Chapter 9

Shortly after his success in the First Task, Harry is stunned by hearing about the Yule Ball from Professor McGonagall. He is quite alarmed when told that, as one of the Champions, he is expected to find a dance partner, learn to dance and lead off the whole ball. This looming dread is not at all lightened by the realization that nearly everyone at the school – or, at least, everyone who is allowed to attend the Ball – is planning to stay over Christmas. The ball is restricted to those in the fourth year and above, although younger students can attend as the guest of a fourth-year or older student.

Harry immediately thinks of Cho Chang as a possible dance partner for the ball, but every time he finds her, she is travelling in a convoy of giggling girls; horribly embarrassed, he thinks that giggling should be outlawed. In hopes of actually being able to ask Cho, Harry turns down several invitations from other girls, possibly in part because he doesn't believe they can be serious. Finally, on the last day of classes, Harry takes Cho aside and asks her, only to find that she has already accepted an invitation from Cedric. Cho seems almost as disappointed as Harry at this turn of events, but that is cold comfort; handsome, capable, likeable Cedric is in so many ways what Harry would like to be, and here he has even gotten the girl that Harry wanted.

Returning to the common room, Harry finds that Ron is in the same situation – in what he attributes to a fit of madness, Ron has asked Fleur Delacour, and she has not even done him the dignity of turning him down, simply ignoring him. Harry takes the opportunity to mention that Fleur is part Veela, and had likely been using her inherited glamour to ensnare Roger Davies; Ron does not seem cheered by the possibility that he was simply caught by spillover magic. Ron asks Hermione, and suggests that Harry could go with Ginny, only to find that they, too, have already agreed to go with someone else. In desperation, Harry asks Parvati Patil. She accepts; Harry asks if Lavender would be willing to go with Ron, but Lavender already has a date. Parvati suggests that her sister, Padma, would probably be willing to go with Ron.

The Yule Ball takes place on Christmas Day, between the First and Second Tasks of the Triwizard Tournament. It is a festive event featuring dancing, in this case to music provided by the Weird Sisters. Students dress in their best formal clothes. Males wear dress robes, which is probably why dress robes were on the supplies list this year; females wear gowns or other formal attire. While students should have partners for the ball, apparently not all do; Harry is pleased to see that Crabbe and Goyle do not seem to have partners. The five Champions enter the hall last: Cedric Diggory with Cho Chang, Fleur Delacour with Roger Davies, Viktor Krum with Hermione,Aurora with Antony so prettily done up that Harry does not initially recognize her, and Harry with Parvati.

At dinner, Harry is surprised to find that Mr. Crouch is not present; Percy is, and explains that he is filling in for Mr Crouch, who is feeling ill. Once dinner is over, a dance floor is cleared, and Parvati guides Harry out onto the floor as the music starts up; the four Champions and their partners are quickly joined by classmates and teachers. At the end of the first dance, Harry chooses to leave the floor, much to Parvati's disgust; they go and join Ron and Padma, who apparently alone have sat out the first dance, and Padma and Parvati, deciding that they are unlikely to get much more dancing out of Ron and Harry, find other partners. Ron and Harry wander out into a rose garden that has been magically created outside the Entrance Hall, where they overhear Professor Karkaroff and Professor Snape discussing something that is getting more and more distinct, and whether Karkaroff should run away. They then stumble upon Hagrid and Madame Maxime deep in a private conversation; in the course of that conversation, Hagrid reveals that he is half-giant, and suggests that he believes Madame Maxime is also. Madame Maxime is affronted and departs in a huff. Hagrid then goes off to his hut, and Harry and Ron return inside to discuss this development.

While these all were happening Aurora and Antony were already at Sev's office. When Sev joined them Aurora has a smirk while Harry /Antony look utterly disgusted. Later Sev also started to laugh when he found out that Harry looked like that after seeing the way his copy behaved.

Aurora then explain that it was exactly how he would have been if they weren't there and he already didn't knew the truth.