The Yule Ball was finally about to begin, and on this winter night the entire castle was filled with joy.
The Gryffindor common room looked rather strange. Instead of everyone wearing the usual black robes, the students were dressed in colorful dress robes.
The boys had combed their hair into neat, grown-up styles. Their robes were carefully pressed, and their leather shoes shone brightly. The girls had changed into all kinds of dresses and robes, each one trying to outshine the others.
The twins were wearing identical robes. They seemed to enjoy making it impossible for anyone to tell them apart. Standing in the common room, the brothers watched the girls coming and going.
"I never realized Gryffindor had so many girls," Fred sighed.
"Yeah, and I never noticed that some of them are actually pretty," George agreed.
While the brothers were admiring the scenery, Harry and Ron also appeared in the common room. Ron was not wearing the maroon dress robes Mrs. Weasley had bought him. Instead, he was wearing the Christmas present Bill and Charlie had given him.
"Hey, Ron, why aren't you wearing the purple robes Mum bought you?" Fred teased with a grin.
"Yeah," George chimed in. "You'll break Mum's heart doing that!"
"Shut up," Ron replied, blushing furiously.
Just then, Parvati Patil walked over. She looked stunning, wearing eye-catching pink dress robes. Her long black hair was braided with golden ribbons, and the gold bracelet on her wrist sparkled brilliantly.
"Shall we go down, Harry?" Parvati Patil said. Then she turned to Ron. "Padma's waiting for you in the Entrance Hall."
Padma was Parvati Patil's twin sister, a Ravenclaw student, and Ron's date for the evening.
"Have you seen Hermione?" Ron asked, looking around anxiously. "Fred? George?"
The twins both shook their heads. They really hadn't seen Hermione anywhere.
"Hurry up and go," Fred said. "You don't need to worry about Hermione. Have fun tonight, little brother."
Harry, Ron, and Parvati then left the common room. Even on the way out, Ron kept looking around, obviously searching for Hermione.
The Entrance Hall was also packed with students. Everyone wandered about, waiting for eight o'clock, when the doors to the Great Hall would finally open. Some were trying to meet dates from other Houses, squeezing sideways through the crowd in search of them.
The hall echoed with students calling to one another and chatting, everyone doing their best to show off their charm on this special night.
The crowd suddenly grew much quieter. Ron even hid behind Harry, because Fleur Delacour had arrived.
She was wearing shimmering silver-gray satin robes and looked breathtakingly beautiful. Her date was Roger Davies from Ravenclaw.
A bootlicker whose loyalty couldn't compare to Hector Rosier's.
More and more people gathered in the Entrance Hall. After a group of Slytherin students arrived, the Durmstrang students also appeared. Beside Krum stood a beautiful young woman in blue robes whom no one recognized.
Everyone marveled at the beauty of the unfamiliar girl. Gradually, someone recognized her and cried out in shock.
"Hermione Granger!"
Her usually bushy hair had become smooth and glossy, elegantly pinned up in a graceful bun. Her entire bearing had changed. Hermione now looked like a proud white swan.
The people in the Entrance Hall could hardly believe it. Was this really that "second-generation know-it-all"? Was this really "Miss Beaver"? She had actually become Viktor Krum's date. How had she managed that?
Before the students could recover from their astonishment, the doors of the Great Hall swung open.
Professor McGonagall stepped out and called, "Champions, over here, please!"
The three champions and their partners pushed through the crowd and gathered beside Professor McGonagall, who was dressed in tartan robes.
Then Professor McGonagall asked, "Where's Eda?"
Harry shook his head. He hadn't seen Eda since that afternoon.
"Fred Weasley, where is Eda?" Professor McGonagall called into the crowd. "Have you seen her?"
"Professor, she should be here any moment now!" Fred shouted back.
Professor McGonagall called again, "Have Angelina beside you go and hurry her up. If she doesn't come soon, I'll go to the common room myself!"
Professor McGonagall didn't know that Eda had overslept. She thought Eda was up to one of her little tricks again, trying to avoid the opening ceremony.
"No need, I'm here! I'm coming!"
Before anyone saw her, they heard her voice. The students who had not yet entered the Great Hall followed the sound and saw Eda poking her head out from the staircase landing in a panic.
Her golden hair was pinned up behind her head, and an exquisite diadem glittered brilliantly in the torchlight.
No one in the Entrance Hall thought Eda's actions looked improper or out of place. Instead, they felt as though they were looking at a little deer in the forest.
The only unfortunate thing was that this little deer was a carnivore.
Eda stepped out from behind the staircase. She was wearing a dark evening gown, as though she had draped the night sky over herself. The diamonds adorning the dress looked like stars scattered across the heavens.
