The room was very quiet, with the only sound being the creaking of the old chair under the weight. It was indeed too old.
"She used to be a very good child, even when she was just born, she rarely cried. A well-behaved, good-looking child is very likable," Mrs. Mary recalled.
Hearing Mrs. Mary's words, McGonagall frowned slightly. "You say she used to be?"
Seeing McGonagall frown, Mrs. Mary felt uneasy. She wasn't sure if she should tell this woman about Eda's story and she was worried.
After thinking for a while, Mrs. Mary anxiously asked, "Is Eda definitely able to attend your school?"
"Of course." McGonagall was unclear why Mrs. Mary suddenly raised this question, which piqued her curiosity.
"No matter what I say about Eda, it won't affect her admission?" Mrs. Mary cast an inquiring look at McGonagall.
"Whether Miss Twist attends Hogwarts depends on her personal will, nothing else," McGonagall reaffirmed.
"Alright."
Mrs. Mary exhaled a long breath, and the worry on her face disappeared. "She's a bit of an unusual child."
"Unusual? Did you notice something?" McGonagall asked, thinking it must be due to the magical fluctuations others had observed.
Seeing no change in McGonagall's expression, Mrs. Mary continued, "It wasn't us who noticed first. Initially, it was a couple who adopted her."
"Adopted?"
"Yes, that was when Eda was four. One day, the Greens came to the orphanage. They had lived together for many years but hadn't had children, so they decided to adopt," Mrs. Mary recalled.
"They chose Miss Twist?"
"Yes, I asked about their preferences, and they wanted to adopt a younger child. Eda was among them. She was very quiet, not crying or making a fuss, blending in with the other children, but the Greens still noticed her. A girl who looked like a little angel is hard to miss, so they decided to adopt Eda. After completing the paperwork, the couple left happily with Eda in their arms."
"But they eventually brought Miss Twist back?"
"Yes." Mrs. Mary's expression turned pained.
"I thought Eda would leave the orphanage for good, but three months later, they returned her. The Greens seemed terrified, standing far away from Eda as if she were a monster…"
"I asked them what happened. At first, they refused to say anything, but eventually, to finalize the termination of the adoption, Mr. Green reluctantly told me that Eda was a monster!"
Mrs. Mary took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears before continuing.
"They said that ever since they adopted Eda, things in the house would mysteriously change places; animals frequently appeared around their home; and Eda would unconsciously move objects without touching them. The most frightening thing was that despite going to bed in their bedroom, they would wake up on the living room sofa. So, scared out of their wits, the couple decided to return Eda…"
"Have you ever witnessed these occurrences yourself?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"Never, not once." Mrs. Mary shook her head repeatedly.
"I've never seen anything like that happen. Back then, I thought the Green couple had just made up a poor excuse to return Eda."
"Such a heartbreaking child."
"After that, Eda remained a well-behaved child, never complaining even when other children occasionally bullied her. When she was seven, she was adopted again."
"Again?"
It was clear that the outcome wasn't favorable, otherwise, McGonagall would be meeting Eda's parents in their home, not in an orphanage.
Despite not having children of her own, McGonagall felt a pang of sympathy for the little girl.
"This time, it was by the Taylor couple, both doctors and successful professionals. They were deeply fascinated by the occult, enjoying the study of various legends. Though I had never witnessed any of those strange occurrences, Eda seemed like a fitting choice, didn't she?"
Mrs. Mary said, clutching her handkerchief even tighter.
"This adoption lasted six months. Afterward, the Taylors came back looking much thinner and more terrified than the Greens."
"I suppose they were scared by Miss Twist as well?"
"Yes, but the Taylors said it was Eda who actively demonstrated her abilities to them. Since then, Eda has not been adopted again. People who come here usually don't choose older children..."
"I imagine she tried to please her adoptive parents, who were interested in the occult… You've never seen her abilities yourself?" McGonagall asked cautiously.
