Slytherins, Kisses and Other Disasters
Copyright© 2026 by Caroline Stanton
Chapter 54: Everybody Dance
Harry Potter had never imagined that asking his girlfriend out could have such far-reaching consequences. He had only wanted to spend an afternoon with Victoria. A quiet afternoon, preferably, without homework, Quidditch practice, or anyone reminding him that Lord Voldemort was trying to kill him.
When Victoria had told him about the dancing in the Slytherin common room, he’d thought it sounded rather nice. She’d described Theodore Nott asking Pansy Parkinson to dance, Adrian Selwyn’s enchanted stars, and the extraordinary sight of several Slytherins enjoying Muggle love songs.
Then she’d sighed and remarked that it was a pity her boyfriend hadn’t been there. Harry had taken the hint.
“Would you like to dance with me, then?”
Victoria had looked down at him, her green eyes brightening.
“Are you asking me on a date, Harry Potter?”
“I suppose I am.”
“Where?”
That had required a little thought. The Slytherin common room was obviously out of the question. The Gryffindor common room was hardly ideal either, particularly with Ron and Seamus likely to provide a running commentary. Then Harry remembered the empty classroom on the fourth floor.
He knew it had already served several purposes, not all of them entirely respectable. Hermione had helped Draconia prepare for her first date with Alex there, and it was also where Victoria, Georgina, and Hermione had eventually confessed to following Draconia around the shopping centre.
Harry thought it was time the room acquired a happier association.
“There’s a classroom we could use,” he suggested.
“Can we bring the music?”
“Of course.”
“And Adrian’s stars?”
“If he can manage them.”
She leaned down and kissed him.
“Then it’s a date.”
Harry considered that a satisfactory conclusion to the matter. Unfortunately, it was only the beginning. On Saturday afternoon, Harry arrived at the classroom to discover that Victoria had invited Georgina, Adrian, Draconia, and Hermione. He stopped in the doorway.
“I thought this was supposed to be a date.”
Victoria smiled.
“It is.”
Harry looked at the others.
“With an audience?”
Georgina laughed.
“Don’t mind us.”
Adrian held up his portable CD player.
“We’re providing the entertainment.”
Hermione was already moving desks towards the walls with her wand.
“Besides, it’s a lovely idea. We thought we might as well make an afternoon of it.”
Draconia, sitting on a desk, gave Harry a sympathetic smile.
“You’ll have to forgive Vic. She isn’t particularly good at keeping nice things to herself.”
Victoria put her hands on her hips.
“I invited my friends. That’s hardly a crime.”
Harry looked at her. She smiled sweetly. He sighed.
“All right.”
Then he grinned.
“But I get the first dance.”
Victoria’s expression softened.
“Deal.”
Adrian placed his speakers on a desk and connected them to the magically adapted CD player.
“Something slow to begin with?”
Georgina nodded enthusiastically.
“Please.”
Adrian selected Bryan Adams’s Reckless and pressed play. The opening notes of Heaven drifted through the classroom. Harry looked towards Victoria. She was standing in the middle of the cleared floor, waiting for him. He approached.
“May I have this dance?”
She smiled.
“Certainly.”
He took her hand and placed his other hand at her waist. Victoria was taller than him, but Harry was becoming accustomed to looking up at his girlfriend. In fact, he was beginning to find it charming.
“Do you know how to dance?” she asked.
“Not particularly.”
“That’s all right. I do.”
“Of course you do.”
“Just follow me.”
They began moving slowly. Harry was awkward at first, concentrating so hard on his feet that he barely noticed the music. Victoria gently squeezed his hand.
“Harry.”
“Yes?”
“Look at me.”
He did. She smiled.
“Much better.”
He relaxed. A moment later, she drew a little closer. And Harry discovered that dancing was easier when he stopped worrying about doing it correctly. Above them, Adrian’s enchanted stars appeared. They drifted beneath the ceiling, glowing softly in time with the music. Georgina clasped Adrian’s hand.
“Come on.”
He grinned and followed her onto the floor. Draconia watched the two couples with a wistful smile. Hermione noticed.
“Thinking about Alex?”
“A little.”
Hermione smiled.
“You’ll dance with him someday.”
Draconia looked towards Harry and Victoria.
“I hope so.”
The afternoon might have ended there. Six friends, a few songs, and a pleasant memory. But then Ron Weasley arrived. He stood in the doorway, looking at the dancers.
“Well, this is interesting.”
Harry turned.
“Ron?”
