bacchusnovels Chapter 492 The Christmas Ball Begins
Chapter 492 The Christmas Ball Begins
Chapter 492 The Christmas Ball Begins
Admittedly, it's strange for two girls to dance together.
But if both girls are stunningly beautiful, then it's a completely different story.
People will not only not question it, but will be willing to stop and appreciate it, and even look forward to seeing more.
After all, in this world where looks matter, certain rules are always automatically ignored because of beauty.
Besides, who says the wizarding world has no political consciousness?
The great Minister Fudge has always been happy to go with the flow, willing to compromise on anything as long as it helps his votes. In fact, if necessary, he could even write nice things like "the wizarding world should be more open and inclusive" in the Ministry of Magic's official documents.
However, even though the female companions attracted a lot of attention, the most eye-catching combination in the entire auditorium was still Professor Phillips and Fleur Delacour's magic.
Sean was already handsome enough, while Fleur was known for her natural charm as a Veela.
The two of them standing together looked like Snow White and Prince Charming from a fairy tale (if they knew it). They needed no embellishment; their mere existence was enough to amaze people.
Even the most discerning person cannot deny the awe-inspiring impact of their appearance.
Many people have even started whispering and speculating about how they teamed up and how Sean managed to win Fleur's invitation.
Some Hogwarts witches even disliked Fleur more.
Fleur's very existence had already caused many boys at Hogwarts to fall at her feet, and now, even their "school heartthrob" Professor Hogwarts has been invited to become her partner—it feels like something precious has been stolen from them.
"It looks great, doesn't it?"
Selena glanced briefly at Fleur and Professor Phillips, then whispered to Cho Chang.
Qiu Zhang was slightly taken aback. When he came to his senses, a blush crept onto his cheeks.
"No, no." She denied it instinctively, but her tone was somewhat forced.
Selena gave her a meaningful look, a faint smile playing on her lips. "She is indeed very beautiful." She paused, then added with a sigh, "I mean..."
"Come here!" Professor McGonagall's voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Selena.
The warriors immediately headed towards her, and the surrounding students made way for them. Whispers and excited discussions arose from the crowd, but everyone maintained basic order and left a wide passage for the warriors.
Professor McGonagall was as dignified and solemn as ever, wearing a red plaid robe and a conspicuous, incongruous wreath of thistles on her hat. She stood at the door, gesturing deftly to direct them to stand aside and wait, allowing the other students to enter the auditorium and take their seats first.
Only after most people were seated did she turn around and gesture for them to line up and enter the auditorium.
The auditorium for the Christmas ball had already been decorated like a fairytale world.
The four walls were covered with a layer of shimmering silver frost, as if the entire space had been frozen by magic. The magical night sky on the ceiling was dotted with stars, and hundreds of mistletoe twigs and ivy wreaths hung in a scattered pattern. A faint winter fragrance permeated the air.
The original four long academy tables have been removed and replaced with one hundred small round tables covered with exquisite tablecloths, each with a magic lantern lit in the center.
Under everyone's gaze, Sean led Fleur to the head table; without a doubt, they were the most eye-catching couple of the night.
Dumbledore sat at the head table, a pleased smile on his face and a hint of mockery in his eyes, seemingly quite looking forward to tonight's ball. In contrast, Karkaroff's expression was not so pleasant; his face was gloomy, and his gaze frequently swept over Sean and Fleur, as if he had some reservations about the pairing.
On the contrary, Ms. Maxim's face was filled with genuine joy. Tonight, she had specially changed into a flowing light purple dress, shedding the seriousness and solemnity of her usual black satin uniform, and looked extremely elegant. She applauded enthusiastically like her classmates, full of anticipation for tonight's grand event.
Thunderous applause erupted; the ball was about to officially begin.
The warriors and their partners walked to the table, and Percy pulled out an empty chair next to him, gazing intently at Harry.
This time, Percy returned as Crouch's personal assistant.
Harry understood what he meant and sat down next to Percy.
Percy was wearing a brand-new navy blue formal robe, with a smug and self-important look on his face.
