The night was as cool as water, and nights in the mountains were always especially cold. Moonlight spilled down, covering the entire castle in a layer of silver.
Lying curled up on the hard bed, Eda had not only gotten used to life in the mountains over this past month, but had also readapted to the uncomfortable hard mattress.
The fire in the fireplace had grown faint. Eda stretched her hand out from the warmth of her blanket and snapped her fingers in the direction of the fireplace.
Under the influence of her magic, the flames were reborn from the embers, and the room's temperature rose again.
During the day, the castle that usually held only two people had welcomed another visitor — although, strictly speaking, a phoenix didn't count as a person.
Fawkes the phoenix had come to the castle when the sun was at its brightest, bringing news from Dumbledore: he would come the next day to take Eda back to Hogwarts.
Eda was overjoyed when she received the news.
She had been living here for a month — she could finally go home!
In this month at Nurmengard, Eda had gained a clearer plan for her once-confused life and had become more confident. This was her harvest — and exactly what Dumbledore had hoped to see.
He had brought Eda here to visit the dangerous Grindelwald precisely so she could find her direction in life and recognize her own value.
Because of his previous negligence, a rift had formed in the relationship between Dumbledore and Eda, and at this stage, he could no longer guide her as he had before. His actions and his words would only be seen as having ulterior motives.
To heal the distance between them and return to the relationship they once had would take a very long time.
At Hogwarts, the only person who could take Dumbledore's place in guiding Eda was the Transfiguration professor, Minerva McGonagall — but McGonagall was clearly not a suitable candidate.
McGonagall could teach Eda Transfiguration and set a positive example for her through her integrity, but she could not give Eda more than that. The heights Eda was destined to reach were heights McGonagall had never touched in her entire life.
The road ahead was full of thorns and forks — experiences McGonagall did not possess, so she could not effectively guide Eda.
Originally, Dumbledore himself was the most suitable person for this. But ever since Benedict Fowley, the shadow of Voldemort had once again loomed over Hogwarts.
Time had become pressing, and the rift that could have been healed with time was now magnified.
Dumbledore foresaw that Quirrell this year was only a small prelude — after the Philosopher's Stone, even greater conspiracies would circle around Harry and Voldemort. He would need to devote more of his attention to Harry and Voldemort, and could no longer give Eda the care and guidance she needed — because Harry had the higher priority.
On that morning in the Shrieking Shack, Dumbledore had thought about many things — including who could take his place: Gellert Grindelwald.
It was a choice full of risk, and Dumbledore had hesitated, wanting to observe for a while longer before making a decision.
But plans could never keep up with changes. The infighting in Gryffindor pushed Dumbledore to end his observation early and make the decision to bring Eda to meet Grindelwald ahead of schedule.
The cause of it all was Harry, yet the one who suffered unfair treatment was the innocent Eda. Everyone involved in this internal conflict was at fault, and everyone deserved to be properly punished.
But when it came to punishing Eda, Dumbledore once again hesitated — a situation so rare that even in his long life it had hardly ever happened.
If he did not punish Eda, it would be unfair to the other students, and this unfairness would plant the seeds of resentment. If he did punish Eda, it might be fair, but it would drive another knife into her heart, pushing her further away from him and making her hostile to Harry — something Dumbledore did not wish to see either.
Because of this thorny dilemma, Dumbledore had no choice but to pick up the option he had temporarily set aside. So, Dumbledore brought Eda to Nurmengard, to see the one who had haunted his dreams.
Another reason Dumbledore made this decision was that, during the conflict, Eda — who had always acted without fear or restraint — had chosen to lower her wand when facing Professor McGonagall.
It was a gamble, but Dumbledore chose to trust Grindelwald, and he chose to trust Eda too.
In the empty Nurmengard, the two people inside the fortress did not sleep that night. Living at the top floor, Grindelwald found himself surprisingly reluctant to part with this unexpected guest. He really was old now, growing sentimental and soft.
The next morning, sitting at opposite ends of the long table, neither Grindelwald nor Eda spoke, both of them unusually silent.
The first one to break the silence last time had been Grindelwald, but this time it was Eda.
"I traded for some more food yesterday. It should last you a few more days. If you need more after that…"
"Just a foolish action which was never needed." Grindelwald, head lowered as he sliced his smoked meat, said calmly.
"I left the cocoa powder and the tea bags and things like that in the kitchen. If you feel like having some…" Eda pointed toward the kitchen and continued.
"Another foolish action which was equally never needed."
Eda slapped the table and stood up. She said, "Grindelwald!"
"Did the orphanage and Hogwarts not teach you what manners and elegance are?"
His indifference and disregard made Eda feel like everything she had done was completely unnecessary. She didn't finish her breakfast but instead went straight back to her room, ignoring the first Dark Lord altogether.
Grindelwald continued eating his breakfast as if nothing had happened. Eda's angry departure did not disturb his meal in the slightest — perhaps he hadn't really been in the mood to eat anyway.
After a while, Eda came back downstairs, now dressed in a sky-blue robe and carrying her handbag, just as she had when she arrived.
"Do you really have nothing you want to say to me?" Eda asked. "After today, we might never see each other again."
"If we're not going to see each other again, then there's even less reason to say anything." Grindelwald lifted his head, his voice utterly flat and emotionless. "Or is it that you have feelings for every passerby in your life? If so, you really are overflowing with emotion."
Eda, who had just picked up her bread again to continue her breakfast, put it down once more when she heard that. There was no way she could eat now.
Eda didn't like farewells, but she had no choice but to face them. She had intended to soften the sadness of parting a little, only to find that Grindelwald's method was clearly more effective — because now Eda was so full of anger that she couldn't even think about goodbyes anymore.
At this moment, she couldn't wait to leave this decaying castle behind.
Neither of them said a word. The silence lingered until the cry of a phoenix broke it. The enchantment sealing Nurmengard's entrance had been lifted by someone.
Eda stood up and walked outside. Grindelwald sat in his high-backed chair, watching Eda's retreating figure, still saying nothing.
After a few steps, Eda stopped.
With her back to Grindelwald, she said, "Goodbye. And don't you dare die so soon. I'm going to live my life the way I want, maybe even change this world. So you'd better stay alive — or you won't get to see it!"
Standing on the platform outside, Dumbledore watched Eda come out and said, "I thought I'd have to wait a little longer for you to come out."
"If you went in to say goodbye yourself, you'd know why I came out so quickly," Eda said. She looked back at the inscription above Nurmengard's entrance. The days she spent here — Eda knew she would never forget them for the rest of her life.
"No need for that. Let's go home," Dumbledore said with a smile. "I'm very glad to see your growth and transformation, Eda."
Eda raised her hand to shield her eyes and looked sideways at Dumbledore, against the light. He had so many things he wanted to say — about this castle, and about the person inside it — yet in the end, he said none of them.
He just looked at the entrance, his gaze the same as when he faced the Mirror of Erised.
"Let's go. The two Weasley boys have missed you terribly. While you were gone, they practically turned Minerva's office into a public common room," Dumbledore said. He withdrew his gaze and called to Fawkes, the phoenix circling high above them.
A flash of flame passed, and Dumbledore and Eda vanished from the platform in front of the castle.
Inside the castle, Grindelwald had been sitting there in silence the whole time.
Only after another clear cry of the phoenix did he finally stand up and slowly walk up the stairs.
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