Somehow, Harry just invited Parvati Patil with the mentality of a dead horse being a live horse doctor, and instead even Ron's dance partner problem was successfully solved.

"I really don't understand how you two managed to get the prettiest girl in the grade." Dean muttered under his breath, "Sister Pettier actually agreed." ”

"Just thank goodness." Ron replied sullenly, pulling the thread off the cuff.

On him, a gown with lace on the neckline and sleeves, had been prepared for him by Mrs. Weasley. Honestly, this gown is like a skirt, which is an inescapable fact.

To add a bit of masculinity to his robes, he made a desperate bet and recited a cutting spell on the folds and lace.

It worked, at least the lace on his clothes was gone, but he didn't do his job well, and when a couple of men came downstairs, his collar and cuffs were still frustrating.

The common room looked strange, and the people inside were no longer blue and black, but dressed in colorful ceremonial robes.

Parvati was waiting for Harry at the bottom of the stairs. She looked very beautiful indeed, dressed in a piercing pink robe, her jet-black hair was braided with gold ribbons, and the gold bracelets on her wrists were shining.

Harry was relieved to see that she hadn't giggled.

When they came to the foyer, they found it crowded with students.

Everyone was going back and forth, waiting for eight o'clock, when the doors of the auditorium would open. Some people want to meet up with their dance partners from other houses, so they squeeze sideways through the crowd, looking for each other.

"Hello." Padma Patil was as beautiful as her sister and wore a bright green robe.

However, she doesn't seem to have much interest in Ron being her dance partner. Her dark eyes looked Ron up and down, her gaze lingering over the fur collar and cuffs of his gown.

"Hello." Ron replied casually.

Ron also looked a little distracted, his eyes not looking at Padma, but looking around in the crowd. Hermione didn't seem to be here, and neither was Maca...... Someone seemed to be missing, but he couldn't remember it a little.

Not to mention Hermione, of course Maca wouldn't be here at this moment, because he was in a place that no one could have imagined, and he was inviting a woman to a ball that no one expected.

I have to start talking about this from last night......

With a day and one night left before the Santa Ball, Maca finally put down her research and started inviting his dance partner for tomorrow night.

Although he had rejected two seemingly most suitable candidates one after another, out of politeness, he decided to ask first. After all, if you really want to talk about it, there aren't many dance partners he can invite.

As soon as dinner had been eaten, he called Luna for a walk on the lawn outside the castle.

“…… Dance? Luna was still carrying a copy of "Singing Against the Tune" in her hand, and she was pacing as she flipped through it, "If you can't find another dance partner......

"No, forget it......" Maca shook her head, finally giving up on the idea of inviting Luna.

Dancing always brings people very close to their hearts, and Luna seems to be indifferent to anything, but she is actually very bad at getting close to others.

Like her patronus figure, Luna herself is like a hare with a clear heart. She longs for friends, but when she faces others, her natural sensitivity to humanity makes her never take the initiative to approach them.

It is precisely because Maca vaguely understands this truth that he will not increase Luna's psychological burden for no reason.

Maca thought about it and casually changed the subject.

"By the way, aren't you going home for Christmas this year?"

"Daddy wants me to look at you......" Luna put together the "Singing Contradiction" in her hand, put her hands behind her back, and looked up at Maca's face and said, "Na, that's it...... I don't know why...... Do you know? ”

Maca blinked, and subconsciously craned her neck to look at the starry sky.

"Ahem...... Who knows? He coughed dryly, avoiding the topic.

Adults tend to be more enthusiastic about things between children, especially for an innocent girl like Luna, and Mr. Lovegood is more likely to worry more.

After a casual walk on the lawn, Maca returned Luna to the Ravenclaw Tower.

Since Luna's side was really inconvenient, he really didn't want to invite Hermione - no way, he didn't dare to provoke Hermione since he sensed something from Hermione last time.

So, he had to go to Willy again and ask.

"Nope." Very decisively, Willie gave a clear answer in one word.

