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"Why in black? Where did you find the horse?" the slightly blushing girl immediately asked Max.
"This is my faithful Bucephalus, on which we will ride off into the sunset after the ball toward happiness and adventures."
The noise in the Hall didn't stop, but judging by the movement at the House table, Dumbledore was about to calm everyone down, and McGonagall was already rapidly picking up speed, moving toward the epicenter of the outrage.
"Why not a unicorn?" hid her embarrassment behind an ironic smile, Hermione.
"We tried, but they didn't agree."
At that moment, the figure of the horse began to turn into Colin Creevey.
"No sunsets!" resented the curly-haired fellow. "Bucephalus wants to eat!"
"You turned a third-year student into a horse? No, really?"
"Yes, he was only glad about it!"
"Dennis!" yelled Colin toward the door to the Hall, but the answer came from the side.
"Yeah?" came out of invisibility Colin's younger brother with a camera in his hands. "All filmed, a lot and cool!"
"Well done!"
Colin held out his palm, and his brother "high-fived."
"What a grand collusion..."
Hermione smiled after all and pulled Max by the sleeve of his suit to the table.
"Stop the mess!" Professor McGonagall spoke sternly and loudly, and Dumbledore at that moment, with a slight movement of his hand, put a Silencio on the entire Hall, and silence reigned immediately.
"An unprecedented violation of the rules!" reprimanded McGonagall to our entire company. The twins with brooms in their hands were already standing side by side, elbowing each other cheerfully and winking. And they were communicating just fine without words!
"For such a glaring and blatant breach of discipline, I hereby deprive each of you of ten points."
Contrary to what the professor said, this did not upset anyone in our company.
"However, I have to admit that in my memory, this is the most extraordinary, and for the most part, completely unnecessary, invitation to the ball. For your work and demonstration of extraordinary skills in transfiguration, enchantment, and potions, I assign twenty points to each of you."
The twins and the Creevy brothers rejoiced as if in a silent movie, but the Headmaster's Silencio did not allow a single sound to leak out.
"So," Dumbledore spoke when more or less everyone had calmed down, and he had removed the spell from the Hall. "Since we have all witnessed such an extraordinary act, I am announcing, albeit somewhat ahead of schedule, a Yule Ball. It will be held on the second day of the vacation, and students from the fourth year will be allowed to attend. You may, of course, invite younger students as well. Your Heads of House, Professors, and Headmasters will tell you the rest of the organizational details."
The Headmaster sat back down at his desk, and we all continued on with breakfast. Someone wanted to be indignant, saying, "Like Lockhart spoiled all the food with their trash."
"Are you a wizard, or what?" one of the twins shouted to the disgruntled and snapped his fingers demonstratively. All the petals disappeared, causing general amazement. However, Flitwick and some other professors and students saw the point of this action - it was part of the charm's program.
***
For as long as I can remember in this life, I have never before experienced such a forgotten feeling of mild shame. No, of course, I had participated in the creation of this idea, but it was the twins who had contributed most of the nonsense. And they can't complain - they were quite good at advertising everything, and for what reason - the ball! I felt a little uncomfortable at breakfast, and Hermione was looking at me strangely. Although, the Delphine, in the form of a cat, looked at me much more strangely. Why hadn't she run away from the girl in the first place? That's what boredom can do to wizards! She would have been better off keeping an eye on Daphne, quietly flirting with Nott. Though maybe it should be so? Who will understand them in this English swamp?
"Ma-a-ax..." Seamus sat down next to me. "Why didn't you tell anyone about the ball?"
"I just found out about it yesterday."
"And you got everything ready so quickly? A bit unnecessary, it seems to me."
"And he in general," Hermione spoke up, setting the cutlery aside on an empty plate. "Either nothing or like this. From extreme to extreme."
"Would it be better if I just invited you?"
"Well, you could somehow be more modest ..." Hermione looked around the Hall quickly. "Everyone's looking at me now. Now they will not give me peace."
"Well, even if I invited you quietly, they wouldn't give you any peace after the ball."
"A whole month of quiet life has fallen into the abyss..." Hermione paused. "But I'm glad. This is definitely better than the "just like that" invitation."
"Meooow."
"What, kitty? Here's some more bacon for you."
The cat pounced on the bacon under the gaze of the smiling girl.
"And why is she so obsessed with bacon? How about some fish?"
And I look at this and wonder what will happen when Hermione finds out about this cat's identity? And she will sooner or later. I'm sure it will be one of my funniest memories.