A powerful predator does not allow the poltroon to propagate perpetually. It was no longer permissible to allow this contestation to their absolute authority. None were their equal, especially within their territory. Tonight, their dominion would be undisputed once more. Those that did not bend to their will would face their wrath. They were a being of immense magical power, the very feats they were capable of could fill a whole library of books! One did not become as feared as they were without the faculty to back it up. Their absence had become anathema to their very existence. The hallowed halls were alive with anticipation; excitement burst through the cold. Their prize would learn their actions eventually come home to roost.
Tonight, their elusive prey would return and they would no longer be denied! A being such as they could only be denied for so long. They were a living legend; no upstart quarry could defy them forever. Their luck would run out and when it did... the hunter would claim their prize.
Too long had they tarried! Too long had their prey mocked them! Tonight, the rat would not escape their lair! Burnt hair and charred flesh were back on the menu!
Movement, in the corner of the chamber, caught Cuddles' eye and she dove to vanquish the vermin.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Harry and Natalia arrived outside the gates of Hogwarts. He offered his arm to her and she took a hold of it. Multiple people were waiting at the gates this evening. Harry could see the unknown people were dressed in auror robes.
"Good evening," Harry called out as he approached the nearest auror.
The purple-haired woman in auror robes, who had been watching them approach, eye's lit up with recognition when she more clearly saw who had called out a greeting to her.
"Wotcher, Mister Potter, and?" The young auror inquired.
"Miss Natalia Pavlova, my enchanting date," Harry responded proudly gesturing to his ravishing date.
"P- Pavlova?" The woman asked, bewildered.
Natalia sniffed in distaste; she didn't appreciate how the young auror spoke her name. "And you are?" She snapped back.
"Auror Tonks." The reply was a little sheepish seeing as how she hadn't meant to have an acerbic reaction to the name. Tonks reminded herself that she had to do better in controlling her expressions. Showing shock in the field could cost her in the field in future undercover missions.
"Auror? Wasn't it Cadet Tonks at the first task?" Harry asked. He remembered a pink-haired woman that dragged him to Madame Bones and if memory served, the stern woman had named her so.
The auror shifted her demeanour and brightly responded. "It was Cadet Tonks but now it's Rookie First Class Auror Tonks!"
"Congratulations. Auror Tonks, we do need to be getting to the castle." Harry was pleased for her but he wanted to get to the castle on time.
"Oh right! We are checking identities although the boss has asked to be notified when you arrive. She mentioned something about a chat… though I don't know what about." She relayed the request.
Harry glanced at Natalia, who indicated it was his call with her body language, and he nodded his assent to the rookie.
Tonks turned and signalled to follow her. She led them to a small tent that had been erected just prior to the gates of the ancient castle.
"She's just inside," Tonks told them as she spelled the flaps open.
Harry thanked her and entered with his date still on his arm. They entered to find another expanded space that was set up with some seating, table and chairs, on one side and on the other was a desk occupied by Director Bones.
"Thank you for meeting with me, I know you need to be in shortly, Mister Potter and…" She trailed off for a second as she looked at his date. "Miss Pavlova, Natalia if I'm not mistaken." There wasn't a negative connotation found within her words.
"You are not; it is a pleasure to meet you Director Bones." Natalia greeted stoically. She acknowledged the auburn-haired witch with a slight curtsey, without detaching herself from Harry.
The elder witch looked at the younger one as she spoke. "Likewise."
She turned to Harry, "I have your apparition license; it says Madame Marchbanks was your examiner. I had the logbooks checked and found it interesting you've never been registered as visiting the Ministry of Magic." The sharp woman was well aware of the kind of games the centenarian witch enjoyed. For some reason, she had done the boy a favour. Harry tried to hide his surprise but he wasn't nearly skilled enough to keep it from the experienced law enforcement officer.
"The logbook would be correct; Madame Marchbanks and I met off-site," Harry replied carefully, keeping his tone flat. He didn't want to be caught in a lie and gave her a Dumbledore-esque response.
"I see." And Amelia Bones really did see what had gone on. It wasn't any worse than the corruption she was unable to stamp out to the pandering pure-bloods and she wouldn't involve herself in something so minor.
"There are two reasons I asked for you this evening. The first is I'd like to request a follow-up meeting, regarding the topics addressed at the previous one." She stopped speaking and waited for a response while observing the interaction between the two. A Pavlova on the arm of a Potter would be making waves.
"That's not a problem, will it be at the same location and have the same people present?" Harry accepted before trying to find out a few more details.
"I think that would be for the best, however, there will be another person in attendance who has the expertise we require." From her tone, there was no room for negotiation of the addition.
She continued on with a less severe tone. "As a part of the security arrangements, we are requesting a blood sample to test for polyjuice and there is a mandatory check for charms and compulsions before you are able to join tonight's festivities."
"Neither of us will be submitting a blood sample." Natalia adamantly stated and quickly squeezed Harry's hand to signal him not to protest. Due to his education on rituals, he was well aware of the importance of blood and was not going to protest.
