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Chapter 302: The Ball
Chapter 302: The Ball
The preparations for the ball were much simpler for the boys. After a quick shower and putting on their dress robes, they were good to go. However, Liam had to steel himself before spraying perfume on his body, a gift from Hermione. Spraying perfume was a bit of a challenge for him, as he was somewhat straight-laced.
Fortunately, Hermione had given him magic perfume, which only faintly emitted the scent of pine branches. This made Liam feel a bit more comfortable.
When he went downstairs, Ron came up to him again to express his gratitude. If not for Liam's help, he would have made a complete fool of himself in front of everyone. The day before yesterday, Ron had mustered the courage to ask Parvati to the ball, encouraged by Harry. Fortunately, she had said yes, sparing Ron the embarrassment of going alone.
"Harry, you're wearing—” Harry emerged from the crowd at that moment, dressed in a striking red and gold dress robe.
“Ah, don't even mention it. Sirius Black bought this for me, saying it would draw attention. But all I could think of was Lockhart. If this formal attire weren't custom-made and so expensive that I can't return it, I wouldn't wear it.” Despite his complaints, a happy smile appeared on his face. After all, as an orphan, it was heartwarming to have someone care for him so much. This affection might be the real reason Harry didn't want to change.
"Good evening, Harry", Ginny said as she descended the stairs in a pink dress robe. She looked more radiant than usual.
Harry walked over to Ginny, took her hand, and they left the common room together, leaving Ron standing alone, feeling a bit lost.
"My best friend invited my sister to the ball, and I didn't even know about it." Ron looked flustered, but by the time Parvati arrived, he had composed himself.
After most of the students had left, Hermione finally came down the stairs. She was still wearing her yellow dress robe, her hair elegantly styled in a high bun at the back of her head. On her right wrist, she wore the silver bracelet Liam had given her earlier, adorned with a small purple crystal.
This bracelet was Liam's latest alchemical product. It could automatically deploy a magic shield when attacked and contained a compressed dimension where Liam had stored two newly crafted Valyrian steel light sabers. Hermione had been practicing the Assassin's Legacy for over two years and deserved her own weapons. She had even mentioned this during their practice last Saturday.
"You look beautiful tonight", Liam said, looking at Hermione. At first, he thought she had just dressed up nicely, making her look more beautiful than usual. But as he stared at her face for a few seconds, he was surprised to notice that all the imperfections on her skin had vanished, and her two front teeth had returned to a normal size. She looked like a genuinely pretty girl.
"Why are you staring at my face?" Hermione asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable. "Is there something wrong with it?"
"You look different from before", Liam said instinctively, earning him a glare.
"Are you only noticing now? It's all thanks to the Gift of Power we received in the temple during our last adventure. I later realized that the power not only improved my physical condition but also enhanced my appearance. That's why I look like this now", Hermione explained quietly as they made their way to the Great Hall.
Liam thought he might have been optimized too many times, so the changes weren't as noticeable on him. Plus, seeing Hermione every day, he hadn't paid attention to the subtle changes until today.
When they reached the ground floor, they found the entrance hall crowded with students. The doors would open at eight, and many were weaving through the crowd to find their dance partners from other houses.
At that moment, the oak doors of the Great Hall opened, and everyone saw the Durmstrang students and Professor Karkaroff enter. Krum led the way, accompanied by a girl in a pink formal gown, her cheeks flushed. Liam recognized the girl as a senior from Ravenclaw.
However, Krum's expression darkened somewhat when he noticed Hermione standing beside Liam. After all, for a super celebrity, being outmaneuvered in such matters is incredibly frustrating.
At that moment, Professor Mcgonagall's voice rang out, "Champions, please come over here!"
Today, Professor Mcgonagall was wearing a red plaid robe with an ugly wreath of thistle flowers on the brim of her hat. She called the six Champions and their dance partners to stand by the door, letting everyone else enter first. Once the students were seated, they would walk into the Great Hall in a line.
Leading the procession were the two ladies from Beauxbatons. Liam could see that Fleur's dance partner still looked dazed by his unexpected good fortune. Liam and his group, as the hosts, were at the end of the line.
"I'm a bit nervous, Liam", Hermione whispered beside him.
"Don't worry, we've seen worse things than a mountain of corpses and rivers of blood. There's no need to be nervous about this", Liam replied softly, turning his head. Perhaps his movement was a bit too large, as he was promptly given a stern look by Professor Mcgonagall.
Once everyone was seated in the Great Hall, Professor Mcgonagall instructed the Champions and their dance partners to form pairs and follow her inside. They filed in, making their way toward the large round table at the front of the Great Hall where the judges were seated. The crowd gave them a warm round of applause. Liam saw the Study Group members waving at him and Hermione. To his surprise, Swinton had brought a Ravenclaw freshman named Celia as her dance partner.
There were a few familiar faces waving as well, such as Hermione's roommate Angela, who was attending the ball with the new Study Group member, Main. The fact that Angela was a head taller than her male partner made for a rather comical sight. It was likely they wouldn't dance together, but this was just a way for Main to attend the ball.
After scanning the room, Liam noticed that same-sex dance partners weren't limited to just one pair. Over at the Slytherin table, Crabbe and Goyle were seated together, though it was unclear who would take the female role in the dance.
A pair of lesbians and a pair of gays—truly fitting for the U.K., Liam thought, waving back to his friends with Hermione.
The walls of the Great Hall were adorned with sparkling silver frost, and the ceiling depicted a starry night sky, decorated with hundreds of mistletoe branches and ivy wreaths. The four house tables had been replaced by a hundred small, lantern-lit tables, each seating about ten people.
Once they were seated, Liam realized that the Champions were dining with the judges. He felt this meal would be a torture, much like being forced to sit with strict elders during a family gathering. Particularly, he was seated across from Mr. Crouch, who wore a stern expression.
The golden plates were still empty, but each person had a small menu in front of them. Dumbledore carefully examined his menu and then clearly said, "Pork chops!"
Pork chops immediately appeared on his plate. The others, understanding the process, followed suit, ordering their preferred dishes.
At Liam's table, Krum seemed rather quiet, keeping his head down as he ate. Fleur Delacour, on the other hand, was criticizing the decor of Hogwarts to her dance partner, Roger Davies.
Fortunately, Headmaster Dumbledore's humorous remarks diffused the tension, allowing the dinner to proceed smoothly.
After the meal, Dumbledore stood up and called for the students to do the same. With a wave of his wand, all the tables flew to the sides of the room, leaving a clear space in the middle. He then conjured a tall stage against the right wall. It was clear that the main event of the ball—the dancing—was about to begin.
(End of Chapter)
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