ALL NOVEL Chapter 45: Resignation
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Eda walked out of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, feeling a lingering sense of fear. A few seemingly casual words from the haggard-looking Fawley still managed to exert a strong pressure on her.
"What did Fawley want from you?" Fred asked, standing at the classroom door.
"Have you managed to anger another professor after Snape? It's not a good idea to mess with Fawley right now," George said, taking the books from Eda's arms and putting them into her bag.
"Uh... no, I'm not like Professor Snape, who's an expert at offending people. Fawley just asked me to return some books to the library," Eda said, pointing to the books George had stashed in the bag.
"True, in his condition, it's better if he doesn't move around too much," Fred remarked.
"We're counting on him making it to June!" George added. If anyone in the school wanted Fawley to stay healthy, it was definitely the twins.
"I think it's doubtful," Eda replied. She wished Fawley would leave Hogwarts immediately, as she might already be exposed in front of him.
"Don't say that. If he really succeeds..."
"...we'll cover all your snacks for your second year."
The three of them went straight to the library and returned the books Fawley had borrowed. Eda casually flipped through them; they were ordinary books, both on the history of magic.
After returning the books, Eda went back to the dormitory, wanting to take some time to think.
She never thought of herself as someone capable of manipulating others. She used to be an ordinary person, and after graduation, most of her days were spent bedridden, lacking these kinds of experiences.
Moreover, after being tricked by Professor McGonagall, Eda realized the gap between herself and these old foxes.
Therefore, she had always been very cautious in monitoring Fawley, not showing any special behavior in his presence.
However, this person, who came to Hogwarts with an agenda, still became suspicious of her.
Eda knew she needed to be extra careful now. All rule-breaking behaviors had to stop, and she couldn't let Fawley find any more suspicious signs. She also couldn't be alone anymore.
At first, Eda worried she might end up like Daniel. But she soon realized this situation was actually better. Knowing she might be a target of Fawley, her vigilance was heightened to a great degree.
As long as she didn't lose her cool and give Fawley an opportunity, she would be relatively safe.
Fawley couldn't possibly make a move on her in front of so many people!
From then on, Eda continued with her daily activities as usual. She attended classes, went to the library at her usual time, and behaved just like any ordinary first-year girl, with perhaps a slightly more curious nature.
This way, Eda wouldn't constantly be in danger. She was always surrounded by classmates, and her behavior wasn't drastically different from before, avoiding unnecessary suspicion.
A few days later, Fawley found himself back in the hospital wing; he had broken his ribs while sneezing. Constantly shuttling between his office and the hospital wing, Fawley seemed on the verge of dying from various accidents at any moment.
Despite Fawley's seemingly preoccupied state, Eda remained on guard. She felt like she was in a race against Fawley, having already taken the lead. Now, she just had to hold on until the curse finally defeated Fawley.
Hang in there; perseverance is victory!
In mid-April, the position of Minister for Magic was finally settled, with Cornelius Fudge, the Head of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, officially taking office.
According to some rumors, Cornelius Fudge only managed to stand out and become the Minister because he received Albus Dumbledore's support.
Fudge's appointment as Minister didn't cause much of a stir at the school since such matters were still too distant for the students.
However, an event within the school quickly spread to every corner within an hour: Professor Benedict Fawley, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, had resigned.
The resilient yet pitiful professor finally couldn't withstand the torment of the curse. His frequent injuries had sapped his will to continue teaching. He submitted his resignation to Dumbledore, who accepted it.
The corridor outside the hospital wing was packed with girls holding flowers and gifts, coming to bid farewell to their former crush.
Although his teaching had declined, Fawley remained popular among the girls, and his tragic experiences in the latter half of the school year had only heightened their maternal instincts.
Fawley, lying in bed, did not see these girls as he needed to rest. Madam Pomfrey kindly asked everyone to leave the corridor, but the girls left their gifts on the ground outside the hospital wing before departing.
Humming a tune, Eda entered the common room, having learned of Fawley's resignation from his fan club while returning from the library.
