Soon, the meal concluded. Dumbledore waved his wand, sending all the tables whooshing to the walls and clearing the center of the hall. As the Weird Sisters struck up their first number, the four champions and their partners stepped onto the dance floor. Harry Potter nearly stumbled coming down from the platform and moved with all the grace of a marionette. Snape watched him with continuous cold amusement.
"Care for a dance, Severus?" Professor Sprout asked with bright enthusiasm.
"No, thank you." Snape stepped back, watching as Sprout and Flitwick headed off together.
More and more students couldn't resist joining the festivities. He spotted Draco Malfoy with Pansy Parkinson clinging to his arm, her dress a nauseating confection of layered hot pink ruffles. Trailing behind them like loyal bulldogs were Crabbe and Goyle, their bulging green dress robes making them resemble moss-covered boulders beside a stagnant pond.
Causing chaos on the other side was Neville Longbottom with the youngest Weasley girl—her feet were undoubtedly being pulverized with each step.
Most conspicuous of all was Dumbledore himself, waltzing gracefully with Madame Maxime. Beside her towering frame, he appeared positively diminutive...
Finally, the organ wheezed out its last tremulous note, and the Great Hall erupted in thunderous applause. The opening dance had ended. Some couples drifted toward the edges to catch their breath, but most lingered on the floor, eagerly awaiting the next song.
Snape's eyes swept the room in methodical circles, but there was still no trace of Orli Waters. Anxiety began gnawing at him. Just then, Hermione Granger released her partner Krum and approached him directly.
"Professor Snape..." She seemed to hesitate.
Snape remained silent, merely lifting his chin to indicate he was listening.
"Actually... perhaps I should tell you... Orli didn't come to the ball tonight." Hermione appeared to have summoned considerable courage to speak these words.
"Why didn't she come?" Snape asked, genuinely puzzled.
"She... doesn't really want to... dance..." Hermione stammered uncertainly.
Snape's patience evaporated. He employed Legilimency on her without hesitation, easily extracting the information he sought.
Waters had cast a Notice-Me-Not Charm on herself—simply to avoid being asked to dance?
Sometimes he truly couldn't fathom how her mind worked. Why couldn't she be like other fourteen-year-old girls, fretting over dresses and hairstyles, casting shy glances at boys their own age, instead of... someone as ancient and worthless as himself...
"Where is she now?" Snape realized his voice had sharpened with urgency.
"I don't know, Professor. I haven't seen her since this morning." Hermione replied helplessly.
"She seemed quite determined to hide away somewhere..."
Snape didn't wait for her to finish. He strode toward the Great Hall's exit, roughly shouldering past several students who blocked his path.
"Severus?!" He heard McGonagall calling after him, her voice laced with reproach, but he had absolutely no intention of turning back.
"Now, now, Minerva." Dumbledore patted McGonagall's arm soothingly.
"Severus left without a word of explanation—how terribly rude! The staff and students from other schools are all watching..." McGonagall continued to fret.
"It appears Severus has another appointment." Dumbledore watched Snape's figure disappear through the Great Hall doors, stroking his beard with knowing contemplation.
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