"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" he roared, "Al, you're dreaming—there's no way I'm dressing up as an old woman! If someone has to dress up, it should be you!"
"I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Gael." Dumbledore said with a smile, "I too would love to change my disguise, but my position confines me to appear as Dumbledore."
Upon hearing this, Gellert suddenly dropped his arms dejectedly.
"Fine," he said, "women's clothing it is... If staying at Hogwarts for a Christmas Ball means that much, it's a deal, but you must keep it a secret!"
"I promise you." Dumbledore said as much, but he was already eager to share this news with Vivi.
Hahaha... This would absolutely be Gellert's biggest historical embarrassment ever, even having a Sniff steal the Blood Alliance story can't compare to this.
...
The snow outside the castle was getting thicker, with snowflakes falling over the castle and grounds.
The light blue carriage of Beauxbatons looked like a frost-covered giant pumpkin in winter, and beside it was Hagrid's little hut, resembling a gingerbread house sprinkled with icing; Meanwhile, the ship of Durmstrang had a layer of ice on its hull, making it sleek and shiny, with its sails covered in frost.
In the kitchen below, the House-Elves were bustling about, preparing a variety of steaming stews and sweet puddings. Only Fleur Delacour found an excuse to grumble a bit.
"Hogwarts food is so greasy," Ron said as he passed the hallway with Ginny, "I can't even fit into my dress robes anymore!"
"Oh, that's just tragic," Ginny sarcastically remarked as she watched Fleur leave the Great Hall and enter the hallway, "knowing what's greasy doesn't stop her from loving it; she just can't stop stuffing herself, right?"
Ron heard this and suppressed a laugh as he bowed his head.
"So, who are you planning to go to the ball with?" Ginny looked up and asked, "My dear brother, I do hope I won't hear that you're going alone to the ball—you know, I have a reputation for teasing people ruthlessly, and even though you are my brother, I'd let our whole family know if you went solo..."
"That's none of your concern, Ginny." Ron said with his chest puffed up, "I already have a partner—an excellent dance partner."
"Oh, it wouldn't be Hermione, would it?" Ginny wrinkled her nose, shaking her head, "Honestly, besides Hermione being so gracious, I can't imagine who else would go to the Christmas Ball with you... It can't be that Professor McGonagall took pity on you and reluctantly became your partner?"
Ron felt a little embarrassed by his sister's jabs.
The earlier part was fine, but those last words? Am I really that undesirable?
"That's too much, Ginny!" He flushed red and said, "How could I be what you described! By Merlin... My dance partner is absolutely the prettiest girl! Gryffindor's prettiest girl!"
Ginny pulled her lips in disdain; everyone knew that the prettiest girl in Gryffindor was none other than Ron's sister, Ginny Weasley.
This was widely accepted, and no one disputed it.
Just then, Neville suddenly appeared, blushing.
"Gi...Gi...Ginny..." he stammered.
"Oh?" Ginny raised an eyebrow, "Mr. Longbottom, do you have something to say?"
"I, I, I would like to invite you, um, to be my dance partner, could I?" Neville asked, very nervously.
He was actually prepared to be rejected and mocked by this lively girl, Ginny.
However, the anticipated reprimand didn't come. The girl in front just tucked her hair behind her ear and softly said, "Why not?"
"Does that mean..." Neville asked excitedly, "you're saying yes?"
"Of course." Ginny smiled and said, "I can definitely be your dance partner."
"Hey!" Ron was a bit angry, feeling like his little cabbage was being taken away, "I'm still here, you know! I'm still here!"
"You're just my brother, not my dance partner, Ronald!" Ginny gave her disgruntled brother a disdainful look, "Being someone's dance partner is my freedom—alright, I'm leaving now, you stay here~ Goodbye~"
With that, she left the Great Hall, chatting and laughing with a few Gryffindor girls.
"Hehe..." Neville scratched his head.
Seeing Neville like this, Ron couldn't help but feel annoyed.
But there was nothing he could say, so he just sighed as he walked toward the common room.
"What happened to you?"
Hermione, who was reading in the common room, saw Ron coming in with a despondent face and asked with concern.
"Don't even mention it." Ron waved his hand, "Ginny doesn't believe I can get a partner; she even agreed to be Neville's partner... By Merlin, why do I feel like my cabbages have been stolen after years of growing them?"
Hermione chuckled, amused by Ron's humor.
"Hermione," Ron said, turning to look at her, suddenly frowning, "your teeth..."
"What about them?" Hermione said.
"My goodness, they're different... I just noticed..."
"Of course, they're different—" Hermione said with a smile, "I recently went to the school hospital and begged Madam Pomfrey to shrink my front teeth a bit... you know, they were just too big before, I looked like a chipmunk, and how could a lady have such big teeth?"