Hogwarts: Starting with full Unforgivable Curses

Harry was putting a piece of bread into his mouth when he heard Luna's noise. He quickly wiped the sauce from the corner of his mouth and looked in the direction she was pointing.

When he saw Dylan gently feeding Ginny, whose cheeks were flushed, he was so surprised that he opened his mouth wide and forgot to chew his bread.

He paused for a few seconds, then caught the expectant, gossipy look in Luna's eyes. He immediately realized she wanted to discuss this scene with him, but the words caught in his throat as he was too surprised to speak, and he stammered, unable to utter a complete sentence: "You...you see them...I...this is the first time I've ever seen anything like it..."

In the end, he didn't utter a complete sentence; his eyes were filled with disbelief.

Luna recalled Dylan's composed care for Ginny, and then compared it to Harry's current awkwardness, and suddenly found Harry's contrast quite endearing.

Having figured this out, Ginny gently shook her head, suppressing the inexplicable emotions in her heart, and said to Harry with a smile, "What are you thinking about? Hurry up and eat! The ball will officially start later, and we still have to dance. Don't be too tired to spin around."

“Hmm…” Harry nodded quickly, like a child receiving an instruction, and picked up his fork to quickly finish the remaining bacon on his plate.

He breathed a sigh of relief as the empty plate gradually returned to its clean state, but quickly became tense again, his eyes darting back and forth between the menu and Luna.

“Luna…” He hesitated for a few seconds, then turned to look at Luna, trying to ignore the wildly pounding heart in his chest, and stammered, “Or… why don’t you try this?”

As he spoke, he picked up the leather menu in front of him and carefully placed it in front of Luna: "I just tried it, and this roasted vegetable dish with cheese sauce is quite delicious. The cheese sauce isn't greasy, and the vegetables are very tender, so it won't stain your clothes."

Seeing Harry's serious yet extremely nervous expression, Luna chuckled softly, "Then I'll listen to you and try this dish."

As she spoke, she picked up the menu and, mimicking Harry, read out the names of the dishes. Soon, a plate of steaming roasted vegetables appeared on her plate.

At this moment, not only were the warriors and students chatting animatedly in the auditorium, but most of the professors and guests were also immersed in a relaxed atmosphere.

They shed their usual formal attire and donned various dresses, their faces radiating relaxation.

Some professors, holding wine glasses, strolled leisurely among the tables, chatting with familiar colleagues or guests. Others sat around a table, swirling the red wine in their glasses, discussing everything from interesting teaching anecdotes to local festival customs.

When they got into the conversation, they would burst into hearty laughter, much louder than when they were lecturing. Occasionally, they would raise their glasses and clink them together, the crisp sound of the glasses mingling with their laughter, echoing in the auditorium.

Although Mrs. Maxim was seated at the head table and Hagrid at the teachers' table next to her, their seats were very close together, and given their tall stature, they could clearly hear each other's voices with just a slight turn of their bodies.

Hagrid was unusually lively today. He was dressed in a slightly tight-fitting suit and was chatting animatedly with Mrs. Maxim, gesturing with his hands from time to time, sometimes imitating the movements of a troll, and sometimes describing the shape of some magical plant.

His tuxedo was already quite fitted, and when he spread his arms and gestured wildly, the taut fabric made a series of hissing sounds, like ropes being tightened, as if the buttons were about to burst off at any moment.

Sitting next to Hagrid, Moody's usually darting magical eye suddenly stopped and stared intently at Hagrid's suit ever since Hagrid and Mrs. Maxim began their conversation.

Judging from his serious expression, he was probably using his magic eye to keep a close eye on the state of the suit, making sure that if Hagrid's suit were to fall apart, those plate-sized buttons wouldn't fly towards him.

Compared to the relaxation of others, Barty Crouch was much more restrained.

Ludo Bagman approached him several times with a glass of wine, eager to have a drink and chat about Quidditch, but Barty Crouch politely but firmly declined each time.

