Chapter 263: Choosing a Dance Partner

"Then what is this book?"

Ron reluctantly watched George put away the Marauder's Map, and could only look at the book that was also obtained from Filch's office.

The cover of the book was bright yellow, with a strange line of words engraved on it - "A clever combination of alchemy and mischief".

"It's actually a book about pranks. No wonder you guys read it with gusto..." Ron curled his lips, "Is it true that someone actually published a book for the purpose of making pranks?"

Neither Harry nor Ron were very interested in the prank book. Compared with the magical Marauder's Map before, both of them felt that this book seemed a bit unremarkable.

"You two are clueless at first sight!" Fred rolled his eyes at the two ignorant people, then he couldn't put it down and held up his copy of "A Clever Combination of Alchemy and Mischief" and said to the two of them. :

"This book talks about a lot of things about alchemy, and it's not one of those obscure and difficult tomes in the library. Instead, it's quite easy to understand, and even people with no basic knowledge of alchemy can learn it."

"Yes, the author who wrote this book is so talented!" George was full of praise for this. "You don't need to completely understand alchemy. You only need to borrow some small details of alchemy to make our joke product Stretching out in a variety of different directions.”

“I can already envision how many funny joke products we will produce in the future!”

Harry and Ron were also immediately interested in the twins' blueprint for the future.

Ron took out a strange-shaped wand from his pocket, the same one he played "fencing" with Harry in Transfiguration class, and asked:

"Can this thing be improved? It feels quite interesting."

"It's a piece of cake!" Fred smiled and extended his hand to George.

George took out two wands of similar length from his pocket and handed one to each of Ron and Harry.

"Try these two," he laughed.

Harry and Ron took the wands hesitantly and clashed the two wands together the way they did in the Transfiguration classroom.

There was a "bang", and almost instantly, the two wands changed shapes at the same time——

The one in Ron's hand turned into a tin-plated parrot, and the one in Harry's hand turned into a rubber haddock.

"Wow!"

The two of them looked at the wands... or animals in their hands in amazement, feeling that this idea was simply awesome.

"How about, let me just say that this book is very useful?" Fred said with excitement, "I'm not bragging. Now that we have any magic props in our hands, it won't take long before we can judge what they have. Tricks!”

Harry happily brought the "haddock" in his hand to his eyes, wanting to study carefully how it worked.

At this time, he was suddenly startled.

He found that he was holding a golden egg in his left hand, which was shining brightly in the firelight of the fireplace.

"Wait a minute, Fred..." Harry asked with vague eyes, "Do you think... this golden egg can also be considered a magic item related to alchemy?"

…

The Yule Ball is getting closer and closer, but Harry and Ron still haven't found a partner.

But at least there is good news. Fred and George, who call themselves magic prop experts, made a judgment and determined that the golden egg Harry got from the fire dragon's nest in the first game was an alchemical product, so they took it away Go to research.

Anyway, Harry felt that he couldn't find a solution, so he might as well hand it over to the twins who had a lot of experience in making magic props...

It was another Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Dracula saw that the minds of the young wizards had already drifted to the Christmas dance a few days later, and they were not in the mood to study, so he simply changed this Defense Against the Dark Arts class to self-study.

Of course, the more important reason is that Dracula himself is too lazy to give lectures...

"Harry, I have some sad news for you." Ron sat on a chair in the classroom and secretly said to Harry who was sitting next to him.

Harry turned his head and looked at him with some doubts.

"You may not believe it, but I asked around and found that among all the Gryffindor boys, we are almost the only two who don't have a dance partner." Ron said frustratedly.

Immediately, his expression brightened a little, "Oh, by the way, there is actually Neville... Do you know who he invited? Hermione!"

"What? Hermione was invited?" Harry said, completely fascinated by the surprising news.

Harry and Ron had always regarded Hermione as their good brother, and it seemed that they had never thought that this good brother would also be invited to the ball as a girl.

"Yeah, I just found out about this not long ago!" Ron said and laughed, the frustrated expression on his face disappearing a lot, "Neville told me after Potions get out of class yesterday!"

"He said that Hermione had always been so kind, helping him with his homework and stuff - but what do you think Hermione said? Hermione told him that she had already promised to someone else!"

"Hahaha... It sounds like it's true. She just doesn't want to go with Neville..."

Not only Ron, but Harry also had a look of laughter on his face.

"What are you two talking about secretly?" Hermione suddenly turned her head and asked.

She sat in the row in front of Harry and Ron and listened to the two whispering for a long time. Finally, she couldn't help but raise her head from the textbook in front of her and glare at her two losers behind her.

"No, we didn't say anything." Ron forced a straight face, but he couldn't help but the corners of his mouth almost rose to the sky.

"I heard it all!" Hermione said angrily, "You two don't even believe that I can find a dance partner, do you?"

"Ah, you can't say that..." Harry realized that he had said the wrong thing and stammered, "We just think that you are focused on studying and won't think about those miscellaneous things. .”

"Yes, yes, Harry is right!" Ron quickly agreed with a desire to survive.

He looked at Hermione, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he seemed to be looking at her as if he had suddenly discovered a brand new person.

"Hermione, I suddenly realized that Neville was actually right -" Ron said hesitantly, "You are also a pretty good girl..."

"Oh, you are very observant," Hermione curled her lips and said sharply, "I didn't discover this until fourth grade, and I was reminded by others!"

"Don't say that, Hermione, I just didn't notice it for a while." Ron scratched his head, "Otherwise... you can choose one between me and Harry as your dance partner?"