"I've been promoted," Percy announced eagerly before Harry could even speak, his tone suggesting he had just been chosen as the supreme ruler of the universe.
Harry wasn't particularly interested, but out of politeness, he asked, "Oh? What position have you been promoted to?"
"I am now Mr. Crouch's personal assistant," Percy straightened his back, his tone full of pride. "I am here on his behalf at tonight's ball."
Harry raised an eyebrow and casually asked, "Then why didn't he come by himself?"
He wasn't really concerned about Mr. Crouch's absence, but he was even less willing to listen to Percy ramble on about Ministry of Magic affairs throughout the banquet, especially the lengthy discussion about the standard thickness of the cauldron bottom.
Percy wore a somber expression, as if he possessed some important secret, and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry, Mr. Crouch's condition is not good, very bad."
He sighed, shook his head slightly, and continued, "He's been acting strange ever since the World Cup. It's not surprising—he's been working too hard. After all, he's not as young as he used to be—although, of course, he's still very good, and his mind is still incredibly sharp."
Harry listened to these words, silently took a sip of pumpkin juice, and tried his best to appear as if he was listening attentively.
"However," Percy continued, his expression growing increasingly serious, "the World Cup was a terrible defeat for the entire Ministry of Magic, and Mr. Crouch's personal emotions were greatly affected as a result. Especially—"
He lowered his voice, a hint of regret and disdain in his tone, "—His house-elf, what was her name again? Sparkle? Or some other weird name? Anyway, she misbehaved during the World Cup, causing him considerable stress. Naturally, he fired her immediately afterward, but—sigh, as I said before, he's getting old and needs care. I think since that elf left, he's found the comfort level of his home to have plummeted."
Harry's stomach churned at the mention of "Sparkling," as if he were suddenly reminded of an unpleasant experience—just thinking about how Hermione had dragged him into the kitchen a few days ago to give Sparkling a long lecture on the rights of house-elves, and he couldn't help but sigh and rub his forehead.
Adding to the fact that Dobby suddenly appeared at his bedside this morning, and considering the experience of being "bombarded" with questions about house-elves these past two days, he even began to wonder if he was under some kind of curse.
He looked down at his plate, deciding to ignore Percy's nagging and instead focus on waiting for the ball to officially begin.
On the other side, Sean followed Fleur to Beauxbatons' seating area.
As mentioned before, Beauxbatons students pay more attention to etiquette than Hogwarts students. Their seating area is well-ordered, and even the decorations on the long tables are different from those of the other two schools, being more exquisite and elegant, and exuding a faint floral fragrance.
After Sean took his seat, many Beauxbatons students cast curious glances at him. Clearly, as Fleur's dance partner for the evening, this Hogwarts professor had become the focus of their attention.
"Sir, your attire is very appropriate," a blonde woman from Beauxbatons said softly, giving Sean a slightly shy smile.
"Thank you, ma'am." Sean returned the smile politely, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over Fleur, who remained calm and unchanging.
Fleur picked up a glass of champagne, took a small sip, then turned her head and said in a light tone, "Professor Phillips, how are the decorations for tonight? Are you satisfied with tonight's Christmas ball?"
Sean smiled slightly, glanced around the Great Hall, which was decorated with magic and resembled a winter fairytale, and nodded, saying, "It is indeed outstanding. In all my years at Hogwarts, this is the first time I've seen such a grand occasion, compared to other banquets—"
Fleur nodded in agreement, saying, "This is much more lively than our banquets in Beauxbatons. Ms. Maxim always likes to be particular about aristocratic etiquette, but sometimes it's too formal and makes it less enjoyable."
Sean smiled and nodded, about to reply, when a small commotion suddenly arose at the other end of the Beauxbatons student area.
Several students whispered amongst themselves, their eyes all darting towards the main seating area not far away, as if they had just witnessed something interesting.
Sean followed their gaze and saw Dumbledore leisurely flipping through his small menu, a hint of pleasure in his eyes.
After a moment, he cleared his throat: "Pork chop."
