Chapter 412: Dance Partner
Chapter 412: Dance Partner
In the common room, Niffler Valent was given special treatment.
After a series of people came and went to see the spectacle, Harry and the others sat down in their usual spot in the corner. Ron and Hermione were both embarrassed after being caught in an awkward moment by Valent, so Harry decided it would be easier to talk to Valent.
“Do you want some candy?” he asked.
Valent shook its head and pulled out a box of Exploding Snap from its pocket, its bright black eyes looking at them. It was asking if they wanted to play a card game.
Hermione, who had been silent, laughed. “Valent, you've learned this too?”
Ron blinked, and in a secretive tone, whispered, “I’ll teach you a new way to play, my exclusive invention… it’s not the traditional way, nor the Bavarian style. Watch this!”
He opened the box and quickly built the foundation of a castle with the Exploding Snap cards. “Next is the second level, stacking up steadily… oh…” Ron’s face fell as the second level of the castle started to spark.
Valent nimbly leaped from the table into Hermione’s lap, turning to stare at the two-story, makeshift castle.
“Bang!”
Ron’s card castle exploded, sending up a burst of fire and black smoke. Valent watched with great interest.
Harry and Hermione struggled to hold back their laughter, while Ron wiped his dirty face with his sleeve and said with a wry smile, “It’s actually quite thrilling, isn’t it? I recommend you play it with a professor, each of you building one card at a time. Someone is bound to get caught. Trust me, I’m on your side!” He said this with great conviction to Valent.
“Oh, right,” Hermione suddenly said, lifting Niffler to look at her. “Valent, do you remember the hourglass, the one you traded with Harry?” She gave Harry a meaningful look.
Harry understood and pulled a dusty hourglass from his pocket, holding it in front of Valent. “This is it. Hermione told me, well, she only heard it once from Professor Hup, that you stole gems from the Gringotts goblins at midnight and were ordered to return them by the professor…”
Niffler stared at the hourglass for a long time but had no memory of it. Such things didn’t interest it much. What had happened back then?
Harry, Ron, and Hermione watched as Niffler gestured and guessed, eventually piecing together the whole story.
“So, you returned the gems, but somehow kept the hourglass… and later, when you were counting your treasures, you didn’t give it much thought.” Hermione summarized.
Niffler nodded and continued gesturing.
“You have so many treasures… you didn’t pay much attention to this hourglass.” Hermione said, a bit awkwardly. Valent nodded vigorously, that was exactly it. Ron, who was sitting nearby, widened his eyes and stared at Niffler’s pocket, “How many things do you have hidden in there? Can I see—”
Valent immediately turned its head away.
“—Okay, I get it.” Ron said.
At that moment, Ginny walked over and sat next to Hermione. “Hey, little Valent, it’s you…” Hermione was brushing Niffler’s fur, and Ginny playfully teased Niffler, asking casually, “Have you decided? Are you going to ask someone to be your dance partner, or wait for someone to ask you? You don’t want to be left out, do you?”
Harry and Ron, who had been sitting nearby, widened their eyes. They had been worrying about this very thing. During Friday’s Transfiguration class, they had completed their assignment early—turning pearls into guinea pigs—and decided to play a dueling game. Harry and Ron each held a fake wand, Ron with a tin parrot and Harry with a rubber cod, practicing swordsmanship in the back of the classroom.
Hermione watched them with frustration, organizing her Transfiguration notes. “Gentlemen, can’t you do something more age-appropriate?”
“You see, we’re practicing swordsmanship, emulating the first Head of House, Godric Gryffindor,” Ron defended himself, taking advantage of Harry’s distraction to launch a fierce attack.
“Really? Do you know Gryffindor’s favorite spell?” Hermione asked lightly.
Harry and Ron stopped, looking at each other.
“The Blade of Sharpness. This spell enhances a weapon with magic, significantly increasing its sharpness and durability, like a solidified Cutting Curse, but even better. When Gryffindor wielded the Goblin-made Sword, he could easily cut through a dragon’s skin,” Hermione explained, finishing the last part of her notes.
