The Patronus Charm was one of the most powerful and ancient defensive spells in the wizarding world, and very difficult to master. It could be used to ward off Dementors and Lethifolds.
Many wizards could only manage a formless Patronus, like a silver mist; very few could summon a fully corporeal Patronus.
Everyone's Patronus form was different, tied to their personality. Eda herself hadn't expected hers to turn out to be an adorably clumsy-looking chow chow.
The chow chow was a cute dog breed known for its proud, independent nature. It was highly wary of strangers but fiercely loyal to its family. This did indeed reflect part of Eda's own character—warm and close to those she liked, while keeping her distance from others, often giving the impression of coldness or arrogance.
"Don't worry too much. As long as they stayed put, they should have already run into Mrs. Weasley on her way back," Eda comforted them. "For all we know, Ron and Harry might even reach the school before us!"
"But I'm still worried about them," Hermione said uneasily. "If they do something reckless, I honestly wouldn't be surprised."
Some of Gryffindor's defining traits were embodied in those two all too clearly, and Hermione's concern wasn't unfounded. Hopefully, the boys who missed the train wouldn't, in a fit of rash Gryffindor bravado, try something outrageous.
Suddenly inspired, George seemed to think of something. "Dad's car is still outside. You don't think the two of them might be getting funny ideas about that car, do you?"
"What car?" Lee Jordan asked. "The one you two mentioned in your letter?"
Hearing George's words, Fred pulled a regretful face and said, "That really is a brilliant idea. If only we hadn't made it onto the platform either…"
"That car sounds so cool.."
"It is mate.. it is.."
George and Lee Jordan both wore the same look of longing. Right now, they would've loved to trade places with Harry and Ron—then they could drive the flying car all the way from London to Scotland.
Except for Eda and Ginny, the girls were all completely baffled. They had no idea why a car could make the boys so giddy with excitement.
Ginny sat there, her face full of worry, probably praying that her brother and her crush wouldn't be spotted—or end up breaking their necks. Eda rubbed her temples and explained, telling them the story behind that seemingly ordinary yet very extraordinary car.
If Ron and Harry had truly chosen this cool but utterly foolish solution, then all that could be done was to pray for them.
Unlike the boys, the girls didn't look the least bit envious. Just as Eda had said, the sensible choice for Harry and Ron would've been to stay put or send a letter to Hogwarts—not to take off in a flying car. They didn't believe the two would be that reckless.
Angelina, Alicia, and Hermione were all opposed to the idea, though there were some differences between them. Angelina and Alicia still thought it was the wrong choice, but they couldn't help being intrigued by the idea of a flying car.
They too wanted to try riding in one, just once, to see how it compared to a broomstick.
As the discussion about the Ford Anglia went on, the atmosphere in the compartment warmed again. Everyone's worries about Harry and Ron eased somewhat—after all, there were plenty of ways for them to get back to school. As long as they kept their heads, they shouldn't be in any real danger.
As night fell, the Hogwarts Express pulled into Hogsmeade Station. Ginny, along with the other first-years, went over to Hagrid, while the "lonely" Hermione was taken in by Eda. The four girls shared the same thestral-drawn carriage back to the school.
But things didn't turn out the way Hermione had imagined—she didn't see Harry or Ron at the castle. Unfortunately, George's words had come true.
Harry and Ron hadn't waited obediently for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley outside the barrier, but instead chose the flying car. All of it was reported in the Evening Prophet—Muggles had seen them.
At the Gryffindor table, everyone was buzzing about it. On one hand, they thought arriving at school in a flying car was incredibly cool; on the other, they worried Harry might be expelled, or at the very least, lose house points.
The Weasley brothers each reacted differently. Percy wore a stern face, furious over the whole affair—he thought the two of them had been unbelievably foolish.
Fred and George's expressions were far more complicated. On one hand, they were thrilled—their little brother had actually managed what they had wanted to do but never could. On the other hand, they were worried; this was bound to drag their father into trouble, and who knew how the Ministry would deal with him.
Eda, sitting to the side, neither joined the chatter nor offered any comfort to the twins, because she couldn't think of anything that might ease their worries.
The fact was, many Muggles had seen Harry and Ron's stunt, and Mr. Weasley's illegal enchantments on the car would inevitably come to light. Punishment was unavoidable.
It could only be said that Harry and Ron were still too young. Faced with such a small setback, they panicked and made a rash decision. Not only did they fail to arrive at school on time, but they also dragged Mr. Weasley into it.
If only the two of them had been a bit calmer, none of this would have happened.
As Dumbledore arrived, the Great Hall gradually quieted down. Aside from Professor McGonagall, who was off guiding the new students, Snape was also absent from the staff table.
On the staff dais, Gilderoy Lockhart was flashing a dazzling set of white teeth as he chatted with those nearby. Dressed in his aquamarine robes, he looked very much like a peacock eager to show off.
Eda couldn't help but wonder—if Snape had been there, would he have been able to tolerate Lockhart? And just what kind of "kind words" would he have used to greet him?
After a while, the doors to the hall swung open. Professor McGonagall, her hair tied up in its usual tight bun, led the new students inside. Among the crowd, Eda spotted Ginny—the tiny, flame-haired girl stood nervously in line, her expression uneasy.
The old, tattered Sorting Hat began its annual performance, singing a song that wove the origins and traits of the four houses into its verses, ending with a blessing for the students.
A very small, gray-haired boy was the first to be called forward, placing the hat on his head. One after another, as McGonagall read out names, the first-years took their places on the little stool to await their Sorting.
Watching the scene, Eda couldn't help but recall her own Sorting. Back then, she had thought the hat would put her in Slytherin. Just when she was bracing herself for a difficult school life, the Sorting Hat surprised her by placing her in Gryffindor.
She truly had been startled at the time. Now, however, if the Sorting Hat were to mention Slytherin again, Eda wouldn't be afraid at all.
After all, most Slytherins were pure-bloods, or at least had one magical parent. For someone like Eda, who came from a Muggle orphanage, it was nearly impossible to be placed in Slytherin.
An unclear origin meant an unclear bloodline. Even if she had been Sorted into Slytherin, life wouldn't have been easy—hadn't Eda already been mocked for her background by Slytherins, even as a Gryffindor?
She had once daydreamed that she might be the lost heir of some great wizarding family. But it was only a fantasy.
In the wizarding world, there wasn't any noble family named Twist, nor had she ever heard of a famous witch or wizard with that surname.
Even in the Leaky Cauldron, a place where all sorts of people gathered, Eda had never encountered anyone with the same surname.
Perhaps before her, the name Twist had never belonged to the wizarding world at all. "Heir to a great family" was nothing more than a joke she told herself when she was bored.
When Sister Mary had first found her, all Eda had with her was the swaddling blanket she'd been wrapped in, and a slip of paper bearing her name and birthdate. In all these years, no one had ever come to claim her. The young couple she had once glimpsed in the Mirror of Erised had surely long since passed away.
Just as Eda was drifting in thought, a girl with silver eyes and long golden hair stepped forward and put on the Sorting Hat.
Her name was Luna Lovegood.
She radiated an airy, dreamlike quality that made her seem less like a new student and more like a fawn that had wandered here by chance.
"Ravenclaw!"
The Sorting Hat placed this unusual girl into Ravenclaw. Luna Lovegood—a name that, though a little strange, carried a kind of quiet beauty.
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