Hogwarts Emerald

Eda settled into life at the Leaky Cauldron, working at Flourish and Blotts during the day. Her job was straightforward: after receiving owl orders, she would go to the warehouse, pack the ordered books, and send them back through the owls. This was the entirety of Eda's duties.

While packing the books, Eda would often flip through them. She read quickly, and her brief perusals didn't interfere with her work at all.

However, constantly handling owls meant that she inevitably picked up some of their scent. Eda had to discreetly cast cleaning charms on herself to avoid being plagued by unpleasant odors.

Around four in the afternoon, Eda's work at the bookstore would be done. But her day wasn't over yet—she would return to the pub to help out.

Dave, who had been injured, wasn't coming back to work anytime soon. The healers at St. Mungo's said he'd be hospitalized until October.

Tom had intended to hire another waiter to cover for Dave, but he hadn't found anyone yet.

Eda took advantage of this situation, stepping in to help at the pub after finishing her work at the bookstore. In exchange, Tom provided her with free meals and a discount on her room.

It seemed like Eda was getting the short end of the deal, but in reality, she didn't do much work at the pub—three or four hours at most each day—saving herself quite a bit of money.

Evenings were Eda's own time, which she could spend as she pleased—whether doing her summer homework or reading. Aside from the small size of the space, everything else was just fine.

A week passed by quickly this way.

Though tiring, it was fulfilling, and Eda learned many things that Hogwarts couldn't teach her.

One afternoon, due to a low number of orders at the bookstore, Eda finished work early. She returned to the Leaky Cauldron by 3:30.

Eda skillfully greeted the regulars at the pub. After working there for a few days, she had become quite popular, and no one dared to mess with her.

"Eda, guess who I saw today?" slurred a tipsy Dedalus Diggle.

"How could I guess that? Why don't you just tell me?" Eda replied, carrying over a bottle of firewhisky. "If you tell me, this drink is on me."

"You'd never guess, because I saw Harry Potter today! I spotted him in a Muggle shop!" Diggle exclaimed excitedly, raising his glass. "I recognized the scar on his forehead and bowed to him to show my utmost respect!"

As Dedalus Diggle's excitement peaked, he took off his hat and waved his hands enthusiastically, recounting the scene to the surrounding patrons.

"You're missing out today, Eda. Dedalus has told that story dozens of times this afternoon!" said a young wizard who frequently came in to enjoy single malt whisky.

"My ears are getting calluses from hearing it!" a nearby wizard joked with a laugh. "I'm starting to have hallucinations, thinking that I was the one who saw Harry Potter, not Dedalus."

"He's about to start school soon, isn't he?" someone asked.

"Yes, next year he should be heading to Hogwarts. We'll get to see him then!" another customer responded excitedly.

"Hehe! By then, he'll be my junior. I can ask him for an autograph and send it to you all for free," Eda said with a smile. She kept her promise to Dedalus and poured him a free glass of firewhisky.

"That's Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the one who saved the wizarding world!" Dedalus Diggle exclaimed excitedly, spilling the freshly poured drink all over the floor.

Yes, that was Harry Potter, a legend in his own right, the boy whose name was spoken of everywhere, even if he himself was out of sight.

Most of the people in the pub were eager to meet this famous figure, but they weren't as lucky as Dedalus, who happened to cross paths with Harry Potter just by walking down the street.

"You know, maybe he'll be in the same house as me~" Eda laughed, pouring another drink for Dedalus. "But this one won't be on the house, lucky Diggle."

Eda walked back to the bar and asked Tom for a butterbeer. Tom wasn't sure what Eda was up to, but he handed it to her anyway. Over the past few days, Tom had grown to view Eda in a new light.

Raising her butterbeer, Eda loudly addressed the pub, "To Harry Potter!"

"To Harry Potter!"

The witches and wizards in the pub echoed back, lifting their glasses and drinking heartily. Those who could hold their liquor had another round.

Eda took a big gulp of her butterbeer, enjoying the way the bitterness of the beer was softened by the rich butter, which in turn was mellowed by the beer's lightness.

Ahh~

No wonder young witches and wizards were so fond of this sweet drink.

