Well of Shadows
Unexpected Proposal
By Ruskbyte
Chapter Fourteen
~ Unexpected Proposal ~
The teachers of Hogwarts had spared no expense in the decorating of the Great Hall for this year's Yule Ball, which was taking place this Christmas Eve, rather than Christmas Day. This was primarily
in order to bolster the flagging spirits of the students, who were still under the pall of depression which had settled over the school following Draco Malfoy's attack during the first Practical
Fighting Techniques class of the year.
The walls of the Great Hall were dusted with glittering frost and the floor was coated in a thin layer of snow, all specially charmed not to melt. A dozen massive Christmas trees were arrayed along the walls and were covered in so many decorations that their branches sagged and groaned under the weight. Wreaths of mistletoe and ivy abounded, festooned across the hall and hanging beneath the high ceiling, which had been enchanted as a crystal clear moonlit night.
As with the prior balls the four house tables had been replaced by a hundred round tables, each large enough to seat five couples. The tablecloths were a pale, icy blue, trimmed with white frost. Sparkling ice sculptures adorned the dining tables as centrepieces - each one different from the last. Hundreds of tiny fairies, glowing white and blue and yellow, flitted here and there, giggling merrily as they swooped over, between and sometimes under the tables.
"Professor Flitwick has outdone himself," commented Harry as he and Ginny entered the hall, Harry dressed a set of deep crimson, scarlet and black dress robes. Ginny, one arm curled around his extended elbow, was wearing the new azure and jade robes that her parents had bought for her fifteenth birthday.
"Yes," she agreed, "though I think it's really amazing he and the other teachers were able to put everything up in only a single afternoon."
As they slowly ambled their way further into the hall they were greeted by those couples who had already entered. Dean, Seamus, Lavender and Moira waved at them from the table they were sitting at, having saved the seats for them. Neville and Cho, who would not be sitting with them this year, were across the hall with a group of Cho's Ravenclaw friends.
Harry was amused to note that Crabbe and Goyle, dressed the same horrible green dress robes they had worn two years before, were once again unaccompanied. Ever since their participation in the Halloween cabaret, and their truly atrocious singing, no girl in the school would dare to touch them with a fifty-foot dragon-prod.
~They look like a pair of moss-covered boulders~ Ginny observed as they strode past the hulking pair, who were glowering lugubriously at their empty table.
We're definitely on the same wavelength then, he replied with a chuckle, I had the exact same thought before the first Yule Ball, when they first wore those robes.
Ginny giggled. ~Well, it's as true now as it was then.~
Reaching their table, where the other Gryffindors were waiting for them, Harry drew a chair out for Ginny. Sitting down next to her, Harry exchanged hellos with his fellow sixth-year dormitory mates and their dates.
"Where's Hermione?" asked Seamus, who was sitting opposite him.
"Hospital Wing," answered Ginny, reaching for the goblet of pumpkin juice she had quietly requested upon taking her seat.
Harry elaborated, "She's visiting Ron. Wants to wish him a merry Christmas and tell him that he's a prat for standing her up tonight."
Laughter enveloped the table as everyone there could easily imagine Hermione yelling at a comatose Ron for not being able to escort her to the ball. The image was particularly amusing as Harry pictured his friend lecturing the poor boy in that stern manner she could so easily assume, a copy of Hogwarts: A History in her hands as she did so.
"Now there's motivation for Weasley to wake up," intoned a wry voice, catching everyone's attention and halting their laughter.
Standing behind Harry and Ginny, dressed in form hugging, yet elegant, dress robes of a rich burgundy, was none other than Blaise Zabini. Her short bob of blonde hair framed her face like a halo of gold, a special charm giving it a faint ethereal glow. Her sparkling blue eyes were alight with good humour and her cherry red lips were curled up in amusement.
This is a relief, thought Harry, trying to keep a gobsmacked expression off his face. From the corner of his eye he could see that his fellow Gryffindors, with the exception of Ginny, were not succeeding in doing so. He hadn't seen any of them look so surprised since the previous Yule Ball when Neville had revealed Cho Chang to be his date.
~What do you mean?~ asked Ginny, who had arched one eyebrow up in amazement.
Harry tried not to smile as he pointedly turned to greet Blaise's date. I was starting to worry that maybe he fancied me.
