21st December 1994
Hogwarts
Ron's face held an expression of abject despair as he stared into the mirror, holding up a maroon velvet monstrosity with a mouldy-looking lace, collar and cuffs.
"Murder me, guys," he said in a pitiful voice.
Seamus and Dean chortled while Harry and Neville rolled their eyes.
"Stop being such a drama queen, Ron," said Harry.
"So your dress robes are a bit old. So what?" Neville added.
"A bit old?" Ron repeated incredulously. "The socks I bought last year are a bit old. This—" he emphasized, holding up the maroon robes, "this is ancient!"
He turned back to the mirror, looking miserable. "It looks like something my great-aunt Muriel used to wear." Ron took a suspicious sniff and recoiled. "It even smells like my great-aunt Muriel."
Seamus and Dean burst into louder laughter, and even Harry and Neville couldn't help chuckling.
"Well, if you find it so unbearable, why don't you just transfigure it into something better?" Neville suggested.
Ron's eyes lit up at once, then his expression dimmed just as quickly.
"I'm not sure I could do it right," he said hesitantly. "What if I make it even worse?"
"Why don't you ask your brothers?" Harry said. "I'm sure both Fred and George could transfigure that into something decent-looking."
"Ask Fred and George? Are you kidding me?" Ron shot back, shaking his head. "They are more likely to enchant it so that I turn into some kind of giant canary in front of everyone."
"I could do it for you, if you want," Neville offered.
Ron's face brightened immediately.
"Will you? Thanks, Neville. You are a lifesaver," he said. "I'm not asking for much. Just no dodgy lace, collar or cuffs. And maybe something that belongs in this decade. And any colour but maroon," he added quickly.
Neville smiled, pulling out his wand. "Sure thing."
With a simple wave, the hideous frills and cuffs vanished and the colour shifted. The robes settled into a plain, well-fitted grey formal set.
Ron blinked, then grinned. "Thanks a lot, mate." He picked it up, checking it over with clear relief. "Now I won't have to die of embarrassment when I meet Lavender for the ball."
"Can't believe Ron is the first guy in our dorm to get a date to the ball," Harry said as the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open and he and Neville stepped out.
"I know, right?" Neville replied. "Who knew all you had to do to impress a girl is to defeat her in a Pokémon battle?"
The corridors were more crowded than Harry had ever seen them at Christmas. Everyone in the fourth year and above seemed to be staying, and they all seemed to Harry to be obsessed with the coming ball — or at least all the girls were.
It was amazing how many girls Hogwarts suddenly seemed to hold; Harry had never quite noticed that before. 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.
"Why do they have to move in packs?" Harry muttered as a group of girls walked past, sniggering. "How're you supposed to get one on their own to ask them?"
"Lasso one?" Neville suggested. "Have you asked Cho yet?"
Harry shook his head. He knew he should. He really should. But knowing and doing were very different things.
Cho was a year older than he was; she was very pretty; she was a very good Quidditch player, and she was also very popular. Asking her felt like stepping off a cliff and hoping there was ground at the bottom.
The Hogwarts staff, demonstrating a continued desire to impress the visitors from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, seemed determined to show the castle at its best this Christmas. When the decorations went up, Harry noticed that they were the most stunning he had yet seen inside the school.
Everlasting icicles had been attached to the banisters of the marble staircase; the usual twelve Christmas trees in the Great Hall were bedecked with everything from luminous holly berries to real, hooting, golden owls, and the suits of armor had all been bewitched to sing carols whenever anyone passed them.
It was quite something to hear "O Come, All Ye Faithful" sung by an empty helmet that only knew half the words. Several times, Filch had to extract Peeves from inside the armor, where he had taken to hiding, filling in the gaps in the songs with lyrics of his own invention, all of which were very rude.
At breakfast, Harry sat at the Ravenclaw table with the others. His attention drifted, settling on Ben and Hermione.
They were talking quietly, close enough that their conversation didn't carry. Ben leaned in slightly and said something into Hermione's ear. She smiled and replied just as quietly.
It looked… easy.
Harry felt a twist in his chest.
