"Viennese schnitzel!" Dumbledore picked up the menu in front of him and read it aloud clearly. A serving of pork cutlet immediately appeared on his plate.
It was still the same ordering system, and everyone present was already used to it. They picked up their menus one after another and began choosing the dishes they wanted.
This ordering system meant that the house-elves in the kitchens had to shoulder a much heavier workload. They needed to send the prepared dishes to the correct places within an extremely short period of time.
There were more than a thousand people in the Great Hall. After briefly looking over the menus, dozens of orders were being issued every second.
It was undoubtedly an enormous challenge, but the Hogwarts house-elves were no ordinary workers either.
They successfully completed the task, delivering one delicious dish after another precisely onto the plates before the guests.
"Tuna salad, escargots, oxtail braised in red wine, bouillabaisse."
Rhys quickly ordered the dishes he wanted.
The four dishes appeared one after another, filling the table in front of him.
Rhys noticed that Aries seemed unusually tense. Looking more closely, he saw that her sitting posture was somewhat stiff, and her eyes kept drifting towards the staff table.
Once he saw who she was looking at, Rhys immediately understood.
"There's no need to be afraid. This is Hogwarts, the safest place in the world," Rhys whispered softly, giving Aries some reassurance.
After comforting her, Rhys could not help criticising Rowena in his heart.
That woman was far too cunning. She had actually managed to come up with a loophole like this and genuinely slipped through it. She simply had not considered Aries's feelings at all.
Look how frightened the poor woman was...
Rhys's reassurance worked very well. Aries soon shook off her fear, and a faint sense of anticipation even rose in her heart.
If that man tried to attack her here, would Hogwarts' protectors kill him on the spot?
Of course, thinking about it was one thing. Aries certainly did not have the courage to provoke him.
The banquet began.
While enjoying the food, Rhys could also hear the other contestants chatting nearby.
"Winters at Durmstrang are much colder than they are here, and we don't celebrate Christmas with anything this grand. The winter nights there are extremely long, and there's very little sunlight each day. After staying there long enough, everyone starts looking gloomy. So almost nobody chooses to remain at school over Christmas. Everyone wants to go home and take a holiday somewhere sunny, like the south of France, with their families."
Krum clearly did not particularly like the climate of northern Europe.
"It doesn't sound that bad?" Fleur could not really understand the misery of getting too little sunlight. She even thought less sun sounded rather pleasant. "But the south of France really is a good place for a holiday. The bouillabaisse there is excellent, and the oysters are very fresh. You could try Spain next time. The pace of life there is a little more relaxed."
Krum nodded, indicating that he would remember it.
After dinner, Dumbledore stood up.
"Before the ball begins, there is one more thing I need to do."
The students fell silent and listened quietly.
As Dumbledore spoke, Mr. Jamison, who was seated beside him, took a box out from under the table.
Ludo Bagman, sitting nearby, drew his wand and tapped the lid of the box. The lid sprang open automatically, revealing a dazzling golden glow.
Inside the box were more than a hundred golden eggs, each about the size of a chicken egg.
The students present all craned their necks towards the staff table.
The golden eggs instantly captured their attention.
Dumbledore drew his wand and swept it in a semicircle before him. The golden eggs rose from the box one after another and flew towards the contestants.
Every contestant received one, and Rhys was naturally no exception.
When the golden egg landed in front of him, Rhys picked it up and examined it carefully.
It felt heavy in his hand, probably made from a precious metal such as gold or silver.
Rhys wondered inwardly whether the Ministry had really spent that much money if these golden eggs were not going to be reclaimed later.
But knowing the Ministry, they probably were not made of pure gold.
While examining the surface, Rhys noticed an extremely fine circular seam running around the middle of the egg. It looked as though the egg could be opened along it.
Some of the other contestants had noticed the same detail. Several were already itching to open their eggs and inspect what was inside, but Dumbledore spoke before they could.
"Don't be too eager to open them. I suggest that you wait until you return somewhere private before opening these golden eggs. As for why, you'll understand once you do."
Dumbledore smiled, his eyes behind the half-moon spectacles filled with kindly amusement.
"They are related to the next stage of the tournament. You will have plenty of time between the end of tonight's ball and the reopening of the competition to study them. For now, let us enjoy the Yule Ball!"
Although Dumbledore told the contestants to enjoy the ball, after something like this, very few of them were still in the mood to dance.
Everyone's attention had been drawn to the heavy golden egg now tucked away in their pockets.
Related to the next stage of the tournament?
Then the egg most likely contained information about the second stage of the Championship.
If they could decipher that information earlier than the others, they would gain an advantage in the next round.
The thought made the contestants wish they could return to their dormitories immediately and uncover the secret hidden inside the egg.
Professor McGonagall shot Dumbledore a reproachful look.
She felt that he had completely ruined the atmosphere of the ball.
The golden eggs should have been handed out after the ball, just as she had suggested.
Dumbledore gave an awkward smile.
The eggs could only really be distributed at this point in the evening. By the time the ball ended, there was no guarantee that everyone present now would still be gathered together.
Quite a few people would disappear halfway through the dancing with their partners, no one knew where.
The Hogwarts contestants would be easy enough. House-elves could simply deliver the eggs to their bedsides.
The students from the other magical schools would be much more troublesome.
To revive the atmosphere, Dumbledore waved his wand and moved all the tables towards the walls, clearing a large open space in the centre of the Great Hall.
A stage then appeared, bearing a drum kit, several guitars, a lute, a cello, and several organs.
Immediately afterwards, the Weird Sisters, whom Dumbledore had invited to perform, poured into the Great Hall from a side chamber and hurried onto the stage.
Amid the audience's applause, they picked up their instruments.
At that moment, the lanterns on the tables all went out.
It was time to dance.
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12 Chaps ahead at Patreon.com/HornyFBI