Chapter 255: Christmas Ball

On the night of the Christmas Ball, snow drifted down from the sky. However, the castle itself wasn't cold at all, as if a spell had been cast to ward off the chill.

By seven in the evening, a crowd of young wizards had already gathered at the entrance of the Great Hall.

For once, they had shed their robes and dressed formally in suits or gowns.

Draco wore a white suit today and looked rather dashing. His date wasn't Pansy, who usually clung to him like a lapdog, but another girl.

Harry and Ron had ultimately ended up inviting the pretty twin sisters, though they didn't seem particularly thrilled with their dates.

Especially Ron, who was wearing that overly ornate, grandmotherly dress robe, making him stick out awkwardly among the crowd. He felt completely out of place and had no desire to dance, only wanting to hide somewhere and eat.

As for Harry, his eyes were practically glued to Cho Chang, who stood across the hall in a stunning qipao, though she was already linked arm-in-arm with Cedric. Cedric, tall and handsome as ever, looked impeccable, and Harry reluctantly averted his gaze.

"Do you know who Hermione and Ginny ended up going with?" Ron asked curiously.

He was sure neither Ginny nor Hermione had chosen Cyrus as their partner, because that night, after much debate, he and Harry had decided to try their luck with Cassandra—though really, it was mostly Harry who was willing to approach her, as Ron was too intimidated.

However, when they reached the Black Lake, they'd seen Cassandra from a distance, boldly inviting Cyrus herself.

"I don't know, but Cyrus accepted Cassandra's invitation," Harry said absentmindedly.

"If it were me, I'd choose Cassandra too," Ron said matter-of-factly.

"She's got a great figure, unlike Ginny, who's just a little kid, and Hermione, who's… well, different."

Just then, two terrifying voices spoke up from right behind him.

"Who exactly are you calling underdeveloped kid?!"

"And what exactly do you mean by 'different'?!"

Ron froze, feeling as though a shadow of death had fallen over him.

"Let me explain, Hermione…" he stammered, turning around stiffly. But as he looked toward the voices, he stopped short, stunned.

Standing before him was not the usual scruffy girl he was used to.

Hermione's hair was now smooth and glossy, flowing down her back like a waterfall instead of tied up. She was dressed in a long, purple gown that made her look almost like a princess—so beautiful he barely recognized her.

"Who… who are you?" Ron asked, dumbfounded.

Ginny, dressed in a similar style to Hermione, rolled her eyes and delivered a cold jab. "Impressive. It took you four years to realize Hermione was a girl, and now you don't even recognize her?"

She was half a head shorter than Hermione, with her fiery red hair cascading down and a red dress to match. Her pale, soft skin highlighted the striking red, making her look like a blooming red rose.

The only slight drawback was that, in certain areas, this rose seemed a bit ehm lacking.

"Hermione? Ginny?"

Ron and Harry both looked shocked. They weren't alone; none of the other students had expected Hermione, who usually looked so unkempt, to be this beautiful when dressed up.

But Ron's attention was clearly elsewhere.

He sneakily looked behind Hermione and Ginny, expecting to see a boy with them, but found no one.

"Where's your date? I knew you were bluffing!"

Ron slung an arm over Harry's shoulder with a smug grin, raising his eyebrows as he said, "You shouldn't have been so boastful. If you hadn't, Harry and I could have been your dates. But now it's too late—we've already got two of the prettiest girls in school!"

"And especially you, Ginny—Hermione can at least attend the ball, but you're done for!"

"Tsk! I have no idea what nonsense you're spouting," Ginny replied, rolling her eyes and ignoring Ron's antics as she lifted her chin and looped her arm through Hermione's.

Together, this stunning pair, like a beautiful garland woven together, made their way to the doors of the Great Hall, capturing the admiration of everyone around.

Just then, it struck eight o'clock, and Professor McGonagall walked past the dumbstruck Ron—looking surprisingly younger in her outfit than he did.(lol)

As she passed him, she cast him a bewildered and somewhat disdainful look.

"What on earth are you wearing, Weasley?" McGonagall said in surprise and disapproval. "Even actors in medieval plays wouldn't dress like that... Perhaps you and Sir Nicholas would have a thing or two to discuss on fashion…"

Ron's face flushed crimson, and he lowered his head in embarrassment.

Then, she opened the oak front doors of the Great Hall. The students, careful not to disturb their formal attire, stepped in one by one along the red carpet with pride.

The Great Hall itself looked completely transformed. Most notably, the four long tables were gone, replaced by a hundred small round tables scattered around like lily pads in a lake, with garlands hanging from the starry ceiling above.

Dumbledore had likely cast a spell, as tonight the ceiling didn't show snowfall but rather glittered with brilliant starlight.

Harry glanced toward the usual spot where the professors sat. It looked mostly the same, but Dumbledore, Cyrus, and even the dark wizard Grindelwald were nowhere to be seen.

Harry quickly realized that tonight's spotlight was reserved for the champions, who were still competing in the tournament—they would be making a grand entrance.

As he thought this, he heard a hushed gasp ripple through the crowd.

He immediately looked up, peering outside the doors.

Dumbledore strode in, tall and dignified in a pristine, elegant robe, while at his side walked Grindelwald, cloaked in all-black. The two walked side by side, and in Harry's mind, it was like watching a holy angel accompanied by a devil.

Harry was utterly confused.

"Why don't they have dance partners? I thought Dumbledore would invite Professor McGonagall."

"You're mistaken, boy." A sugary voice broke through Harry's musings.

Rita Skeeter had somehow slipped in!

She seemed to be looking much better lately, even her physique had started reverting to her plumper, former self.

At this moment, she rested her overly bejeweled arm on Harry's shoulder, peering over her gold-rimmed glasses perched on a heavily powdered nose. Her gaze towards Dumbledore and Grindelwald was filled with a kind of decadent excitement.

"Albus Dumbledore is Gellert Grindelwald's partner; just look at him! Doesn't he look like a bride in a wedding dress?"

Rita mercilessly shattered Harry's vision of angel and devil standing opposed, painting instead a wedding scene in his naïve mind.

—Grindelwald, dressed in a black suit with a bright red rose pinned to his chest, standing at the altar with Dumbledore, flawless in white but with a rather prominent beard!

Harry shuddered.

"It's such a pity that Mr. Cyrus won't let me write about those two…" Rita Skeeter sighed. People loved hearing the gossip about great figures, and tales between Dumbledore and Grindelwald were so sensational! But Cyrus forbade it.

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