The days following the first task settled into a new, awkward normal. Ron's jealousy had solidified into a sullen, stubborn silence. He and Harry communicated only when absolutely necessary, their interactions clipped and formal. The space between their beds in the dormitory felt like a vast, icy chasm. Ron pointedly ignored Hermione and Daphne, and he treated Ariana with a resentful deference, unable to be openly hostile to the girl who was now widely regarded as a school hero, but making his displeasure clear in his avoidance.
The atmosphere was a constant, low-level strain on their entire group. Harry, though outwardly celebrated, felt the loss of his first friend keenly. He threw himself into his studies with a new fervor, spending most of his time with Ariana, Hermione, and Daphne in the library or the Room of Requirement. Their quiet, logical focus was a balm to his turbulent emotions.
Seeing the tension, Ariana made a strategic decision. She temporarily scaled back their more intense research projects. "A period of social and emotional consolidation is required," she had explained to Hermione and Daphne. "Our primary asset, Harry, is operating under significant emotional distress. To push him into further complex preparations would be counterproductive. We will focus on standard curriculum and recreation until the emotional variable has stabilized."
And so, for the first time in a long while, the girls relaxed. They still studied, but they also took long walks around the lake, played wizard's chess, and simply enjoyed each other's company. It was a period of quiet, much-needed normalcy.
It was into this fragile peace that Professor McGonagall dropped a bombshell. During a Transfiguration class, she announced the upcoming Yule Ball, a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament. It would be a formal dance, open to fourth years and above, though younger students could attend if invited by an older partner. And, she added, looking pointedly at Harry, the champions and their partners would be opening the ball with the first dance.
The news sent a wave of panic and excitement through the student body, particularly the fourth years. The prospect of finding a partner became the single, all-consuming topic of conversation.
For Ariana, the announcement was met with a quiet, internal sigh. A formal social gathering. An event governed by illogical, unwritten rules of adolescent courtship. It was, in her opinion, a far more terrifying prospect than facing a dragon.
Her status, however, made her an immediate and prime target. Within hours of the announcement, she found herself at the center of a storm of hopeful invitations. An earnest Cedric Diggory asked her in the library, his handsome face full of a hopeful sincerity. She politely declined, stating she had other plans. A group of burly Durmstrang boys, including a surprisingly flustered friend of Viktor Krum's, tried to ask her in the Entrance Hall. She dispatched them with a look so calmly dismissive they retreated in confusion. Even a few brave seventh-year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws attempted to ask her out, only to be met with a polite but unshakably firm, "Thank you for the offer, but I am not available."
Her repeated refusals only fueled the gossip. Who was the brilliant, beautiful Ariana Dumbledore going with? The speculation was rampant.
One evening, Harry found her alone in their usual corner of the common room. He was looking more nervous than he had before he'd faced the Horntail.
"Ariana?" he began, shuffling his feet.
"Yes, Harry?" she said, looking up from her book.
"I was wondering… about the Yule Ball," he stammered. "I know you've said no to everyone. And I know we have to… you know… open the dance. And I was just thinking… well, it would be a lot less terrifying if I was doing it with a friend." He finally managed to meet her gaze, his own full of a desperate, hopeful plea. "Will you… will you go to the ball with me? Just as friends?"
Ariana looked at him, at her friend who was facing down dragons and public scorn, but who was terrified of asking a girl to a dance. She saw his vulnerability, his reliance on their friendship as his primary source of strength. Her previous rejections had not been about avoiding the ball entirely; they had been about reserving her acceptance for the one person for whom it was strategically and emotionally necessary.
A rare, soft smile touched her lips. "Harry," she said, her voice gentle. "It would be illogical for me to go with anyone else. Of course I will accompany you."
The relief that washed over Harry's face was so profound it was almost comical. "Really? Brilliant! Thank you!"
The news spread through the school the next day like a shockwave. Ariana Dumbledore was going to the Yule Ball with Harry Potter. The revelation was met with a mixture of disappointment from her rejected suitors, envy, and a general consensus that it 'just made sense'. They were a unit, a team. Of course they would go together.
The only person who seemed displeased was Ron. He overheard the news from Seamus Finnigan and his scowl deepened. To him, it was just another piece of evidence that Harry's new, perfect life no longer had room for him. He still hadn't asked anyone, his pride preventing him from admitting he even wanted to go.
A few days later, Hermione, looking stressed, approached Ariana. "Have you got your dress robes yet?"
"I have commissioned a set," Ariana replied.
"I haven't found anything!" Hermione wailed. "And I need a partner! No one's asked me!"
"The event is still weeks away," Ariana said calmly. "The probability of you receiving an invitation is high. You are now widely recognized as one of the most intelligent and attractive witches in our year. A suitor will present himself."
As if on cue, a scowling Viktor Krum walked into the library. He marched past the giggling girls who tried to get his attention and stopped directly in front of Hermione's table.
"You are Herm-own-ninny," he said, his voice a thick, guttural baritone.
"It's Her-my-oh-nee," she corrected automatically, blushing.
"You are coming to the ball with me," he stated, not as a question, but as a declaration.
Hermione stared at him, utterly dumbfounded, before stammering out a yes.
Ariana watched the exchange, a flicker of amusement in her eyes. The variables were all falling into place. The champions had their partners. The board was set for the next great social and strategic challenge of their school careers. And she, as always, was ready for it.