Hogwarts Emerald

As the soft morning sunlight touched Eda's face, she woke up from a restful sleep. She had slept well through the night.

Ginny was still asleep, showing no signs of waking up, and Eda didn't try to rouse her.

Young people always need plenty of sleep, and since there was nothing pressing to do, it was better to let her sleep a little longer.

Eda walked down the stairs, still feeling a bit groggy. In the small kitchen, Mrs. Weasley was busy, clanging around as she prepared breakfast. The dishes in the sink were washing themselves, making a soft clinking noise, which seemed much more efficient than a regular dishwasher.

Mr. Weasley was enjoying his breakfast, with today's edition of the Daily Prophet by his side. No one else was up yet, so the kitchen was quiet, with only the couple present.

"Eda, come down and eat," Mrs. Weasley said as she saw Eda, while she was frying sausages. "After breakfast, you and Arthur will go to London."

"Good morning, Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley," Eda greeted as she entered the kitchen, pulling out a chair at the table and sitting down.

"You really are a handful, Eda. At your age, staying at home to study would be best, but you insist on working in Diagon Alley," Mrs. Weasley said with concern.

Eda chuckled lightly, not wanting to continue the discussion with Mrs. Weasley.

Both of them had valid points; they just saw things from different perspectives.

Mrs. Weasley believed that students should focus on their studies and not worry about other matters, especially since Hogwarts provided Eda with an annual stipend to help her complete her education. This was why she didn't fully support Eda's decision to work.

"I think it's fine. Eda is so smart that even working won't affect her studies," Mr. Weasley said, finally looking up from the Daily Prophet. "And Dumbledore hasn't asked her to quit her job, either."

Hearing that even Dumbledore approved, Mrs. Weasley didn't say anything more. She placed two fried eggs and eight or nine small sausages on Eda's plate, filling it to the brim.

"Eat more, and don't work too hard at Flourish and Blotts. There are plenty of employees there, so it won't matter if you're not around," Mrs. Weasley reminded Eda. "I've already prepared your lunch, so don't forget to take it with you when you leave."

Slacking off at work was something that people naturally learned on their own, and Eda was quite skilled at it.

She didn't really need Mrs. Weasley's reminder.

After finishing her breakfast, Eda went upstairs to wash up and change clothes, leaving Mr. and Mrs. Weasley alone in the kitchen.

"Molly, I can tell that Eda doesn't want to burden us, which is why she's so determined to work. It's also why she didn't write to Fred and George," Mr. Weasley said, putting down his newspaper.

He understood the situation well.

"I know, but it's just that this child has had such a tough time," Mrs. Weasley said softly as she sat down. "She's so mature for her age, and it's heartbreaking to see."

Mr. Weasley took his wife's hand and said gently, "It's precisely because she's had it so tough and because we feel for her that we need to take even better care of her. We need to make sure she never feels alone again."

Mrs. Weasley's tears were no longer content to stay in her eyes. Last night, Mr. Weasley had shown her Dumbledore's letter, and she had learned about Eda's tragic past. As a mother of seven children, this only made her feel even more protective of Eda. (A/N: I wonder...)

"Let's not tell the other kids about Eda's past. Let them continue getting along as they are. A child like her is often very sensitive inside..." Mr. Weasley reached out to wipe away his wife's tears.

"Do you really need to say that?" Mrs. Weasley playfully swatted away his hand.

When Eda came back downstairs wearing a dark blue robe, she had no idea about the conversation the couple had just had. She also didn't notice any signs on Mrs. Weasley's face that she had been crying.

Mrs. Weasley handed lunch money to both Eda and Mr. Weasley, then watched as Mr. Weasley stepped into the fireplace first. Once the flames turned green, Mr. Weasley vanished with a whoosh.

"See you this evening, Mrs. Weasley."

Eda hugged Mrs. Weasley goodbye, then pinched a pinch of glittering powder from the flowerpot. She threw the powder into the flames, which immediately turned a bright green. Eda stepped into the fire and said "The Leaky Cauldron" before disappearing from the Burrow.

