I thought I was really late when I left and would be the last to get there but Hermione met me in the common room. It seemed as though she was just as nervous as I was. We smiled at each other and went down to the Great Hall. Her date was Viktor Krum. We made our way to the ship, where all the dates of Durmstrang had to arrive. Hermione and Viktor went first and Garit and I were 3rd in line. Apparently, Karkaroff didn’t want anyone to take the lime light away from his champion. We had to enter the Hall with deliberate power. But it was nice because I got to speak to Garit first. We spoke in Elvish which is rare for me. He seemed nice and charming, oddly unlike the other boys from Durmstrang. He ate our way through the feast which didn’t seem any different to normal.

As an experience I would say that the Yule Ball rates a 6/10 on my scale. I’m glad I went, there are some things that I would rather not talk about and some parts that I would love to repeat over and over again. Just because I went with Garit didn’t mean that I had to dance with just him the whole time. I danced with Fred, George, Leanne, Cedric, Neville, Seamus, Draco & my most favourite of all Professor Snape. When I look back on that moment now, I think of it with a fond memory. It was like the “father/daughter dance” at a wedding. Or at least I imagine it is because I never got to find out. It was fun anyway. There was food, drink, music and laughter. It was all I really needed.

It was the Yule Ball that I ended having a… disagreement… revelation… I don’t really know what to call it. It was all of those things put into one. I found out that Garit was my cousin. Attending Durmstrang simply to … understand the wizarding world. That’s why we could speak to each other. I felt betrayed. I felt angry. There was so much that now made sense though. The visit in the summer, the meetings between uncle and Karkaroff. I was annoyed. It was as though everything had been to make fun of me. I felt foolish.