~Harry!~
"Hullo, Colin," he said to the nervous Gryffindor standing by Blaise's side. He frowned as he looked the younger boy up and down, puzzled over something he could not place. It was slightly unusual to see Colin in anything other than black school robes, but there was something about the mousy-haired boy that seemed out of place now. When he realized what was bothering him he looked at Colin in wonder and asked, "Where's your camera?"
"I told him to stop pointing that stupid thing at me or he'd be sitting on it," declared Blaise, smiling dangerously at Colin as he pulled out a seat for her.
Dean laughed and asked, "I gather he had the telephoto lens attached?"
Colin, who was blushing to rival a terribly embarrassed Weasley, ducked his head and took his place next to Blaise. He mumbled something under his breath and quietly ordered up a goblet of pumpkin juice from the menu.
"So, Colin, when did you ask Blaise to the ball?" asked Ginny with interest. Everyone leaned forward to hear his reply, but Blaise answered before he could.
"He didn't," the Slytherin girl declared, "I asked him."
Colin, still blushing, spoke up, "You didn't."
Blaise looked at him with raised eyebrows. "What?"
"You didn't ask me to escort you to the ball tonight," asserted Colin looking at her with a sardonic smile. "You ordered me to."
"I had to. Otherwise you'd never have got round to asking me in the first place," defended Blaise indignantly. She turned to the others, who were watching with growing amusement, and told them, "He came up to me after dinner on Halloween and spent ten minutes skirting the issue with all the tact of a politician."
"A' luist he managed tae plook oop enuif courage t' trae an' ask ye," noted Moira, sipping on her drink while Seamus shook his head in silent laughter.
Blaise nodded in agreement. "True. That's one of the reasons I accepted." She smiled at Colin, who was blushing again, and said, "He may seem a bit timid at first, but that famed Gryffindor courage occasionally shows itself."
"A Slytherin going to the ball with a Muggle-born Gryffindor," observed Harry, "I imagine your housemates were less than thrilled."
"I'm my own person, Potter; I do what suits me not others. Besides, I was getting tired of having Malfoy's cronies continually throwing themselves at my feet," she explained with a slight shrug.
Lavender asked, "What did you do when they tried?"
Blaise gave a typically Slytherin smirk, "Stood on them."
The Gryffindors exploded into laughter at the thought of Blaise, who was not even half their size, treading on a prostrate Crabbe and Goyle. As the laughter slowly died down Colin looked at Blaise and admitted, "That's one of the reasons I asked. Or tried to. You're not like most of the other Slytherins."
"What're the other reasons?" she asked with some curiosity.
"Well... you have a great butt."
***
"I can't believe he said that," said Hermione as Harry and Ginny recounted the story to her at one of the buffet tables arrayed along the side of the Great Hall. Hermione, who had been with Ron in the infirmary, had arrived just before the feast had begun and had missed most of the conversation surrounding Blaise and Colin's attendance together.
"He did," confirmed Harry, sipping on his goblet of apple juice. The feast was now over and the hall had been cleared of the many dining tables to make room for a dance floor. He had already danced with Ginny through several slow pieces, as well as a couple of faster paced songs sung by the Hex Girls, a band of witches Dumbledore had hired for the evening.
Ginny laughed. "And I always thought Ron was the most tactless man I'd ever meet."
Hermione had to chuckle and then tease, "I don't know, Ginny. Fred and George are definitely not known for their diplomacy. And don't get me started on Harry..."
"Me?" asked Harry, sounding slightly affronted.
"You," confirmed Hermione, grinning mischievously. She patted him on the shoulder in mock commiseration and said, "It's not your fault. You're a man - you can't help it."
"I can be diplomatic and tactful," Harry declared, folding his arms across his chest and glaring at the two young women. His disgruntled expression was slightly ruined by the faint smile curving around his mouth and the bemused twinkle in his eyes.
"Oh really?" teased Hermione.
Harry, scowling playfully at her and Ginny, nodded authoritatively. "Yes!"
Hermione tried to look sceptical and said, "Then prove it."
She watched as Harry exchanged a quick look with Ginny. Though not a word was spoken she had the strangest feeling that an entire conversation was taking place. It was uncanny, yet Hermione had seen them do this a hundred times since school began. If she weren't a natural sceptic, and if such a thing weren't completely impossible, Hermione might think they were communicating telepathically or by some similar means.