Amelia inclined her head as she spoke. "As is your right. If you wouldn't mind separating quickly, I can take care of your mandatory check within the privacy of the tent. Otherwise, you will be checked by my aurors prior to entering the gates."
"What kind of detection spells will you be casting?" Harry inquired before willing to subject himself. He saw Natalia's face quirk in approval at his question.
Director Bones gave a quick overview of the charms and then allowed them entry through the gates. A carriage was waiting for them and Harry helped his date into the carriage. Natalia waited for Harry to sit so she could snuggle up against him.
As the carriage began moving, she cast a privacy charm and Harry looked at her. It was normally him that cast those charms because he was a private person and didn't want his personal life being paraded by the press. He pulled his own wand and cast his as he trusted Salazar's spells more than whatever Natalia had cast.
"Harry." She started out softly. "I need to explain something before we get in there and…" She trailed off looking at him with her nerves obviously being tested. "And … well… Pavlova's kind of have a reputation and in public functions, like this one, I need to…. I have to play the part." She watched Harry to see how he would take it.
Harry kept his face guarded, as best he could, as he asked a question. "Was that why you were cold to the auror and Madame Bones? I wondered if it was just nerves…"
Natalia's smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. "Yes, it's a part of it. I'm a Pavlova," she stated the last part pompously. "Especially as Durmstrang is here, I'll need to play the part." She was still watching Harry closely even as the space between them felt larger than it really was.
"How will you change? How do you have to act?" There was a third question he wanted to ask but did not: will I even like you still?
Natalia took a couple of slow and deliberate breaths. She liked Harry and didn't want to ruin the trust she had started to develop with him. "My family is one you do not cross; we are known for being unscrupulous to our rivals. I- I've been taught... how to manipulate and frame conversations… at events like tonight, I'm to show off the prestige of our family and further family interests." She spoke carefully, deliberately, choosing her words and trying to convey her honesty.
Harry's face was blank; he was unreadable to her. She'd never seen his face so devoid of emotion; he'd always looked at her as if she was a precious treasure. "Have you been manipulating me? Framing our conversations?" He asked flatly, green eyes bored through her skull.
Natalia looked down at their hands. She relished their contact, and she took it as a good sign that he hadn't pulled away. "No? Yes? I- I don't know?..." The air between them seemed to still as she spoke.
Harry was frozen. He sat beside her and the small gap between them had never felt wider. "How don't you know? Aren't your actions your own?" He retorted mechanically.
She didn't respond immediately. She took a moment to carefully wade her words through the gulf that was now between them. "It's kind of just like walking? I… I just kind of do it; I don't think about it. I tried to show you me, the real me. The person nobody sees… well, nobody beside Lacroix." She couldn't meet his eyes; she looked out the carriage to avoid his gaze.
"Why tell me now?" He queried a final question in the same voice, devoid of emotion.
The ballerina swallowed, thickly. She did turn back to him for this. He had to know this was real. "I like you Harry, not Harry Potter - the boy-who-lived. I like the dolt I've gotten to know…" Her eyes shone with emotion. She pressed on hoping to will him to understand her sincerity. "You like me. The ballerina, the dancer, the girl who struggled with Transfiguration, the brat I can be…" She paused to collect herself as a tear escaped.
"My family doesn't have a good reputation," she laughed a hollow, humourless, laugh. "And it's well earned." The statement was no rejoinder, it was a statement of fact by the silver-clad young woman. "But I'm just Natalia; the same girl who hides in the ballet academy." She hung her head shaking it softly.
Harry didn't interrupt, he was waiting for her to finish whatever it was that she hadn't finished saying to him.
She brought her chin back up, though it was still dipped from its natural height. "I want to help you. I want to shield you, to frame conversations to your advantage, to help you socialize and to work the room. I can help you enchant and beguile the press. I just… I just didn't want to put on my mask… to show another side and loose what's been building between us." She rubbed her thumb across his hand trying to reassure him of her feelings.
She turned her body further towards him before she spoke at a level that was scarcely more than a whisper. "I was a coward." Her shoulder slumped, slightly, as she admitted it. "I should have told you before I kissed you." She looked upset with herself as she confessed another mistake.
"I didn't even plan on kissing you; my parents wouldn't be pleased if they knew… I haven't even told them about you," she chuckled in self-depreciation. "I've been telling them I've been doing extra work on my ballet or that I've been doing extra studying at Durmstrang."
Harry interrupted her to ask a question that he needed to know the answer to. "Why didn't you tell your parents about us? Have you ever told anyone?"
She could see the vulnerability, and how he was thinking that she was ashamed to be romantically involved with him. "Harry." She spoke firmly to get his attention. "I didn't tell anyone because I was selfish. I like Harry, the dolt; I like being your brat and I wanted us to stay just us. I didn't want me being a Pavlova or you a Potter to wreck it. Not that I'm going on dates with a celebrity that could be used by my family. I wanted you to myself," her voice strong and her earnestness coming through in her voice.
