Hogwarts Emerald

That night, Eda slept fitfully. Thoughts of the day turned into dreams, and she found herself moving from one dream to the next.

She didn't just dream about people and events from her past but also about Fred and George. She dreamed of the three of them going out together, and even starting a joke shop.

When Eda finally pulled herself out of the layers of dreams, it was already past noon. The sunlight outside her window was bright, and she had to squint to make out the details of her room.

Reaching for the water cup on her bedside table, she noticed it felt too light—she'd forgotten to fill it the night before.

Ugh!

Kicking off her blanket, she slipped into her slippers to pour herself some water. Not having a glass of water right after waking up was a cruel way to start the day.

The dorm was empty. After the last Quidditch tryouts, Charlie had scheduled the first official team practice for Sunday afternoon, so Angelina and Alicia were either on the pitch or on their way there.

Katie Bell had likely joined them, or maybe she was playing with her friend, that girl named Leanne.

Eda, now refreshed and with her tangled hair tamed, made her way slowly down the stairs to the common room, fingers tapping lightly on the handrail, her pace unhurried and her mind elsewhere.

The twins, in their Quidditch robes, were playing wizard chess, and the moment they saw her, they loudly called her name, afraid she might not hear. The other students in the common room glared at them in annoyance.

Eda had woken up too late and missed lunch. If she didn't want to trek to the kitchens, she'd have to go hungry all afternoon.

Luckily, though, the twins had brought some food from the Great Hall. They'd been waiting in the common room just to give it to her before heading to the pitch.

Handing the plate of food to Eda, Fred and George hurried off, now late for their very first team practice because they'd stayed to wait for her.

Before leaving, the twins gave Eda's shoulder a hearty pat, as if to say, No matter what happens, we're here for you!

Holding the pie Fred had handed her, Eda stood there, dazed, for quite a while until her stomach grumbled, snapping her out of it. She finally sat down and started to eat.

There were people who'd wait in the common room because she hadn't eaten and people who'd go to great lengths to cheer her up when she was down.

What more could she ask for?

This was a blessing from Merlin himself—asking for more might tempt something dreadful.

The wizard chess game left unfinished on the table was a bit of a mess; the twins hadn't put much thought into it, and each side had lost quite a few pieces. Eda couldn't make out who was winning.

She was decent at regular chess, but wizard chess was her weakness.

Playing with someone as inexperienced as her would only ruin a game, so the others usually let Eda watch from the sidelines and learn bit by bit—much like those who watch old men play chess outside shops.

Of course, she could always study a strategy book or practice alone, but her focus had always been more on her studies than on wizard chess.

After finishing her meal, Eda decided to get some fresh air outside the castle to lift her spirits and prevent herself from dwelling on her memories.

When she reached the Quidditch pitch, she saw the Gryffindor team practicing tactics under Charlie's direction. Many of the players had just joined this year, and they weren't yet familiar with the team's usual strategies, making the session challenging for everyone.

The Quidditch Cup was still over a month away, but the new players needed to get up to speed quickly. This was Charlie's last year at Hogwarts, and he hoped to lead the team to victory before he graduated.

Fred and George swung their short bats to strike the Bludgers, testing for the ideal strength and rhythm. As twin Beaters, they had an unmatched synergy on the field, making their position even more threatening.

The Chasers formed an arrow-shaped formation, flying toward the goalposts. This was the Hawk Head attacking formation, frequently used in matches to apply intense pressure on the opposing defense and force errors for scoring opportunities.

Charlie tried having Angelina lead the formation. He had high hopes for this second-year girl, believing she could become the team's primary scorer. Meanwhile, the Keeper, Oliver Wood, was circling the goalposts at high speed. Apart from Charlie, Wood was the team's strongest player and the most reliable defender of their goal.

That is, as long as Oliver could play an entire match unscathed. In a game last year, he'd been knocked off his broom by a Bludger, costing Gryffindor the match.

Sitting by the pitch, Eda watched the students flying back and forth. She was well-versed in the strategies Charlie had assigned; she'd studied them all and could explain them in detail.

To those who didn't know her, she might seem like a Quidditch professional—a coach, an analyst, or perhaps even a critic.

Not only that, but Eda also knew the Transylvanian Tackle, the Wronski Feint, and various other maneuvers. In fact, Eda might even know more tactics than Charlie at this point.

But Eda could only strategize on paper, drawing up plays and discussing them, while Charlie not only strategized but also executed them effectively. That's why Charlie was the captain, and Eda was merely watching from the sidelines.

'Hmm.. judging by the team's current state, both Charlie and Wood could probably make a living from Quidditch one day,'

' Becoming professional players would be fun.'

However, it seemed Charlie was more interested in studying dragons—truly a loss for British Quidditch.

This year, with the addition of strong newcomers Angelina and Alicia, the two girls could bolster the team's offense. The twins were like two live Bludgers on the field, and maybe, just maybe, the team had a real shot at winning the cup this year!

If they actually won, Eda couldn't imagine how thrilled Professor McGonagall would be. Though she always seemed so strict, there was a surprisingly endearing side to her that most people never got to see.

Training was winding down, with Oliver Wood stepping in to give the team a pep talk. Charlie was gradually passing the captaincy reins to Wood so that by next year, when Wood took over as captain, he'd be ready to manage the team seamlessly.

As soon as Wood finished his talk, the twins ran over to the edge of the pitch and shouted to Eda, "Did you see our performance? When we play Slytherin, we're going to use the Bludgers to send them all to the hospital wing!"

"But I just saw Wood giving you two the biggest scolding of the day. Are you sure you'll even get on the pitch?" Eda teased, poking fun at how Wood had just taken them aside for a lecture.

Wood was known for his high standards and strict discipline; he was hard on others and even harder on himself. Hoping for any kind of compliment from him was nearly impossible.

"Wood's like a block of hard oak. We got used to him last year," George said nonchalantly.

"Getting him not to criticize is as impossible as making Filch stop doting on Mrs. Norris," Fred added, bringing Filch into their jokes again.

The twins could go on about Filch for days on end without ever running out of new material.

The twins felt a bit more at ease seeing Eda like this. Although she hadn't fully returned to her old self, at least she was joking with them again, a huge improvement from the gloomy expression she wore yesterday.

In truth, by the time she got up this afternoon, Eda had already started adjusting her mindset.

She knew she couldn't keep going on like this. Fred and George had waited for her, even risking being late for practice.

If she continued dwelling on the past, she'd only let her best friends down.

The lively energy on everyone's faces during practice, the loud calls and cheers, all influenced Eda, little by little, lifting her spirits and brightening her mood.

Before, Eda was like a flower bud that had experienced the wind and frost, missing the past peace and sunshine, but forgetting to bloom more brilliantly after the wind and rain stopped. But after waking up, Eda has understood that the past peace and sunshine were her nutrition, so that she can bloom more beautiful flowers after the wind and rain.

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