Ch310- Guests of Honor!
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The crowd parted slightly as Luna approached, her smile fixed on Harry. She didn’t say anything, simply held out her hand, waiting.
Harry took it without hesitation. “How is the Yule going for you, Luna?”
“Oh, I do enjoy it a lot, especially when there’s good company,” she replied with a soft laugh.
Luna’s movements graceful as she followed his lead effortlessly. As the music ended, she gave him a serene smile and drifted back into the crowd, leaving Harry with a faint grin.
Ginny Weasley appeared next, a bit shy but clearly determined. She extended her hand, a small, challenging smile on her face. “Shall we?”
Harry grinned, taking her hand. “Lead the way, Weasley.”
One by one, Harry danced with each girl in his group, keeping up until even he started to feel the fatigue settling in. Despite the occasional cheeky remark from Pansy or Ginny's lighthearted teasing, he managed to get through each round, sticking to the quick pace of the night.
When there seemed to be no one left lining up for a dance, Mrs. Zabini sidled up to Harry, an amused glint in her eye. “I may have missed the first dance, but I’m claiming the last,” she purred, holding out her hand with an expression that left no room for debate.
Harry met her gaze with a slight grin, accepting her hand. “Alright, Mrs. Zabini. Let’s see what you’ve got.” He led her to the floor
She raised a brow, her tone amused. “I don’t plan on letting you off that easily, Harry,” she teased as they fell into step. “After all, it’s not every day I get to dance with such a promising young wizard. Quite the catch, aren’t you?”
Harry continued, raising his glass to the guests around him, the flickering candlelight casting long shadows across the room. “Tonight, we celebrate unity—a concept that often seems quaint, forgotten amidst our comfortable routines and traditions.”
A few heads turned, curious, some wary. “Minister Fudge, though no longer with us, put great efforts toward keeping our world safe and steady. But, we can’t ignore the reality: some of his administration’s choices only widened the gap between us,” Harry said, his voice hardening briefly before he continued smoothly, “supporting certain families while others bore the cost. We all know this has gone on long enough.”
There were a few nods from Noble families.
“Each one of us, whether from the oldest families or not, shares a responsibility to look beyond blood and status,” Harry continued, his gaze sweeping the room. “For centuries, it’s been easy to ignore voices beyond our small circles, and to favor the comfort of familiar names, but the world is changing. Whether we like it or not, those with influence here need to remember: no single group should control the fate of all wizards and witches.”
Dumbledore’s eyes shone with that usual twinkle, and then, rising smoothly, he began to clap. The applause spread, hesitant from some, reluctant from others, but strong enough to fill the hall. More people joined in until the room hummed with the sound. Harry raised his glass slightly toward the crowd, acknowledging the reaction without making a show of it.
Raising his hand, gathering everyone’s attention once again, he said, “Now that’s out of the way,” he began, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Onto the second event of the night. From here on, I want Yule to mark not just the start of a new year, but actual progress.” He paused, letting his words settle with the crowd, who were now leaning in with interest. “This year, being the first, only a few of my friends from Hogwarts managed to come up with inventions, but every year going forward, I would like to recognize the best three inventions. We hope this encourages more young wizards and witches from all around the world to step up and share their ideas.”
The crowd buzzed, whispering to one another as they processed the unexpected announcement. A few students in the room exchanged hopeful looks, and Harry could already see the gears turning in their minds.
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