Hogwarts Emerald

After the initial days of unease, Eda quickly adjusted her mindset. During this period, she didn't notice anything unusual around her, so she decided to put the matter aside for now, treating it as a sword hanging over her head, constantly reminding and urging her to move forward.

Since the beginning of the school term, Eda had been focusing more on learning various magical theories, laying a solid foundation. She hoped to solidify her theoretical knowledge in the next two years. A strong foundation is essential for a tall building to rise, and magic follows the same principle.

In the orphanage, Eda at least had her own small room, a private space where she could do whatever she wanted.

At Hogwarts, Eda lived in a dormitory, naturally unable to act entirely on her own whims. Moreover, some of her matters were not suitable to be exposed to her roommates.

Eda now needed a private space to handle her own matters, free from interruptions and without the risk of anyone discovering her secrets.

The girls' bathroom on the second floor, which was usually occupied by Moaning Myrtle, was Eda's first target. Hardly anyone went there.

This bathroom "belonged" to Moaning Myrtle, a ghost who often stayed in the cistern of one of the toilets. No matter the season, she was always in a bad mood, splashing water everywhere and startling any girl who came to use the bathroom with her wailing.

Because of Myrtle, the bathroom had become a school legend. The girls avoided it, leaving it deserted.

Eda claimed this "unwanted" bathroom as her own.

The puddles of water on the floor couldn't dampen her enthusiasm.

Myrtle naturally retaliated against the invasion of her "private territory."

She would always try to scare Eda away by suddenly appearing and shrieking or making a scene while Eda was practicing, hoping to reclaim the bathroom.

But Eda, who had faced many challenges, wasn't scared by the little ghost. Her childhood fears were limited to the likes of Kayako and Sadako; compared to them, Myrtle was downright adorable.

(Sadako vs. Kayako is a 2016 Japanese supernatural horror comedy)

When one tactic failed, Myrtle tried another. She lived up to her name, "Moaning Myrtle." Failing to scare or drive Eda away, Myrtle didn't resort to hanging herself again; she was already dead, after all, and not exactly someone as dramatic as Yuyako. Instead, Myrtle started to pester Eda incessantly.

Whether in the corridor or the restroom, whenever Eda appeared alone, Moaning Myrtle would immediately come to her side and incessantly complain. Like a sorrowful storyteller, Myrtle would repeatedly narrate her miserable and tragic life to Eda.

Eda could tolerate the previous noises, but Myrtle's complaints were truly upsetting. It wasn't that Eda felt much sympathy for her; Eda didn't fear any sob stories. It was just that Myrtle's continuous crying was genuinely annoying.

Helpless, Eda had no choice but to avoid Myrtle, giving up the restroom's territory to her. Eda, unable to deal with ghosts at this stage, had to accept this loss, but she made a mental note to remember this grudge.

Unable to think of a solution, Eda finally decided to seek help from Professor McGonagall. She requested permission from her Head of House to use an empty classroom, but Professor McGonagall mercilessly refused her.

Professor McGonagall's reasoning was straightforward: casting spells not only required magical power but also needed the guidance of a wand and proper gestures. Practicing spells without supervision was dangerous and could lead to unintended consequences.

Though Professor McGonagall acknowledged Eda's talent, she believed that precisely because of Eda's potential, she needed proper guidance rather than practicing randomly on her own. This could be dangerous and might lead her astray. McGonagall's concerns were understandable, given her lack of knowledge about Eda's specific circumstances; she had Eda's best interests in mind.

However, leaving Professor McGonagall's office with her head down, Eda didn't give up on her idea. She secretly found an empty classroom and began practicing on her own.

With the help of the system, Eda could practice spells without worrying about making mistakes during casting. However, she still faced a significant challenge—she was alone.

The desks and chairs in the empty classroom were sufficient for practicing Transfiguration, and some spells could be directly used on these objects. For instance, she could use the "Tarantella Dance" spell on inanimate objects, and Eda had already managed to make the desks and chairs perform a full tap dance routine.

