Weasley Charm | Fred Weasley

Chapter 4-13: The Announcement

Just a few weeks later Delaney sat in the library, studying for an upcoming Transfiguration test. It was going quite well until she was interrupted by Hermione.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked.

"I'm studying, what does it look like I'm doing?" Delaney asked, looking up from her book.

"It looks like you're going to be late for McGonagall's house meeting if you don't hurry up," Hermione added matter-of-factly.

"I completely forgot that it was today," Delaney groaned as she quickly stood up.

"That's why I came to find you, now come on," Hermione turned to walk out of the library. The two girls had just narrowly made it to the meeting before McGonagall started.

"The Yule Ball has been a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament since its inception. On Christmas Eve night we and our guests gather in the Great Hall for a night of well-mannered frivolity. As representatives of the host school, I expect each and every one of you to put your best foot forward, and I mean this literally because the Yule Ball is first and foremost a dance," Professor McGonagall spoke. Excitement began to ring out from the girl's side as groans came from the boys.

"A ball, can you believe it?" Delaney whispered excitedly to Hermione.

"I know it's so exciting," Hermione murmured with a grin.

"Silence," McGonagall began again. "The house of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the wizarding world for nearly ten centuries. I will not have you—in the course of a single evening—besmirching that name by behaving like a babbling bumbling band of baboons."

Delaney could see Fred and George whispering to each other but she was too far to hear it.

"To dance," McGonagall began again, "is to let the body breathe. Inside every girl, a secret swan slumbers, longing to burst off and take flight."

Ron muttered something to Seamus and Harry before McGonagall turned to him, "Inside every boy, a lordly lion prepared to prance. Mr. Weasley,"

"Yes," Ron muttered reluctantly.

"Will you join me please?" McGonagall asked, extending her arm to Ron. As the two walked to the center of the room McGonagall opened her arms, "Now place your right hand on my waist."

"Where?" Ron asked with a horrified expression on his face.

"My waist, now extend your arm. Mr. Filch if you please," McGonagall took his hand, placing his hand on her waist. "One. two, three. One, two, three," she counted as she and Ron began dancing.

Delaney looked over at Fred and George dancing in the corner and laughed before she looked back at Ron and Professor McGonagall. "I am never going to let him forget this," she whispered to Hermione.

"I'm going to hold you to that," Hermione laughed.

"Everyone come together," said McGonagall. "Boys on your feet."

All of the boys ducked further in their seats until Neville finally stepped up and asked Ginny to dance. It wasn't long after that Delaney saw a Weasley twin beelining towards her.

"May I have this dance?" he asked with his typical joking smile.

"I suppose," Delaney laughed, she stifled the way her breath hung when his hand grabbed her waist. As the two started to dance they looked around at their fellow Gryffindors, most were struggling to dance. Delaney then looked at Ron, who was still being forced to dance with McGonagall. "How long do you think before we can start teasing him about this?"