"No, I refuse!" Hermione refused him without even thinking.

"Oh, come on," Ron said a little impatiently, "We need a dance partner. If everyone else has one, it would be too shameful if we don't...and you also need a dance partner, right?"

"I can't go with you," Hermione said, her face blushing involuntarily, "I've already promised someone else."

"No, you didn't!" Ron said with conviction, "You just said that to get rid of Neville!"

"Oh, really?" Hermione's voice suddenly became louder, and her eyes became a little scary, "It took you three years to realize that I am a good girl, Ron. That doesn't mean that no one else noticed it. a little!"

Ron looked at her blankly, then he grinned again.

"Okay, okay, we know you are a good girl," he said with a smile, "Okay? Can you agree?"

"I've already told you!" Hermione said angrily, "I've already promised someone else!"

After saying that, she turned around angrily, lay down on the table and ignored the two straight men behind her.

"Is she lying?" Ron looked at her back and whispered to Harry.

"I don't think so..." Harry shook his head blankly, "It would be very inconsistent with Hermione's style to wait until the day of the Yule Ball to expose her."

The movement among the three little wizards also attracted the attention of Dracula who was fishing on the podium.

He stood up and walked over to Harry and Ron.

"I heard... you were just discussing the Yule Ball?" Dracula raised his lips and asked with interest.

"Ah, no, Professor Dracula..." Ron was startled, straightened up instantly, sat upright in his chair, and said, "We are discussing study issues! "

At the same time, he also pulled out a book from the desk drawer and placed it in front of him, pretending to be studying seriously. His eyes would glance sideways from time to time, trying to observe Dracula's reaction.

"Stop pretending, it's nothing like it." Dracula took out the book in front of Ron from under his arm and said jokingly, "Tsk, I didn't even notice that the book was held backwards, and I don't even know how to pretend to be professional. a little."

"Look at your deskmate Potter, it's different - when he was on his way out, he still knew how to take the pen in his hand in advance and spread out the book on the table... and you actually faced the light. My desktop says that I am studying, but who would believe it?”

Harry blushed in shame and lowered his head without saying a word.

Ron murmured, not knowing what excuse to find to "exonerate" himself, so he could only imitate Harry and lower his head and pretend to be an ostrich...

"Here, get your book." Dracula laughed faintly and threw the book he took from Ron back to him, "Next time, remember to act more like a fool, not like a fool It’s the same as learning from an empty desktop.”

After saying that, Dracula turned around and returned to his podium.

"We...were not punished?" Watching Dracula leave, Ron blinked and looked at Harry, "Professor Dracula didn't ask us to double our homework next semester?"

"Probably, maybe, maybe not..." Harry also shook his head uncertainly, "It seems that Professor Dracula is in a good mood today, maybe he will let us go."

In fact, it didn't take long for Harry and Ron to know why they were not punished.

"Everyone, stop what you are doing with your hands!"

Standing on the podium, Dracula said to the audience.

The little wizards in the classroom reflexively stopped studying, chatting, or discussing the Yule Ball that was coming in a few days, and raised their heads to look at the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor on the podium.

Dracula was very satisfied with the quick response of the little wizards and nodded happily.

"I heard that you are going to a Yule Ball in a few days and everyone needs a partner, right?" he asked.

"That's right, Professor." Ernie MacMillan from Hufflepuff replied, "Students in their fourth year and above can attend the dance. No one wants to stand in the audience and watch others dance."

It could be seen that this little Hufflepuff badger must have found a good dance partner, and his expression looked high-spirited when he spoke.

"Very good, then I would like to ask, is there anyone here who hasn't found a dance partner yet?" Dracula looked at the little wizards in the audience and asked with interest.

However, except for the honest Neville who raised his hand, the others probably felt ashamed and did not raise their hands consciously.

"Tsk, why didn't you use the opportunity?" Dracula sneered, "Well, if you have found a dance partner, raise your hands."

Sure enough, after changing the question, most of the students in the classroom raised their hands.

"Very good, then those who have found dance partners can be spectators today."

Dracula moved his fingers casually, and before the little wizards with raised hands could react, they, along with their desks and chairs, shifted laterally, and then appeared neatly at the edge of the classroom wall.

The only remaining young wizards who didn't raise their hands were Harry, Ron, Neville and a few girls.

These people who had not found a dance partner were immediately exposed to the eyes of the public. Their expressions were stunned for a while, and then their faces turned red.

It took Harry and Ron a long time to realize what had happened——

Professor Dracula probably thought of another way to have fun, and now he put them in front of everyone's eyes, watching their embarrassing performance with great interest.

"Professor, you can't do this-" Ron wailed, "If you do this, our club will die!"

"How can you say that?" Dracula said with a playful expression on his face, "I have good intentions, and I specifically provide a platform for you little guys who don't have a dance partner, so that you can find each other's partners."

"But I'd rather not dance at the Yule Ball than find a partner like this..." Ron murmured sadly.

"Okay, let's move quickly, gentlemen who don't have dance partners yet." Dracula looked like he was just watching the excitement and urged a few young wizards in the middle of the classroom, "This is a rare opportunity, which two are holding hands?" If you succeed, you will be exempted from half a month’s homework!”

Sure enough, there must be a brave man under the heavy reward.

As a little wizard who is not usually very smart, Neville always doesn't have enough time to finish his homework... Dracula's promise is quite effective for him.

What's more, Neville really wants to find a dance partner...

As a result, Neville, who had always been dull, was the first to stand up from his seat.

…

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