Hello again everyone. It's time to delve into the world of books and I will be sticking inside the world of Harry Potter... particularly the Yule Ball that takes place during the Triwizard Tournament in the 1994-1995 school year. It is an event that is held on Christmas Eve and usually involves a lot of dancing and, of course, a grand feast.
Now this is of course fitting for the time of year and I really love the way that there was some sort of dance... event... that brought all the schools together for a fun evening. After the trials and tasks that everyone had been involved in, until that point, it must have felt wonderful to truly let your hair down... well that is unless your name was Ron Weasley. He was displaying classic jealousy at Hermione going to the Ball with Viktor Krum and yet they are now married and have two children.
One thing I love about the Yule Ball is that it hits right at that awkward teenage phase. Take Harry for example. He wanted to attend with Cho Chang but she'd already been asked by Cedric. The way Harry asked her always makes me chuckle as it was probably the first time he's ever asked a girl out in his life, let alone one he liked as well. Harry also then has to learn how to dance, which is a surprise to me as the Dursleys surely would have taught him but, then again, I'm not surprised either. This meant he had to learn and then dance at the Yule Ball pretty much all at once.
Then there is Hermione who somehow managed to almost seemingly change her appearance for the evening... as well as being Viktor Krum's date for the occasion. That certainly raised a few eyebrows amongst the attendees. It also sent Ron, as said before, into a wand in a knot moment that then affected not only himself but also Harry and the Patil twins. I do see where Ron is coming from. The girl you secretly like is openly attending the Ball with a famous Quidditch player... that cannot have been easy for Ron at all and I do feel sorry for him, yet in some ways I do feel that he brought it on himself because he never asked Hermione first.
The same could be said of Harry not asking Cho early enough as well. Like they were so nervous that they lost their ideal date for the Yule Ball. It seems hard to believe that this was all happening when the Trio were just around 14-years-old. That's a very awkward stage to be at, let alone having a Ball and learning to dance as well.
Having the Weird Sisters perform was a great touch and a reminder that the students are just teenagers as well and a moment of respite where everyone could just sit down and have a party after the formalities of the Ball and feast. It was a chance to see the teenagers being... well teenagers and that is something that was rare to see really... especially as things begin to get darker towards the end of the book.
I really like the reminder that they are just teenagers at the end of the day as it's a reminder to have fun as well. I mean you have to remember that Harry is only fourteen and, by far, the youngest Champion and is in the awkward boy phase. He couldn't ask Cho to the Yule Ball and that was not nice for him as he'd wanted to ask Cho to the Ball. I feel, in a sense, that it was Harry's first true heartbreak.
I really enjoyed the descriptions of the fairy lights twinkling in the bushes, sparkling silver frost and garlands. It makes me think of Yule and Christmas and that gives me a feeling of magic that I only get around that time of year.
Well that is all from me this month.
Come and visit the Hobbit Library next month!
Cissarose x