"I want to help you," she stopped rubbing her thumb across the back of his hand and just squeezed it, lightly. "I want to be on your arm and kiss you because I want to, not because my family approves of it." Her voice rose in both passion and volume. She wasn't holding anything back and hoped she hadn't wrecked things. She stayed silent as she watched him, awaiting his response.
The carriage continued along towards the castle. Slowly plodding its way to its destination on this cold, cloudless, night. The setting serene, the silence beautiful. The thestral drawn carriage was decorated for Yule. The entire pathway was lined with festive fire and assorted decorations. The skeletal winged horses pulling the carriage were dissimilar to the festive atmosphere just as the exterior ambience was a stark contrast to the tenseness within the carriage.
Harry felt blindsided and betrayed. He'd been trying to become independent. Now, one of the best parts of his new lease on life was telling him this. He'd been quiet, stoic even, trying to analyze the situation. His mind was a torrent; it was overflowing with thoughts and cascading emotions. He was trying to think rationally and his body wasn't cooperating. The only thing certain was he still needed her to be his date tonight.
Natalia's quiet and timid voice broke the lingering silence. "If- if you want… I can feign sickness after the opening dance… it's the quickest our evening together can end without scandal." She stared at her shoes and squeezed Harry's hand. Her offer cut through the deluge bogging down his mind; he could feel the hurt in her voice as she spoke, the underlying guilt.
He thought her offer was genuine. Harry didn't respond with words, he still didn't know what to say. He knew what he felt and went with the reaction that felt necessary. He took his hand out of hers and pulled her in for a hug. The moment seemed to last forever. Natalia had burrowed her head into his chest again and he planted a few kisses on the top of her head. "It's better you told me now than later." He murmured into her ear. "I do like Natalia, even when you're a brat." He ran his arm up the exposed skin on her back, rubbed it affectionately. "We can discuss this later after we enjoy an awesome date together." Harry picked up her chin as he spoke and kissed her tenderly. She melted into it. Neither would be able to say how long they had sat. It was Harry that realized they would be getting to the castle in short order and they should resolve their discussion.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"Come this way, Potter." The cold look he received from Snape was something he expected though he had thought a more suitable professor would be greeting them. Nevertheless, as he descended from the carriage he turned back and helped his date out. He was thankful it was such a nice clear evening. A proper Scottish downpour would have been right nasty, even though he now knew the charm to keep themselves dry.
Natalia took his presented arm and they made their way into the castle following after the professor.
"Where are the champions congregating, Professor?" Harry called after the man. He recognized they were not heading towards the Great Hall.
"They will gather in the antechamber prior to the opening of the ball." He responded curtly, his expression surly as he spoke.
"Why are we not headed there?" Harry asked, even though he likely knew the answer.
"You were to be escorted to the headmaster's office upon your arrival." He snapped back without breaking stride.
"And, why is that?" Harry had known Dumbledore would not let him off easily tonight but he had thought it would come during the ball, not prior to it.
"You'll find out when we arrive. Your date may make her way there, now." Again the Head of Slytherin continued to walk as he answered the young man's questions.
Harry slowed his movements coming to a stop. Natalia gave him a look Harry interpreted as questioning if he was really going to go along with this. "Professor, I will not be separated from Natalia and we will be making our way to the antechamber," Harry told him with a stern voice.
Natalia added quickly to his words. "Harry is not a student of this institution and is only in the castle as part of his tournament obligations. Mister Dumbledore will have to schedule for a more appropriate time."
Harry almost snickered aloud when she called the headmaster, Mister Dumbledore.
Severus Snape turned on his heel, robe billowing as he spun, and snapped back at the two teens, "That's Headmaster Dumbledore and you will do as you are told or you will not be attending the ball." His sneer as pronounced as Harry had ever seen before.
"Mister Dumbledore is not my headmaster, he is not my Chief Warlock, this is not an ICW event he is not the Supreme Mugwump, and Order of Merlin is an achievement, not a title. There is not a more formal way for me to address the man unless you think Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is better?" The condescension practically drooled out of her mouth as her tone made it clear just how little she thought of the greasy-haired man she was dressing down.
"Who do you think you are, whelp?" Snape said with narrowed eyes and obvious disdain.
"Natalia Pavlova, Harry Potter's date, and you best remember it." She contemptuously smiled as the Potions Professor took his first real look at the young woman.
The look of surprise on Snape's face was utterly alien. The two teens took the lack of response as the end of the conversation. They strode back off toward the antechamber.
"What a pleasant man, do all your teachers like you so?" Natalia teased Harry.
Harry gave a light laugh at her quip. "He's hated me since the moment he saw me and the best I can figure is it's because of my parents. I'm glad that I'll never have a class with the wanker again and I'm not a student here so he has no authority over me. Let's switch to more pleasant topics. After all, I am attending a ball with the best looking lady on my arm." Harry winked at Natalia and her cheeks tinged with a slight red hue.
