Chapter 657: The Christmas Ball (Part 1) (Edited)

Upon seeing this strange combination, Dumbledore couldn't help but sigh.

Today is Christmas! Couldn't they take it easy?

But Dumbledore was aware of his great responsibility and couldn't simply turn away those who had come to him. So, he accepted Karkaroff, who was unwell.

"Both Mr. Weasleys, Miss Chang, and Mr. Potter, go back first. You must properly prepare for the Christmas Ball tonight," Dumbledore said without hesitation, dismissing the four students.

Issa May felt relieved, while Harry and the others clearly showed their discontent. They lamented in their minds, one after another reluctantly.

"Professor Dumbledore, we were the ones who brought Karkaroff to you! Can't we know the truth of what happened?"

Though they were reluctant, they knew Dumbledore's will couldn't be disobeyed, so they left obediently.

However, Fred and George were clearly not the types to obey obediently. It didn't take even two minutes before they returned. This time, each of them held an Extendable Ear, ready to demonstrate their skills.

But they encountered a problem: Dumbledore's office had no door! It literally "had no door," as the door was magically concealed, and they couldn't insert the Extendable Ear into the gap.

Disheartened, the four of them left. As for the snowball fight, they were no longer interested, so they returned to the common room.

On the way back, Cho Chang remembered something and asked Harry, "So... who are you planning to go to the Christmas Ball with?"

At this point, she had abandoned the idea of introducing Harry to someone else. The ball would start soon; what girl wouldn't be asked to dance? She couldn't allow Harry to go to the ball with first and second-year students, right?

"Parvati," Harry replied.

Cho Chang whistled. "Impressive! She's a very pretty girl."

Harry looked away from Cho Chang; he had intended to say "Not prettier than you," but he didn't have the courage to do so.

Seeing the looks of the two, Fred and George felt that their sister probably wouldn't succeed. Ginny had already accepted Neville's invitation and became his partner for the ball.

This choice left Fred and George speechless.

...

"Director Dumbledore, I sincerely thank you for helping him," Issa May thanked Dumbledore.

"It's nothing," Dumbledore responded calmly. He already knew that Karkaroff had been controlled by the Imperius Curse, but he was surprised that he had managed to free himself so quickly.

After examining Karkaroff's condition, Dumbledore understood what had happened: the Imperius Curse controlling him hadn't been reinforced for a long time. Over time, the control over him gradually weakened until he finally regained some self-awareness and began to resist the curse.

Seeing the results, he succeeded.

Once he understood the situation, Dumbledore helped Karkaroff remove the Imperius Curse from his body. Karkaroff's small eyes gradually regained their sparkle.

Then he shivered, trembling all over. Finally, when he saw Dumbledore, he slowly calmed down. Afterward, Karkaroff clung to Dumbledore's legs and burst into tears.

At this point, Issa May and Dumbledore felt uncomfortable.

"Igor, calm down first..." Dumbledore gently pulled Karkaroff away from his legs, patiently listening to his tearful account. Although he already knew all this, he listened as if it were the first time, showing genuine attention.

Issa May, on the other hand, covered her forehead. She felt that with such an embarrassing headmaster, Durmstrang probably could never hold its head up in the magical world again. She felt that it would be necessary to hold a protest after returning and see if they could remove Karkaroff from his position as headmaster.

"It's alright, Igor. First, go rest in the infirmary and let me take care of what comes next," Dumbledore kindly consoled Karkaroff.

Upon hearing Dumbledore's words, Karkaroff seemed to have found his center and nodded like a chick pecking for food. With Issa May, they headed straight to the infirmary.

Dumbledore watched them walk away with a profound look.

What happened in his office had no impact on the students in the field, who continued to enjoy the snowball fight.

"It's only five o'clock!" Tom looked at Hermione incredulously. "The dance doesn't start until eight!"

But Hermione was determined to go, giving Tom nothing more than a sidelong glance. She had to return to the common room to prepare for the dance.

As he watched Hermione leave, Tom felt a bit uneasy: if she was so serious about her preparations, did he have to do something too?

So, he also left the snowball fight area and returned to the common room to get ready. He first took a shower and then dried his hair by the common room's fire.

At seven in the evening, as the sky darkened, young wizards began to return to the castle, and everyone started getting ready for the dance.

Tom went back to his dormitory and pulled out the robe Hermione had tailored for him during the summer. He looked at himself in the mirror as he put on the robe and then carefully styled his hair and sprayed a bit of cologne.

The robe was a misty blue with constellation patterns, giving him a mysterious and profound aura. With the robe on, Tom looked much more mature.

After making sure he was ready, Tom returned to the common room. Now, the common room had completely transformed; the Ravenclaw students were no longer wearing black uniforms with blue ties but were dressed in robes of various colors and styles.

In the common room, Tom ran into Hermione's roommate, Padma Patil, who was also Ron's dance partner, thanks to Harry's intervention, who found him a beautiful date.

Padma Patil wore a lush green robe with a golden belt, her black hair was tied with a golden ribbon, and she wore shiny gold bracelets on her wrists. As she walked, her various golden accessories tinkled with a clear and melodious sound. Today, she looked very beautiful and charming.

When she saw Tom, Padma showed a complicated expression.

"What a beautiful robe," she complimented.

"Hermione had it made for me," Tom replied.

"That's nice," she said with envy in her eyes.

After chatting for a while, Padma checked the time and realized they didn't have much time, so she bid farewell to Tom. "I have to meet my sister in the entrance hall. See you later. By the way, you'll have a surprise tonight."

The boys and girls gradually gathered in the common room and made their way to the Great Hall. This made the lively common room a bit quieter. As the clock neared eight, Hermione finally appeared.