Chapter 903: The Christmas Ball
Chapter 903: The Christmas Ball
The walls of the Great Hall were adorned with shimmering silver frost, and the ceiling depicted a starry night sky. Hundreds of mistletoe sprigs and ivy wreaths hung above, a testament to the effort and care put in by the Hogwarts professors for this Christmas ball.
Amidst the applause from Professor Dumbledore and the judges, the champions made their entrance and took their seats at the head table.
Among the guests, there was no sign of Karkaroff, and Mr. Crouch was also absent. In his place was a familiar face—Percy Weasley, who gave Albert a cheerful wave and pulled out a vacant chair next to him, a clear invitation for Albert and Katrina to join him.
"I've been promoted to Mr. Crouch's personal assistant, and I'm here representing him for the Christmas ball," Percy said proudly.
"Congratulations," Albert said with a smile, picking up his menu and glancing at the dishes on offer. "I didn't realize you had the makings of a workaholic."
Unfazed by Albert's lighthearted jab, Percy continued, "Taking your work seriously is one way to earn quick promotions. Mr. Crouch, for instance, is a master at handling all sorts of matters."
"Do you really think so?"
"What do you mean?" Percy asked, confused.
"Your luck with Mr. Crouch won't last," Albert said, only ordering the French pan-fried goose liver after Professor Dumbledore had demonstrated how to select a dish. He then turned to Katrina and advised, "I'd steer clear of the steak. There have been quite a few issues with cattle all over Europe lately. I wouldn't touch anything beef-related except for milk. Why don't you try some foreign cuisine instead? It could be a delightful experience."
Harry, who had just taken a bite of his Hungarian beef stew, now wore an interesting expression on his face.
Katrina shot Albert a glance and also ordered the French pan-fried goose liver. She cut off a small piece and savored it, finding it indeed delicious.
"I have a feeling you'll be appointed as the assistant to the Minister of Magic soon," Albert continued.
Tasting the goose liver, Albert found the chef's skills to be mediocre. After all, house-elves, no matter how skilled, couldn't compare to professional chefs who dedicated their lives to the culinary arts, especially when it came to preparing food in large quantities. The fact that the dish was edible and somewhat tasty was already commendable.
"Assistant to the Minister of Magic?" Percy was taken aback, not because he doubted Albert was telling the truth, but because he didn't understand what it implied. "How would I suddenly become the Minister's assistant? Is Mr. Crouch going to become the Minister of Magic? But the next election for the Minister is still..."
"When did Mr. Crouch's health start deteriorating?" Albert interrupted Percy's mutterings.
"He hasn't been well since the Quidditch World Cup. It's not surprising, given how strenuous that period was. And Mr. Crouch isn't as young as he used to be," Percy said, his mind still seemingly on the prospect of becoming the Minister's assistant.
Albert continued chatting with Percy, discussing the dishes on the table and steering the conversation towards traveling, sharing some of the countries he had visited.
He hoped that after Katrina graduated, she would travel the world instead of staying in the U.K., as it would likely be unsafe in the coming years unless she chose to remain hidden.
"Are you planning to travel as well?" Katrina asked, understanding Albert's underlying message but unsure why he wanted her to leave.
Did he find her a nuisance?
No, that didn't feel right either. Albert's words always left her perplexed.
"Yes, we've considered it," Albert replied, ordering a pan-fried fish fillet. "There are still plenty of wonderful places to visit, aside from the countries that are in a state of turmoil."
Katrina looked lost in thought, slowly eating her food and occasionally murmuring in agreement. She ordered the same dishes as Albert, and indeed, the flavors were exceptional.
"Are you curious about what I plan to do in the future?" Katrina asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, I just want to give you some friendly advice to help you avoid potential troubles," Albert said gently. "I hope you won't be angry with me for saying this."
"So, you suggested that Isabelle should write a book," Katrina said, fixing her gaze on Albert for a moment. "I don't think she'd be interested in that. She's never been one to keep a diary."
"Oh? What does Isabelle like, then?" Albert inquired, realizing he didn't know her interests very well.
