Eda left without a care, but the twins who remained in the classroom were in for it—the failed potion in the cauldron was giving off an acrid stench that made their heads throb.
Fred and George were cleaning up the mess Eda had left behind while scheming how to sneak out of the classroom, when Snape walked over with a dark expression on his face.
"As far as I know, Miss Twist is your best friend, is she not, Mr. Weasley and Mr. Weasley?" Snape asked, his eyes full of disdain, just like the way the twins looked at the potion in the cauldron.
"Yes, Professor, we're Eda's best friends," one of the twins replied.
"Doesn't look like it to me! Your so-called good friend wasn't feeling well, and neither of you thought to ask for leave on her behalf? Are those things on your necks just there to keep your heads from rolling off?"
Snape's harsh words made the twins feel instantly wronged. They had wanted to ask for leave for Eda, but Eda was so stubborn she wouldn't listen to a word of it.
"Now that Twist has left the classroom, neither of you thought to go after her and make sure she's okay? Is that how you treat a friend?" Snape lowered his voice until only the three of them could hear.
The twins thought they'd misheard, but Snape kept staring at Eda's bag, as if to say with his eyes: Well? Are you going to take her bag and go, or do you want me to personally escort you two out?
At that moment, the twins finally believed that pouch of Galleons really had come from Snape. He might constantly give Eda a hard time, but he was looking out for her. What a contradictory man.
Fred and George didn't waste another second—they grabbed their own and Eda's bags and dashed out of the classroom. Just as they left, they heard Snape's voice behind them:
"For leaving the classroom without permission, three points from Gryffindor. Also, tell Twist her detention starts tomorrow night at seven."
First Eda, then the twins—three Gryffindors had left the classroom one after another, yet Snape only deducted three points.
Can you believe it?
Was that really what they heard?
Just three points, not thirty?
With the points deducted, Snape's mood finally improved. He looked at the rest of the class and said, "None of you have anything to do, I assume? At the end of class, I'll be feeding your potions to your pets to see what kind of abominations they turn into."
Students: "..."
...
Meanwhile, after leaving the classroom, Eda didn't return to the common room, nor did she go to the Twilight Cottage. She went to the 4th floor and used the hidden passageway to reach the massive underground chamber. She needed to let off steam.
The current trial dummy possessed the strength of either Professor McGonagall or Snape. Eda wasn't yet a match for it. Her practice sessions with it were usually defensive in nature, with counterattacks in supporting roles.
But today, Eda didn't want to stay on the defensive.
She began trading blows with the trial dummy head-on.
The blazing flames lit up the underground chamber, making it feel less like a basement and more like a bright, spacious classroom.
Eda's attacks were reckless. Her head was full of thoughts about the broomstick—she wasn't in the right state to think clearly. But it was precisely this mindless, all-out offensive that gave her an edge for a time.
She even managed to suppress the trial dummy, nearly knocking it down and claiming victory.
In the end, there was still a gap in their strength. The trial dummy wasn't human; it couldn't be shaken by Eda's furious barrage. Once it weathered the initial storm, it quickly regained control and defeated Eda, who had neglected to defend herself.
Eda lay on the cold ground, panting heavily. After venting her frustration, she had calmed down a great deal.
Professor McGonagall had already treated her more than kindly—it was her own greedy desire for more that had brought about her current troubles.
It was also because her strength wasn't yet enough. If she could one day rival, or even surpass, Dumbledore, then no matter where she stood, no one would ever be able to shake her place.
She wasn't fit for strenuous activity today, so Eda didn't continue her training. The burning flames had already gone out, and the massive room was once again shrouded in darkness, with only the sound of her own breathing echoing in the space.
Eda conjured a thin blanket and wrapped herself in it, quietly staying in the underground chamber. She curled into a ball—said to be the position of a fetus in the womb, something that brings a sense of safety.