He only occasionally sipped the water in his glass, and most of the time he maintained an upright posture, looking seriously ahead, as if indifferent to the hustle and bustle around him.

The most serious person in the room was probably Professor Snape.

He was still wearing his signature black robe, unlike the other professors who had changed into formal attire. His expression remained as cold and indifferent as ever, as if the joyful atmosphere around him had nothing to do with him.

Even the food on his plate was just the same few things he usually ate: simple black bread, a small plate of stewed beans, and no fancy dishes for special occasions.

As the sounds of menus being read aloud in the Great Hall gradually faded and most people began to focus on enjoying the food in front of them, Headmaster Dumbledore slowly stood up.

He held a wine glass filled with deep red wine in one hand, and a silver fork in the other, gently tapping the glass.

Ding!Ding!Ding!
The crisp knocking sound, as if by magic, instantly attracted the attention of everyone in the auditorium.

The noisy conversation gradually subsided, and everyone put down their knives, forks, or wine glasses, their eyes all turning to Dumbledore at the head table.

Dumbledore slowly put down his wine glass and silver fork, gently placing them beside the empty plate in front of him.

He first coughed lightly twice to clear his throat, and then his familiar voice, filled with a gentle smile, rang out in the auditorium: "It seems that everyone has eaten and drunk their fill. So, shall we move on to the next step tonight?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the students nodded in agreement, and many of them excitedly whispered their agreement.

Fred and George, sitting at the Gryffindor table, raised their hands and shouted towards Dumbledore, "Headmaster! We can't wait! Let's begin!"

Their voices were so energetic that they drew laughter from the students around them.

"Very well, since everyone is so eager to see this, please stand up first."

As Dumbledore spoke, the plates in front of everyone in the Great Hall suddenly began to change; the plates that had been filled with food scraps instantly returned to their original clean appearance.

Then, as if controlled by an invisible hand, the clean plates rose gently from the round table and flew towards a corner of the hall. Even the tablecloths stained with sauce and soup became spotless in the blink of an eye. "Please move aside a little to make some room for the tables and chairs," Dumbledore continued, his tone still relaxed.

The students and professors immediately complied, getting up and moving towards the sides of the wall.

Once everyone was in position, Dumbledore drew his wand from his waist and waved it lightly in the air.

The next second, a magical scene unfolded. The round tables and chairs that were originally packed full of chairs in the auditorium slowly rose into the air, as if they had been levitated, and moved automatically toward the wall. Finally, they were neatly arranged against the wall. The round tables that could not fit were cleverly stacked together and piled in the corner at the back of the auditorium. The whole process was orderly and without making the slightest noise.

In just a few seconds, a large empty area was cleared up in the center of the auditorium, which was originally filled with tables and chairs.

"Then let's officially begin tonight's Christmas ball!" Dumbledore raised his wand, his voice tinged with a hint of merriment.

As he moved, a tall wooden stage suddenly rose slowly from the base of the right wall of the auditorium. Various instruments, such as guitars, violins, and drum kits, were neatly arranged on the stage, clearly prepared for a band performance.

At the same time, the dazzling starry sky on the ceiling seemed to brighten even more, with countless stars twinkling with soft light. As the starlight slowly fell, the empty area in the center of the auditorium was instantly enveloped in a faint halo. The originally ordinary stone floor gradually transformed into a smooth wooden dance floor, its surface gleaming with a warm luster, as if it were specially designed for dancing.

"Wow!" the students exclaimed, many of them already whispering excitedly, looking forward to the dance to come.

Amidst enthusiastic applause, a band dressed in glamorous attire slowly walked onto the stage—the long-awaited quirky sister band.

The band members skillfully picked up their instruments and tuned them, while the lead singer walked to the edge of the stage, raised his hands, and enthusiastically shouted to the students below, "Are you ready to party with us tonight?"

Cheers erupted from the audience, instantly igniting the atmosphere.

