Chapter 523: Kyle's Dark History
Chapter 523: Kyle's Dark History
The next day was the weekend.
Early in the morning, Kyle sat at the table with a solemn expression, eating breakfast.
"What's wrong?" Cedric asked curiously. "You look like you're about to compete in the second task."
"To be honest, I wish the second task was starting today," Kyle sighed. "By the way, can you dance?"
"Yeah," Cedric replied casually. "My dad took me to a few balls before, and I learned specifically for that... Why, can't you?"
"Why does everyone assume I can dance?" Kyle grumbled as he took a bite of his bread. "If I could, I wouldn't be so worried."
"Pffft—" Cedric's facial muscles tightened as he struggled to hold back his laughter.
It was the first time he had seen Kyle looking so flustered, and he found it absolutely hilarious.
"It... it's not that hard," Cedric managed to say, trying to sound casual. "You just need to follow the music... By the way, I saw the latest notice in the entrance hall. Professor McGonagall will be holding a dance club at ten in the morning. You might want to check it out."
"You mean that one?" Kyle asked. "Actually, I was the first one to sign up."
Cedric burst out laughing, covering his mouth with his hand to muffle the sound.
He didn't mean to laugh, but for some reason, all he could picture was Kyle accidentally stepping on his partner's feet during the ball, and it was just too funny.
Cedric quickly excused himself, claiming he wanted to find Cho, and hurried over to the Ravenclaw table.
Kyle, absorbed in his thoughts about the upcoming club, didn't notice anything amiss and assumed Cedric wanted to invite Cho to the ball.
News of the Christmas ball had spread, and now everyone was talking about it. The number of students signing up to stay at Hogwarts was unprecedented, as if everyone except the first-years had chosen to remain at the school.
Groups of girls gathered excitedly, exchanging ideas and discussing what to wear on the night of the ball.
Even the boys were putting on a serious front. Ryan, for example, was wearing a brooch on his clothes—something Kyle had never seen him do before.
Soon, a girl with curly hair approached.
"Kyle, would you like to go to the ball with me?" she asked.
"Oh... sorry," Kyle snapped out of his thoughts. "I already have a partner."
The girl left, looking disappointed.
She wasn't the first, and in the next ten minutes, several more girls from different houses came by, but they all received the same answer.
Kyle had intended to wait in the Great Hall until the club started, but given the situation, he gave up on that idea and headed back to the common room.
...
When the time came, Kyle arrived punctually at the Great Hall, where Connor and Cedric had also gathered.
"You know how to dance, so why are you here too?" Kyle asked Cedric, puzzled.
"Ahem, it's nothing," Cedric said, feigning nonchalance. "I just haven't danced in a long time, and I want to get familiar with it again so I don't embarrass myself."
Kyle nodded without saying anything further. He took a deep breath and pushed open the doors to the Great Hall.
The room had been prepared by Professor McGonagall, with the long tables moved to the side, leaving only rows of chairs, many of which were already occupied.
As Kyle walked in, his steps felt unusually heavy, as if he had been hit with a Leg-Locker Curse.
Unbeknownst to him, Cedric and the Weasley brothers were doing their best to hold back their laughter, their faces filled with anticipation.
Once they had all arrived, Professor McGonagall closed the door with her wand and began, "Dancing is simple... it's about grace. Every girl has a swan within her, and every boy has a lion eager to prove himself..."
Without exaggeration, these were the most challenging two hours of Kyle's life so far.
He knew, without a doubt, that they would not let him live this down for a long time.
And indeed, in the following days, Fred's favorite pastime during mealtimes was to imitate Kyle's clumsy moves and step on George's feet, much to the latter's chagrin.
Kyle could only feign ignorance and pretend he didn't see anything, as there was little else he could do. What could he expect from friends like these?
It was worth mentioning that the Hogwarts professors seemed intent on showcasing the castle in its best light to the guests from the other two schools.
So, a few days before Christmas, the staircases in the castle were adorned with icicles that would never melt.
The twelve Christmas trees in the Great Hall were also decorated with all sorts of trinkets, from shiny holly berries to golden owls that hooted incessantly.
The only thing that Kyle found regrettable was that the professors didn't seem to plan on using the ghosts as Christmas tree decorations again... he had always thought that was the most interesting part.
A Christmas tree filled with ghosts would surely leave a deep impression on the guests who had come from afar.
As Christmas drew nearer, the castle became even more bustling with activity. The girls always moved in groups, and whenever one of them received an invitation, the rest would burst into fits of giggles.
One day, after a Charms class, Kyle bumped into Harry in the corridor, but he wasn't there to find Kyle.
"Umm... Qiu Zhang, can I talk to you for a moment?" Harry asked, his hands nervously clutching the hem of his robe.
"Of course, what's up?" Kyle replied.
"Well... I was wondering if... if you would go to the ball with me..." Harry stuttered, his voice so soft that Kyle could barely hear him.
"I'm sorry, Harry," Qiu shook his head. "I already promised Cedric..."
To Kyle's surprise, Harry's face was turning red at an unbelievable rate, as if someone was painting it with a brush dipped in crimson.
"Oh, it's fine, don't worry about it," Harry said, forcing a casual tone as he quickly turned and hurried away.
"I really am sorry," Qiu said again.
But Harry didn't hear him, disappearing around the corner in the blink of an eye. His speed was truly befitting of Hogwarts' most talented Seeker.
Kyle clicked his tongue. "Lately, it's always like this. I really wish Christmas would come sooner." As they made their way to the Great Hall, Qiu turned to Kyle and said, "It's strange, though. I haven't seen anyone ask you to the ball."
"There were some, but I turned them down," Kyle replied.
In fact, quite a few girls had asked him out in the days following Professor McGonagall's club, and a few older girls had even offered to teach him how to dance... but Kyle had refused them all.
Their amateurish skills couldn't compare to Professor McGonagall's expertise. Every evening after dinner, he was subjected to three hours of private lessons with Professors McGonagall and Flitwick, and sometimes, the headless Nick would offer a word or two of guidance as well.
That ghost, who always liked to swing his head like a fan, surprisingly had a knack for dancing... although the moves that involved head-swinging were a bit unnerving.
(End of Chapter)
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