Chapter 993: Conna, Will You Marry Me?
Chapter 993: Conna, Will You Marry Me?
Kyle had to admit that Fleur's choice was indeed excellent. Despite Conna never leaving Hogwarts, the ceremonial robe fit her as if it were tailored for her.
Whether it was the size or the style, there wasn't a single flaw to be found.
Moreover, the robe showcased the most common style among French wizards—magnificent yet not out of place.
So, when Conna appeared at the Lombards' on Christmas Day wearing this ceremonial robe, she instantly attracted a lot of attention.
"Blue suits you, dear," Professor Saisia said with a smile.
She was also on the guest list, but she didn't travel from Hogwarts with Kyle and Conna.
"Thank you, Professor," Conna replied with a smile.
Just then, the Weasley family arrived.
"Arthur, Molly..." Frank Lombard, who was in charge of welcoming the guests, called out happily as he hurried towards the two people at the front.
The couple initially felt a bit awkward, but they soon immersed themselves in the joy of their reunion.
Kyle looked behind them but only saw Bill and Fleur.
"Looking for Fred and George?" Bill asked as he approached.
"They love a good party, so why aren't they here today?"
"Of course they are, but they might be a little late," Bill said, raising an eyebrow meaningfully. "This Christmas dinner isn't being held at Hogwarts... you need to bring a dance partner."
"Oh?" Kyle immediately understood. "Who is it?"
"Angelina Johnson... I think that's her name. She's not in Britain, so it takes some time to get here. Fred went to pick her up."
"Angelina... the Gryffindor Chaser?"
"Yes, that's her," Bill nodded. "I heard that at the Triwizard Tournament ball, Johnson was his dance partner."
"That's right," Kyle agreed.
He also remembered that Fred had invited Angelina in the Great Hall, and she had accepted.
"But Fred never mentioned to me that they were still in contact."
"He never told me either," Bill said. "But once I saw Fred carrying a thick stack of letters out of the house. I saw that they were letters between him and Johnson, but Fred didn't want to admit it."
...
As the two of them chatted about Fred and Angelina, they quickly drew the attention of others around them, and people gathered.
The number of guests wasn't particularly large, in fact, it was smaller than Kyle had imagined.
Aside from the Lombards, almost everyone else had been part of the Order of the Phoenix.
The Weasley family, Cedric, Lupin, Tonks, Hagrid, Dedalus, Dobby... they were all familiar faces.
Even Mundungus had received an invitation.
After all, this timid wizard had provided the Order with a lot of intelligence, and in the Lombards' eyes, he was also one of the few remaining companions.
Kyle also spotted the familiar trio in the crowd—Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
They were probably invited by Neville.
However, Neville seemed to have forgotten to tell them that this Christmas dinner was different from the ones at school.
None of the three had brought dance partners, making them stand out in the crowd.
Sirius was also out of place, and his situation was even more awkward.
Because in Frank Lombard's memory, he was the Death Eater who had betrayed the Potter family.
Now, he had suddenly become one of them, and he needed time to adjust.
Sirius was also explaining something to Harry and the others, looking embarrassed because he had forgotten about the dance partners.
It had been a long time since he had attended a formal Christmas dinner hosted by an individual. The last time was before he graduated.
Given the lengthy period and his experience in Azkaban, it was normal for him not to remember.
It was just unfortunate that he had dragged Harry and the others into this situation.
So, when Frank Lombard went to greet him, both of them felt a bit uncomfortable.
Fortunately, this awkwardness didn't last long, as Fred and Angelina Johnson arrived just in time.
And the Christmas dinner began soon after.
To be honest, the Lombards' home wasn't particularly large; it was much smaller than number twelve, Grimmauld Place.
But with the help of the Undetectable Extension Charm, hosting a Christmas dinner was no problem.
As the dinner began, the Lombards once again expressed their sincere gratitude to Kyle...
The number of people driven mad by the Cruciatus Curse is actually quite small, with only the Lombards as the sole victims in St. Mungo's over the past decade. The Headmaster knowing the solution to this problem is more than sufficient.
