Sirius,

I got past the dragon.  Yes, dragon.  That was the first task.

I was talking to Ni this morning and it suddenly hit me how to do it.  Make the dragon breathe fire first then use a Mirror Spell to bounce it back.  As it’s bouncing back, run under the flames and use that handy rope charm to tie up the dragons legs before leaping over the eggs and grabbing the gold on (that’s what we were after).  Of course, then there was the fire to worry about, so I used the Transform Spell.  Fire into roses.  I nearly scared the crowd to death but I think they got over it pretty fast.

So you don’t have to come back.

Harry

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

“Jar?”

< Eh? > said the raven sleepily as Harry entered the Owlery.

“Delivery.”

The raven clacked his beak and fluttered his wings.

< Sirius said to use an owl next time.  I’m sort of obvious, me being a raven. >

Harry sighed and looked around.

“Where’s Pig?”

< Ah, that hyper ball of fluff.  One moment. >

Jardin leapt off his perch and flapped his way up into the dark heights of the owlery.  There was a moment of screeching and then a gray ball came soaring down into Harry’s hands, twittering loudly.  Harry looked up as Jardin settled back down on his perch between a barn owl and an eagle owl.

“Thanks, Jar.”

< No problem. >

Harry quickly tied the letter to Pigwidgeon’s leg then gave the little owl a light toss out the window.  He watched him until he was nothing but a weaving away shadow then turned and headed downstairs after saying goodbye to Jardin.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

“Hey,” said Harry later at dinner when he made a deliberate pass by the Gryffindor table, “I borrowed Pig to send a letter to…eh, well…you-know-who.”

Ron blinked and said, “You-know-who?”

“Not that you-know-who.  The other one.”

“Oh,” said Ron.  “Okay.”

“’Kay.  See you guys.”  Harry waved to Hermione and Ron as he walked over towards the Slytherin table.  Just before he reached the spot were Niamh and Ginny were sitting, Draco appeared in front of him.

“Potter,” he said.

“Malfoy,” said Harry, nodding his head slightly.

“Good moves today.”

“Thanks.”

Draco nodded and began to walk off.  Harry looked after him then headed for the empty seat beside Niamh again.

“Oh, and Potter?”

Harry turned, one eyebrow arched.

“Yeah, Malfoy?” he asked, aware that several people had their eyes on the two of them.

“Good luck with that egg.”

With that Draco walked off and several whispers went up.

“Did Malfoy just wish Harry good luck?”

“Maybe its not Malfoy.  Maybe its someone trying to make him look bad.”

“You mean worse.”

“Or maybe Malfoy’s going soft!”

Harry snorted at what he heard and walked over to where Niamh and Ginny were waving at him.

“What did Malfoy want?” asked Ginny.

“Nothing,” said Harry as he sat down.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

It was a few days later in Transfiguration class when Harry’s fourth year ranked a worse rating than second year.  They had just finished their work when McGonagall called for attention.

“Attention, everyone.  The Yule Ball is approaching – a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests.  The ball will only be open to fourth years and above – although you may invite a younger student if you wish.  Dress robes will be worn and the ball will start at eight o’clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall.  Now, good day.  Potter!  A word, if you will.”

Harry’s hand froze where it was reaching down to grab the strap of his bag and looked up at McGonagall.  He nodded slightly then said to Niamh, “I’ll see you in Charms.”  The girl nodded and headed off, scowling mildly at McGonagall before she disappeared out the door.

“Potter,” said McGonagall, “generally your Head of House would tell you this but as you’re here…”

“Yes, professor?” said Harry, arching an eyebrow at McGonagall.  He found it slightly amusing that he was taller than her.

“The champions and their partners…”

“Partners?”

“Your dance partner, Potter.  For the Yule Ball.  The champions and their partners open the ball.”

Harry blinked then said, “Oookay.  Partner.  For ball.  Yes, ma’am.  Anything else?”

McGonagall glared at him and said, “Go.”

And Harry went.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

“What’d the Demon Bitch want?” asked Niamh as Harry sat down in the seat beside her.

“Partner.”

Niamh shook her head and peered at her friend.

“Hold on.  Run that one by me again.”

Harry sighed and said, “I have to get a partner for the ball.  Apparently the champions open it.”

“Well, that won’t be to much of a problem.  You’re a champion!  Girls will be fawning all over you.”