Harry had been told he should arrive at least fifteen minutes prior to the Yule Ball but he had come half an hour early. The halls of Hogwarts were not full of students yet and the few who they did cross paths with, Harry did not know well enough to stop and speak with. Everyone they crossed paths with did a double-take. This was not the short scrawny Harry Potter wearing school robes with hand-me-down clothes underneath. This was the newly emancipated Harry Potter, an adult wearing spectacular custom robes with a stunning young woman on his arms. His posture was taller, his chin higher and his strides purposeful. A young man who was comfortable in his own skin and ready to conquer the night.
The two didn't speak as they walked, arm in arm. They arrived at the room the first years congregated in prior to the Welcoming Feast and entered. Harry held the door open for Natalia, allowing her to enter first. She stepped inside and Harry looked for the person he had asked to meet him before the ball. Seeing her, he directed Natalia straight for her.
They were still early, and there were only two occupants in the room: Transfiguration Mistress Minerva McGonagall and Daily Prophet Reporter Samantha Roberts. They appeared to be a slightly strained conversation going on between them.
"Good evening Sam." Seeing he had the full attention of the reporter, as well as McGonagall, Harry introduced his date. "Allow me to introduce my delightful date, Miss Natalia Pavlova." Harry accompanied his declaration with a quarter-turn of his body and the arm not attached to his date gave a grand sweeping gesture.
Natalia bumped her shoulder into Harry for his over the top theatrics as he continued the introductions. "Natalia, this is Samantha Roberts, the lovely reporter that will have a quick chat with us before the ball begins, and the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall." He informed his date gesturing to the two women in turn.
Both elder women were surprised to hear just who Harry's date was, McGonagall even had an audible light intake of air when he spoke her last name. Harry had seen the slight change in Sam's demeanour that the veteran reporter schooled quickly.
"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Pavlova." Neither of the two moved forward to shake hands like muggles. Roberts gave a very minor bow and head tilt to acknowledge the younger woman. "Feel free to call me Sam, as Harry does," she said politely.
"Natalia is fine then, Sam," Harry's date responded sweetly before addressing McGonagall. "It is great to meet you as well Professor. Meeting such a distinguished academic like yourself is an honour, and that's not even mentioning such an important position at this prestigious institution." Natalia was no longer the shy nervous girl that Harry had encountered. Instead, a confident and charming young woman was on his arm and she was in schmoozing mode.
"It is nice to meet you as well, Miss Pavlova." The aged professor greeted, the politeness did not extend to her face or body language. One might dare to say her reaction hid the opposite.
"Well, Harry, Natalia, did you want to get started so it's taken care of before your evening begins?" Sam asked drawing the attention back to the reason she was even there.
"As I was just telling Miss Roberts, press agents are not permitted to be in the antechamber where the champions will be congregating prior to the ball. You will have to leave." McGonagall informed them.
"We were planning to use privacy charms so it would be quick and discreet but if that is your wish professor we will just be taking a quick few photos and answering some questions. Would you prefer we conduct the interview in the entry hall or is there a classroom we can use?" Harry casually asked.
She adorned him with a glare. The three moved back out of the room and set up privacy charms along the wall of the entrance hall.
"What would you like to do first, Sam?" Harry asked.
"Pictures. Individual then joint, if that's alright." She said as she set up her dictation quill and camera.
"That works," Harry replied, simply, before turning to Natalia. "Ladies first." He gave her a cheeky smile as she minimally stuck out her tongue before moving toward the wall. She turned and walked a couple of feet to be close to the wall.
Harry saw there was a bug of some kind caught up on the back of her shoulder.
Although he didn't have an exhaustive knowledge about women, he was aware that women didn't like bugs on them. Being the gentleman that he was, Harry withdrew his wand and banished the bug off her, splattering it against the floor. Not wanting to leave a mess, he quickly vanished the remains.
"What was that, Harry?" The silver-clad young woman asked.
"Oh, just some bug on your back! I took care of it." He told her.
"Thanks, so thoughtful!" She said, giving him a huge smile.
The photos only took a minute and were followed with questions.
"My first question: are you two dating or courting?" Samantha asked.
Though they hadn't discussed the exact answer to questions, on one of their walks together in Hyde Park they did discuss what they wanted to present to the public.
"No, we met when Harry was getting dance lessons and I guess I caught his eye. He asked me after I volunteered to help him with some extra practice on the weekends and I'm so pleased he did." Natalia told her the partial truth.
Samantha looked at Harry to see if he was going to add anything and he did. "We kind of hit it off and I asked if she would be my date for this evening."
"Where did you take dance lessons? Who was your teacher?" Sam asked, following up after hearing the response to her first question.
"I was fortunate to be taught by Madame Lacroix at the Lacroix Ballet Academy. She is an excellent instructor and you'll see the results of her tutelage." Harry found it odd that he was kind of enjoying the interview. Samantha was polite and asked pretty normal questions.