As Eda descended the stairs, the students noticed that she seemed even taller tonight. The dark gown made her skin appear even fairer, so pale that it seemed to glow.
The graceful line of her exposed collarbones and neck was flawless. The delicate hollow between them was like an enchanting spring that tempted people to kiss it, yet seemed too sacred to profane.
Unlike Fleur Delacour, whose appearance had outshone everyone with dazzling beauty, and unlike Hermione Granger, whose entrance had been a stunning surprise, Eda tonight seemed like a graceful fairy from the forest, or a noble siren rising from a lake.
Everyone in the Entrance Hall, boys and girls alike, stared in a daze, forgetting to continue into the Great Hall. Some were so captivated that their mouths hung open. Even when their dates pinched their arms until bruises formed, they did not react at all.
Just then, George happened to appear beside Eda. The crowd immediately snapped out of it, cursed their bad luck, and resumed filing into the hall.
Seeing that the ball was finally proceeding in proper order, Professor McGonagall withdrew her stern gaze. She decided she would properly discipline this group of students once the new term began.
After everyone had taken their seats in the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall lined up the champions and their partners in pairs and led them inside. One after another, the champions walked toward the large round table at the front of the hall where the judges were seated, and thunderous applause erupted throughout the room.
The walls of the Great Hall were covered with glittering silver frost, while the enchanted ceiling displayed a brilliant star-filled sky, perfectly matching Eda's evening gown.
Once the champions had also taken their seats, the Christmas feast officially began.
Eda thought this arrangement was excellent. It was best to fill up first so she'd have the energy to run away... no, to dance. But as she looked at the empty golden plate in front of her, she frowned.
Where was the food?
Fortunately, Dumbledore was as thoughtful as ever. He picked up the small menu beside his plate, pointed it toward the dish, and said clearly, "Pork chop!"
A delicious pork chop immediately appeared on the golden plate.
Only then did everyone realize how it worked. They quickly followed his example and ordered whatever food they wanted onto their own plates.
Before long, the Great Hall was filled with the sounds of clinking dishes and cheerful conversation. The champions' table was no exception.
Roger Davies fully embraced his role as a devoted bootlicker, attentively waiting on Fleur. Watching from afar, Hector Rosier looked ready to grind his teeth into powder.
Krum happily shared everything about Durmstrang with Hermione. It was the first time anyone had ever heard him talk so much.
"I suddenly feel that compared to Krum, it wouldn't be strange if my brother lost," George whispered into Eda's ear.
"If your brother never finds a girlfriend for the rest of his life, it won't be because of anything else. It'll all be because of his pitiful emotional intelligence," Eda whispered back.
Before long, Karkaroff put an end to Krum's enjoyment and stopped him from talking any further. Krum fell silent, his expression returning to its usual stoic look, but he continued taking gentle care of Hermione.
Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling.
"Igor, being so secretive... people might think you don't welcome visitors. Speaking of which, we have another champion here with rather deep ties to Durmstrang."
Everyone at the table was puzzled by what Dumbledore meant and looked at him. Dumbledore, however, turned to Eda.
"Isn't that right, Eda?"
Everyone immediately turned to look at Eda as well.
Setting down her knife and fork, Eda gracefully dabbed her lips with her napkin.
"Yes, Professor. My father graduated from Durmstrang. At that time, the headmaster there wasn't Mr. Karkaroff."
No one had known about this old story. Just as they were about to say something in response, Eda continued,
"Fortunately, I couldn't attend Durmstrang. I can't stand the cold, and I wouldn't be able to tolerate the terrible environment there."
Ah...
Everyone swallowed the words they had been about to say.
Everyone at this table was sharp enough to catch the hidden meaning in Eda's words. On the surface, she was talking about Durmstrang's freezing climate, but in reality, every word dripped with disdain for Karkaroff.
Dumbledore hurriedly smoothed things over with a smile.
"You should transfer to another school instead! Without you causing mischief at Hogwarts, I might even live a few more years!"
Even while seated, Madame Maxime towered over everyone else. Inwardly, she was shouting without end:
Come on! Come to Beauxbatons! If you come to Beauxbatons, I'd even pluck the sun from the sky for you!
"I'm not going anywhere," Eda said. "I'm sentimental."
You old geezer. Trying to imitate Grindelwald and drive me away? Not a chance.
Beneath the table, Madame Maxime clenched both fists tightly, roaring in her heart:
The Pyrenees are much warmer than Scotland! What do you mean you can't stand the cold? You big liar!
...
(～￣▽￣)～Read 12 Chapters ahead:
Patreon: Dragonel