The Return to Hogwarts

"Speaking of which, Harry—"

Ron's grinning face made Harry and Hermione laugh, but Hermione quickly stopped smiling and turned her head to Harry.

"Phew—I thought, Harry, after that duel, your relationship would be even worse, but in Friday's Potions class, when Professor Snape was criticizing you for getting the dosage of the lycorine wrong, perhaps you didn't notice, but Malfoy didn't laugh at you—"

“Our relationship with Malfoy was already terrible back in our first year, Hermione—”

Ron answered first.

"As for Potions, I bet that coward Malfoy was terrified of Harry. He probably didn't expect that even his carefully laid plans and the advantage he'd gained through trickery wouldn't scare Harry—"

Harry didn't entirely agree with Ron's statement, but he didn't refute it either, because he did notice that his opinion of Malfoy had subtly changed after that duel, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what exactly that change was.

As the three of them left the Quidditch pitch and headed toward the castle, some commotion arose in Beauxbatons' carriage.

"Someone probably invited Hibiscus to the Christmas ball."

The distance was too great for even Harry, with his excellent eyesight, to make out the faces of the two people surrounded by students. However, it was Fleur's silver hair, which still occasionally shimmered in the snow, that confirmed Harry's identity.

"Whoever it is, he won't succeed—"

Ron clicked his tongue, his tone enigmatic.

"Ever since Professor McGonagall announced the ball, at least ten boys have been rejected by Fleur every day. Roger Davis, the Ravenclaw Quidditch team captain, followed in the footsteps of those losers at noon. I heard from Neville that Fleur only sent a message to Davis; he didn't even get to see her. Poor man—"

Normally, Harry should have expressed some sympathy for Davis, just like Ron, after all, he and Davis had even faced off on the field. However, thinking about his own experience, he couldn't say anything.

During the physical education class after Potions class on Friday, Cedric Diggory publicly invited Cho Chang of Ravenclaw to join him, and amidst cheers, Cho Chang nodded, her face flushed.

At that moment, his mind was filled with terrifying thoughts, such as rushing up and having a duel with Diggory. Moreover, he was certain that he could easily defeat Diggory and prove to Cho Chang that although he was not a warrior, he was no less than Diggory.

Ultimately, he didn't act on his crazy idea, but instead slowly processed the bitterness in his heart. This incident also shattered all of Harry's illusions about the Christmas Ball. When Ron asked him about his plans, he bluntly stated that he had no intention of finding a dance partner.

"Are you really not planning to bring a pretty girl along, Harry?"

Because of frequent footsteps, the snow on a section of the path below the marble steps had melted into ice, and the three of them had to be very careful not to slip and fall. Supporting each other, they asked casually,

"Don't mind me, Harry. Even if you're not a champion, you're still the 'Boy Who Lived,' right? And you're the youngest Seeker in a hundred years. I bet not many girls would refuse your invitation—at least not Ginny. She's probably been waiting for you to invite her for ages—"

“I don’t want to make a fool of myself, Ron—”

Still unable to completely shake off the bitterness in his heart, Harry tried his best to speak in a nonchalant tone.

"The last time I danced was seven or eight years ago, during a gym class at Muggle school. If anyone's going to the prom with me, she'd better bring two extra pairs of dance shoes—"

Ron chuckled, while Hermione gave Harry a meaningful look. She was about to say something when suddenly, a voice calling her name came from above the marble steps.

"Hey Hermione Granger!"

The sudden shouts nearly made the three people climbing the stairs shake violently. After they finally regained their balance and looked up with angry eyes, their expressions changed subtly in a second. Ron and Harry both looked at Hermione, whose lips were tightly pursed.

"Is there something you need, Davis?"

When they were just one step away from the platform, Hermione subtly avoided Roger Davis's gentlemanly outstretched hand, which he was about to offer to help her up. Once on the platform, Harry and Ron also tacitly retreated behind Hermione, even though their eyes were filled with strong hostility as they glanced at Roger Davis.

People coming in and out of the lobby realized what was about to happen. They all stopped in their tracks, held their breath, and looked at them with great interest.

"I've been looking for you for ages, I never expected to run into you here, Hermione—"

Davis's affectionate address made Hermione, Harry, and Ron frown. Davis and Hermione weren't close enough to call each other by their first names; in fact, they hadn't spoken to each other at school before today.

Davis brushed a strand of hair from his forehead, a confident smile on his face.

"Actually, I'd like to invite you to the Christmas ball with me. What do you say, beautiful Miss Granger? I'm sure that if we appear together at the ball, it will cause quite a stir!"

For a fleeting moment, Harry and Ron both wanted to rush up and punch Davis in the face. This guy had ulterior motives. He was rejected by Fleur at noon, and now he was provoking Hermione. He just wanted to use the heroes' fame to make a name for himself!

Harry and Ron were willing to bet that if Hermione accepted Davis's invitation, they would eat Hagrid's shrews raw!

“I’m sorry, Davis—” Hermione said coldly, “I’ve already agreed to be with someone else—”

Hermione's answer immediately caused Harry and Ron to exchange a surprised glance, and then they both looked at the back of Hermione's head.

As a champion of Hogwarts and the one who scored the highest in the first match, Hermione was naturally sought after. In fact, she had received quite a few invitations to the ball these days. However, those who invited her usually did so when Granger and her two friends were not together.

Even so, Harry and Ron had heard quite a few rumors in the past few days, but because of the sensitivity of the topic, they tacitly agreed not to ask. But unexpectedly, Hermione still found a dance partner.