But this was far from enough. Eda now urgently needed to enhance her combat skills. Her original plan wasn't this pressing; she intended to wait until she was in her third year. However, plans couldn't keep up with changes, and Eda had to accelerate her improvement plan.

The problem was, being alone, she couldn't practice offensive spells like the Stupefy spell that the system had rewarded her with. Although she could cast it proficiently, she had no way of knowing if it could actually stun someone, how effective it was, or how to ensure accuracy.

The same applied to defensive spells. She could cast them, but she didn't know how effective they would be when faced with an incoming spell.

Eda had considered involving Fred and George, but ultimately, she abandoned the idea. Both twins were only in their first year and couldn't offer much help yet. Moreover, Eda herself was still at a rudimentary level, far from being able to teach them how to use magic effectively.

Shutting oneself away from the world is inadvisable, but Eda had no other options and had to continue her "theoretical practice."

After a long, busy day of classes, Eda returned to the common room, exhausted. Since the eavesdropping incident, she had made a point of returning a bit earlier to avoid being alone.

Upon entering the common room, she saw the Weasley twins sitting by the fireplace in armchairs, chatting excitedly. Judging by their expressions, it was clear that someone was about to fall victim to one of their pranks.

Fred and George Weasley held a special status in Gryffindor. When upper-year students heard about the Weasley twins' enrollment, they naively thought the house was getting two more excellent students.

Starting with Bill Weasley, the head boy, followed by Charlie Weasley, the Quidditch captain, and then Percy Weasley, the top student, each Weasley child had contributed significantly to Gryffindor.

With three accomplished older brothers, the upper-year students had high hopes for Fred and George, thinking they could help Gryffindor compete for the House Cup.

They also heard that the Weasley family had a younger son and daughter who hadn't yet enrolled. Collecting all seven Weasleys in Gryffindor seemed like an easy way to summon the House Cup!

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. The twins were indeed exceptional, but not in the way the upper-year students expected. Fred and George quickly dashed those hopes, throwing a bucket of ice-cold water over them—complete with ice cubes!

Since starting school on September 1st, Fred and George had been a whirlwind of mischief. Their pranks were endless, earning them both detentions and lost house points, and sparking a love-hate relationship with Filch, the caretaker. It was safe to say they knew each other better than anyone would want to.

Hoping for points from the twins was a pipe dream for the upper-year students. They didn't dare to wish for point gains anymore; they just hoped the twins would lose fewer points! Despite Fred and George constantly losing points or being on their way to losing points, everyone still adored them.

"Eda, come here! Quick!" Fred called, waving her over, while George cleared a space beside them.

Eda dropped her bag and plopped down in the freshly cleared armchair, smiling as she asked, "Are you two up to something again?"

"How could you say that?" George quickly waved his hand, feigning innocence. "How could you falsely accuse us like that?"

"You're tarnishing our good name!" Fred declared with righteous indignation.

"Do you two even have any good name left?" Eda retorted. "Instead of trusting your innocence, I'd rather discuss the effectiveness of cleaning charms with Filch."

"Eda, is that really necessary?" Fred said, "That's not nice."

"Let's not disturb old Filch and Mrs. Norris during their private time," George firmly pressed Eda back into the armchair, preventing her from getting up.

Once again subjected to their brute force, Eda seethed internally. You two only know how to use brute strength. Just wait until I start lifting weights and build some muscle; I'll show you! Controlled yet again, she could only rage impotently in her heart.

"Seriously, there should be trust between people, right, Eda?" The brothers, one soft and one firm, said to her.

However, Eda's expression remained one of skeptical disbelief.

Is your expression serious? Such a small look, yet so damaging! The Weasley twins eventually let go, slumping back into their seats.

Tsk*Tsk*Trust between people is completely gone...

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