"So, what's got you so chipper?" Ron asked. Harry internally grimaced. His levity at returning to Equestria couldn't be dampened or hidden. The problem was, no one else knew about Harry's correspondence with Twilight. So Harry refused to tell Ron or Hermione about why he was so happy.
"It's nothing," Harry deflected as he got dressed for breakfast.
"Are you still mad at me?"
"No. I told you to forget it, we're fine," Harry corrected.
"Does it have anything to do with that letter?" Ron inquired. Harry was quick to stuff Twilight's letter into his bag. "Is it from Padfoot?"
"No."
"Did someone ask you to the Yule Ball?"
Harry felt like a sack of bricks dropped onto him. He had forgotten to tell Twilight about the Ball! The Horntail was an easier challenge than asking a girl to be his partner. She might have had some advice, or at least her condolences.
"So it was a girl!" Ron declared at Harry's silence. He reached for Harry's bag, intent on grabbing the letter. Harry snatched his bag back.
"I told you, it's not that! Just leave it be Ron, and let's get through the week." Without another word, Harry was out of the dorms, and on his way to breakfast.
As he began to wolf down a healthy serving of eggs, Harry pulled out a spare piece of parchment and quill. He quickly began to scratch down a quick message.
Dear Twilight.
Thanks for responding. And yes, this whole tournament is strange. It seems like everyone could be a suspect. I can handle myself, for now. But there's one more "task" I forgot to mention. There's a Yule Ball on December 25th. The problem is that all the champions require a dance partner, and we have to ask them! I think I'd rather go face-to-face with the Horntail again. If you have any advice, that would be great.
I appreciate your offer to let me visit. Next Friday afternoon, when finals are done, would be splendid. I'll be ready and waiting.
With love,
Harry.
Quickly rolling and tying up the letter, Harry held it under the table as he sent it off to his friend in Equestria. And it just so happened it was at that moment Ron and Hermione sat down next to him, the former with a small grin.
"Honestly Harry, you can't keep a secret like this. So come on, who asked to be your partner, and are you going to accept?" Ron said. Harry suspected Ron was trying to be clever, asking the question with Hermione present. She, predictably, latched onto the question.
"Did someone ask Harry again?" she asked.
"No—" Harry was cut off by Ron.
"Harry got a letter, but he won't tell me who it's from," Ron blurted, obviously on purpose. Hermione sighed in response.
"Honestly Ronald, if Harry does have a letter, he has every right to keep it to himself." She sat up a bit straighter as Ron slouched. But she continued before Harry could thank her. "That being said, if Harry does have some girl asking him, and he's considering saying yes, then we have every right to know who's asking." She looked Harry in the eyes. He felt his throat dry up.
"Look, I'm not taking her to the ball. Besides, she—"
"So there is a girl!" Ron trumpeted triumphantly. Hermione ignored his outburst.
"Look, Harry, you need a partner for the ball," Hermione interrupted. "And how bad could she be? She's not a Slytherin-"
"No."
"She's not one of the Beauxbaton girls, right?" Ron pressed. Harry felt his anger flare up.
"No, she's not! I won't ask her, and even if I did, she can't come anyways, she's not allowed." Harry scowled. Ron and Hermione shared a puzzled glance.
"Not allowed?" Echoed a perplexed Ron. "How can she be not allowed?"
"Yeah. Harry, you can ask students under the fourth year, Mcgonagall said so."
"Are you concerned about what everyone will think? Imagine what'll happen if you don't have a girl to go with!"
Harry closed and rolled his eyes. These two weren't getting it! Twilight couldn't come, not because of any silly reason like age, house, or school. No, the reason was so much more simple, yet they were jumping to the most contrived solutions possible! He took a deep breath to steady his heartbeat.
"The reason she can't be here is that she's not in any of the schools. She's not a Slytherin, she's not under the fourth year, and she's not a Beauxbaton. And even if she was here, I wouldn't bother her with my problem, okay!" Harry sulked, seeming to sink into his seat. The looks on his two friends shifted from curious and demanding, to concerned.
"Not in the schools?" parroted Ron. "Then how's she sending you letters?"
"The owls Ron, like everyone else," Hermione reminded him. Ron shook his head.
"Harry had the letter this morning. He didn't go to the owlery. Maybe she apparates the letters in?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "You can't apparate into the castle, Ron."
"The house elves can," he countered.
Hermione huffed, reminded of her failed SPEW effort.
"Well, for your information, the wards around the castle can only affect wizarding apparition, not the ones of magical beings. There's a difference." Harry and Ron let her simmer for a moment. "Still, getting past the castle wards is no small feat. You'd need a magical artifact, like a portkey or a floo, or a magical creature. If she has neither then she must be an exceptionally powerful witch."
"Hermione, she's my friend. Don't talk about her like she's plotting something," Harry spoke in defense of his friend.
"You never told us her name!" Ron protested.
"Because I don't want to talk about her."
"And why not? Have you ever met her face-to-face?" Hermione pressed.
"Once," Harry admitted. Twilight only used the summoning spell that one time, but the passage of time in Equestria was... different. Probably came from the sun being moved manually.
"And you're this defensive?" Ron added.
"She's my friend. Why is this bothering you two so much?" Harry countered.
"Because we're concerned for you." Hermione gently reached for his shoulder, only for Harry to shake her off.
"Look, I appreciate you being concerned, but why can't you just be happy I have another friend?" Without another word, Harry picked up his bag and left the great hall.
Harry couldn't wait for Friday afternoon.