The students and staff of Hogwarts seemed determined to leave a deep impression on their guests from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. This Christmas, the castle was showing its most dazzling side. The halls were festooned with decorations; icicles that never melted dangled from the railings of the marble staircases, and the usual twelve Christmas trees in the Great Hall were adorned with all manner of ornaments, from twinkling holly berries to little golden owls that hooted softly.
Even the suits of armor in the hallways and Great Hall had been enchanted. They burst into carols whenever someone passed by. It was hilariously absurd to hear a hollow helmet sing, "O Come, All Ye Faithful."
Anne occasionally spotted Professor Sprout outside the Great Hall, meticulously trimming the shrubs and lawn at the entrance of the grand oak doors.
"Anne, there's a letter for you, no sender's address, just yours," Fanny said, handing Anne an envelope.
Half-asleep, Anne squinted at the letter. It looked rather ordinary.
"Is it from Momo?" Anne asked.
"No, it was delivered by an owl I've never seen before," Fanny replied.
"Huh. Maybe it's just another order confirmation from Fred and George. Open it and check, if it is, just leave it on the desk," Anne mumbled, pulling the covers over her head.
"Alright." Fanny began to open the letter.
Just as Anne was dozing off again, Fanny shook her awake. Anne opened her eyes to find Fanny's face alight with excitement.
"Anne! It's the Weird Sisters!"
"...What?"
"They wrote to you! They said they've never heard a musical style like this and insist on performing it at the ball! They also mentioned they understand the composer's desire to stay anonymous at school, and they'll keep your identity a secret during the performance…"
"What the hell?" Anne jolted awake and grabbed the letter, reading it from the beginning.
"Looks like you're not getting out of this one," Fanny said. "They didn't even put a return address. But it's good, right? Music knows no borders. They said the style was completely new to them, and they're really curious about your songs!"
"I told you it's not mine…" Anne muttered, flopping back onto her pillow. Music from one world getting recognition in another…?
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On Christmas morning, Anne awoke feeling thoroughly rested. She pulled back her bed curtains in a great mood, and found the floor beside her bed piled high with presents.
By noon, Fanny was nowhere to be found in the dormitory. After waiting a bit, Anne decided to head to the Great Hall on her own.
"You're not going to eat?" she asked the other three girls before leaving.
Millie and Thalia shot her and it looks like she'd just asked them to brew a deadly potion instead of grabbing lunch.
"Of course not!" Pansy scoffed loudly.
Anne shrugged and closed the door behind her. She met up with Fanny in the common room, who was reading, and the two of them went to the Great Hall together.
They enjoyed a lavish Christmas lunch, the table groaning with over a hundred roast turkeys, mounds of Christmas pudding, and towering piles of Kribbitch-brand wizard crackers.
At 6:30, Fanny was standing in front of the mirror, fiddling with her hair. "Anne, aren't you going to start getting ready?"
"The ball starts at eight, right?... Fine, I'll go take a bath."
"Wow, Anne, white really suits you!" Fanny said once Anne emerged in her gown.
"Thanks... your purple dress looks amazing too. By the way, you should give that Durmstrang boy a heads-up, he might be in for a rough ride after Hogwarts."
Fanny gave Anne a cheeky wink. "Don't worry, I will."
Anne quickly and deftly applied a light makeup using Fanny's massive makeup kit, foundation, blush, brow pencil, mascara, and lip color, all in a flash.
They walked from the Slytherin common room to the front hall of the Great Hall. The entrance was already packed with students milling about, waiting for the doors to open at eight. Some were weaving through the crowd looking for their dates from other houses.
Anne and Fanny found a quieter spot to stand. Fanny attracted quite a few stares from older boys along the way.
"You should probably warn your date again, he's entering a danger zone," Anne said seriously.
"They weren't just looking at me, you know," Fanny teased. "You had your fair share of admirers, especially from Hufflepuff."
Anne shrugged noncommittally.
"Where's Hermione?" Anne asked, noticing Harry in black dress robes and Ron in a hand-me-down suit descending the stairs.
"Why don't you ask them?"
"No point. Judging by their faces, they're just as clueless," Anne said, glancing briefly toward the second floor before turning her eyes to the entrance.
With a creak, the oak doors opened. Everyone turned as the Durmstrang students walked in with Professor Karkaroff. Viktor Krum led the group, and beside him stood a stunning girl in pale blue.
Her gown made her snow-white skin seem to glow, and her elegantly styled hair exposed a slender neck. Her deep brown eyes sparkled with a mix of confidence and nervousness.
"I knew it," Anne grinned. She'd recognized her instantly.
