Chapter 19.6- Doom Days

“It’s a wonderful present” Mcgonagall complimented while giving me a look I couldn’t interpret- it was equal parts wistful, like she was looking at me and seeing someone else, and pained, like what she was seeing brought her some amount of pain.

“Thank you, Professor” I said, while taking Fleur’s arm in mine and leading her to take our place in the line of champions. Once again, Sirius had been right, I thought to myself with a wry smile. With her heels on, Fleur’s head was roughly equal with mine. Of course, I wasn’t that tall. We’d added platforms beneath my feet but hidden them cleverly with high bottomed shoes and a concealment charm that would draw attention away from it. Being shorter than her wouldn’t do for the image that I sought to sell here.

“Line up according to your standings, Champions. I will return in a minute” Mcgonagall said, before leaving us and moving to usher those who remained in the entrance hall into the Great Hall. It was when she did that, that Hermione came down the stairs. There was another hush, but this one was different from the hush Fleur’s entrance had brought.

“That can’t be Granger” I heard Cho Chang whisper to Diggory and resisted the urge to smirk. My best friend, and I did a double take when I realised that I truly thought she was my best friend and not just Harry’s, had cleaned up well and looked marvelous. Neville, standing at the base of the stairs, looked dumbfounded and struck still. When Hermione looked over in my direction, I tossed her a smile before returning my attention to my date.

“I hope you had no trouble changing your dress in time” I whispered to her.

“Non. Mon famille employs Madam Bernadette, the finest seamstress in all of Paris. She could make a masterpiece in no time. All I had to do was send her the photograph of your robes and she was able to prepare something appropriate in time.” She said. I nodded, searching for something else to say, before she continued.

“I must warn you though, Harry Potter. My father has secured an invitation to this Ball and is eager to meet the man who in his words has ‘stolen his daughter’s heart’” She said, and where lesser men would have panicled, I just nodded. Doom feared no one.

“So I assume he has no idea what the nature of our arrangement truly is, then” I said, whispering to her in French.