Babel and Table

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Babel and Table

The Hufflepuffs were already waiting in the Entrance Hall, grouped around Cedric Diggory. Diggory stepped forward at once to greet Cho Chang. William Stebbins and Stephen Cornfoot followed, apparently expected by Sylvia Fawcett and Morag, while Terry raced in the opposite direction, calling, "Hey – Sally-Anne!" I was nervous, not really knowing what to do with myself, but Luna was dreamily gazing around, apparently content to watch the other students. Roger Davies had barely stationed himself by the front door before it flew wide open, and a beaming Madame Maxime was leading her students in. Fleur Delacour was in front, of course, and she took Roger's arm with a dazzling smile.

Then the Gryffindors tramped down the stairs, and the Entrance Hall became rather crowded. Amid the milling students waiting for the ball to begin, I noticed a Beauxbatons girl standing quietly near the stair to the dungeons, apparently waiting for a Hogwarts partner.

"He's here." Padma was scanning the Gryffindors for her partner. "He must be! Oh, no. I don't believe this..." She stared at Weasley incredulously.

"Ready, Padma?" It was Parvati. "Ron's waiting for you just over by the stairs."

"Parvati," Padma hissed, "what's he done to his robes? They look as if they're unravelling as he walks!"

Parvati shrugged. "Boys never take proper care of their clothes. But Ron's are probably just old. The Weasleys are poor, remember, and can't afford anything better."

I lost interest in Padma as Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies sailed past – a really glamorous couple, I had to admit – and there were footsteps approaching from the dungeon steps. Malfoy and a simpering Pansy Parkinson were leading the Slytherins up to the Entrance Hall. Yes! Daphne Greengrass was leaning triumphantly on Zabini, both looking as if they had stepped out of Renaissance Italy. The fifth-years were still entering when the Beauxbatons girl stepped swiftly towards Zabini and grabbed his free arm – the one holding his bucket.

No-one, of course, could hear what she said. The Silencing Varnish was going to last another two hours yet. But everyone saw the wide-eyed shock on her face when Zabini spoke to her. She opened her mouth again – and began to choke uncontrollably.

I tried to push my way forward. "Don't push!" exclaimed Penelope Clearwater irritably. Then I realised that there was nothing I could do even if I did reach the scene of the crisis, so I stopped trying.

"What's going on?" asked Malfoy with a nasty imitation of ignorance. "Do you know this woman, Zabini?"

"Never seen her in my life before," said Zabini – which everyone knew to be a lie, since the girl had eaten three meals a day in the Great Hall every day for the last eight weeks.

"Oh, but – but – you 'ave forgetted – a meestake, per'aps – "

It was Montague, a Chaser from the Slytherin Quidditch team, whose opportunism saved the situation. He may not have understood why the Beauxbatons girl had no partner, but he had worked out that she was looking for one. Twice Zabini's size, Montague shoved his way up the stairs, waved a frog-shaped charm in the air, and spoke loudly, as if the girl were deaf.

"Kest moy kwee serra voh tree cavally-er ke soh-er."

Lisa winced. "That is a useless Babel charm that he's trying to use! Why can't he just speak to her in English?"

The girl from Beauxbatons certainly looked as if she would understand English better than whatever Montague had said, but it did give her a face on which to focus her attention.

"You are Innocence Trichée," he said. "Bother, this charm needs another shake." He shook. "Moy, jeh mappell Quartus Montague. Vows chair chezz un cavally-er. Kest moy kwee serra your partner this evening – oh, damn."

Innocence seemed to understand the word "partner", even if she were mystified by the rest. She accepted Montague's outstretched right hand, then managed to pull the frog charm out of his left and slip it in her pocket.

"I have a krauty one too!" Montague called over his shoulder. "Anyone else want a go at getting off with the foreigners?" There was some enthusiasm in the crowd, and he threw a small cabbage-shaped charm to his friend Warrington.

"One reason they still teach Ancient Runes at Hogwarts, love," Lisa observed to Mandy, "is that in over a thousand years of trying, no-one has ever yet invented a Babel charm that actually works."

By now the Durmstrang students had entered the castle, a solemn Viktor Krum and his partner in the lead. The last Durmstrang student was a slim, pale-faced girl, robed in crimson, who walked straight up to Zabini with an enticing smile.

"Another girl who's forgotten who her date is!" yelled Zabini loudly. He didn't seem to have any trouble saying that much in public, presumably because it was such an outright lie.

Warrington was quick to take the cue. He shook the cabbage-charm thoroughly and was speaking to the Durmstrang girl before she properly understood that Zabini was ignoring her.

