"It eez too 'eavy, all zis 'Ogwarts food," she was heard saying grumpily one evening. "I will not fit into my dress-robes!"
"Oooh, there's a tragedy!" Hannah had snapped as Delacour trounced off with her flock of uppity birds in tow. "She really thinks a lot of herself, that one, doesn't she?"
On that day, Heri was holding court in the Transfiguration Courtyard. Officially, it was an inter-House, cross-year study session that she had been leading since her first year, but there was no denying that the other students approached her in supplication for whatever it was that they wanted from her, from help with their assignments to personal advice. Most of the older years were too prideful to ask for help from their juniors, but Heri received obeisance from the first-years up to a handful of fifth-years.
Heri was currently perched on a branch of a low-hanging weeping willow with other outdoorsy types hanging in the tree with her. The tree was set in the middle of a circle of wooden benches filled with students that needed further instruction on Transfiguration. They had been in the middle of a demonstration when the sound of a trumpet rang out.
All over the courtyard students stopped what they were doing and turned toward the out-of-place sound.
Luna stood in front of what looked like a quarter of the delegation from Durmstrang. Pressed to her lips was actually a bugle, and when the attention shifted to her, she played another quick riff before lowering the instrument and gesturing grandly behind her and the stone-faced foreign boys.
"At the leisure of Her Most Eminent and Serene Highness, the frabjous Princess Who Lived," Luna announced gravely, causing laughter and eye-rolls, "I present the young men of Durmstrang to petition the companionship of a particular maiden. What say you, courtiers?"
The students snickered and catcalled, excited for a scene. All of them had noted that Viktor Krum was amongst the group.
Luna bowed grandly in Heri's direction.
"By your leave, what say you, Your Highness?"
Half hidden in the shade of the tree, it was easy for Heri to cover her grin. Leave it to Luna to liven up the occasion with absurdity. She leaned over to Megan and whispered in her ear. If they were going to follow through with this game, they might as well play it up.
Megan stepped down from the table at Heri's knees she had been sitting at and sauntered forward a few steps, her nose raised imperiously. She fell out of character to giggle before raising her nose again and putting her hands on her hips.
In her loud voice, Megan said, "M'lady is of a good humour and gives leave for these petitioners to proceed."
A tall, burly young man stepped forward. Heri recognised him as one of the boys she had saved from the Quidditch. It was obvious to her that he was uncertain if the played up formality was in earnest or not, but he compromised with a semi-formal bow. As he straightened, he scanned the crowd.
"My name is Ivan Volkov," the young man began, "Last veek, ve met a charming young lady in the corridors. Ve did not haff much time to talk to her as she vas expected else-vare, but ve vould like the chance to talk to her again. Ve haff looked, but she keeps disappearing."
"And why do— erm, why dost thou—?"
Zacharias kicked at Megan's heel, cutting her off and making her yelp.
"English is his second language," Zacharias said, giving Megan a condescending look. "Don't be rude by using an out-dated form he wouldn't be familiar with."
Megan scowled.
"You're one to talk about being rude! Way to ruin the game, Smith!" She turned back to Volkov and crossed her arms with a huff. "Sorry. So you want our help or something?"
The older boy nodded slowly.
"Miss Lovegood said she vould be here today."
As the surrounding students looked around at each other for a clue of who it was the Durmstrang boys were looking for, Heri only cocked her head to the side. One of her lambs had caught the collective attention of the Durmstrang students? This was causing even more excitement than earlier that week when a couple of girls came squealing about being asked to the ball by some of them.
"Well, where is she?" asked Megan expectantly.
The young men almost fidgeted, glancing about.
Volkov turned to Luna who was sat on the grass, making a daisy chain.
"Ve do not see her, Miss Lovegood," he said.
"She will need that encouragement I mentioned," Luna replied, not looking up from her flowers.
At that, Krum was pushed forward to stand beside Volkov, looking as grim as a plague doctor. Having seen this expression on the surly young man many times before, Heri concluded this was his ill-at-ease expression.
Volkov pat Krum companionably on the shoulder.
"Viktor is the one who is required to bring a partner to the ball, so he vill be doing the asking."
Looking like he was walking to the guillotine, Krum rubbed the knuckles of one hand. Taking a breath, he dropped to one knee and lifted a fist. On the exhale, he drove the first into the ground, impacting the earth with a loud BANG, and creating a crater as large as if a Bludger had landed.
Gasps and exclamations sounded, the Hogwarts students flabbergasted at the display.
Krum stood once more and removed a ring from his finger.
"I vas told that a show of strength vould be better than flowers," Krum said, his voice low and rumbling. He scanned the gaping crowd for the face he was looking for. "Miss Lovegood suggested something literally earth-shattering. Vill you now attend the ball vith me, Miss Heri?"
There was a beat of shocked silence.
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