The Feast Begins

Heavy snow fell from the eaves and windows, settling on the gray bricks and stone walls.

Beauxbatons ' light blue carriage sat in the yard, looking like a large, frosty pumpkin in winter, next to which stood Hagrid's Hut's little gingerbread house sprinkled with icing sugar; Ilvermorny's school bus was buried under the snow, piled up into a small white mountain; the gunwales of Durmstrang's ship were covered with a layer of ice, becoming smooth and translucent, and the sails were also covered with a layer of white frost.

As Christmas carols were sung, dusk fell, and the Castle was illuminated by warm, pale yellow lights.

Loren, Harry, Ron, Neville, and Seamus changed into their formal robes in their dormitory upstairs and then came downstairs somewhat awkwardly.

Fortunately, no one paid attention to them. The Common Room looked strange; the people inside were no longer all wearing black school uniforms, but were dressed in colorful formal wear.

Harry spotted Ginny in the crowd immediately. She was wearing an elegant velvet satin gown with a light blue skirt and plum-frosted velvet trim on the bodice. She was the center of attention.

Their eyes met, and blushes rose on their faces simultaneously. They unconsciously looked away, only to look back reluctantly.

The pulling and tugging motion amused Loren.

The others quickly found their dance partners and went to greet them.

"Merry Christmas, handsome boys," Parvati greeted with a smile. She wore a pink robe and her jet-black hair was braided with gold thread.

"You too, Parvati, you look beautiful tonight." Seamus stood beside her with an unnatural smile on his face.

"Thank you." Parvati glanced at Loren beside her. "You'll probably have to wait a while, Loren. Hermione is still not happy with her hair..."

Lavender stood next to Ron, her hands tightly clasped together. If she had received those two dresses, she would have pestered Professor McGonagall to do a Human Transfiguration, let alone mess with her hair.

Loren smiled and nodded, "Then you can go down first."

"See you later."

See you later...

The young wizards slowly left in twos and threes, and the Common Room gradually became deserted. George and Fred, who were the last to leave, winked at him mischievously, and Loren waved goodbye to them.

Just as the Portrait Hole slowly closed, the sound of footsteps echoed on the wooden staircase.

Loren stood up straight from the sofa, straightened his bow tie, turned around and looked up at the stairs above.

A figure slowly descended the wooden steps. The girl's hair was no longer messy, but smooth and shiny, tied into an elegant bun at the back of her head. Candlelight poured down from the dome, illuminating her delicate, curled eyelashes and her clear, bright eyes.

The girl stopped in her tracks when she saw the man. Their eyes met, and their reflections shone brightly in each other's eyes.

The man smiled at her, and Hermione couldn't help but smile too, her lips curving into a thin line and curving towards her cheeks.

Loren took a small step forward and looked at it carefully. "Hey, your front teeth are smaller, I almost didn't recognize you."

Hermione's smile vanished, and she punched him.

"How is it? Isn't the dress pretty?" Loren grinned and took her hand, leading her outside.

"I prefer the one with the purple-red gradient."

"Hehe, I know. I told you on your birthday that one outfit would look good in your opinion, and the other one would look good in mine."

One set is to please you, and the other is to please me.

Hermione recalled his words and couldn't help but punch him again.

At the Portrait Hole, the Fat Lady and Violet was downstairs, sat together in the frame, both of them dizzy and drunk. Several empty boxes of liqueur-filled chocolates lay at the bottom of the portrait.

The Castle gates were transformed into caves, and hundreds of fairies sat amidst magically conjured rose bushes, their wings fluttering and shimmering with crystalline light.

Professor McGonagall stood at the door, wearing a red woolen robe and a garland of ugly thistles on the brim of her hat.

She looked up and saw the hands of the clock had reached eight o'clock. She called out in a deep voice, "Champion, come this way!"

Harry and Ginny stepped forward under the gaze of many people, both of them a little nervous, their arms linked together stiffer than stone statues.

Phoebe Delacour was stunningly beautiful, dressed in a silver-grey satin gown. Her dance partner, Roger Davis, looked dazed, seemingly unable to believe his good fortune in being Phoebe's partner.

Pickley Gravis was wearing a dark green silk high-necked dress, with the Witch Bute Butt beside him;

Cedric and Cho Chang stood side by side, their smiles gentle and polite, their manners elegant.

In comparison, the burly Krum appeared too large, not to mention his stern face, which made him even less attractive. His dance partner was a robust girl from Durmstrang, who laughed heartily, seemingly oblivious to the envious glances from the fans.

Loren and Hermione finally arrived before the Yule Ball began, and while everyone was watching the Champion enter, the two quietly joined the Gryffindor team.

They thought their movements were light and swift and would go unnoticed, but the young wizards around them all turned to the side.

How could we not see such a dazzling couple?

What a beautiful dress that was...

The gown, made of tens of meters of gold thread tulle, is soft in texture. The circular skirt is cut and pressed to create petal-like pleats, and the gold leaf pattern is adorned with crystals, making the dress shimmer with Fairy -like light.

The candlelight on the walls and the starlight from the dome shone on the girl, making her Winky.

"Oh, Hermione!" Parvati gripped Seamus's arm, her voice low with excitement. "You should stand in front! You're even prettier than Miss Delacour!"

Her Ravenclaw Twins sister, Padma, nodded vigorously, her gaze involuntarily falling on the boy beside her.

The mid-length, pure black tailcoat was slightly open, revealing a snow-white pointed-collar shirt, a bow tie, and a black satin vest...

Hermione has such good taste; she discovered Loren Morgan in their first year.

"Thanks."

Hermione couldn't suppress the smile on her face, and her clear eyes were brimming with tears.

Loren glanced at her radiant smile, and a bright smile also rose on his own face.

The walls of the Great Hall were covered with Winky silver frost, and the ceiling displayed a starry night sky, adorned with hundreds of mistletoe twigs and ivy wreaths. The four long Head of House were gone, replaced by a hundred small tables lit with lanterns.

Upon entering and taking their seats, they found that the gleaming gold plates were empty, and each person had a small menu in front of them.

The guests from other schools were a little unsure, but soon everyone understood— Dumbledore ordered a plate of fried pork chops.

Then, amidst shouts of delight, a sumptuous feast appeared, and the aroma of stewed meat and mushroom soup began to waft through the air.