bacchusnovels Chapter 485 Christmas is Coming
Chapter 485 Christmas is Coming
Chapter 485 Christmas is Coming
"The Light of the Celestial Mirror".
This is the password for the Gryffindor common room these days.
Harry walked into the common room and looked around. To his surprise, he saw Ron sitting in a corner in the distance, his face ashen. Ginny was sitting next to him, talking to him in a low voice, as if to comfort him.
"What's wrong, Ron?" Harry asked, walking toward them.
Ron looked up at Harry, a hint of shock on his face.
"Why did I do that?" he said, bewildered. "I don't know how I could have done something like that!"
"What?" Harry asked.
"He—well—he just invited Fleur Delacour to the ball with him," Ginny said, seemingly trying hard to suppress a laugh, but still patting Ron's arm sympathetically.
"What's wrong with you?" Harry asked.
"I don't know how I could have done something like this!" Ron gasped. "What was I thinking? There were people everywhere—a huge crowd—I must have lost my mind—everyone was watching! I saw her as I walked through the hallway—she was talking to Diggory—and I just couldn't control myself—I went up to her and asked her!"
"She looked at me like I was a sea cucumber or something," Ron groaned, covering his face with his hands. His voice grew increasingly urgent, and although his words were incoherent, his deep regret was evident. "Then she said—"
She wanted to dance with Professor Phillips—I suddenly realized what was happening and ran away.
Ginny, who was standing next to her, suddenly stopped laughing.
In the ensuing silence, Ron regained his composure and let out a mournful cry.
"It's just the two of us left without dance partners—well, except for Neville. Guess who he invited? Hermione!"
"What?" Harry's eyes widened in surprise.
“Yeah, I know about it!” Ron laughed, his face regaining some color. “He told me after Potions class! He said Hermione’s always been so kind, helping him with his homework and stuff—but then she told him she already has someone in mind. Ha! Makes it sound so real! She just doesn’t want to go with Neville—I mean, who’s going to ask her?”
"Don't laugh!" Ginny said angrily. "Don't laugh!"
Just then, Hermione crawled in through the hole behind the portrait, looking very happy.
"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked, seemingly unaware of the subtle change in the atmosphere in the room.
Ginny glanced at Ron, and her lips twitched involuntarily.
Ron tried to remain calm, looking down and scratching his hair, attempting to hide his embarrassment.
"Oh, it's nothing, Hermione." Harry smiled awkwardly, not wanting her to notice anything unusual about him.
Hermione blinked, not entirely convinced.
Any one of them could understand what was on their mind, especially Hermione when she was thoughtful and in a great mood.
"What's wrong with you two?" She suddenly frowned, walked over and sat down next to Harry. "I can sense something's off."
Ginny finally couldn't help but laugh. "Hermione, you really don't know? Ron just invited Fleur Delacour to the ball—and she turned him down!"
Hermione was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but burst out laughing. "What? He actually—how could he do this?" She laughed so hard she almost fell over.
"Stop laughing!" Ron's face turned bright red. "Why don't you all talk about yourselves? Hermione, you're a laughing stock yourself!"
"Oh, me?" Ron raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Look at you," Ron said, "Neville invited you to the ball, and you turned him down."
Hermione froze, her eyes flickered, then she feigned nonchalance, "Oh, that—"
"Actually, I've already promised someone else." She deliberately avoided looking them in the eye, but her face flushed slightly.
"Who?" Ginny asked curiously.
"Hmm—" Hermione hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "I agree—"
"Who did you promise?" Harry couldn't help but ask.
Hermione coughed and lowered her voice, "If you promise to help me promote house-elves, I can help you find partners for the Christmas ball. What do you think?"
The moment Hermione spoke, the atmosphere in the room instantly became awkward.
Ginny raised her eyebrows, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, while Harry seemed a little stunned, and Ron appeared very interested.
"You mean, if we help you promote the rights of house-elves, you'll help us find a dance partner for the Christmas ball?" Ron repeated uncertainly.
