Christmas and the Second Task

Viktor invited me to the ball. I agreed --- at least in a dance I want to embrace a guy with an athletic build, not skinny teenagers. Polyakov was outraged that Krum took away from Durmstrang the only girl you could find common ground with. He meant Russian and partly German, I suppose.

Harry had been following Cho Chang for several days, finally got up the courage, but she was already going with Cedric. So Harry invited me. As a last resort. I said I was already taken, and jokingly advised him to invite someone from Slytherin --- Malfoy would be shocked. For example, Daphne --- the most beautiful fourth-year among the snakes. Neville tried to invite me --- because I'm the kindest and take care of him. I remembered canon and advised him to ask Hannah. Justin also suggested --- because we had already danced, and we did well together, while with other girls it's still unknown. So it goes, I don't inspire romantic feelings in Hogwarts students, only friendly ones. Susan was invited by Anthony Goldstein from Ravenclaw. Justin ended up going with Lavender, and Harry and Ron with the Patil twins.

The Great Hall looked like an ice palace. Frost silvered on the walls, icicles hung from the cornices, large snowflakes fell from the ceiling, disappearing just before reaching people's heads. Beautiful and very Christmasy. Fleur boasts that at Beauxbatons Christmas is even better --- ice sculptures everywhere, no stupid armor and the food is tastier. She doesn't know how to appreciate diversity.

Champions with partners open the ball with the first dance, then the others join us. Good thing I didn't buy a red dress, if Viktor and I were both in red --- that would be overkill. Besides, since Harry still became champion, slightly pushing aside Cedric, a dress in Gryffindor colors on a Hufflepuff --- that's exactly what they would definitely interpret wrongly. I notice that the sweet couple Harry and Ron are behaving like pigs here too, they abandoned their partners, Harry is boring holes in Cho with his stare, Ron is looking disapprovingly at Roger and Fleur. But I don't care about them, I'm dancing and having a good time. After several dances with Viktor, I accept Cedric's invitation, then Roger Davies --- champions traditionally exchange partners for a few dances. No one forces Harry, and the ball is clearly not a joy for him. I had to make sure Davies didn't drool on me --- he's all absorbed in thoughts about Fleur. I agree with his words about her beauty, intelligence and talent. Completely sincerely --- she is very beautiful, and the presence of intelligence and talent is confirmed by the cup. But to lose your head so much... if Fleur does this to men involuntarily, one can only sympathize with her. And if on purpose, then she's quite the pervert. I managed to dance with almost all the guys from Durmstrang, Justin and Neville. The latter I better not have done, he managed to step on Hannah's feet too. Viktor and I went to get some air in the garden, talking about all sorts of light nonsense and suddenly notice that Karkaroff is relentlessly following us. He walks and looks with a suspicious glance --- brrr. Is he guarding his ward's honor? Or rather --- his school's secrets? But Viktor and I have been communicating for a long time already. This is strange. Okay, let's go back, no need to make the headmaster nervous. We finish dancing the last two dances, and Viktor walks me to the common room. He wishes me good night, kisses my hand, saying goodbye... I had an excellent time.

***

I had already arrived home when an owl caught up with me with a letter from Harry about Cedric's hint about the egg and about Snape and Karkaroff's conspiracy. Harry understood nothing, but I understood that the marks are darkening...

Since Harry was a champion, and he couldn't leave Hogwarts, he missed all the most interesting things. On January 5th, Mrs. Black gave birth to a daughter, impossibly pretty. While the happy father was treating former colleagues in the Auror office, Rita and I were cooing over the crib. On this joyful occasion, the irrepressible journalist even took a month's vacation from work, but promised that she would definitely be back in action for the next stage of the tournament. Rita had her own house-elf before the wedding, or rather a female elf, who moved to the Black house with her. Before the birth, Kreacher and Bunny had a struggle for territory and figuring out who's in charge here. But now Bunny is focused on the baby and no longer teaches Kreacher how to properly clean the kitchen. Kreacher definitely looks happy. Besides, he's very glad about the heiress, only reminds young Mrs. Black that the next one should be a boy. Walburga has somehow quieted down, she still calls Rita "that vulgar person," but now "that vulgar person gave birth to my granddaughter," so the late Lady Black's character has somewhat improved. But Rita, by the way, is not a lady. But everything could change if Sirius becomes a lord. For now he still walks around with heir status.

