After Saya-san was escorted away by Professor Snape, the dance party continued to heat up smoothly.
"All right, let's get fired uuuup!"
When the leader of the Weird Sisters, who had artistically torn her robes, shouted this, the students responded with ear-splitting cheers. The music abruptly shifted from the opening waltz-style tune to an intense, up-tempo track.
Surrender yourself to the rock like a writhing giant♪
Dance wildly like a leaping fairy♪
Keep dancing until morning like a unicorn♪
Raise both hands and move like a man-eating ogre♪
The Yule Ball of the Triwizard Tournament was supposed to be a historic, traditional, and elegant ball, but by the time the latter half rolled around, the atmosphere felt more like a live concert.
"Yeahhh! Thruston is amaziiing!"
"Wagtail, I love you! Hold meeee!"
"Duke! Look over heeere!"
Zabini, Tracy, and Millicent flipped their hair, swayed their hips, threw their arms around each other, and jumped up and down while screaming the band members' names at full volume. It was an unapologetic party night.
"Lumos Colorvaria Roseum! Light, shine green!"
"Lumos Colorvaria Viride! Light, shine pink!"
Meanwhile, Daphne and Pansy lit their wand tips with colorful lights and waved them back and forth like glow sticks, cheering loudly. Other students copied them, and the excitement only grew. Students packed tightly in front of the Weird Sisters' stage, and the Great Hall had completely transformed into a live music venue.
The professors did not intervene. Instead, they watched the students enjoying the live performance across house and school boundaries with warm smiles.
"It may not be traditional, but international exchange is being more than fulfilled,"
"Indeed. That was the original purpose, after all. We can overlook a little excess today,"
"Ah, youth is a wonderful thing,"
"You are plenty young yourself."
Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout sipped their wine thoughtfully, while Madame Maxime and Professor McGonagall enjoyed cheese and prosciutto with their drinks.
"Ah, music is a magic greater than anything else!"
And Headmaster Dumbledore, do you think saying that just makes everything acceptable?
Eventually, when the Weird Sisters' performance ended, thunderous applause erupted, and the students, still buzzing with excitement, returned to their tables.
"Whew, that was insanely exciting! I worked up a great sweat!"
"I've heard them on the radio before, but live is totally different."
"The connection with the crowd was just the best!"
"Right? I'm so hyped!"
"Oh no, I screamed so much my throat's wrecked."
Daphne and Anthony had their arms around each other as they excitedly shared their impressions. Millicent and Tracy, who had been near the front, were so jostled that their dresses nearly slipped, and Zabini had strained his throat from all the shouting.
"Ah, good work, everyone."
"There are drinks over here if you want some."
Cedric and I, who had retreated early just in case, handed out Mana-Aid, the wizarding world's sports drink we had prepared. Draco and Pansy, who had been chatting amicably, joined in with wry smiles.
"You guys really went into that crowd."
"And wow, your hair is a mess."
Those who had enjoyed the live show accepted the drinks with "Thanks!" and "Much appreciated," planted their hands on their hips, and gulped them down in one go.
"Pahhh!"
"Are you all fresh out of the bath or something?"
"Elaina, another refill!"
I handed Millicent another goblet, her sense of femininity nowhere to be found, while Daphne giggled and snapped another photo.
"Moments like this are really nice, aren't they?"
Pointing her multifaceted mirror-camera around, Daphne said this with a gentle smile. The camera feature seemed to be quite popular. I made a mental note to tell Penelope-senpai and the others next time I saw them. As I looked around—
"Hm…?"
Something felt off when I glanced toward the judges' table.
"Wait, the one sitting in Mr. Crouch's seat… that's Percy-senpai, right?"
At Cedric's puzzled remark, I finally realized what had been bothering me.
Yes. Sitting in Mr. Crouch's seat was Percy Weasley, dressed in a brand-new dark blue robe.
Percy seemed to notice us as well and approached with an air of self-importance.
"Hello. Are you enjoying yourselves?"
Unprompted, he cheerfully began talking about his promotion and how he was acting as Mr. Crouch's assistant. Cedric and I exchanged awkward looks before hesitantly asking,
"By the way… where's Penelope-senpai?"
"Huh? Penny's spending the day at home, I think."
Seeing Percy's confused expression, Cedric looked like he was thinking, Is this guy serious?
"Senpai, it's Christmas today!"
At Cedric's raised voice, the nearby girls all reacted at once.
"What? He ditched his girlfriend even though he has one?"
"On Christmas?"