He was jealous.
It wasn't just that Ben was the most handsome guy in school—though that didn't help. Harry had seen even seventh-year girls lose composure around him. He was rich, intelligent, powerful—and somehow made everything, even conversation, look effortless.
The only reason girls weren't constantly surrounding him was because he had made it very clear he was already in a relationship.
And that—more than anything—was what Harry envied.
That ease. That certainty. That connection.
Harry glanced toward Cho, a few seats away, talking with her friends. He felt the usual knot of anxiety in his stomach, but this time he forced it down.
Harry promised himself that before the day was over, he would ask Cho to the ball.
But every time he glimpsed Cho that day, she was surrounded by friends. Didn't she ever go anywhere alone? Could he perhaps ambush her as she was going into a bathroom? But no — she even seemed to go there with an escort of four or five girls. Yet if he didn't do it soon, she was bound to have been asked by somebody else.
It was late afternoon when Harry finally thought he had a chance, and even then Cho had a coterie of friends with her as she walked towards the Ravenclaw tower. Harry took a deep breath to steel his nerves and walked towards her.
It's fine. He'd just have to ask Cho for a private word, that was all
"Um — Cho? Could I have a word with you?" he said.
Giggling should be made illegal, Harry thought furiously, as all the girls around Cho started doing it. She didn't, though. She said, "Okay," and followed him out of earshot of her classmates.
Harry turned to look at her and his stomach gave a weird lurch as though he had missed a step going downstairs.
"Um," he started.
He couldn't ask her. He couldn't. But he had to. Cho stood there looking puzzled, watching him.
The words came out before Harry had quite got his tongue around them.
"Wangoballwime?"
"Sorry?" Cho said.
"D'you — d'you want to go to the ball with me?" said Harry. Why did he have to go red now? Why?
"Oh!" Cho said, and she went red too. "Oh Harry, I'm really sorry," she added quickly, and she did look it. "I've already said I'll go with someone else."
"Oh," said Harry.
It was odd; a moment before his insides had been writhing like snakes, but suddenly he didn't seem to have any insides at all.
"Oh okay," he said, "no problem."
"I'm really sorry," she said again.
"That's okay."
They stood there for a moment, awkward and still.
"Well—" Cho began.
"Yeah," Harry replied.
"Well, 'bye," she said, still flushed.
She turned and walked away.
Harry called after her, before he could stop himself.
"Who're you going with?"
"Oh — Cedric," she said. "Cedric Diggory."
"Oh right," said Harry.
His insides had come back again. It felt as though they had been filled with lead in their absence.
Harry walked slowly towards Gryffindor Tower, Cho's voice echoing in his ears with every step he took. "Cedric — Cedric Diggory."
Harry had known Cedric for over a year, the latter being the Hufflepuff Seeker and all. They weren't friends, but Harry had always held a level of professional respect for him—even if Diggory had never managed to beat him at Quidditch.
Now he suddenly realized that Cedric was in fact a useless pretty boy who didn't have enough brains to fill an eggcup.
"Fairy lights," he said dully to the Fat Lady — the password had been changed the previous day.
"Yes, indeed, dear!" she trilled, straightening her new tinsel hair band as she swung forward to admit him.
Entering the common room, Harry looked around and spotted Neville sitting on a chair not too far away, talking to Dean and looking rather thrilled.
"Oh hey, Harry," Neville said, standing up as he saw him approach. "How did it go with Cho?"
Harry shook his head. "Someone already asked her... and she said yes," he said, defeated.
"Oh," Neville said, sobering. After a second, he asked, "Do you know who?"
"Cedric Diggory," Harry replied bitterly.
Neville placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Tough luck, mate." After a moment, he added, "Anything I can do to help?"
Harry gave a small smile. "No... but thanks for asking." Then he nodded toward Dean. "What were you talking about? You looked really excited."
"Oh it's nothing," Neville said quickly, trying to wave it off. "Nothing important."
"Go on. Tell me," Harry insisted.
Neville hesitated, then sighed. "Alright, fine," he said, and then broke into a smile. "I just asked Luna to the ball... and she said yes!"
