Chapter 105: Yule Ball

It was the start of December, Colin's business was going more than he had imagined. Almost everyone of the school wanted the pictures of the Dragons and Champions. Chris wrote a short article about the first task and send it to Mr Lovegood. Other than that because of the snow and chilly weather Professor Sprouts cancelled few Herbology class. So Ginny, Luna and Colin had convinced Chris to teach them few advanced spells in meantime.

One day as Chris, Luna and Colin went to dinner after their Divination class, they saw Ginny sitting with Padma Patil, Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown.

Parvati and Lavender were Gryffindors in Harry's year.

They looked up giggling as Chris, Luna and Colin sat down.

"Hey Padma!" Chris said.

"Hey Chris." Padma smiled.

"What happened?" Luna asked seeing Ginny smiling too.

"Yule Ball." Parvati Patil said.

"Yule Ball?" Chris repeated blankly.

"Its a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament." Padma explained. "Students go on in couples."

"The champions had to dance first to start the celebration." Lavender Brown giggled. "Reckon who's Harry dancing with?"

"No idea." Chris replied.

"How? You're kind of his second best friend." Parvati said.

"Maybe because I haven't talk to him about this." Chris shrugged and, reasons unknown to her, she glanced at the Slytherin table.

"Only fourth year and above are allowed." Ginny whispered to Chris.

"Oh. I wasn't hoping he'll ask me." Chris replied defiantly.

It always shocks Chris, how much Ginny understands her even before she can figure things in her brain.

"Think Shawn will ask Luna?" Chris whispered to Ginny.

"I hope so." Ginny giggled.

Chris had never known so many people to put their names down to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas; she did last two years, but she had always been very much in the minority before now. This year, she wanted to go home but Ginny and Luna requested her to stay so she sent a letter to her father and decided to stay. Chris saw everyone in the fourth year and above seemed to be staying, and they all seemed to her to be obsessed with the com­ing ball — or at least all the girls were.

"I'm getting sick of this." Chris said one afternoon as she was walking to the Charms with Ginny and Colin.

It was really weird kind of feelings, the boys were looking every girl's face, making eye contact nervously or boldly. The girls giggling and whispering in the corridors, girls shrieking with laughter as boys passed them, girls excitedly comparing notes on what they were going to wear on Christmas night.

And the funny part was how many boys Hogwarts suddenly seemed to hold; Chris had never quite noticed that before.

As expected, Shawn asked Luna for the ball. She was really happy about it.

Chris was really happy for Luna until a another Durmstrang boy whom Chris had never spoken before asked her to go to the ball with him. Chris was so taken aback she said no before she'd even stopped to consider the matter.

"Poliakoff, was preparing for this at least a month now." Shawn said laughing. "You shouldn't have hurt him like that Chris."

Chris rolled her eyes.

"Sorry didn't mean to."

Next day Melvin looked at Chris weirdly for the entire Herbology class, at last Irena told her that Melvin was upset as he can't ask Chris for the Ball.

"He forgot third years are not allowed unless you're with some upper class men." Irena said with a sigh.

After that as Chris was making her way towards the Great Hall with her friends, she saw a fifth year Hufflepuff girl asking Harry for the Ball. As soon as Harry said no, she looked as though she might knock him out. But fortunately she walked away.

Ron, Seamus and Dean laughed loudly. Chris also couldn't help but laughed.

"She was quite good-looking," said Ron fairly, after he'd stopped laughing.

As all of them were laughing a fifth year Ravenclaw boy came to ask Chris. The others who were laughing hold their breath for a moment, Chris almost chocked.

".. er.. do I know you?" Chris replied and the boy felt embarrassed.

"Sorry." Chris hurriedly said.

As soon as the boy left disappointed, everyone laughed more loudly.

"I mean what have gotten into people? Isn't there any girl other than me?" Chris said, sitting on the Gryffindor table after her Ancient Runes class.

Total eleven boys asked her and she rejected them.

"Who asked you this time?" Colin asked.

"Sean Hannit. A Hufflepuff boy." Chris replied grabbing some roasted chicken.

"How could you Chris?" Katie Bell said who was sitting near them. "He's the most handsome one in Hufflepuff.. after Cedric Diggory."

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"He's the most handsome one in entire sixth year." Another girl said, who was sitting near Katie.

"Chris, are you planning to avoid the Yule Ball?" Luna asked. "I mean why didn't you say yes if he was that handsome?"

"Because I don't know him, Luna." Chris replied shrugging.

"Where have you been?" Colin asked as Ginny sat beside Chris, her face was absolutely red.

"Why so late Ginny?" Chris asked next. "Having boys trauma, are you?"

Ginny looked up surprised then blushed deeply.

"Michael Corner asked me."

The last week of term became increasingly boisterous as it pro­gressed. Rumors about the Yule Ball were flying everywhere, though Chris didn't believe half of them — for instance, that Dumbledore had bought eight hundred barrels of mulled mead from Madam Rosmerta. It seemed to be fact, however, that he had booked the Weird Sisters, Ginny's favorite band. Also Ginny said yes to the Ravenclaw boy Michael Corner; turns out he was talking to Ginny for sometime and they both started to like each others company.

At last Chris left alone, when a fourth year Hufflepuff girl, Susan Bones asked Colin for the Ball.

"Leave it. You all go. I'm not going." Chris said as the three of them were doing their Transfiguration homework in the Gryffindor common room.

"Oh C'mon. Ask someone Chris." Colin said. "I heard Harry didn't get a date till now."

"Colin, I'm not asking Harry. If he had asked me, I would've thought about it but I'm not going to ask the famous Harry Potter like everyone else." Chris said with a dismissing tone.

Ginny sighed. "You're scared that they'll make fun of you, aren't you?"

"I'm not scared of anything Ginny." Chris shrugged.

Actually she was. She was thinking if Harry rejects her. She had rejected so many boys and seen so much embarrassed faces.. that, she didn't want to embarrassed herself like that, not at least for Harry. 'That boy is weird and his luck is more weird.' Chris thought as she saw him reading something and Hermione hissing in his ears to utilize his time.

"Leave him alone, Hermione, he's earned a bit of a break," said Ron, and he placed the last two cards on top of his card castle, out of his Exploding Snap pack — a much more interesting pastime than with Muggle cards, because of the chance that the whole thing would blow up at any second and the whole lot blew up, singeing his eyebrows.

"Nice look, Ron … go well with your dress robes, that will."

It was Fred and George. They sat down at the near by table.

Ginny laughed seeing Ron face. Chris and Colin chuckled.

"Ron, can we borrow Pigwidgeon?" George asked.

"No, he's off to Burrow," said Ron. "Why?"

"Because George wants to invite him to the ball," said Fred sar­castically.

Chris, Ginny and Colin laughed loudly.

"Because we want to send a letter, you stupid great prat," said George. "Leave it. Chris!"

"Yeah?" Chris answered.

"Can we borrow Leon?" George asked.

"Sure." Chris said and whistled from her mouth.

And soon Leon came zooming towards her, happily he sat on Chris's shoulder.

"Was he around the corner?" Fred asked chuckling.

"Oh he doesn't like to stay in the Owlery much." Chris said patting him. "He stays in our room, normally. Leon, Fred and George need you, deliver their letter ok?"

Leon hooted like he understood and flew towards the table where Fred and George were sitting.

"Smart, isn't he?" George asked.

"I've no doubt about it. I mean it's our Chris's owl, after all." Fred said mimicking a proud Percy.

Chris rolled her eyes.