"The Lacroix Ballet Academy? Madame Lacroix taught you and that is where you met…?" Samantha was having a little bit of a hard time following. She, of course, knew exactly who the Pavlova family were and she also knew of Madame Lacroix. A boutique performing arts studio that put on shows for extremely select clientele. Those invited were among the very elite of Wizarding Europe. It was the kind of exclusive club Professor Slughorn could only dream of cultivating through Hogwarts Alumni.
"Yes, as you may or may not be aware, I am a ballerina and spend quite a lot of my time there. Being a day student at Durmstrang, I didn't have the opportunity to come to Hogwarts this year and it's just wonderful this opportunity came up. Although, going with such a charming and handsome gentleman is the real prize." Natalia gave the two of them a broad smile.
Samantha had recomposed herself fully and asked another question based on her noticing how easily the two were playing off each other. "Have you two been acquainted for a little while then? You two seem to have such natural chemistry."
Harry gave a slightly uneasy look to his date; he wasn't sure how they should best answer.
"Oh not too long," Natalia started answering the question, "It's not hard; he's smart, handsome and funny. What more could a girl want?"
Harry knew he should reply with a compliment of his own. "Like she said, not very long. The first time I saw her, she was dancing. She was practising for ballet and she was just gorgeous. If you think she looks good in this silver number, wait until you see us dance."
"Thanks, Harry," Natalia told him and pecked him on the cheek.
Harry watched as Samantha kept the quill moving, adding her own notes beyond what was said by them. "I didn't get a chance to ask you about your OWL exams. What did you think about being forced to take them at the ICW instead of here in England?"
Harry waited for a moment carefully thinking about his answer before speaking. While stirring up a ruckus was an acceptable price to pay to get his permanent emancipation, he didn't need to create an enemy out of the Ministry. "I didn't really pay attention to it too much. I tried to schedule my exams here and was told it wasn't going to work out. I wanted to be fully emancipated and had other options. It might have been a different story if I had no other option but I was able to write them and that's what matters to me." He kept a positive tone throughout his answer ensuring his language matched his words.
"Did you read my article and see the comments from Professor Tofty and Madame Duvall as well as how your score ranked?" Sam questioned.
"Yes, I read it the day it came out," Harry replied. Their agreement for having limited editorial control not even being hinted at.
"How do you feel about what was said? Would you have liked to have seen your scores compared to Dumbledore's?" She replied to his admission quickly, knowing they didn't have long before they had to get back to the antechamber.
"I'm not really concerned with that kind of thing. I'm my own person and just want to be the best me I can be. It's nice to know I scored really well but it's just the OWLs. I'm just trying to learn as much as I can as quick as I can. This competition was designed for the very best student each school has to offer with more than six years of magical education. I've had half the magical education and am just trying to prepare for it the best I can." He wasn't concerned about records or his fame.
Natalia giggled, drawing their attention. "Harry is so very modest! He tries to make his accomplishments look like they are not a big deal." She gave off another soft giggle before continuing. "I've always been just a good transfiguration student. He showed me how to cast a spell I was struggling to learn. After a single lesson, I am one of the top students and it is all because of him." She grabbed hold of Harry's arm and hugged him. "It's just his nature." She looked at him fondly, fully for Samantha to see and note.
Before Samantha could ask further questions, the alert charm went off. "You need to be back in the antechamber in one minute; I'll see you both inside." She used her wand to pack up everything and hurried off.
Natalia twisted from her position beside Harry and hugged him with her head moving towards his ear. "Your idea was brilliant. She'll have this interview as the front page tomorrow with the viewpoint and information we want." She softly whispered the words in his ear. She moved her head back and gave him an equally soft lingering kiss.
The two linked arms and Harry dispelled the privacy charm. The two made it back, with two minutes to spare, and noticed Harry was the last champion in the room as Cedric, Viktor and Fleur were now in the room. Neither Fleur nor Viktor's dates seemed to be there yet.
Harry felt Natalia pull on his arm, slightly, to indicate he should move toward Krum first. Viktor looked up and his eyes widened noticeably as he took in Harry and his date.
"Viktor, lovely to see you again. Is Elena on her way still?" Before they reached him, she turned her head and spoke quietly into Harry's ear. "Elena is Viktor's fiance."
The surprised expression hadn't vacated its place on his features yet. "Natalia?" He questioned aloud.
"So glad you still recognize me after spending so long off the mainland. I trust you've met my date for the evening, Harry Potter?" The way she spoke to Krum showed familiarity between the two. The easy banter and equal parts mocking and teasing tone made that clear.
"You are Potter's date?" He asked, still off-kilter from the revelation.
"What gave it away? My presence in the room, my place on his arm, or was it when I just told you?" She mocked.
Krum scowled and was saved from responding by Fleur coming up behind him. She was, as always, a vision of beauty. A silver-grey satin gown with red accents, the same colour as Viktor's shirt.
