HP: The Dropout Who Saved the World

Jane Yu felt puzzled.

Her dance partner was acting strangely.

On Christmas Day, after Daphne had spent two hours doing her makeup, she met Blaise in the common room, but he was unusually quiet.

Apart from initially complimenting how her silver-green dress matched her black hair and eyes, he seemed to have lost the ability to speak entirely.

"When did you go to Theo for training?"

Jane Yu asked in confusion. Normally, Blaise would be sharply critiquing every Slytherin attending the ball.

Instead, he was even quieter than Theo.

Blaise stiffened, then coughed twice, his voice a bit hoarse as he replied:

"Uh... My throat... isn't feeling well."

Jane Yu nodded understandingly. It's winter, and catching a cold with the temperature drop around Christmas is normal.

Seeing Blaise's face turning red from illness, she thought she might need to get some potion from Madam Pomfrey after the ball.

She should also go to the hospital wing to get some invigorating potion as a precaution, though unfortunately, there's no Banlangen here.

...

The two quickly arrived at the lawn in front of the castle to wait, where the other champions and their partners were already present.

Jane Yu looked around and found that the champions' partners were all very high-profile.

Standing beside Harry was the very beautiful Parvati, though she couldn't understand why he looked like he'd been punched in the stomach and was staring intently at Blaise beside her.

Cedric and Fleur stood together, both dazzling yet looking distracted. Upon seeing them, Cedric smiled at her, but Fleur's gaze darted back and forth between her and Blaise, raising an eyebrow.

Beside Krum stood Hermione, looking as beautiful as a fairy tale princess, but she seemed very nervous, her eyes also fixed on Blaise.

Jane Yu looked up at Blaise, noticing his expression was calm and unchanged, showing no signs of anything unusual.

Why were they all looking at him like that?

There weren't flowers growing on Blaise's face!

"Hi, Yu!"

Hermione was the first to greet her, but the unknown presence of Blaise beside Jane Yu made her smile a bit strained:

"Thank goodness the ball has the tradition of the champions opening the dance, my dress finally has a use."

Jane Yu marveled at her beauty, then curiously observed her and Krum, quickly understanding the meaning behind Hermione's words.

"I heard something happened with you all." Krum explained in broken English, "Many people couldn't attend the ball, except for the champions and their partners, which gave me the chance to invite Hermione."

Hogwarts' reputation was still tarnished in the eyes of other schools.

The Hogwarts students present all closed their eyes, unable to bear looking.

Hermione's mouth twitched, and if not for fear of ruining her delicate makeup, she might have covered her face with both hands.

"It's nothing, Hermione." Krum hastily comforted her, "Dueling for a dance partner is normal where we come from, everyone thinks it's brave to do so—I heard you joined the fight like a champion, that's really great—"

Jane Yu could feel he was sincerely praising Hermione's fighting prowess.

But his explanation was better left unsaid.

Hermione could hardly maintain her perfect expression, and the scene fell into an awkward silence.

Fortunately, Professor McGonagall summoned them to enter, preventing further awkward exchanges.

But as the music for the dance began, things started to feel increasingly off.

Jane Yu didn't spare Blaise any sympathy for his cold; instead, she mercilessly stomped on his feet with her high heels.

But even though Blaise was in so much pain that cold sweat soaked through his robes, he didn't utter a single cry of pain.

He didn't even flinch, his dance steps remained skilled.

Mutated? Jane Yu wondered.

Normally, Blaise would have widened his eyes and begged for mercy by now, wouldn't he?

Thankfully, as the song ended, he finally seemed to feel the pain, leaving with the line:

"Excuse me, it's a bit hot here, I'm going to change my robes—do you need a coat?"

Jane Yu smiled and nodded.

Unlike Blaise, she actually felt a bit cold here and could use a coat.

Perhaps people have different constitutions; she felt a bit chilly.

She watched Blaise limping away, supporting himself on the table as he left the hall.

She happily walked to the table, took a sip of butterbeer, savoring the creamy foam—

But to her surprise, Blaise returned in less than five minutes, wearing a brand new robe!

"Wow, you look stunning!" he immediately complimented, "The off-shoulder dress suits you, I almost can't bear to look!"

"Uh... Thanks?" Jane Yu replied, puzzled, remembering he had already praised her once, "But how did you change clothes so quickly? And where's my coat?"

She looked at his feet and his brisk walking posture in surprise.

Blaise stiffened, but quickly recovered, responding animatedly:

"I wore two outfits, you wouldn't have guessed!"

"And I couldn't find your coat—"

Jane Yu understood.

No wonder he found the hall hot at the end of December; he was wearing two sets of robes!

But it makes sense, you need to wear more when you have a cold.

Her coat left in the common room might have been taken by Daphne, so it was normal not to find it.

At this point, the Weird Sisters started playing a fast-paced tune, and hearing the music, Blaise eagerly pulled her onto the dance floor:

"Come on, little snake, let's dance to this song; it's a great tune!"

Jane Yu looked at him strangely.

What kind of nickname was "little snake"?

Wasn't he a little snake too?

And were his feet made of steel? How could he not feel pain no matter how much she stepped on them?

Concluding that her weight wasn't enough, Jane Yu decided to stomp harder.

"Ouch—pain—murder—"

Blaise finally cried out in tears, dodging her high heels, which gave Jane Yu great satisfaction.

But soon he began to retaliate, secretly tickling her, making her angrily stomp on his toes again.

"I need to go to the medical wing." Blaise weakly commented post-dance, "You really are—an exquisite dancer—"

He reluctantly but limping left, claiming he needed to get some medicine from Madam Pomfrey.

Jane Yu nodded with a smile.

When you're sick, you need to get treatment early, you can't avoid seeing a doctor!

She picked up her butterbeer again, but before she could take two sips, Blaise appeared in front of her once more!

"What medical wing? Oh—I used a healing spell!"

Blaise started chattering about the hall's decorations and the professors and students in various dresses, his mouth hardly stopping.

Jane Yu grew suspicious.

Could Blaise be having a mental breakdown?

Speaking incoherently?

One moment so quiet, the next so noisy?

Possessed by Draco's spirit?

As the music played, the same scene began to repeat, except this time their dance was interrupted by a suddenly appearing Harry.

"Can I—can I ask you for a dance?"

But before Jane Yu could respond, Blaise exclaimed:

"What? How dare you, Potter?"

Harry's eyes widened, and he quickly realized something, staring at Blaise with a wary look, warning:

"I know what you're up to, Ma... Zabini."

The two gradually faced off, but Blaise touched his hair and suddenly panicked, leaving in a hurry with the line:

"I... I think I need to go to the medical wing again!"

Jane Yu nodded blankly.

She watched his departing figure, feeling a bit dizzy.

Was Blaise's hair color getting lighter?

Turning back, she was about to politely decline Harry, to avoid tormenting the protagonist's toes, but her words were interrupted by Fleur's invitation.

The radiant Beauxbatons champion looked at her with a teasing gaze, smiling:

"Would you like to join Cedric and me in a dance? We have a traditional dance that many people can join—"

Who could refuse a beauty?

Jane Yu certainly found it hard to refuse.

She was about to agree, but a commotion at the door suddenly drew everyone's attention.

The closed hall doors were flung open with a bang!

Snape stormed in, shouting:

"Headmaster, you need to see these students—"

Everyone in the hall watched in shock as five dejected Blaise Zabinis followed behind him!

They walked in a line, like prisoners being led to jail.

Jane Yu was dumbfounded.

She knew something was off about Blaise's unusually good spirits today!

Turns out this guy was a patchwork version!

But she had only encountered three Blaises... Who were the other two Blaises?

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