But as a wise man once said, when you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
So, did the Dark Lord really sneak into Beauxbatons?
As for the possibility that Voldemort was hiding within Hogwarts itself, Erwin dismissed that immediately. He valued his base of operations too much. Erwin had personally vetted everyone involved; there was no way Voldemort could have infiltrated.
Ignoring the skeptical looks from the Durmstrang students, Erwin headed straight back to his dormitory. He activated the communication rune, sending a single order to Charlotte: Watch the Beauxbatons delegation.
Charlotte was baffled. Voldemort, infiltrate Beauxbatons? Impossible. Yet, she followed Erwin's command to the letter, observing the French students throughout the day. Erwin did the same.
Days passed. The four houses entered a strange lull. None of the schools made a move. It was as if the competition were already over.
But everyone knew the real show was yet to come. A brief peace is never a true peace.
As Christmas approached, the student body's obsession with the Yule Ball reached a fever pitch. Take Erwin: today alone, thirty different witches had approached him, asking him to be their partner. Naturally, he used Charlotte as his excuse to reject them all, inciting a wave of envy among the other boys.
Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy were especially miserable.
Logically, Draco, the sole heir of an ancient house, should have been popular. But lately, he spent all his time with Harry. It was as if he'd been branded with a "social repellent" charm. He couldn't find a partner to save his life.
Up in the corridor, Draco groaned, "Harry, have you found anyone yet?"
Harry shook his head. "No. I've been studying with Charlotte and the others every day. Besides, Mr. Erwin suspended the competition for the week so we could celebrate. If he hadn't, I wouldn't even have time to stand here."
"What are we going to do?" Draco kicked at the stone floor. "It's pathetic."
"What can we do?" Harry sighed. "I don't have time. But you? You're the famous Malfoy. Why can't you find anyone?"
"That's all Erwin's fault!" Draco hissed. "With him around, no one looks at anyone else. Even after he's rejected half the school, they're still hoping. So, they don't look for backups, and half the school is partnerless!"
Harry sighed. "What should we do? Have you tried asking Hermione?"
"I did," Draco admitted. "But Hermione learned a saying. 'Better to have nothing than something subpar.' She thinks I'm not good enough! She's going to ask Erwin, and if he says no, she's not going at all."
Harry looked at Draco, feeling genuinely sorry for him. Then, Harry froze.
Wait. Why was he pitying Draco? He didn't have a partner either!
"Ugh, this is hopeless," Harry muttered.
He was just venting, but Draco's eyes lit up. "Wait! Harry, nobody says dance partners have to be girls, right? We can be partners! We'll stun everyone! We'll show those girls who rejected us that they made a huge mistake!"
Harry wanted to say he hadn't actually been rejected—Draco was the one struggling—but he was too nice to point that out.
Still... dancing with Draco? It was a brilliant idea.
Under the lamplight, their shadows stretched long as they shook hands on the pact.
Meanwhile, by the Black Lake, Erwin was enjoying a quiet stroll.
He was interrupted by Hermione, who came running toward him. Fleur, standing nearby, waved a greeting. Hermione frowned, ignoring the French girl entirely.
"Erwin! I need to talk to you," Hermione said, breathless.
Erwin sighed. He could already guess what was coming. He'd been dealing with this all week—Fleur, Pansy, Cho Chang, Sunny Finch, Penelope, Cassandra, even Zoe. He was exhausted.
"If this is about the Yule Ball," Erwin said, "I'm already attending with Charlotte."
"I know," Hermione pressed on. "But I want the second dance."
"Sorry, Hermione." Erwin rubbed the bridge of his nose. "The second dance is taken."
Her teeth gritted. "Then the third!"
"Er... Hermione."
"The third is booked too?" she demanded.
Erwin nodded. "Penelope asked first."
"Penelope?" Hermione looked shocked. "The Prefect? You're quite... close with her?"
Erwin shrugged. "Not really. I've just seen her in her nightgown. Nothing more."
Hermione stared at him, speechless.