Voldemort's confidence suggested he was absolutely certain Erwin had no idea where he was hiding. This left only two possibilities. Either Erwin had already investigated Voldemort's current location, or the Dark Lord was playing a dangerous game of deception.
He was currently in Slytherin. Right under Erwin's nose. That had to be why Voldemort was so bold.
However, Erwin considered the second possibility unlikely. The current Slytherin was nothing like the original. The old Slytherin students were, at best, just that—students. They were naive and easily manipulated. But the current Slytherin? Erwin could say with certainty: excluding the first-years, the rest were being trained as warriors. Furthermore, the system of covert prefects meant any abnormality among the Slytherins would have been discovered immediately. Voldemort couldn't simply mask his presence perfectly.
As for Voldemort becoming a covert prefect? That was absurd. The prefects reported directly to Erwin every week on their yearmates. More importantly, Erwin was certain the Slytherin students didn't reek of Polyjuice Potion.
Why was he so sure? He had a little helper: Ebony. Ebony was a magical creature, and such creatures had an advantage—senses hundreds of times sharper than a human's. Ebony's sense of smell was as keen as a trained bloodhound's. In this situation, he couldn't possibly miss the scent of a potion.
The reason he hadn't detected Barty and his companions earlier was twofold. First, Erwin hadn't considered that possibility—who would think three Death Eaters would pose as stablehands just to deliver a message? Second, their proximity to the Pegasi meant their scent was masked by the creatures' natural musk, confusing even Ebony's judgment.
Therefore, there was only one conclusion. Voldemort was hiding in a place Erwin had already searched. Only that would explain his confidence. Just as Erwin understood Voldemort, Voldemort understood Erwin. They were fundamentally the same: men of supreme confidence. Erwin wouldn't bother re-searching a location he'd already cleared. That was Voldemort's gamble. It was psychological warfare.
But as Erwin had noted, Voldemort made a critical error. Despite gaining unexpected intelligence, his arrogance remained his downfall. If he hadn't sent Barty to taunt him, Erwin might never have suspected anything. Now, Voldemort had only piqued Erwin's interest. His dear former teacher couldn't hide his capabilities for much longer.
But before that, Erwin needed to verify his suspicions. The Christmas Ball was the perfect opportunity.
Time flew, and the Christmas Ball approached rapidly. With the battle for the shards temporarily suspended, Hogwarts was remarkably harmonious. Young witches and wizards scrambled to find partners. After Erwin rejected countless invitations, the girls eventually gave up, turning their attention to other suitors. Inadvertently, other young men became the fallback options. Though the boys were somewhat disappointed, simply attending the ball was a blessing.
Many had never held a girl's hand before. To save face, they practiced their steps in secret, sparking unexpected interactions among the students. The British students had experience with such events, but the students from the East were completely new to it. They didn't hold balls in the wizarding world of the East.
Sunny Finch, desperate to dance well with Erwin, sought Charlotte's help to learn ballroom dancing. She knew nothing of the rumba or cha-cha. Charlotte, ever generous, taught her everything she could. Erwin, naturally, had no time to practice. To avoid embarrassment, the girls had to manage on their own. Erwin even spotted Hermione practicing with Pansy.
It was undeniable: though winter had just begun, a spring-like atmosphere already filled the castle. Erwin even spotted a story about an international romance in the papers.
More curious, however, was the absence of Draco and Harry Potter. Where had they been these past few days? Erwin didn't dwell on it; they were growing up and had their own affairs.
Meanwhile, the very boys Erwin was thinking of were inside the Room of Requirement, holding hands and practicing their steps. They dreamed of making an impression. As their movements synchronized, the air between them shifted. They exchanged glances, then looked away, cheeks flushing. When the music faded, they released each other's hands.
Draco coughed twice. "Alright, Harry, I think we've practiced enough. At the ball, we'll make quite the entrance!"
Harry, head bowed, seemed lost in thought. Hearing Draco, he merely nodded absently. Something was changing between them. Since they'd started practicing, their conversations had dwindled, replaced by comfortable silences.
If Erwin had seen this, he would have sighed. The thing changing between them was no longer simple friendship. The entire castle was saturated with romance, making Erwin uncomfortable. People here were uninhibited; couples often engaged in public displays of affection shamelessly in the corridors. Erwin, a conservative man at heart, sometimes felt awkward.
Turning a corner, he spotted two British students in a rather intense embrace. Erwin spun on his heel and left. It was clear that while his own people were conservative, they were easily influenced by their surroundings. This corrupting influence... it wasn't ideal. Not ideal at all.
Time flowed like water. Amidst the spring-like atmosphere, Christmas arrived. The Christmas Ball was about to begin.