Just then, Professor McGonagall walked over from the teachers' table. She first nodded toward the eccentric sisters, then turned to Dylan, Harry, and the other heroes and their dance partners, her tone gentle yet filled with undeniable expectation: "Now it's your turn, heroes, to give us the opening dance. Don't let us down."

After saying this, she smiled, clapped her hands, and slowly returned to her original position, joining the other professors in looking expectantly at the young people.

The Quirky Sisters Band quickly got into the swing of things, and the melodious and soothing music echoed in the auditorium. Clearly, in order to cater to the dance level of most students, they deliberately chose a relatively slow-paced piece so that everyone could keep up with the rhythm.

Upon hearing Professor McGonagall's words, Harry instantly became nervous, instinctively gripping the hem of his dress with both hands, momentarily at a loss for what to do.

He stood there, his eyes darting around in a panic. Finally, in a moment of inspiration, he turned his gaze to Dylan and Ginny not far away, intending to see what Dylan would do so he could imitate him.

Dylan smiled faintly. He first bowed slightly to Ginny in a standard gentlemanly manner, then extended his right hand, palm up, in an inviting gesture, his tone carrying a hint of amusement: "Ms. Ginny, it seems it's really time to test the results of our previous practice."

“Okay.” Ginny’s lips immediately curved into a beautiful smile, her eyes sparkling with a bright light. She gently placed her left hand on Dylan’s palm, feeling the warmth of his touch on her fingertips.

Dylan took a step forward and moved closer to Ginny.

He carefully extended his right hand and gently put it around Ginny's waist, feeling the softness of the fabric of her dress. Then, he gently led Ginny, and the two walked in unison into the center of the dance floor.

Seeing Dylan and Ginny take the lead into the dance floor, the other warriors and their partners no longer hesitated and followed suit.

Seeing this, Harry quickly imitated Dylan, bowing stiffly to Luna. Then, he nervously extended his hand in an inviting gesture, his voice stammering with nervousness: "Teacher Luna, then...then we should also...test our previous learning results."

Luna looked at Harry's nervous yet serious expression and couldn't help but laugh. She really wanted to remind Harry that there was no need to deliberately imitate Dylan's way of speaking at this time; just be natural.

But on second thought, at least Harry has taken the initiative to extend an invitation, which is much better than before.

Thinking of this, Luna smiled gently, placed her hand on Harry's palm, and said softly, "Okay, let's go then."

With that, she followed Harry and slowly walked into the dance floor.

The starlight from the ceiling twinkled, and the shimmering light fell on the dance floor, perfectly complementing the fluorite on Luna's earrings and hair clip. The fluorite reflected the starlight and refracted it back into the air, forming faint halos that made Luna and Harry seem to be shrouded in a dreamlike veil.

The same goes for Dylan.

Holding Ginny's hand, Dylan felt the softness and delicacy of her palm through his fingertips, and he could clearly feel his heartbeat quicken.

But for some reason, he had a strange intuition that Ginny's heartbeat was as fast as his, that frequency seemed to resonate with his own heartbeat, forming the same rhythm in the quiet depths of his heart.

It was a wonderful feeling that was hard to describe.

Dylan and Ginny danced to the rhythm of each other's heartbeats, their steps light and in sync. Every turn and every step they took seemed to have been rehearsed countless times beforehand, without the slightest awkwardness.

The other dancers on the dance floor were mostly people who had only recently started learning to dance, and their movements were still a bit clumsy.

They maintained a considerable distance from each other, their eyes occasionally glancing unconsciously at their partners' feet, as if afraid of accidentally stepping on the hem of their dresses. The whole process was marked by extreme caution.

When they inadvertently spotted Dylan and Ginny, they couldn't help but show a hint of surprise. The two didn't look down at their feet; instead, they locked eyes, their gazes filled with focus and tenderness, as they gracefully twirled in the center of the dance floor, their movements as fluid as professional dancers. Their tacit understanding and naturalness contrasted sharply with the awkwardness of those around them. (End of Chapter)