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Chapter 1396: A Snowy Christmas Ball
Chapter 1396: A Snowy Christmas Ball
Compared to home, the headquarters of the association was indeed brimming with a more festive Christmas atmosphere.
It was lively and bustling, that was for sure.
However, what was the deal with this Christmas tree?
Albert could not help but feel bewildered as he gazed upon the oddly-shaped tree.
Was this some form of performance art? Or did someone attempt to use a Transfiguration spell to create a Christmas tree, only to end up with this peculiar result?
In fact, Albert was not far off the mark; this tree was indeed the handiwork of several association members skilled in Transfiguration, who had collaborated to produce it using their magic.
Unfortunately, it was evident that this was their first attempt, hence the bizarre outcome.
What truly surprised Albert, however, was the ice house that Fred and George had crafted with their team in the village clearing using snow and ice. They had also employed the Undetectable Extension Charm to expand the interior space of the ice house exponentially, ensuring ample room for the Christmas ball.
"It's a good idea, but the execution leaves something to be desired."
Albert drew out his wand and gave the odd Christmas tree a gentle wave, restoring it to a more conventional appearance. Feeling that something was still amiss, he then reached into his robe pocket and pulled out an Undetectable Extension Bag, from which he unloaded a pile of Christmas gifts for the association members, arranging them under the tree.
"Hmm, that looks much better now."
Albert stowed away the bag and surveyed the gift-laden tree with a nod of satisfaction.
"You prepared quite a lot of Christmas presents, too?"
George appeared at Albert's side, bent down, and picked up one of the parcels, inquiring, "What's the gift?"
"It's a foreign dessert." Albert nodded towards the gift, "Go ahead and open it. There's one for each person, but I can't guarantee everyone will like it."
"Dessert, huh? That's nice. Actually, we've prepared some as well. It would be a bit disappointing not to receive any gifts on Christmas," George said as he placed his gift back among the pile, intending to share them with everyone later.
Albert was pleasantly surprised and asked with a smile, "Did you prepare gifts for the school and the shelter, too?"
"Yes, we did." George explained, "Shan'na said it's important to treat everyone equally to foster a stronger sense of unity among the association members."
"That's wonderful." Albert felt a sense of relief and contentment, realizing that they had grown and matured quite a bit without him noticing.
"But it required a lot of money, so we took some inspiration from the random Easter eggs and created random Christmas gift boxes filled with prank items that we made ourselves!" George said as he pulled out an Undetectable Extension Bag, intending to hand it to Albert. He had planned to place his gifts under the tree, but Albert had beaten him to it.
"You keep it and distribute the gifts under the tree to everyone later. I won't be staying long enough to do it myself," Albert replied, as he would be leaving soon and wouldn't have the time to hand out the presents.
"Alright."
As George was about to stuff the bag back into his pocket, he seemed to remember something and pulled out a Christmas gift to give to Albert.
"This is a special Christmas gift that Fred and I picked out just for you."
"Can I open it now?"
Albert took the gift, a little surprised to be receiving one at this moment.
"Of course."
"You two, stop slacking off... Albert, when did you get here? We were just talking about whether you'd come and spend Christmas with us." Shan'na greeted Albert and then urged George to stop being lazy and get the ice house floor smoothed out, as well as lay down the carpet.
Of course, the carpet would be conjured with magic.
"Are these records?"
"I bet you haven't listened to a lot of famous music, so I got all these records here." George said proudly, "Fred and I spent quite a bit of time getting our hands on these."
"You two, with your one gift," Shan'na interjected, unable to resist a teasing comment.
"It's the thought that counts when it comes to gifts," George replied, feeling that Albert wouldn't be lacking in anything.
"I haven't heard a lot of these songs, that's true." Albert chuckled and put the gift away.
"Okay, go and get your business done first, or we might not be able to hold the Christmas ball tonight."
After shooing George off to work, Shan'na turned to Albert and began discussing the upcoming Christmas ball.
"I was going to talk to you about this... You know, last time you took away their prey and made them sad for a long time."
"I didn't take their prey," Albert corrected, "I found the nest of the undead, so it's not stealing. They just missed an opportunity to gain experience."
"Experience, huh? Alright then!" Shan'na didn't press the issue further and suddenly said, "By the way, I've also prepared a Christmas gift for you. I'll give it to you later."
"Today is full of surprises," Albert said as he shifted his gaze away from Shan'na, steering the conversation in a different direction. "How are the preparations for the ball coming along?"
"It should be ready by noon." Qi Zhang and Angelina approached, sizing Albert up as they asked, "Are you staying for the Christmas ball later?"
"I'll see how it goes, but I probably won't stay for the dancing."
"Why not?"
"I'm not much of a dancer," Albert deflected, "But there do seem to be fewer ladies in the association."
"Yeah, ladies are in high demand." Qi Zhang glanced at Shan'na and teased.
"Why not invite the girls from the shelter to join the ball?" Angelina suggested.
"We can't take any risks with underage wizards carrying Trace spells. You know that,"
"Sorry, I..."