As for Harry Potter, Eda wasn't too concerned. She'd meet him eventually. What mattered to her was that tonight, every guest had an extra drink, which meant a little more money for the till.

Tom, standing behind the bar, was delighted by the scene before him. His toothless grin stretched wide, almost reaching his ears. He discreetly gave Eda a thumbs up.

Over the past few days, Eda had found various ways to boost the enthusiasm of the pub's patrons, and whenever she was helping out, the customers ordered more drinks than usual.

After placing her glass back on the bar, Eda leaned against it, satisfied as she watched everyone around her raising their glasses and drinking heartily. She had a sudden urge to cast a Sonorus spell and shout out to everyone: "Tonight's drinks are on Mr. Potter!"

Tom handed Eda another butterbeer, filling her glass once more. He regretted having secretly written to Professor McGonagall earlier. If he had known things would turn out like this, he would have kept Eda hidden in the pub, treating her with the best food and drinks.

"Keep an eye on the bar, I'm going to grab some more drinks from the back," Tom said.

Eda stepped behind the bar, taking the glass from Tom and continuing to polish it. If she could slack off while working, all the better—after all, what's more enjoyable than taking it easy on the job?

As Eda was diligently polishing the glass—or rather, slacking off—she suddenly noticed a shadow falling over her. A figure had appeared in front of her.

"Can I help you with something?" Eda asked as she looked up, only to see a thin, slightly balding man standing before her. His hair was a fiery red.

"You must be Eda. Just as they said, you're quite lovely," the balding man said kindly.

"And you are...?" Eda felt that the man looked somewhat familiar, but she was certain they had never met before.

"Ah, I forgot to introduce myself—I'm Arthur Weasley, Fred and George's father," Mr. Weasley explained.

"Oh! Hello, Mr. Weasley! Fred and George talk about you all the time. They say you're the best father in the world," Eda replied, feeling a bit foolish for not recognizing him sooner. With his distinctive appearance and red hair, she should have known right away.

Mr. Weasley didn't quite believe that his mischievous sons would say such a thing, but he was pleased to hear Eda's compliment nonetheless.

"Mr. Weasley, would you like a drink?" Tom, who had returned with some stored alcohol, asked.

"No, not today. I have to head home soon," Mr. Weasley replied. "I'm actually here to see Eda."

Tom led Mr. Weasley and Eda to a small private room behind the bar. Inside, there was a small table and two rather uncomfortable-looking chairs.

"Is there something you needed to speak to me about today?" Eda asked, pouring a drink before she sat down and placing the glass in front of Mr. Weasley.

"Here, take this." Mr. Weasley pulled an envelope out of his robe and handed it to Eda.

Eda took the letter and began reading it.

She immediately recognized Professor McGonagall's handwriting.

After spending a year reading her Transfiguration notes, Eda would have needed glasses if she couldn't recognize it by now.

"Professor McGonagall was very upset when she found out you were staying here," Mr. Weasley said. "Oh, and there's also this. Professor McGonagall said you could use this money, but you shouldn't spend it frivolously."

Mr. Weasley handed Eda a small leather pouch, the same one she had submitted before the holidays.

Eda continued reading the letter, which was filled with Professor McGonagall's concerns. From the letter, Eda also learned why Mr. Weasley had come to the Leaky Cauldron to find her.

After discovering the situation, Professor McGonagall had originally planned to come and fetch Eda herself. However, Dumbledore did not agree with her plan. Instead, he wrote a letter to Mr. Weasley, instructing him to take Eda to stay with his family for a while.

"Oj my gosh! I can finally relax now! I'll be in your and Mrs. Weasley's care from now on," Eda said, holding her butterbeer.

"Yeah, Molly is very fond of you. She kept insisting that I bring you over to visit," Mr. Weasley replied, eyeing the glass in front of him with some hesitation.

Noticing his expression, which she recognized all too well, Eda reassured him, "I won't tell Mrs. Weasley."

"Oh! Such a great child!" Upon hearing this, Mr. Weasley immediately lifted the glass and downed its contents. "Pack your things, and we'll head home to give them a surprise!" he said.

_________

12 Advance Chapters:

Patreon.com/Dragonel