Author's Note: Don't forget to vote, comment and leave a 5 star review to help the story grow and reach more people.
Read upto +30 Chapters worth of content ahead and receive extra updates daily by going to my Patreon and becoming a fellow Patreon.
Patreon: mrfanfiction140
Be sure to read my other Novels as well:
- Naruto: Multiverse Adventures
- Hunter x Hunter : The Alchemist.
- One Piece : Reincarnated As A Genderbent Charlotte Linlin.
----
Lynn looked up and saw Fleur leading Gabrielle to the entrance of the stables, though he didn't know when they had arrived.
"Good afternoon, Miss Delacour," Lynn greeted first, a harmless smile on his face.
"Good afternoon, Lynn." Fleur nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping over the group of Abraxans still surrounding Lynn, wanting more, and then to the bottle in his hand that he hadn't had time to put away. "What are you doing?"
"I'm not doing anything," Lynn said, his expression unchanged. "I just wanted to come and see the Abraxans and brought them some drinks while I was at it."
He spoke with complete confidence, not mentioning at all that he had just collected half a bag of tail hair.
Otherwise, what else could he say? Could he really tell Fleur directly, "I've taken a liking to your Beauxbatons Abraxans and want to kidnap one back to be a girlfriend for my alcoholic horse at home?"
That image was too much; he didn't dare think about it.
Fleur glanced at him, her gaze carrying a hint of scrutiny. She thought for a moment and said, "Madame Maxime is quite fond of these Abraxans. You should pluck a little less hair."
Lynn's smile stiffened for a split second.
"...I didn't pluck any."
Fleur looked at him and didn't say a word.
Lynn: "..."
Fine.
He nodded, indicating he understood.
In his mind, however, he was frantically calculating how he could spirit one away without anyone knowing. Asking for one directly definitely wouldn't work; he'd never get past Madame Maxime. Being sneaky wasn't appropriate either, since Fleur was standing right here.
Or... let Lumière come and woo one himself?
Lynn thought of Lumière's perpetually drunken state and then looked at the spirited Beauxbatons Abraxans before him, silently crossing that idea out.
Whether that drunkard could win one over was one thing, but he didn't want to be embarrassed if the mare ended up despising him.
He pulled back his thoughts, looked at Fleur, and changed the subject.
"Miss Delacour, why are you here?"
Fleur's expression became a bit awkward.
She opened her mouth, seemingly trying to organize her words, but didn't speak for a moment.
Beside her, Gabrielle looked at Lynn and then at her sister, her little face filled with an "I know the inside story" expression.
"Sister," she spoke up in a crisp voice, "didn't we come here to hide from—"
Before she could finish, Fleur quickly covered Gabrielle's mouth with her hand.
Gabrielle made muffled "wuwu" sounds, her small hands waving wildly in the air.
Lynn watched this scene and raised an eyebrow.
Hide?
Hide from what?
His mind whirled a few times, and then he showed a look of realization.
"You're also here to hide for some peace and quiet?" he asked.
Fleur's movements paused. She released her hand from Gabrielle's mouth and looked at Lynn, surprise in her gaze.
"...Also?" she repeated the word. "Didn't you just say you came to see the Abraxans?"
Lynn's face didn't redden, and his heart didn't race; he didn't feel the slightest bit of embarrassment from having his lie exposed.
"Don't worry about those details," he waved a hand.
Fleur looked at him and fell silent.
She thought to herself: This person is really thick-skinned.
But on second thought, this person was a champion who could fight off a Norwegian Dragon single-handedly; it wasn't surprising that he was a bit thick-skinned.
Thinking of this, Fleur's eyes lit up slightly. If she could win over such a person for the upcoming tasks—
Her mind raced, and she quickly made a decision.
"Ahem." She cleared her throat and adopted a proper expression. "Lynn, do you not have a dance partner yet?"
The question came suddenly, but Lynn reacted extremely fast.
He looked at Fleur, rubbed his chin, and didn't answer directly.
Fleur felt a bit uneasy under his gaze, but she steeled herself and continued, "How about it? You only need to, in the next task—"
"If there are requirements, then no deal," Lynn interrupted, his tone crisp and decisive.
Fleur's words got stuck in her throat.
She stared at him, momentarily unsure of how to respond.
Lynn spread his hands, looking innocent. "You're clearly trying to negotiate terms. I'm not stupid."
Fleur: "..."
She took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.
Fine.
This person was not only thick-skinned but also shrewd.
"Then if I have no requirements..." she asked tentatively.
Lynn blinked.
"Then it can be considered," he said, his tone much more sincere.
Fleur: "..."
She stared at Lynn, her lips moving, but for a moment she actually didn't know what to say.
How was this person so difficult to deal with?
She took a deep breath, trying to keep her expression calm.
"So do you agree or not?" she asked.
Lynn rubbed his chin and slowly asked back, "So, do you have any requirements?"
Fleur was extremely annoyed.
She comforted herself in her heart: Trick him first. Just get him to agree. Once the ball was over, she'd find a way to get him to help in the later tasks. He couldn't just turn his back on her then, could he?
"I have no requirements," she said through gritted teeth.
"Oh," he said, "then I agree."
...
The next morning at ten o'clock.
Lynn stood punctually at the entrance to the Great Hall.
Behind him followed Edgar Burns, William Smith, and Ollie Thorne, each wearing a more subtle expression than the last.
Edgar had the undisguised smile of someone waiting for a good show. William pushed up his glasses, pretending nothing was wrong, and Ollie was silent as usual, but the slight upward curve of his lips betrayed him.
Lynn took a deep breath.
He raised his hand and grasped the handle of the Great Hall door.
Creak—
The door was pushed open.
