The Silver Tongue

Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Yule Ball

You know this chapter was just going to be a fun time at the ball but when I tried to write it that way it didn't work out so well, so I hope you all like the outcome of my wayward fingers and mind.

I don't own Harry Potter, wish I did though.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
"Talk"
'Think'
"Parseltongue"
Chapter 36 – Yule Ball
In the second week of December the Yule ball was announced. Harry wasn't worried, until he was told that as a champions he was required to attend with a partner. Harry in the beginning figured that he would go with one of his girls. He was thinking of taking Ginny as she was too young to come on her own, but Blaise Zabini had asked him for permission right after lunch to ask Ginny to the Ball. Harry liked the boy and as he was one of his Venatores, Harry felt that Ginny would be safe enough with the boy for him to say yes. It must have spread that if one wanted to ask a member of the Pack to the Ball the person had to first get permission from Harry because Viktor approached him at breakfast the next morning to ask permission to take Hermione. Harry was soon being asked left and right for permission from many students. He turned most down. The whole process amused Harry, even more so when George asked for permission to take Neville as his date. That almost caused Harry to bust out laughing as Neville was sitting right next to George. Harry didn't think he had ever seen someone blush so red, though he also looked a little pleased that George wanted to take him. Harry couldn't not give George his permission.
The Pack was having a blast getting ready for the Ball. The girls sat together giggling around Ginny's sketch book. It would seem that they were going to be making their own dresses again. Harry himself had sketched his own formal outfit. He sent it off to along with the twin's, Draco's and Neville's orders to Twilfitt and Tatting's in Diagon Alley. The only thing Harry was missing was a date to the ball. Luna was going with one of the boys from Durmstrang, a boy named Gelman, whom had waited outside the Great Hall doors and was almost ran off by the Pack males before Harry made his appearance with Hermione on his arm for lunch. Draco was going with Daphne Greengrass, another Venator. Fred was also going with a Venator and fellow Gryffindor Quidditch player, Angelina Johnson. As Harry didn't want to go with one of his Venatores but his Pack was all taken he was stumped with who he should go with.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
"The unforgivables. The Ministry of Magic says that you are too young to learn about them but I say otherwise. It doesn't matter that you all are children, children die just like any adult. You all have a right to know what you are up against." Barty, in Moody form, lectured them from the front of the classroom. Harry was halfway listening to the lesson and half amerced into his mother's grimoire. The mention of the unforgivable curses caught his attention. He was reading about them in his mother's research at that very moment. "How many are there?"
Neville slowly raised his hand. Harry felt a spike of pride flare through him. Neville never answered questions outside of the greenhouse unless a teacher prompted him. Barty nodded to Neville to answer. "There are three."
"Yes." Barty nodded, looking at Neville. "Can you tell me them?"
Neville hesitated. Harry could understand, his parents were taken from his reach by one of those curses. Neville seemed to have gotten his courage up because he answered with a steady voice. "The Imperius Curse, The Cruciatus Curse, and The Killing Curse."
Barty nodded, Harry could feel with his magic that Barty was even proud that Neville answered. That was curious. Barty flicked his wand, the three curses were written up onto the black board. "Yes, now who can tell us why they are called the unforgivable. Why did the Ministry of Magic ban them?"
Answers came from the students in words about how the curses killed, or hurt, and took away will. Harry turned back to his mother's research. Her answer was much more sound. "These curses attack or destroy the victim's magic." All talk silenced as the class turned to pay attention to the Pack's Alpha who had spent the year relitivly silent and reading in classes since his naming as a champion.
"What was that Mr. Evans?" Barty asked.
Harry lifted his eyes from the book laid out on his desk. "The curses weren't made to be used on magical beings or creatures. The Imperius Curse was created by a witch to control and train her mundane animals. The Cruciatus Curse was created originally by the ancient Egyptians as a ward to protect their artifacts and tombs. It was then adapted by the wizard who found it into a spell form for easier application, but still meant to protect an item. The Killing Curse was created to give a painless death to animals instead of the cutting curse." He noticed many were taking notes, most likely to validate his facts. "Yes the Imperius Curse takes one will away from them. Yes the Cruciatus Curse attacks the body's nerves to simulate pain, and yes the Killing Curse kills, but none of these curses were made to be used on anything magical. If used on a non-magical animals or beings, the Imperius Curse was a teaching tool. It didn't hurt and the things that the animal or being were forced to do was remembered. It is only when used on a magical animal or being that the curse mutates into what we all know it as. The curse, made of magic, connects to the magic of the animal or being. The magics react violently and that causes the victim to lose memory and feel weak after released from the curse.