"Congratulations, mate," Harry said honestly. "I'm happy for you."
"Thanks," Neville said, still smiling. "So what are you going to do now?"
"What?" Harry asked.
"Who are you going to ask to the ball now that Cho's taken?" Neville said patiently.
Harry shrugged. "No idea. Honestly, I'm not in the mood anymore."
"Nonsense," Neville waved him off. "Just because you hesitated too long and lost the girl you wanted to take to the ball doesn't mean you can't go with someone else."
"Gee, thanks," Harry muttered, then sighed. "I don't know, Neville. There's barely three days left before Christmas. Who am I going to find in between?"
"You could ask Ginny?" Neville suggested.
Harry looked at him. "Seriously?"
"Yeah," Neville said. "Apparently, she's been waiting for you to ask her."
"How do you know that?" Harry frowned.
"Luna told me," Neville shrugged. "I told her you were planning to ask Cho."
Neville's attention shifted past Harry.
"And speaking of asking, there she is," he said, gesturing over Harry's shoulder.
Harry turned.
Ginny and Rachel were coming down the stairs from the dormitories, chatting as they headed toward the portrait hole.
"Now's your chance," Neville urged. "Go on."
Harry sighed, then shook his head and crossed the room. He caught up to them just as they were stepping out.
"Er... Ginny?" Harry called.
Both girls turned.
"Can I talk to you for a moment? In private?"
Rachel giggled, and Harry had to resist rolling his eyes. Ginny flushed slightly.
"Sure, Harry," she said.
Rachel smiled at her. "Take your time. I'll see you at the stadium." She walked off, glancing back at them with a knowing smile.
Harry and Ginny stepped aside so they wouldn't block the entrance.
"So... what did you want to talk about?" Ginny asked, not quite looking at him.
"Um..." The anxiety rose again, but Harry pushed through it. "I just wanted to ask — do you want to go to the ball with me?"
Ginny looked up.
Harry suddenly noticed—really noticed—that she was quite beautiful. Especially when she smiled.
"I would love to," she said.
"Great," Harry replied, relieved.
For a few seconds, they just stood there.
Then Ginny spoke.
"I thought you were going to ask Cho."
"I did," Harry admitted. "She's already going with Diggory."
Ginny's smile faded.
"Oh," she said quietly.
A brief, awkward silence passed.
Then she looked at him again. "I am sorry, Harry, but I can't go with you."
"...Oh," Harry said, caught off guard. "Okay."
She turned and started to walk away.
Harry stood there, confused.
"I like you, Harry," Ginny said suddenly, turning back. "I've liked you for quite some time. I know you don't see me that way. And that's okay," she added, with a small, pained smile. "I was willing to wait for you... if I was your choice, not your backup."
She turned again and walked away.
Harry watched her go, the realization settling in.
"Well, well, seems like Gryffindor girls still have some gumption in them," the Fat Lady remarked from behind him. She looked at him critically. "And what about you?"
"I'm an idiot," Harry said.
"That you are," she agreed. "And what are you going to do about it?"
Harry broke into a run.
The corridors were mercifully empty, most students already heading towards the Pokémon stadium. It didn't take him long to catch up.
"Ginny!" he called.
She turned, frowning slightly as he reached her, catching his breath.
"I am sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to make you sound like a replacement. It's just... Ben's going to the ball with Hermione, Neville with Luna, and even Ron's going with Lavender. And I, like an idiot, waited too long, and the girl I wanted to take is going with someone else."
He exhaled. "I guess I didn't want to end up looking like a complete pillock by being the only one among our friends who didn't have a date to the ball. So I asked you. It was stupid, it was selfish, and it was not fair to you."
He met her eyes.
"I am sorry, Ginny. You have been a good friend, and you didn't deserve that."
He turned and began to walk away.
Ginny watched him for a moment, then sighed. "Alright. Apology accepted."
Harry stopped and turned, surprised.
She smiled.
"I know you didn't mean anything by it. Just didn't think it through."
"So... we're good?" Harry asked hesitantly.
"We're good," Ginny confirmed.
