All this time, although there had been rumors at Hogwarts that Eda could cast spells without a wand and could strangle a grown man with her bare hands, no student had ever actually seen her kill anyone. In daily life, this talented and high-achieving girl just seemed hard to approach—she'd never actually bullied anyone. Whether she was expelled or not didn't really concern most students.
Before the incident where she attempted to attack her fellow student, Eda was most known for daring to talk back to Snape. The incident a year ago where she killed three wizards had been suppressed by Dumbledore and Fudge—aside from the Aurors involved, no one knew about it.
As for the event two years ago when Eda stopped Benedict Fully, it had never been confirmed, and people had long since dismissed it as a rumor—no one believed it.
News of Eda's return to school circulated among the students for just one morning. By the time breakfast rolled around, it was no longer a hot topic, because another piece of news had dropped among the students and easily stole the spotlight that should have belonged to Eda.
The shocking revelation that Professor Quirrell, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, was actually a major villain spread like wildfire.
In the time it took to have breakfast, the entire school knew. The man who had always appeared timid, weak, and easy to bully had turned out to be an evildoer hidden among the people—what could possibly be more explosive than that?
The big bad Quirrell had attempted to steal the Philosopher's Stone hidden on the 3rd floor to complete his evil scheme. And at the moment when a hero was most needed, our very own Harry Potter stepped up.
He led his friends to defeat Quirrell and protect the Philosopher's Stone, once again saving the wizarding world.
Wasn't that story much more interesting than whether Eda had been expelled or not?
Students from all four houses were buzzing about Harry Potter and Quirrell. Harry's reputation in Gryffindor soared, and the frustration over losing first place was tossed to the bottom of the Black Lake.
The Gryffindors were proud to have Harry in their house.
That's just how realistic it was—from savior to "that person," and then back from "that person" to savior—Harry had gone through those ups and downs in the span of just one month.
Watching coldly from the sidelines, Eda let out a sigh. Life really was cruel and unembellished. Even a bunch of students who hadn't yet stepped into society couldn't escape it.
By the end of breakfast, the story of Harry Potter's battle with Quirrell had already branched out into several versions.
Whether in these offshoots or the original version, Eda's name was never mentioned—she had automatically been lumped in as one of "Harry's little friends." Although Eda didn't say anything about it, the twins, who knew the truth, felt it was deeply unfair to her.
Aside from the unconscious Harry, only five students knew what had really happened—Fred, George, Ron, Hermione, and Eda herself. Since none of the five had spread the story, it was obvious who the information had come from.
Back in their first year, Dumbledore had concealed Eda's name to protect her. But that protection hadn't been effective—after all, the Fowley family had still learned who she was. They had just never launched a direct retaliation.
This time again, her name was left out—was it, once more, for her protection? But if the intention was to protect a student, then why release Harry's name?
Fred and George once again voiced their indignation on Eda's behalf.
She had been the one to uncover the truth first, and it was she who personally defeated Quirrell. Yet in the end, she received nothing. What was this supposed to be? An invisible guardian?
On the way back to the common room, the twins continued to rant about the injustice of Eda's treatment. But Eda didn't see it the same way—they had different views.
She believed Dumbledore had his reasons. He hadn't allowed her name to spread so that Harry would have the opportunity to speak up and name her himself—using that to help build a bond between her and Harry.
Given Harry's personality, once he was discharged from the hospital, he definitely wouldn't take all the credit for stopping Quirrell for himself. He would certainly mention Eda's name.
By then, any lingering awkwardness between him and Eda would be smoothed over.
Of course, that was just Eda's own speculation. As for whether Dumbledore had really intended that, Eda couldn't be sure.
Wait a second—thinking of Harry suddenly triggered another thought in Eda's mind. Had everyone forgotten something important?
Looking at the endlessly chattering Fred and George, Eda asked, "Isn't Gryffindor supposed to have a Quidditch match today?"
Fred said, "Yeah, against Slytherin."
George added, "Even though we've lost the House Cup, as long as we beat Slytherin, we'll win the Quidditch Cup."