Although Fawley had not yet left Hogwarts, the light at the end of the tunnel was near. Feeling in high spirits, she thought she might treat herself to an extra steak at lunch.
As soon as Eda entered the common room, she was surprised to see Fred and George. The weather was nice today, so she had assumed the twins would be out having fun.
She walked over to where they were sitting, but the usually cheerful twins looked anything but happy. Their faces were as long as Mrs. Norris' body.
"What's wrong with you two?" Eda asked, puzzled. "What on earth happened to make you look like this?"
In unison, they both covered their faces with their hands, looking deeply troubled, then lifted their heads to gaze skyward at a 45-degree angle.
Eda carefully inspected their faces; there weren't any tears. They were putting on this dramatic display without shedding a single tear; the twins were clearly playing with people's emotions.
"What on earth is going on with you two?" Eda plopped down across from them. "Tell me, and I'll help you figure it out. It's not a big deal."
"Fawley resigned," Fred said, dejectedly.
"We lost," George added, equally downcast.
"Oh, I thought it was something serious! Plenty of people lose; it's not just you two," Eda replied, thinking it was nothing extraordinary.
Fred leaned forward, staring at Eda with a fierce expression. "It's different, completely different!"
George leaned back and slumped against the backrest of the armchair. "We lost everything; we've been saving for a year!"
"Oh, Shit!"
Powerless, unable to help, at a loss—these words perfectly described how Eda felt at that moment. Nevertheless, she tried to comfort the twins. "Money can be earned back; don't let it weigh too heavily on you."
"It's easy for you to say!"
"If it were you, you'd be even more upset!"
The twins knew Eda well; to her, a Galleon was never just a Galleon—it was her lifeline.
"Fawley hasn't left yet; he's still in the hospital wing. If you can get past Madam Pomfrey's defenses, you might be able to see him," Eda began giving the twins some lousy advice, "You could try persuading him to change his mind and withdraw his resignation."
Their eyes lit up simultaneously. Fred said, "You really are the smartest witch!"
George grabbed Eda's hand and earnestly said, "From now on, you're our Merlin!"
"No way, I was just joking to comfort you guys. Do you really think you can persuade him?" Eda struggled to free her hand. "Convincing him to stay doesn't seem right, does it?"
"We've got to try; it's our last chance," the twins said in unison. They stood up together and hurried out.
"I was just kidding, don't take it seriously..." Eda called after them, but they were already gone from the common room before she could finish her sentence or even gesture for them to come back.
Setting aside whether the twins could even see Fawley, Eda didn't think they could persuade him to change his mind if they did.
Resigning must have been a decision Fawley had thought over for a long time; it wouldn't be easy to sway him.
Eda adjusted her sitting position to make herself more comfortable, then took out a book to pass the time, waiting for the twins to return empty-handed so they could all go eat together.
In just a short time, the twins returned with their heads hanging low, slumping back into the armchairs, looking like a couple of defeated souls.
"Why are you back so soon?" Eda didn't look up, still absorbed in her book.
"We didn't even make it out of the tower," George replied weakly, completely lacking any energy.
"We couldn't exactly tell him to stay and wait to die, could we?" Fred sighed as he spoke.
Everyone knew about the curse on the Defense Against the Dark Arts position; it wasn't just a saying that no one could hold the post for a full year. Persuading Fawley to stay could genuinely endanger his life.
Eda put down her book and said, "Why don't we think about what's for lunch? Thinking about it will cheer us up."
"Crushed dreams, the world is gray."
"There's not a speck of light, life has lost all meaning."
"Well, I have a way to help you see the light again. Do you want to hear it?" Eda offered.
Fred, still looking dejected, said, "Are you going to compensate us for our loss?"
"Not likely. She'd split a Knut in half to save money," George chimed in, "Every Knut is practically tied to her rib cage..."
If Eda had a vault full of Galleons at Gringotts, she wouldn't treat money like it was her lifeblood. Does Eda have that? She doesn't, so she has to be frugal.
"So, do you want to hear it or not?"
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