"The Cruciatus Curse was made to simulate pain in the nerves, but like with the Imperius Curse, it reacts badly with outside magic. It attacks the magic, destroying the victim's magic causing nerve damage and if left on too long, it can cause a person to pull all magic deep into their mind. If they do that they lose themselves protecting the last of their magic, making them become lost inside their minds. The Cruciatus Curse can also result in death by overexposure to pain. Now the last curse is a little different. It is believed that the Killing Curse is painless, and to a non-magical animal or being, it is true. Used on a magical animal or being it is not. The curse attacks the magic. It destroys the magic quickly but not painlessly." The room looked at him in horror. It was debated that being killed by the Killing curse was the way one would prefer to die if going to be killed. "A person's magic is like another limb for a lack of better comparison. Think of it like an arm being burned off. It will hurt, no matter how quickly it is, the pain is there but unlike the others the Killing Curse destroys all the magic in the body, even the magic that is woven into the soul." Harry explained. He wasn't going to tell them that some souls were made of pure magic, like his own, and the killing curse would result in the destruction of the whole soul.
"The Wizards' Council named them the unforgivable curses after they learned of the results the curses had on the magical. Magic has always, and will always be the most sacred element we have, as it is the base of all life on our planet. The Wizards' Council executed any and all who used the curses after they banned them. Though it wasn't until the Lords of Old disappeared and the Ministry of Magic came out of the Wizards' Council that the true reason for the curse's forbidden nature was simplified into something less horrific; They inflict pain, they take one's will away, and they kill quickly. But I will have everyone note that the curses still weren't as widely used like they are now until Gellert Grindelwald and his followers used them because they were banned by all the world's Ministries. By that time the true results and knowledge of the curses were lost to time and manuscripts forgotten in some of the oldest libraries." Harry finished. He had never publicly spoken of the Old Ways or the Lords of Old but this was the perfect opening. This would spread through the whole school, catching the attention of the visiting students at meals. That will hopefully make some of the more curious to approach, or the ones that do still follow the Old Ways to know that they have a possible ally.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
Classes ended for break a week before the ball. It seemed that the professors didn't want their students to make fools of themselves at the ball so some of them were taking time out of their schedule to teach dance lessons. Minerva was one such porfessor as she made her Lions come to manditory dance lessons everyday after lunch. Of the Pack only Hermione didn't know the traditional dances. So while Harry looked into the egg, and other things that the Pack didn't know about yet, Hermione was learning how to dance from the twins and Draco. The others sat in on the lessons calling out different sugestions and joking all the way through said lessons.
The girls' dresses arrived two days before the ball at breakfast. Ginny snatched them up when the twins went to peek at what she had created. She locked them up in a closet that Hogwarts made in thier room. Luna said that they wanted the dresses to surprise the boys but Harry didn't think that anything could make the girls look bad so he left them to their fun. Harry recieved his and the other's clothes the next day. The twins turned the table on their little sister, teaseing Ginny that she wouldn't get to see what they had decided on until the ball. Harry just sat back and enjoyed the playful banter that insued. He was looking forward to the ball as it promised to be a night of fun and relaxation. The ball that Harry had asked Barty Crouch Jr. to accompany him to as his date.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
"I think I heard you wrong. You want me to go to the Yule Ball with you?" Barty looked scared at the suggestion. His mind flashing back to the sceen that he had witnessed by the lake that involved the boy infront of him and his lord.
That look on Moody's scared up face was slightly amusing to Harry but he kept that to himself. "Yes. I have a potion that is like a modified Polyjuice Potion. It will last three hours unless you take the counter potion. The best part of this potion is that you get to choose how you look and the people who don't know you aren't meant to be here will think you are one of the less seen students from Durmstrang or Beauxbatons."
Barty looked like he wanted to argue but something stopped him. He let a sigh out and dropped his shoulders in defeat. "Just answer me one question. Why me?"
