Chapter 881: The Invitation
Chapter 881: The Invitation
"Who was that girl you were talking to earlier? She looks so familiar for some reason." Hermione asked curiously, watching as Yana walked away.
"Familiar? Very familiar?" Harry turned to look in the direction Yana had left, confusion evident on his face. "I don't see any resemblance at all."
Both turned to Albert, awaiting an explanation. It was always quicker to ask the person directly, and they didn't want to waste time.
"Do you remember that record I gave you during the summer holidays?" Albert prompted Hermione with a smile.
"What record?" Harry was even more perplexed, but realization dawned on Hermione, and she exclaimed, "You mean that famous singer?"
"What famous singer?" Harry looked at Hermione, awaiting clarification.
"After Albert returned from the international quidditch tournament abroad during the summer, he gave me a foreign record. Apparently, it was from a well-known singer in Europe. I never expected it to be her," Hermione said, her expression complex as she regarded Albert. She realized that this young man was quite popular among the ladies. She couldn't help but ask, "Are the two of you close?"
"Not really. We've only met a few times in Spain," Albert replied, tightening his cloak around him as he began walking towards the castle.
"What's Miss Yana like?" Hermione asked tentatively.
"Miss Yana is a very beautiful and passionate young lady," Albert added in his mind, "Yes, extremely passionate."
Albert thought that if he were single, he might have fallen for her.
"The girls from Beauxbatons are quite pretty," Harry mumbled. For some reason, he suddenly shivered, perhaps sensing the gaze upon him. He quickly amended, "I mean, all the girls Albert knows are exceptionally beautiful."
"That's because I know a lot of people, so naturally, I know many beautiful girls," Albert added, not missing a beat. "So, Potter, have you set your sights on any of the Beauxbatons girls?"
"No," Harry replied dryly.
"Don't be shy. If there's someone you like, you should try inviting her to be your dance partner," Albert suggested.
"Dance partner?" Harry asked, perplexed.
"Of course, for the Christmas Ball," Albert said as if it were obvious.
"So, are you here to invite them?" Hermione asked sharply.
"No, I'm here to find Hagrid. He went to help Buckbeak with his stable earlier," Albert explained as he walked along the gravel path towards the yard. "As for a dance partner, I actually found one a long time ago."
"There are quite a few girls in the school who are hoping to be your dance partner. I'm sure they'll be very disappointed to hear that you've already made arrangements," Hermione said, a hint of disappointment flashing across her face as she learned that Albert had a partner. "I'm curious, who did you invite to the ball? If Isabelle were still in school, you would have definitely invited her. But she graduated last year."
Albert replied mysteriously, "I'll keep that a secret for now to avoid causing her any trouble."
"Do we have to dance?" Harry asked anxiously, as he couldn't dance at all.
Of course, if dancing could exempt him from the first task, he would definitely find a dance partner, but unfortunately, that wasn't an option.
"According to tradition, the ball will be opened by the champions and their dance partners. So, you need to find yourself a partner, or else why do you think the school asked us to prepare formal wear?" Albert patted Harry on the shoulder. "You still have plenty of time. You can consider this matter again after the first task is over."
"I wish I could be like you and not have to worry about anything," Harry said, voicing his envy.
Indeed, Harry admired Albert, who had always been a role model and object of envy for the boys at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, they just couldn't emulate him.
"Many times, there's no need to create trouble for yourself. For a dance partner, you could consider Ginny Weasley. I can tell that she seems to have a soft spot for you, and that might be a good choice for you," Albert slowed his pace and turned to Hermione for confirmation. "Am I right?"
"Ginny does like Harry a lot. If Harry were to invite Ginny to the Christmas Ball, it would probably make for a wonderful Christmas for her," Hermione nodded in agreement. As Ginny's friend, she would be delighted for her if Harry chose Ginny.
Harry's cheeks turned crimson, and he was at a loss for words.
"Of course, you could also consider Hermione. Believe me, she's actually very pretty. She's just too lazy to dress up, and you two are good friends," Albert continued. "If I didn't have a partner, I might have asked Hermione myself."
Hearing Albert compliment her looks, Hermione felt a flush on her forehead. It was rare for someone to praise her appearance, especially coming from Albert, which made her quite happy.
However, upon hearing his last sentence, Hermione felt a twinge of disappointment as she became even more curious about who Albert had invited.
"I... I don't know," Harry stammered.
"If you like someone, invite her to the ball. Maybe the two of you will develop a romance," Albert suggested. He turned to Hermione and asked, "Does Potter have a crush on anyone?"
"What? Oh, I'm not sure. I don't think so," Hermione shook her head as she came back to her senses. "I feel like Harry is quite slow when it comes to matters of the heart."
The image of the Ravenclaw Seeker, Cho Chang, flashed through Harry's mind.
"If not, it's actually more appropriate to pair up with someone you know. At least neither of you will feel awkward," Albert glanced at Harry and continued, "But I think Potter is at the age where he starts to have vague crushes on girls."
"Who is it?" Hermione asked in a lowered voice.
"Let me give you some advice. If you like someone, make your move quickly, or else you'll lose your chance and have nowhere to vent your sorrow," Albert said nonchalantly. He knew who Potter liked, but Cedric Diggory had made his move first. Moreover, Cedric was more handsome and popular with the girls, so Potter's first love was destined to be unrequited.
"Sirius and Lupin are taking us into the forest this weekend to broaden our horizons. Do you want to join us?" Harry coughed lightly and quickly changed the subject. He needed to focus on the first task for now, and the ball could wait until after he had completed it. Time was running out.
