The news of Hogwarts hosting a Christmas ball sent shockwaves through the school, akin to the explosion of a magical bomb in tranquil waters. In the past, only a small fraction of students stayed at Hogwarts during the Christmas break. However, this year marked a departure from the norm. It appeared that all students from the fourth year and above had decided to remain at the castle.
As for the younger students, the first through third years, they were all fervently seeking ways to stay and secure an invitation to the grand event. The impending dance had become the obsession of nearly everyone, especially the girls.
The boys, on the other hand, were taken aback by the sheer number of girls at Hogwarts who were now their potential dance partners. The girls were dressed to impress, exuding a charm more enchanting than ever. They giggled and whispered in the corridors, burst into laughter whenever a boy passed by, and eagerly discussed what to wear on the magical Christmas night.
"I just can't fathom these girls!" Ron sighed in bewilderment.
Harry chimed in, "Indeed, why do they always move about in groups? If it continues like this, when will we ever find a chance to approach them and ask for a dance?"
At that moment, a group of girls strolled by, casting flirtatious glances at Harry and Ron, one of them suggesting, "Perhaps we should conjure a lasso or something!"
Ron hesitated for a moment before saying, "Have you thought about whom to invite, Harry?"
Harry remained silent, for he already knew exactly who he wanted to invite. Yet, summoning the courage to do so was another matter entirely.
You see, Cho Chang, a year ahead of Harry, was not only stunningly beautiful but also an exceptional Quidditch player. She was widely admired and cherished among the students.
"I haven't made up my mind yet, but you'll do just fine, Ron!" Harry consoled him. "You're a true champion, having defeated the Hungarian Horntail. I'm sure many witches will be eager to dance with you."
"Let's hope so. Evan must be planning to go with Hermione, so he's got that covered!" Ron speculated, albeit inaccurately, as Evan was indeed concerned about this issue.
Initially, Evan had assumed that Hermione would naturally be his date. After all, they had shared countless adventures together, making Evan think that she would be his first choice.
However, reality proved otherwise. From the day the news of the Christmas ball was announced, Hermione had remained tight-lipped about the matter. She never initiated a conversation with Evan regarding the ball, and whenever he brought it up, she would quickly change the subject.
Evan couldn't comprehend Hermione's behavior. She acted as if nothing was happening and dedicated herself to studying house-elf rights.
What was going on in her mind? The mysteries of a girl's thoughts were baffling indeed.
It wasn't that Evan lacked invitations from other girls; he simply wished that Hermione would invite him. Given Evan's reputation and achievements at Hogwarts, he was a highly sought-after dance partner by many.
As Evan and Colin hurried to their Transfiguration class, a fifth-year Ravenclaw girl took the initiative to ask Evan to the ball for the third time that day, despite never having spoken to him before. Without a second thought, Evan declined, leaving the girl looking hurt as she walked away.
"She's rather attractive," Colin commented, watching her depart.
"Forget it," Evan replied, "she's too tall for my liking, and I prefer girls shorter than me."
"Only if I were asked; my brother and I are eager to attend the ball."
Colin and his brother Dennis faced their own challenges in securing a date for the Christmas dance, as they were not yet of age and needed to find senior girls to invite them. Otherwise, they'd be forced to return home for the holidays, or worse, spend Christmas Day in their dormitories.
Colin and Dennis remained determined and actively sought opportunities, though the odds were against them. Currently, Hogwarts had more male students than females, making it difficult for them to secure a date.
The younger girls in the first through third years faced similar challenges, but they had a slight advantage due to the skewed gender ratio. Many of them had the opportunity to attend the ball simply because of this disparity. They were taking matters into their own hands, actively searching for suitable partners.
For instance, Viktor Krum was a popular choice, with many girls drawn to his status as a renowned warrior. They gathered around him, hoping for a chance to introduce themselves.
Ginny, however, didn't join her fellow female students in their pursuit. This puzzled Colin, but Evan understood Ginny's feelings all too well. She had a crush on Harry and had been hoping to be his date for the Christmas ball, even though the odds were not in her favor. Harry had shown no interest in Ginny and was preoccupied with other matters.
"Silence!" Professor McGonagall sharply rapped the lectern, her displeasure evident. "I know what's on your minds, but I must insist that you leave your emotions outside the classroom. Those who cannot focus on the lesson will be asked to leave."
The chalkboard displayed a wealth of information, with the main focus of the class being the nuances of the transformation spell during cross-species transformations. It was crucial content, but the students struggled to concentrate.
Some teachers, like the eccentric Professor Trelawney, abandoned their lessons when it became apparent that their students' minds were elsewhere. However, others, like Professor McGonagall, were less forgiving.
Professor Binns, for instance, remained unfazed by the students' preoccupation and continued to drone on about the Goblin Rebellion. It seemed that not even something as exciting as the Christmas Ball could divert his attention. Strangely, he managed to make the thrilling story of the goblin revolt as tedious as Percy's report on the crucible's bottom.
