As Fudge's little wooden gavel came down, Harry's hearing officially came to an end, and Eda finally let out a long sigh of relief.
Carrying the burden for someone else was truly exhausting!
Harry sat motionless in the chair in the middle, looking somewhat dazed. He did not even notice Eda approaching him.
This was perfectly normal. Although he had been through quite a lot, when all was said and done, he was still only a fifteen-year-old boy. He could be afraid, and he could panic.
"Hey!" Eda said. "Why are you still sitting here? Don't tell me you really want to go to Azkaban for some gilding?"
"No, I don't. Not at all." Harry shook his head. "Eda, it seems like I owe you more and more, so much that I'll never be able to repay you." Harry lowered his head and looked at the iron chains wrapped around the chair.
In the past, Eda probably would have taken advantage of the opportunity to make Harry pay up. This matter would not be settled for less than ten thousand Galleons or so. But her state of mind was different now.
The most important point was that she was no longer short of money...
Eda messed up Harry's hair, which he had finally managed to comb neatly, and said, "I'm a loan shark, you know. Interest compounds on interest. If you want to pay it all off, maybe try in your next life!"
Then Eda disdainfully straightened Harry's collar, just like an older sister taking care of her messy younger brother.
She said, "When you get back, take a nice, thorough bath and wash away the bad luck."
Harry stood up. Without realizing it, he had already grown much taller than Eda. Harry said, "Mrs. Weasley prepared meatballs tonight. Are you coming?"
"Of course, but I still have something to deal with." Eda said, "Go on. Mr. Weasley should be waiting for you outside!"
Harry nodded vigorously and then ran toward the heavy doors, like a bird flying toward freedom.
Eda did not leave. She turned around and looked toward Fudge and the Wizengamot on both sides. Some of the Wizengamot members had already hurried away, while the remaining ones were talking as they organized and gathered their documents.
Minister Fudge remained seated where he was, his eyes never leaving Eda. No one knew what he was thinking.
Eda walked up in front of the Minister and said quietly, "Minister, Professor asked me to pass a message to you. He said: I am still willing to support your career, as long as you recognize reality."
"I don't quite understand what that means, but I think you must understand, Minister, don't you?"
Hearing Eda's message and her question, Fudge's expression became even uglier. His flushed pig-liver complexion was no longer enough to describe it. It should have been changed to rotten pig liver.
Fudge huffed and puffed, his eyes seeming ready to burst from their sockets.
"I don't need him to support my career!" Fudge said through gritted teeth. The words came out with great difficulty. As soon as he finished speaking, Fudge collapsed onto the bench as though all the strength had been drained from his body.
"That's truly unfortunate, Minister." Eda took a step back. Her voice remained quiet, without the slightest change because of Fudge's fury.
Eda continued, "There are many Ministers of Magic, but there is only one Albus Dumbledore. Those are my words, and I think you can understand what I mean, Minister."
For human beings, the greatest barriers are in their own minds.
Fudge was obsessed with power. Did he not believe that Voldemort had returned?
No. The Minister had probably already believed it seven or eight parts out of ten. He was simply clinging to those remaining two or three parts of hope, hoping that Voldemort would not return, hoping that all of this was some scheme concocted by Dumbledore.
When a lie is repeated often enough, it becomes the truth. Fudge had been completely deceived by the lies he himself had woven.
Beyond saving. Perhaps Dumbledore would still mercifully believe in Fudge and wait for him to turn back from the wrong path.
But Eda would not. In her heart, Fudge had already been sentenced to death, starting with the very first newspaper that whitewashed the situation.
Eda did not want a teammate who could not see the situation clearly. Such a person would only become a burden.
Victory would also be delayed because of people like that. A victory that came late meant a prolonged war, which meant that the people she cared about would have to face even more danger.
At this moment, Madam Bones had finished gathering her belongings and was walking toward the door. Two or three people who were relatively close to her were accompanying her.
"Madam Bones!" Eda did not delay any longer and quickly walked toward Amelia Bones.
The first time Eda met Madam Bones was at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. At that time, Eda's impression of her was that she was capable, decisive, and efficient.