Harry nodded and turned, starting down the corridor again.
After a few seconds, Ginny spoke.
"You know," she said.
Harry turned back.
"If you're still bummed about not having anyone to go to the ball with, I wouldn't mind going with you—as friends."
Harry shook his head. "That's okay. I don't want to bother you."
"It's fine," she said. "I don't mind... as long as we know where we stand with each other."
Harry hesitated. "Are you sure?"
She nodded.
Harry gave a small, tentative smile. "Okay."
Ginny smiled back. "Cool. Don't be late."
She turned, then glanced over her shoulder. "Wear something nice."
Then she walked away.
Harry watched her for a moment, then turned and headed back toward the common room, a faint smile forming on his face.
---
25th December 1994
(Ben's POV)
I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw in the semi-darkness of the room were a pair of green eyes staring back at me.
"Good morning, Master Ben," said Dobby cheerfully. "Merry Christmas!"
"Good morning, Dobby," I said, getting out of bed and stretching my limbs. Teddy came running, and I nuzzled him softly behind the ears. "And Merry Christmas to you as well, my friend. What brings you by?"
"Dobby just wanted to wish Master Ben 'Merry Christmas' and bring you a present, sir," Dobby replied, handing me a small package.
I unwrapped it and found a thick woolen muffler inside. It was a collage of various colours, yet altogether pleasing to the eye and obviously made with great care.
"Dobby made it himself, sir," he announced proudly. "Dobby bought the wool out of his salary and knit it watching the knitting lady inside the talking box, sir."
"Thanks, Dobby," I smiled, wrapping the muffler around my neck.
Dobby beamed. I took out a wrapped box from my storage ring and held it out. "Here, this is for you."
Dobby took the package and gently unwrapped it. Opening it, he gasped. Inside lay a cap that read World's Bestest Elf. He slowly took it out and looked at it.
"Thank you, Master Ben," he said with a heartfelt smile, and carefully placed the cap on his head.
"Looks good on you, Dobby," I said with a smile. "You all set for tonight?"
Dobby's eyes gleamed. "Absolutely, Master Ben! Dobby has been practicing with his sticks every chance he gets. Dobby will not let you down, sir," he said fervently.
"I know you won't," I smiled gently. "Go on, then. Mum and dad should be up by now."
With a hurried goodbye, Dobby popped back to our house in Richmond.
I walked over to the window and looked outside. Snow was falling thickly upon the castle and its grounds. 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.
I turned to the pile of presents at the foot of my bed and began unwrapping them one by one. Harry had given me a Montrose Magpies hat. Neville had given me a rare potted Stargrass sapling. Hermione had gifted me the Dune book series by Frank Herbert. Daphne had chosen an ornate fountain pen. Luna had given me a pair of modified sneakoscopes. Rachel had gone with an assortment of my favourite candies and chocolate, and so on.
I donned my exercise clothes and made my way to the Room of Requirement on the seventh floor. Obviously, I couldn't go out on a run in the snow-covered grounds. I mean, I could, but it wasn't worth the hassle. Even though I no longer needed to exercise—every bit of fat burned off by my overpowered metabolism with extreme prejudice—I still kept at it. Old habits die hard, I suppose.
Finishing my exercise routine, I headed back to the dorm. After a hot shower, I came down and found Hermione and Luna in the common room. Together, we went down to breakfast.
We spent most of the morning in the Arcane Club, where everyone was enjoying their presents. Later, we returned to the Great Hall for a magnificent lunch, which included at least a hundred turkeys, Christmas puddings, and large piles of Cribbage's Wizarding Crackers.
"I think I ate enough to last till next Christmas," Harry said as we came out of the Great Hall, stretching his arms.
Neville snorted. "You say that, but didn't even come close to the amount Ben consumed."
"Seriously though, how did you eat an entire turkey by yourself?" Daphne asked me disbelievingly.
"And pudding on top of that," Tracey added.
Before I could reply, I spotted someone near the base of the marble staircase that made me stop mid-step.
"Mum?" I said.
She turned at the sound of my voice. "There you are," she said with a smile, walking toward us.
