Chapter 57: Chapter 57: May at Hogwarts
Eda ended up staying in the hospital wing for another three days.
In reality, her body had already fully recovered—she was energetic, could run and jump around, and had an appetite that could devour two steaks in one meal! However, Madam Pomfrey strictly forbade her from getting out of bed, even keeping a close eye on her whenever she needed to use the restroom, worried that Eda might try something mischievous.
During those three days, Eda passed the time with just a glass of water, a pack of snacks, and a newspaper—bored out of her mind. She even knew the exact number of small potion bottles in the hospital wing by now.
Fortunately, she had the company of the twins.
Fred and George visited her without fail whenever they weren't in class. Without their company, Eda felt she might have gone stir-crazy.
Professor McGonagall came to visit Eda, and upon seeing her so lively, she became furious and gave Eda a stern scolding, making Eda wish she could shrink her head into her chest.
Eda politely expressed her desire to be discharged, but Professor McGonagall mercilessly denied her request.
McGonagall thought it was good for Eda to be confined there—it would allow them to ensure there were no lingering health issues and help temper her character, a win-win situation.
Despite her stern demeanor, McGonagall was still concerned about Eda and, fearing she might be bored, brought her some Transfiguration journals and papers, which were perfect to keep Eda occupied.
Since that night in the Forbidden Forest, Snape had not visited, nor had he sent any message. Eda had anticipated this; if Snape had come to see her, she would have had to wonder if she had somehow offended the Potions Master again.
Dumbledore also hadn't returned, though he did have some sweets delivered to Eda—his favorite kinds. Eda considered it a great deal, exchanging just one Chocolate Frog for a whole pile of snacks.
Eda's discharge from the hospital wing didn't cause much of a stir; by then, people were no longer as excited about the student who helped capture Fawley.
Everyone was talking about how Minister Fudge had sent Fawley to Azkaban without a trial, and how Fawley's family was now lobbying throughout the wizarding world, hoping to help him avoid conviction.
Compared to these two major events, the situation of one student was insignificant. Dumbledore had remained silent on the matter, so there was no need for further speculation.
On the day of Eda's discharge, a few of her friends came to see her off. In truth, they didn't need to come—Eda didn't have much to carry. The incident had happened so suddenly, and she had been brought back directly, so she hadn't had the chance to prepare anything for her stay in the hospital wing.
For the past few days, Eda had been wearing the familiar hospital gown. Her school robes had long since been taken by the house-elves to be mended and washed, and they were returned to her two nights ago, now carrying a pleasant, fresh scent.
The large bag of snacks Eda had received was nearly finished, mostly eaten by her and the twins, so what was left could easily fit into the pockets of her robes. The heaviest items she had were just a few books, which could be comfortably carried in a backpack, making all the fuss unnecessary.
Angelina, Alicia, and Lee Jordan had all come along, with the twins carrying Eda's backpack. The five of them escorted her back to the common room.
Finally free from the hospital bed, Eda threw herself onto the soft bed in her dormitory. It was much more comfortable here. Once you get used to luxury, it's hard to go back; after getting used to a soft bed, Eda found the hospital bed unbearable.
The twins took Eda on a tour around the school. It hadn't only been Eda who was feeling cooped up during that week—the twins, who had kept her company in the hospital wing, were also eager to stretch their legs.
The three of them spent the entire day running wild around the campus, and even the Whomping Willow didn't escape their mischief.
Standing at a safe distance, just outside the reach of the Whomping Willow's branches, the three of them acted like mischievous children, throwing stones at the tree. The winner was whoever hit the trunk; if no one hit it, the winner was the one whose stone landed closest.
The Whomping Willow swore that as one of Hogwarts' treasured plants, with its formidable combat skills, it had never suffered such indignity in its life!
To prevent Eda from cheating, the twins confiscated her wand. With her arm strength nowhere near as good as the twins', Eda naturally lost miserably. Fred and George showed no mercy either—they were finally able to beat Eda again.
After losing ten Chocolate Frogs, five bags of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, and four Licorice Wands, the assault on the Whomping Willow finally came to an end.
After an entire day of indulgence, Eda managed to rein herself in, and life gradually returned to normal.
With the pressure from Fawley gone, Eda became much more cheerful. She figured that as long as she was alive, there was no need to burden herself too much. If she could laugh, she would—better to enjoy it now than regret not laughing later when she couldn't.
It was already May, and the school year at Hogwarts was drawing to a close. In addition to covering any remaining material, the professors began to review what they had taught.
In Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall had them practice with matches again, while Professor Flitwick led a review of the Levitation Charm. Professor Sprout took them back into the greenhouse to dig in the dirt, and by the time Eda emerged, she looked like a little mud monkey—further proof that her practical skills weren't the best.
Eda excelled in all her subjects, except for Herbology, where she fell just a little short. It made it seem like Eda had some issue with Professor Sprout.
In reality, Eda had thoroughly memorized all the theoretical knowledge for Herbology, but she was just a bit lacking in the practical aspect. That little deficiency kept her from achieving top marks.
Every time Professor Sprout walked past Eda, she would shake her head and sigh. Even with her thick skin, Eda found it hard to endure Sprout's disappointed gaze, making her feel like she was some sort of heartbreaker.
All the subjects were in review mode, except for Potions.
Snape continued his teaching schedule with meticulous precision. As for reviewing material? Don't even think about it. If you fail the exams, that's your problem—your brain must be faulty.
Snape fully adhered to the teaching philosophy of "the master leads the way, but the practice is up to the individual." He had already taught everything that needed to be taught without holding anything back.
How much a student could grasp was their own problem—what did it have to do with Snape?
During Potions class, Snape didn't bother Eda at all. In fact, he even provided guidance on her potion. Though his face remained stern and his tone was as harsh as ever, his advice was solid and unfiltered.
This behavior from Snape left jaws dropped across the dungeon. Both Gryffindors and Slytherins wondered if the sun had risen in the west that day, leaving them stunned for the rest of the year.
The final exam for Defense Against the Dark Arts was canceled by Dumbledore. However, the fifth and seventh-year students weren't so lucky—they still had to take their O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s as scheduled.
The entire school was deeply immersed in a studious atmosphere. Even Filch's workload lightened considerably. Eda had forcefully dragged Fred and George to the library for a last-minute review session.
Fred and George were smart, with decent grades, but their minds were elsewhere, filled with thoughts of pranks and all sorts of inventive ideas.
The twins had tried to resist Eda's tyrannical actions, but they didn't want to hurt her, so all their protests remained verbal, with no real action behind them.
Eda, on the other hand, was the opposite. She was resolute in carrying out her revision plan. Since Mrs. Weasley had always treated her kindly, Eda wanted to make the twins' grades look better to please her.
One side's resistance was incomplete, and the other side was ruthless enough to suppress it, so the twins' uprising was quickly suppressed by Eda with force. They had no choice but to review according to Eda's plan and live a "miserable" life.
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