Harry's eyes were filled with pure astonishment and curiosity, while a hint of gloom flashed across Ron's freckled face.

Hermione's answer also surprised Davis. He paused for a moment, then a confident smile returned to his face.

"Oh, don't lie to me, Hermione. I've already asked your good friend Crazy Girl, and she told me you haven't accepted any invitations yet. Hmm, maybe my invitation was too sudden for you? You need some time to process this surprise?"

"I don't know who this crazy girl you're talking about is, Davis!"

Hermione's expression hardened, and she spoke in a stiff tone.

"My best friend in Ravenclaw is Luna Lovegood!"

Chapter 691 Each Person's Dance Partner (Part 2)

2024-01-13

Hermione's attitude had clearly said something. The students watching whispered among themselves, talking about Roger Davis, and occasionally bursting into small snickers. This made Roger Davis lose face, and his face darkened.

"Okay, okay—"

Davis spread his hands towards Hermione and shrugged.

"What about the ball?"

Hey buddy!

Ron stared at Roger Davis with a hostile expression.

"Are you deaf? Didn't you hear? Hermione already said she's accepted someone else's invitation?"

"who are you?"

Ron's speech successfully drew Roger Davis's attention. The tall and imposing Davis looked over Hermione's head, sizing up Ron with a dismissive gaze and an extremely arrogant tone.

"What does this have to do with you?"

Ron had never been good at dealing with such disdain, especially with so many people watching. A blush crept up his cheeks and spread to the tips of his ears at a visible speed, but Ron didn't back down; he stood tall and proud.

“I’m Ron Weasley. Do you have a problem with that?” Ron asked, slightly out of breath. “As for our relationship, oh, we’re friends, so I think I have the right to shield her from unwanted harassment!”

“That’s right, Ron!”

Harry gave a thumbs-up, then cast a sharp look at Roger, hoping the big oaf would realize the situation and stop getting entangled with Hermione.

Hermione turned her head to look at the two boys behind her, her lips slightly pursed, her brown eyes gleaming. Her gaze lingered more on Ron. As she looked at the red-haired boy, a wave of melancholy and sadness suddenly washed over her. In a daze, she suddenly remembered when she first entered Hogwarts in her first year. It was Ron's sarcasm that had drawn her into their little group.

Perhaps, everything should come to an end.

“Friends?” Davis glanced at Ron sideways. “If they’re just friends?”

"More than friends—"

Hermione suddenly turned her head back, staring intently at the clownish Roger Davis, her gaze sharp, yet her tone utterly calm.

“Ron also invited me to Christmas, and I!” Hermione emphasized, “I’ve already accepted his invitation!”

call!

A sudden gust of cold wind whipped up the snowflakes floating on the ground, and the students standing on the marble platform outside the hall squinted as the snowflakes blew in their faces. However, Harry and Ron did not move.

Harry stared at Ron in disbelief, a mix of emotions welling up inside him. Ron and Hermione were both his good friends, yet they had both kept it a secret from him.

However, when Harry noticed Ron's bewildered face amidst the swirling snowflakes, he suddenly realized that what Hermione had just said was probably not the truth.

Please--

Even without turning around, Hermione could roughly guess Harry and Ron's respective reactions. In the howling snow wind, she quickly turned her head, frowned at Ron, and whispered, "Shouldn't you be reacting, Weasley?"

reaction?!

Ron suddenly snapped out of his daze and came to his senses completely.

He's going to dance with Hermione to the Christmas ball?!

But he didn't invite her. Hermione is his friend, isn't she? Going to the ball with her? Of course, she's not bad-looking, just a bit temperamental sometimes. Going with her isn't out of the question, as long as she doesn't mind his 'vintage' ball gown.

Ron's heart pounded. He wondered if it was just his imagination, but he noticed that Hermione looked much better than before. Oh, it must be because of her front teeth. He hadn't noticed before, but at some point, Hermione's front teeth no longer seemed so prominent!

In those few seconds, Ron's mind was filled with a jumble of thoughts. But he didn't have time to dwell on them any longer, because Roger Davis was already casting a suspicious glance at him.

"Ahem, uh--" Under the pressure of Hermione's sharp gaze, Ron blurted out before he could even think, "Yes, that's right. I mean, that's it!"

Ron had already noticed the barely suppressed smile on Harry's face, which made him even more blushing, but he still met Roger Davis's gaze with unwavering intensity.

"I invited her, that's right!"

Hermione Granger, the young heroine of Gryffindor, has found her dance partner: her good friend Ron Weasley.

The young wizards around looked somewhat surprised. Well, it wasn't exactly breaking news. The warriors' dance partners had been a hot topic of discussion lately. Regarding Hermione Granger, most students thought she would go to the ball with either Harry Potter or Ron Weasley. After all, anyone who knew the three of them even slightly knew how close they were.

The young wizards were surprised, as they had mostly assumed Hermione Granger would choose Harry Potter, given his greater fame and more striking appearance compared to the Weasley boy.

Roger Davis's face turned a deep purplish-red. Being rejected by two girls in one day wouldn't have been a big deal if it were Fleur Delacour, but Hermione Granger was just a lucky little girl!

Davis's lips twitched a few times, as if he wanted to say something sarcastic, but Harry Potter's sharp gaze, which came at just the right moment, made him feel suffocated. He subconsciously avoided Harry's gaze and then noticed that so many people had gathered around them.

"All right!"

Realizing that if he continued, he would completely become a clown, Roger forced what he thought was a gentlemanly smile.