In the hall, the Gryffindor table was already full of people. Eda first filled her seat with a bowl of steaming vegetable soup. After a mouthful of the vegetable soup, Eda's body, which had been a little stiff by the cold wind, finally relaxed.
"How was the training today?" Angelina asked. The weather was very cold today, so she and Alia did not go to watch the training.
"It's a real pity you two missed out today," Fred said before Eda could speak. If he weren't holding a sausage, his words might have been more convincing.
"We had a friendly match with the official team, a half-court offense and defense game," George added, while piling food onto his plate.
Angelina and Alicia looked regretful. They turned to Eda and asked, "Are they telling the truth?"
"Unfortunately, they are," Eda confirmed. "They lost the friendly match. If you had been there, maybe you could have won." Not wanting to rub salt in the wound, Eda set down her food and tried to comfort the two. "But don't worry too much. Charlie said there will be more friendly matches in the future."
The two girls brightened a bit at Eda's words, though they still attacked their roast beef with a noticeable intensity.
Charlie had indeed mentioned future matches. The current Gryffindor team wasn't very strong, and Charlie had little hope for the Quidditch Cup this year. He was pinning his hopes on the next generation: Fred, George, Angelina, and Alicia were all promising talents worth nurturing.
After a hearty dinner, the group returned to the bustling common room. Eda, at Fred and George's insistence on balancing work and rest, decided against any extra practice.
Fred and George were battling with their homework as if the workbook had wronged them somehow. Meanwhile, Eda had finished her assignments long ago. Compared to her more grueling study routine, this homework was a breeze.
Eda pulled out a book titled *Brewing Your Glory* from her bag to read. With Potions class coming up, she wanted to be well-prepared.
"What did you do to upset Snape recently?" George asked, looking up from his homework. He noticed the Potions book in Eda's hands, prompting his question.
"I don't know. I haven't argued with him at all lately. Whatever he says, I do. I've been as obedient as can be," Eda replied, not looking up as she read about the properties of a potion ingredient.
"How do you manage to be so unlucky?" Fred chimed in. "Out of all the students this year, you're the one Snape picks on. You might as well try your luck with the *Daily Prophet* lottery!"
Eda was slightly tempted by the idea. Who knows? Maybe she'd get lucky and win a grand prize, fulfilling her dreams of wealth.
"If only Professor McGonagall could be more like Snape!" George sighed.
In truth, Professor McGonagall was quite protective of her students as well, though she did it more subtly than Snape. Her care was less obvious but just as strong.
"If she were like Snape, she wouldn't be McGonagall. That's the difference between a deputy headmistress and a regular head of house," Eda pointed out. "It's something Snape can't compare to."
"If we could just knock Slytherin off the top spot for the House Cup this year, Snape's face would be priceless!" the twins mused, their expressions filled with longing as if they could already see that glorious day.
"Go to sleep and dream about it," Eda yawned, waving goodbye to the twins before heading back to her dormitory without looking back.
Friday afternoons were pure torture for the first-year Gryffindors. The weekend was just around the corner, but the prospect brought no joy thanks to the shadow cast by Snape and Potions class.
Fortunately, Gryffindor had Eda, a "remarkable" tank who reliably drew Snape's ire, allowing the rest of the class to endure only minor discomforts.
Eda bore the brunt of Snape's animosity, shielding her fellow Gryffindors from his venomous tirades. As a result, Potions class for the others was hardly more than a light drizzle of Snape's wrath compared to the storm Eda faced.
Since the beginning of November, Snape's harassment of Eda had intensified. He started asking questions beyond the textbook, often presenting challenges far beyond the first-year curriculum.
If Eda failed to answer these questions, she faced a barrage of Snape's cold mockery. Any hint of defiance or dissatisfaction from her was met with a deduction of points.
In the dimly lit Potions classroom, the young Gryffindors arrived early. Eda and the twins sat quietly in their usual seats.
Eda hunched her shoulders, trying to appear as inconspicuous as possible. She wanted to avoid any further point deductions, so she decided to lay low. She knew she couldn't win against Snape, and there was no shame in that.
As soon as class began, the door opened and Snape glided from the back of the classroom to the desk at the front. His sallow face and greasy black hair were as unappealing as ever, and his piercing gaze swept over the students.
Eda wondered how much shampoo it took for Snape to wash his hair, and how long it stayed clean. Hiding behind the twins, she felt like a quail trying to avoid his notice.
Despite the dim lighting and her attempt to conceal herself, Snape's sharp eyes found her immediately. His gaze settled on Fred and George, seemingly seeing right through them to Eda.
Realizing there was no point in hiding any longer, Eda braced herself for the storm.
"Miss Twist!" Snape's voice rang out from the front. "If I needed to brew a Shrinking Solution, what ingredients would I need?"
He had asked this question in the previous Potions class, and Eda hadn't been able to answer. Determined not to be caught off guard again, she had gone to the library afterward to look up the recipe.
"Chopped daisy roots, skinned shrivelfig, sliced caterpillars, one rat spleen, and a dash of leech juice, Professor," Eda recited confidently.
Although Snape was inwardly pleased with Eda's effort to find the answer after class, he would never show it. He continued to regard her with the same stern expression, withholding any hint of approval.
Snape's habit of starting each class by questioning Eda was his way of punishing her for her nighttime wanderings, which had caused him extra work. By giving her additional tasks, he hoped to tire her out and prevent her from sneaking around at night, forcing him to clean up after her.
Intent on making things difficult for her, Snape wasn't satisfied with just one question. He continued, "If I wanted to brew a Beautification Potion, what ingredients would I need?"
Here it came, as she had expected. The familiar pattern: after revisiting last class's question, he always moved on to something beyond the syllabus.
"I don't know, Professor," Eda replied calmly, trying to keep any emotion out of her voice.
"It seems our know-it-all Miss Twist isn't so omniscient after all," Snape sneered. "Perhaps only when you've lost your pretty face will you bother to learn the recipe."
Eda clenched her fists under the desk, trying to distract herself and not let Snape's words get to her.
"Given your intellect, which barely rivals that of a troll, I'll simplify things for you," Snape said, preparing to ask one final question before beginning the lesson for the rest of the students. "What potions can use a jobberknoll feather?"
"Memory Potions and Veritaserum, Professor," Eda responded mechanically. She had just read about jobberknoll feathers the day before, so this question was a fortunate coincidence.
"Miss Twist, it appears you have finally learned how to engage your brain. You're now smarter than a troll, a truly remarkable achievement," Snape sneered before officially starting the lesson. "Turn your books to page 87. That is today's topic."
The sound of pages rustling filled the classroom, and Eda, wearing a pained expression, let out a sigh of relief. At least today, she hadn't lost any points and could feel she had justified Professor McGonagall's support.
As the twins flipped through their books, they gave Eda a thumbs-up, indicating she had done well today.
Though Snape's questions were often unreasonable, Eda had learned a lot of extra potion recipes thanks to him. It was a small silver lining in an otherwise frustrating situation.
Eda wasn't one to take blessings for granted, but she truly couldn't handle this particular form of "blessing." If anyone else wanted it, they were welcome to take it off her hands.
Snape's subtle torment was really hitting Eda's weak spot, leaving her feeling quite helpless. She wondered when this ordeal would end, hoping Snape might eventually show some mercy and let her off the hook.
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