Beyond the excitement and social glamour of the ball itself, the intimidating task of choosing a dance partner had emerged as the primary source of anxiety and sleepless nights for both Harry and Ron.
The prospect of approaching someone they found nice-looking, risking public rejection, and potentially making fools of themselves in front of the entire school created a level of social pressure that neither of them felt sufficiently prepared to handle.
"So then, who are you planning to ask?" Ron inquired with an expression of worry etched across his face, his voice carried nervous tension that showed he had been agonizing over this question for days without reaching any satisfactory conclusions.
"I honestly haven't decided yet," Harry replied casuallly, though the slight tightness around his eyes showed that he was far more concerned about this social minefield than he wanted to admit to his friend or even to himself.
"I figured as much," Ron sighed heavily. "It's not just finding dance partners that's got me worried, though. We also need to somehow get proper dress robes for the occasion, and I'm fairly certain that Mum will send me some dreadful second-hand set that's been moldering in the attic for decades—or possibly something even worse, if such a thing is imaginable."
Harry felt no particular concern about the dress robe situation, largely thanks to Adrian's foresight and planning.
During the previous summer holidays, Professor Westeros had taken him to Diagon Alley to purchase a high-quality set of formal robes, explaining that various social occasions during Harry's time at Hogwarts would inevitably require appropriate attire.
At the time, Harry had wondered why such preparation was necessary, but now he was grateful for Adrian's anticipation of his future needs.
Two days later, the package that Ron had been dreading with swelling intensity finally arrived at Hogwarts, delivered during the morning breakfast rush in the Great Hall.
When the Weasley family's old owl dropped the bulging brown parcel onto the breakfast table with a heavy thud, Ron's face immediately transformed into an expression of dismay that he looked as though he had just bitten into the sourest grape in existence.
He stared at the lumpy, misshapen package as if it were one of Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts, twisted and ready to deliver a painful bite at the slightest provocation.
His hands hovered uncertainly over the rough brown wrapping paper, clearly reluctant to discover what horrors lay inside.
"What exactly is that?" Harry asked with innocent curiosity.
"Big trouble," Ron muttered with resigned acceptance.
With trembling fingers that showed the depth of his worry, Ron slowly began untying the coarse string that held the package together.
The moment the wrapping fell away, a stale and peculiar odor immediately wafted up from the contents, carrying with it the unmistakable scent of long storage, dust, and what might kindly be described as vintage mustiness.
Hermione, who had been absorbed in reading her textbook "A History of Magic" while eating her breakfast, looked up at the sudden intrusion of the unpleasant smell and immediately sneezed delicately into her napkin.
"Oh, no—" Ron wailed in a voice filled with genuine anguish as he pulled from the package what could only be described as his worst nightmare made apparent.
The dress that emerged was a dark maroon dress robe that appeared to have been designed during an era when fashion sense had temporarily abandoned the wizarding world.
The sleeves were puffy to an almost comical degree, trimmed with yellowing lace that had clearly seen far better days, and the overall cut showed that it had been tailored for someone with completely different body proportions than Ron's lanky frame.
"I absolutely cannot wear this thing to the Christmas Ball," Ron said desperately, holding the criminal dress at arm's length as if physical distance might somehow improve its appearance.
"This robe is probably older than my grandmother, and possibly older than some of the ghosts wandering around the castle. What will people think when they see me dressed like this? What will the girls think?"
At this heartfelt expression of teenage social anxiety, Hermione released a mocking snort from her position across the table, though she attempted to disguise it by taking a sip of pumpkin juice.
Ron was absolutely not in the mood to deal with Hermione's apparently dismissive attitude at this particular moment.
She had seemed unusually irritable and short-tempered during the past few days, ever since their conversation about dancing lessons, and he had made a sensible decision to avoid touching that particular sore spot until whatever was bothering her had resolved itself naturally.
Observing his friend's obvious dejection and distress, Harry felt obliged to offer whatever comfort and assistance he could provide.
"Maybe it's meant to be a vintage style?" He suggested with optimistic encouragement. "You know, perhaps this type of formal wear is actually trendy now, and we just don't realize it because we're not up on the latest fashion developments. And if you really need something different, I could certainly help you buy—"
"Forget it," Ron interrupted with firm decisiveness, cutting off Harry's generous offer before it could be completed.
