Hogwarts Emerald

'Christmas Eve, Haah..'

Christmas Eve in the orphanage, was a time when Mrs. Mary would tell the story of Jesus' birth to the children. This year, Eda wouldn't hear it.

Alone, she sat on the dormitory windowsill, holding a cup of hot water, sipping it slowly. Moonlight poured down, illuminating the silver-white ground.

After the holiday started, Hogwarts felt empty because most people went home for the holiday. The corridors were mostly deserted, with only one or two people passing by occasionally.

Despite appearing lonely, Eda was quite happy these days.

She could always sit in the coziest armchair by the fireplace without being disturbed by people constantly coming and going.

The dormitory was entirely hers to control, and she could freely use spells without running to the bathroom to compete for space with a long-dead senior.

Eda also took the opportunity to "explore" the castle at night. Because of the holiday, Filch's patrols were less frequent, and the always-intriguing Benedict Fawley was also not at the school.

According to an infatuated senior, the charming Professor Fawley would spend Christmas with his family instead of staying at cold Hogwarts.

So, Eda took this time to complete her long-delayed night tour tasks and received the reward of the Disillusionment Charm.

With this spell, Eda was even less afraid of "old and grumpy" Filch.

Oh, and Eda also asked Fred and George's father, Mr. Weasley, to send a letter to the orphanage for her to let Mrs. Mary know she was safe.

As the night deepened, Eda finished her water in one gulp, placed the cup on the windowsill, and walked to her bed.

The next day, Christmas.

When sunlight filled the entire dormitory, Eda had just woken up. She had enjoyed a rare long sleep and stretched with a big yawn as she got out of bed, feeling well-rested.

At the foot of her bed was a small pile of packages.

Since Eda was temporarily the only one in the dormitory, all these were her Christmas gifts.

The top package felt thin, like a booklet.

As expected, when she opened it, a notebook appeared. On the first page was a message, likely about following school rules and studying hard.

The notebook was from Professor McGonagall, filled with her personal insights on Transfiguration. It was just as useful for Eda as the private lessons she had received.

Eda's roommates, Angelina and Alicia, had chosen books as gifts for her. In return, Eda had given them notes on classic Quidditch matches and strategies, which were thoughtful and cost-effective.

Next were gifts from Fred and George.

The twins had given her a large box of chocolates, the same kind they enjoyed on the Hogwarts Express.

Eda had reciprocated with a gift pack of items from Zonko's Joke Shop. Honestly, Eda found it a bit expensive, but she had bought it anyway.

She and Lee Jordan had exchanged bags of sweets, nothing much to say about that.

Eda thought these were all the gifts she had received until she noticed a large package at the bottom.

She opened it to find a big box of homemade toffees from Mrs. Weasley, along with a handwritten card from her.

She picked up a toffee from the box and popped it into her mouth. The sweet taste spread throughout her mouth, and the rich, creamy flavor was irresistible.

It seemed to have the power to make people happy.

However, compared to the large box of candies, the covetous Eda secretly wished for one of those "Weasley sweaters," handmade by Mrs. Weasley, with her initial on the front.

The twins had often complained about receiving one of those sweaters every Christmas, but Eda adored them. Once again, she found herself envying Fred and George, and she might not have even realized she was also a bit envious of their little sister, Ginny.

Humans always yearn for what they lack—like familial love, friendship, happiness, and even Galleons.

After tidying up her gifts and wrapping papers, Eda left the common room, taking some toffees and putting them in her robe pocket as she went.

Eda planned to visit the owlery first to send Mrs. Weasley a thank-you note.

She was in a great mood after receiving the gifts and smiled and greeted everyone she met, which was a rare sight for her.

The Great Hall was filled with the festive aroma of plump roast turkeys and other foods piled high like little mountains.

The tables were also adorned with heaps of wizard crackers, which might contain fun trinkets or live, wriggling white mice.

Every so often, the hall would echo with the loud pop of a cracker and the students' cheerful laughter.

As Eda walked by, she saw a Gryffindor senior she often encountered in the library pulling a cracker.

With a sound like a cannon blast, the senior was enveloped in a cloud of blue smoke. When the smoke cleared, she was holding a gentleman's top hat, which perfectly matched the flower-adorned bonnet she was wearing.

A few boys began to hoot and holler, encouraging the senior to choose one of them to give the hat to. Smiling, she agreed but instead placed the top hat on Eda's head, adding a touch of playful charm to her appearance.

After a brief chat with the soon-to-graduate senior, Eda made her way to the high table.

First, she gave Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout some of Mrs. Weasley's homemade toffees. Both professors happily accepted the treats, chuckling as they chatted with Eda for a bit.

From the moment Eda began distributing the toffees, Dumbledore had been watching her. The toffees looked quite delicious, and he was eager to try some himself.

"Happy Christmas, Professor Dumbledore!" Eda said with a smile as she passed by Dumbledore's seat.

"Happy Christmas, Miss Twist," Dumbledore replied, nodding with a smile. It seemed like his turn had finally come, and he was ready, even a bit impatient.

However, Eda's actions left Dumbledore in tears.

After greeting him, she walked right past without leaving a single toffee!

He was taken aback, caught off guard.

Didn't she realize she had missed something?

He was puzzled, confused—it didn't make sense!

His blue eyes followed Eda closely. Dumbledore wanted to see when she would remember the overlooked old man.

Eda first gave Hagrid, who was sitting next to Professor McGonagall, some toffees. Then, fearing she might receive something homemade by Hagrid in return, she quickly returned to Professor McGonagall's side.

She put both hands into her pockets, pulling out all the toffees and placing them on McGonagall's desk like a treasure.

"Professor McGonagall, these are the toffees Mrs. Weasley gave me. They're very delicious. Would you like to try some?" Eda said with a sweet smile, as if she wasn't the one who had been caught sneaking around at night.

From the number of toffees on the table, it was clear that Eda had emptied her pockets. Not only Dumbledore but also the other professors who had received toffees felt a twinge of envy.

Eda hadn't intended to curry favor with the professors. She simply shared a few toffees with those who had been kind to her.

For Eda, who had little to offer, sharing some sweets during the holiday season seemed like a small gesture.

She gave the most to Professor McGonagall because she had always been the kindest to her.

Professor McGonagall was beaming, so much so that she didn't even notice her tall, pointed hat had tilted.

Her smile was full of pride, as if she was showing off to everyone: "Look! Just look at this! This is my student! A considerate and thoughtful child!"

However, she seemed to forget that the student who had infuriated her earlier this month was the very one standing in front of her now.

Professor McGonagall's infectious smile made Professors Flitwick and Sprout look at their own students, feeling a bit left out. The toffees in their mouths suddenly didn't taste as sweet.

Seated on the other side, Snape remained unperturbed. He didn't care about such matters; the joys and sorrows of people were not universally shared.

He only found Professor McGonagall's cheerfulness rather annoying.

Dumbledore's eyes stayed fixed on Eda, resembling a "lonely old man."

Even after Eda returned to the students' section, Dumbledore kept watching her. However, his thoughts had shifted away from the delicious-looking toffees to new ideas.

Although Minerva McGonagall had just laughed somewhat "gleefully," she was still the same Professor McGonagall. She grabbed a handful of her toffees and discreetly handed them to Dumbledore under the table, trying not to embarrass him.

Looking down at the toffees in his hand, Dumbledore finally smiled.

Whether his smile was because of the toffees, his own childish behavior, or something else, only he knew....

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