"No way. I'd dump him instantly."
A storm of boos followed.
Especially the Ravenclaw girls, led by Cho-senpai, many of whom had been helped by Penelope-senpai when she was a prefect in their house, unleashed a wave of criticism. Eventually, even Fred and George, who had worked with Penelope during the summer at GM Company, showed up and joined the booing.
"Y-you too?!"
Percy, clearly unprepared for this level of backlash, protested in a fluster.
"I'll have you know, I did contact her properly using the multifunctional two-way mirror shapeshift messenger! I told her I had to attend this dance party all day as Mr. Crouch's proxy!"
"And then?"
"This was Penny's reply."
On the screen Percy showed us were these words:
It's important work, after all. I'm feeling a bit feverish today and resting at home, so don't worry and do your best!
Smack.
Replacing the stunned silence of the girls, Fred and George slapped Percy as hard as they could.
"You absolute idiot."
"Why?!"
At Percy's pitiful cry, Angelina Johnson-senpai, Katie Bell-senpai, Lee Jordan, and Alicia Spinnet-senpai spoke up one after another.
"That's obviously not how she really feels."
"Mentioning she's not feeling well is practically screaming that she wants you to come."
"And seriously, if your girlfriend has a fever, wouldn't you normally go check on her?"
"Two months into dating, maybe. But in your second year together? No way."
Only then did Percy seem to grasp the situation.
"Could it be… she was holding back, but actually hated it?"
There was a ninety percent chance that was exactly it.
"Also, rereading it now, 'It's important work, after all' is definitely sarcasm."
"If all you're doing is sitting at the judges' table, that's not worth abandoning your girlfriend on Christmas."
"Honestly, maybe she wants to break up and is doing this on purpose."
As everyone nodded in agreement, the only ones who still did not quite get it were Percy himself and Harry, who had followed Cho-senpai.
"But if that's the case, shouldn't she just say—"
Hermione sealed Harry's mouth with "Silencio! Be quiet!" and firmly added, "If you don't want Cho to hate you, stay quiet."
"Anyway, Percy-san, explain the situation to Mr. Crouch immediately and go to Penelope-san. It might already be too late, though."
In the end, Percy hurriedly contacted Mr. Crouch through the two-way mirror.
"Inform Bagman as well and hand things over. You may leave early. Do not forget to submit your vacation request afterward."
With that surprisingly considerate instruction, Percy was practically chased out by the twins and left early.
＊＊
After Percy left, Cedric spoke with a conflicted expression.
"They helped me a lot last year, so I hope things work out for them."
Apparently, when Cedric had just become a prefect, Percy and Penelope had taught him a great deal about how to handle the work.
"They really are good at looking after people."
"Yeah. Not just prefect duties. They even gave me advice during fifth-year career guidance."
At Hogwarts, fifth-years have a meeting with their Head of House for career guidance. In Cedric's case, it was Professor Sprout, but he had also consulted senior prefects close to his age.
Since the timing felt right, I asked something I had been curious about.
"By the way, Cedric, do you plan to work in Quidditch equipment development in the future?"
When we were trying to identify Saya-san disguised by Polyjuice Potion, Cedric had answered exactly that to the question, "What's your dream job?"
Cedric nodded quietly but firmly.
"I always wanted to work in something related to Quidditch, but deciding on development work was more recent."
Quidditch equipment development, I repeated silently.
"Does that mean you want to work for a broom manufacturer?"
Famous companies included Ralf Spudmore's firm, which made the Firebolt, Nimbus Racing Broom Company, Cleansweep Broom Company, and Comet Trading Company. They were competitive industries with limited hiring.
Since Cedric was a Quidditch player, aiming for a related field was not surprising, but I had assumed he would aim for a professional team like Oliver Wood, who graduated last year. Choosing development instead was unexpected.
However, Cedric shook his head.
"I won't work for a broom manufacturer. What I want to improve are the Snitch and the Bludger."
"That's… quite a niche path."
Seeing my puzzled look, Cedric continued.
"But I'm serious. I love Quidditch, and I want more people to enjoy it. So I thought about what's needed to make that happen."
"And your answer was improving the Snitch and the Bludger?"
Sensing my uncertainty, Cedric spoke again.
"Yes. Because recent Quidditch is a bit boring."
It was unusually strong language for Cedric.
"This might make me sound like an old fossil, but broom performance has improved too much lately. The game feels overly Seeker-focused. Give a Seeker the best broom, and they'll catch the Snitch in under an hour."
He went on to say that matches were not always like this in the past.