Harry had already provided him with more help and support than any friend should reasonably be expected to offer, and Ron didn't want to accumulate any more social debts that might complicate their relationship.
Even someone as young and relatively inexperienced as Ron understood the truth that excessive help, no matter how well-intentioned, could sour even the strongest friendships.
However, at exactly that moment when Ron's spirits had reached their lowest possible flow, something even worse occurred.
Draco Malfoy had somehow managed to approach their section of the Gryffindor table without being detected. Crabbe and Goyle were standing beside him as usual, clearly prepared to provide whatever backup intimidation their gang leader might need.
Malfoy's face showed his signature expression of mocking superiority.
"Well, well, Weasley," He drawled in his most pretentious tone, his eyes glinting with malicious anticipation as they focused on the maroon monstrosity still clutched in Ron's hands.
"I see you've received your dress robes for the ball. How... charming. Did your dear mother finally decide to send you the family heirloom? I'm curious—did she have to dig it out of some house-elf's abandoned trunk, or was it already being used as cleaning rags in your hovel of a home?"
Ron's face instantly flushed a red color that nearly matched his hair, his fingers gripped the dress robe so tightly that his knuckles turned white from the pressure.
Harry immediately recognized the dangerous escalation occurring in front of his eyes and leaped to his feet, positioning himself protectively between his best friend and their longtime bully. His eyes blazed with anger as he stared coldly at Malfoy's smug expression.
"What exactly do you want, Malfoy? If you're actively looking for trouble, I don't mind providing it—"
"Oh, do try to relax, Potter," Malfoy replied with exaggerated calm, raising his hands in a gesture of mock surrender. "I'm merely here to check on poor Weasley's unfortunate situation, and while I'm at it..."
He turned his gaze toward Neville, who had been sitting quietly nearby and hoping to avoid being noticed during this unpleasant confrontation.
"Tell me, Longbottom," Malfoy continued with silky menace, "would you perhaps be interested in sampling some more of those delightful biscuits I shared with you recently? I have it on good authority that the effects are quite... transformative."
Neville's shoulders visibly shrank—he remembered not only the terrifying experience of transfigurating into a fire salamander but also the agonizing aftermath of consuming Hagrid's shockingly spicy peppers
His lips had remained swollen and painful for several days after that incident.
Seeing Neville's obviously fearful reaction to his indirect threat, Malfoy smugly raised his chin in satisfaction, his face was displaying undisguised disdain.
"Absolutely pathetic," He said with cold contempt.
With that statement, he began laughing with amusement at the discomfort he had created. Crabbe and Goyle immediately joined in with their rough laughter.
The combination of public humiliation and witnessing Neville's continued torment finally pushed Ron beyond the limits of his self-control. He suddenly slammed his clenched fist down on the breakfast table with explosive force, the impact causing dishes, cups, and cutlery to jump and clatter with startling loudness.
The entire Great Hall, which had been filled with the usual morning chatter of students eating breakfast and discussing their daily plans, instantly fell into complete silence. Almost every conversation stopped mid-sentence as hundreds of pairs of eyes turned toward their table to witness whatever confrontation was about to unfold.
"Malfoy!" Ron's voice trembled with barely controlled rage. "I challenge you to a duel, right now!"
Malfoy raised one eyebrow in a gesture of surprise, taking a half-step backward while his thin lips curved up into a smile of unmistakable triumph.
"Oh, really?" He replied with mock astonishment. "You want to duel with me? While wearing that ridiculous rag that your family calls formal dress?"
This additional insult caused Crabbe and Goyle to burst into their rough, unpleasant laughter once again.
Harry immediately grabbed Ron's arm in an attempt to prevent the situation from escalating further out of control.
"Ron, please don't fall for his obvious trap,"
"No, Harry," Ron replied with grim determination, shaking off his friend's restraining grip. "This time, leave it to me."
Harry thought this was bad—things were getting complicated. He knew Ron was a very proud person.