Oh, stop being ridiculous, Hermione, she berated herself. Telepathy. Really! Where do I get these wild ideas? Ron's natural gullibility must be rubbing off on me.
Her attention was reclaimed when Ginny kissed Harry and trailed a hand suggestively down his front and slipped it under his robes. She giggled and whispered something to him that brought a touch of pink to his cheeks and made Harry arch both eyebrows up to his hairline. He looked at her and said, "It's a good thing I'm wearing these dress robes, otherwise my anticipation would be blatantly obvious."
Ginny giggled. "Then make sure you don't dance too closely with Hermione."
"Ginny!" gasped Hermione, feeling the blood rush to her cheeks.
"You're trying to get me into trouble, aren't you?" accused Harry his girlfriend. Receiving only a knowing grin as a reply, he turned to Hermione and bowed deeply. Extending a hand he asked with a dramatic flourish, "Hermione, would you, as my dearest friend, do me the honour of accompanying me onto the dance floor?"
"D'you promise not to step on my toes?" she asked.
Rather than looking offended, as she expected him to be, Harry actually blushed and ducked his head in embarrassment. "I asked Bill to give me some pointers over the summer," he said, looking up at her with a wry smile, "besides, from what Ron told me after last year's ball, I'm the one that should be worrying about my toes being trampled, not you."
Blushing at the unexpected retort, mostly because it was true, Hermione muttered, "I thought I made him promise not to tell anyone."
"Not to worry, Hermione," Harry assured her, "I believe there's a relatively simple solution."
"What?"
Harry grinned charmingly. "Let me lead.
"In that case," Hermione proclaimed regally, taking his proffered hand, "I shall be honoured to accept your gracious request for this dance."
Hermione saw Ginny rolling her eyes at their exaggerated acting. Harry, ever the gentleman, led her to the dance floor. With a deft motion, he twirled her about and then took her in his arms as they began to dance. The song they began dancing to was nearly over, so they did not really have a chance to get familiar with the motion. After a couple of minutes the piece ended and a slower paced tune began to play.
"So far so good," Harry teased as they swayed back and forth in time with the music. "See? No stomped toes. No broken bones. No sprained backs. In fact, you dance very well."
"Thank you." They continued dancing for a while, then Hermione said, "You dance very well too. I'd say Bill was a good teacher."
"You can tell him that tomorrow," said Harry. He paused, slightly changing the rhythm of their movements, and then said, "The entire family are coming to visit tomorrow."
She nodded and then, remembering something Ron had told her, asked, "Did you ever find out what Bill was doing at Hogwarts at the start of summer?"
Hermione was referring to the fact that, during the frantic time when Ginny had felt that Harry had been shot by Vernon Dursley, Dumbledore had arrived at Privet Drive with Bill in tow. He had apparently been visiting the headmaster for something, though had not mentioned what. Hermione had taken an interest in the incident after hearing that Fleur Delacour, Hogwarts' new Ancient Runes professor, had also been present.
Harry nodded and told her, "Yeah. Apparently the Gringotts branch in Egypt were excavating a site in Hamunaptra and found a stone tablet with some kind of Sanskrit written on it. None of their interpreters were able to translate the dialect, so Bill brought it here. Dumbledore gave it to Fleur to work on."
"That must've pleased him," Hermione suggested, recalling how Bill and Fleur had got along so well during their brief meeting before the third task of the Triwizard Tournament.
"I don't doubt it," agree Harry with a slightly lecherous smirk.
Their conversation came to an abrupt, not to mention startled, end when a loud crash reverberated throughout the Great Hall. Everyone, whether dancing or standing by the buffet, came to a standstill and turned to the source of the disturbance. The main doors, leading out to the Entrance Hall, had been swung open and now revealed a lone figure.
Throughout the Great Hall eyes grew wide as saucers, jaws dropped to the floor and the music came top an abrupt halt. It was Terry Boot, who was dancing with Padma Patil at the time, that succinctly summed up the unexpected arrival of their intruding guest.
"Feetal's gizz! Lucius Malfoy?"
***
It was indeed Lucius Malfoy standing tall and proud at the entrance to the Great Hall. He was wearing stately black silk and velvet robes that were at odds with his status as wanted criminal on the run from the Ministry. His icy grey eyes were fixed solely on Harry, who had released his gentle hold on Hermione, and seemed quite unconcerned about the fact that he was on the wrong end of the several hundred wands pointed his way.
