and is no longer able to attend the ball with her. Since we are both required to open the ball as champions it would have looked poorly on both of us if we had turned up partner less. We both agreed that we are only going to the ball as acquaintances, nothing more. We have no interest in one another further than that. I don't want to have another fight with you Ronald, that's why I am telling you all this now."
It took a while but Ron seemed to finally accept it, but not without a question. "You sure she didn't use those Veela charms upon you?"
"Actually, she admitted to trying to, but they did not work." Y/n told him truthfully.
"She tried to use Veela charms on you?" Ron said clearly not expecting her to actually have tried.
"Said something about 'testing me', Look I really do need to go now. I shall see you at the ball." Y/n said taking his leave.
"Fleur Delacour." Dean said still impressed as they watched Y/n climb through the portrait hole.
"I don't whether to hug im or punch im." Seamus said.
"Bloody git..." Was all Ron could say.
The entrance hall was packed with students all milling around waiting for eight o'clock, when the doors to the Great Hall would be thrown open. Those people who were meeting partners from different Houses were edging through the crowd trying to find one another. Parvati found her sister, Padma, and led her over to Harry and Ron.
"Hi." said Padma, who was looking just as pretty as Parvati in robes of bright turquoise. She didn't look too enthusiastic about having Ron as a partner, though as her dark eyes lingered on the frayed neck and sleeves of his dress robes as she looked him up and down.
"Hi." said Ron, not looking at her, but staring around at the crowd. "Harry did Y/n tell you who his partner to the ball is?"
"Y/n has a partner?" Harry asked surprised.
"Just you wait till you see who it is." Ron just told him glumly and stood straight again and stared over the heads of the crowd. "Where is Hermione?" he then asked.
A group of Slytherins came up the steps from their dungeon common room. Malfoy was in front, he was wearing dress robes of black velvet with a high collar, which in Harry's opinion made him look like a vicar. Pansy Parkinson in very frilly robes of pale pink was clutching Malfoy's arm.
Atticus had a young girl on his arm but he did not look too pleased by her.
Crabbe and Goyle were both wearing green as they resembled moss colored boulders, and neither of them, Harry was pleased to see, had managed to find a partner.
The oak front doors opened, and everyone turned to look as the Durmstrang students entered with Professor Karkaroff. Krum was at the front of the party, accompanied by a pretty girl in blue robes Harry didn't know. Over their heads he saw that an area of lawn right in front of the castle had been transformed into a sort of grotto full of fairy lights, meaning hundreds of actual living fairies were sitting in the rosebushes that had been conjured there, and fluttering over the statues of what seemed to be Father Christmas and his reindeer.
Then Professor McGonagall's voice called. "Champions over here, please!"
Parvati readjusted her bangles, beaming and she and Harry said. "See you in a minute." to Ron and Padma and walked forward, the chattering crowd parting to let them through.
Professor McGonagall, who was wearing dress robes of red tartan and had arranged a rather ugly wreath of thistles around the brim other hat. She had just begun to tell the champions to wait on one side of the doors while everyone else went inside when she noticed two were missing.
"Where are Miss Delacour and Mr Grindelwald?" She asked shocked and slightly angry by their lateness.
Harry began to look around now as they waited but as he saw Cedric and Cho he looked away from them so he wouldn't have to talk to them. His eyes fell instead on the girl next to Krum. His jaw dropped with surprise at who it was.
It was Hermione stood with Krum.
"Hi, Harry! Hi, Parvati!" she said to them.
But before Harry could say anything voices gasped and began to murmur.
"Isn't that..."
"Are they together?" An excited voice whispered.
"It is about time you two. The others have been waiting." Professor McGonagall looking impatient herself said.
"Forgive our lateness. We were delayed by a broken heel that needed fixing." A familiar voice said back.
Harry, Hermione and the other champions all turned their heads to see Y/n and Fleur walking arms linked with one another towards them.
Fleur Delacour looked stunning in robes of silver and gray satin that paired well with Y/n's own suit of black and sliver.
Harry couldn't believe what he was seeing. He went to ask Hermione if she knew about this but when he saw the annoyed look upon her face he knew better than to ask.
Professor McGonagall had Fleur and Y/n stationed nearest the doors with Krum and Hermione on the other side of them.
