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〃Er…Cho？ Could I have a word with you？〃
Giggling should be made illegal。 Harry thought furiously； as all the girls around Cho started doing it。 She didn't； though。 She said； 〃Okay；〃 and followed him out of earshot other classmates。
Harry turned to look at her and his stomach gave a weird lurch as though he had missed a step going downstairs。
〃Er；〃 he said。
He couldn't ask her。 He couldn't。 But he had to。 Cho stood there looking puzzled； watching him。 The words came out before Harry had quite got his tongue around them。
〃Wangoballwime？〃
〃Sorry？〃 said Cho。
〃D'you…d'you want to go to the ball with me？〃 said Harry。 Why did he have to go red now？ Why？
〃Oh！〃 s aid Cho； and she went red too。 〃Oh Harry； I'm really sorry；〃 and she truly looked it。 〃I've already said I'll go with someone else。〃
〃Oh；〃 said Harry。
It was odd； a moment before his insides had been writhing like snakes； but suddenly he didn't seem to have any insides at all。
〃Oh okay；〃 he said； 〃no problem。〃
〃I'm really sorry；〃 she said again。
〃That's okay；〃 said Harry。
They stood there looking at each other； and then Cho said； 〃Well…〃
〃Yeah；〃 said Harry。
〃Well； 'bye；〃 said Cho； still very red。 She walked away。
Harry called after her； before he could stop himself。
〃Who're you going with？〃
〃Oh…Cedric；〃 she said。 〃Cedric Diggory。〃
〃Oh right；〃 said Harry。
His insides had e back again。 It felt as though they had been filled with lead in their absence。
pletely forgetting about dinner； he walked slowly back up to Gryffindor Tower； Cho's voice echoing in his ears with every step he took。 〃Cedric…Cedric Diggory。〃 He had been starting to quite like Cedric…prepared to overlook the fact that he had once beaten him at Quidditch； and was handsome； and popular； and nearly everyone's favorite champion。 Now he suddenly realized that Cedric was in fact a useless pretty boy who didn't have enough brains to fill an eggcup。
〃Fairy lights；〃 he said dully to the Fat Lady…the password had been changed the previous day。
〃Yes； indeed； dear！〃 she trilled； straightening her new tinsel hair band as she swung forward to admit him。
Entering the mon room； Harry looked around； and to his surprise he saw Ron sitting ashen…faced in a distant corner。 Ginny was sitting with him； talking to him in what seemed to be a low； soothing voice。
〃What's up； Ron？〃 said Harry； joining them。
Ron looked up at Harry； a sort of blind horror in his face。
〃Why did I do it？〃 he said wildly。 〃I don't know what made me do it！
〃What？〃 said Harry。
〃He…er…just asked Fleur Delacour to go to the ball with him；〃 said Ginny。 She looked as though she was fighting back a smile； but she kept patting Ron's arm sympathetically。
〃You what？' said Harry。
〃I don't know what made me do it！〃 Ron gasped again。 〃What was I playing at？ There were people…all around…I've gone mad…everyone watching！ I was just walking past her in the entrance hall…she was standing there talking to Diggory…and it sort of came over me…and I asked her！〃
Ron moaned and put his face in his hands。 He kept talking； though the words were barely distinguishable。
〃She looked at me like I was a sea slug or something。 Didn't even answer。 And then…I dunno…I just sort of came to my senses and ran for it。〃
〃She's part veela；〃 said Harry。 〃You were right…her grandmother was one。 It wasn't your fault； I bet you just walked past when she was turning on the old charm for Diggory and got a blast of it…but she was wasting her time。 He's going with Cho Chang。〃
Ron looked up。
〃I asked her to go with me just now；〃 Harry said dully； 〃and she told me。〃
Ginny had suddenly stopped smiling。
〃This is mad；〃 said Ron。 〃We're the only ones left who haven't got anyone…well； except Neville。 Hey…guess who he asked？ Hermione！〃
〃What？〃 said Harry； pletely distracted by this startling news。
〃Yeah； I know！〃 said Ron； some of the color ing back into his face as he started to laugh。 〃He told me after Potions！ Said she's always been really nice； helping him out with work and stuffbut she told him she was already going with someone。 Ha！ As if！ She just didn't want to go with Neville 。。。I mean； who would？〃
〃Don't！〃 said Ginny； annoyed。 〃Don't laugh…〃
Just then Hermione climbed in through the portrait hole。
〃Why weren't you two at dinner？〃 she said； ing over to join them。
〃Because…oh shut up laughing； you two…because they've both just been turned down by girls they asked to the ball！〃 said Ginny。
That shut Harry and Ron up。
〃Thanks a bunch； Ginny；〃 said Ron sourly。
〃All the good…looking ones taken； Ron？〃 said Hermione loftily。 〃Eloise Midgen starting to look quite pretty now； is she？ Well； I'm sure you'll find someone somewhere who'll have you。〃
But Ron was staring at Hermione as though suddenly seeing her in a whole new light。
〃Hermione； Neville's right…you are a girl。。。〃
〃Oh well spotted；〃 she said acidly。
〃Well…you can e with one of us！〃
〃No； I can't；〃 snapped Hermione。
〃Oh e on；〃 he said impatiently； 〃we need partners； we're going to look really stupid if we haven't got any； everyone else has。。。〃
〃I can't e with you；〃 said Hermione； now blushing； 〃because I'm already going with someone。〃
〃No； you're not！〃 said Ron。 〃You just said that to get rid of Neville！〃
〃Oh did I？〃 said Hermione； and her eyes flashed dangerously。 〃Just because it's taken you three years to notice； Ron； doesn't mean no one else has spotted I'm a girl！〃
Ron stared at her。 Then he grinned again。
〃Okay； okay； we know you're a girl；〃 he said。 〃That do？ Will you e now？〃
〃I've already told you！〃 Hermione said very angrily。 〃I'm going with someone else！〃
And she stormed off toward the girls' dormitories again。
〃She's lying；〃 said Ron flatly； watching her go。
〃She's not；〃 said Ginny quietly。
〃Who is it then？〃 said Ron sharply。
〃I'm not telling you； it's her business；〃 said Ginny。
〃Right；〃 said Ron； who looked extremely put out； 〃this is getting stupid。 Ginny； you can go with Harry； and I'll just…〃
〃I can't；〃 said Ginny； and she went scarlet too。 〃I'm going with…with Neville。 He asked me when Hermione said no； and I thought。。。 well。。。 I'm not going to be able to go otherwise； I'm not in fourth year。〃 She looked extremely miserable。 〃I think I'll go and have dinner；〃 she said； and she got up and walked off to the portrait hole； her head bowed。
Ron goggled at Harry。
〃What's got into them？〃 he demanded。
But Harry had just seen Parvati and Lavender e in through the portrait hole。 The time had e for drastic action。
〃Wait here；〃 he said to Ron； and he stood up； walked straight up to Parvati； and said； 〃Parvati？ Will you go to the ball with me？〃
Parvati went into a fit of giggles。 Harry waited for them to subside； his fingers crossed in the pocket of his robes。
〃Yes； all right then；〃 she said finally； blushing furiously。
〃Thanks；〃 said Harry； in relief。 〃Lavender…will you go with Ron？〃
〃She's going with Seamus；〃 said Parvati； and the pair of them giggled harder than ever。
Harry sighed。
〃Can't you think of anyone who'd go with Ron？〃 he said； lowering his v