Hogwarts' John Wick

During the day, John remained in an extremely weakened state.

He could now be introduced as: John "Extreme Debuff · Critical HP · Completely Average · Filthy Rich" Wick.

The Weasley twins snuck over to ask if he had been bitten by Heinrich, that vampire.

John responded with a dramatic eye-roll.

"John, you still haven't invited a dance partner?"

Tomorrow was the Yule Ball, and Fleur had come over to ask again.

John shook his head. In fact, a few people had already asked him.

Parvati and Lavender had both approached him, but he had turned them down.

Originally, he had planned to go to Valley of No Breath for Christmas, but the matter of healing Neville's parents had delayed him.

Now that the Longbottoms had recovered well, Percy had brought back a message—the couple wanted Neville to attend the ball before coming to visit them.

It seemed they didn't want their son to miss out on this Triwizard Tournament tradition.

At lunch, John didn't have much of an appetite.

Seeing this, Daphne brought out a dish of dragon fruit fried rice she had just learned to make.

John's expression was complicated, but seeing Daphne's expectant look, he still ate it.

Thinking about how seriously Daphne was taking her cooking, John didn't have the heart to dampen her enthusiasm.

Maybe Daphne just wants to do her best with every meal.

With that thought in mind, John finished the last bite of rice.

This holiday, most students from fourth year and above had stayed at school.

So, this Christmas was particularly lively. John stood up and swayed slightly, and Heinrich was the first to step in and support him.

Daphne's hand froze in mid-air, and she shot an annoyed glare at Heinrich.

Cunning bastard!

In his current state, John obviously couldn't train.

Instead, he went to the library and pulled out some books on magic. Healing Neville's parents had led him to create an entirely new spell.

The Inception spell by which he can share his senses and activate empathy.

"Well, I think I just got lucky the last time I used it on the Longbottom couple."

This spell required an extremely high level of talent and mental strength to use.

The caster could enter the deepest part of someone's subconscious through dream magic, and at the same time, plant a suggestion-like mark within.

As the mark took root and grew, the suggestion would subtly change the person's behavior.

It was even more insidious than the Imperius Curse.

After all, the Imperius Curse simply forced control over a person, whereas this spell could imperceptibly alter them over time.

Creating a spell requires a vast accumulation of knowledge. John held a book in his hands, pondering how to refine and perfect this spell.

Daphne also arrived at the library. She didn't disturb John, quietly sitting to the side and taking out her Transfiguration homework.

The quill's tip scratched against the parchment, producing a faint sound—oddly soothing, almost like a lullaby.

The library was silent, with barely a few people aside from John and Daphne.

Outside, the sun began to set, marking the approach of dinnertime.

John stood up to leave. At the door, he paused for a moment, waiting. Soon, Daphne hurried out with her assignments in hand.

He smiled and said, "Let's walk together."

Seeing that John had waited for her, Daphne's face lit up with a smile.

The two walked toward the Great Hall.

Just as they reached the entrance, John suddenly stopped and turned toward Daphne.

Caught off guard, Daphne nearly bumped into him.

She halted just in time and looked up, her heartbeat quickening as she met his brown eyes.

John said, "Because of some things, I'll be attending the ball tomorrow." The strands of hair hovering in front of his eyes made him look like a dangerous beast.

Daphne's pulse sped up even more. Her fingers idly played with a bookmark tucked between the pages of her book, but at John's words, she froze.

Even if he was going… his dance partner wouldn't be me.

At that thought, Daphne's expression dimmed.

John didn't notice and asked casually, "Daphne, do you have a dance partner?"

"No!"

Her mouth moved faster than her brain. The words had already left her lips before she even processed them, and her heart immediately started pounding.

She looked at John in disbelief. Why was he asking this?

Could it be…?

"Then I'm inviting you now." John smiled, taking a step back.

He bowed slightly, left hand placed behind his back, while his right hand extended in an elegant invitation.

"Miss Daphne, may I have the honor of inviting you to be my dance partner?"

In that moment, Daphne completely forgot about maintaining her usual composed persona.

Stunned, she reached out, her fingertips brushing against his slender hand.

A faint tingling sensation spread from her fingertips, coursing through her body and reaching her heart, snapping her back to reality.

"The honor is mine, John."

Her smile bloomed like a rose, her earlobes tinged pink, with two delicate blushes adorning her cheeks—radiant and captivating.

Just as Daphne was lost in the moment, John glanced around, then leaned in slightly toward her, looking a bit guilty.

He looked conflicted, then finally mumbled awkwardly, "Actually, I don't know how to dance… so could you teach me?"

John's logic was simple—since he couldn't dance, he should find someone who looked like they could.

Daphne was the young lady of the Greengrass family, so she must be a great dancer.

His reasoning was straightforward, but Daphne's smile grew even brighter.

With a determined gaze, she said, "I can practice with you for as long as it takes!"

