Valentine's Day Ball: Hogwarts Mystery

Match-Maker

Sarah set off in search of Filch, plotting as she went. She found herself in the courtyard, along with several other students brave enough to face the February chill. She fastened her cloak around herself and took cover behind the fountain, once she spotted Filch lurking in a corner. 

"You better not be sneaking off to the Whomping Willow without me, Spellman," came a nasty whisper behind her. 

Sarah didn't need to turn around. "No, Merula. I'm still trying to save the Ball from Madam Pince."

"How?"

Sarah ducked low, pulling Merula with her as Filch glared their way.

"Don't pull me!" she hissed, but Sarah shushed her. 

"Pince is throwing a miserable party because she's sad she'll be alone on Valentine's Day," she explained. "I'm going to set her up with Filch so she'll be excited to plan a storybook romance ball."

Merula scoffed. "Honestly, Spellman, if you're gonna waste your time with this party, you might as well put some serious effort into it. Pince and Filch?"

"I saw them...flirting, for lack of a better word, in the library earlier."

"Huh," said Merula. "I suppose its not the oddest pairing now that I think about it. I mean, there's you and Barnaby for one thing."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you know..." Merula fumbled for words for a minute before changing the subject. "Has your brother said anything about being up at the castle on Valentine's Day?"

"I somehow doubt Jacob's interested in attending a Valentine's Day Ball."

"Not at the ball, obviously," said Merula. "But I mean, will he be around that evening?"

"If he will, he certainly wont' tell me in advance," said Sarah. She glanced sideways at Merula, always happy to see her blush, even if it was because she had a crush on Jacob. "But, there's a good chance he'll be close. It would be a good chance for R to sneak up on us while we're distracted at the ball. He'll probably stay close by to keep an eye on us."

Merula cleared her throat. "Yes, well...perhaps this setup idea isn't entirely ignorant. How are you gonna do it?"

"Well, first I've got to get Filch's attention, so I'm going to cause some kind of commotion or something to upset him."

"Easy enough," said Merula, pulling out her wand. "Colorvaria!"

Filch gasped as Mrs. Norris, seated at his feet and licking her paw, became bright pink. 

"Festive," said Sarah. She grinned before she felt a sharp pinch on her bum. "Merula!" she yelled, as she sprang up in the air. 

"You!" Filch was glaring at her, his crooked fingers pointing at her chest. "You did this, didn't you?"

"Uh..." Sarah glanced around for Merula, but she'd already gone. 

Filch had hobbled over and grabbed her by the hood of her cloak. "You're coming with me!" he growled, dragging her back to the castle. Mrs. Norris pranced along behind them. 

Sarah tried to speak to Filch on the way to his office, but he cut her off each time with more gruesome threats. Finally, he flung her through his office door, then stumped to the other side of his desk, pulled out a form, and began writing on a slip about her transgression. Mrs. Norris sat down on her cushion and continued to groom herself. 

"Name?" Filch asked, sneering up at her from the form. 

"Sarah Spellman," she said. "But if I could just--"

"Not another word from you, unless its an apology," he snapped. 

"I'm sorry, Mr. Filch."

"Not to me, to Mrs. Norris."

"Oh, right. Of course." Sarah turned to the cat. "I'm very sorry, Mrs. Norris."

Mrs. Norris hissed at her.

"See how've you upset her?" snarled Filch. "My poor beauty! She can't go out looking like that!"

"Here, I'll change her back right now." Sarah pulled out her wand and performed the counter-spell. Instantly, Mrs. Norris's pink coat was replaced by her old, mottled one. 

Filch nodded. "Crime," he said, writing on the form again. "Vandalism, destruction of property, causing undue distress on an innocent victim--"

"It was for the Ball!" Sarah blurted, thinking quickly. 

Filch stared at her. "The ball?" he asked, as if he'd never heard of such a thing. 

"Yes, Madam Pince agreed to collaborate on ideas for the ball with me. I guess I got carried away." Sarah glanced up at Filch. "I hear you're helping her as well."

"Why?" he asked. "Has she said anything? Is she unhappy with way I've arranged the chairs?"

"No, no, you're doing wonderfully," said Sarah. She let out a dramatic sigh. "But I'm afraid she is rather unhappy with the way things have turned out."

"Why? What's bothering her?" said Filch. He was nearly as upset as when his cat was still pink. 

"Well," said Sarah sadly, "she has lovely ideas for the party, but she's afraid to implement them, you see. She's worried no one else will like her ideas."

"But Madam Pince has wonderful ideas! I'll tell her so at our next dance-planning meeting."

Sarah snapped her fingers. "What an excellent idea! In fact, why don't you suggest those very ideas in your meeting? Then, not only will Madam Pince believe in herself, but she'll be impressed with you for thinking of it as well!"

Filch was gazing up toward the ceiling. Something that almost resembled a smile spread across his face. But, he looked cross as always when his attention snapped back to her. 

"Go on, let's hear these ideas then."

Sarah tried to keep a straight face as she spouted off a few ideas for the perfect ball. She didn't want to be too obvious, so it wasn't perhaps the raging, chaotic affair that Jae or Tulip would have liked, but she thought it sounded like a good time all the same. 

"Sophisticated refreshments, refined music, elegant flowers..." Filch summarized, once Sarah had finished. "You sure?"

"Positive. Madam Pince wants the ball to feel like it came straight out of a fairy-tale, something everyone will enjoy. She wants the possibility for a storybook romance."

Filch had gone as pink as Mrs. Norris. "Well, if that's what she wants. But, I don't know a lot about those things..."

"Perhaps it would help if you dressed the part?" asked Sarah, eyeing Filch's filthy, gray overcoat. 

"Dress the part? I wouldn't even know how!"

Sarah smiled reassuringly. "I have a friend who could help you out. He's known as something of a style wizard."

"I don't know," said Filch. His eyes narrowed at her. "This better not be some kind of prank!"

Sarah held up her hands. "Of course not, I promise. I only want Madam Pince to be happy, as I'm sure you do."

"Well...alright then."

"Excellent!" said Sarah, unable to hide her grin now. "I'll go tell Andre and get back to you."

Sarah hurried from the office, quite pleased with herself. If Hogwarts ever throws a school play, she thought she'd be a shoo-in for the lead role.