Hogwarts: Starting with full Unforgivable Curses

Hermione was standing with Krum at that moment, a relaxed smile on her face, quite different from her usual focused study demeanor.

As time went on, more and more students and professors entered the auditorium.

Professor McGonagall glanced at her watch, then waved to the warriors and their dance partners, signaling them to follow her: "Alright, we should go in now; the banquet is about to begin."

The crowd followed Professor McGonagall and lined up to enter the auditorium.

The decorations outside the castle were already stunning enough, but once inside the hall, everyone was still shocked by what they saw. The four long tables that used to span the hall were gone, replaced by round dining tables, each seating more than ten people. A small glass lantern was lit in the center of the table, its warm yellow light shining through the glass, creating a particularly cozy atmosphere.

To accommodate these round tables, the hall seemed to have been magically expanded, appearing much more spacious than usual.

The decorations on the walls have also been changed. The academy banners that used to hang there have all been taken down and replaced with enchanted silver frost flowers. These frost flowers are not actually cold, but rather carry a faint warmth and will gently rotate with the air currents, as if they were alive.

What's even more surprising is the decoration on the ceiling and in the air. The floating candles that used to hang there all year round have disappeared, replaced by countless woven wreaths. Each wreath is made of mistletoe twigs and ivy, and is decorated with red berries. They float in the air with vitality. On the ceiling, there is a dazzling galaxy. Countless stars twinkle on the dark "sky curtain". Even without candle lighting, the entire hall is exceptionally bright and does not feel dim at all.

The glittering starlight filtered through the gaps in the wreath, spilling onto the round table and mingling with the candlelight of the lanterns, creating a dreamy and warm atmosphere that drew exclamations of admiration from everyone present.

Professor McGonagall led the warriors down the corridor, followed by thunderous applause and cheers from the students.

Soon, the group arrived at the main seating area at the far end of the Great Hall. Several referees were already seated there, with a long table on each side reserved for Hogwarts professors and special guests. Directly in front of the main seating area, a separate round "Warrior's Table" was set up, and Professor McGonagall gestured for everyone to take their seats.

Dylan first walked to Ginny's seat, pulled out the chair, and waited for Ginny to sit down before walking around to his own seat, his movements natural and gentlemanly.

Once all the teachers and students were seated, Headmaster Dumbledore slowly stood up and, as he always did at the start of a banquet, announced in his magnetic voice, "The Christmas dinner is now officially open!"

Strangely, after hearing this, the plates in front of everyone remained clean and new, and did not instantly fill with food as usual.

The students looked at each other, their faces full of confusion, and instinctively looked at Dumbledore, waiting for him to explain further.

Dumbledore picked up the menu on the table, cleared his throat, and read out clearly, "Pork chop!"

As soon as the words were spoken, a small bowl of sauce and a steaming pork chop appeared on each person's plate, and the aroma of the meat instantly filled the air.

Seeing Dumbledore's demonstration, the students suddenly understood and picked up the menu placed in front of their plates. It was a small book bound in leather with a long list of dishes, from roast turkey and smoked salmon to Christmas pudding and gingerbread houses.

Everyone excitedly selected their favorite foods, calling out the names of the dishes one by one. Soon, the plates were piled high with all kinds of delicacies, and the auditorium was filled with the aroma of food and cheerful conversation.

Since the auditorium doesn't open until 8 p.m., and it took a lot of time to wait for all the teachers and students to be seated, most of the students had barely eaten anything since the afternoon and were already very hungry.

So when Dumbledore demonstrated how to order, the students could no longer contain themselves and eagerly picked up the leather menus in front of them, reading out the names of the dishes they wanted to eat.

Roast turkey!

Smoked salmon!

"Christmas pudding!"

Calls for food rose and fell, instantly turning the once quiet auditorium into a lively scene.

Everyone was eager to fill their stomachs as soon as possible; as for the dance later, they could think about it later after satisfying their taste buds.

However, a few people did not seem to be that hungry, Roger Davis was one of them.

There were only a few pieces of bread scattered on the plate in front of him, barely touched. He seemed to be under some kind of spell, his gaze never leaving Fleur Delacour's face. He looked so focused that it was as if as long as Fleur was happy and satisfied with her meal, he was full too and didn't need to eat anything else.

The food ordered by Furong Delacour was relatively light, mostly vegetable salads and grilled chicken breasts, which were low in oil and salt. There was hardly any soup on the plates, making them look exceptionally delicate.

Her eating movements were also very restrained and elegant. She ate each bite slowly, and maintained a faint smile on her lips while chewing, just like a proud swan.

After each small bite, she would turn her head and chat with Roger beside her for a few words, her voice soft and pleasant.

“When the Christmas holidays officially arrive, Beauxbatons Castle will not just have simple icicle decorations like it does now.”

Hibiscus picked up a napkin and gently wiped her mouth, her tone tinged with pride, "A series of exquisite ice sculptures will be placed around the castle, each with a different theme."

“Oh…” Roger exclaimed immediately, his eyes still fixed on Fleur’s face, not even daring to blink. “She must be very beautiful! I can imagine how crystal clear she looks.”

“Of course!” Hibiscus nodded gently, a hint of nostalgia flashing in her eyes. “The ice sculptures are exquisitely crafted, with impeccable details. And because they are engraved with special magic, they don’t melt like ordinary ice. They remain intact even in the sunlight, and their surfaces reflect a dazzling light, just like statues carved from diamonds.”

"Oh!" Roger nodded in agreement, his tone full of longing. "Just hearing your description makes me think it must be really good. I wish I could see it in person someday."