“So this is where you’ve been hiding.”
Victoria smiled.
“Hello, Ron.”
“Afternoon, Victoria.”
He looked around.
“Not a bad arrangement, actually.”
Harry blinked.
“You like it?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
Ron examined the speakers.
“Is that Muggle?”
Adrian nodded.
“Yes.”
“Sounds rather good.”
“Thank you.”
Ron considered the couples.
“Mind if I stay?”
“Of course not.”
Ron pulled up a chair.
“Excellent. I want to see whether you step on her feet.”
“He’s improving.”
“That’s a shame. I was hoping for some entertainment.”
Twenty minutes later, Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas arrived. Ron had apparently mentioned the dancing at lunch.
“Is this the place?” Seamus asked.
Harry looked towards the doorway.
“Apparently.”
Dean smiled.
“Ron said there was music.”
Adrian held up a CD.
“Plenty of it.”
“Anything faster?”
Victoria’s eyes lit up.
“Oh, absolutely.”
Adrian changed discs. The opening guitar of Green Day’s Basket Case burst from the speakers. Seamus grinned.
“Now that’s more like it!”
Victoria released Harry’s hand.
“Come on!”
And suddenly the gentle afternoon dance became something quite different. Victoria began moving energetically, her long black hair swinging around her shoulders. Georgina joined her. Dean, who knew the song, immediately started dancing. Seamus attempted to imitate him. Ron laughed so hard he nearly fell off his chair. Harry watched his girlfriend for a moment. Then shrugged and joined in. By the time the song ended, everyone was laughing. Even Draconia had abandoned her chair. The following Monday, there were twelve students.
By Wednesday, there were seventeen. On Friday, Harry counted twenty-three. He stood in the doorway, staring.
“How did this happen?”
Ron, standing beside him, shrugged.
“People talk.”
“Apparently.”
Inside, students from all four Houses were gathered around Adrian’s CD player. A Ravenclaw girl had brought a collection of Queen albums. A Muggle-born Hufflepuff had contributed several CDs by Oasis and R.E.M. Dean had brought some of his own music from home. Adrian’s collection was no longer the only one available. Hermione had helped improve the enchantments on the speakers, while a Ravenclaw sixth-year had suggested a charm that prevented the music from carrying beyond the classroom. At least, that was the intention.
The room itself had changed too. The desks were neatly arranged against the walls. A few chairs stood near the windows. Someone had conjured coloured lanterns, and Adrian’s golden stars drifted overhead whenever the music played. It was beginning to resemble a small dance hall. Harry looked at Victoria.
“Did you organise all this?”
She shook her head.
“No.”
“Adrian?”
“Not me.”
“Hermione?”
She looked up from a book.
“I helped with the charms.”
Harry stared around the room.
“Then who’s in charge?”
Nobody answered. Ron grinned.
“Congratulations, mate. You’ve accidentally started a club.”
Gryffindors danced beside Slytherins; Ravenclaws laughed with Hufflepuffs. Seamus accidentally stepped backwards into Blaise Zabini.
“Sorry!”
Blaise steadied himself.
“Do try to remain upright, Finnigan.”
“Doing my best.”
“That’s rather worrying.”
But he was smiling. During the slower songs, asking someone to dance suddenly required courage. Theodore Nott and Pansy Parkinson had become regular visitors. They almost always arrived together.
They didn’t hold hands in the corridors, and neither had made any formal announcement about their relationship. But whenever a slow song began, Theodore would look towards Pansy. She would smile. And they would dance. One afternoon, as Scorpions’ Wind of Change played, Pansy rested her head against Theodore’s shoulder. Victoria noticed. She leaned towards Draconia.
“Look.”
Draconia smiled.
“I see.”
“Do you think they’re officially together?”
“Possibly.”
“Should we ask?”
“Absolutely not.”
Victoria looked disappointed. Draconia added, “Let them enjoy themselves.” Across the room, Theodore gently kissed Pansy’s forehead. Victoria’s eyes widened.
“Oh!”
Draconia laughed.
“Vic, you’re going to frighten them.”
Ron, meanwhile, had discovered that dancing could be surprisingly enjoyable. He was not especially graceful, but he had stopped worrying about it after Susan Bones laughed at a wrong turn and admitted she had lost the beat herself. Harry watched them from across the room as the song ended.
“I think I nearly trod on your foot,” Ron said.
“You missed,” Susan replied. “By an inch. Very impressive.”
“I’ll aim for two inches next time.”
“Ambitious.”
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