Of course, even under these circumstances, there are still prerequisites.
To ensure that the Horcrux Curse isn't used elsewhere, a magical contract is essential... and it's one prepared by none other than Amelia Bones herself, from the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic, making it even more reliable than what Professor Saxia had prepared.
She didn't ask why, and her only request was for Kyle to keep this matter a secret.
The reason was simple.
If everyone knew that there was a fixed counter-curse for the soul damage caused by the Cruciatus Curse, it would be removed from the list of Unforgivable Curses.
Amelia didn't want that.
The Wizarding Law treats the Unforgivable Curses and other curses differently from Dark Magic.
The punishment for using Dark Magic can be light or severe, as one can see from Knockturn Alley.
Many people know that there are plenty of Dark Magic shops there, but whether it's the Ministry or the Aurors, they generally turn a blind eye.
Even the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade, known to students as a favorite haunt of Dark Wizards, doesn't see Aurors coming to arrest them.
There are too many Dark Wizards to realistically capture them all, so as long as they don't go too far, the Aurors usually don't bother with them.
But the Unforgivable Curses are different.
Once used, whether on another wizard or in an empty room, even if it's just for fun, the moment the wand is raised and the curse is uttered, the perpetrator is sent to Azkaban to face the most terrifying punishment.
That's the distinction.
Amelia didn't want the Cruciatus Curse to be classified as ordinary Dark Magic, where every wizard who has used it must face the harshest punishment.
At the same time, she knew that if it wasn't a counter-curse, the honor Kyle would receive would be greatly diminished, perhaps even entirely.
That magical contract was her compensation.
She also promised to do her best to help Kyle earn a First Class Medal in the Order of Merlin.
The main reason was that Kyle's act of killing Voldemort was only witnessed in Professor Snape's memory, and no one else saw it. Otherwise, the First Class Medal would have been a sure thing.
However, Kyle agreed to her proposal.
In a sense, the two of them clicked instantly.
Hence, the news report came out as it did, shifting the focus to St. Mungo's and minimizing Kyle's involvement.
But upon closer inspection, he hadn't lost anything, or perhaps he had even gained something.
Unlike the Wolfsbane Potion, the Horcrux Curse is unlikely to be used for profit, and without revealing the specific process, it's highly improbable to gain recognition from the Order of Merlin.
This situation is identical to the present, yet he has earned the gratitude of both St. Mungo's and the Ministry of Magic.
Oh, and Professor Saxia, who even offered to give him all her Felix Felicis as compensation.
However, Kyle didn't accept it.
He didn't need Felix Felicis.
Kyle highlighted a few key points and briefly explained them to Angelina.
"The Cruciatus Curse can only be an Unforgivable Curse. I think you're a friend, so I'm telling you, but don't let it slip."
Kyle spoke softly, and Angelina's face suddenly turned red as she unconsciously looked towards Fred beside her.
"He's right, you're a friend," Fred said straightforwardly, putting his arm around her, "I really wish this dinner would end soon; I'm so eager to invite you for a dance."
"Wait a moment," Kyle pulled him over, "I was just about to ask, where's George? Why did you come alone? Don't tell me he went to find a dance partner too."
"No, he didn't," Fred said, a slight smile tugging at his lips, "He said he wasn't interested in this banquet and preferred to stay at the shop."
"I guess he didn't have a dance partner, so he didn't want to come," Cedric said from the side, "I bet if he had asked Jordan Lee, he might have come, or maybe he'd have had the courage to ask her again."
"Don't tell me you didn't do that," Cedric said, narrowing his eyes.
"I didn't," Fred said, shrugging, "Who knows, maybe he'll come next time, or he might even ask Jordan Lee again."
"I'll tell George about this," Kyle said.
"I can pass on the message," Fred said, raising an eyebrow nonchalantly.
After the banquet, it was time for the highly anticipated ball.
Fred led Angelina to the dance floor in the courtyard, eager to dance with Angelina, just as he had said.
Kyle also extended his hand to Conna.
"Beautiful lady, may I have this dance?"
"Of course," Conna placed her hand in Kyle's palm.