"Before broom performance skyrocketed, matches often lasted much longer, and substitutions were common."
That allowed for more complex strategies, including team composition and timing of player changes.
"Back when brooms were slower, even a great Seeker could get taken out by a Bludger and replaced by a reserve. And if the Snitch took too long to catch, it wasn't rare for Chasers to build a 150-point lead."
But while broom performance continued to improve, the Snitch and Bludger stayed the same. The Snitch became easier to catch, Bludgers easier to dodge, and the complex nature of Quidditch matches gradually became more and more dependent on the Seeker's skill alone.
"If broom performance has improved, then the Snitch and Bludgers need to keep up too."
"I see."
It made sense to me, but Hermione, who had been listening nearby, tilted her head in confusion and interjected, "But…"
"In that case, wouldn't it be better to join the Ministry's Department of Magical Games and Sports and regulate broom speeds?"
"That's not happening."
Not only Cedric but even Krum, who was beside him, shot it down instantly, leaving Hermione blinking in bewilderment.
"W-what do you think, Elaina?"
"Well… for better or worse, it sounds like an elite idea from someone who doesn't really know the field."
"I just got shot down by someone closer to the elite side!?"
Well, this part is more about feelings. The brilliant plays Krum showcased were also made possible by improved broom performance.
Cedric laughed and said, "I did consider the Department of Magical Games and Sports, at least briefly."
"But rather than imposing restrictions, I think improving the Snitch and Bludgers through research would make the sport more fun."
"Could it be that the Triwizard Tournament prize money is for that development?"
When I asked, Cedric scratched his cheek, a little embarrassed.
"…Is that a bit too worldly?"
I shook my head firmly.
"I think it's very you, Cedric. It's a good idea."
I meant it from the bottom of my heart.
"However…"
"You're wondering if that's all, right?"
Cedric asked, as if seeing through my thoughts.
"Yes… I don't think dreams have to be grand, but it feels like you could achieve that much in less than three years."
At my words, Cedric nodded.
"Yeah. I actually plan to make it happen in about two or three years."
"And after that, you'll retire and live a leisurely life?"
"Not a chance. Improving the Snitch and Bludgers is just one concrete idea. I still have plenty of ideas for developing products that help people enjoy Quidditch matches more. I want to turn them into reality one by one."
After that, Cedric shared idea after idea.
"For example, improving Omnioculars. If the Snitch and Bludgers get faster to match broom speeds, spectators won't be able to follow them with the naked eye. So if we had affordable, high-quality Omnioculars, I think everyone would want them."
"I see."
"I also want to start something like the 'British Wizarding Broadcasting Corporation' that Lee Jordan talked about over the summer, using communication mirrors. I'd team up again with Farley-senpai and the others at GM Company to create a wizarding version of a Muggle TV station. We'd broadcast cooking shows, weather forecasts, news, and sports coverage."
"It sounds fun to watch on a big communication mirror with your family while drinking butterbeer in the living room."
"If it can be broadcast through communication mirrors, then someday it should be viewable through multi-faceted mirrors too. Or we could link the multi-faceted mirrors with Omnioculars and send photos and footage taken from the stands through the shapeshifting messenger."
"In that case, you could have Riddle 94 edit match footage into funny videos and share them with friends."
The dreams never ran out. If anything, the more we talked, the more ideas appeared.
"When I talk to you, it feels like anything is possible. Even fairytale-like dreams feel close enough to reach if I just stretch out my hand."
"They'll reach you. Even fairytales become reality someday."
Because—
"We're wizards."
A great Muggle science fiction writer, Jules Verne, once said that anything humans can imagine, they can make real. If Muggles who cannot use magic can turn the impossible into possible, then surely we wizards can too, someday.
"Cedric, you can do it."
At my words, Cedric nodded. But there was a faint trace of unease on his face.
"Do you really think I can?"
"Yes."
The words slipped out naturally, a clear affirmation. They had no evidence or guarantee, and might have been nothing more than comforting optimism.
But once, long ago, words like these had given me tremendous courage.
So I say them now. The magical words my former mentor, Professor Lockhart, once gave me.
"As long as you keep walking forward, wishing to become so, you will become it."
This time, I was the one saying them to Cedric.
＊＊
After that, Cedric and I relaxed with tea, watching everyone dance at the party.
Because it was a special day, everything felt familiar yet slightly different. People excused themselves with "Because it's Christmas," becoming a little bolder or more sentimental. Everyday life and the extraordinary blended together, as if under a spell.