"Yes," Hermione nodded, "I'm a girl, I know everyone who doesn't have a Christmas dance partner, this is a good deal, isn't it?"
Indeed, as Hermione said, E—
If Hermione were to help them, their current predicament would be resolved much better.
"Hermione, isn't this a bit strange? Are you trying to use this as a bargaining chip to force us to help you promote house-elves?" Harry asked, somewhat puzzled.
Hermione immediately shook her head. "It's not coercion, it's a request," she said earnestly. "The rights of house-elves should have been addressed a long time ago. I know you don't pay much attention to these things, but this is something I really want to do. Your help will allow me to push this issue to more people, especially at such an important time, to raise awareness. All you need are dance partners, and besides, I have some information that should be able to help you."
"Yes, if we help each other, all our troubles will be solved." Ron suddenly laughed, excited about Hermione's suggestion.
"Hey, don't forget, we have to help Hermione promote her house-elf's rights." Harry frowned slightly, turning to Ginny with a hint of exasperation. "What do you think, Ginny?"
Ginny's eyes flickered slightly, swayed by Hermione's suggestion.
"Hmm, this is indeed a good deal." She smiled slightly. "If we can help Hermione out, at least she'll know we genuinely support what she wants to do. As for a dance partner—if Hermione can handle us, it will certainly save her a lot of trouble."
“I know this is sudden,” Hermione added in a low voice, “but it’s not just for me, it’s for the house-elves too. Don’t you think some of the practices Professor Phillips talks about in class—something about the Muggle world—can inspire us? They can make big progress through small changes. If you can help me, I’ll arrange everything before the ball so everyone has a partner.”
Harry finally sighed and gave in.
"Alright, Hermione, we'll do it for you. But you promise us you absolutely won't use this to make any other deals or gain more support, understand?"
Hermione smiled and nodded. "Understood. I will absolutely not abuse your help. I promise."
Ron, watching the two of them, couldn't help but interject, "Alright, in that case, we should be ready for the ball now. Hermione helped us find a dance partner, and we'll help Hermione achieve her dream—a win-win situation!" He smiled, seemingly relieved and relaxed.
Ginny laughed and shook her head. "You really are something, Ron. How could you accept this offer so easily?"
"Right now, I just want to find a dance partner," Ron replied, his face full of anticipation. "You guys should start getting ready too, and stop talking so much."
"Alright, since you've agreed, I'll get started right away." Hermione stood up, seemingly eager to make arrangements. "I'll go find the people I know. Everyone get ready; there will be results before the ball."
The Christmas holidays have finally arrived.
The atmosphere at Hogwarts Station was much quieter than in previous years.
Only a group of young wizards below the fourth grade crowded onto the platform, preparing to board the Hogwarts Express to go home.
A thin mist rose from the distant railway, the roar of the train gradually approached, and the train lights illuminated the empty stone pavement of the station.
Cho Chang stood alone in a corner of the platform, carrying her luggage. The temperature was so low that it made one shiver, but her attire didn't seem out of place—Hogwarts winter uniform and a heavy cloak were enough to ward off the chill.
She didn't have much luggage, just a heavy suitcase and a small pink handbag.
With a soft "whoosh," the train came to a smooth stop beside the platform. The doors slowly opened, and students entered the carriages one after another.
Qiu Zhang glanced at the train, took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind, before stepping into the carriage.
She knew that she still had the opportunity to decline Professor Phillips' invitation before boarding the train, but once on board, her options became increasingly limited.
Without thinking much, she walked into the carriage alone, chose the first one, and found a seat by the window.
The scenery outside the window was reflected in her eyes, and as the train started moving, the carriage gradually quieted down.
The entire carriage was almost empty. Qiu Zhang sat quietly, his fingers unconsciously stroking the edge of his suitcase, seemingly feeling a little uneasy and lost in thought.