Y/n could hear the crowds continuing to murmur and whisper around them. He looked around to see Atticus standing, looking furious and he quickly guessed why. Seeing someone stand with the girl who had rejected them would be enough to make anyone angry. But It only made him think of his own situation now as he returned to facing forward.
Stood just a couple of feet away from him was Hermione.
Y/n looked out the corner of his eye now but what he saw didn't look like Hermione at all. Her hair was no longer bushy but rather sleek, shiny and twisted up into an elegant knot at the back of her head. She was wearing robes made of a floaty, periwinkle-blue material, and she was holding herself differently, somehow...or perhaps it was merely the absence of the twenty or so books she usually had slung over her back. Upon her wrist he could see a golden bracelet that had a small time turner charm upon it.
The doors to the Great Hall opened now and the students began to walk past them
Krum's fan club from the library stalked past, throwing Hermione looks of deepest loathing. Pansy Parkinson gaped at her as she walked by with Malfoy, and even he didn't seem to be able to find an insult to throw at her. Ron, however, walked right past Hermione without looking at her.
Once everyone else was settled in the Hall, Professor McGonagall told the champions and their partners to get in line in pairs and to follow her. They did so, and everyone in the Great Hall applauded as they entered and started walking up toward a large round table at the top of the Hall, where the judges were sitting.
The walls of the Hall had all been covered in sparkling silver frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling. The House tables had vanished, instead, there were about a hundred smaller, lantern-lit ones, each seating about a dozen people.
Y/n and Fleur walked with calm grace as they neared the top table.
Dumbledore smiled happily as the champions approached the top table, but Karkaroff wore an expression remarkably like Ron's from earlier as he watched Krum and Hermione draw nearer. Ludo Bagman, tonight in robes of bright purple with large yellow stars, was clapping as enthusiastically as any of the students, and Madame Maxime, who had changed her usual uniform of black satin for a flowing gown of lavender silk, was applauding them politely but Y/n could see her eyes were set upon him. He averted his gaze now to see that Mr Crouch was not there. The fifth seat at the table was instead occupied by Percy Weasley.
When the champions and their partners reached the table, Percy drew out the empty chair beside him, staring pointedly at Harry. Harry took the hint and sat down next to Percy, who was wearing brand-new, navy-blue dress robes and an expression of such smugness that Harry thought it ought to be fined. The others took to their seats and Y/n found himself unintentionally sitting between Fleur and Hermione.
While the others began talking he instead chose to try and focus on something else so he closed his eyes and listened to the table's many conversations.
"I've been promoted, Harry." Y/n overheard Percy say. "I'm now Mr. Crouch's personal assistant, and I'm here representing him."
"Why didn't he come?" Harry asked.
"I'm afraid to say Mr. Crouch isn't well, not well at all. Hasn't been right since the World Cup. Hardly surprising... overwork. He's not as young as he was... though still quite brilliant, of course, the mind remains as great as it ever was. But the World Cup was a fiasco for the whole Ministry, and then, Mr. Crouch suffered a huge personal shock with the misbehavior of that house-elf of his, Blinky, or whatever she was called. Naturally, he dismissed her immediately afterward, but, well, as I say, he's getting on, he needs looking after, and I think he's found a definite drop in his home comforts since she left. And then we had the tournament to arrange, and the aftermath of the Cup to deal with that revolting Skeeter woman buzzing around, no, poor man, he's having a well earned, quiet Christmas. I'm just glad he knew he had someone he could rely upon to take his place."
There was no food as of yet on the glittering golden plates, but small menus were lying in front of each of them. Harry picked his up uncertainly and looked around, there were no waiters. Dumbledore, however, looked carefully down at his own menu, then said very clearly to his plate, "Pork chops!"
And pork chops appeared. Getting the idea, the rest of the table placed their orders with their plates too. Y/n glanced to the side at Hermione to see how she felt about this new and more complicated method of dining, surely it meant plenty of extra work for the house-elves? but for once, Hermione didn't seem to be thinking about S. P. E. W. She was deep in talk with Viktor Krum and hardly seemed to notice what she was eating.
It now occurred to Y/n that he had never actually heard Krum speak before, but he was certainly talking now, and very enthusiastically at that.
"Veil, ve have a castle also, not as big as this, nor as comfortable, I am thinking." he was telling Hermione. "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!" said Karkaroff with a laugh that didn't reach his cold eyes. "Don't go giving away anything else, now, or your charming friend will know exactly where to find us!"
Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Igor, all this secrecy, one would almost think you didn't want visitors."
"Well, Dumbledore." said Karkaroff, displaying his yellowing teeth to their fullest extent. "We are all protective of our private domains, are we not? Do we not jealously guard the halls of learning that have been entrusted to us? Are we not right to be proud that we alone know our school's secrets, and right to protect them?"
"Oh I would never dream of assuming I know all Hogwarts' secrets, Igor." said Dumbledore amicably. "Only this morning, for instance, I took a wrong turning on the way to the bathroom and found myself in a beautifully proportioned room I have never seen before, containing a really rather magnificent collection of chamber pots. When I went back to investigate more closely, I discovered that the room had vanished. But I must keep an eye out for it. Possibly it is only accessible at five-thirty in the morning. Or it may only appear at the quarter moon... or when the seeker has an exceptionally full bladder and is in need of it."
Y/n saw Dumbledore glance at him and wink. He knew immediately that the professor was referring to the room of requirement.
But Fleur Delacour had begun criticizing the Hogwarts decorations to Y/n.
"Zis is nothing." she said dismissively, looking around at the sparkling walls of the Great Hall. "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 armor in ze 'alls, and eef a poltergeist ever entaired into Beauxbatons, 'e would be expelled like zat. " She slapped her hand onto the table impatiently.
"Is that so?" Y/n asked but truthfully he was listening to Hermione teaching Krum to say her name properly when he kept calling her "Hermy-own. "
"Her-my-oh-nee." she said slowly and clearly.
"Herm-own-ninny." Krum said.
"Close enough." she said.
Harry looked around the Hall. Hagrid was sitting at one of the other staff tables, he was back in his horrible hairy brown suit and gazing up at the top table. Harry saw him give a small wave, and looking around, saw Madame Maxime return it, her opals glittering in the candlelight.
When all the food had been consumed, Dumbledore stood up and asked the students to do the same. Then, with a wave of his wand, all the tables zoomed back along the walls leaving the floor clear, and then he conjured a raised platform into existence along the right wall. A set of drums, several guitars, a lute, a cello, and some bagpipes were set upon it.
A band called the Weird Sisters now trooped up onto the stage to wildly enthusiastic applause, they were all extremely hairy and dressed in black robes that had been artfully ripped and torn. They picked up their instruments, and Harry, who had been so interested in watching them that he had almost forgotten what was coming, suddenly realized that the lanterns on all the other tables had gone out, and that the other champions and their partners were standing up.
Y/n stood in front of Fleur as he offered out his hand to help her up "You are familiar with Waltzing I can assume?" He asked.
"Of course." Fleur said in a manner that suggested Y/n had asked a meaningless question.
Y/n just now placed his right hand on Fleur's left shoulder blade and wrapped his left hand around her right hand, Fleur placed her left hand on Y/n's right shoulder, both keeping their elbows up at shoulder height.
The Weird Sisters struck up a slow, mournful waltz as the champions began to dance now.
Harry let Parvati lead him as he did his best to keep up.
Cedric and Cho danced well enjoying themselves.
Hermione and Krum were doing their best but Krum was clearly not used to ballroom dancing at all.
Y/n and Fleur however effortlessly glided across the floor as they added small spins to their dance in time with the songs count, gaining the applause and stares of others.
As Y/n carefully spun with Fleur he caught sight of Hermione smiling as she danced with Viktor. He felt a pang in his heart and finally, he understood why he had been so hurt and angry by finding out Hermione was going with Krum to the ball, Why he had been unable to stay in the same room for long without leaving.
He had realized...that he was very much in love with Hermione.
Very soon many of the students too had come onto the dance floor, so that the champions were no longer the center of attention. Neville and Ginny were dancing nearby, Harry could see Ginny wincing frequently as Neville trod on her feet and Y/n saw Dumbledore was waltzing with Madame Maxime. He was so dwarfed by her that the top of his pointed hat barely tickled her chin, however, she moved very gracefully for a woman so large. Mad-Eye Moody was doing an extremely ungainly two-step with Professor Sinistra, who was nervously avoiding his wooden leg.
"Nice socks. Potter." Moody growled as he passed, his magical eye staring through Harry's robes.
"Oh... yeah, Dobby the house-elf knitted them for me." said Harry, grinning.
