Kapitel 257: Chapter 257: Three Cyruses!
Cyrus was preoccupied with thoughts about the second task.
Still, no matter what plans Grindelwald had or what schemes Barty Crouch Jr. and Voldemort were plotting, he wasn't afraid. In fact, he was looking forward to whatever surprises they might bring. Once he defeated them all, he'd see who else dared to stand in his way!
A smirk played on his lips as he thought this, but then two figures appeared in front of him.
It was Ginny and Hermione.
They stood with arms akimbo, looking like two angry butterflies.
"What are you two doing here?" Cyrus asked curiously. "I thought your table was elsewhere."
With over a hundred tables set up, only the still-competing champions sat together. Ginny and Hermione's table was much farther away. Clearly, they had come over specifically for Cyrus, and judging by their demeanor, they weren't here for a friendly chat.
Cassandra remained silent, leaning back in her chair. She picked up her drink and sipped it lightly, her expression one of amusement as if enjoying the show.
It was obviously a tense situation. The entire table fell silent, and even people at the neighboring tables turned their heads surreptitiously to watch, anticipating Cyrus's embarrassment.
For every girl infatuated with Cyrus, there was a boy jealous of him.
And the students from Beauxbatons had long since come to loathe Ilvermorny. Fleur and her partner sat together, glaring at Cassandra with hatred, clearly furious over the deaths of their two "schoolmates."
In truth, if not for the recent events, Fleur might have considered inviting Cyrus to the ball.
But now, even though she didn't think Cyrus was deeply involved in the incident, inviting the headmaster of Ilvermorny was out of the question.
She had tried inviting Cedric afterward, but to her surprise, he had declined as well.
In the end, she had to settle for a random Hogwarts boy as her partner. Fleur felt like nothing good had happened to her since being chosen as a champion.
Contrary to expectations, Ginny and Hermione didn't start yelling or making a scene. Instead, they picked up their glasses of butterbeer, clinked them against Cyrus's, and each took a sip, leaving a trace of foam on their lips.
Ginny set her glass down, shot a glare at Cassandra, and then turned to Cyrus, extending an invitation:
"I wonder if I might have the honor of dancing with you later? Or are you planning to spend the entire evening dancing with just her?"
"Of course, with two such lovely ladies," Cyrus said with a slight nod.
Ginny and Hermione immediately beamed with joy, linking arms and walking away together.
Dumbledore hesitated for a moment, then leaned over to whisper in Cyrus's ear. "While I've always believed that youth and affection are beautiful things, you..." His gaze shifted to Cassandra, then to Ginny and Hermione skipping away.
His meaning was crystal clear.
Three love interests at once—can that even be called love?
Of course, Dumbledore wouldn't put it so bluntly.
He phrased it more delicately: "The ball lasts only a few hours. If you plan to dance with all of them, I'm afraid you won't have enough time—or energy—for everyone."
The ball officially started at 8 PM, and with dinner taking over an hour, there wasn't much time left.
Dumbledore was certain that even if Cyrus was willing to dance with Ginny and Hermione, his current dance partner wouldn't easily let him go.
Cyrus merely smiled faintly, offering no argument.
After a while, the plates were nearly empty. Even if there was food left, the wizards and witches dressed in their elegant robes had little appetite for more.
At this point, Dumbledore stood up, waved his wand, and all the tables floated to the walls, leaving the center of the room clear.
A raised stage emerged from the ground near the right-hand wall, covered with various instruments. Moments later, the Weird Sisters swarmed onto the stage, greeted by thunderous applause from the audience.
The Weird Sisters were a wizarding band as iconic in the magical world as the Beatles were in the Muggle world. Their music was modern and energetic, far from old-fashioned.
As the hall lights dimmed, the pulsing rhythm of the music made it clear to everyone what was about to happen—dancing!
"Let's begin," Cassandra said, uncharacteristically nervous.
Her face was flushed, and her emerald-green eyes sparkled as they met Cyrus's gaze.
In that moment, her black gown seemed even more extraordinary. The dim lighting seemed to converge on her dress, making it stand out as if glowing. Clearly, Cassandra had used magic to ensure her gown would dazzle under low light.
Cyrus took her gloved hand, feeling the soft fabric beneath his fingers, though his gaze strayed toward Ginny and Hermione, standing motionless in the crowd, seemingly waiting for him.
Then, to the rhythm of the music, Cyrus held Cassandra's tightly cinched waist.
It was incredibly soft, as if he were holding a cat.
On the other side, Ginny and Hermione stepped aside, standing on the outskirts of the crowd.