As soon as he finished speaking, a tempting pork chop appeared on the shiny golden plate in front of Dumbledore, steaming hot as if it had just been brought out of the kitchen.
The professors and warriors around them stopped what they were doing, and looking at this scene, their faces showed a look of sudden realization—their plates had been empty, but each of them now had a small menu on them—
There were no waiters, and no set menu.
Those who reacted quickly began to imitate Dumbledore's actions, tentatively ordering food.
"Roasted lamb chops," Ms. Maxim said elegantly, and the next second, a plate of fragrant roasted lamb chops appeared on her plate.
"Beef stew." Karkaroff glanced at the menu and said with a hint of skepticism, but when a plate of exquisite beef stew appeared in front of him, a look of surprise flashed in his eyes.
Immediately afterwards, a chorus of orders being placed filled the auditorium—
Pumpkin soup!
Fish and chips.
"Braised potatoes with cream."
Honey and chive dumplings.
The students excitedly tried it, and the plates on the table were filled with all kinds of delicious food, while the golden cutlery gleamed under the lights.
Sean raised an eyebrow. "It's time to eat."
Fleur smiled gently, raised her chin, and said with a hint of smugness, "Hogwarts is indeed very good at creating surprises in these details."
As she spoke, she glanced down at the menu and elegantly said, "French-style braised chicken."
Without further hesitation, Sean casually replied, "Roast duck."
As soon as he finished speaking, the corresponding dishes appeared on their plates instantly. They were all colorful, fragrant, and delicious. The crispy duck skin gleamed with an enticing sheen, and the rich aroma wafted over, making him take a few more glances.
Hibiscus gracefully chopped her French-style braised chicken, glancing at Sean's plate out of the corner of her eye. She paused slightly, then ordered one as well.
Admittedly, not everyone can resist the allure of roast duck.
Especially when Sean patiently taught her how to wrap roast duck and cucumber in a tortilla, then add a piece of crispy roast duck skin, and lightly dip it in white sugar, the moment it entered her mouth, the crispy and sweet flavors intertwined, making her involuntarily squint her eyes.
Even this dish was brought by Sean after he arrived at Hogwarts.
The entire banquet proceeded in a warm and pleasant atmosphere.
Before long, the food on the table was gone, and the crisp sound of knives and forks scraping against plates gradually subsided. Dumbledore stood up, revealing his usual cheerful smile, and gestured for the students to stand up.
After everyone had stood up, he gently waved his wand, and the long golden tables flew to the wall with a "whoosh," arranging themselves neatly around the hall to make room for the dance floor. Then, he waved his wand again, and a tall stage quickly appeared against the right wall of the hall, upon which sat a drum set, several guitars, and...
A lute (also known as a zither, a pear-shaped plucked string instrument similar to a guitar popular from the 14th to the 17th centuries), a cello, and several organs.
The next second, the stage lights suddenly turned on, and a group of wizards dressed in tattered black robes rushed onto the stage—it was the strange sisters!
The audience erupted in thunderous applause and cheers, and the atmosphere at the scene suddenly reached a climax.
The members of the eccentric sisters are all covered in thick hair and dressed flamboyantly. They pick up their respective instruments and stand in front of the stage, striking exaggerated poses.
Sean watched the stage with great interest, a slight smile playing on his lips. He wasn't exactly a fanatic for the quirky sisters' music, but he had to admit that their live performances were truly captivating.
As the first heavy drumbeat sounded, the lanterns in the arena quickly went out, leaving only the magic lights on the stage flashing, reflecting a dazzling array of colors.
The entire auditorium was transformed into a giant dance floor, with a strong rhythm resounding all around, making people want to dance along.
The other warriors and their partners also stood up one after another; according to tradition, they would be the protagonists of the first dance of the ball.
Sean smiled slightly, turned his head to look at Fleur, and extended his hand to her in a gentlemanly manner: "It's time for us to go on stage."
Furong slowly stood up and gently took his hand.
Under the watchful eyes of countless people, the Christmas ball officially began.