"Natalia, meet my date for this evening, Fleur Delacour. Elena could not be here." He stepped closer towards her, not touching her, enough to show they were together this evening. "Fleur, this is Natalia Pavlova, Harry Potter's date." The deep baritone of his voice matched his deepened scowl as he introduced the two girls.
"Miss Pavlova, 'arry." Fleur gave a polite curtsey as she greeted them which was mirrored by Natalia.
"You look wonderful as well this evening, Fleur," Harry said, being sure to be polite and more outgoing than he was inclined to be.
"And you look dashing yourself 'arry," Fleur responded in kind.
Harry noticed both of the two ravishing young women wore silver dresses. Fleur's dress was simple yet still elegant in its own right. Her beauty is more akin to the perfection of a statue. There was no need to try and dress up what was already a masterpiece. Natalia's silver dress was more intricate and delicately designed. It enhanced her features and showed off her magnificent body.
"Natalia is quite alright, if I may call you Fleur?" Harry marvelled at how his date seemed to be able to work naturally in these situations.
Fleur nodded. She noticed Cedric and his date Cho Chang enter and excused herself to greet them. Following Fleur, he steered Natalia over to Cedric and Cho. "Natalia, this is Cedric Diggory, the Hogwarts Triwizard Champion, and his lovely date this evening is Cho Chang. How they went from chasing after the snitch together, only Merlin knows." Harry added with a wry grin. "Cedric, Cho, this is my date for the evening, the beautiful Natalia Pavlova."
Harry enjoyed the after-effects of his little comment. Viktor seemed to hear the word 'snitch' and his face lost its glower as he seemed to zero in on the conversation to find out if they were talking about the object his professional life was built to pursue. Seeing Cho and Cedric blush was just icing on the cake.
"Pleased to meet you both. Harry's said such great things about you both. Oh, and please call me Natalia, any friend of Harry's is a friend of mine." She smiled widely at them as she curtseyed for another greeting. Harry saw the friendly demeanour from Cedric and the slight narrowing of eyes by Cho.
His former crush on her seemed silly now. Compared to the other two champions, she was a distant third best looking amongst the young females in his opinion.
"Nice to meet you, Natalia, how did a git like Harry trick such a fine young lady into being his date?" Cedric retorted to Harry's earlier teasing with a good-natured shot of his own, with an affable smile on his face.
Cedric's comment elicited a laugh from her and she drew closer to Harry. "He certainly can be a bit of a git at times," she started and patted his cheek as she agreed with Cedric, "But mostly he's a wonderful company and it doesn't hurt that he's so handsome and talented," Natalia disguised her discreet whisper in Harry's ear, to accept the praise that was about to come with a smile and thanks, with a kiss on his cheek.
"'e must be for those OWL results. C'est incroyable!" Fleur praised, interjecting herself back into the conversation. The six were all standing in a loose circle now as they awaited the beginning of the Yule Ball.
"Merci, Fleur." Harry responded. Between the kind words from Fleur and Natalia, his cheeks had gained some pink but he wasn't going to let his natural shyness hold him back.
"Have you been holding back on us? All of Ravenclaw is wondering how you did it." Cho chimed in.
Cedric added to his date as if it was a single sentence. "And not just Ravenclaw. Hufflepuff, Slytherin and even the Gryffindors. I'm not sure what's most impressive, that you scored such high marks or that you wrote three exams in one day! Are you crazy?!"
Harry laughed at Cedric's comment. "Three written exams in one day might have been the most Gryffindor thing I've ever done. By the end of the second exam, I was sure my hand couldn't handle a third one."
"Why did you take them all on one day?" Fleur asked with obvious curiosity.
"I wrote them on Monday and Madame Duvall arranged them even though their office was supposed to be closed. It was write them all at once or wait and I just wanted them over with." Harry answered. The answer seemed to weigh heavy in the air for a moment.
"Now that your emancipated, will be joining Hogwarts again?" Cedric asked with interest, his interest was mirrored by all the others, even McGonagall seemed to be following their conversation closely.
Harry felt Natalia squeeze his arm in silent support, something he appreciated. "I haven't talked to Dumbledore yet, however, I doubt I'll be back this year," Harry stated bluntly. It was a half-lie again as he knew there was no way he was giving up his tutelage from Salazar and returning.
"What do you think about the changes that are being implemented?" Cho asked Harry as Cedric had turned pensive and hadn't continued his line of questioning, so his date did.
"Changes?" He blurted out.
Fleur rapidly responded to his outburst. "You are not aware?" She raised an eyebrow sceptically and a slight frown marred her face.
Harry looked between from Cho to Fleur; he had no idea what they were talking about. Thankfully, Natalia noticed and jumped in to help him right away.
"Harry's tutor is very strict. He trains all day and has very limited contact with the outside world. You've all seen the results and it was from following an incredibly strict regime. Before you ask, I have no idea who his tutor is nor even how he trains."
