bacchusnovels Chapter 491 Christmas Afternoon
Chapter 491 Christmas Afternoon
Chapter 491 Christmas Afternoon
In the afternoon, the sky grew even more gloomy, and snowflakes began to fall again from the gray sky, lightly covering the entire Hogwarts.
"Let's go outside and have a snowball fight!" Ron suggested excitedly.
Harry agreed to the proposal.
Normally, when a proposal is put forward in a three-person team, it will be implemented and carried out as long as it is approved by half (two people).
The three of them stepped out of the auditorium, and the cold air hit them, instantly clearing their minds.
On the snow, other students had already gathered together, some building snowmen, others playing in the snow.
Harry took a deep breath of the cold air and felt as if he had come back to life.
"Who wants to start?" Ron eagerly scooped up a handful of snow and aimed at Hermione with a grin.
Hermione's eyes widened. "You dare?" She turned around, quickly picked up a snowball, and threw it at Ron. The snowball hit him squarely on the shoulder.
"Ah!" Ron stumbled back, nearly falling in fright. "That's not fair, Hermione!"
Harry, watching from the side, couldn't help but laugh. Then he picked up a clump of snow, aimed it at Hermione's back, and quickly lunged forward. The snowball flew towards her, and Hermione had to dodge to the side, but some snowflakes still splashed onto her.
"You two!" Hermione laughed angrily, quickly retorting, "Watch out!"
The snowball fight quickly broke out, with snowballs flying everywhere. The three of them went back and forth, and before they knew it, the surrounding snow had become even more chaotic.
Admittedly, appropriate entertainment can help one forget some things.
However, after a while, more and more people gathered around.
There are the Weasley twins who love to join in the fun, Ravenclaw wizards, and even Slytherin wizards.
"Can we come with one of you?"
It was Krum who spoke.
After obtaining permission, he led Durmstrang's students into the battle.
It is worth mentioning that students from Beauxbatons did not participate in this "barbaric" activity.
However, snowball fights are more than just simple snowball throwing. Soon, the goal of snowballs went beyond simply dodging; they even began to incorporate subtle strategies.
Some students formed teams, while others secretly cast spells on themselves to make their snowballs fly farther and more accurately.
Of course, after Durmstrang students joined in, the snowball fight quickly transformed from a simple inter-school contest into a contest between Hogwarts and Durmstrang.
The camp was quickly divided into two major camps: Hogwarts and Durmstrang.
Although Durmstrang has a relatively small number of members, they have a natural advantage when it comes to snowball fights.
If I had to describe it, it would be as natural as eating.
Durmstrang is located in a region with year-round snow cover, where snow and cold have long been an integral part of their lives.
Having snowball fights is practically one of their daily activities.
Moreover, the students participating in the Triwizard Tournament are all Durmstrang's elite. Having undergone the same kind of devilish training as Sean, they have already honed their physical strength and strategy in various high-intensity activities.
For them, snowball fights are not just a form of entertainment, but also an opportunity to showcase their wizarding combat skills and teamwork.
Therefore, this was undoubtedly a massacre.
The few young wizards at Durmstrang, wielding snowballs, chased after most of the young wizards at Hogwarts like demons.
even-
Durmstrang's young wizards would also camouflage themselves in the snow in an attempt to teach the young wizards at Hogwarts a lesson.
When she realized things weren't going well, Hermione withdrew from the Quidditch pitch, citing the need to prepare for the ball.
"Who are you with?"
"Who are you with?"
Faced with Harry and Ron's questions, Hermione blushed slightly, but she quickly suppressed the emotion and replied casually, "I and—I won't tell you."
After saying that, she skipped away.
Distractions, coupled with familiarity in the relationship.
Harry and Ron received "special attention" from Krum, which meant being knocked down by two snowballs the size of fists.
Ron was even captured by Krum and used as a shield.
"Don't worry about me, Harry, just run!"
"Inconsistent"
"Run!"
"We'll die together."
"If we don't run now, it'll be too late!"
It was too late, as Harry was surrounded by several Durmstrang students with snowballs, who were laughing maliciously.
The fierce battle continues.
The battle lasted a long time, until the sky gradually darkened and the snowball's flight path became increasingly unpredictable.
Seeing that everyone's fighting spirit had waned, the pace of the snowball fight gradually slowed down.
As the last snowflake flew into the air, almost everyone realized that today's battle was nearing its end.
When they returned to the common room, everyone was exhausted.
The atmosphere in the common lounge was also much more relaxed.
The fat lady and her friend Violet sit in the frame, their faces flushed with drunkenness, talking in hushed tones and occasionally bursting into boisterous laughter.
Several empty chocolate boxes were scattered at the bottom of the picture frame. She looked like she had drunk too much.
Harry wiped the snow off his face and looked out the window.
As the evening breeze picked up, the Hogwarts towers became increasingly lively under the cover of night, and the Christmas ball that night drew ever closer.
"Looks like tonight's going to be big," Harry said to Ron. "But before that, we need to get some rest and prepare."
Ron nodded in agreement.
However, despite saying that, the two of them had very little time to rest.
About ten minutes later, Seamus, Dean, and Neville returned.
So the group began to change into their formal gowns, each of them appearing somewhat uneasy.
Ron didn't wear a women's gown like in the original story, but it was still secondhand—Percy had left him this outfit before he graduated.
However, since Percy always had a "superior" standard of living at home, and he was also a person with a slight obsession with cleanliness.
So, although the robe was secondhand, it looked very new—even better maintained than new, and fit Ron perfectly.
Ron looked in the mirror and couldn't help but smile smugly.
It fit him perfectly, especially the shoulders and waist, which looked even better than he had expected—which made him wonder if Percy would look more serious in this gown. Anyway, at least tonight he wouldn't have to worry about looking like a wooden doll in an ill-fitting gown.