“That’s just it.  I don’t want them to be fawning all over me.  And there’s another problem.”

“What?” asked Niamh, opening her book to the page Flitwick had called out.

Harry sighed, opening his own book as he said, “I can’t dance.”

“I thought everyone could dance,” said Niamh.

“Unless they had a dance club in the slums that I didn’t know about, I never learned how to.”  Harry grinned and quipped, “Of course, you could teach me, since you seem to me so wise on the subject.”

Niamh scowled at him and said, “Then I will.”

“When, pray tell?” asked Harry as he turned his head to watch Flitwick.

“Tonight.”

“Okay then.”

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

“Alright, you put your hand here, on my waist.  And you hold my hand with your other one.”

“Where’s your other hand go?”

“On your shoulder.  Now, this is about the simplest dance you can do.  Watch the feet and follow me.  One-two-three and one-two-three and one-two-three…”

Niamh and Harry were spinning around the common room, ignoring the people eying them.

“One-two-three – careful with your feet, mate.  Your not Ron, but you could crush my foot if you stepped on it.”

Harry looked indignant and scoffed, “No, I couldn’t.  My feet aren’t that big.”

“Well, don’t wear those great, bloody combat boots.  Where’d you get those anyway?”

“Birthday gift from Sirius,” replied Harry.

“Oh?” said Niamh.  “Now, you lead.  Let’s see if you can at least slow dance.”

Harry grinned and said, “I’ve got the hang of this one.  So, I’m leading…  And – one-two-three, one-two-three…”

“Learning how to dance from the Mudblood, Potter?” said Pansy loudly as they spun past her.  Niamh stuck her tongue out at Pansy as Harry quipped, “I wouldn’t insult the Lady Hex if I were you, Pansy.  It’s just not safe.  I would remind you that, even though she is dancing, she is still armed.”

Pansy scowled as Harry grinned and suddenly pulled Niamh close, leaning her back into a dip.  The girl laughed and said, “Well, it seems I won’t have to teach you that one.”

Harry smiled and pulled her back up.

“You wouldn’t have been able to hold me.”

“Are you saying I’m weak, Mister Potter?”

“Why no, Miss O’Feir.”

“Then you’re implying that you’re heavy?” asked Niamh with a wry grin.

Harry smiled and replied, “Why, no.  I’m implying that you couldn’t hold me up if you tried to do that.”

Niamh snorted and said, “C’mon, next dance now.  This one’s fast, so pay good attention or you’ll lose it…

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

“Hey, Dumbledore got a band.”

Harry looked up at Niamh from where he was poking into the back of a medium-sized boom box with a metal stick and a screwdriver.

“Really?”

“Yep.”  Niamh peered at his work and asked, “Is that…”

“That radio you asked me to try and get to work inside Hogwarts?  Yep.  The only way I can figure out how to get it to work is have it play off magical energy, being as there’s an abundance here.”  Harry jabbed at something on the inside with the screwdriver and continued, “But, my problem is figuring out how to get it to only take what it needs, not all the magic in the castle.”

Niamh blinked and gasped, “You mean you’ve got it working?”

“Yeah.  Except for the little difficulty of where it will suck all the magic up…  Just a small difficulty.”

“Harry…how long have you been working on this?”

“Err…”  Harry sat down the metal stick and picked up a pair of pliers lying beside the boom box.  “Since you suggested it over the summer.  It seemed to be a good way to waste time.”

And not think about Tyls, thought Niamh.  She grinned at her friend and said, “This is great!  Now I can bring my CD’s…it is a CD player, right?”

“Yep.”

“Joy!” cried Niamh, flopping down beside him on the couch.  Harry lifted his tools as she made the couch bounce then went back to work.

“Say,” he said after a few moments, “has anyone asked you to the dance yet, Ni?”

Niamh blushed and Harry turned his head to look at her.  A wide grin spread over his face and he said, “Ah.  So someone did ask you.”

“No,” said Niamh, her voice cracking slightly.

“Ah, your lucky.  One week left and I’m still sorting through the girls trying to go with me.”

“Well…at least their asking.”

Harry snorted and went back to his work.  Niamh peered over his shoulder for a moment then said, “Why don’t you ask Hermione?”

“Mione?”

“Yeah.  She’s a girl.”

“She’s already going with someone.”