When my mom and I went to post-Christmas sales, in a shop with all sorts of trinkets I spotted earrings with vegetables and fruits. Until that moment I hadn't thought of giving Luna anything, but now I couldn't resist. She already has radish earrings, let her have watermelons, cherries and carrots for a set. When I get back to Hogwarts, I'll put anti-loss charms on them. If you squeeze one earring hard, the other will fly to you by itself. True, if you lose them as a set, nothing will help. Making such cool things like goblin non-losable purses, I'll be able to do in ten years at best.

***

At Hogwarts I gave Luna the earrings --- she seemed to like them. I asked about books on Occlumency. Luna for once answered very clearly:

--- If you lock the doors, strangers won't get into the house, but you can still hear their screams from the street.

Too bad. It turns out pure Occlumency won't help her at all, she needs to study Legilimency specifically to control the process and not go crazy from the constant noise. And it's also a pity that Snape turned out to be such a bad person. If he were normal, I could ask him for help. And then Luna and I could practice together. Training with Snape would be dangerous in any case. But Luna and I learned a trick: I look into her eyes and think of an object, and she "sees" it. The other way around, we couldn't do anything without the Legilimens spell, and I was afraid to use it. Although the girl herself wanted to conduct this experiment --- she's not at all afraid that an inexperienced partner might damage something in her head. If two people like Luna meet, they'll be able to communicate peacefully with thoughts. Without subject-object positions, like in classical Legilimency, but have a normal conversation in which you control your own words. I want that too!

Strangely, artifacts against mental interference didn't work on Luna. Her gift simply didn't notice them. But Occlumency shields partially hid my brain-slugs from Luna.

***

In canon, Ron was offended at Hermione for Krum being her partner at the Christmas ball. And Ron was offended at me after my date with Krum. Because on the date we flew on broomsticks! We flew around Hogwarts territory, admired the surroundings --- it's really very beautiful here, when I complained about how terribly they taught flying at school, Viktor showed me a couple of interesting and simple tricks. And gave me rides on his broomstick at high speeds --- a couple of times I even wanted to close my eyes. But it was great. And hugging while slowly flying over the castle is also great. And besides, two people on a broomstick is much warmer --- it's not summer now after all.

And Ron was indignant, why did this happen to me? After all, I'm not even interested in Quidditch! There's no justice in life. Did he really want to ride a broomstick in Viktor's embrace? Although, knowing how much Ron loves Quidditch --- maybe he wouldn't refuse to kiss Krum a couple of times. I'm joking of course, but in every joke...

The time for the second task was approaching, I told Harry about gillyweed, and Sirius immediately sent it to him. Meanwhile, I was thinking that I definitely didn't want to end up at the bottom of the lake. Maybe they'll choose someone else? I'm still a local translator after all --- what if foreign students need something translated during the second task? But I didn't know how to hint about this to McGonagall. And on the eve of the task, she called out to me in the corridor herself, I turned around, and the lights went out...

I hope I never wake up this way again! I came because I was wet and very cold. Good thing this was already near the shore, and Krum was dragging me out of the water toward Madam Pomfrey. I missed his epic transformation into a half-shark, but I don't really regret it. I don't think that's an attractive sight. But not being able to see the merpeople and their village --- that's annoying.

Thump. A beetle landed on my head. Rita has become somewhat clumsy after giving birth. Why so forcefully? Viktor didn't know anything about the journalist and started talking about how I could come visit him in the summer. Interesting, how long will it take for this to reach my parents and in what form? Rita --- to Sirius, Sirius --- to my father, and now mom and dad are already sure that their daughter has been seduced by a cunning Bulgarian wizard.

Harry saved Fleur's little sister, got extra points for high moral spirit and also got a kiss from a veela.