"He is so creepy!" Parvati whispered as Moody clunked away. "I don't think that eye should be allowed."
The song soon came to an end and as soon as it did an eager boy was already standing near Y/n and Fleur asking to dance with her.
Y/n just looked at Fleur now and gave her a small smile. "With my obligations fulfilled, I leave you to enjoy your evening Miss Delacour."
"Zank you Meester Grindelwald. It was en honor to dance wiz you." Fleur said gratefully and both let go of one another now.
"Till we meet again, Though we may be competing I wish you the best of luck in the tournament." Y/n said.
"Come on man the song's almost going to be over at this rate." The eager boy said impatiently.
Y/n paid him no mind and gave a small bow to Fleur as he turned and left her now.
Harry let go of Parvati at once when the song ended. "Let's sit down, shall we?"
"Oh... but... this is a really good one!" Parvati said as the Weird Sisters struck up a new song, which was much faster.
"No, I don't like it." Harry lied, and he led her away from the dance floor, past Fred and Angelina, who were dancing so exuberantly that people around them were backing away in fear of injury, and over to the table where Ron and Padma were sitting.
"How's it going?" Harry asked Ron, sitting down and opening a bottle of butterbeer.
Ron didn't answer. He was glaring at Hermione and Krum, who were dancing nearby. Padma was sitting with her arms and legs crossed, one foot jiggling in time to the music. Every now and then she threw a disgruntled look at Ron, who was completely ignoring her. Parvati sat down on Harry's other side, crossed her arms and legs too, and within minutes was asked to dance by a boy from Beauxbatons.
"You don't mind, do you, Harry?" Parvati said.
"What?" said Harry, who was now watching Cho and Cedric.
"Oh never mind." snapped Parvati, and she went off with the boy from Beauxbatons. When the song ended, she did not return.
Hermione soon came over and sat down in Parvati's empty chair. She was a bit pink in the face from dancing.
"Hi." said Harry. Ron didn't say anything.
"It's hot, isn't it?" said Hermione, fanning herself with her hand. "Viktor's just gone to get some drinks."
Ron gave her a withering look. "Viktor?" he said. "Hasn't he asked you to call him Vicky yet?"
Hermione looked at him in surprise. "What's up with you?" she said.
"If you don't know." said Ron scathingly, "I'm not going to tell you."
Hermione stared at him, then at Harry, who shrugged.
"Ron, what...?"
"He's from Durmstrang!" spat Ron. "He's competing against Harry and Y/n! Against Hogwarts! You...you're..." Ron was obviously casting around for words strong enough to describe Hermione's crime. "Fraternizing with the enemy, that's what you're doing!"
Hermione's mouth fell open.
"Don't be so stupid!" she said after a moment. "The enemy! Honestly, who was the one who was all excited when they saw him arrive? Who was the one who wanted his autograph? Who's got a model of him up in their dormitory?"
Ron chose to ignore this. "I s'pose he asked you to come with him while you were both in the library?"
"Yes, he did." said Hermione. "So what?"
"What happened... trying to get him to join spew, were you?" Ron asked.
"No, I wasn't! If you really want to know, he...he said he'd been coming up to the library every day to try and talk to me, but he hadn't been able to pluck up the courage!" Hermione said this very quickly.
"Yeah, well... that's his story." said Ron nastily.
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Obvious, isn't it? He's Karkaroff's student, isn't he? He knows who you hang around with... He's just trying to get closer to Harry and Y/n... get inside information on them ... or get near enough to jinx one of them..."
Hermione looked as though Ron had slapped her.
When she spoke, her voice quivered. "For your information, he hasn't asked me one single thing about Harry, not one..."
Ron changed tack at the speed of light. "Then he's hoping you'll help him find out what his egg means! I suppose you've been putting your heads together during those cozy little library sessions..."
"I'd never help him work out that egg!" said Hermione, looking outraged. "Never. How could you say something like that... I want Y/n and Harry to win the tournament. Both know that, don't you, Harry?"
"You've got a funny way of showing it." sneered Ron.
"This whole tournament's supposed to be about getting to know foreign wizards and making friends with them!" said Hermione hotly.
"No it isn't!" shouted Ron. "It's about winning!"
People were starting to stare at them.
"Ron." said Harry quietly feeling embarrassed.