For example, Crabbe and Goyle, whose attendance had been doubtful at first, had somehow started an eating contest. This unexpectedly hit the mark, sending the Carrow twins into fits of laughter.
A tired Astoria rested her head on Euphemia Rowle-senpai's shoulder, dozing off. When our eyes met, Rowle-senpai smiled and put a finger to her lips, signaling "shh."
"This is… Christmas… with a girl… this is… youth…!"
Theodore Nott muttered like a homunculus discovering emotions for the first time, while his partner Estelle could only offer a hesitant, awkward laugh.
Meanwhile, Blaise Zabini shared a passionate kiss with Gryffindor's Emma Bain, then whispered something in her ear and earned a light smack and a playful, "Idiot♪"
"At Beauxbatons' palace, during Christmas, there is a forest nymph choir that sings. All around, ice sculptures stand in a circle. It's like a huge diamond sculpture…"
Fleur Delacour went on and on about her alma mater, but unfortunately her partner Roger seemed far more occupied staring at her beauty, letting her words pass straight through him.
Harry, paired with Cho-senpai, was sneakily sharing treacle tart with her.
"Harry, you really like sweets, don't you?"
"I couldn't eat many sweets when I was little, so I end up eating them now."
"That sounds… like a strict household."
"Yeah."
"Then today, let's eat lots!"
Knowing the truth about the Dursleys, that conversation made me nervous, but Cho-senpai, unaware of the landmines, passed through safely.
"Viktor, what is this?"
"Baklava… sweet, delicious pastry."
Hermione sat with Krum at the Durmstrang table, learning Bulgarian while enjoying Eastern European sweets, truly in the midst of international exchange.
Ron glared at them from a corner.
"Normally, would you dance with an enemy?"
As Ron grumbled while drinking butterbeer, Zacharias Smith, who had similarly been abandoned by his partner, nodded along.
"Exactly. I thought Granger was a smarter woman, but seeing her act like that is disappointing."
"Hey… don't badmouth Hermione in front of me."
"You're seriously such a pain!"
Gloom seemed to attract gloom, as nearby Eloise Midgen sat hugging her knees, along with Moaning Myrtle.
"Ugh… in the end, if there's a good-looking girl who seems easy, boys just chase after her… sob."
"Then what about that red-haired one or the blond one over there?"
"No… I still want a handsome guy and will ignore my own acne."
"Kids these days are so greedy…"
Over here too, a kind of cross-house friendship seemed to be budding.
Meanwhile, Neville and Hannah, who had performed a perfect dance thanks to all their practice, were being bombarded with questions by a shocked Ernie Macmillan and others.
"…You never get tired of watching, do you?"
Even familiar faces felt different tonight. Draco and Pansy carried a slightly more mature air, and Millicent's dress, usually boyish, sometimes showed a surprisingly alluring elegance.
Nott, usually poker-faced, had eyes sparkling like a child's, while Zabini captivated his partner with the contrast between his flashy demeanor and flawless escorting. Daphne chatted warmly with Tracy, like longtime childhood friends.
Watching from a little distance, I noticed sides of everyone I had never known before, and it made me realize again that each person has their own life.
Perhaps it was because today was Christmas, but it all felt strangely precious.
"Like Percy-senpai earlier… once you graduate and start working, maybe you won't see scenes like this anymore."
Cedric's voice, tinged with sentimentality, reminded me of the age gap between us.
"Though you might actually get more chances to dance."
"At social parties?"
"Like Flint-senpai or Farley-senpai, maybe you'll be dancing in clubs every night."
"Elaina, don't become that kind of adult."
Joking about people who were not here, my thoughts drifted to the future.
Cedric, a sixth-year this year, would have only one year left at Hogwarts. Before I realized it, my own time as a student was already more than halfway gone.
Even if I grew up and attended dance parties or spent Christmas with someone in the future, I probably would never see the same scenery as today again.
When I glanced at the clock, there was only a little time left before midnight.
As the moment when the magic of the holy night would fade drew near, this soft, floating space felt unbearably precious. As if trying to prolong this strange moment just a little longer, wishing not to wake from the dream.
"It's almost time."
"Yes."
Tick, tick. The sound of the clock marking time, mixed with students cheerfully shouting the countdown to the very end.
And then, in time with the bell that signaled the end of the holy night—
"Merry Christmas, Elaina."
"Merry Christmas, Cedric."
Finally, a huge firework burst over the lake, and our Christmas dance party came to an end.
(End of chapter)
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