"It seems that your recent string of successes has made you all a little too relaxed," Albert said, narrowing his eyes. "That's not a good thing. You mustn't falter before you achieve success."
"You're too hard on us, Albert," Lee Jordan said, placing a hand on Albert's shoulder. "If you have the time, help us reinforce the ice house. I'm a little worried this shoddy thing might suddenly collapse."
"It's not that bad. It'll hold up as long as you don't mess around too much," Albert assured him.
In the end, Albert did use his magic to help reinforce the ice house, ensuring it would last through the winter.
With Albert's help, the preparations for the ball proceeded much faster.
As Albert cast his spells, the ice house was gradually encased in thick, sturdy ice, adorned with beautiful ice spikes that burned with a chilly blue flame, reminding many of the Triwizard Tournament's Yule Ball.
Or, to be more precise, they were imitating the Yule Ball from that fateful year at Hogwarts.
"See, I told you we could get it done quickly with Albert's help!" Lee Jordan said to those around him.
"You're treating me like a workhorse," Albert grumbled good-naturedly.
"It's called delegating to those with the most ability," Fred replied, surveying the now-elegant ball hall with satisfaction. "If we had relied on them, we might not have been able to hold the ball even by tonight."
That much was true—their efficiency left much to be desired.
"Let's just say you need to work on your teamwork and keep practicing," Albert reminded them. "The students from the shelter are much better at using magic to solve everyday problems."
He said as much, but Albert still waved his wand and helped them finish the remaining tasks; for him, it was as simple as a flick of the wrist.
While letting them do it themselves would have been a learning experience, he decided to let it slide, considering it was Christmas, and he wanted them to enjoy the holiday.
In the half-hour before the ball began, both the gentlemen and the ladies took the time to spruce up, donning rarely seen suits and elegant dresses.
Albert watched as Shan'na changed into her dress and asked with a frown, "Where did you get these outfits from?"
"A few nights ago, after we decided to hold the ball, we snuck out and brought them here using the Summoning Charm. You know it's not that difficult," Shan'na explained, tugging at her dress. "They just don't fit very well."
"That just means you've grown taller," Albert commented.
"Aren't you going to change?" Shan'na noticed that Albert was still in his regular clothes. "You really won't stay for a dance?"
"No, you know I'm not much of a dancer," Albert replied.
As he watched Dobby scurrying about with a wand, setting out food and drinks on the tables, Albert got up to lend a hand.
With half an hour to go, the area outside the ice house suddenly bustled with activity as people arrived in twos and threes, as if they had all coordinated beforehand.
Once everyone was seated, the hall gradually quieted down as all eyes turned to Albert, who had stood up.
"You may have noticed that I've prepared Christmas gifts for you all," Albert said, pointing to the pile of packages under the Christmas tree. "There's one for each of you, and George has something for you as well."
"I know you're all eager to dig in, so Merry Christmas!"
With that, Albert raised his glass.
"Merry Christmas!"
Everyone raised their glasses in response.
The banquet began, accompanied by soft, soothing music.
The food on the table wasn't particularly lavish, and some of it had even been bought from Muggle shops.
This had been Shan'na's idea.
After all, they had prepared everything in a rush and didn't have enough hands to cook, so relying solely on Dobby would have been a challenge.
Besides, Muggle food was often well-received.
As Albert watched several couples dancing to the music, Shan'na brought up Cedric and Qi Zhang's plan to get married after the war against the Dark wizards was over.
"That..." Albert was at a loss for words.
Wasn't that a huge flag? Did they want him to die sooner?
"What's wrong?" Shan'na asked, noticing Albert's furrowed brow.
"It's just bad luck to say something like that," Albert replied.
"Bad luck?" Shan'na echoed, perplexed.
"There was a soldier who once told his fiancee, 'I'll definitely come back and marry you,' but he died on the battlefield," Albert recounted.
"I didn't expect you to care about things like that," Shan'na said, sounding surprised.
"Well, it's not a good idea," Albert stated.
"Okay, I'll mention it to them," Shan'na agreed, nodding. She then steered the conversation back to the topic at hand, pointing out several couples within the association.
Many of the young ladies had found themselves boyfriends.
Noticing Albert's gaze, Shan'na shrugged and said, "Lee Jordan and I... we're not really a good fit. A lot of wizarding families care about that sort of thing, and I don't think it's the right time for a relationship, at least not until after the war..."
"If a relationship isn't headed toward marriage, it's hard for many couples to stay together in the end," Albert mused.
He thought of Neville and Luna.
Many readers believed they would end up together, but in the end...
"What about you and Isabelle? Were you like that too? I mean, did you get married?" Shan'na asked.
"Something like that," Albert replied vaguely.
"That's so enviable," Shan'na murmured, her eyes on the couples dancing gracefully on the stage.
"It all depends on what you want," Albert said with a shake of his head. "Who can truly understand the mysteries of love?"
"By the way, I'll be stepping out for a bit. Take care of things here, will you?"
(End of Chapter)
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