"It's my honor," Kyle led her to the center of the dance floor.
The Lombards couldn't summon the Weird Sisters to play like Dumbledore, but they had creatively invited a Centaur band, which worked just as well.
...
Kyle and Conna danced three dances together before returning to their seats, still feeling a bit unsatisfied.
Dancing wasn't an easy task either, Kyle wiped the sweat from his forehead and casually took the pumpkin juice Harry handed him, taking a big gulp.
"Thanks," Kyle glanced at him.
On the side, Hermione had also given Conna a glass of pumpkin juice.
"Where's Ron?"
"Oh, he went over there," Harry said, "It seems there's a cake he likes over there."
"Eating cake at the Christmas Ball..." Kyle opened his mouth, ultimately deciding not to comment.
"By the way, what are you still doing here?"
Kyle's casual question made Harry squirm.
"I... I didn't bring a dance partner, I thought I was just here for the banquet, like at Hogwarts."
"I know," Kyle said, "But why didn't you invite Hermione?"
"Hermione?" Harry was taken aback.
Not just him, but even Hermione beside him was stunned.
It was as if they had just realized that the other was also a girl (boy).
"You're not going to sit here all night, are you?" Conna couldn't help but ask.
Harry and Hermione fell silent.
At that moment, Conna realized she had guessed correctly.
Unbelievably, they had indeed been sitting there all along.
"Alright," Kyle put down the pumpkin juice in his hand, "I'll just remind you, Harry, you've already graduated from Hogwarts, and so has Hermione."
"You don't have to dance at a ball, but it's not appropriate to always sit on the sidelines either."
"Of course, most people here are familiar, and no one will mind, but you should still attend other banquets or balls."
"Sometimes, dancing with a good friend is also a good choice, at least it can help you reject unwanted invitations."
Harry was indeed smart, and upon hearing Kyle's words, he immediately invited Hermione.
After the two left, only Kyle and Conna remained.
Cedric and Cho were nowhere to be seen, probably on the other side, but Fred and Angelina were still dancing.
"It's incredible, I never realized that they've been writing to each other for several years after graduation," Conna rested her chin on her hand, curiously asking, "When do you think they'll announce their marriage?"
"I don't know," Kyle thought for a moment, "But if it's Fred... honestly, even if he announces his wedding tomorrow, I wouldn't be surprised."
"That's true," Conna agreed, nodding deeply.
Fred and George always did things that were unexpected.
"Conna..." Kyle looked at her profile and suddenly said, "If I asked you to marry me, would you accept?"
Conna's hand froze in mid-air, her ears seemed to be blocked by something, and she only heard a buzzing sound.
"What?"
"It's like this," Kyle looked towards the dance floor, "I was just thinking about what would happen if Fred really announced his marriage to Angelina tomorrow."
"What would happen?" Conna asked.
"The Weasley family would hold another wedding," Kyle said, "And soon, Cedric and Cho would naturally get married too."
"And by then, I'd realize I should propose to you too."
Kyle laughed, "But since I've already realized it, why wait until then?"
He took a deep breath.
"So, Conna Prince, will you marry me?"
The serene night sky, the bustling ball, the melodious and chaotic music, all seemed to disappear at that moment.
But the next second, they reappeared, and the world regained its colors and sounds.
The Centaur band felt the atmosphere was a bit dull, so they played a livelier tune.
The music, amplified by magic, filled the entire courtyard. Several fireworks exploded in the air, transforming into fire dragons soaring through the sky.
It was clearly Fred's doing, as he was always determined to promote their Weasley's Wizarding Fireworks at every lively event.
But the effect was indeed impressive.
Compared to traditional fireworks, these interactive and lifelike creations were more favored by wizards.
The people around became more excited, and some who were about to take a break rejoined the dance floor in this cheerful atmosphere.
Amidst the deafening cheers, Conna's mouth moved slightly.
Then, Kyle laughed and naturally extended his hand, and the two embraced under the fireworks.
Kyle held Conna's neck, and Conna kissed his lips.
The music was a bit loud, but it sounded good if you listened carefully.
...
(End of Chapter)
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