Is there anything between the grandmother and granddaughter that the other didn't know about?
Yes—there was not only some, but a great deal. They could probably talk for days and nights without finishing.
The time the two of them had spent together was not long. Some things could not be spoken, while others simply had not yet had the chance to be said.
This secret room, and the old belongings of Grindelwald in the cabinet, could all be counted as things Eda had not known about before.
Their understanding of each other was also based only on what they had seen and heard themselves. Between them, some things did not need to be explained clearly, and some words did not need to be said outright.
Separated in two places and finally meeting again after many twists and turns—this was already the greatest fortune in the world. Asking for too much would only spoil it.
With Eda supporting her, Vinda sat down in the only chair in the secret room. She slowly said, "It took a great deal of effort for me to find your whereabouts, but that information was leaked to Alain Rosier. I had no choice but to stop my plan, bring you home ahead of time, and that's how you ended up meeting those damned relatives."
Just as Vinda said, she still had several old friends who watched out for and helped one another. With the help of those old friends, she found Eda and confirmed that Eda was indeed the girl she had been searching for.
Besides those old friends who supported one another, Vinda also had forces of her own—forces that had once been prepared for Louis. Vinda had once been a follower of Grindelwald.
For someone like her, gathering a group of people and maintaining a number of subordinates was something extremely simple.
The original purpose of these people was to help Louis seize the position of family head and serve under his command. Or to secretly do things for him that could not see the light of day, removing certain obstacles for him.
But just as the task was about to succeed, Louis unexpectedly ran away from home, pursuing the love in his heart.
The nature of this group's work then changed. They began searching everywhere for Louis's whereabouts. They needed to find him before anyone else did, in order to protect him and prevent anyone with ill intentions from harming him.
In the end, however, they were still one step too late. They failed to find Louis while he was alive.
All they found was a cold, lifeless corpse.
But the search did not end there. They also had to find Jessica and the child, uncover the truth behind Louis's murder, and avenge him.
We already know the result—nothing was found. They failed to locate Jessica, and they also failed to uncover the truth behind Louis's death. Finding a woman and a child somewhere in Britain was not an easy task, but Vinda still felt somewhat disheartened.
Although she did not disband this group of people and continued to keep them, Vinda no longer held any expectations for them. It was only after she obtained news about Eda that she reactivated them, intending to use them to pave the way for Eda's return home.
Perhaps it was simply bad luck, or perhaps Louis and Eda, father and daughter, were somehow cursed. This group once again failed before accomplishing anything. Information about Eda was leaked to Alain Rosier, forcing Vinda to cancel her original plan.
"The person who sold my information to Alain Rosier is among these people, right?" Eda asked.
"They didn't know your identity. The orders they received were only to monitor you and record your habits and behavior," Vinda said. "Of course, it's also possible that someone among them guessed your identity. You do resemble Louis in appearance. But I have no intention of investigating this matter too deeply—they're still useful for now."
One must never be deceived by the kindness Vinda currently displayed. This was merely the affection of a grandparent for a grandchild—kindness reserved exclusively for Eda.
The reason she had not raised the butcher's knife was not because there was no evidence—Vinda was not an Auror; she did not need evidence. Nor was it because she believed they would never betray her. It was simply because they were still useful, and convenient to use.
Moreover, there was something strange about this matter. Vinda suspected that the one who had betrayed her might be someone else entirely—someone hidden even deeper.
Otherwise, Alain Rosier should not be acting the way he was now, nor should he be so concerned about Vinda having a hidden backup plan.
A fist kept hidden was far more threatening, because you never knew from which direction or at what moment it might strike. Power displayed openly allowed people to be on guard, and thus lost much of its deterrent effect.
"I will hand this group of people over to you once you come of age," Vinda said. "Whether you make them all disappear or keep them for your own use will be entirely up to you. But remember one thing—even if they appear loyal and reliable, you must never place too much trust in them."
This was not the first time someone had said such words to Eda. The last time, Glover Cecil had shown her what betrayal looked like. This time, her grandmother Vinda told her that the enemy might be among them.
The world seemed rotten to the core, filled with all kinds of schemes and deception, all kinds of killing and torture. It was nothing like a fairy tale.
Even Sirius Black could betray James Potter—let alone someone like her, whom they had never even met. As long as the money was right, even glass would be smashed to pieces.
"But it doesn't matter. These are not things you need to think about right now," Vinda continued. "Your task now is simply to grow up well and do what someone your age should do. Play when it's time to play, enjoy yourself when it's time to enjoy yourself. Even if you make mistakes, it doesn't matter—making mistakes is the price of growing up."
"Then you'd better prepare yourself mentally," Eda said, giving her grandmother a warning in advance. "Because the messes I make are usually pretty big, and they're not very easy to clean up."
However, she was worrying a little too much. Compared with the trouble Vinda had caused in her time, Eda's disasters were hardly worth mentioning.
"Ahaha.." Vinda gently patted Eda's hand. Her voice suddenly choked slightly as she said, "As long as I'm still alive, you will never have to face the storms outside on your own again. I will always stand by your side. And I will also find Jessica for you—as long as she is still alive."
The atmosphere in the small room became somewhat heavy. Eda felt she should act a bit mischievous to lighten the sad mood.
She smiled and said, "What if I accidentally burn off all of Professor Dumbledore's beard with a fire spell? Or what if I burn down Hogwarts?"
Even though she knew Eda was only teasing to amuse her, Vinda still cooperated and put on a thoughtful expression.
She pretended to think for a moment before saying, "Then my suggestion would be for you to run away as fast as you can—go as far as possible. Because I'm really no match for Dumbledore."
In this world, the only person who could stand as Dumbledore's opponent was Voldemort, who was hiding in the forests of Albania. Grindelwald couldn't do it either—what he had lost wasn't just those several decades of time.
"Isn't it inconvenient to keep such a long beard?" This was a question that came straight from the depths of Eda's soul. Sometimes she already found her own long hair troublesome to manage. Dumbledore not only had long hair, but also a long beard—didn't he find it bothersome at all?
"You'd better ask him that yourself when you get back to school. I can't answer that question either. Or you could ask Thierry—he should have plenty of experience."
Vinda spread her hands, indicating that she was powerless to help. The question had landed right in her blind spot—she had never grown a beard, nor had she ever had to manage one that long.
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