Fleur continued with a smile, “Our Christmas food in Beauxbatons is also delicious, with a wide variety and exquisite presentation. And while we’re eating, we can always hear the Forest Fairy Choir singing. They live in the forest near the castle and come to perform for us every holiday. They most often sing gentle serenades, and eating with music makes it a truly enjoyable experience.”

Perhaps because they had been chatting for a long time, or perhaps because he felt Hibiscus's gaze, Roger finally picked up his fork and began to slowly eat the food in front of him.

Even so, his gaze remained fixed on Furong's face, as if drawn by a magnet. He listened with rapt attention, and every now and then, his concentration was so intense that he would hold the fork crookedly, failing to get the food into his mouth accurately and instead smearing it on the corner of his mouth, causing a small misunderstanding.

However, he was quick to imitate Furong's movements. Just now, Furong lightly tapped the table when she was happy, and Roger almost subconsciously raised his hand and tapped the table in front of him as well, his movements stiff and comical.

Seeing this, Ginny couldn't help but burst out laughing.

She quickly turned her head and whispered in Luna's ear, "Look at Roger, I feel like he didn't listen to what Fleur was saying at all. He was just staring at her face the whole time. He probably didn't even remember what the ice sculpture looked like."

Luna followed Ginny's gaze to Roger, nodded slightly, and said calmly, "But I think he should be very happy now—the kind of pure happiness that comes from focusing on a person or a thing."

After listening, Ginny nodded in agreement, a smile still lingering on her lips: "What you said seems to make sense. I can't deny that. Looking at his silly grin, he really does seem quite happy."

Hearing Luna and Ginny whispering to each other, Dylan picked up a napkin to wipe the sauce residue from the corner of his mouth, and followed their gaze to where Roger Davis was sitting.

He deliberately moved quietly, observing carefully, trying not to be noticed by Roger—this was the first time he had seen Roger with such an expression, his eyes filled with infatuation, his movements becoming somewhat clumsy, completely lacking his usual composure.

It's worth noting that as the captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, Roger usually maintains a good demeanor. Whether directing training or dealing with matches, he always appears calm and capable. This is the first time Dylan has ever seen someone so completely captivated by someone that he even loses control of his basic movements.

After observing Roger, Dylan subconsciously began to pay attention to his surroundings.

He quickly noticed something: the girls present were mostly very restrained when it came to eating, especially when choosing dishes. Almost no one ordered food with thick soup or sauce, such as stewed beef or cream of mushroom soup, which could easily splatter on clothes. They preferred dry foods like roasted vegetables and bread.

The same goes for Luna.

Dylan remembered that Luna's favorite dishes, such as pumpkin soup and shepherd's pie, were clearly listed on the long menu this time, but she didn't order any of them. There were only a few slices of toast and a small vegetable salad on her plate.

Moreover, her eating habits were somewhat similar to those of Fleur Delacour; she ate each bite very slowly and with small movements, showing great restraint.

Upon seeing this, Dylan instantly understood that Luna was probably worried that the soup or sauce from the food would drip onto her dress.

And Ginny is the same as Luna.

If that's the case, shouldn't I do something about it?
As soon as the idea popped into his head, Dylan nodded.

Previously, when dining at the college's long table, I was surrounded by familiar roommates, and we got along casually. But the occasion was completely different now. This was a formal Christmas ball dinner, and there were many students and professors from other colleges around. Every move I made could be seen by others.

But it's nothing.

Just as Ginny was whispering with Luna, Dylan's voice rang out softly: "Ginny, try this, it tastes pretty good."

Upon hearing Dylan's call, Ginny immediately turned around.

Her gaze first fell on Dylan's face, then moved down to see him holding a piece of roasted meat cut to a suitable size with a fork in one hand, while his other hand carefully supported the fork, clearly worried that the juices would drip down.

Luna, who was sitting next to Dylan, also heard what Dylan said, and when she saw this scene, she blinked.

Ginny's ears instantly turned a light red, and the red color slowly spread to her fair cheeks at a visible speed.

Nevertheless, she slightly raised her head, slowly opened her mouth, and let Dylan gently put the piece of roast meat into her mouth.

The size of the meat was just right, without touching her lips, and the rich aroma of meat instantly filled her mouth, with a hint of spices.

Ginny instinctively put the fork in her mouth and gently sucked on it. The meat was so tender it seemed to melt in her mouth, clearly the result of the house-elf's careful cooking.

Dylan patiently waited for Ginny to swallow her food before using his fork to pick up another piece of roast meat and offer it to her again.

At this moment, Ginny noticed something. She pursed the meat in her mouth, lowered her head slightly, and saw that there was actually a clean set of cutlery on her plate, but she hadn't touched it.

She looked up at Dylan, who was wiping the little bit of sauce off his hands with a tissue, and felt a momentary blankness in her mind.

The barbecue still tasted wonderful, with just the right amount of salt and savory flavor, but she felt as if she had lost the ability to think about appreciating food. All her attention was focused on Dylan's gentle movements and his face so close to hers.

At this moment, Ginny felt like a train that had been filled with steam, her heart pounding violently in her chest like a fully powered engine, and she could almost hear the whistle of a train. Her cheeks were burning hot.

Dylan noticed that Ginny's cheeks had become even redder. He tilted his head, put down his fork, and asked with concern, "Is the meat a little too hot? If so, I'll use magic to cool it down."

Ginny took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

She reached out and gently took Dylan's wrist, shook her head and said, "No need, the temperature was just right, I didn't get burned."

"Okay, that's good." Dylan nodded, picked up his fork again, speared a piece of roasted vegetable, and handed it to Ginny.

Luna, watching the scene unfold, paused for a moment, then gently nudged Harry beside her with her elbow. (End of Chapter)