But Ron ignored Harry too. "Why couldn't you just have gone with Y/n or something so he wouldn't have had to go with Fleur. In fact why don't you just go and find Vicky, he'll be wondering where you are." said Ron.
"Because I didn't think Y/n was going to ask me!" Hermione said back now angrily jumping to her feet. "And don't call him Vicky!" she added before storming off across the dance floor, disappearing into the crowd.
Ron just watched her go with a mixture of anger and satisfaction on his face.
"Are you going to ask me to dance at all?" Padma asked him.
"No." said Ron, still glaring after Hermione.
"Fine!" snapped Padma, and she got up and went to join Parvati and the Beauxbatons boy, who conjured up one of his friends to join them so fast that Harry could have sworn he had zoomed him there by a Summoning Charm.
"Vare is Herm-own-ninny?" said a voice.
Krum had just arrived at their table clutching two butterbeers.
"No idea." said Ron mulishly, looking up at him. "Lost her, have you?"
Krum was looking surly again. "Veil, if you see her, tell her I haff drinks." he said, and he slouched off.
"Made friends with Viktor Krum, have you, Ron?" Percy had bustled over, rubbing his hands together and looking extremely pompous. "Excellent! That's the whole point, you know... international magical cooperation!"
Y/n was currently sitting down at a table on his own reading through some notes only stopping when someone passed by his table rather quickly, He looked up to see that it was Hermione passing. Her face was filled with both anger and what looked to be almost tears.
Y/n felt the awkwardness in his chest build up again but he decided to put this to the side now as he quickly got to his feet and put his notes away in one of his pockets. "Hermione what is wrong?" He asked her concerned but did not make eye contact with her. "Did Viktor perhaps do something to upset you?"
Hermione stopped and turned around. "Why do you and Ron both assume the worst of him!?" Hermione burst out.
"Ron?" Y/n repeated the name. "I...I do not understand." He then said confused. "...I asked because you looked upset and since Viktor Krum is the only person I have known you to interact with tonight I was just trying to think logically. But I was wrong I suppose, I will leave you to it I think and return to my notes." Y/n said getting ready to return to his table.
"You aren't neglecting Fleur to keep not working on that stupid egg are you?" Hermione asked him annoyed.
"I am reading Lupin's work from last year's fourth-year classes actually." Y/n corrected her.
"So... you're just going to leave Fleur all alone?" Hermione asked not expecting him to be the type to abandon someone easily.
"I have fulfilled my obligations tonight and we both parted on good terms." Y/n said. "We merely came as fellow champions, both in need of a partner for the opening dance. Her original partner Mr Davies fell ill at the last minute and I...failed, to ask anyone else before she suggested the idea of us coming together." Y/n admitted and Hermione stood there shocked by this news.
"Miss Delacour does not need me for company Hermione." He pointed out Fleur receiving attention from a great host of boys from all three schools now. Y/n was about to ask Hermione more about what had happened with Ron when the Weird Sisters had started playing a new song now. Both he and Hermione looked to see the students on the dance floor had begun to slow dance to the music.
Y/n looked down at his feet for a moment then decided to take a gamble as he raised his hand slightly and Hermione looked at it. "May I have this dance?" He dared to ask.
He felt Hermione slowly take his hand and together they walked hand in hand towards the dance floor. When they came near to it they stayed hand in hand and Y/n's other hand lifted to come to a rest on Hermione's lower back and both stood a mere foot apart from each other.
They started to slow dance with the rest of the crowd now blending in with them. Hermione raised her head slightly and Y/n's gaze moved as the two's eyes locked and stared at one another.
"This is the first time we've talked in weeks..." Hermione broke the silence between them.
"Well...I've been...avoiding you." Y/n said deciding not to lie. "Ever since you told me you were coming to the ball with Viktor I have been feeling... uncomfortably awkward around you."
"Y/n, I just started to think you weren't going to..."
"I had every intention of asking you Hermione." Y/n's stopped her with a serious tone. "I just was...too late in asking. After learning firsthand the harsh reality of the first task, I did not want to be left unprepared for the others. But I became too focused on trying to solve the clue and wasted my opportunity to ask you before Viktor, I should have asked you on the first day we all found out about the ball. I regret not doing so."
"You wanted to go with me that much?" Hermione asked him.