At that moment, Professor Mcgonagall walked over and saw the tin parrot Ron was holding—Harry’s rubber cod’s head had broken off during the scuffle. She pressed her lips together but said nothing.
Then, she turned to the front of the class and announced the Christmas Ball.
“The ball is open only to students in fourth year and above. If you plan to, well… let your hair down and relax,” Professor Mcgonagall paused, unimpressed, “you must find a dance partner. Of course, you can invite a younger student if you wish…”
Lavender Brown let out a shrill, silly laugh, but she wasn’t the only one. Parvati Patil poked her, and both of them turned to look at Harry. In fact, more than half the girls in the class were eyeing him, and Harry had never felt such intense scrutiny.
After the lesson, Professor Mcgonagall kept Harry, Hermione, and Ron behind to deliver some startling news.
“You should know,” Mcgonagall said dryly.
Harry looked at Hermione, who nodded matter-of-factly, then at Ron, who looked just as confused. Harry had thought Professor Mcgonagall had kept them back because of his headless rubber black cod, but it seemed his understanding was off.
“Potter, the champions are expected to have partners—” Professor Mcgonagall began.
“Partners!” Harry gasped, interrupting her.
“Partners, dance partners, call them what you will,” Mcgonagall said, noticing Harry’s face turn red and giving him a knowing smile. “Yes, by tradition, the champions and their partners open the dance at the Yule Ball.”
Harry was still dazed. He tried to look pleased, as Professor Mcgonagall clearly thought this was a privilege and honor for the champions, but he could only imagine himself in a top hat and tails, and the thought made him eager to ditch the honor.
Ron might enjoy it, Harry thought, but he quickly realized that Ron was also a champion, and so was Hermione.
Leaving the classroom, Harry and Ron were both somewhat dejected, which made them miss the equally anxious Hermione. Professor Mcgonagall’s final words stung like a whip, echoing in their minds—
“As the school’s most important representatives, you must do as everyone expects. So, you must find a dance partner.”
As they walked to the Great Hall, Ron said bitterly, “You’re actually in a better position, Harry. You’ve always been popular; the girls are probably lining up to be asked, maybe even to ask you. I have it much harder, and did you hear what Professor Mcgonagall said? We all have to wear dress robes… bloody hell, I’ve only got that old embroidered dress my grandmother made…”
In fact, Ron had a point. Harry was indeed more popular than he had imagined. The very next morning, while he and Ron were having breakfast in the Great Hall, a curly-haired third-year girl from Hufflepuff house asked Harry to the Yule Ball, even though he had never spoken to her before.
The situation was a bit awkward. They were discussing the matter of dance partners, both of them worrying about it. Ron had even suggested using a binding spell to secure one, “But don’t use the strongest spell,” Ron said, speaking from experience.
Harry chuckled as he shoveled pumpkin porridge into his mouth. Just then, the girl approached and extended her invitation.
“Oh, uh, what did you say… sorry, I haven’t decided yet.” Harry looked at her in surprise, and because the request was so sudden, he instinctively turned it down.
The girl walked away looking hurt.
After that, Hermione, who had rushed down the stairs, dragged them to the Ilvermorny house common room, “We were just talking about dance partners, Hermione!” Ron complained, but Hermione brushed off his excuse, saying there were still two weeks until the Yule Ball. Harry and Ron, both wanting to avoid the topic, followed her—only to spend two extremely boring hours squatting outside the Ilvermorny common room.
If asked now, Harry couldn’t say which was more terrifying: facing a fire dragon, finding a dance partner, or squatting in the cold for two hours. But what was truly scary was that it was already evening, and he was preparing to take a bath and go to bed after meeting with Niffler. Ginny’s question, however, brought him back to reality.
...
That night, as he tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, Harry couldn’t stop thinking about what Ginny had said to Hermione: “Have you decided? Are you going to ask someone, or wait for someone to ask you? You don’t want to be left out, do you?”
He had a name in mind, but he knew it was just a fantasy. Yet a secret hope whispered to him, what if Cedric hadn’t asked Cho? And Colin Creevey was pretty, wasn’t he?
But now, he wasn’t so sure.
(End of Chapter)
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