At a Christmas party this lively, even if a few people were missing, nobody would notice.
Even if you had someone specific in mind, finding the person you were looking for in a crowd this large would not be easy.
Even if the missing person was the famous Harry Potter, no one would notice that he had never shown up at all. Besides Ron, Harry Potter really did not have any friends worth mentioning.
As for Draco, who was also absent, a small number of people did notice that.
Among them, that young red-haired witch had noticed very early on that Draco did not seem to be at the Christmas party...
Ginny had clearly dressed up for the occasion today.
The light makeup highlighted her youthful energy, and the little dress she had changed into gave her, a girl who usually acted like a boy, an extra touch of girlish innocence.
Thankfully, her brothers were no longer at Hogwarts. Otherwise, they would definitely have teased her about it.
Strangely, though, whenever someone came over to ask her for a dance, she turned them down right away. And after rejecting those boys, Ginny kept looking around, as if she had lost something.
By comparison, Hermione, standing beside Ginny, had not received a single invitation from anyone else.
Who knew whether it was because Hermione was wearing such a clear keep-away expression that the boys who thought they had spotted an opening did not dare approach, or because they were wary of a certain absent someone, which kept that possibility from arising at all...
Come to think of it, after parting ways with Pansy and the others, Hermione had run into Ginny and Luna.
Interestingly, the ones who stayed were Ginny and the others, not Hermione, who did not look in the slightest like someone who had come to attend a Christmas party.
Because Hermione did nothing and took part in nothing. She merely stared quietly in one direction.
While keeping her eyes on Professor Horace, who was going around toasting all the professors with a smug, high-spirited expression, Hermione glanced at Ginny and the others beside her from the corner of her eye. "Say, what have you been looking for this whole time? Did you lose something?"
"Me? I'm not looking for anyone."
"???"
Hermione blinked in confusion.
Did I say you were looking for someone?
Hearing that, Luna, who was holding a plate of little cakes nearby, quietly rolled her eyes at her friend.
She had realized that her friend really was not very good at keeping secrets.
As for that question, Luna did not even need to ask. She already knew exactly who her friend was looking for.
Only that person could make Ginny act this strangely...
...
Compared to Draco acting alone, the task Hermione and the others were responsible for was much easier and simpler.
Put simply, all they had to do was make sure Professor Horace never left their sight.
And the moment Professor Horace showed any sign of leaving the Christmas party, Hermione was supposed to step in and hold him there, at least long enough to keep him from leaving too quickly.
While Hermione kept Professor Horace occupied, Pansy and Astoria's task was to notify Draco and cover for him so he could get away safely.
In other words.
These girls looked as though they were attending the party normally, but in truth, their minds were not on the party at all.
It was not until the very last moment before the Christmas party ended that Ginny finally noticed something off about Hermione...
"Why have you been staring at Professor Horace the whole time?"
"...Have I?"
"It's obvious. And why isn't that guy with you? No... I didn't even see him with Parkinson."
Only then did Ginny, slow to catch on, finally realize there was a problem.
Naturally, Hermione pretended not to understand what she meant, but that was not enough to fool Ginny now that she had noticed something was wrong...
"You're not planning something, are you? It was definitely that guy's idea, right?"
"..."
"Tell me. Maybe I can help too."
"....."
Ginny's eager expression made Hermione look at her helplessly. "Do you even know what you're saying?"
"Of course I do. It's just something the professors can't find out about, right?"
"No, you don't. And don't forget where we stand. There are some things that need to be avoided."
Although the two of them stood on different sides, Hermione cared about their friendship, so she did not spell it out too plainly.
Faced with Hermione's serious expression, Ginny, who was not stupid but had been deliberately ignoring it, could only press her lips together and stop asking further.
It was obvious that Ginny looked a little dejected now.
Whether that was because there was now an issue between her and Hermione that she could no longer avoid facing, or because she felt disappointed at not getting an answer, no one could say.
In any case.
The silence between them only made the atmosphere feel even more out of place...
Just then, Luna seemed to spot someone and suddenly spoke up.
"Draco... is here."
"Where?!"
"Huh?!"
Under Luna's dreamy gaze, Draco appeared at the entrance to the Christmas party, wearing a thoughtful expression...