Y/n slowly nodded his head. "You were the only person I wanted to go to the ball with." He told her. "I would not have even come tonight if it were not for my obligations as one of the champions nor would I have come with Miss Delacour if I didn't also require a partner. There is no one else I would have wanted to come with but you Hermione."
They stayed quiet for a minute after that.
"I see Dobby delivered my present." Y/n said trying to start up a topic again.
Hermione looked at the golden bracelet that sat upon her wrist. "It's beautiful." She smiled a little. "Did you get my present?" She then asked him.
"I have not opened it yet. Dobby showed up in our dormitory before I had a chance to open it." Y/n lied.
They continued to slow dance, Hermione was looking up now at something she had noticed. "Y/n...look, it's mistletoe." She pointed out.
Y/n looked up himself to see that there was indeed some mistletoe above them, Both began to lower their heads but locked eyes once more saying nothing as their bodies gently moved to the music. Y/n eye's looked deep into Hermione's own dark brown ones before he looked at her lips for a moment. Hermione caught him looking as her chest became tight with nerves but she did not stop him as he slowly leaned forward. Both closed their eyes as their lips finally connected in a kiss. Y/n felt Hermione's hold on his hand tighten slightly and he held her close to him.
A loud grunt that was followed by someone clearing their throat then sounded out. Y/n and Hermione pulled away from one another unable to enjoy their moment as there stood in front of them, drinks in hands, was Viktor Krum.
"Vot is going on Herm-own-ninny?" Krum asked not looking too happy with his discovery.
"Viktor!" Hermione cried having forgotten she was supposed to be his partner to the ball and both she and Y/n let go of one another.
"I should leave...Thank you for the dance Hermione." Y/n said and quickly excused himself before either Krum or Hermione could say a word.
He quickly walked to the other side of the room where he spotted Harry and Ron. "I am going outside. Care to join me you two?" He asked them quickly but his heart was still secretly racing.
"Yeah, Let's go for a walk." Ron muttered then turned to Harry. "Gets you away from Percy..."
Pretending they wanted more drinks. Harry and Ron left the table with Y/n, edged around the dance floor, and slipped out into the entrance hall. The front doors stood open, and the fluttering fairy lights in the rose garden winked and twinkled as they went down the front steps, where they found themselves surrounded by bushes, winding, ornamental paths and large stone statues.
Y/n could hear splashing water, which sounded like a fountain. Here and there, people were sitting on carved benches. He, Harry and Ron set off along one of the winding paths through the rosebushes, but they had gone only a short way when they heard an unpleasantly familiar voice.
"...don't see what there is to fuss about, Igor."
"Severus, you cannot pretend this isn't happening!" Karkaroffs voice sounded anxious and hushed, as though keen not to be overheard. "It's been getting clearer and clearer for months. I am becoming seriously concerned, I can't deny it..."
"Then flee." said Snape's voice curtly. "Flee... I will make your excuses. I, however, am remaining at Hogwarts."
Snape and Karkaroff came around the corner. Snape had his wand out and was blasting rosebushes apart, his expression most ill-natured. Squeals issued from many of the bushes, and dark shapes emerged from them.
"Ten points from Ravenclaw, Fawcett!" Snape snarled as a girl ran past him. "And ten points from Hufflepuff too, Stebbins!" as a boy went rushing after her. "And what are you three doing?" he added, catching sight of Harry, Y/n and Ron on the path ahead. Karkaroff, Harry saw, looked slightly discomposed to see them standing there. His hand went nervously to his goatee, and he began winding it around his finger.
"We're walking." Ron told Snape shortly. "Not against the law, is it?"
"Keep walking, then!" Snape snarled, and he brushed past them, his long black cloak billowing out behind him. Karkaroff hurried away after Snape. Harry and Ron continued down the path.
"What's got Karkaroff all worried?" Ron muttered.
"And since when have he and Snape been on first-name terms?" said Harry slowly.
They had reached a large stone reindeer now, over which they could see the sparkling jets of a tall fountain. The shadowy outlines of two enormous people were visible on a stone bench, watching the water in the moonlight. And then they heard Hagrid speak.
"Momen' I saw yeh, I knew." he was saying, in an oddly husky voice.
Harry, Y/n and Ron froze. This didn't sound like the sort of scene they ought to walk in on somehow.
"What did you know, 'Agrid?" said Madame Maxime, a purr in her low voice.