'This is going to end badly,' Harry thought with growing concern as he watched the confrontation spiral toward what seemed like inevitable disaster.
Just as the tension in the Great Hall reached what felt like a breaking point, with students throughout the vast room holding their breath in anticipation of whatever scene was about to unfold, the doors at the entrance suddenly burst open with enough force to make them bang against the stone walls.
Professor McGonagall appeared in the doorway like an avenging angel, and strode through the Great Hall. Her sharp gaze immediately locked onto the area around Harry's table, clearly having sensed that this was the epicenter of whatever disturbance had disrupted the normal breakfast routine.
"What exactly is going on here?" She asked sternly. "From my office, it sounded as though there had been some sort of significant disturbance in this hall. I should remind you all that shouting and creating public scenes during meals is completely unseemly and will not be tolerated!"
The entire Great Hall fell dead silent.
Malfoy quickly wiped the mocking expression from his face, adopting instead a mask of innocent confusion that suggested he had no idea why anyone might be upset about anything.
Crabbe and Goyle stood motionless beside him like two suddenly petrified statues.
Ron also felt his anger cool rapidly. Professor McGonagall was definitely not someone to trifle with under any circumstances, and even in his current state of emotional agitation, he had enough sense to recognize that further confrontation would only lead to severe consequences for everyone involved.
"Professor," Harry spoke up first, stepping slightly forward to draw McGonagall's attention toward himself rather than agitated Ron, "we were just having some... discussion about preparations for the Christmas Ball."
Professor McGonagall's sharp gaze swept precisely over the wrinkled dress robe still clutched in Ron's hands, then lingered for several seconds on Malfoy's expression of false innocence.
"I'll choose to trust your explanation for now, Mr. Potter," She said in a calm tone. "However, I expect all of you to remember that this is a place of learning and civilized behavior."
Everyone present released a united sigh of relief at this relatively lenient response. If they had actually lost house points over such a trivial confrontation, especially so close to the end of term, it would have created complications that none of them wanted to deal with.
Sensing that the instant crisis had passed and that continued presence would only invite further scrutiny, Malfoy and his two bodyguards quickly retreated to the Slytherin table.
"Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall said, suddenly turning her attention back to Harry with focus, "I hope you'll remember to find a dance partner well in advance of the ball. As one of our champions, you'll be representing not just yourself but the entire school, and I absolutely will not tolerate you embarrassing Hogwarts through poor preparation at the ball."
"Yes, Professor," Harry replied promptly.
"If you encounter any difficulties with the aspects of the tournament," She continued with slightly more warmth, "you should consult with Professor Westeros. As your designated supervising professor, he should be able to provide whatever guidance and assistance you might require."
However, Malfoy's capacity for restraint and good judgment proved to be considerably more limited than anyone had hoped.
Professor McGonagall's imposing figure had barely disappeared through the Great Hall's exit doors when he began making his way back toward the Gryffindor table, still wearing that infuriatingly false smile that had caused so much trouble already this morning.
"What do you want now?" Harry said with obvious disgust, his patience with Malfoy's provocations having reached its absolute limit.
Rather than responding to Harry's hostile question, Malfoy ignored him and walked directly to where Ron sat.
"Perhaps we should change venues, Weasley," He suggested with casual malice. "You did express interest in dueling with me, after all. I'd hate to disappoint you by refusing such a... spirited challenge."
"Fine by me, Malfoy," Ron replied with surprising calmness. "Since you're apparently not afraid of facing me, then let's proceed. I hope you haven't forgotten what slugs taste like."
Malfoy seemed unprepared for Ron to agree so readily, his eyebrows rose slightly, but he quickly resumed his arrogant expression.
Harry wanted to intervene, but Ron had already stood up and was walking toward the door with Malfoy.
Harry quickly exchanged a glance with Hermione, who had been watching these developments with growing concern, then hurried after the group.
Crabbe and Goyle also clumsily followed.
Neville hesitated for a moment, then also stood up.
This duel seemed to have something to do with him too?
For the first time in his memory, Neville suddenly felt some admiration for Ron. If their positions had been reversed, he honestly wasn't sure he would have had the courage to duel Malfoy.
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