Dumbledore, who had appeared out of nowhere, was standing not far from the trio.
They had no idea when he had arrived or how much he had overheard.
Eda and the twins, who had been in the midst of discussing the "Minister of Magic," awkwardly greeted Dumbledore. It was as if they had been caught boasting by a kindly elder.
How embarrassing—it was like being caught by the head of the orphanage.
"My apologies, I've been standing here for a while. I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation," Dumbledore said with a slight bow, his blue robes swaying gently as he expressed his apology to the three.
Eda and the twins quickly waved off his concern, indicating that it wasn't a big deal. After realizing Dumbledore was there, the twins stood up and offered him their seats.
Dumbledore looked at them warmly and said, "It's wonderful to see such strong friendships. The bonds you form in your youth can carry you through your entire lives."
With a smile, Dumbledore watched the three young people, a scene that brought him joy and a bit of envy. However, his gaze lingered mostly on Eda.
Suddenly, Eda blurted out, "Fred, George, I want some meat…"
Her out-of-the-blue request left the twins a bit puzzled. Weren't they just talking about friendship? Why the sudden craving for meat? Wasn't there meat in the sandwiches?
But instead of asking why, the twins decided to fulfill Eda's small wish. The brothers decided to head to the kitchen to see what they could find.
After the twins left the hospital wing, Dumbledore sat down in the chair next to Eda's bed. He said, "I was just wondering how I might get the mischievous Weasley brothers to leave, and you accomplished it with just one sentence."
The reason Eda had sent the twins away wasn't because she genuinely wanted some meat. She had noticed that Dumbledore wanted to have a private conversation with her, so she came up with that flimsy excuse to get Fred and George to leave.
As for what Dumbledore wanted to discuss, Eda had no idea. No one could ever truly predict Dumbledore's thoughts.
"I'm sure you had plenty of ways to get them to leave, Professor. You just chose not to use them," Eda replied, not believing for a second that Dumbledore was truly at a loss.
"Indeed, living as long as I have, I do have a few tricks up my sleeve. However, your method was certainly more effective—Mr. Weasleys leaving of his own accord is proof of that." Dumbledore pointed to the snacks on the table and asked, "May I try one?"
The snacks had been brought by Eda's friends—some from Angelina and Alicia, others from Lee Jordan, and even Charlie had brought gifts when he visited.
Dumbledore selected a packet of Chocolate Frogs from the pile. After opening the package, the enchanted Chocolate Frog gave a strong leap, but the headmaster, prepared for this, didn't let it escape.
After eating the Chocolate Frog in a few bites, Dumbledore finally looked at the accompanying wizard card.
However, his expression soured slightly, resembling that of a child disappointed with their toy.
"Another one of me!" Dumbledore complained.
He handed the card to Eda and continued, "It might sound a bit self-indulgent, but I have quite a few of my own cards by now."
These collectible cards typically provide brief introductions to famous wizards, and Dumbledore's card was no different. It read:
**Albus Dumbledore, current Headmaster of Hogwarts.**
Widely regarded as the greatest wizard of the age,
Dumbledore's notable achievements include:
Defeating the Dark Wizard Grindelwald in 1945,
Discovering the twelve uses of dragon's blood,
And his work in alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel.
Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and ten-pin bowling.
"If I count this one, I now have four of them," Eda remarked, playing with the card.
Every student Eda knew who collected Chocolate Frog cards had multiple Dumbledore cards, and she often wondered if Dumbledore was somehow endorsing the Chocolate Frog company.
"I hope you're not tired of seeing this old face," Dumbledore said with a smile. "May I call you Eda, like Minerva does?"
"Of course, Professor. My name is a bit long," Eda replied.
"Not at all. Compared to my full name, it's really not that long," Dumbledore said with a chuckle. "When I write out my full name, I sometimes worry I'll make a spelling mistake."
After making a joke about his own name, Dumbledore finally addressed the matter at hand. He said, "I owe you an apology, Eda. Please forgive an old man's overconfidence, which ultimately put you in danger."
