A Dance Partner Predicament

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Edward pulled out two blue rectangular admission tickets and handed them over. "Here. One for you and one for Hagrid. There's no shame in not having a partner. You two can do... Tap Dance. Yes, Tap Dance. Though the big guy had better watch his step, or he'll break the floor."

Edward had a gift for getting under people's skin. Robin Sear accepted the tickets, thanked him, and walked on.

That evening, Charlie and Philip hauled a thoroughly drunk Hagrid back!

"Whew. I think I need to add an hour to my training every day!"

Philip was panting as he spoke.

"Me too. Huh, tickets to the dance? Robin, did you find a partner?"

Charlie picked up the tickets from the table and asked with a smile.

Robin shook his head. "Edward said people without partners could do Tap Dance!"

Philip stifled a laugh. Then he noticed Robin and Charlie staring at him and burst out laughing instead.

"Did he take... some mystery drug?"

Robin asked, baffled.

"At the base, there are two ways to do Tap Dance. You either dance barefoot on a red-hot iron plate, or strip naked and let your primal nature loose in the middle of the dance floor. Kid, I don't think Edward explained the rules when he gave you those tickets!"

Robin's mind went blank for a dozen seconds. "Charlie, is it too late to give the tickets back?"

"What do you think? They're enchanted. Accepting one is the same as signing a Contract, and breaking a Contract comes with a penalty! Hagrid knows Sifir from the dining hall pretty well. He could ask her. But you're eleven. There's no one your age at the base!"

Perhaps because Robin had never acted much like a child, Charlie and Philip couldn't stop laughing