The ballroom had been decorated, dance partners had been invited, shoes, dresses, shirts, ties, and hairstyles had all been taken care of. What was there left to do?
Harry might have been an excellent Quidditch player, but he was truly terrible at dancing, even worse than Neville. At the Triwizard Tournament ball, his dance partner had controlled him, making him look like a marionette.
This was directly related to his lack of practice. The well-liked Gryffindor prince was not good at handling romance. He was shy but not timid; it was simply that he could not cope with "dating" and could not handle it as naturally as other boys did.
Ball skills, like dancing, needed to be honed. Yet when the moment came, one might not perform as normally as during practice. "Nerves" could also make people do things they never expected, such as S.P.E.W. at their own wedding or forget every bit of knowledge during an exam.
The match was due to begin at seven in the evening. At around five-thirty, the players entered the stadium through the players' tunnel.
There were not many people in the stands yet, because the weather was simply too cold. Everyone was waiting in the bars and snack streets behind the stands.
Although they could watch the broadcast, the atmosphere was certainly better in person. It was said that scalpers outside the stadium were selling tickets for 140 pounds each, and demand still exceeded supply. Every corner of the stadium, including the areas once used by players to warm up, had been converted into stands.
Police were stationed everywhere inside and outside the stadium, especially near the away supporters' section. Everton and Liverpool fans faced one another across the pitch.
Premier League matches had never lacked wildness and passion. Fierce clashes left their