At that time, at the top of the Astronomy Tower, the two fell into a very long silence. After a long time, Willie seemed to think of something, and added:

"I can't dance."

It's not an explanation, but her meaning is clear: it's not that I don't want to be your dance partner, it's just that for some reason, I can't dance.

To condense it, it's the so-called "I can't dance" - at least that's how Maca understands it.

However, when Willy also rejected him, he immediately realized that he didn't seem to have any suitable invitees.

"In that case......

As Maca muttered, she made a decision that no one could have predicted......

Now, eight o'clock is approaching, and it's time for the doors to open.

"Why don't you see Hermione?" Ron seemed to be very concerned about the question, and he had asked it several times.

At this moment, a group of Slytherin students came up the stairs from their underground common room.

At the front was Malfoy, dressed in a black velvet gown with a turtleneck, like a parish priest. Pansy Parkinson wore a light pink robe full of frils, and she hung tightly on Malfoy's arm.

Both Crabbe and Goyle were green, like two mossy rocks—neither of them could find a dance partner.

The oak front door opened, and everyone turned to see Durmstrang students walking in with Professor Orson.

Maca was still not in the group, only Krum was at the front, flanked by a beautiful girl in a blue robe that Harry and none of them knew.

Professor Orson, on the other hand, looked very anxious, and there was a hint of helplessness on his face.

Above their heads, one could see that a lawn in front of the castle had been turned into a grotto, with shimmering fairy lights - which meant hundreds of living fairies, either sitting in magically conjured roses or flapping their wings on statues that appeared to be Santa Claus and his reindeer.

At that moment, Professor Snape's cold voice rang out.

"Warriors, come this way!"

Parvati adjusted her bracelet and a big smile appeared on her face. She and Harry said "I'll see you later" to Ron and Padma and walked forward, the chattering crowd flashing a passage for them to pass by.

Professor Snape was clearly dressed more modestly than usual tonight, dressed in a black gown with a silver-leaf brooch pinned to his chest—judging by the fluttering hairstyle, he looked like he had washed his hair.

He told them to stand by the door and wait, and let the others go in first. After the students were seated, they lined up and walked into the auditorium.

Fleur Delacour and Roger Davis, captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, stood closest to the door.

Davis couldn't believe he was so lucky to have a dance partner like Fleur that he couldn't take his eyes off her.

Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang also stood next to Harry. Harry looked away so he didn't have to talk to them.

His gaze subconsciously fell on the girl beside Krum. Then, his mouth opened wide in surprise.

That's Hermione!

But, to be honest, she didn't look like Hermione at all. She made some hands and feet on her hair, and they were no longer unkempt, but supple and shiny, and pulled back into a tasteful bun.

She wore a robe made of flowing light purple blue fabric, and somehow her temperament was different—perhaps just because she had removed the twenty-odd thick books she usually carried on her body.

It is worth mentioning that she does not have a smile on her face like everyone else, but glances around from time to time, just like Ron just now.

Ron didn't look good, he only glanced at Hermione, and then kept his eyes on something else.

As the door to the auditorium opened, the members of the Krum Starchaser Club in the library strode by, all casting hateful glances at Hermione.

Pansy Parkinson walked by Malfoy's arm and glared at Hermione, and even Malfoy couldn't seem to find a word to insult her.

Ron, as for him, walked straight past Hermione without looking at her.

When everyone was seated in the Great Hall, Snape frowned slightly—Maca wasn't there yet!

"Wait a minute."

As soon as he dropped a word, he strode towards Dumbledore's side.

"McLean hasn't arrived yet." Snape whispered to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore didn't look up, he just sat calmly in the middle of the guest of honor and waved his hand slightly.

Everyone was waiting, and some of the students were already wondering - where did McLean go? Why hasn't he arrived yet?

"It'll be here in a minute, wait a few minutes and he's-" Dumbledore was as he spoke, pausing as he looked up and out of the door.

“…… He's here! ”

The warriors turned their heads, and the young wizards in the auditorium craned their necks to look out, and then everyone's eyes widened......