Harry recomposed himself from his previous outburst while he scrutinized how everyone was taking in his date's words. Viktor was glower, as always, and the Hogwarts couple were both surprised again. Fleur frowned and appeared deep in thought.
"You haven't heard about any of the changes? You said you read the article on your OWL scores, how could you have read that and not the following pages?" Cedric asked recalling Harry's previous comment. The popular young man looked a mix between confused, curious and contemplative.
"Well, I can't receive owls where I am. I'm in a very secure and private location. Only my owl can deliver mail to me and I don't have a paper subscription. As Natalia said, I'm busy training and haven't really done anything else besides study magic and learn to dance…"
Any further thought of conversation was cut off as the tournament's organizing committee entered. Bagman, Dumbledore, Karkaroff, Maxime, and rather surprisingly Percy Weasley. Harry noted the ridiculous moustache was missing. The only person he'd met that was more sullen than Krum was Barty Crouch.
"What a marvellous evening! Let's get a quick introduction of the two unknown people and then we'll give you the rundown." Bagman took charge and indicated for the black-haired Asian to introduce herself. It was not her introducing herself though; her date did.
"This is Cho Chang, 5th year Ravenclaw, their house team's seeker, 5th-year prefect and as you can all see a stunning young lady," Cedric spoke eloquently complimenting his date and seamlessly taking on the attention of everyone in the room. The Hufflepuff was charming and personable. Cedric either enjoyed taking the mickey out of his date or seeing her skin redden in the full-body blush that she was now sporting.
After everyone seemed to acknowledge Cho, their eyes all sought out Harry and his date. Harry saw the challenging look Diggory gave him and wasn't going to back down.
"My date for this evening is entrancingly elegant, whose beauty if baffling, she's sensationally smart and wickedly witty. A ballerina whose a dazzling dancer and although I could list her attributes and prominence for the remainder of the evening, we do need to go to the ball this evening. Without further ado, allow me to introduce, the marvellous, Natalia Pavlova." Harry caught the Hogwarts Champions' eyes and smirked at him. He wasn't backing down from a challenge tonight. The exchange distracted him from taking in everyone's reactions. He looked to his date, still clinging to his arm, and was satisfied to see she had blushed as well, though not nearly as much as Cho. Natalia kept her composure better than Cho. She couldn't fully stop the milk pink hue that spread across her face with such attention and kind words from her date.
"And with such fine additions, the night will be even better than we had anticipated." Bagman boomed out effervescently. He stood there beaming at the champions until a cough brought him out of whatever trance he was lost in. He continued and explained on.
"Right, well for this evening, the plan is rather simple. The dignitaries will enter first and go to their assigned seat. Then, the Champions will enter. Viktor and Fleur first," he turned directly to the two as he spoke, "the two of you will be seated at the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang table. There was going to be just a single head table but with the added security, it has been split up into two." Seeing the two indicate they comprehended the words Bagman turned to the two fellow countrymen and their dates. "Now, along with a DMLE presence, there was a raffle, with ticket proceeds going to St Mungo's, and at each of your tables will be an additional person and whoever they have brought for a date." Seeing the intrigued look on their faces, he paused to tease it a little more. "And no I will not say just who they are quite yet." Seeing the disappointment on their faces, Ludo beamed with exuberance. "You'll just have to meet them for yourself."
"First, you will eat dinner and socialize at your table. Following that, the opening dance will take place from our Triwizard Tournament Champions." Harry thought Bagman spoke the same way he announced as he enunciated the last three words as if he was building hype for a quidditch match. "This is the opening event to the rest of the evening. The dance floor will remain open and you are free to talk or dance with anyone at that point. There will be press agents then and feel free to mingle with them and any of your friends. Any questions?"
Harry had one and asked the first one. "You told Krum and Delacour where they will be seated, at the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang table, where will I be seated?" A glance at Natalia showed he had asked a question she wondered herself.
It wasn't Bagman that answered but Percy Weasley. "You will be at the Hogwarts table, of course." He stated as if he was speaking to a child.
"And why would I be seated there?" Harry asked slowly as if Percy was the small child needing a clear explanation.
"You are a Hogwarts student…" Percy responded.
"No, I am not." Harry gave him a belittling look.
Percy tore his gaze off Harry and looked directly at Dumbledore. The room had an absolutely awkward air to it now, it was tangible.
"My boy, you are returning in the new year. Now that you've completed your OWL testing, you are eligible to be re-enrolled for your blended OWL and NEWT studies. It is why I asked Professor Snape to bring you to my office before we met here. You've been enrolled at Hogwarts again, where you belong." Harry had to employ the counting exercises in his head to maintain his calm composure.
"Did you not receive my letter?" He asked, only partially able to unclench his jaw.
"Of course, I did." Dumbledore began his response. "The first stating your withdrawal and the second, where you said we will discuss your return after Yule break."