Harry smirked. "Because while I need a dance partner I also wants some answers from you. This ball will give me the chance to talk to you for an extended time. I will meet you at the base of the stairs before the ball Barty." Harry placed two potions onto the table between them, a green one and a blue one. A sheet of parchment with the purpose of both potions lay beside them. He left without a word.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
The Ball came swiftly. Harry found himself amused to find himself back in his dorm room in the Ravenclaw tower. The oil lamps' silvery blue light bathing the room in a hushed glow and the scent of burning cherry wood greeted him. He hadn't been in that room since the Pack moved into the Silver rooms. It look the same as he left it. The dark mahogany wood throughout the room was all polished, the dark grey walls with silver spider web designs weren't faded, his blue and silver rug was clean, and his dark blue fabrics were fresh. The castle and the house elves of the castle had taken very good care of it in his absence. Harry paused at thought. The founders said that their rooms were connected to the Silver room. He never learned how it worked as Remus and Sirius hadn't wanted to encroach when they had been at the school so they had forgotten that they could connect rooms. They knew that the castle made rooms for them connected to the Silver common room but… Harry thought it through again. They did need their own space. Yes they had no trouble sleeping in the same room, wanted to in fact, but when it came time to get ready they didn't have enough room. Or on occasions like this when the girls kicked them all out, they all needed their own rooms.
How to do it though. Harry reached out his magic to connect to Hogwarts. He didn't understand how but he made his desire for his Ravenclaw bedroom to be connected with the Silver room known. He felt the Castle's magic shift and then leave his touch. Harry glanced around. There was no new door but when he approached his door he felt the slight magical change that made it so he could enter the Silver room or exit out into the Raven's tower. Harry took one last look around the room, noteing what he wanted to add. He needed to get ready for the ball so that would all have to wait. He left his clothes on the bed and made for his bathroom to shower.
He was done in 10 minutes. With a towel around his waist Harry left the steam filled bathroom. He had decided that he wanted a more modern Muggle approach to his apparel for the evening. He chose to wear a solid light grey suit and vest with a thin black belt, a white button up dress shirt, and grey tie. He had almost forgone the vest but had thought better of it in the end. His shoes were also new Muggle black dress shoes and paired with the suit that fit to his body perfectly, Harry knew that he looked just dressy enough. He was already going to stand out by dressing muggle but he didn't want to look under dressed. While this was a formal event it was also a Ball filled with teens, the music was going to be mostly to their tastes so he was going to be ready to relax.
The last thing he need to worry about was his hair. He had been debating with himself and the mirror about just pulling it back into a low ponytail or putting gel in it and let it hang free. The mirror said he looked better with it down but he should take out his earring. He wasn't going to do that so in the end he pulled it back into a low tail so that he looked classier then bad boy, though not by much. All in all Harry looked good and it took less than half an hour to be ready. With a quick smirk at himself in the mirror Harry was out the door and down the stair of the Ravenclaw tower.
His trek from the tower to the base of the main stairway by the Great hall was marked by the many eyes on him. He drew them with every step he took. Some looked at him in shock of his wear, some in admiration, and a few in lust as Amara pointed out as he passed a group of girls in frilly dresses. He stopped at the base of the stairs where the other males of his Pack waited. While the twins wore outfits almost the exact same as the ones they wore to his lordship party, Neville and Draco wore traditional black wizard formal robes. Blaise approached in a traditional black robe too and almost tripped over his own feet when he caught sight of his Lord. Viktor, in his school's red formal uniform with red and fur cloak, laughed when he saw what was causing all the reaction around him.
"Harry I never thought I would see a British vizard dressed in muggle vear." Viktor grinned at Harry, amusement clear on his face.
"Yes well, I grew up in the muggle world and find I like many of their styles and ways. I think I will keep them." Harry smirked back. He knew he was making one hell of a scene dressed like he was but he really didn't care. He was enjoying himself already.
"Harry, it is so nice to see a British man embrace their Muggle counterpart's fashion. In France the wizard and muggle fashions are much the same. I was shocked to see it is so different here." Fleur's voice caused Harry to look at the approaching girl. She was beautiful in her silver-grey satin dress that flowed to the floor. Her hair was in a bun and he could see some white feathers in it.
"There isn't much difference between the muggle and witches' dresses but I have to agree that the male wear is completely different." Harry nodded up at the top of the stairs where his girls were coming down together. The gathered group turned to look at what caught his attention.