As she thought back on her behavior today, Eda couldn't help but laugh at herself. She'd acted like a child, sulking over something so small.
She wondered what Fred and George were doing. They must think she was pretty ridiculous today too, right?
She'd even teased them with sharp words, bringing up old Errol. In this whole world, only the twins would understand she wasn't mocking their poverty.
She wondered how Professor McGonagall was doing. When she saw how few points Gryffindor had left, she hoped she wouldn't be too upset. It wasn't what Eda had wanted—it was just that her emotions had taken over, and holding it all in had felt unbearable.
She wondered how Snape was doing. He must be furious, right? She'd talked back to him in front of all those students—his expression must be terrible now. Gryffindor would surely suffer for it.
But honestly… snapping back at Snape had been incredibly satisfying!
She wondered how Angelina and Alicia were doing. Hopefully they hadn't been scared by the way she acted today? Probably not—those two could play Quidditch, after all. They weren't soft girls. They wouldn't be scared.
She didn't know how many people she'd thought about… but was there anyone thinking about her?
Curled up against the wall in the darkness, Eda unknowingly drifted off to sleep.
In the pitch-black underground training room, the only sound was Eda's steady breathing. Not far from her, the trial dummy—forgotten and left out—stood completely still, like a guard silently keeping watch over her.
Eda had no idea how much time had passed before she woke up from hunger.
She put away the trial dummy and left the underground chamber. After walking up the long slope, Eda stood once more on the small platform at the hidden passage's entrance. From the inside, one could look through the mirror at the passage's opening to see the outside.
Every time she exited the secret passage, Eda would check to make sure no one was there—and today was no different. She raised her head and looked outside.
Very few people ever lingered in front of this mirror, but today was an exception. The twins were sitting opposite the mirror and had clearly been there a long time—Fred had already fallen asleep leaning on George, and George's head was nodding as well.
With you two like this, it's really hard for me to go dark, Eda thought. They say going dark makes people stronger—but you two are clearly trying to stop me from becoming stronger!
Seeing that the twins had waited for her filled Eda's heart with warmth, though she didn't want to admit how happy it made her.
That was why she'd had that ridiculous thought just now—to cover it up.
Eda stepped out of the passage, and the sound of her footsteps on the corridor floor startled George awake. As George moved, Fred naturally woke up too.
"What are you two doing here?" Eda asked, though she already knew the answer. Still, she figured she should ask, just in case she misunderstood their intentions.
"In the whole school, only the three of us know about this secret passage," Fred said grumpily through a yawn. "You think we're here waiting for dear old Filch? Would you believe that?"
"We checked the Marauder's Map," George explained, unlike Fred. "Your name wasn't in the girls' dorm—it was down below. So we waited for you at the entrance."
"Then why didn't you come down?" Eda asked again.
"We figured you might want to be alone," Fred replied, getting to his feet and giving Eda a firm pat on the shoulder. "Besides, you never listen to us anyway. It's pitch black down there—why would we go?"
Eda hadn't gone down there to be alone—she didn't even know who "Alone" was, why would she want to be with her?
She just took a nap in the underground room, and it ended up making her whole body ache. She might as well have gone to the Twilight Shack to sleep! Of course, she didn't dare say that out loud to the twins—otherwise, they'd definitely want to strangle her.
Seeing that Eda stayed silent for a long time, George tried to comfort her: "Don't think about the broomstick anymore, and don't worry about how good Professor McGonagall is to Harry. You just need to be yourself—and besides, you've got the two of us."
"That's right! The two coolest Gryffindors as your best friends—something Harry will never have in his entire life!" Fred added.
Eda burst into a happy laugh. It was the first time she'd smiled sincerely since she found out Harry's broomstick was a gift from Professor McGonagall. Throwing her arms around the twins, she said cheerfully, "I'm starving, so let's go eat now!"
"Eda, you might be getting happy a little too soon," the twins said in unison. "Dinner time ended ages ago."
"..."
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