"Potter," he announced, his silky smooth voice ringing clearly through the hall, "I am here to deliver a message to you.
*Now this is a pretty Christmas present.*
*Aye, that it is.*
I don't know, thought Harry, watching Lucius closely as the Death Eater made his way further into the Great Hall. He seems confident. Too confident.
~Then let us show him the price of overconfidence~ Ginny growled, coming up to stand next to Harry and Hermione.
Lucius smirked arrogantly as he swept his cold gaze over those students, guests and professors who were aiming their wands at him. He shook his head and laughed in a mocking manner and scoffed at their watchful vigilance, "Do you really believe me so foolish to come here unprepared? I have a specially prepared Portkey within my robes. Any attempt to capture me, whether by magic or by physical means, will cause it to activate. I will not be staying here any longer than I have to."
Harry nodded as he perceived the magic traces of the Portkey, which seemed to be some sort of amulet around Lucius' neck. His lips curled down fractionally at the realization that Malfoy could indeed escape from Hogwarts untouched if he needed to.
Can we disable it? he asked silently, watching Lucius approaching him.
*Maybe,* admitted Merlin, *However it will take time.*
*And a fair bit of energy if we can't physically touch it either.*
~How much time?~ asked Ginny, eagerly fingering her wand as the silver haired wizard drew to a halt several paces away. Harry could feel the anger, doubtless a product of the fact that it was Draco who brought about Ron's current condition, which she was directing towards the man now standing before them.
*Fifteen, twenty minutes.*
Harry considered, then asked, What's the process?
As the Order began filling their minds with the information he and Ginny would need to deactivate Lucius' Portkey, Harry outwardly turned his attention to the waiting Death Eater. He had to keep the man busy long enough to disable his escape route. Arching an eyebrow he asked, "Since when were you Voldemort's messenger boy, Malfoy?"
~Got it~ declared Ginny as the Order finished their instruction. Harry could see her focus her powers on Malfoy, though the process was not visible to anyone but the two of them. ~I'll start with the grounding element, that way if we don't have enough time he won't be able to reach his proper destination.~
*'Arry,* suggested Joan, *you should work on ze activation trigger - zere it is.*
Got it, he acknowledge, edging his aura towards Malfoy.
Lucius glared dangerously at him, but was holding his tongue for the moment. Dumbledore and several of the professors had come down onto the dance floor and joined them. Harry was aware of McGonagall, Snape and Hagrid stepping into place on either side of Ginny, Hermione and himself. As Dumbledore spoke Harry wondered where the Proteuses were, since he could not see nor sense them anywhere inside the Great Hall.
"This is unexpected, Lucius," the headmaster said. Dumbledore's voice was brimming with stern authority and he radiated the same sense of quiet power Harry had last seen when the venerable wizard had burst in on Barty Crouch Junior at the end of the Triwizard tournament.
*I can feel his aura growing,* commented Iphicles quietly.
Isis agreed softly, *I would have loved to see him in his prime.*
Dumbledore peered over the rims of his half-moon spectacles with a severe expression as he observed, "The last time Voldemort had a message for us he used his serpentine friend, Nagini was her name I believe, to deliver it."
"He's not as important as he thinks he is," declared Hermione, who was glowering at Lucius in a manner that would have melted lead. Her wand was firmly grasped in her left hand and, though her arm was not extended, aimed right at Malfoy's stomach.
Ginny nodded in agreement. "Yeah. He's obviously expendable."
"Hardly child," sneered Lucius haughtily. His voice was laced with pride when he continued, his chest puffed out in self-importance. "I am the only one of his many servants that the Dark Lord trusts, other than himself, to initiate these negotiations."
"Negotiations?" repeated Dumbledore as a soft murmur swept through the room as everyone began whispering amongst themselves. It was a well-known fact that the Dark Lord did not negotiate for anything with anyone. He simply took what he wanted, usually by force. That Malfoy should speak of negotiations was causing a stir.
Somehow, observed Harry with a frown, I get the feeling something surprising is about to happen.
Lucius' next words silenced the Great Hall more effectively than a Killing Curse.
"My Lord Voldemort wishes to discuss a truce."
TBC...