"How is it?" Harry asked, looking at him with a smile.
"Not bad," Ron straightened up and turned around. "Better than I expected. Percy's clothes are indeed good, although there's nothing special about them—but they're much better than my old ones."
Neville walked past the mirror and smiled, agreeing, "Looks pretty good, no worse than mine." He was wearing a dark green robe, a little loose, but not too bad.
Simo stood to the side, wearing a dark blue robe, looking somewhat reserved.
He glanced down at his formal attire and suddenly said with some anxiety, "I hope tonight won't be too awkward."
After all, this isn't a piece of clothing I wear every day.
"Don't worry, Seamus," Harry patted him on the shoulder, "you look good."
"You're right," Dean chimed in. "Everyone's dressed quite well; it's going to be a lot of fun tonight!"
Although everyone was a little uneasy, the atmosphere relaxed considerably amidst mutual comfort and laughter.
After tidying up the cannons, the group left the dormitory.
As they went downstairs, they saw Parvati waiting for Harry at the bottom of the stairs.
Parvati, one of Hermione's roommates.
It's worth mentioning that the two roommates and dance partners Hermione found for Harry and Ron were both considered "house beauties" at Hogwarts, not only outstanding in appearance but also very cheerful in personality.
Today, Parvati wore a light and shimmering pink robe, her jet-black hair was braided with gold ribbons, and her gold bracelets gleamed on her wrists.
Seeing them, Parvati beamed, "You're finally here! You all look great." She paused briefly, looked at Simo, and added with a smile, "Simo, you look great in that too."
Simo gave a slightly awkward laugh: "Well, thanks, Parvati."
Parvati's only flaw—perhaps his overly cheerful personality, almost to the point of being excessive—is that he always "smiles foolishly" at inappropriate times.
Just as Harry's gaze lingered on Parvati, a figure slowly descended the stairs.
It's Hermione.
But today, she seemed completely different from the Hermione she usually was.
She wore a flowing light purple robe, and her hair, no longer the messy curly hair, was carefully styled, becoming smooth and shiny, and was tied into an elegant bun at the back of her head.
Unlike Hermione in the past, today she seemed to have shed the heavy books she usually carried with her, looking much lighter and more graceful than before.
Harry paused for a moment, realizing that Hermione had never been so captivating.
"Hello, Harry!" Hermione greeted with a smile. "Hello, Parvati!"
Parvati wasn't surprised by Hermione's reaction—as her roommate, she had expected it. She'd even seen and touched things that were far more explicit. She simply couldn't help but smile, a hint of mockery in her eyes.
But everyone else was different—almost the entire common room was focused on Hermione, which made her feel a little awkward, her cheeks flushing slightly. She lowered her head, unconsciously adjusting her skirt, appearing somewhat nervous.
However, as time passed, these gazes gradually faded. Everyone knew that time was of the essence and the Christmas ball was about to begin, so they all got up and headed towards the hall.
The lobby was packed with students, and the air was thick with an atmosphere of eager anticipation and excitement.
Some students, wanting to meet their dance partners from other colleges, would weave through the crowd, searching for their matches.
Parvati found her sister Padma and led her toward Harry and Ron.
Just as they were about to leave, Fleur Delacour came over.
She wore a silver-gray satin robe, her beauty was breathtaking, as if she was born to attract attention.
Fleur's Veela bloodline and inherent qualities brought her an even more sensational effect than Hermione's.
Even though Hermione's outfit tonight was already eye-catching enough, Fleur standing next to her seemed to be an unmatched presence.
What drew even more attention was the person standing next to her—Professor Phillips.
Although Ron already knew from Fleur that her dance partner was Professor Phillips, he was still somewhat stunned when he saw this scene.
Professor Phillips was dressed in a well-tailored suit, exuding a mature and composed demeanor, and possessed a handsome face. It seemed that no man was more suitable to be paired with Hibiscus.
Looking at them standing together, Ron couldn't help but think: Sure enough, some people are destined to be the center of attention.
This thought wasn't just on Ron's mind; many people thought the same way.
This includes... Hermione.
Despite having already heard the news from Professor Phillips, her heart still skipped a beat when she saw him standing with Fleur—especially seeing Sean and Fleur together so well-matched, she even began to have some doubts about herself.
Meanwhile, a group of Slytherin students came up the steps from their underground common room.
Leading the way was Malfoy, who wore a black velvet high-necked robe and looked exactly like a meticulous parish priest.
Pansy Parkinson clung tightly to his arm, wearing a pale pink robe with ruffles, her gait haughty and exuding extraordinary confidence. Crabbe and Goyle, on the other hand, wore dark green gowns, looking like two large, moss-covered rocks, appearing both composed and silent—except they hadn't found dance partners.
At that moment, the oak front door opened, and everyone turned to see Durmstrang's students and Professor Karkaroff walking in together.
Krum walked at the front, with Eileen beside him—the girl who had always been with him—today she was wearing a blue robe, her expression calm and elegant.
As the crowd entered, the lawn in front of the castle was transformed into a cave, where twinkling fairy lights shimmered like dancing stars.
Hundreds of living fairies fluttered among them, some sitting in clusters of magically conjured roses, others flapping their wings on statues that appeared to be Santa Claus and his reindeer.
Just then, Professor McGonagall's voice rang out: "Brave warriors, come this way!"
Professor McGonagall wore a long red plaid robe, and her hat was adorned with a conspicuous and extremely inappropriate thistle wreath.
At this moment, the other warriors, who had arrived late, also came.
This included Qiu Zhang.
For some reason, Qiu Zhang's dance partner was... Selena, who was also a warrior?