"To be honest, I'm not sure anyone truly knows what she thinks or likes," Katrina said, glancing at Albert. "In a way, she's like you—a mystery. And in that regard, you two make a fitting pair."
How could they not be a fitting pair? They were already engaged! "What about you?" Albert asked casually. "What do you like?"
"Me? I haven't decided yet. I'll figure it out after I graduate," Katrina said, her confusion evident. She had always followed in Isabelle's footsteps.
"You still have plenty of time before graduation, so it's good to start thinking about it now," Albert said.
"Maybe after I graduate, I'll also look into beauty potions," Katrina said, her interest piqued. "Catherine and Valeria have invited me to join them, and they seem keen on opening a beauty chain store in the U.K. They say it's a lucrative business."
Another beauty store?
Albert felt a mix of frustration and a figurative pain in his liver. It seemed like most of the beautiful girls he knew had been recruited by those two to work in their beauty stores.
"I recall my sister being quite interested in that as well," Katrina added.
"Not interested in working for the Ministry of Magic?"
"I remember you don't like the Ministry," Katrina said.
"The Ministry of Magic is headed for some bad luck. It's best to stay away from there," Albert muttered.
Katrina looked at him in surprise, realizing she might have figured out why Albert wanted her to leave the U.K. and travel elsewhere.
"What about you two?" she asked.
"Definitely not staying in the U.K.," Albert replied.
He shifted his gaze to the other champions. Harry was struggling with his Hungarian beef stew, having just recalled what Albert had said earlier. Fleur Delacour was criticizing the decorations of Hogwarts to Roger Davies, while Hermione was teaching Krum how to pronounce her name correctly. When Hermione caught Albert's eye, she smiled at him.
Although English was considered the international language, many people didn't speak it fluently. Fleur's English was quite poor, and she often mixed in French phrases, leaving Roger to somehow decipher what she was saying.
Perhaps he didn't understand a word she said and was just nodding along like a fool, eagerly responding, "Absolutely! Yes, that's right!"
Albert doubted that Fleur could understand much English either. Students like Yanira, who were fluent in multiple languages, were a rare breed.
Maybe you could understand your mother tongue and French since you spent several years at the French wizarding school, Beauxbatons, where you had to learn French to attend classes. But what about other languages?
Albert had spent nearly a decade studying English in his past life, only to eventually forget it all. He didn't deny that there were some self-taught prodigies, but they were few and far between, and wizards were certainly not linguistic geniuses, otherwise, there wouldn't be just a handful of students achieving excellent grades in Ancient Runes.
After everyone had finished their Christmas feast, Dumbledore waved his wand, clearing a space, and then conjured a set of drums, guitars, lutes, and a bunch of other instruments.
Before anyone could react, a group of men with thick hair and deliberately tattered black robes rushed onto the stage.
Yes, men.
The so-called "Weird Sisters" were not a pair of sisters, nor did they have anything to do with sisters. In fact, they were a group of eight scruffy male witches who looked like vagabonds.
"I guess I really can't appreciate what's supposed to be trendy."
As thunderous applause erupted around him, Albert muttered under his breath.
Before Katrina could say anything, they heard Fleur Delacour's slightly mocking voice, "You guys have quite a unique taste."
"Maybe you should ask the other audience members," Albert shrugged, taking Katrina's hand and walking into the brightly lit dance floor.
As expected, the four champions didn't seem too impressed with the "Weird Sisters" on stage.
Albert placed one hand on Katrina's waist and held her hand with the other, leading her in a dance to the music.
"What were you two talking about?"
Katrina didn't understand French, and she was being guided by Albert in the dance, careful not to step on his feet.
"Miss Delacour was commenting on the band's choice of wardrobe," Albert said softly. "Just relax and follow my lead."
"I quite like the music of the Weird Sisters," Katrina hummed along with the song.
"Isabella mentioned that too," Albert said curiously. "Did she teach you how to dance?"
"Yes, we practiced a lot during the summer break, and I often stepped on her feet," Katrina said, realizing that she had never felt as relaxed as she did now. She was being led by Albert in a gentle spin, feeling completely at ease and not worrying about keeping up with the beat.