"Knew what?" Fanny squinted. "Wait, who's that next to Krum?"
"Hermione," Anne said softly, almost without realizing her tone.
"No way…" Fanny stared in disbelief. "That's really her?"
"Of course!"
Just then, Professor McGonagall's voice rang out: "Champions, please bring your partners this way!" The champions began gathering near her. Anne paused as the crowd began shifting to make way.
Only then did Anne notice the lawn outside the doors had been transformed into a sparkling grotto, with hundreds of fluttering fairies glowing gently. They sat among conjured roses or perched on Christmas-themed statues of Santa and his reindeer.
"Champions, wait by the doors. The rest may go in," McGonagall instructed, wearing a red tartan cloak with a truly unfortunate thistle wreath on her hat.
With her words, the doors to the Great Hall swung open.
People filed inside. Many members of the Krum fan club from the library shot Hermione jealous daggers as they passed.
Anne didn't even glance at Krum. She smiled and said quickly, gently to Hermione, "You look beautiful, don't be nervous."
Hermione blinked, then beamed brightly at her.
The Great Hall was breathtaking. Frost shimmered on the walls, the enchanted ceiling showed a starlit sky, and wreaths of mistletoe and ivy hung above. The long house tables were gone, replaced by a hundred small, lantern-lit tables. At the front was the high table for honored guests.
Anne walked in to find Aaron standing near the high table, waving her over. As she approached, she noticed Professor Dumbledore, Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Ludo Bagman, and Percy.
Percy? What's he doing here? Anne raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"You look stunning tonight, Anne," Aaron said in a proud, fatherly tone.
"And you look very dashing, Uncle Aaron." Anne winked playfully, then smiled politely at the other adults before taking her seat.
Once everyone was seated, the lights dimmed. Candles floated from the walls to the entrance, forming two glowing rows leading to the high table.
Professor McGonagall led the champions and their partners into the hall. Thunderous applause erupted.
Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies came first, followed by Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang, then Viktor Krum and Hermione Granger, and finally Harry Potter and Parvati Patil.
Each pair seated themselves near their respective headmasters. Karkaroff sat two seats away from Anne.
Hermione smoothed her gown and sat beside Anne with a smile. Anne suddenly felt a little nervous.
She cleared her throat. "Hi, Hermione."
"Hi, Anne!" Hermione replied cheerfully, but Anne could tell she was even more nervous.
With a soft pop, menus appeared in front of everyone. Eyes lit up around the hall.
Anne breathed a small sigh of relief and opened hers.
"Anne, how does this work?" Aaron asked quietly.
Across from him, Dumbledore called out clearly, "Pork chops!" and a plate of pork chops appeared before him.
Aaron looked amazed. "How curious!"
"Wait, Uncle Aaron…" Anne stopped him gently. "There are a few dishes I don't recommend, they might not suit your taste. But try these: juicy seared beef steak, porcini pork chops, South African-style roast beef…"
She elaborated on the porcini pork chops, describing the garlic marinade, flour coating, egg wash, and the rich mushroom sauce. "Pair it with a small glass of gin and finish with some Christmas pudding…"
Aaron's eyes lit up. He nodded, and a beautifully plated, steaming dish appeared. Compared to Dumbledore's plain pork chops, it looked like a feast.
"Ah, splendid!" Dumbledore said good-naturedly. "Looks delicious!"
Anne smiled sheepishly. She noticed Hermione hadn't ordered yet, she was staring at Anne with the menu in hand.
Welp. Guess the foodie side's out now…
Anne looked over and said warmly, "You might like the sesame teriyaki salmon. It's boneless, tender, slow-baked with sauce, no grease, no frying. Pairs well with lemon tea."
Hermione's eyes lit up. She remembered mentioning once that she liked fish.
After ordering their food, Anne and Aaron chatted, mostly about Diana. Percy, seated nearby, eavesdropped intently. Hermione began conversing with Krum, though he kept mispronouncing her name.
After dinner, Dumbledore stood and raised his wand. The tables whooshed to the walls, clearing the center. A stage appeared along one side, with drums, guitars, a lute, a cello, and several keyboards.
From the side door, the Weird Sisters emerged, dressed in tattered black robes. Cheers erupted. The lights dimmed again. The band began a slow, haunting tune.
The champions took their partners to the center of the floor and began the opening dance.
Soon, more and more joined in. Aaron offered Anne his hand with a nervous but gentlemanly smile. She took it with a grin.
