HP: I beat the otome game at Hogwarts

Chapter 111 The Christmas Ball at Malfoy Manor

Draco stood beside his parents, wearing a silver-grey silk robe embroidered with stars in gold and silver thread, which perfectly complemented his moonlight-like hair and grey-blue eyes.

Every year, Malfoy Manor hosts a Christmas ball, and as the heir to the Malfoy family, Draco is responsible for entertaining the underage wizards who come to visit. Although Draco is sometimes willful and arrogant, on such occasions, his words and actions represent the Malfoy family, and his behavior is always very proper.

Blaise could tell that Draco was actually in a very bad mood today. He only used a little of the cheesy oysters and orange-stuffed crab that he always favored on his plate, and didn't touch the cold tomato soup.

While chatting with Pansy and Daphne, Draco was able to offer timely compliments on the ladies' outfits, but his smile seemed somewhat absent-minded.

Blaise could sense Draco's impatience and underlying anxiety throughout the ball. When Draco excused himself and walked away for a while, Blaise glanced at him from a distance and noticed that his platinum-plated roommate had simply gone to the window in the hallway and played with an owl a few times.

The large golden eagle with its magnificent plumage is the Malfoy family's personal messenger. Blaise, who is also his roommate, has seen this eagle quite often and is very familiar with the bird's proud temperament, which is just like its owner's. Even when delivering messages to Blaise, the bird has an arrogant attitude.

But today, no matter how Blaise looked at it, he felt that the bird was cooing at Draco with a hint of guilt and obsequiousness.

It's normal to get some fresh air at the ball occasionally, but Draco has already made excuses to slip away three or four times. Blaise noticed that Mrs. Malfoy's smile, who was closely watching her son, had faded a bit. Mr. Malfoy frowned secretly. Blaise guessed that after the ball, his platinum roommate would inevitably get a scolding from his father.

Draco would always sneak to the window to look out, seemingly waiting for the owl to bring back someone's package.

But in the side room of Malfoy Manor, where Draco kept his Christmas gifts, the piles were already overflowing from floor to ceiling, not to mention that all of Draco's friends were attending the Christmas ball at Malfoy Manor today.

Aside from... wizards who don't belong to the pure-blood aristocracy circle.

This reminds me of a gift I received from a Gryffindor lady this Christmas: a sticky toffee that was impossible to open my mouth.

Clearly, this vengeful young lady is still holding a grudge about the Hogsmeade social gathering that was ruined last time. If she, who "stood by and did nothing," was treated this way, then it's no surprise that Draco, the "executioner" who directly jumped out to cause trouble, didn't receive a Christmas present.

Poor Draco.

Blaise sighed casually as he gently swirled the crystal goblet in his hand, the chilled mint liqueur inside releasing a refreshing aroma.

He usually prefers guava sparkling wine, but the taste of mint reminds him of someone who loves mint, and the mint flavor he tasted with that person during a vacation in France: a touch of mint ice cream on cherry lips, or the mint frosting left on delicate fingertips...

It's Christmas, a time of snow and ice, but Blaise is already starting to miss the sun-drenched, minty summer.

*

This Christmas, Lyra received a ton of gifts, as usual: trendy trinkets, exquisite quill pens and ink bottles, all sorts of candies and snacks... including the limited-edition Christmas candy gift box she couldn't buy at Hogsmeade. She received several limited-edition deluxe gift boxes, for example, from her pen pal and dog friend, and even Harry.

Lyra smiled knowingly, assuming that the Marauder's Map she and the twins had given Harry had played a crucial role.

What surprised her most was the Christmas gift Dexter gave her: a miniature bonsai willow.

In fact, it's more of a bedside ornament than a potted plant, because this vibrant, miniature version of the Willow Tree, with its constantly waving branches, is housed in a crystal ball.

This is somewhat like the snow-themed crystal ball music box she received as a child, the kind that spins and plays music, with a snowy Christmas tree and a snow-topped house inside.

But this didn't dampen her excitement at all! Although she herself had failed in the Whomping Willow experiment, her friend had succeeded! In other words, she had succeeded herself!

In theory, this crystal ball willow figurine was a shortcut, deviating somewhat from Lyra's original vision of a purely miniature bonsai. However, Lyra was still excited and immediately wrote to George and Fred, who were home for the holidays, to share her latest creation.

The red-haired twins: How awful! Their Ravenclaw-style fawning is impossible to imitate!

Lyra walked briskly towards the Great Hall. The house-elves of Hogwarts never disappointed when it came to the annual Christmas feast. Even before she reached the Great Hall, Lyra was already catching a tantalizing aroma of cooking, so enticing that it could even draw the attention of pets—

Last time, Lyra ran into Ron's beloved mouse, Scabbers, who quietly peeked out from Ron's jacket pocket, ignoring Hermione's cat threat, and sniffed the tempting aroma of the food with hope.

Upon entering the hall, the Christmas atmosphere became even stronger. Thick ribbons made of holly and mistletoe were hung around the hall, and the torches on the walls kept changing colors. In the center of the hall, there were twelve Christmas trees with golden stars shining on them, and little fairies with flapping wings sprinkled fine gold dust on the passersby.

"Lyra, sit here!" Hermione, Ron, and Harry waved to Lyra as she entered the Great Hall.

Lyra discovered that the long tables where the four houses usually ate were gone, and only a table that could seat a dozen or so people was placed in the center of the room.

"Merry Christmas!" Harry had a long-lost smile on his face. He was wearing a red wizard's hat with a golden snitch on the top, a Christmas present from Lyra.

“Thank you for the gift,” Harry said, his face beaming with joy, as if he had received more than one exciting present. “I really love this hat—”

“I really like the Christmas candy gift box you gave me. I couldn’t buy any myself that day. Thank you so much.” Lyra gracefully sat down at the end of the table, next to Hermione, Harry, and Ron.

“Actually, I also received a very, very unexpected Christmas present today—” As soon as Lyra sat down, Harry couldn’t wait to come over and share. Judging from his expression, it must have been an amazing but wonderful gift.

“You’ll never guess what it is—” Ron said to Lyra in a low voice, his expression mirroring Harry’s excitement.