Before learning about the Yule Ball, Ron and Harry had been at pretty much the same level. They had been complete novices when it came to dancing.
Afterward, however, things had gone differently for the two of them.
Harry had settled on attending the ball with Qiu early on, then started practicing like mad. Although the results had been mediocre, it had certainly helped a little.
Ron was different. At first, he had been set on asking Delacour. After failing, he had spent a few days feeling dejected, then gone without a partner right up until the day before the ball, when Lavender had come to the rescue.
Under those circumstances, he had had no time to practice at all.
Well, it was worth mentioning that he had originally wanted to familiarize himself with the steps a little that afternoon, as a last-minute effort. Instead, his two unreliable brothers, Fred and George, had dragged him off for a snowball fight.
So it was only when he actually entered the dance floor that Ron discovered something utterly dreadful: he apparently did not know how to dance.
Lavender did know how to dance, and she seemed quite good at it. But she was rather different from Qiu, who was the type who excelled at guiding her partner.
Although Harry was a complete novice, he managed to look fairly convincing under Qiu's guidance.
Lavender, however, was usually rather meek, and when dancing, she also seemed more inclined to follow her male partner. She did not have the ability to lead Ron. With Ron unable to dance, their movements became very peculiar.
Fortunately, for some unknown reason, Ron's body had become extraordinarily agile starting in his third year, so at least he avoided repeatedly stepping on Lavender's feet. That was a small mercy.
Ron