Black and Potter | H. Potter

32 ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆ late night dancing.

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:✧*⋆.*:･ﾟ✧.: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆ ☾

| LATE NIGHT DANCING |
song: say yes to heaven by lana del rey.

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:✧*⋆.*:･ﾟ✧.: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆ ☾

"POTTER! WEASLEY! WILL YOU PAY ATTENTION? AND BLACK, stop levitating your things!"

Professor McGonagall's irritated voice cracked like a whip through the Transfiguration class on Thursday; Ara lifted her head from her palm to look over at her as she lowered her wand and Harry and Ron both jumped and looked up.

It was the end of the lesson; they had finished their work; the guinea fowl they had been changing into guinea pigs had been shut away in a large cage on Professor McGonagall's desk (Neville's still had feathers); they had copied down their homework from the blackboard ("Describe, with examples, the ways in which Transforming Spells must be adapted when performing Cross-Species Switches"). The bell was due to ring at any moment, and Harry and Ron had been having a sword fight with a couple of Fred and George's fake wands at the back of the class, while Ara had been levitating her belongings due to boredom.

"Now that Potter, Black, and Weasley have been kind enough to act their age," said Professor McGonagall, with an angry look at the three of them as Ara's things dropped on her desk — "I have something to say to you all.

"The Yule Ball is approaching — a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialise with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above — although you may invite a younger student if you wish —"

Lavender Brown let out a shrill giggle. Parvati Patil nudged her hard in the ribs, her face working furiously as she too fought not to giggle. They both looked around at Harry. Professor McGonagall ignored them.

"Dress robes will be worn," Professor McGonagall continued, "and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. Now then —"

"Will there be Firewhiskey—?"

"No, Black!"

Professor McGonagall stared strictly at Ara, who just gave her a cheeky smile as she cocked her head to the side, and gave an exasperated sigh as she addressed the class again.

"The Yule Ball is of course a chance for us all to — er — let our hair down," she said, in a disapproving voice.

Lavender giggled harder than ever, with her hand pressed hard against her mouth to stifle the sound. Ara could see what was funny this time: Professor McGonagall, with her hair in a tight bun, looked as though she had never let her hair down in any sense.

"But that does not mean," Professor McGonagall went on, "that we will be relaxing the standards of behaviour we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most seriously displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in any way."

The bell rang, and there was the usual scuffle of activity as everyone packed their bags and swung them onto their shoulders.

Professor McGonagall called above the noise, "Potter — a word, if you please."

Assuming this had something to do with his headless rubber haddock, Harry proceeded gloomily to the teacher's desk, as Ara waited for him by the door, twirling her wand, "Potter, the champions and their partners —"

"What partners?" said Harry.

Professor McGonagall looked suspiciously at him, as though she thought he was trying to be funny.