Eda didn't accept Dumbledore's apology because she believed her situation was a result of her own reckless curiosity. She didn't blame anyone else for what had happened.
"It was my own curiosity that got me into this mess," Eda replied. "If I hadn't been sneaking around the castle at night, I wouldn't have stumbled upon Professor Snape and Fawley. If I hadn't been curious about Fawley's actions, he wouldn't have noticed me, and I wouldn't have become his target."
"While I can't claim to know everything that happens within the castle," Dumbledore said, "I am aware of your activities here. I instructed Severus to protect you and allowed your behavior to continue."
Eda had always known that Snape was protecting her but never understood why—until now. She realized that it had all been part of Dumbledore's plan.
Understanding this, Eda didn't make any dramatic declarations. After all, she was the one being protected, the one who had benefited from this arrangement. She knew better than to be ungrateful.
"Every time I wandered around the castle, I'd get a summons from Professor Snape afterward. But ever since Fawley left, those summonses stopped," Eda said.
"Fawley's resignation was just a strategic retreat on his part, and his departure did indeed cause us to lower our guard," Dumbledore explained. "That gave him the opportunity to slip through the cracks and take you from the castle."
However, Dumbledore didn't reveal the full truth. It was actually Snape who had relaxed his watch over Eda, which explained why she hadn't been called in by Snape as frequently afterward.
"But fortunately, our mischievous Weasley brothers noticed the signs you left behind," Dumbledore continued. "Thanks to that, we avoided an outcome I would have deeply regretted."
Being taken to the Forbidden Forest by Fawley and almost losing her life still gave Eda a lingering sense of fear when she thought about it. If she hadn't sensed that something was wrong at the last moment and left a mark, or if the twins hadn't noticed that mark, she might not have survived.
"Thank goodness for them. Without them, life would be unbearably dull," Eda sighed. The twins always brought her joy, reminding her that there was more to life than just magic—there were friends worth trusting.
A thirteen-year-old witch contemplating the meaning of life might seem laughable. After all, what insights could someone so young have about life? But Dumbledore didn't laugh. On the contrary, he appreciated Eda's perspective—she had already come to understand the importance of friendship.
"There's one more thing I need to mention," Dumbledore said, pointing to the *Daily Prophet* on the bed. "Fudge originally wanted to include your name, but I refused."
"Thank you, Professor," Eda responded sincerely. She really didn't care about such things. Fame brought nothing but trouble, and dealing with those troubles would be a waste of her limited time.
Dumbledore looked at Eda with satisfaction, knowing he hadn't misjudged her. But the mischievous old man couldn't resist a bit of teasing. "But that could have been your ticket to running for Minister of Magic someday—are you really going to pass that up?"
"Ack! It was just a joke, Professor, nothing to take seriously. When I was younger, people said I might live on Downing Street when I grew up. Neither I nor the person who said it ever took it seriously."
Despite Eda's curiosity and somewhat reckless nature, today's conversation left Dumbledore with a very favorable impression of her.
Despite her young age, Eda already had her own unique thoughts, which was what Dumbledore valued.
His task now was to help guide this young sapling, trimming the branches so she wouldn't grow crooked or stray down the wrong path.
"Who knows? Maybe one day you'll become someone like Minerva, and perhaps even the Head of Gryffindor House!" Dumbledore suggested.
"Why stop at being Head of House? Maybe I'll be the Headmistress!" Eda replied with a grin.
"I'm looking forward to that day, Headmistress Twist," Dumbledore said with a smile.
At his age, Dumbledore wouldn't take Eda's playful talk of "usurping" seriously, especially when it was just a lighthearted joke between them. He continued, "Well, it's getting late, so this old Headmaster won't keep the new Headmistress from her rest. We'll see each other tomorrow!"
There were many things Dumbledore hadn't told Eda yet, but now wasn't the right time. Letting her know too soon would only add unnecessary worries.
The brief interaction with Dumbledore that evening left Eda feeling quite happy. She didn't even notice the metaphorical red warning sign flashing "DANGER" above her head.
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