Y/n definitely didn't want to listen to this, he felt it was rude to be overhearing Hagrid in a situation like this. Something caught the attention of his eyes however, It was a beetle crawling along the stone reindeer's back, but the beetle just wasn't interesting enough to block out Hagrid's next words.
"I jus' knew...knew you were like me... Was it yer mother or yer father?"
"I...I don't know what you mean, 'Agrid..."
"It was my mother." said Hagrid quietly. "She was one o' the las' ones in Britain. 'Course, I can' remember her too well...she left, see. When I was abou' three. She wasn' really the maternal sort. Well...it's not in their natures, is it? Dunno what happened to her... might be dead fer all I know..."
Madame Maxime didn't say anything. And Y/n, in spite of himself, took his eyes off the beetle and looked over the top of the reindeer's antlers, listening... He had never heard Hagrid talk about his childhood before.
"Me dad was broken-hearted when she wen'. Tiny little bloke, my dad was. By the time I was six I could lift him up an' put him on top o' the dresser if he annoyed me. Used ter make him laugh..." Hagrid's deep voice broke. Madame Maxime was listening, motionless, apparently staring at the silvery fountain. "Dad raised me...but he died, o' course, jus' after I started school. Sorta had ter make me own way after that. Dumbledore was a real help, mind. Very kind ter me, he was..."
Hagrid pulled out a large spotted silk handkerchief and blew his nose heavily.
"So...anyway...enough abou' me. What about you? Which side you got it on?"
But Madame Maxime had suddenly got to her feet. "It is chilly." she said but whatever the weather was doing, it was nowhere near as cold as her voice. "I think I will go in now. "
"Eh?" said Hagrid blankly. "No, don go! I've...I've never met another one before!"
"Anuzzer what, precisely?" said Madame Maxime, her tone icy.
Harry could have told Hagrid it was best not to answer, he stood there in the shadows gritting his teeth, hoping against hope he wouldn't... but it was no good.
"Another half-giant, o' course!" said Hagrid.
"'Ow dare you!" shrieked Madame Maxime. Her voice exploded through the peaceful night air like a foghorn. "I 'ave nevair been more insulted in my life! 'Alf-giant? Moi? I 'ave... I 'ave big bones!"
She stormed away, great multicolored swarms of fairies rose into the air as she passed, angrily pushing aside bushes. Hagrid was still sitting on the bench, staring after her. It was much too dark to make out his expression. Then, after about a minute, he stood up and strode away, not back to the castle, but off out into the dark grounds in the direction of his cabin.
"C'mon." Harry said, very quietly to Y/n and Ron. "Let's go..."
But Ron didn't move.
"What's up?" said Harry, looking at him.
Ron looked around at Harry, his expression very serious indeed.
"Did you know?" he whispered. "About Hagrid being half-giant?"
"No." Harry said, shrugging. "So what?"
"I'll explain inside." said Ron quietly. "C'mon..."
Harry, Y/n and Ron returned to the Great Hall. Parvati and Padma were now sitting at a distant table with a whole crowd of Beauxbatons boys, and Hermione was once more dancing with Krum but both did not look happy like before. Harry, Y/n and Ron sat down at a table far removed from the dance floor.
"So?" Harry prompted Y/n and Ron. "What's the problem with giants?"
"Well, they're... they're..." Ron struggled for words. "...not very nice." he finished lamely.
"Who cares?" Harry said. "There's nothing wrong with Hagrid!"
"Harry. We know there is not, but the rest of the wizarding world is not open to those who are different. You remember Professor Lupin's situation last year?" Y/n told him.
"Blimey... no wonder he keeps it quiet." Ron said, shaking his head. "I always thought he'd got in the way of a bad Engorgement Charm when he was a kid or something. Didn't like to mention it...."
"But what's it matter if his mother was a giantess?" said Harry.
"Well...no one who knows him will care, 'cos they'll know he's not dangerous." said Ron slowly.
"Harry... the giants are a very violent race. It is like Hagrid said, it is in their natures." Y/n started.
"They're like trolls..." Ron added. "They just like killing, everyone knows that. There aren't any left in Britain now, though."
"What happened to them?" Harry asked.
"Well, they were dying out anyway, and then loads got themselves killed by Aurors. There're supposed to be giants abroad, though...They hide out in mountains mostly..." Ron explained.