They made a picture. Hermione was leading them in a floaty, periwinkle-blue material dress that got darker as it layered to her feet and barely brushing the ground. A ribbon matching in color to the darker bottom of her dress was ties into a loose bow at her waist. Her hair was tamed and pulled back into an elegant twisted bun that let the strands over flow onto her left shoulder. Her only jewelry was her Pack ring and a pair of blue crystal flower ear rings that Ginny had gotten for her for Yule and given to her earlier that day. Ginny was behind Hermione and to the right in a light green dress with no sleeves. Light pink ribbons wrapped around her hips in a crisscross pattern. Pink ribbon also accented her v-cut neckline and the bottom of her dress that just touched the ground. She left her hair to flow freely down her back. Her jewelry was a small pink ribbon choker and her Pack ring. Luna was level with Ginny and to Hermione's left in a medieval style dress. The white-blue color of the dress accented her blond hair as the corset styled top with dropped flowing sleeves accented her petite form. The skirt of her dress was two layered. The over skirt was connected to the corset cutting outward to show the seconded skirt that flowed softly to floor. She pulled the sides of her hair back with a small silver pin to secure it. Her jewelry was a small simple diamond necklace that Draco had gotten her for Yule last year and her Pack ring.
All and all the dresses were simpler than many of the other girls at the ball but many looked on at their form in awe. Harry noted Viktor swallowing hard at the image Hermione made. He took her hand with a kiss at the bottom of the steps. Poor Blaise wasn't doing much better. He bowed to Ginny and opened his mouth to say something, he closed it a moment later before opening his mouth again only to end with the same results as the first time. The twins snickered behind Harry at the display. Luna's date, Gelman, was dressed the same as Viktor but not as smooth. He could only grin as he offered his arm to her.
"Wow. Ladies you look gorgeous this evening." Cedric complemented them as Cho Chang came up to his side to take his arm. Cedric was in traditional robes and Cho stayed true to her Asian origin by wearing a campaign dress that was based on the kimono style. Her hair in a tight bun. "Harry where is your date?"
"I am right here." Harry glanced over to the approaching male. His magic identifying him as Barty. The male looked to be about 16 years old, 6 ft. and wearing black traditional robes. His shaggy brown hair was styled to fall around his face accenting his high cheek bones and piercing blue eyes. "I am Antoine D'Amico."
'Who is he really Alpha?' Hermione asked almost glaring at the boy. She just got the feeling something wasn't right with him. She had nerver seen Harry interact with the boy claiming to be his date.
Harry almost chuckled at her. 'This my dearest Pack is one Bartemius Crouch Jr.'
'You asked a Death Eater to be your date?' Draco sounded amused. 'How is he even here?'
'Hell with that, when did you meet him?' George grumbled. He wasn't amused.
Minerva interrupted the conversation, directing the champions to line up at the doors. Harry and Barty were last in line. 'He is acting as Moody. No, he didn't put my name into the fire and no he isn't going to try and kill me.'
'How long have you known this all?' Hermione was upset. How was the Pack going to protect their Alpha if he hid these things from them?
'I found out shortly after my name was drawn. Calm yourself. This is a night to enjoy yourselves.' With that Harry blocked the link. It was just in time too. The doors opened allowing entrance to the Great Hall. Harry could only think that they outdid themselves this year. Ice structures littered the perimeter of the room, snow was drifting from the clouded ceiling, and white trees dotted around the ice; It was breathtaking.
"As per tradition the Tri-Wizard champions will open the night with the first dance." Dumbledore announced. The champions walked into the room with their partners. Harry ignored some of the looks and whispers when he entered with another male on his arm. They got into position, Harry taking lead.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
"You found my interaction with your master disturbing." Harry wrapped his magic around them to keep others from listening to his questioning.
Barty chuckled. "Do I want to know how you could tell?"
Harry grinned in amusement. "Your master is not the only one Mother Magic favors."
Barty shook his head, he would never understand the minds of his Lord and this new Lord. "Yes, I found the meeting I stumbled onto…disturbing. I have faithfully followed my Lord since I was 16. In the years before my imprisonment I had never seen Milord act the way he does with you. There have been plenty who have tried for his attention but you, you don't even try." Barty sighed, "To be truthful it is frightening. What is it about you that catches him attention so? But even that doesn't frighten me as much as the way your magics interact with each other."
"Not many can feel or see magic." Harry was impressed. Barty felt strong but he didn't feel capable enough to assess the ability.