Mrs. Mary continued to shake her head, "No, not even then. I once angrily questioned her about it, but she still never displayed such abilities. The only change was that this once well-behaved girl started fighting with the other children, her temper grew worse, and she became increasingly withdrawn."
"It must have been the trauma from being adopted and abandoned twice," McGonagall pondered aloud.
"I agree with you. The impact on her innocent brain must have been too great, she started to feel like a stranger to me. Two years ago, the other children in the orphanage stopped daring to bully her. Although I don't know exactly what happened between her and the other children, I'm certain something occurred that made them very afraid of her," Mrs. Mary said, speaking more to herself than to McGonagall.
Drying her tears, Mrs. Mary spoke earnestly, "Please believe me, Eda is still a kind child. She is growing up now... Oh, I think it would be best if you met her yourself. She truly is a good child." With that, Mrs. Mary stood up.
"No trouble at all," McGonagall replied, also standing.
She had come here to see Eda, after all.
Following Mrs. Mary, they exited the office and climbed the stairs to the first floor.
As they walked down the corridor, children playing and running about would politely greet them, showing they had been well-mannered, at least outwardly.
"This is the room," Mrs. Mary said as they reached the door at the end of the hallway.
She knocked twice and entered.
"Eda, this is Mrs. McGonagall. She's here to see you."
With that, Mrs. Mary left the room, closing the door behind her but not going far.
"Hello, Mrs. McGonagall." Eda offered the room's only chair to McGonagall and then picked up a kettle to pour her a cup of water.
McGonagall looked at Eda, who was wearing clothes that didn't quite fit.
Eda was undeniably a very pretty little girl.
McGonagall had often used her Animagus ability to transform into a tabby cat and secretly observe Eda.
When you stare into the abyss... No, when McGonagall was looking at Eda, Eda was also secretly observing McGonagall.
When Mrs. Mary had mentioned McGonagall's name, Eda had recognized the stern-looking woman with her meticulously tied hair—Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, as stated on the acceptance letter.
"Hello, I am Minerva McGonagall." McGonagall stepped forward and extended her hand.
Eda reached out to shake it, then placed the previously poured water on the table. "I'm sorry, we don't have any tea here. I can only offer you water."
"That's quite alright." Watching Eda, who was acting so grown-up, McGonagall said, "I believe you've already seen the letter."
"Yes, Mrs. McGonagall, but I have a hard time understanding..."
"You can ask about anything you're unsure of," McGonagall said, noticing that Eda was still standing. She then sat down on the chair.
Seeing McGonagall sit, Eda moved to sit on the edge of her bed.
Adopting a puzzled expression, Eda asked, "So Mrs. McGonagall, I saw that your school is for magic, but I'm sorry, does that mean stage magic?"
Playing dumb, Eda wasn't planning to reveal too much about herself, so she asked a straightforward question.
"No, it means real magic. And you can call me Professor McGonagall."
"Magic... Could you show me?"
Eda's tone was filled with anticipation and a hint of pleading.
McGonagall drew her wand and pointed it at an empty cup on the table.
The cup transformed into a delicate snuffbox, and then into a wine glass.
"Incredible!"
Eda continued to act like a child who had never seen anything so amazing.
"Hogwarts is a school specifically for those with special talents, a magic school that only witches and wizards can attend. If you wish, you will be able to start in September."
McGonagall reverted the wine glass back to its original form as she spoke.
"So, some of the strange things happening around me, are they... magic too?"
"I've heard some things about you from Mrs. Mary, and yes, they are indeed magic. These occurrences are common among young witches and wizards who have not yet started their formal education. At Hogwarts, you will learn to control these abilities and prevent them from going awry. If you choose to attend Hogwarts, of course. No one will force you if you decide otherwise."
McGonagall spoke while carefully observing Eda's reaction.
Eda's expression shifted from excitement to a sudden dejection, her pale face evoking even more sympathy.
"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I can't go..."
______
A/N: Hehe, what does she mean by that?