"I don't know who Maxime thinks she's kidding." Harry said, watching Madame Maxime sitting alone at the judges' table, looking very somber. "If Hagrid's half-giant, she definitely is. Big bones...the only thing that's got bigger bones than her is a dinosaur."
Harry and Ron spent the rest of the ball discussing giants in their corner, neither of them having any inclination to dance. Though Y/n caught himself watching Hermione one too many times.
When the Weird Sisters finished playing at midnight, everyone gave them a last, loud round of applause and started to wind their way into the entrance hall. Many people were expressing the wish that the ball could have gone on longer, but Harry was perfectly happy to be going to bed, as far as he was concerned, the evening hadn't been much fun.
Out in the entrance hall, Harry and Ron saw Hermione saying good night to Krum before he went back to the Durmstrang ship. She and Y/n locked eyes for a moment before looking away from each other. She instead gave Ron a very cold look and swept past him up the marble staircase without speaking.
Harry and Ron followed her with Y/n trailing slowly behind, but halfway up the staircase they heard someone calling out.
"Hey! Harry! Y/n!"
It was Cedric Diggory.
Y/n looked to see Harry was looking at Cho waiting for Cedric in the entrance hall below.
"Yeah?" said Harry coldly as Cedric ran up the stairs toward them.
Cedric looked as though he didn't want to say whatever it was in front of Ron, who shrugged, looking bad-tempered, and continued to climb the stairs.
"Listen..." Cedric lowered his voice as Ron disappeared. "I owe you both for telling me about the dragons. You know that golden egg? Does yours wail when you open it?"
"Yeah." said Harry.
"I have heard it so much it has begun to haunt my dreams..." Y/n admitted.
"Well...take a bath, okay?" Cedric told them now.
"What?" Harry said confused.
"Take a bath, and... er... take the eggs with you, and...just mull things over in the hot water. It'll help you think...Trust me."
Y/n and Harry just stared at him.
"Tell you what." Cedric said. "Use the prefects' bathroom. Fourth door to the left of that statue of Boris the Bewildered on the fifth floor. Password's 'pine fresh.' Gotta go...want to say good night."
He grinned at Harry again and hurried back down the stairs to Cho.
Y/n and Harry walked back to Gryffindor Tower in silence. Y/n was thinking about the strange advice Cedric had given them. Why would a bath help him to work out what the wailing egg meant? But at this point he was willing to try anything, he had spent enough time on it without making progress.
The Fat Lady and her friend Vi were snoozing in the picture over the portrait hole. Harry had to yell "Fairy lights!" before he woke them up, and when he did, they were extremely irritated.
Both he and Y/n climbed into the common room and found Ron and Hermione having a blazing row. Standing ten feet apart, they were bellowing at each other, each scarlet in the face.
"Well, if you don't like it, you know what the solution is, don't you?" yelled Hermione, her hair was coming down out of its elegant bun now, and her face was screwed up in anger.
"Oh yeah?" Ron yelled back. "What's that?"
"Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!"
Ron mouthed soundlessly like a goldfish out of water as Hermione turned on her heel and stormed up the girls' staircase to bed. Ron turned to look at Y/n and Harry.
"Well." he sputtered, looking thunderstruck. "Well... that just proves... completely missed the point..."
"You should concede defeat Ron. There is nothing to be won here." Y/n told him.
Harry didn't say anything. He liked being back on speaking terms with Ron too much to speak his mind right now, but like Y/n he somehow thought that Hermione had gotten the point much better than Ron had.
As the boys returned to their dormitory no one was quicker to strip out of their Dress robes than Ron, He threw them into his trunk and changed into Pyjama's before grumpily climbing into this bed and shutting his curtains.
Y/n was still unbuttoning his shirt as he thought back to the kiss he had shared with Hermione. The ball had been worth going to now for that moment alone, but it did leave him confused about where he stood with Hermione now. He would need to talk with her as soon as possible. The one thing he couldn't deny anymore was the fact he was in love with her.
He took off his shirt now and folded it neatly to place in his trunk. As he did however he spotted the unopened parcel from Hermione. Putting down his shirt he picked up the parcel and began to open it. Underneath the wrapping was a small black box that Y/n opened to reveal a silver bracelet with a cat paw print charm attached to it.
Y/n just smiled a little at it before he slipped it onto his right wrist before he finished changing and climbed into bed ready to call it a night.