Somehow, Harry just invited Parvati Patil with the mentality of treating a dead horse as a live doctor, but in the end, even the problem of Ron's dance partner was successfully solved.
"I really don't understand how you two managed to get the most beautiful girl in the grade." Dean muttered, "Sister Patil actually agreed."
"Just thank God." Ron replied dully, pulling the thread off his cuffs.
On his body was a ceremonial robe with lace on the collar and sleeves, which Mrs. Weasley had prepared for him. To be honest, this ceremonial robe looks like a skirt. This is an unavoidable fact.
In a desperate attempt to add a touch of masculinity to the robe, he cast a cutting charm on the pleats and lace.
It worked, at least the lace on the clothes was gone, but he didn't do his job smoothly. When the boys started to go downstairs, his collar and cuffs were still raw, which was really frustrating.
The common room looked strange. The people inside were no longer wearing green and black robes, but instead wore colorful ceremonial robes.
Parvati was waiting for Harry at the bottom of the stairs. She looked very beautiful indeed, wearing a dazzling pink robe, her black hair braided with gold ribbons, and the gold bracelets on her wrists shining.
Harry was relieved to see that she didn't giggle.
When they came to the foyer, they found that it was also crowded with students.
Everyone was milling around, waiting for eight o'clock to arrive - when the doors to the auditorium would open. Some people want to meet their dance partners from other colleges, so they squeeze through the crowd sideways to look for each other.
"Hello." Padma Patil was as beautiful as her sister, wearing a bright green robe.
However, she didn't seem interested in having Ron as her dance partner. Her dark eyes looked up and down at Ron, her eyes lingering on the fluffed collar and cuffs of his ceremonial robe.
"Hello." Ron replied casually.
Ron also looked a little absent-minded. His eyes were not looking at Padma, but looking around in the crowd. Hermione didn't seem to be here, and neither did Maka... There seemed to be someone missing, but he couldn't remember it.
Not to mention Hermione, Maka will certainly not be here at the moment, because he is now in a place no one expected, extending an invitation to the ball to a woman no one expected.
Regarding this matter, I have to start talking about it from last night...
When there was only one day and one night left before the Yule Ball, Maka finally put down all the research at hand and began to invite his dance partner for tomorrow night.
Although he had rejected two seemingly most suitable candidates before, out of courtesy, he decided to ask first. After all, if you really want to talk about it, there are not many dance partners he can invite.
Just after dinner, he first called Luna to take a walk on the lawn outside the castle.
"... Dancing?" Luna was still holding a copy of "The Quibbler" in her hand. She was flipping through it while pacing, "If you can't find another dance partner..."
"No, forget it..." Maka shook her head, and finally gave up the idea of inviting Luna.
Dancing always brings people very close to each other's hearts, and Luna seems to be indifferent to everything, but she is actually very bad at getting close to others.
Like her patron saint, Luna herself is like a psychic hare. She longs for friends, but when she faces others, her innate sensitivity to human nature prevents her from taking the initiative to approach them.
Precisely because Maka vaguely understood this truth, he would not increase Luna's psychological burden for no reason.
Maka thought for a moment and then changed the topic casually.
"By the way, aren't you going home for Christmas this year?"
"Dad wants me to watch you..." Luna folded the copy of "The Quibbler" in her hand, put her hands behind her back, raised her head and stared at Maka's face and said, "Hey, just do this... I don't know why... do you know?"
Maka blinked and subconsciously raised her neck to look at the stars.
"Ahem...who knows?" He coughed dryly and avoided the topic.
Adults are always more enthusiastic about things between children, especially a girl with an innocent mind like Luna, so Mr. Lovegood is easier to worry about.
After a casual walk on the lawn, Maka sent Luna back to Ravenclaw Tower.
Since it was really inconvenient for Luna to be here, and he really didn't want to invite Hermione - no way, since he noticed something from Hermione last time, he didn't dare to provoke Hermione.
Therefore, he had to ask Willie again.
"No." Willy gave a clear answer in one word very decisively.