Although they were technically each other's dance partners for the evening, the idea of dancing together seemed too awkward.
They watched the ebb and flow of the dancers in the hall, but in the dim lighting, Cyrus and Cassandra soon disappeared from their view.
When the Weird Sisters finished their first song, applause echoed through the room.
Ginny and Hermione immediately stood on tiptoe, trying to spot Cyrus.
"Have you found Cyrus yet?" Ginny asked.
"No, but I suspect Cassandra won't let him go until she's danced three or five songs with him," Hermione replied, her voice tinged with jealousy. Even as she spoke, her eyes never left the dance floor.
At that moment, Ginny was just as much a competitor to Hermione as Cassandra.
Both of them were eager to be the first to dance with Cyrus!
However, instead of finding Cyrus, they ended up attracting a few annoying "bees"—unwelcome admirers buzzing around them.
A few boys, thinking themselves dashing, slicked back their hair, abandoned their current dance partners, and confidently made their way toward Ginny and Hermione. Bowing like gentlemen, they extended their hands.
"Who could be so rude as to leave two such beautiful ladies standing alone?" one of them asked with an air of smug charm.
Ginny rolled her eyes and turned her head, ignoring them entirely.
Undeterred, they pressed on, saying, "Would we have the honor of inviting you both to dance?"
"Sorry, we're waiting for someone," Hermione said, frowning and clearly displeased.
The fact that these boys had ditched their own partners after just one dance was unappealing to her.
Of course, if Cyrus were to suddenly abandon Cassandra and come over to ask her to dance, that would be an entirely different story.
"Just one dance—"
They persisted, refusing to take the hint.
Ginny, however, was far less patient than Hermione. Her fiery temper flared, and her bright red hair seemed to ignite as she glared at them, practically shouting.
"Scram!"
The smiles on the boys' faces froze instantly, twisting into grimaces that looked as if they had just attended a funeral.
Ginny's abrupt and harsh rejection left the boys utterly deflated. Their previously gentlemanly demeanor vanished in an instant, replaced with a sneering arrogance.
"I know you're waiting for that Cyrus," one of them snapped. "But he's currently dancing with that Cassandra Vole woman!"
The other chimed in with a cold smirk, "I don't see what's so great about him. But let's face it, you've never been his first choice. Want to guess how long he'll keep dancing with her?"
Their taunts made Ginny and Hermione seethe with anger, their fists clenched, itching to grab their wands and teach these idiots a lesson.
But someone else beat them to it.
"Levicorpus!"
A spell shot out of the darkness, striking the two boys and hoisting them upside down toward the ceiling.
Cassandra approached like a radiant queen, her confident strides commanding attention. Her movements were decisive but elegant, as if this was precisely how she was meant to carry herself—regal and authoritative.
She wasn't a princess; she was a queen.
"I must say…" she began lazily, her voice dripping with mockery, "the starry ceiling of the Hogwarts Great Hall was feeling a bit plain. It looks much better now, don't you think?"
Though it sounded like a question, her tone left no room for dissent.
Nearby students, who had witnessed the scene, exchanged uneasy glances before quietly retreating from the unfolding chaos.
To ensure these two troublemakers didn't draw any further attention, Cassandra casually cast a Muffliato charm around them, silencing any noise they might make that could disrupt the ball.
"Cassandra?" Ginny and Hermione looked over, startled.
"What are you doing here?"
Before Cassandra arrived, Ginny and Hermione had been eagerly waiting for their chance to become Cyrus's next dance partner. But now, seeing Cassandra so gracefully step aside and offer them the opportunity, they both felt a bit embarrassed and hesitant.
"Why, I came to invite you two to dance, of course," Cassandra said with a sly smile, her gaze on Ginny and Hermione resembling someone observing little kittens. "Otherwise, how pitiful you'd look, sitting here like abandoned kittens."
Whatever modesty Ginny and Hermione had a moment ago vanished in an instant. Both glared at Cassandra, clearly annoyed.
Seeing their reaction only seemed to amuse Cassandra further. She chuckled and added, "Come on, let's go."
Ginny and Hermione exchanged glances. The chance to dance was now right in front of them, but a new dilemma arose—who would go first?
Before either could make a decision, a series of gasps and exclamations suddenly erupted from the center of the dance floor.
Ginny and Hermione turned toward the commotion, their curiosity piqued.
They saw the dancers parting, stepping aside to clear a path. At the end of that path, Cyrus was walking toward them.
Except—
There were three Cyruses!
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