Is this really something interesting?
Of course not. Perhaps many people would enjoy being surrounded like stars around the moon, savoring the thrill of being admired, but Eda doesn't like being watched like some kind of exhibit.
All the probing, curious gazes fell on her, carrying admiration or affection. But Eda knew very well that one day, those gazes would become sharper than the knife Black had thrust.
If Eda were to take this admiration seriously now, then when that day truly came, every blade would pierce straight into her heart without mercy. The greater the joy now, the deeper the wound would be later.
Eda always chose to judge the world with the greatest malice, because that way she could lower her expectations to the minimum, sparing herself unnecessary trouble and avoiding too much needless harm.
Everyone says Albus Dumbledore is the greatest wizard in the world. But when Dumbledore makes a mistake, people start to criticize him. Still, people restrained themselves because of his power.. But when Dumbledore is no longer supreme, or when he truly grows old, will people still call him the greatest wizard in the world?
When Eda looks at the world through a pessimistic lens, she doesn't hold expectations she shouldn't have.
Just as Eda had expected, the wave of admiration for her came quickly and faded just as fast. As soon as a new notice appeared on the common room bulletin board, Eda was immediately out of favor—without even being given a moment to adjust.
Only those who remain after the tide recedes are truly worthy.
In the Gryffindor common room, a large crowd had gathered around the bulletin board, chattering excitedly about the upcoming Hogsmeade weekend. No one ever seemed to grow tired of Hogsmeade, whether they had been there once or many times.
Eda sat curled up in a corner of the common room with the twins. Compared to going to Hogsmeade, what they cared about more right now was news of Black.
That night, Black had fled after being injured, and the one who left that wound on him was Eda—she had confidence in herself.
Eda believed that the wound she inflicted on Black had no possibility of healing in the short term, especially after he had hidden himself in the Forbidden Forest, where there was no medicine or treatment.
The smell of blood on Black would be highly attractive to the carnivorous creatures in the forest. Unless Black wanted to become food for them, it was impossible for him to remain hidden in the Forbidden Forest forever without coming out.
Eda had already discovered Garlon and Crookshanks' "collaboration with the enemy." Over the past few days, she had been keeping an eye on the movements of this cat and dog, while also monitoring the Twilight Cottage at the same time.
In addition, the Ministry of Magic had once again strengthened its search of Hogsmeade and the surrounding areas, and more and more Aurors had been stationed in the village.
It seemed that although Fudge was still leading the effort to capture Black, Amelia Bones had also gained a certain degree of initiative. In Madam Bones's view, Aurors were far more reliable than Dementors.
Inside and outside the school, while it might not be a perfect dragnet, it wasn't far from it. Yet Sirius Black remained completely unaccounted for. Eda even began to wonder whether Black had truly been eaten by wolf cubs in the Forbidden Forest, or had become a midnight snack for the Acromantulas.
Eda and the twins shared the same puzzled posture. They really wanted to know where an injured Black could possibly be hiding, and just how tenacious his vitality must be for him to have lasted until now.
Perhaps for Sirius Black, he would rather die than return to Azkaban. No one wants to receive a Dementor's Kiss—that is a punishment more cruel than death.
At that moment, a ginger-colored large cat passed by near the three of them. After glancing at Eda, Crookshanks immediately ran off. It was obvious that everything Eda had done at the Twilight Cottage had left a very bad impression on him.
Crookshanks trotted toward his owner, who was currently arguing with Harry and Ron. It was hard to remember how many times they had argued this school year—there had been more arguments between them this year than between Eda and the twins combined over the past few years.
This time, the argument was sparked by the Hogsmeade notice on the bulletin board. Hermione didn't want Harry to risk going to Hogsmeade, especially after Black had just broken into the boys' dormitory.
But Ron and Harry didn't agree with her. Harry still wanted to go to Hogsmeade. As the argument went on, Ron started bringing up old grievances—from Scabbers to the Firebolt—keeping a mental account of every single one against Hermione.
However, aside from being somewhat muddled over the issue between Crookshanks and Scabbers, Hermione wasn't wrong. Whether it was Harry sneaking off to Hogsmeade or the mysterious Firebolt, her choices were all made with Harry and Ron's best interests in mind.
Good advice is often unpleasant to hear. Hermione's actions made Harry and Ron uncomfortable, and since she hadn't discussed things with them beforehand, it only backfired.
Harry and Ron had already fallen into a misunderstanding: whatever Hermione forbade them from doing, they insisted on doing instead. Hermione's choices were all wrong, and only their own ideas were correct.
The root of their current conflict lay in the "murder case" between Crookshanks and Scabbers, and the direct confrontation between Hermione and Ron, with neither willing to be the first to give in.
Layers of misunderstandings piled on top of each other, causing Ron to lose even his basic rationality when facing Hermione, making it impossible for him to have a calm conversation with her. The boy was still too young to realize that the causes planted today would bear fruit tomorrow.
As for Harry, his thinking was even simpler—he just wanted to go to Hogsmeade and ride the Firebolt to his heart's content. As for Sirius Black—who was that?
Harry clearly knew that Black was looking for him, yet he still stubbornly wanted to go to the crowded Hogsmeade, without the slightest concern that Black might blend into the crowd and attack him.
Harry also knew that Black might want to harm him, yet after receiving the mysterious Firebolt, he showed no caution at all, only wanting to mount it and soar through the sky.
Sirius Black had been on the run for more than half a year. For such a reckless Harry to have come to no harm so far could only be attributed to ancestral blessings and his parents watching over him.
From Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall to Professor Lupin, then to Eda, and even Snape—whom Harry disliked—all of them were trying in their own ways to stop Black and protect Harry.
Only Harry himself didn't care about his own safety at all, nor did he take the efforts others made for him seriously.
The ginger-colored Crookshanks suddenly jumped onto Hermione's lap. Hermione glanced nervously at Ron's expression, then picked up Crookshanks and hurried toward the girls' dormitory.
Seeing Hermione leave, Ron looked like a victorious general, and began discussing with Harry about going to Zonko's Joke Shop.
The common room wasn't large, so the trio's argument fell entirely within Eda and the twins' view. Eda exchanged glances with Fred and George; they were helpless, even somewhat regretting having given the Marauder's Map to Harry.
Back then, they gave Harry the map because they knew he had the Invisibility Cloak and guessed he would secretly sneak off to Hogsmeade.
Better to guide than to block. Rather than letting Harry recklessly risk himself in front of Dementors, it was better to lend him a hand. Besides, the Marauder's Map could also serve as a means of monitoring him, acting as a kind of protection.
They had thought that after Harry went to Hogsmeade once, his curiosity would be satisfied. But instead of restraining himself, he grew even bolder, relying on the Marauder's Map to treat all potential dangers as if they didn't exist.
With such a carefree attitude, it was hard to know what to say.
"I'm starting to regret it now, Fred," George said helplessly. "The map would've been more useful if we'd kept it ourselves."
"What's done is done," Fred sighed. "Now we can only hope Black's injuries are serious enough that he can't bother with Harry—better yet, that he can't see through the Invisibility Cloak."
Eda wasn't so optimistic. Black had been James Potter's friend—how could he not know about the Invisibility Cloak? She said softly, "Perhaps having no news of Black right now is the best news."
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