Perhaps it was due to the environment, or perhaps because of magic itself.
It was easy to see that most young wizards seemed to mature earlier than Muggle children of the same age…
While Muggle kids were out kicking balls around, these young wizards were hunched over homework assignments written on parchment nearly as tall as they were.
When Muggle children went home after school to eat dinner with their parents, these young wizards, who couldn't see their parents at all during term time, could only eat alongside classmates from all sorts of different backgrounds.
And from time to time, they also had to endure the disdainful looks and mockery coming from Slytherins.
In a sense, sending children away from their parents at the age of eleven and keeping them separated for long stretches was an education system that could easily be called harsh and unfeeling.
But this had always been the wizarding world's way, and no one ever questioned it.
As a result, these young wizards, forced to learn how to live independently at an early age, were also forced to grow up quickly.
And with that early maturity, emotional troubles naturally became part of school life much sooner as well.
This Yule Ball, in particular, provided a perfect spark for all those youthful hormones that had nowhere else to go…
...
There was no denying it, the impact of the Yule Ball was enormous.
During this period, Hogwarts felt as though it had been placed under some kind of romantic charm. Everywhere you looked, at any hour of the day, you could see boys and girls who had successfully found dance partners lingering together.
All under the noble excuse of "building rapport"…
And as the Yule Ball drew closer, it also meant that the chances of finding an ideal partner grew slimmer and slimmer, while the possibility of failure shot straight up.
At the same time, the original meaning behind inviting someone to the ball began to change.
It became a matter of pride.
At this point, those without partners were either people whose looks didn't fit most people's tastes and so had been overlooked, or the small handful of wizards who simply weren't very interested in the opposite sex.
Well… setting aside a few special cases, anyone who still hadn't found a partner by now was bound to attract some strange looks.
Were they unpopular?
Was their appearance below average?
Because of this, many wizards who didn't want to stand out as part of that tiny minority at the Yule Ball began to feel anxious. Those who had been hesitating no longer had the luxury of continuing to hesitate.
And among them were certain familiar figures…
Thud!
Watching Harry Potter and Ron Weasley walking toward them, Draco, who usually didn't give the pair much thought, unexpectedly tapped the table with his fingertip.
"Goyle. Crabbe."
Nearby, Goyle and Crabbe, who had been fully absorbed in their battle with a pumpkin pie, jolted in unison. That low voice instantly reminded them of the terror they'd experienced during training in the Room of Requirement.
They swallowed the food in their mouths and jumped to their feet at once. Draco didn't need to say anything else. The moment they met his gray eyes, Goyle and Crabbe immediately understood what they were supposed to do.
It had to be said, when it mattered, Goyle and Crabbe could be surprisingly sharp…
Thud!
Leaving their seats, Goyle and Crabbe stepped forward and blocked Harry Potter and Ron Weasley's path.
With their massive builds and fierce expressions, they were perfectly suited for the role. More importantly, Draco trusted that Goyle and Crabbe could handle it properly.
Besides, giving Harry Potter trouble was something they genuinely enjoyed…
"Isn't this the fourth Champion who disappeared halfway through the match? We don't have any Thunderbirds here for you to deal with."
"Exactly. And we don't welcome Gryffindor either."
Harry Potter and the others hadn't even had time to react when Hermione, standing beside Draco, rolled her eyes outright.
After all, when Goyle and Crabbe talked about Gryffindor, that very much included Hermione herself.
Completely unaware that those words were more than enough to offend a certain future… ahem, in any case, Goyle and Crabbe were already cracking their knuckles, staring down Harry Potter and Ron Weasley with wide, hostile eyes.
"There's no rule saying this place belongs to Slytherin, and you can't stop us!"
"Move aside. We're not here for you!"
It wasn't just confidence born of strength.
After everything he'd been through, Harry Potter had long since shed the awkward innocence of his first year. Faced with a situation like this, there wasn't the slightest hint of fear or hesitation in him. Instead, he stepped forward, bringing the young lions behind him with him.
Not only that, Cedric also led his own group closer.
Fame, courage, confidence, connections, and that hard-to-define streak of luck.
Harry Potter being Gryffindor's Champion and public face wasn't without reason after all…
Even so, that didn't make this a justification for Harry Potter to provoke Slytherin.
Seeing this, Draco's followers finally lost their patience.
Slowly, a group of wizards no less numerous or imposing than Harry Potter's side gathered behind Goyle and Crabbe. The atmosphere in the Great Hall instantly grew heavy and tense.
If no one had noticed that wands were still in their sleeves, it would have been easy to think the two sides might start fighting at any second…
...
Just as everyone thought a professor would need to step in, a voice rang out, calm and not particularly loud, yet impossible to ignore.
"Explain it. Why are you here?"
"..."
As that indifferent voice sounded, the Slytherins blocking the way suddenly stepped aside to either side, revealing Draco, still seated at the table, directly to everyone's view.
Though Slytherin was seen as the most sinister of houses, the moment Draco spoke, not a single wizard present dared to meet his eyes head-on.
After all, that figure on the field, like a living incarnation of flame, had left far too deep an impression…
In the end, feeling all those gazes settle on him, Harry Potter hesitated before glancing toward a certain ice-cold little princess. His face flushed as he awkwardly tugged at the corner of his mouth.
To be honest, Harry Potter hadn't expected things to turn out like this at all. More importantly, he genuinely hadn't come looking for trouble.
Noticing the change in Harry Potter's expression and that strange look in his eyes, Astoria, who was clearly much younger yet carried herself like an older sister, showed a flicker of surprise on her small face.
Perhaps Astoria's gaze was a bit too obvious. Pansy noticed and tilted her head slightly.
"What are you staring at me for?"
"Mm… I just didn't expect it to turn out like this."
"Huh?"
For some reason, the smile on Astoria's face and the way she said that made Pansy feel an almost irresistible urge to stomp her foot and start swearing…