HP: I beat the otome game at Hogwarts

Chapter 168 The First Invitation

Lyra returned to the Gryffindor Tower in high spirits.

The platinum prince looked so pitiful but dared not talk back or throw a tantrum, it was so cute. Sometimes, satisfying one's quirky sense of humor is just that fun.

Thinking about it this way, maybe Professor Snape's daily bullying of Gryffindor students, his blatant favoritism towards Slytherin, and his deduction of other houses' grades were all part of his perverse sense of humor?

Ah, so Professor Snape only appeared to be bitter and resentful on the surface, but was actually quite happy inside!

Indeed, people should set aside their personal morals and cast aside their moral burdens in order to fully enjoy a life that is immoral, no, happy.

Lyra felt she had suddenly grasped the true meaning of life, and her entire being had undergone a spiritual uplift. She no longer needed to fuss over trivial matters, such as being in a hurry to beat up the two mischievous redheads—

She could have waited until they met before making her move, or... waited patiently for the rabbit to run into her trap.

Fred was walking down the street when he suddenly sneezed.

"May Merlin bless you—" George said casually.

“I have a feeling someone’s talking about me,” Fred said, rubbing his itchy ear. “Maybe it’s Filch, whom we just secretly wrapped up with magic tape—”

“Maybe it’s Lyra—” George said.

Fred suddenly fell silent.

“Brother, you saw it that day too, right?” George turned to look at his twin brother.

Fred and George occasionally sneak off to the playground to ride broomsticks and have a go because the Quidditch Cup has been suspended this semester.

A week ago, the two were riding broomsticks high in the sky to relax. When they got near the Gryffindor Tower, they suddenly had a whimsical idea: to fly to Lyra's dorm room and give her a fright.

Little did they know that the two dogs were lurking at the window of Lyra's bedroom. Just as they poked their heads out to scare them, they saw Lyra, dressed in a low-cut red dress, standing stunningly in the center of the room.

This version of Leila seems to be a completely different person from her usual playful and joking friend.

Like a flame, so dazzling that it's impossible to look away, and it also intensely burns the heart that beats so passionately.

For some reason, Fred and George did not jump out, but instead remained hidden under the windowsill, trying to calm their sudden heart palpitations.

The two men eavesdropped on the girls' laughter and chatter in the room, which seemed to be them sharing dresses.

Angelina tried on Arya's yellow dress, and Lyra tried on Angelina's red dress.

It seems that Lyra hasn't bought a dress for the ball yet.

But Fred and George both thought that Lyra looked great in red.

“She hasn’t bought her prom dress yet,” Fred said. “We just made a good bet on the first game of the Triwizard Tournament—”

“She looks great in red,” George replied abruptly, but Fred understood perfectly.

The twins, beaming with pride, headed toward the one-eyed, hunchbacked witch statue. They were about to slip away through the secret passage leading to Honeydukes and into Hogsmeade's Elegant Clothing Shop.

*

Draco Malfoy thought about it for a long time.

His emotional journey went through several highs and lows, from anger at Leila for refusing to turn down other people's dance invitations—to reflecting on how he had disappointed her and failed to give her the status of a proper girlfriend—to finally making various excuses for her insistence on finding a dance partner.

As the prettiest girl in all of Hogwarts, it would be too embarrassing for her to be the only upperclassman without a dance partner.

But Draco absolutely cannot allow any scheming boy to get close to Lyra, become her dance partner at the Christmas ball, and openly dance with his arm around her waist in front of everyone.

Moreover, these ill-intentioned boys will definitely take this opportunity to start dating Leila, and eventually seize the chance to become her new boyfriend!

As a boy himself, he understood all too well what other boys were thinking.

But Lyra insisted on bringing her dance partner to the Christmas ball, and he couldn't refuse or stop her... He could only minimize the risks and keep the situation under his control at all times.

This was his instinctive reaction after realizing he couldn't stop Lyra, and it was also the basic education that the Malfoy family heirs received.

Draco Malfoy paced back and forth in his dormitory.

Lyra wants a dance partner, so give her one. A Malfoy will always grant his lover's wish, just as a father never directly refuses a mother's desire.

This dance partner is acceptable, but he must personally decide on the choice.

In other words, Lyra must have a dance partner. But this partner must be someone who makes him feel at ease, someone he can trust, someone who won't let anyone take Lyra away from him, someone who is presentable, meets Lyra's needs, and someone who won't embarrass her.

Draco clenched his fist excitedly; he immediately thought of a suitable candidate!

This man is trustworthy, vaguely aware of his feelings for Lyra, able to guess his true intentions, and handsome and charming—capable of fulfilling the basic duties of a dance partner without causing any unpleasantness with Lyra.

His only friend, Bresz Zabini, was the perfect candidate!

Moreover, if Blaise became Lyra's dance partner, he could not only take good care of Lyra, but also shoo away other unwanted suitors. Even better—

Those Slytherin boys who had designs on Lyra will be more restrained due to their fear of Zabini's successor, and their open and casual fantasies about Lyra will decrease significantly!

He asked Blaise for this favor, and given their friendship, Blaise certainly wouldn't refuse.

Of course, he will find opportunities elsewhere to make it up to Brace.

His father has begun to teach him how to run the family business and has started transferring some assets to him so that he can practice.

The Malfoy and Zabini families also had business dealings. For example, they collaborated in the jewelry business: the Zabini family owned an island rich in pearls and was responsible for providing the raw materials; while the Malfoy family was responsible for manufacturing the finished products, as well as sales and promotion.

He can make some concessions on the benefits of the cooperation.

Moreover, given their friendship, he would do his best to help Brace if she ever needed any assistance in the future.

Perhaps in the future, if Blaise takes a fancy to a daughter of some family and wants to marry her, the Malfoy family could step in and help make it happen.

After returning to his dorm, Blaise Zabini listened to his roommate and friend Draco's request, and then thought about the ball invitation he had just sent by owl to the Gryffindor tower, and slowly a smile appeared on his face.

"As you wish, Draco."