Chapter 525: The Ball, Snape's Gaze
Chapter 525: The Ball, Snape's Gaze
The Entrance Hall was bustling with students, and the doors to the Great Hall were closed. Everyone was milling about, meeting their dance partners from other Houses, and waiting for 8 o'clock to arrive.
When Kyle and Cona approached, they naturally drew the attention of many.
Fortunately, at this moment, Fengrong arrived, wearing a stunning silver-gray silk gown, instantly capturing everyone's gaze.
Unconsciously, people's gazes shifted to her dance partner...
"Fred?" Cona exclaimed.
"No, it's George..." Kyle said.
"That's right, it's me," George winked at them, "but how did you recognize us, Kyle?"
"Because Fred said he had already asked Angelina to be his dance partner."
"Oh, how could I have forgotten that," George patted his head.
The oak front door opened, and everyone turned to see the students of Durmstrang entering with Karkaroff, led by Krum, who was accompanied by a beautiful girl in a blue robe.
"Wait a minute..." George rubbed his eyes, "Am I seeing things? That girl looks a lot like Hermione."
"You're not seeing things," Kyle said, "It's Hermione."
"Merlin..." George clicked his tongue, "Is Hermione always this pretty? The ball is indeed magical..."
George was right; after Hermione tamed her unruly hair, she looked like a completely different person.
Even as she walked by, Harry didn't recognize her and kept asking, "Where's Hermione..."
It was a pity he didn't have a camera; capturing this moment would have been quite interesting.
At this moment, the doors to the Great Hall opened, and Professor McGonagall's voice rang out.
"Please come over here, Champions!"
Cona nervously adjusted her skirt, hooked her arm with Kyle, and walked forward. The chattering crowd parted, making way for them.
"You can wait here for a moment," Professor McGonagall led them to a Christmas tree near the door of the Great Hall and allowed the others to enter first.
The wait was a bit long, but since they were all familiar with each other, it wasn't awkward.
After everyone was seated in the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall returned and instructed the Champions and their partners to line up in pairs and follow her inside.
They entered one by one, and the people in the Great Hall applauded enthusiastically. Kyle also heard a whistle and turned to see... it was indeed Fred.
George instinctively wanted to respond, but a stern look from Professor McGonagall immediately silenced him.
The Great Hall had undergone a complete transformation. The walls were covered in shimmering silver frost, the ceiling displayed a starry night sky, and hundreds of mistletoe branches and ivy vines hung from above.
The most significant change was the absence of the four House tables, replaced by hundreds of small tables illuminated by lanterns.
The Staff Table was similarly transformed, with the five judges seated and smiling at them.
Kyle had intended to sit next to Chris, but after taking only a few steps, he felt his hand being tightly grabbed, leaving him no choice but to follow Cona and sit down next to Professor Dumbledore.
To be honest, Kyle didn't really want to sit here... not because of Professor Dumbledore, but because Snape was right behind this position.
Everyone was chatting and laughing, except for Snape, whose face was as gloomy as if someone had stolen his precious potion.
Judging by his expression, Kyle couldn't guarantee that Snape wouldn't add something extra to his food.
Unfortunately, by the time Kyle snapped out of his daze, the other seats were already taken, leaving him no choice but to sit here.
As it turned out, Kyle's concerns were not unfounded. As soon as he sat down, he felt a chill on his neck.
Just like the transformed Great Hall, the dinner tonight was also unique.
After the Champions took their seats, Professor Dumbledore picked up the menu next to his plate and clearly said, "Pork chops!"
The pork chops appeared immediately.
The self-service dining... this was not unfamiliar to Hufflepuff students, but it was the first time it appeared in the Great Hall.
However, Kyle wasn't in the mood to eat. The malicious intent from behind him was too obvious. If a mirror was placed on the table, it would surely reflect sparks or even drill a hole through the table.
Kyle adjusted his collar and wanted to ask Professor Dumbledore if Snape had been in the kitchen before.
Compared to Kyle's uneasiness, the others were more at ease. George was telling Fengrong about some interesting incidents that happened at school, and Fengrong seemed interested, even asking about the Dark Arts Defense Professor at Hogwarts.
She had heard about this magical position even at Beauxbatons.
George suddenly became hesitant in his speech. Although it was true, he also wanted to maintain Hogwarts' reputation, so he only said a few words and quickly changed the subject.
On the other side, Krum was talking to Hermione about Durmstrang, but before he could finish, Karkaroff stopped him.
He seemed reluctant to let others know about Durmstrang, fearing that Krum might reveal the school's location if he said too much.
