chap15pg2

Harry looked at the two girls next to him in utter confusion, but decided not to fight with Hermione again. �Oh, all right then,� he said. Hermione led him away to the Gryffindor table where Ron sat. He looked like he was obviously trying to sustain fits of laughter. Hermione looked slightly perturbed, and Harry was in a slight daze. He was staring across the room at Cho, who was sitting with her large group of friends at the Ravenclaw table. Hermione noticed the direction in which he was staring, and shuffled in her seat slightly, in order to block Cho from his view. The light tickling feeling of the butterflies in his stomach had changed into sharp stabs of hunger.
Harry gave Hermione a strange look, but then didn�t think twice about it as the smell of the freshly cooked dinner reached his nose. He dished a mountain of food onto his plate, and then began to eat, stuffing mashed potatoes into his mouth. Beside him, Ron wolfed down chunks of steak, pausing only to take sips from his goblet of cranberry juice. Not only did Quidditch make them extremely happy, it also made them very hungry as well.
As Harry devoured some Yorkshire pudding, he looked over at Hermione, who was giving him a very puzzled look. He raised an eyebrow at her.
�Whuz wong?� he asked, spraying food onto the table. Hermione gave him another funny look, and then looked over at Ron. Not noticing that he was being looked at, Ron continued to munch on pieces of salad. Hermione shook her head, continuing to eat her food daintily. Harry felt embarrassingly sloppy, so he took his napkin from the table and wiped his mouth off. He swallowed the mass of food, and then took a large swig of his cranberry juice. He continued eating, but tried to be more mannerly about it.
Crumbs were flying onto Harry�s sleeve. He looked up and saw that it had come from Ron�s mouth. Harry elbowed him in the ribs and gave him a disgusted look. Ron swallowed.
�Sorry,� he said, brushing off Harry�s sleeve. Hermione instantly fell into a fit of giggles, and Ron began to chuckle. Harry couldn�t help but laugh along with them. However, the three had just begun to eat their dessert when Professor Dumbledore tapped his goblet with his spoon. The ringing silenced the students quickly, and they listened to him attentively. Dumbledore stood up, cleared his throat, and then began to speak.
�Students, I am very pleased to inform you that we, your teachers at Hogwarts, have decided to bring back one of the traditions that had been temporarily reinstated last year for the Triwizard Tournament. I am talking, of course, about the Yule Ball,� Dumbledore said, smiling.
A murmur arose from the students as they excitedly whispered among themselves. Harry�s heart leapt as he looked over at Cho. This meant he had a second chance to ask her to the dance.
Dumbledore cleared his throat again. �However,� he began, �As you know there is an age restriction involved. Only students in their 3rd year and above may be permitted to come to the Ball.�
A loud groan came from the first and second years in the hall. Some older students sniggered at them.
�Furthermore,� Dumbledore continued, �A special Hogsmeade trip has been scheduled for this Wednesday, December the fifteenth, for those of you who wish to buy new dress robes. I suggest those of you that would like to do this send an owl to your parents quickly if you need money. Thank you for your attention,� he said as he sat down.
The students chattered happily as they discussed the types of dress robes that they�d be buying. Harry looked ominously over at Ron, remembering the dingy old robes that Ron had been forced to wear the previous year. But Ron was smiling dreamily.
�What is it?� Harry asked suspiciously.
�My mum told me a few weeks ago that we would be able to buy new clothes off of Dad�s bonus he received this year,� he said cheerfully. �I�d best be owling her quickly to get the money I need to buy them in Hogsmeade.�
�Which reminds me,� Hermione said thoughtfully, �My dress robes from last year are getting a bit small for me� I think I need to buy new ones as well.�
�What about you, Harry?� Ron asked.
�I�m fine with the ones that I�ve got now,� Harry said contently. �But I�ll still come to Hogsmeade with you two to help you pick out your robes.� They all smiled pleasantly at each other.
As dinner was finished, they headed off for the Commons Room. All of the students were babbling on anxiously about the upcoming Yule Ball, and Harry didn�t blame them. They reached the Fat Lady and gave her the password. After changing and bidding each other goodnight, they left the Commons Room and climbed the stairs to their Dormitories. Exhausted, Harry fell onto his four-poster bed, falling asleep almost instantaneously.