"Gutt enna bend, Kun Eej Nah," said Warrington. "Errin urn sigh sitch an mitch? Itch hace Kekkil Warrington. Itch bin eye-arr Tans partner."

Kun-Eej-Nah from Durmstrang made no attempt to understand Warrington's burbling, but she seemed to grasp better than Innocence Trichée that Zabini had lost interest in her and that an alternative offer was available. She smiled again and said:

"Verrry happy, Wahrrrrington. Will dance gladly wid you."

At that moment the doors to the Great Hall opened, and Professor McGonagall called us inside.

The band was playing softly as I helped Luna to a chair at a small table. Terry and Sally-Anne Perks were already settled to our left, and Wayne Hopkins was chattering in Welsh opposite while Megan Jones corrected his pronunciation. The chair to our right clattered onto the ground before it was stamped back onto its feet, and a rather frightful blue-and-green tartan settled noisily into it.

"Hi, Michael – thanks again for your great advice!" Zacharias Smith was smirking broadly at me while Tracey Davies slid into the vacant chair next to him.

"Good evening, Zacharias and Tracey," was all I could say.

"Happy endings, eh?" he continued. He hissed so that Tracey could not hear. "A certain young lady has to be delighted she managed to get rid of me so easily!" He raised his voice to a normal volume as he told Tracey, "Did not Parvati Patil do well for herself? Look at her, up on the champions' table!"

Tracey stiffened. "Those people up on the top table who think they're so important because a champion invites them to the ball!"

Zacharias shrugged. "Why not let them show off a bit, if it's making them happy?"

"Because people ought to do something for themselves, instead of relying on reflected glory and accidents of birth, that's why!" complained Tracey. She was not looking at Parvati. Her eyes were glued to Fleur Delacour.

"Well, the Goblet of Fire did choose Fleur out of all the Beauxbatons students," said Luna serenely.

"But it didn't choose my brother!" Tracey gasped, as if fighting off tears. "Why does he think he deserves a spot up there with the people who matter?"

"I'm expecting that Fleur thought he was pretty," said Zacharias. "It makes her look good to have him hovering over her."

For some reason Tracey liked this answer and did not pursue the subject.

Odd, I thought. Roger Davies had dominated our common room every day for three and a half years. And Tracey Davies had been in our Herbology class for two and a half years. Yet I had never made the connection that they were siblings. Davies is a common name, of course; but Roger and Tracey really did look very alike.

"Is that Hermione Granger on Parvati Patil's other side?" asked Megan Jones suddenly. "She can't – no, I don't believe it – I think she must be with Viktor Krum!"

Krum did indeed appear to be watching Hermione Granger very intently. It didn't seem at all a likely pairing, but then, who would have thought that I would go to a ball with Luna Lovegood?

Food had already appeared on our golden plates when a very polite voice asked: "May we take these last two seats?" It was Longbottom from Gryffindor. He waited until we had all said yes before drawing out the chair next to Tracey for his partner.

She was the most ethereal vision in the world.

Her hair and eyes were made of fire, and her skin was made of snow. Her robes (rather faded) were rainbow-green. In fact I would have believed her if she'd said she had stepped off a rainbow a minute ago, her colours were so clear and soft and bright. I stared and stared.

I didn't register what she said to Tracey. I barely heard Tracey as she introduced herself and Zacharias, then added, "And that one's Michael Corner. He's with the resident Ravenclaw Loony."

I turned uneasily, but Luna was speaking across the table to Sally-Anne and Megan. Wayne Hopkins had engaged Longbottom's attention, and neither of them noticed when Zacharias heartily informed me:

"That's Neville Longbottom, your local Herbology expert, and he's with Ginny Weasley."

I knew it was Longbottom, of course, and I hoped Longbottom realised that he was the most honoured and fortunate man in the room. I was jealous of Zacharias and Tracey for sitting between me and the fire-maiden, and even of Luna for being in the same year. I wasn't hearing what Terry was saying into my left ear.

"Michael – Michael! She's just a girl! Don't be so obvious!"

It was a very long thirty seconds before I understood what he had said and why. I tore my eyes away, and tried to think of something to say to Terry, stuttering while Sally-Anne suppressed her amusement. Eventually I remembered that Luna was my partner this evening; I must pay attention to Luna. So I craned my neck and stared down at Luna's plate.

"Why are you only eating lettuce?"

"Cucumber and olives too," she pointed out reasonably. "But no dressing. Even the smallest spot of oil is disastrous to a white robe."