Champions - Book 4 in the Star of Gryffindor Series

Chapter 19 - Spying and Secrets

Hmm. I'm not sure what I would do. In the wizarding world, I think I would punch Voldemort in the face and then claim that I'm the reason he doesn't have a nose, because I punched him so hard that I flattened it. And in the muggle world... I think I would take a few weeks off school and just write and work on my plan to possibly in the future convert this fanfic into an original novel and maybe even try to publish it. I'm not sure.

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Lacy hardly let us go downstairs the next day. After we'd been down for breakfast and to open our Christmas presents with Albus, she insisted on staying upstairs so she could work, with only a quick break for lunch. And work she did. I wasn't sure if she used magic or not, but the finished product was stunning. I hardly recognized myself.

My normally flat dirty blonde hair was piled up on my head, and I wasn't sure if it was just the afternoon light or if Lacy had somehow made it sparkle. My dress was stunning, and it twirled out when I spun (which made me spin even more, until I got dizzy and fell onto Iris and Lacy made me sit down so I wouldn't mess up her "masterpiece").

I hadn't thought I would get this excited over a ball, but as Lacy forced Colette into a chair so she could do her hair, too, there were butterflies in my stomach. I liked dancing, thanks to Marcus. I didn't really consider myself the type to giggle over boys and dresses and hair, but that afternoon, I did, and I had to admit that it was a little fun.

Lacy told us that it was best to make an entrance, and while she wasn't able to stop Colette from slipping out the door at 6:30, long before the ball was supposed to start, she kept the rest of us until 7:55, giggling and excited.

"I'm a bit sorry I said yes to Henry," Lacy said, sighing and sinking down on her bed. "I should've waited; this boy from Beauxbatons kept glancing over at me during dinner last night."

"Henry's not too bad," Iris said. "Sure, he can't dance at all, but at least he knows you're not interested in him, and won't make a fuss if you dance with other people."

"Easy for you to talk," Lacy said, perking up. "Oh, you've got to tell us all about how it goes with Eric! Obviously, I'll give you two some private time."

Iris blinked. "Um... I don't think we'll be doing anything remarkably private..."

"Of course not, you're fourteen," I said, rolling my eyes.

"I didn't mean that! I meant conversations and things," Lacy said, shaking her head. "Really, that's scandalous."

"Can't we go down now?" Wren asked. She'd been watching the clock, quiet as always. "I don't want to be late..."

"They can't start without Astra," Lacy said dismissively. "Anyway, wouldn't you rather go down and have everyone watching, than just be in the middle of everyone else?"

"No," Wren said. "People stare at me enough already."

Lacy glanced at me. "Um... I suppose five 'til is late enough."

So we went down. The common room was empty save the younger students. The girls all looked at us longingly as we waltzed through. I caught Elcie's eye and smiled, and she grinned back and mouthed, Don't fall on your face!

Students were already steaming into the hall as we descended the steps, though Lacy was rewarded with many gasps and lots of staring. I squeezed Wren's hand as we walked down, and she gave me a weak smile.

"Astra, where have you been?" Professor Longbottom descended on us as soon as we reached the bottom of the steps. He seemed nervous, and I wondered why on earth he'd been put in charge of rounding up the champions, as he apparently had been.