The twins said in unison, "We're definitely going to win. Don't forget, we still have Harr—"
Harry Potter. At this point, what Harry Potter? Their Seeker was currently lying in the hospital wing.
Even if he woke up, he wouldn't be able to play in the noon match! The twins immediately deflated like frostbitten eggplants. Without a Seeker, how were they supposed to beat Slytherin?
Back in the common room, the three of them saw Oliver Wood sitting with a deeply furrowed brow. At his feet lay a long rectangular box, securely wrapped.
Judging by his expression, it looked like someone owed him ten thousand Galleons and had no intention of paying it back. Angelina, Alicia, and Katie sat quietly beside him, all three girls trembling under his gaze like lambs before a storm.
Eda and the twins were naturally noticed by Wood, and the three of them also sat down beside him, trembling slightly. It was best not to provoke their furious Captain Wood.
"You all know by now—we have a match coming up soon, but Harry won't be able to play," Wood said. "I don't blame him. He did the right thing."
"Can't we request a postponement?" Angelina asked. "After all, Harry's in the hospital wing because of something that happened at the school."
Harry obviously wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. Postponing the match really would be the best solution. And the reason for the request was solid—Harry had been injured protecting the Philosopher's Stone.
Oliver Wood slammed the table angrily and said, "I already requested it from Professor McGonagall. She went to speak with Snape, but the Slytherin side refused to change the match date. The game will go on as scheduled."
As soon as he said this, the mood among the five of them froze instantly. Only Wood and Eda looked relatively calm. Wood had already vented his anger. As for Eda, she thought it was perfectly normal for Slytherin to refuse. Doing whatever it took to win—that was the Slytherin way.
"So what do we do now?" Katie asked softly. She felt the team had no chance of winning. Relying on the Chasers to close a 150-point gap left by the Golden Snitch was nearly impossible in amateur games.
"Don't forget—we do have a backup Seeker," Wood said, looking at Eda.
The others also turned to look at her.
Eda raised her hand weakly and said, "Oliver, I could go on, but… I don't even own a broom."
She had long forgotten about that substitute Seeker position. And she wasn't about to spend a pile of Galleons on a broom she'd hardly use. So despite holding the title of backup Seeker for a whole year, Eda still didn't have a broom of her own.
Captain Wood picked up the box by his feet and handed it to Eda, then took a note out of his pocket and gave it to her. Wood said, "You can relax—Professor McGonagall had everything prepared long ago. Inside this box is your broomstick."
The twins took the box and began unwrapping it for Eda, while Eda looked at the note written by Professor McGonagall. It read:
This broomstick was originally meant to be given to you personally on the day you officially became a Seeker. But because of Harry's arrival, it was never placed into its rightful owner's hands. Now, the opportunity has come. Take it—and win your first Quidditch victory!
Looking at the note, Eda suddenly felt her nose sting with emotion.
But before she could fully take in the sentiment, Fred smacked her on the shoulder with such force she nearly fell out of her armchair.
"I told you so! I told you so!" Fred shouted. "I said Professor McGonagall must have gotten a broomstick ready for you, but you just wouldn't believe me—had to argue. So? Doesn't your face hurt now?"
The packaging was finally undone, revealing a Comet Seven lying quietly inside the box. The Comet Seven was a model produced by the Comet Broom Company, with performance slightly inferior to the Nimbus 2000.
Back when Harry was choosing a broom, Oliver Wood had recommended either the Nimbus 2000 or the Comet Seven to him, given the Potters' wealth.
Although its specs and price were a bit lower than the Nimbus 2000, the Comet Seven was actually a better fit for Eda. In terms of flying, Eda didn't have exceptional talent, and the Comet's excellent handling made up for her shortcomings.
While the Nimbus 2000 was faster, that speed came with significantly higher handling difficulty. That's why Professor McGonagall had chosen the Comet Seven for Eda—a slightly slower broom, but one with far superior control.
Eda stroked the broomstick, her voice brimming with excitement: "When does the match start? I can't wait to try out my new broom!"
Read 12 Chapters ahead:
Patreon: Dragonel