"Igor..." Dumbledore smiled, "If you keep your secrets so well, people will think you don't want visitors..."
"Oh, Albus..." Karkaroff said, "We all want to protect our own private territory, don't we..."
"Well..."
As he spoke, Kyle suddenly heard a burst of laughter from behind him, unconcealed.
It was Professor Moody, who, although facing away from the crowd, Kyle could be sure that his magical eye was looking at them through the back of his head.
"Dumbledore..." he said, "If I had known that Hogwarts was your private territory, I should have asked for a raise."
"Hogwarts belongs to no one, it belongs to all the students..." Dumbledore said, "Of course, this does not affect your reasonable request for a raise, I will consider it."
Having been interrupted by Professor Moody, Karkaroff also lost the interest to continue.
"I was just joking, Professor Moody." Karkaroff said, laughing, but there was no trace of laughter in his cold eyes.
Half an hour later, the food was gone.
As the Hungarian Goulash on Kyle's plate disappeared, Dumbledore stood up and asked the students to do the same.
He waved his wand, and the table disappeared, and a huge stage appeared in the middle of the Great Hall, along with various musical instruments.
Amidst the screams, the Weird Sisters rushed onto the stage.
The error-free version can be read on the 69 Book Bar! 6=9+Book_Bar's first release novel.
As the only team to appear on Chocolate Frog Cards, they are extremely popular in the entire Wizarding World, and even just a glimpse of them is enough to make the Great Hall erupt in excitement.
When they picked up their instruments, the Champions also stood up.
The first song they played was "The Majestic Hippogriff." Kyle walked into the brightly lit dance floor, feeling more nervous than he had been during the first task of the Triwizard Tournament.
He held Connie's hand, and placed his other hand on her waist.
He could clearly feel Connie tense up, but she quickly relaxed.
The chilly feeling on his neck became more noticeable, but Kyle couldn't spare the attention for it.
He recalled the dance moves Professor McGonagall had taught before, and as the melody sounded, he slowly took steps with Connie.
When they actually started dancing, Kyle felt less nervous than before, and his movements became more fluent as he spun with Connie in place.
Strangely, although the Champions were all dancing, and although Fengrong and Viktor Krum were also eye-catching, most people's attention remained on Kyle and Connie, as if the stage had been specially set up for them.
"So good..." Dumbledore's eyes flashed, and he slightly lowered his head, using the action of wiping his glasses as an excuse.
Professor McGonagall looked proud.
The person who had just stunned the entire hall was her student... Professor Flitwick and Nearly Headless Nick were merely assistants, not worthy of a name.
Of course, where there is happiness, there is also unhappiness.
Snap! Snape snapped the dinner knife he had been holding, his eyes fixed on the dance floor, not even noticing Sirius Black, who had been wandering around nearby.
Perhaps feeling bored, seeing that Snape was ignoring him, Sirius stopped trying to get his attention. He found Professor McGonagall and politely invited her to dance.
Professor McGonagall readily agreed.
When the song was halfway through, more people entered the dance floor, and the Champions were no longer the center of attention. However, people subconsciously left space in the middle, where Kyle and Connie were dancing.
Soon, the song ended.
Then came the second song, with a much faster rhythm.
"It's 'The Magical Gadgets'," Kyle said, "Their most popular song, and the one that got them on the Chocolate Frog Cards."
As he spoke, Kyle also let go of Connie and switched to a more upbeat dance.
...
They danced a total of three songs before finally leaving the dance floor.
It wasn't because they were tired, but because Kyle had only learned these three songs, and if he continued, he would have to improvise.
Looking at Connie, who was flushed and out of breath, Kyle asked, "Do you want something to drink? How about some Pumpkin Soda?"
Connie nodded.
Kyle walked towards the round table with drinks and desserts, where he saw Ron and Harry devouring pudding.
"You guys... weren't you here eating desserts the whole time?"
"Yeah," Harry swallowed a mouthful of pudding and said matter-of-factly, "Anyway, we don't have to dance, do we?"
"Luckily I'm not a Champion, otherwise I'd have to dance the opening dance, otherwise..." He shuddered as if he had thought of something terrible, and quickly changed the subject, "Try this, it's a jelly pudding, Ron and I both think it's the best dessert."
Kyle raised his eyebrows, impressed. This guy was really here for the self-service banquet.
However, he accepted Harry's suggestion and took some pudding in addition to the Pumpkin Soda, he also took a portion of pudding.
After all, Harry had been here for three songs, so his recommendation should be good.
...
(End of Chapter)
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