Chapter 658: The Christmas Ball (Part 2) (Edited)

Tom had to admit that his brain suffered a brief blackout. Hermione's appearance that day was nothing like the usual Hermione. Her aura underwent an astonishing change. She had always been a beautiful and youthful girl, but today, she could be described as dazzling.

She made some changes to her hair, making it smooth and shiny. Then, she tied it up in an elegant bun with a green flower ribbon.

Finally, Tom saw the tailored dress Hermione had provided him with. It was a long white chiffon dress that made her beautiful figure appear as if it were wrapped in mist. On the shoulders, back, and chest, there were light pink flower embroideries, making her look like a fairy in the forest. On the front of her long skirt, she even wore a pink peony.

She descended the dormitory stairs slowly, as if stepping out of a painting.

Tom was completely speechless. He had never seen such a perfect and pure girl.

When Hermione arrived in front of Tom, she gave a little spin so he could admire her beauty from all angles.

Finally, Hermione positioned herself by Tom's side, giving him a beautiful view of her profile: a long neck, a straight nose, and a perfect combination of eyebrows and eyes...

Seeing that Tom didn't respond for a long time, Hermione turned her head and realized she had left her guy speechless. She smiled slightly and raised her index finger to touch his lips, asking him not to say anything more.

"You're the kind of woman who can make the pound appreciate in value," Tom murmured.

"Hmm?" Hermione didn't fully understand what Tom meant.

"If the pound had your face, it would be the most beautiful currency in the world, and maybe one pound would be worth two..."

Hermione finally understood what Tom meant and smiled, extending her index finger to lift his chin. "Only the Queen or... can be printed on the front of a pound."

She corrected one of Tom's small mistakes.

"If you're willing, I'd be happy to support you..."

Hermione put her finger on Tom's lips, asking him not to say more.

"Isn't it better if we talk about the dance? Come on!" Hermione took Tom's hand. "Your outfit looks super cool today too."

Tom followed her pace and went down with Hermione.

Hermione walked calmly, and the heels of her shoes echoed with a clear sound on the marble floor. Tom looked in the direction of the sound and saw a pair of peculiar high-heeled shoes. The top part of the shoes was pink, and the heel looked delicate. On the straps of the shoes, numerous square crystals were embedded.

It was rare for Hermione to wear a pair of heels, which made her already taller, a bit taller than Tom.

"These shoes, it's the first time I've seen you wear them," Tom could hardly take his eyes off them.

"I ordered them when I was making my dress," Hermione ran her hand through her hair, sliding up the sleeve to reveal the watch Tom had given her.

"What brand are they? They look nice," Tom thought he might get her another pair for her birthday. They were pretty shoes from a brand he didn't know, probably from some exclusive store, not very expensive.

"Valentino, do you like them?"

Tom nodded in confusion; it was a brand he had never heard of. The name sounded like it was an Italian store, probably some exclusive boutique, and they didn't seem to be very expensive.

Tom couldn't be blamed for his ignorance; after all, before receiving the acceptance letter to Hogwarts, he spent most of his time in an orphanage or wandering. How could he have had time to pay attention to luxury brands? Moreover, when Hermione mentioned the name in English, he couldn't react immediately.

How could he know that the shoes Hermione was wearing cost an average worker's monthly salary?

He only knew that those high heels looked beautiful with her fishnet stockings, and he really wanted to touch her legs, shiny like oil, but he couldn't.

The pure and refined dress Hermione wore concealed her sensuality. It could only be said that she understood the concept of contrast and juxtaposition.

When Tom and Hermione descended to the foyer, numerous young wizards had already gathered. Many familiar faces from everyday life looked somewhat strange after they had put on makeup and changed clothes, like the Patil sisters, Ginny in her new dress, and some Slytherin students.

The Slytherin students showed up in a group. At the forefront was Draco Malfoy, who wore a long black velvet robe, a fitting choice that went well with his blond hair, though it gave the impression of looking like a priest. His partner was Pansy Parkinson, dressed in a long pale pink robe adorned with pleats. Behind them were Crabbe and Goyle, who hadn't found partners and were forced to team up.

Despite the luxurious outfits, Draco's expression wasn't exactly good. He looked a bit worn out, with dark circles around his eyes, as if he had gone a long time without rest.

Recently, the responsibility of life had fallen entirely on him, which overwhelmed him almost to the point of collapse. After all, the Death Eaters had turned his house into their lair. After the war, Malfoy Manor was confiscated by the Ministry of Magic, and Lucius and Narcissa were arrested. There was still no consensus within the Ministry on how to deal with them; some thought the Malfoy couple were Death Eaters without a doubt and deserved to be sent to Azkaban, while others believed they had been coerced and didn't deserve such severe punishment.

At the same time, the remaining Death Eaters managed to contact Draco Malfoy and threatened and persuaded him, hoping he would follow in his father's footsteps and join their ranks. But Draco thought it was a very bad idea to take sides, so he hesitated.

Just then, the Durmstrang students arrived. At the forefront was Issa May, while Karkaroff missed the party due to his medical treatment. Krum, as the champion, led the group, and the young woman at his side left everyone stunned: it was the eccentric Luna Lovegood.

On such an important occasion and accompanied by such influential people, she still dressed in an extravagant manner: a sky-blue robe was covered in incomprehensible symbols, she wore a necklace made of beer caps and carrot earrings, with a hat that had an eagle perched on it.

Everyone present: ...

No one knew what to say, even the Durmstrang students couldn't understand Krum's actions.

Fortunately, the arrival of the Beauxbatons students drew the attention of most, as the dazzling Fleur Delacour appeared. She wore a long silver satin robe.

Fleur thought she might attract all the attention in the room, and she was right, at least in part.