The scene inside the Great Hall came into view.
Professor McGonagall had clearly done a lot of preparation. The space where the four house tables usually sat was now empty; those tables had been neatly moved to the sides and lined up against the walls. In their place were rows of chairs arranged in a large semicircle, leaving an open space in the middle.
Decorative ribbons and magical light globes hung from the ceiling, emitting a soft glow.
A gramophone in the corner was playing a soothing waltz, the volume low enough to create an atmosphere without interfering with conversation.
Many people were already seated in the chairs.
Hogwarts students made up the majority, from all year levels.
Girls gathered in small groups, whispering and occasionally letting out soft laughs. Boys sat relatively scattered, some pretending to adjust their collars, others secretly glancing at the girls opposite them.
Quite a few people from the other schools had also arrived.
Several Beauxbatons girls sat by the window, elegant and dignified, one of whom even glanced toward Lynn. A few Durmstrang boys sat on the other side, their expressions serious, as if attending some important meeting. Students from Ilvermorny, Uagadou, and Castelobruxo were scattered about, giving the Great Hall a truly international feel.
Lynn's gaze swept across the crowd; there were quite a few familiar faces.
"What are you standing there for?" Edgar gave him a push from behind. "Go in, Champion."
Lynn was pushed forward a step, drawing the attention of several nearby girls.
He steadied himself and turned back to glare at Edgar.
Edgar's smile grew even brighter.
Lynn took a deep breath and stepped into the Great Hall.
He found a corner with relatively few people and sat down, with Edgar and the other two following suit beside him.
"Nervous?" Edgar leaned over and asked in a low voice.
Lynn glanced at him. "What do you think?"
"I think your face has gone white."
"That's a lighting issue."
"Oh—" Edgar drew out the word, clearly not believing him.
Lynn couldn't be bothered with him; it really was a lighting issue.
His gaze turned toward the center of the dance floor, where Professor McGonagall was standing, wearing a well-tailored set of deep green robes, her hair meticulously pinned back.
Before long, Professor McGonagall cleared her throat.
The entire room instantly fell silent.
"Good morning," her voice rang out clearly across the Great Hall. "Welcome, everyone, to this temporary Dance Club. I know that, for many of you, dancing may not be an easy task."
Her gaze swept across the room, pausing for less than a second on Lynn.
Lynn felt a mysterious chill run down his spine.
"But the Yule Ball is a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament, and I do not wish to see any student make a fool of themselves at the ball—especially the champions."
She paused, her wand tapping lightly against her hand.
"Therefore, today we will start from the basics. I will first give a demonstration, and then you will practice in pairs."
Her gaze swept across the room again, finally settling on Lynn.
"Mr. Lynn."
Lynn's movements froze.
He slowly raised his head and met Professor McGonagall's gaze.
"Come up and be my demonstration partner."
Lynn: "..."
Everyone's gaze in the room turned toward him in unison.
Lynn took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He stood up and walked toward the center of the dance floor.
"Stand here." Professor McGonagall pointed with her wand to the spot in front of her.
Lynn stood as instructed.
The two stood face-to-face, less than a meter apart.
Professor McGonagall lowered her wand and extended her right hand.
"Place your hand here." She put Lynn's left hand on her shoulder, then placed her own right hand on Lynn's shoulder. "Hold the other hand like this."
Lynn did as he was told.
"Very good," Professor McGonagall said. "Now, listen to my command. I will count to three, and then we will step together. One, two, three—"
Lynn moved.
Following the points Professor McGonagall had just explained, he stepped forward with his left foot.
And then—
Thud.
His right foot stepped onto Professor McGonagall's left foot.
The whole room went silent.
Lynn felt the sensation under his foot. He looked down and saw that it was indeed Professor McGonagall's foot he had stepped on.
He looked up again and met Professor McGonagall's face.
Professor McGonagall's expression didn't change at all.
"It's alright," her tone was as calm as if nothing had happened. "It's always like this the first time. Again. One, two, three—"
Lynn stepped again.
This time, his right foot didn't step on anyone, but as he turned, his left foot precisely stepped onto Professor McGonagall's right foot.
Thud.
Professor McGonagall's expression remained calm.
But Lynn could clearly see the corner of her eye twitch.
Suppressed laughter echoed through the hall.
Edgar was already doubled over laughing, leaning his whole weight on William, his shoulders shaking violently. William and Ollie weren't doing much better.
"Again." Professor McGonagall's voice was still steady.
The third time.
Lynn was fully concentrated now, every step taken with extreme caution.
He stepped, turned, stepped—
And then his foot stepped on something again.
This time, he could clearly feel Professor McGonagall's body stiffen for a split second.
The whole hall went completely silent.
That silence lasted for less than two seconds, and then—
"Pfft—Hahahaha!!!"
Edgar's laughter was the first to explode, followed by even more uncontrollable laughter.
Lynn stood there, his foot still on Professor McGonagall's, feeling terrible. Even though he had his cheats, Professor McGonagall hadn't taught him anything beforehand and had jumped straight into the practical exercise!
He could even clearly see Professor McGonagall's face growing darker and darker over those ten seconds.
Lynn didn't dare look anymore.
He silently lifted his foot and took a step back.
"I'm sorry, Professor."
"It's alright," she said. "Go over there and watch for now. Someone else come up."
Lynn felt as if he'd been granted a royal pardon and turned to leave.
Edgar was already laughing so hard he couldn't speak, slumped in his chair with tears in his eyes.
"Lynn..." Edgar finally managed to squeeze out two words. "You're too amazing... ten seconds... stepped three times... hahahaha..."
Lynn sat down in his chair, expressionless.
He didn't need to think to know that, for a long time to come, this would be his greatest dark history.