Niamh blinked.

“So you did ask her?”

“No, Ron did.  Spouted off some rubbish about her being a girl and she got a bit hot under the collar.”

“Ooo, tell me she slapped him…”

Harry gave Niamh an odd look and laughed.

“She looked like she came close to it.  He kept saying she wasn’t go with anyone, so she walked out.”

“Who’s she going with?”

“Not a clue,” replied Harry.

“Hmm.”  Niamh leaned back into the couch then said, “Hey!  Why don’t you ask Ginny?”

“Gin?” said Harry, looking up.

“Yeah.  Our young redheaded companion.”

“Well…it’s a go.  Better than asking any other girl here.  Except for Amanda.”

“She’s going with Neville,” said Niamh.

Harry nodded.  He’d have expected something like that, the two of them being good friends.  He then snorted and began to laugh.

“Gods…I just had a thought.”

“What?”

“Me and Pansy.”

“Urgh,” moaned Niamh.  “Bad picture there, mate.  Blond and black really don’t go together.  Especially as she’s about three inches shorter than me.  And a wench.”

Harry waved his screwdriver at the girl beside him and said, “Now that’s never been proved…”

“No.  Not yet.”

“I hope your not playing on proving it.”

Niamh wrinkled her nose, looking revolted.

“Hell no!”

“Good,” said Harry, “’cause that’s just a disturbing image.”

“What?”

“Pansy…well, you know…and you watching.”

“Argh!  Harry!  That’s worse than that image of Lockhart and Snape!”

Harry winced and moaned, “Oh, don’t remind me!  Now that’s an even worse thought!”

Niamh looked revolted again then shook herself, leaning into the couch again.  Harry closed his eyes to clear away that image and began to work on the boom box again.

“So?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you going to ask Ginny?”

“Do I have any other choice?” asked Harry without looking up.

“No.”

“That answers yours question then.”

They sat in silence for a moment then Niamh asked, “Are you just going to ask her because I told you to?”

Harry sighed and shook his head as he clipped a wire in half with the pliers then began to twist one end of it to another already clipped wire.

“To be honest, I’ve been considering it for days.”

“And me finally telling you to do it is making you do it?”

“No.  Chang asking me got me to do it.”

“Whoa,” said Niamh.  “Doesn’t she know that now she’s got a rivalry going on between Ravenclaw and Slytherin?”

“I don’t think so.  She nearly slapped me for saying ‘no’ then I think she remembered that I’m one of the best duelers in the school.  She sort of walked away really fast after that.”

“Heh,” said Niamh, “who’d have thought?”

Harry grunted then gave a yelp when Niamh suddenly punched his shoulder.  He made a mad grab at the screwdriver as it soared up into the air and almost came down into the center of the boom box, ruining all of his work.  The tool in one hand and the other covering the open back of the machine, he turned his head slowly to glare at his friend.  Niamh reached over and placed her hand on top of his head, turning it towards the door.  Ginny had just now entered the common room and was heading over towards them.

“Ask her,” whispered Niamh.

“Yes, yes, yes,” growled Harry, brushing her hand off of his head and jabbing the screwdriver at her.  “You know you almost lost your precious CD player?”

“I knew it was safe.  Now ask.”

“Ask what?” said Ginny as she sat down in the chair across from Harry.  Niamh nudged his shoulder and he glared at her, threatening her with the screwdriver then turned to Ginny.

“Gin?”

“Yes, Harry?” her eyes looking at the boom box lying in front of him.

“Will you go to the ball with me?”

Ginny sputtered and fell back into her chair, eyes wide.

“Wha’, wha’, wha’ – what?”

“Will.  You.  Go.  To.  The.  Ball.  With.  Me?” repeated Harry, saying the words slowly.

Ginny blinked several times then said, “I thought it was only fourth year and above…”

“You can invite a lower year,” said Niamh.  “So?  Whatdaya say, Gin?  Y’ gonna go with this strapping devil here?”

“Strapping?” said Harry, arching an eyebrow at Niamh.

“Sure,” said Ginny.

“You will?” exclaimed Niamh.

Harry grinned and said, “Okay then.  I hope you know how to dance, Gin.”

Ginny smiled and said, “I’m the one that helped Mum teach Ron and the twins.”

Niamh laughed at that and Harry couldn’t help but chuckle.