Chronicles Of Arth: Prince Of Shadows

Potter! Weasley! Will you pay attention?"

Professor McGonagall's irritated voice cracked like a whip through the Transfiguration class on Thursday, and Arth watched on as 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; they had copied down their homework from the blackboard.

The bell was due to ring at any moment, and Harry and Ron, who had been having a sword fight with a couple of Fred and George's fake wands at the back of the class, looked up, Ron holding a tin parrot and Harry, a rubber haddock. They looked like total idiots.

"Now that Potter and Weasley have been kind enough to act their age," said Professor McGonagall, with an angry look at the pair of them as the head of Harry's haddock drooped and fell silently to the floor - Ron's parrot's beak had severed it moments before- "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 socialize 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 Arth.

Professor McGonagall ignored them and continued.

"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 -"

Professor McGonagall stared deliberately around the class.

"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.

PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL WITHOUT HER HAIR UP! Now that was a sight to see.

"But that does NOT mean," Professor McGonagall went on, "that we will be relaxing the standards of behavior 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, "Kingscrown- a word, if you please."

Knowing this was about the Champion's Opening Dance, Arth walked over gloomily towards Professor McGonagall.

Professor McGonagall waited until the rest of the class had gone, and then said, "Arth, the champions and their partners -"

"I'm not dancing," Arth said.

"It is traditional," said Professor McGonagall firmly. "You are a Hogwarts champion, and you will do what is expected of you as a representative of the school. So make sure you get yourself a partner."

"But-I don't-"

"You heard me, Kingscrown," said Professor McGonagall in a very final sort of way.

A week ago, Arth would have said finding a partner for a dance would be a harder than facing a dragon. Now that he had faced a dragon, he could say, finding a person for the dance would still be harder than facing a dragon.

Not to be a bragger but he just had too many options. He had Scarlett, Luna, and Hermione, however, Hermione and Arth were. . . . In a small argument so she was out.

So. . . . Who was he going to go to the ball with? The answer provided itself a few classes later.