"Never mind, I'll pass. The Acromantulas hold a grudge against me. If I venture too deep into the forest, I might cause trouble for you. Those spiders will probably swarm us if they see me," Albert declined Harry's invitation and offered a bad suggestion instead. "You should bring Ron Weasley. I remember you two like to go on adventures together."
"That's a great idea." Harry also thought that bringing Ron along would be a good idea, so he could understand that being a champion wasn't as glamorous as it seemed and that there were significant risks involved.
During dinner, Harry took the initiative to invite Ron.
Of course, he didn't mention going into the forest to deal with the Acromantulas, but instead told Ron that Sirius and Lupin intended to teach them how to take on a troll single-handedly.
While they had successfully defeated a troll in their first year, there was an element of luck involved, and they couldn't count on that every time.
"Harry, are you really planning to go into the forest to take on a troll by yourself?" Neville couldn't help but gasp in shock at the idea.
"To be honest, I don't want to either." Harry sighed softly, "But Anderson suspects that the first task for the champions might involve facing a dangerous creature classified as 'XXXX'. After hearing this, Professor Lupin suggested that I should venture into the Forbidden Forest to gain some experience and learn how to try and defeat those dangerous creatures on my own, so that I won't be scared stiff when faced with a dangerous creature during the first task."
"The biggest threat trolls pose to wizards is the horrible stench they emit; be careful not to get knocked out by it." George seemed to be recalling something: "I remember the last time we went into the forest, we took down two of them."
"Really? It feels like you're exaggerating." Alicia didn't believe George's words.
"Why would I need to exaggerate? Albert was there too." Lee Jordan recalled, "When those two trolls charged at us, the pressure was intense. Anyone who's faint-hearted would have been scared witless."
"Do you really think the first task will involve facing something even more dangerous than trolls?" Sandra frowned, feeling that trolls were already quite dangerous.
"It will definitely be something as dangerous as a cockatrice." Albert analyzed after swallowing his food, "The difficulty level of the Triwizard Tournament tasks is usually similar, otherwise the mortality rate wouldn't be so high. They've just enhanced the safety measures this time."
"Potter, I suggest you bring an extra pair of trousers. That way, if you wet yourself, you can change and no one will know you were scared." Malfoy spoke up with a sneer.
A group of Slytherin students around him joined in the mockery, flashing their "Potty-pants" badges at Harry to annoy him.
"How dare you say that, you worthless piece of scum." Harry retorted mercilessly, "I remember your first time in the forest, when you were so scared of Voldemort that you pissed yourself."
A collective gasp went through the crowd as Harry mentioned Voldemort.
"Don't get all high and mighty. If you don't believe me, let's go into the forest together tomorrow and see if you have what it takes to be a champion."
Harry was on a roll, challenging anyone who disagreed with him to go into the forest and face the trolls. He knew that many wizards didn't have the guts to do so, and he looked down on those who only dared to mock him.
"Do you think I'm as brainless as you?" Malfoy didn't have the courage, but that didn't stop him from sneering, "Only a brainless idiot like you would think of taking on a troll single-handedly. It's no wonder that Gryffindors are all brawn and no brains. I dare say you won't last ten minutes in the first task."
"At least I have the guts to take on the first task, you worthless coward. What gives you the right to talk down to me?" Harry continued his tirade against Malfoy, especially since he had received some information about the first task from Albert, which made him even more annoyed with the troublemakers, "If you don't believe me, let's make a bet. Ten galleons should do it. I bet that the first task will involve facing a dangerous creature, or that I'll last at least ten minutes. What do you say?"
Harry pulled out his money bag and took out ten galleons, "Of course, you can guess what the first task will be. If you don't dare, then shut your mouth."
Harry's barrage left Malfoy almost speechless.
"How do I know you won't back out if you lose?" Malfoy asked.
"We can leave the galleons with Albert. If I win, I'll get them from him." Harry added, "Don't worry, he won't welch on the deal. His prize money from winning an international-level competition is probably more than your allowance for life. And welching on bets has always been Slytherin's specialty."
"I don't want my gold coins getting dirty."
Malfoy still didn't dare to directly call Albert a Mudblood, but he was backing down.
"If you don't dare, then scram. Don't ruin my appetite." Harry was disappointed that Malfoy was backing down, but if he had dared to say it directly, he would have made his life miserable.
Everyone was surprised by Harry's forceful response, but they also enjoyed seeing the Slytherins put in their place.
Harry was in a good mood, glad to have the opportunity to give Malfoy a hard time.
"Harry, you were so cool just now." Neville said admiringly, "Malfoy and his ilk are disgusting. He's just jealous that you're a champion of Hogwarts. I bet if he were in your place, he'd wet himself."
Neville's comment also hit Ron, Simon, and Dean, who had been coldly observing from the sidelines, causing them to look a little uncomfortable.
"I don't pay attention to Neville, I've known what they're like for a long time." Harry said calmly.
"Can I come and watch you challenge the trolls?" Neville asked eagerly.
"You won't find any trolls on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, you'd need to fly deeper into the forest on a broom." Hermione interrupted, "Harry, would you like some beef stew?"
"Thanks." Harry apologized to Neville, "I can't make that decision on my own, I'll have to ask Professor Lupin."
"But you just asked Ron, and he doesn't seem to want to go." Neville turned to Ron and asked, "You're not going, are you?"
"Who says I'm not going?" Ron raised an eyebrow, he didn't really want to go, but... in the end, he decided to join. It was just trolls, and he had defeated one in his first year. Ron knew their weaknesses.
If Harry could handle a troll, so could he, and it would be something to brag about for a long time.
However, Ron didn't know what they were truly up against, and he missed the subtle exchange of glances and strange smiles between Harry and Hermione.
(End of Chapter)
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