The Return to Hogwarts

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's get excited!"

Chapter 710 Ah, Youth (Part 1)

2024-01-24

After Professor Blaine announced the start of the ball, the piano he had brought out began to play a soothing, melancholic melody in the spacious, dreamlike hall. Suddenly, the magnificent, extravagant chandelier hanging from the palace ceiling cast a beam of pale golden light downwards, enveloping the enormous stage.

Cedric and Cho Chang exchanged a sweet glance, smiled slightly, and naturally took hands, leaving their seats. They were the first group to leave their seats and walk towards the stage.

Next up were Viktor and Daphne, who walked confidently onto the stage amidst envious glances from many.

At this point, Harry finally started to get a little nervous. He suddenly realized that since he agreed to go to the ball with Fleur, he hadn't practiced his terrible dancing skills even once.

Although he had lost all interest in the Christmas ball, that didn't mean he was happy to embarrass himself in front of everyone.

"Don't be nervous, Harry—"

Perhaps out of habit, Harry instinctively prepared to cast a pleading look at Hermione, but then he suddenly heard Fleur say something.

Harry immediately looked at Fleur, his expression slightly unnatural, and found that Fleur was giving him an understanding smile. The smile contained understanding, and she didn't seem as aloof as usual.

“I’ll tell you how to do it—” Hibiscus said with a smile.

"Oh, thank you--"

Harry took a few quick breaths, and suddenly realized that Fleur wasn't so bad after all. He pursed his lips and nodded at her.

At that moment, a soft chuckle erupted from the students on both sides of the stage who were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the champions and their partners. Harry, who had already circled around the main stage, noticed that the mocking glances were directed at Hermione and Ron. He turned to check on them, knowing that Ron was definitely less comfortable in such situations than he was. However, Fleur, who was beside him, held his arm tightly, almost dragging him forward.

As the banquet progressed, Ron's mind began to go numb. He was both incredibly excited and incredibly afraid of the ball starting soon.

While Hermione ate with graceful poise, Ron kept glancing at the attire of the other champions on the platform. Although he knew perfectly well that his vintage tuxedo was the worst of the couples who were about to dance, he couldn't help but let his mind wander.

When Professor Blaine gave them the order to go on stage, Ron's mind went blank. He only managed to stand up from his chair after Hermione reminded him, but his legs seemed to be malfunctioning at that moment, and he immediately collapsed back down after standing up.

Hermione keenly noticed Ron's problem. She pushed aside the stool and quickly grabbed Ron's arm, but the shoulder strap was almost ripped off by Ron's frantic, drowning-like hands.

"For Merlin's sake, Ron!"

Dancing under so many eyes is bound to make one feel nervous and excited, but Ron's demeanor made Hermione completely forget about it. As she turned to leave, Hermione quickly adjusted her clothes and, suppressing her urges, said rapidly,

"There's nothing to be afraid of, Ron. It's only two minutes!"

"Yes, I understand—"

Perhaps it was the concern hidden in Hermione's clear brown eyes that gave Ron a bit of courage. Pale-faced and suffocating like a fish out of water, Ron finally managed to control his legs.

"My leg just went numb--"

The other three pairs of warriors had already taken to the stage. Hermione realized that she and Ron were falling behind. She took Ron's arm for support and started to catch up.

Ron had no idea how he ended up in the spotlight.

The VIP stand was less than forty feet from the stage, but that distance seemed to be the longest he had ever walked in his life.

He knew that what he should do most right now was to remain calm and composed, not to make himself a laughing stock, and most importantly, not to make Hermione a laughing stock.

He tried his best not to look at the eyes of those waiting for him on stage, but those eyes, filled with mockery, ridicule, indifference, and doubt, flew into his eyes from all directions, obscuring his vision, disrupting his thoughts, tearing apart his mental defenses, and making him break out in a cold sweat.

It turns out that being in the spotlight and becoming the focus of people's attention is not such a wonderful thing; the audience offstage is much more at ease.

"Put your arms around my waist, Ron--"

It wasn't until Hermione, who was standing next to him, appeared opposite him and her gentle voice reached his ears amidst the melodious music that Ron regained some of his senses.

The moment his trembling hand touched the girl's waist, the first thought that popped into Ron's mind was: Hermione's waist is so soft.

The softness in his palm made Ron feel dizzy. He could feel his blood rushing through his body, making him feel as if he were on fire.

He glanced at Hermione instinctively. A blush crept onto the girl's fair cheeks. Her smooth hair shone under the spotlight. Her sexy ribs, the cleavage hidden beneath her pale purple strapless bodice, and her alluring curves were even more striking than the fire dragon that appeared at the first event of the tournament!

Ron never realized that Hermione was so beautiful!

It was breathtakingly beautiful, so beautiful that he dared not look any longer!

The jumble of thoughts caused Ron's already rusty dance steps to falter, and he staggered slightly. Fortunately, Hermione's arm provided some support, preventing him from making an even bigger fool of himself.

puff-

A mocking laugh, easily overlooked, suddenly came from the side of the stage, but it was crystal clear to Ron's ears.

He didn't want to look, but his gaze involuntarily drifted in that direction.