Barty proved him right by shaking his head. "You're right and I can't. When I came upon you two your magics were visible. I had never seen that happening before. I didn't even know that it was possible."
Harry chuckled as he led them off the crowded dance floor to the table the Pack had saved. Luna was talking to Gelman while Blaise and Ginny talked to Draco and Daphne. "I guess there is much to learn."
"Like the history of the unforgivable curses that you gave in our last class?" Barty accepted a glass of red punch that Neville and George brought over on a tray. "Where ever did you find that information?"
Harry thanked Neville for the punch and took a drink before he turned back to Barty. "I found it in the Grimoire my mother left me. She took great pride in researching anything and everything she could about the magical world. It probably helped her become a charms mistress right out of school and then get into the Unspeakables."
"Unspeakable? I was unaware that Lily was an unspeakable." Barty almost choked on his punch at the new information.
"I am told my mother was a woman of many talents." Harry chucked turning back to watch the people around him and bask in the company of his happy Pack. Barty fell silent beside him. Harry took his suit jacket off leaving Amara in the open where she was coiled around his waist. "Amara you doing alright?"
"Yes, the music could be better." She moved to curled up around his neck. Barty looked at her in interest. He had seen her many times in class and around the castle whenever he saw Harry but he had never seen her so close.
"She is an unusual breed I am told." Barty muttered. He wanted to look closer but was fearful to get closer at the same time.
"Your master told you of her yes?" Amara preened under the attention given to her. Harry huffed out a laugh rubbing her scales.
"He has told me little but the breeding of you snake he took great interest in. Her and your ferret. I was told that you keep both with you but I have seen them without you on many of occasions." Barty pulled away from his examination of Amara, satisfied.
"Normally they stay with me but Nightshade likes exploring." It was almost time for dinner. Many of the couples on the floor were making their way to tables.
"Are you bonded with both of them?" A reasonable question.
Harry shook his head. "I am bonded with Amara but not Nightshade, not yet. I have slowly infusing my magic with her. I plan to bond with her soon." That was partly true. Since the beginning of the year Harry had been giving Nightshade a drop of his blood every night. He was planning on doing a blood ritual with her to lengthen her life to match his and Amara's. That would also bond them permanently unlike the short term bonds many wizards and witches preferred with animals.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
The night had been wonderful and was almost over so it was bound to happen Harry mused. His magic wanted to be released but with the room so full he knew it would only cause more harm. Ronald Weasley, wearing a hideous out of date ruffled robe, stood with a look that was fear but he tried to cover it with smugness. Harry flew from his seat while Gelman helped Luna up from the floor, wrapping her into his arms and cloak to shield her body. He looked ready to murder Ron. Harry was right there with him as he listened to Luna cry.
Luna and Hermione had wanted one last dance before ending the night, so they pulled their respected dates with them. They were on the dance floor enjoying a slow number when it happened. Ron cast a shredding charm at the girls from across the room. It slammed into Luna with much malice, cutting up her dress and some of her skin on her stomach where it hit her in a turn. She doubled over at the sharp pain, crying out. Harry was up with the rest of the Pack before anyone could determine what happened. Ron's fake smugness disappeared with a well casted and over powered stinging hex. Harry even felt Fred's magic in the air around Ron. In his anger, Fred's powers acted up making the pressure around Ron so heavy and unbreathable that Ron fell to his knees gasping for breath that wasn't there. It was over as soon as it started, Ron dropped onto his hands as the air rushed back into his lungs. Harry left the Pack to deal with him, his attention was on his crying girl. Draco handed him his outer robe as they passed each other. Harry took it without a word and helped Luna into it, Hermione helping him block eyes from Luna's form.
Gelman let Luna pull away from him to snuggle into Harry's arms. Harry heard the professors yelling to let them through but Harry ignored them. His attention was on his youngest girl bleeding and crying in his arms. 'Pack, fall back for now. Get him at a later time. Leave no evidence, have no mercy.'
'He could have killed her with that hit.' Ginny seethed, letting Snape take Ron.
Harry bent down and picked Luna up. She curled into a ball. 'I know. Do what you want to him Pack but if I come across him first, there will be nothing of him left understood?'
'Yes' The answer came as one from every member of his Pack. Ron had crossed a line he shouldn't have with a group of war ready warriors.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
Here you all go. I hope you all enjoyed it. Please, please, please review to tell me what you all thought of the chapter or the story as a whole! Until next chapter, Bye!