In John's eyes, if Daphne held a shield and wore a blue outfit, she would be the Captain of the Magic Guard.

…

The Yule Ball arrived as scheduled.

After a night of crash-course training, John had managed to grasp some basic dance steps.

It was Daphne who suffered, having been stepped on by John multiple times.

Students entered the hall in formal attire. Malfoy wore a black velvet high-collared dress robe, and with his platinum-blond hair neatly parted in the middle, he actually looked rather put together.

By his side was Astoria Greengrass, dressed in a light blue evening gown that made her look stunning.

Heinrich had also put on a dark red dress robe, and for once, he had styled his black hair, slicking it back—only then did people realize he was actually quite handsome.

However, he didn't have a date, and neither did Percy. Dressed in a navy-blue dress robe, his hair combed meticulously, he looked like a second coming of old Barty.

John also spotted Daphne. After spending the night teaching him to dance, she had gone back to change and put on a refined makeup look.

Unlike her sister's blue gown, she wore a form-fitting white evening dress, its long train trailing gracefully behind her. Tiny gemstones embedded in the fabric shimmered like starlight.

Her golden hair had been styled to perfection, flowing down her back like silk—she looked like a flawless pearl.

There isn't any enemy nearby.. my danger senses are calm.. so why is my heart speeding,,?

"She looks like a fairy.." There were murmurs by the little students present.

A flicker of admiration flashed through John's eyes.

"I didn't keep you waiting too long, did I?"

Standing before John, Daphne's cheeks still carried a faint blush. The dress that Lady Greengrass had chosen for her was a bit too extravagant.

John chuckled. "Waiting is merely preparation for something even better to come, isn't it?"

His attire was far simpler—a well-fitted black suit that accentuated his tall frame, standing a head above most of his peers. With broad shoulders and a slim waist, he looked every bit like a prince.

He stood there, extending his hand.

Daphne had rehearsed this moment countless times in her mind, yet she still felt her heart racing.

She gently took John's arm, and in that instant, every gaze in the room was drawn to them.

Astoria's eyes lit up.

Together, they stepped into the ballroom.

The champions were scheduled to enter later, but for now, the students had no hesitation in directing all their attention toward the pair.

Once everyone was seated, it was time for the champions to make their entrance.

The first champion had an air of mystery—she looked like a princess from Beauxbatons.

Fleur was as stunning as ever, now dressed in a silver-gray satin gown that complemented her hair color perfectly. She carried herself with elegance and grace.

Her dance partner was a Hogwarts student, Roger Davies, who also happened to be the captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.

The second champion was Cedric. His handsomeness went without saying—he looked like a knight with a sword at his side, carefully reminding his dance partner, Cho Chang, to watch her step on the stairs.

It seemed he had finally won the girl over.

The third champion was Krum, standing tall and firm in his red dress robes, resembling a northern prince.

Hermione wore a flowing periwinkle gown, her brown hair elegantly styled into an updo.

She looked like Cinderella stepping out of her pumpkin carriage, completely transformed.

John couldn't help but widen his eyes.

Is that Hermione? What happened to her teeth?

Hermione's once prominent front teeth had shrunk, making her look even more beautiful.

He was momentarily surprised before quickly coming to terms with it.

Of course—this was the wizarding world, after all.

Hermione had always had good features; she had just been too focused on studying to pay much attention to her appearance.

Now that she had, it was enough to leave people in shock.

John couldn't quite understand—how did Hermione end up with Krum?

He spotted Ron, who was standing next to Parvati's sister, Padma, a girl with striking looks.

However, Ron didn't seem to notice this at all. His eyes were locked onto Hermione, completely oblivious to the fact that Padma was sitting there with a tense expression.

Finally, everyone's attention shifted to the last person to enter—Harry.

His only skill seemed to be smiling. Judging by the slightly stiff curve of his lips, he was really giving it his all.

What a bright and cheerful young man.

His dance partner was Parvati, the pretty Gryffindor girl.

After her failed attempt at inviting John, Parvati had readily accepted Harry's invitation.

The four champions entered the ballroom and walked towards the guest of honor table.

Dumbledore beamed with delight.

Barty Crouch Sr. was present at the ball as well. His dress robes were no longer as stiff and restrictive as usual, leaning more towards a relaxed fit.

Madame Maxime and Karkaroff were also there, along with other professors.

But the most eye-catching figure wasn't any of them.

It was the man wearing a silver mask.

The students gasped the moment they saw him.

Johnny Silverhand!

Out of sight from others, John subtly nodded at 'Johnny Silverhand.'

The masked man shifted his gaze elsewhere, and beneath the mask, his eyes curved slightly—as if he were smiling.

Standing there, Heinrich's expression darkened.

That guy actually showed up. And in this way, no less.

Kim Ledislay.

"A cunning man. Indeed"

_________

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