"Do you dance often?"
Katrina gradually relaxed and began to enjoy the ball.
"No, I don't really like dancing,"
Albert guided Katrina with light, graceful steps. As they gazed into each other's eyes, Albert saw the smile on Katrina's face, sweet and adorable, a bit like Isabella's. Perhaps, as Katrina had said, the two sisters were quite alike.
"You don't look like someone who doesn't like dancing," Katrina was a bit enamored with the feeling and wished the music would never stop.
"That's because I pick things up quickly," Albert said shamelessly.
After the four champions had danced for a while, the other students joined them on the dance floor, and the champions were no longer the center of attention.
In truth, most of the students were quite average, if not terrible, dancers, so dancing wasn't exactly a pleasant experience, especially when one had to deal with constantly being stepped on by their partner.
The first song played by the Weird Sisters was slow and melancholy, serving as a warm-up for the dancing couples below. When the last trembling note was played on the organ, the band stopped playing, and the Great Hall erupted in applause once more.
"Shall we continue?" Albert asked. He certainly wasn't going to treat Katrina like a disposable tool, using her once and then discarding her. Look at the Savior Potter over there, after one dance, he quickly led his partner away from the dance floor, clearly not intending to continue.
"This song is so beautiful!" Katrina's eyes sparkled, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Tonight, he was hers, at least for now.
The second song had a much faster tempo than the first, and this time, Albert picked up the pace a little. Fully relaxed, Katrina did well keeping up with the rhythm.
Nearby girls gazed at them with envy, but their jealous stares seemed unable to intrude on the couple's immersion in the dance.
As long as Katrina didn't refuse, Albert would continue to invite her to dance, letting her enjoy herself.
After dancing for what felt like ages, Albert noticed Katrina's breathing becoming rapid, her cheeks flushing, and a thin layer of sweat forming on her brow. He knew she was reaching her limit, so he guided her toward the edge of the dance floor.
"You need a rest," Albert found a vacant spot and let Katrina sit down, as dancing was incredibly exhausting. It was normal for her to be drained after a few consecutive dances.
"I'll get you something to drink."
"No need, we already got you something." Lee Jordan approached with Luna, handing them two cups of Butterbeer. He said enviously, "You're an amazing dancer. I bet countless girls will be asking you to dance."
"Aren't you guys dancing?" Albert took the Butterbeer and stared at Lee Jordan for a moment before asking.
"We did, but we're not very good, so we gave up," Lee Jordan shrugged and asked, "When will you dance with Luna?"
"Let me catch my breath for a moment," Albert sipped the Butterbeer and said to Luna, "I hope you don't mind waiting a bit."
"I don't mind, you two are wonderful dancers," Luna said happily.
"Oh, and here, take this," Albert handed a handkerchief to Katrina.
"Thank you," Katrina accepted the handkerchief and wiped the sweat from her brow.
"What about Fred and George?" Albert scanned the table of desserts, picking up a piece of chocolate cake to savor, and casually offering a piece to Katrina. "Have something to eat to replenish your energy. The ball will probably last until midnight."
"They're over there."
Lee Jordan pointed to Fred, who was dancing with Angelina with passionate abandon, and said, "That Fred, always saying he can't dance, but he's actually much better than most. George is dancing with Sandra, who doesn't seem to have found a partner."
"Your dancing skills are even better than I expected," Yanira approached, accompanied by a pretty silver-haired girl.
"It's been a while, big brother," Gabrielle waved to Albert.
"It's been a while, Gabrielle," Albert handed her a piece of cake.
"Thank you, I already had some earlier,"
"I guess it's my turn now," Yanira ignored Katrina's gaze and said.
"Someone else already made a reservation, you'll have to wait a bit longer!" Albert finished the cake and took a candy from his pocket, popping it into his mouth to quickly restore his energy.
"You're really going all out, aren't you?"
George, accompanied by Alicia and Sandra, walked over and couldn't help but tease upon seeing this scene.
(End of Chapter)
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