https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-612-Going-to-Ask-for-a-Dance-Partner/13685787/
Chapter 613: Brave Ron
Though Harry found Wade’s words reasonable, every time he tried to summon the courage to invite Qiu Zhang, the lines he had rehearsed countless times in his mind would freeze in his throat.
Qiu Zhang was beautiful, gentle, and kind—like a lily glistening with morning dew. She was beloved in Ravenclaw, always surrounded by four or five girls wherever she went. From afar, Harry’s fingers would instinctively tighten around the strap of his backpack. He desperately wanted a private moment to talk to her—but never found one.
……
On the other side of the castle, Wade was leisurely spreading raspberry jam onto a slice of toast, completely unfazed by the whole matter of a dance partner.
After all, with so many girls surrounding him, he had his Magic Puppet—the far more perfect choice.
With so many students from other schools attending Hogwarts now, even if a stunning girl appeared at the Ball who no one knew, it wouldn’t seem out of place at all.
Suddenly, a special parchment in the Book of Friends grew warm. Wade opened it and stared, startled, at the fine, looping script, circles nested within circles.
Half an hour later, Wade stood before the Headmaster’s Office.
“Christmas Ball is coming up,” Dumbledore said, peering at him over his half-moon glasses, a smile in his eyes. “I assume you’ve already chosen your dance partner?”
Wade assumed the Headmaster was just making small talk. He glanced at a slender silver water kettle on the Long Table and replied, “I’m still considering, Professor.”
“Hmm… care for a Honey Drop?” Dumbledore pushed a small box of candy forward. Wade took one without hesitation.
As he bit into the sweet, Dumbledore suddenly said, “Wade, I assume you wouldn’t consider a large-scale Magic Puppet as your dance partner?”
Wade froze mid-chew, looking up.
“Even the most exquisite Magic Puppet is still not flesh and blood,” Dumbledore continued. “There’s always the risk of discovery. Don’t underestimate others’ eyes—especially those of Ms. Owens from Salem Academy and Mr. Mor.”
“But…” Wade chewed the candy slowly, then swallowed. “Even if they figure it out, what difference would it make? To everyone else, the Magic Puppet is just my signature.”
“More precisely,” Dumbledore said gently, “the pet-shaped Magic Puppet is your signature. A Magic Puppet can be lovable, elegant, wild, even a terrifying scorpion or venomous serpent—but it cannot be human.”
Wade’s expression turned thoughtful.
He remembered the “uncanny valley” effect—the idea that the more lifelike an artificial being appears, the more it triggers instinctive discomfort and fear in humans.
His Magic Puppets weren’t just close to human—they were indistinguishable from real people.
Yet, because he had breathed life into them himself, he’d never felt fear. They were not monsters. They were his creations.
And Dumbledore’s words aligned perfectly with his own suspicion.
“Shaping Alchemy Constructs as animals is wise,” Dumbledore said, meeting Wade’s gaze. “But presenting a Magic Puppet that looks exactly like a human? That would do you no good at all.”
He paused, voice soft. “Besides, such an existence could be a powerful secret weapon in a crisis. Why risk revealing it at a Ball?”
“Go invite a real girl, Wade. Be brave… a genuine embrace is far warmer than the cold limbs of an Alchemy construct.”
……
“So you were actually planning to bring one of your own Magic Puppets as a dance partner?” Michael stared in disbelief, as though Wade had just confessed to a mental illness. “There are so many lovely girls at school!”
“I know it’s ridiculous,” Wade sighed. “So… do you know who’s still unpaired?”
“Lots of them,” Michael said. “But if someone’s already accepted an invitation privately, I can’t just go blabbing it.”
He grinned. “But this isn’t hard. Just stop vanishing into thin air. Stand still for a bit, and you’ll have ten girls approaching you in no time.”
Wade immediately regretted asking Michael.
But an hour later, he followed Michael’s advice—heading to the Great Hall during peak dinner time, alone, deliberately not riding his broomstick and lingering over his meal.
“Don’t leave right after eating,” Michael had said, speaking from experience. “Stretch out your time. Give people a chance.”
“Girls are shy,” he’d added. “If they see you with someone, they’ll be too embarrassed to come over.”
As Wade descended the stairs from the Ravenclaw Tower, he suddenly heard a voice from a corner—soft, trembling.
“D-Do you… want to go to the Ball with me?”
It was Rolf.
His voice cracked at the end. No need to see him—Wade could already picture his flushed face.
Wade stopped mid-step, not wanting to interrupt.
“Oh…” Luna said slowly. She tilted her head, her carrot-shaped earrings swaying. After a pause, she said, “But only students in fourth year and above can attend.”
“I’ve already asked Oliver Rivers and Lynne Kane!” Rolf blurted out. “They’ll help—each of them will invite one of us. That way, we both get in. After the opening dance, I… I can ask you to dance.”
He glanced at her, then added, “Actually, we don’t even have to dance the opening number. No one really pays attention to us.”
“…You’ve already asked them?” Luna asked, her voice distant, as if drifting from a dream.
“Of course,” Rolf said, blushing harder. “I had to check if there was even a chance.”
“So… will you?”
Luna blinked slowly, as though waking from a trance. “Oh… yes. Sure.”
Wade leaned against the railing, waiting until their footsteps faded into silence before continuing down.
He’d never even considered asking Luna as his dance partner. Rolf had clearly had feelings for her for a long time—her ethereal, otherworldly aura was exactly the kind of mystery that drew him in.
And even without Rolf, Wade still hoped that, at such a grand Ball, he wouldn’t be the only one standing out for all the wrong reasons.
He didn’t need a perfect partner—just someone who didn’t look too strange.
Luna… well, though it might sound offensive, she was a lot like a miniature Professor Trelawney—wild, tangled hair, large, staring eyes, an air of mystery and oddity, and a gaze that always seemed to be lost in some distant dream.
The difference? One was theatrical; the other was simply herself.
As Wade mentally listed their similarities, he walked toward the Great Hall. The corridors buzzed with pairs of students, and the air felt thick with anticipation.
He passed several girls, but they didn’t approach him, as Michael had promised. Instead, they huddled in small groups, some staring at him, then nudging each other and giggling.
Wade suspected some of them were waiting for him to make the first move—yet too afraid to believe he’d actually come.
By the time he reached the Great Hall, he still hadn’t gained a single dance partner.
Then, before even stepping inside, he heard a high-pitched voice—fierce, flushed, and trembling with nervous energy.
“Fleur!” Ron burst forward, his voice cracking. “I think we should go to the Christmas Ball together—what do you say?”
The entire Great Hall froze.
Everyone stared at the bold, red-faced Ron, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief. The weight of their gaze nearly burned away his pride.
(End of Chapter)
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