The Forging of the Bonds

Chapter 15. Solutions.

The Gryffindor common room was abuzz with discussion, most of it concerning the Yule Ball. Among the few who weren't participating were Mike and Kate. Mike had decided to do some initial work preparing for the second task. He would have liked Elizabeth's input, but Elizabeth had detention for the entire week--for attempting to turn Goyle into a frog, of all of things. Nadine Zabini had provided a very graphic description of what Goyle had looked like. Both of them thought it funny. "You'll need to work on your transfiguration, Elizabeth," Mike said when he had stopped laughing. Elizabeth huffed. "I got detention for a week! That's not funny!" she yelled at them.

When he'd told her about trying to figure out the next task, she said, "Go ahead. Potter said it was just a piece of wood, and I'm inclined to agree." So here they were. So far, neither he nor Kate saw anything to indicate that Elizabeth was wrong.

"What about the fact that it separates?" Kate suggested. "Could that be a clue?"

"Anything could be a clue. But what is?" He leaned back. "I felt better going into the first task. At least I knew we weren't supposed to know what we'd face."

"There's ages to go yet. You'll figure it out."

Mike wasn't so sure, and wanted to say so, but then Dave walked in.

"You look happy," Mike said.

"I just asked Laura to go to the Ball with me."

"And?" Mike prompted.

"And she said yes!"

"Congratulations," Kate said, not sounding very enthusiastic.

"Something wrong, Kate?"

"Everyone's talking about the stupid Ball!" she said. "Even you two!"

"Hey, I didn't bring it up," Mike protested.

"Sorry. But... no, you wouldn't understand."

"Try us," Dave suggested.

"Okay. Three boys--two of whom I don't even know--asked me to the Ball today."

"You turned them all down? Why?"

"Because when I asked them why they waned to go with me, they all gave the same answer."

"Which was?"

"You're pretty."

"Well, Kate, it's not that they're wrong," Mike said.

"That's not the point. I don't want to go with someone who only thinks I'm pretty."

"Well, there's a solution to that."

"Yeah?"

"You can go with me," Mike said.

"Mike, I thought we agreed in our first year that we should never date each other."

"Who said anything about dating? We can go as friends. Or is there someone in particular you'd like to go with?" he asked. "In which case, sorry."

"No... not really," she replied.

"Same here... at least, not since I broke up with Megan."

"I warned you about her, remember," Kate smiled.

"I remember. I should have listened. So you'd like to go with someone who knows you, someone who won't just take you because you're pretty, and someone who isn't just asking you to make someone else jealous."

"How did you know--" Kate looked surprised.

"Was Goyle one of the three?"

"Yes. How--"

"I figured once he ran out of Slytherin girls to ask, he'd move on to the other houses." He looked at Kate. "You didn't try to turn him into a frog, did you?"

"NO... Why?"

"That's how Elizabeth got detention. I wish I'd seen it." He gave them Zabini's description of the botched spell's effect on Goyle, which gave them a good laugh.

"So how about it, Kate? It's not like I want to go with someone I don't know either. And we can have a good time. As friends," he quickly added, seeing Kate blush.

"All right," she said. "Why not?"

"Thanks, Kate," Mike said. "You're a lifesaver."

"So we settled that issue." She shrugged. "We're no closer to figuring out anything about this staff."

"What's it supposed to be?" Dave inspected the stick, frowning.

"Apparently, the key to the second task. If only I knew how to figure it out."

Dave shook his head. "Weird. I wish I could help. But we don't even know what branch of magic is involved."

"Well, it's still more than two months away. We have time."

"Right. Goodnight, Kate."

"Goodnight," she said, heading up to the girls' dormitories.

Mike also headed off to bed. At least the problem of finding a date for the Ball was solved. After the disaster with Megan, he was wary of dating girls he didn't know. With that thought, he drifted off to sleep.