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Chapter 649: Christmas Ball
Chapter 649: Christmas Ball
Ron looked at himself in the mirror, utterly amazed. After a moment, he turned to Ivan and stammered, "How long will this last?"
"If you don't deliberately ruin it, it should hold up for a day or two", Ivan shrugged, replying.
"Thank you! Thank you so much! This is the best Christmas gift I've ever received!" Ron exclaimed, as if he had been hit by a sudden, delightful surprise. Having a decent outfit meant he wouldn't have to embarrass himself at this year's Christmas Ball.
"Glad you like it!" Ivan smiled, saying casually.
Harry, Seamus, and Neville, who had been watching from the side, now gathered around to praise Ron's new dress robe, encouraging him. The dormitory once again felt like its usual harmonious self.
After all these days, Harry's anger had long dissipated, and he chatted with Ron as if nothing had ever happened between them.
Ron, however, seemed a bit awkward. He had something he wanted to say but couldn't bring himself to speak.
There was still a thin layer of tension between them, making their relationship feel a bit off compared to before.
Ivan noticed this but didn't pay it much mind. To him, Ron was just a reasonably good friend. They had known each other for a long time, but their friendship wasn't particularly deep. They spent a lot of time together and occasionally went on adventures together.
So when Ron had a tantrum and wanted to cut ties with them, Ivan didn't rush to argue or explain.
Harry was different. Ivan considered him a trustworthy friend.
He still remembered the first year when he needed money for potions, and Harry had gone out of his way to help. Even after Ivan refused, Harry had subtly given him ten Galleons as a Christmas gift.
Last year, when Harry lent him the Invisibility Cloak, he did so without asking what it would be used for.
Ivan remembered all these favors, which was why he was willing to spend several days teaching Harry spells …
With the ball about to start, the few of them in the dormitory chatted briefly before heading to the Gryffindor common room together.
After just a few hours, the place had transformed into a small exhibition hall. The students had all changed out of their usual school uniforms and into various dress robes. The girls, in particular, were dressed to the nines, making the room a dazzling sight.
"I can't believe there are so many pretty girls in the school", Seamus remarked, looking around.
"Right? I never noticed before", Harry agreed, nodding and glancing to the side. Ginny was chatting with a few friends there.
Perhaps sensing Harry's gaze, Ginny soon turned her head. Seeing Harry, her eyes lit up, and she whispered something to her friends before running over.
"Ginny!" Ron greeted her happily, then stared in shock as his sister linked her arm with Harry's.
"Wait… Harry, Ginny, what's going on?" Ron asked, his eyes darting between them.
"He invited me to the Christmas Ball this year!" Ginny blushed, explaining.
"Ah, yeah, I needed a dance partner, so… so I asked her", Harry stammered, feeling increasingly awkward under Ron's gaze. He was starting to regret inviting Ginny to be his dance partner.
Fortunately, Ivan's words broke the awkward silence.
"Ginny, where's Hermione? Have you seen her?"
"When I came down, she was still fixing her hair! She should be ready soon..." Ginny explained, then added mysteriously, "You’ll be surprised when you see her!"
Harry and the others were curious, and Ivan was no exception.
They waited together for a while. Suddenly, there was a commotion on the stairs, and Ivan turned to look. He was completely stunned.
It was Hermione!
But compared to her usual self, Hermione had shed her bookish air and now shone like a new star.
Her usually messy brown hair had been tamed into a smooth, glossy mane, styled into an elegant bun at the back of her head.
She slowly descended the stairs, her delicate, porcelain hands gently resting on the hem of her dress. The light-colored gown shimmered with a soft purple glow, making her rosy skin look radiant and translucent. A black silk ribbon tied around her waist accentuated her graceful figure.
The two Gryffindor girls who came down with her seemed to pale in comparison, and everyone's eyes were fixed on Hermione. Ron's mouth hung open in disbelief, and Harry was not much better.
"Is that really Hermione?" Seamus asked in amazement.
He wasn't the only one with that question. Parvati from the dormitory also stared at Hermione with a doubtful gaze, wondering if she had mistaken someone else for her.
Hermione paid no attention to the stunned gazes and questions, and instead walked steadily to Ivan.
"How do I look? Is it okay?" Hermione asked nervously, her words tinged with shyness and hope.
"Beautiful, beyond my expectations!" Ivan praised.
Hermione smiled, her eyes bright with joy. She gently took Ivan's arm and said, "Let's go, the dance is about to start. We need to get to the Great Hall!"
Ivan nodded.
By now, the students in the common room had found their dance partners. Ron, despite not having Harry's help, had found Lavender as his partner, and they were getting along well.
Harry, however, was in a bit of an awkward position. With Ron around, he didn't dare make any intimate moves with Ginny, feeling uncomfortable all over. On the way to the entrance hall, he was also teased by the Weasley twins, nearly fleeing in embarrassment.
"Ron, you actually bought new dress robes. That... is unbelievable!" After teasing Harry, George and Fred noticed Ron's "new clothes", looking extremely surprised.
"Why not? You’re the only ones allowed to wear new clothes?" Ron shot back, clearly irritated.
George and Fred, defeated, shifted their gaze to Ivan and Hermione, saying with a mix of surprise and admiration, "You’ve got good taste. No wonder you’ve been eyeing Hermione all this time."
"Of course!" Ivan replied confidently.
As they chatted, the oak front doors of the Great Hall slowly opened, clearly signaling that the dance had begun.
(End of Chapter)
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