"Merry Christmas, Ben," she added, giving me a hug. Then she looked at the others. "And Merry Christmas to all of you."
"Merry Christmas, Mrs Carter," they chorused.
"Mum, what are you doing here?" I asked as we separated.
Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Oh, I'm here to take the girls," she said.
I blinked in surprise. "Take the girls? Take them where exactly?"
"To the salon, of course," she said with a big smile. "Hair, makeup, final touches. The Yule Ball is tonight, isn't it?"
I looked at the pleasantly surprised girls, then back at Mum. "You came all the way from Richmond to Scotland... for that?" I asked, amused.
She gave me a look. "Benjamin, these are once-in-a-lifetime memories. You don't send girls into a ball like this unprepared."
I raised my hands in surrender. "You don't need to convince me. I am not foolish enough to come between women and dressing up."
Hermione hesitantly began, "Mrs Carter, that's very kind of you... but—"
"No buts, darling," Mum stopped her at once. "You are coming with me. All of you are," she said, looking at the girls. "I have already spoken with Professor McGonagall, and she has, very understandably, allowed me the use of her fireplace for the day."
"I knew I liked her for a reason," Daphne said to Tracey with a smirk.
After Mum basically kidnapped Rachel, Hermione, Ginny, Daphne, Tracey, Astoria, and Luna, the rest of us—Harry, Neville, and I—spent the afternoon roaming 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.
We visited Hagrid's cabin, where we met Sirius and Remus, who had come up from Hogsmeade. We spent some time there, with Sirius and Remus giving Harry and Neville advice on the do's and don'ts of a formal ball.
After a while, we came outside and became embroiled in a snowball fight with the other boys in our year. With everyone focused on the ball, the Pokémon matches for the day had been suspended.
There was no Christmas tea, as the ball included a feast. At seven o'clock, when it had become hard to aim properly, everyone called it and headed back to their common rooms.
I took another hot shower, even though I hadn't broken a sweat all day, and entered my room, towel slung over my shoulders.
Laid neatly across my bed was a bespoke tuxedo—midnight-blue, sharp lines, perfectly tailored. Getting dressed didn't take long. Shirt, cufflinks, jacket. Everything fit like it had been made with unsettling precision. Madam Malkin did fine work indeed.
I adjusted the cuffs once, then checked the mirror.
Clean. Simple. Elegant.
I headed downstairs.
The common room looked strange, full of people wearing different colors instead of the usual mass of black. Clusters of students stood around talking, laughing, pretending not to stare at each other too much.
Heads turned and whispers followed as I walked in, but I ignored them. I leaned casually against a pillar, exchanging pleasantries.
Then she walked down the stairs and everything else kind of...blurred.
Hermione stepped down slowly, one hand lightly brushing the railing. She looked so different it was almost hard to recognise her.
Her hair was no longer bushy but sleek and shiny, and twisted up into an elegant knot at the back of her head. The dress she was wearing was made of a floaty, periwinkle-blue material that caught the light with every step, soft but impossible to ignore.
She looked across the common room and as her eyes found me, she smiled. I noticed at once that it was a very different smile from the one I remembered. She must have had her teeth shrunk when she went with mum earlier.
For a second, my brain just… stopped. Slowly, I pushed off the pillar and walked toward her.
The common room around me had gone completely silent. Everyone looked at Hermione as she came down the stairs with unflattering disbelief. She stopped in front of me at the base of the stairs.
"Hi, Ben," she smiled, a little nervous.
"You look…" I exhaled once, then gave up on being clever. "You look beautiful, Hermione."
A faint blush rose to her cheeks. "Thank you."
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the corsage made of blue roses. "May I?"
She extended her hand. I slid the corsage onto her wrist and adjusted it.
For a brief moment, neither of us spoke.
Then she looked up, her eyes taking me in. "You clean up well yourself, Mr Carter."
I smirked. "I try."
I offered my arm. "Ready?"
She took it without hesitation. "Ready."
And just like that, we turned and walked out of the common room together—leaving behind the noise, the stares, and the quiet realization that tonight was going to be different.