"I know the letter was sent in Queen's English and I wonder how you could misunderstand such a simple word as discuss." He tried to not sneer but there was not even a single alternate dimension where Harry could say the line without it. "I was willing to discuss a potential return. Need I remind you, I am an emancipated minor. You cannot enrol me without my consent and I know I have not agreed to anything." Harry could feel Natalia running her hand up and down his bicep, doing what she could to help her frustrated date.
"If anything, we should be seated with the Durmstrang delegation. Harry has no school affiliation and I, as his date, am a Durmstrang student." Natalia spoke up.
"'arry and Natalia are most welcome to sit with us." Fleur chimed in quickly.
Harry didn't get a chance to look at Fleur as Dumbledore locked eyes with Natalia. "Be that as it may, the seating is set for this evening and we can meet privately to discuss your education." He said in a commanding tone.
Harry saw the Dumbledore effect overtake those in the room. He commanded and people went along with it.
"That's settled then! It is time to get the rest of our dignitaries seated and then McGonagall will direct all of you to enter at the appropriate time. Remember, smile and put on a good show!" Bagman stated.
Harry rolled his eyes as if he was just going to go along with their plan. Harry cleared his throat, loudly, to ensure he had everyone's attention. "It's nice you agree, Mister Bagman, but I'm going to have to go with an emphatic no." It took a lot of self-control to not get upset earlier and it was taking greater self-control now to keep himself from laughing at the stunned looks he was seeing.
"What do you mean no?" Percy cut through the surprise to demand an explanation.
"I am not sitting at a Hogwarts table with my date. I repeat. I. Am. Not. A. Hogwarts student. How many times do I need to say it?" Harry was enjoying himself; it was fun to be patronizing and not at the end of it for once.
"The tables are arranged already! The hall is full of people! We can't just change things!" Bagman stated, horrified at the suggestion.
Harry rolled his eyes again. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at the small table and two chairs that were on the far wall. He widened and lengthened the table first and then duplicated two more chairs so the small two-person table now sat four.
He looked at Bagman and spoke. "It's really not that hard with magic. If you can't do it yourself, you can ask for volunteers to do it for you. If you told them it was extra credit, half of Ravenclaw would sign up." Harry caught both Cedric and Cho hiding laughs behind their hands; he was glad someone was enjoying this as much as he was.
"This is an event to bring cooperation between the three schools. There were to be four at one table and two at the other. We can easily just switch the champions around in their seating arrangement." Natalia offered as a possible compromise between the two untenable positions.
"Yes… yes! An excellent suggestion Miss Pavlova!" Bagman took the suggestion and ran with it immediately knowing they were now running a little behind. "Harry was right; you are sensationally smart." Ludo praised. "Everyone else is okay with that?" He asked the three other champions.
All of them agreed with Cedric commenting, "It would be nice to have the opportunity to speak with Maxime and Karkaroff to find out more about the visiting schools."
The minor scowl Dumbledore sported made him overjoyed. Nobody else objected and the Headmasters, and Ministry officials left to take their seats in the Great Hall.
McGonagall remained and instructed them into the proper order. Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour first, Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang second, with Harry and Natalia being the final couple to enter.
The two of them stood behind the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw couple. Natalia adjusted her dress slightly and ensured she looked picture perfect. She did the same with Harry and gave him a soft peck on the lips when nobody was looking at them.
"You did well. I thought you might need more help this evening." She commented quietly as to keep the conversation between just the two of them while they waited for their time to enter.
"Thanks, you helped more than you think. You were brilliant with Sam too. I'm glad you are my date." Harry told her.
"Me too." She replied.
A loud call came from the Hall. Bagman was beginning the introductions. "Join me in welcoming the first of this evening's guests of honour: the Triwizard Tournament Champions. The quidditch prodigy and Durmstrang's Champion Viktor Krum and his date for the evening, the beautiful and radiant Champion from Beauxbatons, Fleur Delacour!"
McGonagall opened the door and the two entered the hall to loud cheers as they made their way to their seats.
The noise from the hall quieted down and Bagman announced the next couple. "Now, for Hogwarts very own! The Handsome Hufflepuff and his date for the evening, the charming Cho Chang!"
Again, the Deputy Headmistress opened the door and the couple went into the hall amidst boisterous cheering and clapping.
Harry felt some nerves as he stood in front of the door. He pushed them down and made sure he was standing tall and confident. He looked at Natalia who had her free hand around the necklace he had given her the previous day. She let it fall from her hand and Harry could see she was ready.
There was no noise from the hall and Harry knew that meant Bagman was about to introduce them.
"And finally, our youngest and surprising fourth Champion. A young man that needs no introduction, Harry Potter - the boy-who-lived. His date for the evening is the elegant and beautiful ballerina, Natalia Pavlova."
For a third time, McGonagall opened the door. They got their first look into the hall.
Just like their carriage ride, the setting was sublime and the silence expected.
Harry winked at Natalia, gave her hand a squeeze, and whispered, "It's showtime, brat".
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