Meanwhile, Professor Snape had adjusted his Potions classes to focus on brewing antidotes. He scrutinized his young wizards with a stern expression and warned them that they would be testing the effectiveness of their antidotes by poisoning one of the students during the final Potions class of the semester.
Snape might not have gone to the extent of poisoning students, but he certainly could have kept someone bedridden through Christmas if the antidote had not been brewed properly. This risk loomed large, especially for students from the fourth year and above who couldn't afford to miss the Christmas dance due to Snape's potentially hazardous concoction.
"He's absolutely insufferable!" Ron exclaimed in frustration within the cozy Gryffindor common room. "Coming to quiz us on the last day and ruining the end of the semester with a heap of homework."
Hermione, who had been engrossed in her Potions notes, glanced up at Ron. Ron, however, was deeply engrossed in building a castle using his Crackling Blast cards, a far more entertaining pursuit than muggle poker. The slightest mistake could result in a fiery explosion.
"Come on, Hermione, it's Christmas!" Harry chimed in from an armchair by the fire, where he was rereading "Flying with the Firebreathers" for the tenth time.
Hermione turned her head, her gaze stern. "Christmas?" she retorted. "If you don't want to spend the entire holiday in a hospital bed dealing with vomiting and diarrhea, then you'd better concentrate on brewing the antidote as Snape requested. He's dead serious, Harry. He'll carry out his threat, and there won't be any help for you!"
"I know," Harry replied nonchalantly, his eyes still on the Quidditch book. "Besides, if neither of us can find a date, maybe we shouldn't bother showing up at the blasted ball," Ron added with a hint of sarcasm.
"You have to attend, Ron, you're a Gryffindor champion!" Hermione chided.
"I was just kidding," Ron mumbled, avoiding Hermione's gaze and fidgeting uncomfortably to show he understood.
As Hermione returned her attention to her Potions textbook, Ron lowered his voice and asked Harry, "What's going on with her?"
Hermione appeared even more irritable than usual, her expression clearly conveying the message, "Don't mess with me."
"She hasn't found a date for the dance, and from what Evan told me, they haven't talked about it yet," Harry whispered.
Ron nodded in understanding as he placed the last two cards atop his castle. A deafening boom followed as the entire structure exploded, scorching his eyebrows.
"That suits you well, Ron; it complements your dress robes," Fred quipped. He and George had just enlisted Evan's help to figure out how to collect the debt from Bagman, having exhausted various unsuccessful methods.
Evan, however, believed it was nearly impossible to get Ludo Bagman to repay the money. Bagman was already bankrupt, drowning in gambling debts with no means to settle them. Repaying Fred and George seemed like an insurmountable challenge.
In the end, Evan assisted them in composing a strongly-worded letter to be sent to Bagman.
Sitting down with Harry, Ron, and Hermione at the table, Ron inspected his burned eyebrows. "Ron, can we borrow Pigwidgeon?" George inquired.
Ron regarded him skeptically. "Borrow him for what?"
"George wants to ask Pigwidgeon to the ball," Fred replied sarcastically. "Because we have a letter to deliver, you big oaf," George added.
Ron asked, "Who are you writing to, then?"
"Mind your own business, Ron, or we'll give your nose the same treatment," Fred threatened, brandishing his wand playfully. "By the looks of you lot, haven't found dance partners yet?"
Hermione, too, ceased pretending to read and raised an eyebrow at Fred, her expression stern. "No!" Ron responded with a frustrated shake of his head.
Harry added lazily, "It's Christmas."
The silence that followed was filled with exchanged glances, and Evan noticed Hermione avoiding his gaze. She then buried her head in her Potions book.
Evan intended to say something, echoing Fred's sentiments, but when he opened his mouth, nothing came out.
Ron, still tending to his burned eyebrows, looked across the smoldering ruins of his cardboard castle at Evan and Harry.
"Guys, maybe it's time we take the initiative and invite someone. Fred's right; we don't want to end up with a couple of undesirable partners."
With a snap, Hermione closed her book with annoyance clearly evident in her speech. "Ron, what did you just say?" she asked, her eyebrow raised.
Ron shrugged his shoulders, seemingly unfazed. "Oh, don't tell me you're surprised. I'd rather go to the ball alone than end up with someone like Eloise Midgen."
"Her acne has improved lately, and she's quite attractive!" Hermione defended.
"Come on, she's still not that great; it's not just the acne. I think her nose is a bit crooked," Ron argued.
Hermione, now infuriated, stood up abruptly. Even her words seemed to stutter as she retorted, "So, essentially, you all just want to invite the prettiest girl who will accept you, even if she's completely insufferable?"
Ron nodded, unashamed. "Yeah, that about sums it up."
"Alright!" Hermione took a deep breath and declared, "I'm going to bed!" With that, she walked briskly toward the girls' dormitory without saying another word, leaving Evan and Harry dumbfounded by her sudden departure.