The second time they met was in Hogsmeade, where Eda found her to be a conscientious official who also knew how to adapt.
Today, in the courtroom, was the third time they had met, and this time Madam Bones left an even deeper impression on Eda.
Previously, neither Dumbledore nor Eda had ever communicated with Madam Bones beforehand, yet today, throughout Harry's hearing and Fudge's attempts to make things difficult, Madam Bones and Eda worked together with remarkable co-ordination.
It was almost as if the two of them had spent a long time talking together last night and even slept side by side.
Once the hearing began, Madam Bones first gave Eda a hand, ensuring that the Wizengamot would not collectively ignore her simply because of her young age.
Then she gave Harry a hand, letting the Wizengamot know that besides being the "Boy Who Lived," Harry Potter himself was also very talented.
After the hearing reached an impasse, she guided Mrs. Figg into giving her testimony, directing the spearhead toward Fudge and repeatedly forcing the Minister into desperate situations.
The cleverest part was that every one of Madam Bones's subtle hints was perfectly measured. Her actions and words only made her appear fair and impartial, rather than as though she were taking anyone's side.
If it had not been for Fudge's shamelessness and Umbridge butting in, the hearing would have ended long ago! That was the difference a god-tier teammate could make.
Even if Fudge knew that Madam Bones was targeting him, there was nothing the Minister could do about the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
This powerful official was not someone Fudge could suppress at will. If he accidentally pushed too hard, Fudge might even suffer a backlash.
Hearing Eda call out to her, Amelia Bones slowed her pace. The people around her also dispersed, leaving the two of them room to talk.
Even this alone made Madam Bones far superior to Fudge. The people under her did not need her to personally order them away, unlike Fudge, who had to chase people off himself every time.
Eda caught up with Madam Bones. She played a little trick, deliberately walking half a step behind Bones. It was a somewhat underhanded move.
Eda was a student, while Bones's social standing was far beyond that of any student. Walking half a step behind to show humility and respect toward Bones was perfectly reasonable. Some people might even think that half a step behind was not enough.
The reason this move was underhanded was that Eda was not merely a student.
First of all, without even saying that Eda's magical accomplishments put her second to only one person, she could at least rank among the very best. Her own strength was her greatest advantage, and it was in no way inferior to Bones's status and position.
Furthermore, Eda had represented Dumbledore in defending Harry this time. She was effectively the professor's representative, and every word and action she made could represent Dumbledore's will.
With that being the case, how many people could shamelessly walk ahead of Eda?
The answer was almost none.
Arrogant and stupid people would not notice this. They would not think there was anything wrong with it, nor would they worry about whether they could bear the consequences. Only intelligent people could see what Eda was doing, and it could even make intelligent people dislike her.
Madam Bones was an intelligent person. Naturally, she saw through Eda's move and recognized it as a bold test. She did not find Eda's behavior annoying. Instead, she gained a little more appreciation for this wild girl.
"That was a brilliant defense. When I was your age, I certainly couldn't remain so calm in the face of danger." As Amelia Bones spoke, she adjusted her stride and pace to walk alongside Eda instead of ahead of or behind her.
"Thank you for the compliment. I still have a long way to go," Eda said modestly. She also stopped deliberately controlling her pace.
"Negotiations fell through?" Madam Bones asked directly, without any roundabout probing.
Eda nodded and said, "We never reached an agreement. After I graduate, I'm planning to open a cake shop in Diagon Alley that only sells cupcakes. I've even thought of a name for it. I'll call it Fudge."
"Remember to tell me when you open it. I'll bring Susan along," Madam Bones said with a smile.
"Professor Dumbledore asked me to convey his regards to you, Madam," Eda suddenly changed the subject.
Amelia Bones stopped walking and asked, "Are those regards really from Professor Dumbledore? Or are they your own?"
"Does it make a difference?" Eda asked knowingly.
"Of course it does." Madam Bones showed no impatience at all. "Dumbledore is the present, while you are the future. The 'present' is right here, visible and tangible. The 'future' is much harder to say."
"The future," Eda said confidently, "will arrive as scheduled."
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