It was Malfoy's two henchmen, Crabbe and Goyle, who were staring at him with their mouths covered, their shoulders twitching.

what's so funny? !

Ron's face gradually turned red. These two idiots hadn't even found a dance partner yet!

Ron tried to banish Crabbe and Goyle from his mind, but the cold sneers on the lips of some Slytherin members gradually magnified in his mind, even pushing Hermione's image out of his head.

"Don't get distracted, Ron. Ignore these people; they're just jealous of you!"

Ron mentally shouted to himself, trying to focus on Hermione and the dance moves, but his gaze became increasingly unfocused, wandering between the students in the audience, the other three pairs of warriors and their partners on stage, and the professors on the main stage.

Are they looking at him? Do they think he and his dress are a joke? Do they think it's a complete mistake for Hermione, one of the champions of Hogwarts, to have approached him?

From Ron's increasingly unfocused gaze, his unconsciously furrowed brows, the dense beads of sweat on his forehead, and his increasingly frequent gazing at the hem of his skirt, Hermione could guess what Ron was thinking.

However, she did not remind Ron to focus again.

Hermione looked at the boy dancing with her, her gaze tender.

Ron is a bit clumsy, but also very smart. Ron is a little vain, but also very kind.

She had known the boy in front of her for nearly four years. He had inadvertently helped her escape the Muggle girl's shell and enter the wondrous magical world, where she had become withdrawn due to fear.

He brought her a lot of joy and touched her deeply. She never forgot that when Malfoy mocked her as a "Mudblood" in second grade, it was Ron who was the first to stand up for her and teach Malfoy a lesson.

Of course, he also made himself so angry that he couldn't sleep many nights, because of Banban's situation, and Ron's indifferent attitude after she became a warrior some time ago.

She knew the boy in front of her secretly liked her. She had even fantasized about whether she and Ron might be a good match someday; she felt it might not be a bad choice. However, deep down, a lingering doubt remained.

Professor Blaine's words gave Hermione the courage to confront her doubts about Ron. It was actually a form of resentment on her part; she shouldn't just give in passively, but should respect her true feelings and listen to her inner voice!

The somber music finally came to an end, and Ron breathed a heavy sigh of relief. His attention finally returned to Hermione, but the moment his eyes met hers, he froze, before he could say anything—

"Thank you, Ron--"

Looking at the tall boy in front of her, Hermione smiled and said...

Chapter 711 Youth (Part 2)

2024-01-24

For Ron, the two-minute lead dance was like torture; every second was excruciating.

After his initial amazement at Hermione's stunning presence and his secret delight at being one of the focal points on stage, his attention was entirely focused on the gazes of the crowd below. He knew not everyone harbored ill intentions, but he couldn't help but let his mind wander.

His suit, oh, did he pick it out of the garbage dump?

He looks silly.

Oh, Hermione Granger looks really unusual. Why would she choose Weasley as her dance partner?

These sounds kept filling his mind amidst the melodious and gentle music. He wanted to refute these thoughts, but he didn't know where to begin.

Even though Hermione wasn't a champion, she was still Hogwarts' brightest student and a favorite of many professors. He, on the other hand, wasn't as famous as Harry, nor did he possess Harry's exceptional Quidditch talent. He wasn't even as persistent as Neville, having endured so many disdainful looks in Professor Blaine's physical education class, yet he never considered giving up.

He was just an ordinary person with no talent or fame. Although he always fantasized about being different, his inner voice told him that he was just an ordinary person.

As the last note faded into the ice castle, Ron's forehead was covered in sweat, and his back was soaked with sweat as well.

He wanted to apologize to Hermione, because he realized that during the dance, his clumsy steps had repeatedly stepped on Hermione's dress, leaving his footprints all over her expensive gown. However, before he could say anything—

"Thank you, Ron--"

The outstanding girl opposite him said this to him.

Their gazes met in the pale golden light. Hermione smiled as she looked at Ron, while Ron stared blankly at Hermione. Their hearts seemed to intertwine at that moment, each seeing into the other's deepest thoughts.

Ron's body trembled uncontrollably, his eyes filled with pain and torment. He truly realized that he had lost something incredibly precious, something countless times more valuable than fame or talent.

Time seemed to stand still. Ron suddenly felt an urge to hug Hermione and cry his heart out. At least... at least, he wanted to tell Hermione himself—

I like you!

She saw through Ron's pain at that moment. A faint smile appeared on her lips, and her clear brown eyes revealed understanding and tolerance for Ron. She gently squeezed Ron's hand.

We will be good friends, friends for life!

Hermione gave Ron a look and slowly released his hand.

"Can I dance with you?"

As one piece of music paused, another, even more cheerful tune began. The young wizards below the stage were already impatient, and they flocked to the dance floor. Lavender, dressed in a pink gauze dress with lavender embroidered in gold thread on the hem, bypassed the intertwined figures of Fleur and Cho Chang and eagerly came to Ron's side.

She glanced cautiously at Hermione, then looked hesitantly at Ron.

"what?"

Ron was still immersed in grief; he had no idea that Lavender would come looking for him at this time.

"Oh no, I--"