The train's vibrations caused her body to sway slightly, but her gaze remained fixed on the scene outside the window—a snowflake falling, her vision gradually blurring, as if she had isolated herself from everything.
How long were you in quarantine?
Maybe half an hour, maybe an hour, maybe three hours.
In short, as Qiu Zhang felt himself reconnecting with the world, the roar of the train carriage gradually faded away, replaced by the silence after the train came to a complete stop.
Qiu Zhang lowered his head, hurriedly tidied his clothes, and prepared to get off the bus.
London's King's Station is busier than Hogwarts Station.
The moment the train doors opened, a cacophony of sounds erupted from all around. The noise of the platform instantly filled the air: hurried footsteps, announcements over the loudspeaker, and the crunch of suitcase wheels on the ground—all making the moment exceptionally noisy.
Qiu Zhang stepped out of the station and walked towards the arrival area outside the station, where he immediately saw two familiar figures.
"Dad, Mom."
Qiu Zhang's mother was a tall woman with long black hair that was gently tousled in the winter wind. She had bright, almond-shaped eyes, arched eyebrows like willow leaves, and a fair complexion with a rosy glow, like plum blossoms in spring, exuding a strong oriental charm.
Qiu Zhang's father was slightly thin, with a more serious face than his mother. He wore a classic black overcoat, making him look simple and capable.
Both of them were of Asian descent and had come to England with their fathers in their early years.
Qiu Zhang's generation should be considered the third generation.
Cho Chang's mother worked at the Ministry of Magic, while his father ran a small business in Diagon Alley. The family lived a fairly comfortable life.
"You're back. How was this semester?"
"I saw your performance in the Triwizard Tournament in the Daily Prophet, and you did a good job."
The former came from Mrs. Zhang, and the latter from Mr. Zhang.
Mrs. Zhang expressed her dissatisfaction with Mr. Zhang's inappropriate question through her actions—she glared at her husband fiercely, then took the luggage from her daughter and handed it to him.
"Why bring up those things when you're finally back? I was so worried when I found out Qiu was going to face a dragon."
"It's alright, nothing serious."
"—"
The group walked toward the parking lot while talking.
Taking advantage of the opportune moment, Qiu Zhang announced the matter.
"Professor Phillips is coming to our house tomorrow."
"Um?
","ah.
"
Mrs. Zhang was taken aback, her steps faltering slightly before she regained her composure, her brows furrowing slightly. "Professor Phillips? Why are you coming to our house?"
Zhang Qisheng appeared even more silent, his eyes lacking a sharp edge. "What brings you here?"
Few parents can remain calm when they hear that a school professor is going to make a home visit.
They might unconsciously connect what happened to their child at school with this home visit, which could cause them some anxiety.
Most things have proven these concerns to be valid.
Qiuzhang felt a little nervous when he heard Masachika's tone.
She cleared her throat. "Professor Phillips helped me in the first project, and he has always been interested in Eastern culture, so I invited him to come and express my gratitude."
Hearing this, the two breathed a sigh of relief.
"Oh, I see. Since it's Professor Woody Phillips, then there's no problem with him. Of course, we should treat him well."
"He has quite a reputation in the Donburi Law Department."
"Last year, I heard from you that he had been taking care of you in your studies. According to Eastern customs, you should thank him properly."
'
The next conversation shifted from Sean's work at the Well Department to Zong Mingtian's recipe.
Mrs. Zhang said that she originally planned to cook a turkey tomorrow, but she plans to go to Chinatown to buy some ingredients and cook an authentic Chinese meal.
Among other things, he asked Qiu Zhang about any dietary restrictions related to Sean.
Despite Cho Chang's efforts to return to the duck trade, she shook her head when faced with this question, indicating that she was unaware of the matter.
It was only at this point that Cho Chang realized he hadn't been lenient enough with Sean.
On the other side, Zhang Qisheng had some doubts about whether Madam Zhang was capable of cooking an "authentic Chinese meal," but he did not express his opinion and remained silent.
Married men know that sometimes, silence is golden.