"Ug..."

Traveling by Floo Powder was a disorienting experience for Eda. She felt like she was spinning rapidly, with a deafening roar in her ears. The endless spinning continued as she saw a blur of fireplaces flash by. Finally, she arrived at the Leaky Cauldron.

Mr. Weasley and Tom were standing by the fireplace, chatting. When Mr. Weasley saw Eda emerge, he smiled and asked, "How was your first Floo Powder trip?"

To be honest, couldn't wizards come up with a more normal way to travel?

While Floo Powder was convenient, the dizzying sensation was something Eda couldn't easily get used to.

"Ugh.. Not great... at all.. Haah~ If I had spun around any longer, I would've thrown up my breakfast," Eda replied, her face a bit pale as the dizziness still lingered.

After handing Eda a glass of water, Mr. Weasley left the Leaky Cauldron to head to work at the Ministry of Magic. Since they were already in Diagon Alley, there was no need for him to accompany Eda to Flourish and Blotts before leaving.

Eda spent the entire morning busily working at the bookstore. A steady stream of orders arrived by owl, and Eda had to fetch the requested books one by one. Some of the owls were difficult to deal with and even pecked at her, but Eda wasn't one to be easily bullied. Any owl that dared peck at her would find itself missing a few feathers! Hmph!

At lunchtime, Eda ate with a few younger witches and wizards who worked at the store. Mrs. Weasley's salted meat sandwiches were delicious and plentiful. The sandwiches quickly revived Eda, washing away the fatigue of the morning.

Working at Flourish and Blotts didn't really teach Eda anything particularly useful. Most of the books sold in the shop could also be found in the Hogwarts library. There were many books in the store, but Eda couldn't just read whatever she wanted—she was only allowed to retrieve books listed on the orders.

If it weren't for the fact that the owner of Flourish and Blotts was the first person to offer her a job, Eda would have quit already and focused on becoming a promising and interesting bartender instead.

Around four in the afternoon, Eda walked into the Leaky Cauldron with a smile, and a few of the regulars greeted her.

"Miss Eda, you're a bit late today."

"Yeah! I thought you weren't coming today—I even drank one less pint!"

The regular patrons of the bar had a good impression of Eda. When they didn't see her around, they naturally asked Tom about it. The bar owner, Tom, had explained that Mr. Weasley had taken Eda home.

The customers who came to the Leaky Cauldron were mainly there to drink. They weren't particularly interested in what relationship Eda had with the Weasleys; they just assumed she was a distant relative of the Weasley family.

The Weasley family was one of the most known families in the wizarding world, with many members, and Arthur Weasley was just one of them. It wasn't surprising that people assumed Eda was related to them.

Eda continued her usual routine behind the bar, warmly greeting the customers, chatting with familiar faces, and preparing their regular drinks.

However, today was different—Eda didn't stay to help out in the Leaky Cauldron for as long as she usually did. After just over an hour, she left the bar.

Although the customers were a bit reluctant to see her go, no one stopped her from leaving to have dinner at home. As Eda stepped into the fireplace, the customers raised their glasses to bid her farewell.

Using Floo Powder for the second time, Eda was better prepared, so the dizziness wasn't as overwhelming as it had been the first time. She no longer felt like she was going to empty her stomach.

Upon returning to the Burrow, the first thing Eda saw was the Weasley family gathered around, sitting together. She smiled and greeted each member of the family.

The feeling was strange yet comforting.

After pouring the Floo Powder she had bought on her way back into the flowerpot, Eda walked over and sat down, waiting for Mr. Weasley to return so they could start dinner.

A short while later, Mr. Weasley arrived, looking a bit tired from the day. As he pushed the door open, he greeted everyone, "Good evening, children!"

"""" Good evening, Dad! """"

Eda also responded with a smile, blending in with the Weasley children, though she didn't call Mr. Weasley "Dad."

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12 Chaps ahead

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