At that time, at the top of the Astronomy Tower, the two fell into a very long silence. After a long time, Weili seemed to have thought of something and added:
"I-can't dance."
This is not an explanation, but her meaning is very clear: It's not that I don't want to be your dance partner, it's just that for some reasons, I can't dance.
To condense it, it is the so-called "I, can't dance" - at least that's how Maka understands it.
However, when Willy also rejected him, he immediately discovered that he seemed to have no suitable invitation candidates
"In that case..."
As Maka muttered, she made a decision that no one could have expected...
Now, eight o'clock is approaching, and it's time for the doors to open.
"Why don't you see Hermione?" Ron seemed to care about this question very much. He had asked it several times.
At this moment, a group of Slytherin students came up the steps from their underground common room.
At the front was Malfoy, who was wearing a high-collar black velvet robe like a vicar. Pansy Parkinson, wearing a frilly light pink robe, hung tightly on Malfoy's arm.
Crabbe and Goyle, both dressed in green like moss-covered boulders, could not find a partner.
The oak front door opened, and everyone turned to see Durmstrang's students walking in along with Professor Orson.
Maka was still not in the team, only Krum was walking at the front, and beside him was a beautiful girl in a blue robe that Harry and the others didn't recognize.
As for Professor Orson, he seemed very anxious, and there was a hint of helplessness on his face.
Over their heads, everyone can see that a lawn in front of the castle has been turned into a cave, with little fairy lights shining inside - which means there are hundreds of living fairies, who may be sitting on magic conjurations. among the rose bushes, or fluttering their wings on top of statues that seemed to be Santa Claus and his reindeer.
At this time, Professor Snape's cold voice sounded.
"Warriors, come here!"
Parvati adjusted her bracelets, a broad smile on her face. She and Harry said "see you later" to Ron and Padma and walked forward, and the chattering crowd made a passage to let them pass.
Professor Snape was obviously dressed more solemnly tonight than usual. He was wearing a set of black ceremonial robes and a silver leaf brooch on his chest. Judging from the erratic hairstyle, he seemed to have washed his hair. .
With a straight face, he told them to wait by the door and let the others go in first. After the students were all seated, they lined up and walked into the auditorium.
Fleur Delacour and Roger Davis, captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, stood closest to the door.
Davis seemed unable to believe that he was so lucky to have a dance partner like Fleur. He simply couldn't take his eyes off her.
Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang were also standing beside Harry. Harry looked away so he wouldn't have to talk to them.
His eyes subconsciously fell on the girl next to Krum. Then, he opened his mouth in surprise.
That's Hermione!
But to be honest, she looked nothing like Hermione anymore. She had done something to her hair and it was no longer matted but smooth and shiny, pulled back into an elegant bun.
She wore a robe made of flowing light purple-blue fabric, and somehow her demeanor was different—perhaps just because she had removed the twenty or so thick books she usually carried on her body. Bar.
It is worth mentioning that she did not have a smile on her face like the others, but glanced here and there from time to time, just like Ron just now.
Ron didn't look good. He only glanced at Hermione and kept his eyes elsewhere.
When the door to the Great Hall opened, the members of Krum's Starstruck Club strode past in the library, all giving Hermione looks of utter hatred.
Pansy Parkinson walked by, holding Malfoy's arm, staring at Hermione. Even Malfoy seemed unable to find a word to insult her.
As for Ron, he walked straight past Hermione without even looking at her.
When everyone sat down in the auditorium, Snape frowned slightly - Maka hadn't arrived yet!
"Wait a moment."
After he said a word, he immediately strode towards Dumbledore in a hurry.
"McLean hasn't arrived yet," Snape whispered to Dumbledore.
Dumbledore didn't even raise his head. He just sat calmly in the middle of the guest chair and waved his hand gently.
Everyone was waiting, and some students were already wondering—where was McClain? Why hasn't he arrived yet
"He'll be there in a moment. Just a few more minutes and he'll-" Dumbledore was talking, but suddenly paused. He raised his head and looked outside the door.
"...He's arrived!"
The warriors turned their heads, and the little wizards in the auditorium stretched their necks to look outside, and then everyone's eyes widened...