By the second song, slightly faster now, Anne scanned the crowd. Hermione and Krum danced a few steps away. They danced well, but something about Krum's face annoyed her. She looked for Fanny instead and spotted her moving gracefully in her purple dress.
As the music drew to a close, Aaron said softly, "Anne, I never imagined this moment…"
"It's a wonderful one, Uncle Aaron. I'm glad I got to share this dance with you," Anne replied sincerely.
Aaron chuckled. "But I won't hog you all night. I bet you turned down a whole queue of boys for this evening."
As the song ended, he escorted her off the floor. Sure enough, several boys were inching toward her. Aaron gave her a knowing smile and walked off toward Professor Moody.
Anne wasn't interested in dancing with the others. She eyed the buffet table and made her way over.
"Anne!" Hermione approached, her face flushed pink.
"Where's Krum?"
"I sent him to get drinks…"
"Well, he's got quite a selection. I think Dumbledore bought half the Three Broomsticks' low-alcohol Reeve," Anne joked.
"Actually…" Hermione's cheeks turned even redder.
"Hmm?" Anne tilted her head, then noticed a familiar Ravenclaw boy squeezing through the crowd, smiling shyly.
"Crap," Anne muttered, grabbing Hermione's hand and pulling her away. Since they were already near the edge, she dragged her into a nearby side chamber.
Peeking through the slightly open door, they watched the boy search for a while before giving up.
"Who was that?" Hermione asked.
"That boy who tried to ask me to the ball outside the dining hall!" Anne said with a sigh.
Hermione giggled. "The Ravenclaw one?"
"Yup…" Anne muttered, closing the door, only to find Hermione right behind her.
"Uh…" Anne turned, suddenly face to face with her. "Um…"
Outside, the Weird Sisters finished their song with a dramatic organ chord. Applause erupted again.
Anne looked at Hermione, inspired. "Sorry for dragging you in here. Want to dance with me?"
Then she caught herself, stood straight, and gave a mock bow. "Beautiful lady, would you do me the honor of this dance?"
She grinned, showing all her teeth. "I promise not to step on you, I know the lead steps too."
Hermione, blushing, smiled and placed her hand in Anne's. "I'd love to."
Anne gently wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist. They were almost eye level now, Anne maybe two centimeters taller. In the dim light, they danced perfectly in sync.
As the song ended, Hermione pulled away, cheeks pink. "You dance really well."
"Of course I do. I may not like sports, but I'm pretty athletic," Anne said shamelessly, making Hermione giggle again.
The guitar strummed once, then silence.
The Weird Sisters' lead singer stepped forward: "Our next song is by an anonymous Hogwarts student. It's a brand-new style. This one's for all of you! It's called Love Story."
"Anonymous?" Hermione looked at Anne curiously.
Anne averted her eyes, chuckled dryly, and said nothing.
The music began:
We were both young when I first saw you...
When the name "Romeo" came up, the hall erupted in applause and chatter.
"Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet?!" Hermione gasped. "I never thought I'd hear this at Hogwarts!"
"Me neither," Anne said, smiling.
Hermione sat beside her, closing her eyes and listening quietly.
Anne first stared at the overhead glass lamp. Then, slowly, she turned her head, and stopped.
She had never looked this closely at Hermione. Despite being in many classes together, Gryffindor and Slytherin students rarely interacted.
Pretty lashes. Nice nose. Her features are really good. Smooth skin... just too buried in books and a bit frizzy. But once she grows up, that hair will settle. And those small ears… they look so soft. What about her neck? She tied her hair up, looks kind of... tasty?
No! What am I thinking?! I must be hungry… I barely ate at dinner to keep up appearances.
As the song ended, Hermione opened her eyes, only to find Anne staring.
Anne hadn't expected the song to end so soon. But she kept her cool. "Is it just me, or is it a little hot in here? Want to step out for a bit? I could use a snack."
Hermione nodded quickly.
They stood and slipped out unnoticed. Everyone was too flustered from the dance to care.
At the buffet table, Anne grabbed a plate and loaded it up. Hermione got a glass of iced Earl Grey milk tea.
After chewing on a piece of fried chicken, Anne sighed in relief. Yep. Food really is the best comfort.
"That last song was beautiful…" Hermione said after a sip.
Anne nodded with puffed cheeks.
"But even the lyrics ended in tragedy…" Hermione added with a note of regret.
"It's just a song," Anne said, blinking.
"Anne, the decorations outside the entrance are gorgeous. You haven't seen them yet, right? Want to take a walk?" Hermione asked, holding her cup.
"Sure. I only caught a glimpse earlier." Anne set down her tray. "Wait a sec, I need a glass of chilled lemonade first."
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