Harry Potter 04 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

hairy, and dressed in black robes that had been artfully ripped and torn. They picked up their instruments, and Harry, who had been so interested in watching them that he had almost forgotten what was coming, suddenly realised that the lanterns on all the other tables had gone out, and that the other champions and their partners were standing up.
    ‘Come on!’ Parvati hissed. ‘We’re supposed to dance!’
    Harry tripped over his dress robes as he stood up. The Weird Sisters struck up a slow, mournful tune; Harry walked onto the brightly lit dance floor, carefully avoiding catching anyone’s eye (he could see Seamus and Dean waving at him and sniggering), and next moment, Parvati had seized his hands, placed one around her waist, and was holding the other tightly in hers.
    It wasn’t as bad as it could have been, Harry thought, revolving slowly on the spot (Parvati was steering). He kept his eyes fixed over the heads of the watching people, and very soon many of them, too, had come onto the dance floor, so that the champions were no longer the centre of attention. Neville and Ginny were dancing nearby – he could see Ginny wincing frequently as Neville trod on her feet – and Dumbledore was waltzing with Madame Maxime. He was so dwarfed by her that the top of his pointed hat barely tickled her chin; however, she moved very gracefully for a woman so large. Mad-Eye Moody was doing an extremely ungainly two-step with Professor Sinistra, who was nervously avoiding his wooden leg.
    ‘Nice socks, Potter,’ Moody growled as he passed, his magical eye staring through Harry’s robes.
    ‘Oh – yeah, Dobby the house-elf knitted them for me,’ said Harry, grinning.
    ‘He is so creepy !’ Parvati whispered, as Moody clunked away. ‘I don’t think that eye should be allowed !’
    Harry heard the final, quavering note from the bagpipe with relief. The Weird Sisters stopped playing, applause filled the Hall once more, and Harry let go of Parvati at once. ‘Let’s sit down, shall we?’
    ‘Oh – but – this is a really good one!’ Parvati said, as the Weird Sisters struck up a new song, which was much faster.
    ‘No, I don’t like it,’ Harry lied, and he led her away from the dance floor, past Fred and Angelina, who were dancing so exuberantly that people around them were backing away for fear of injury, and over to the table where Ron and Padma were sitting.
    ‘How’s it going?’ Harry asked Ron, sitting down and opening a bottle of Butterbeer.
    Ron didn’t answer. He was glaring at Hermione and Krum, who were dancing nearby. Padma was sitting with her arms and legs crossed, one foot jiggling in time to the music. Every now and then she threw a disgruntled look at Ron, who was completely ignoring her. Parvati sat down on Harry’s other side, crossed her arms and legs too, and within minutes, was asked to dance by a boy from Beauxbatons.
    ‘You don’t mind, do you, Harry?’ Parvati said.
    ‘What?’ said Harry, who was now watching Cho and Cedric.
    ‘Oh, never mind,’ snapped Parvati, and she went off with the boy from Beauxbatons. When the song ended, she did not return.
    Hermione came over and sat down in Parvati’s empty chair. She was a bit pink in the face from dancing.
    ‘Hi,’ said Harry. Ron didn’t say anything.
    ‘It’s hot, isn’t it?’ said Hermione, fanning herself with her hand. ‘Viktor’s just gone to get some drinks.’
    Ron gave her a withering look.
    ‘Viktor?’ he said. ‘Hasn’t he asked you to call him Vicky yet?’
    Hermione looked at him in surprise.
    ‘What’s up with you?’ she said.
    ‘If you don’t know,’ said Ron scathingly, ‘I’m not going to tell you.’
    Hermione stared at him, then at Harry, who shrugged. ‘Ron, what –?’
    ‘He’s from Durmstrang!’ spat Ron. ‘He’s competing against Harry! Against Hogwarts! You – you’re –’ Ron was obviously casting around for words strong enough to describe Hermione’s crime, ‘ fraternising with the enemy , that’s what you’re doing!’
    Hermione’s mouth fell open.
    ‘Don’t be so stupid!’ she said after a moment. ‘The enemy ! Honestly – who was the one who was all excited when they saw him arrive? Who was the one who wanted his autograph? Who’s got a model of him up in their dormitory?’
    Ron chose to ignore this. ‘I s’pose he asked you to come with him while you were both in the library?’
    ‘Yes, he did,’ said Hermione, the pink patches on her cheeks glowing