Chronicles Of Arth: Prince Of Shadows

Arth watched as Harry, Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville changed into their dress robes up in their dormitory, all of them looking very self-conscious, everyone except for Ron, who surveyed himself in the long mirror in the corner with an satisfied look on his face. L

There was just no getting around the fact that Arth did a incredible job in making the robes for both himself and Ron.

Ron was wearing a blazing red robe with the emblem of a lion embroidered onto it. He looked like a knight of the sun with his wide smile and confident appearance.

Arth, on the other side, went with a wholly different approach.

His dress robes were designed with the night sky in mind. Each movement caused a ripple sending tens of stars shooting across the black silk. Arthur had specifically pulled up his hair and made it so that the entirety of his face could be seen.

Harry sent a jealous glance at the both of them as the boys set off downstairs.

"I should've asked you to make you my dress robes as well."

"I still can't work out how you managed to make such fine robes," muttered Dean.

"Genuisism," said Ron happily, making sure his hair was perfect. "Arth is a f.u.c.k.i.n.g genius. By the way, who are y'all going to the ball with?"

Dean and Seamus recovered some of their pride as they puffed out their c.h.e.s.ts and said "Padma and Pararti."

"Nice, I'm with Lavender, how about you Harry?"

". . . . Ginny. She asked me to go with her. Or else, she couldn't go you see."

"You Neville?"

"Er, Luna. I asked her out."

"Shame, I thought she was going to go with Arth. Does anyone know who Hermione is going with?"

"Dunno, she told me that someone already asked her out. What about you Arth?"

". . . . Scarlett."

"Nice! Let's go SCARTH!"

"Tch, oh well, let's hurry up and go down."

The common room looked strange, full of people wearing different colors instead of the usual mass of black.

The other boys met up with their girls while Arth waited on the sidelines awkwardly.

"Okay," said Arth, wishing he could leave already, "let's go."

Fred winked at Arth as he passed him on the way out of the portrait hole.

"Let's go champ."

The entrance hall was packed with students too, all milling around waiting for eight o'clock, when the doors to the Great Hall would be thrown open. Those people who were meeting partners from different Houses were edging through the crowd trying to find one another.

The good part was that no one seemed to notice him standing there all alone.

Arth scanned the crowd for Scarlett but sadly, couldn't.

The only red hair he could see, was from Ron and his brothers.

Fleur Delacour passed by him, looking stunning in robes of silver-gray satin, and accompanied by a random boy who he had never seen before.

They exchanged nods and waves before they separated, and Arth Searched for Scarlett once again.

A group of Slytherins came up the steps from their dungeon common room. Malfoy was in front; he was wearing dress robes of black velvet with a high collar. Pansy Parkinson in very frilly robes of pale pink was clutching Malfoy's arm. Crabbe and Goyle were both wearing green; they resembled moss-colored boulders, and neither of them had managed to find a partner.

The oak front doors opened, and everyone turned to look as the Durmstrang students entered with Professor Karkaroff. Krum was at the front of the party, accompanied by a pretty girl in blue robes Arth didn't know but for some strange reason looked familiar.

Over their heads he saw that an area of lawn right in front of the castle had been transformed into a sort of grotto full of fairy lights, meaning hundreds of actual living fairies were sitting in the rosebushes that had been conjured there, and fluttering over the statues of what seemed to be Father Christmas and his reindeer.

Still no Scarlett.

Then Professor McGonagall's voice called, "Champions over here, please!"

Arth was starting to get nervous.

"Where is she?" Arth muttered quietly wiping off the sweat from his forehead.

And then, Arth felt a hand on his shoulder.

Arth spun around and involuntary froze.

Behind him, was a girl clad in beautiful crimson, head to toe.

She was wearing a beautiful crimson dress that went all the way to her ankles. Poking out from underneath the hem were her two delicate feet inside dainty little red heels.

The dress had a simple design, yet a sense of magic as each time the wind tickled the fabric, the ripples would cause the dress to seem like it was aflame.

The clothing parted to make a steep V neck that slithered down from her collarbone revealing something that made Arth blush. On her pale white neck nestled a golden chain with a Scarlett Ruby in the shape of a rose planted directly in the center of her c.h.e.s.t.

Her emerald eyes were staring directly at him, refusing to break eye contact.

"Hello, Arth. I'm sorry For being late."

Arth took a moment to reply.

"No, not at all."

Scarlett raised an eyebrow before giggling.

"Shall we go?"

Arth nodded.