After the final exams, Eda decided to take a break and gave herself a vacation. She spent her days goofing off with the twins, running around wildly during the day and exploring secret passages at night, living a carefree life.
Eda also took some time to check her system. This system had been a great help to her, but it didn't interfere with her life much, so quiet that Eda almost forgot about it.
With the school year over, students would receive their grades and attend the end-of-year feast before heading home, so the system completed its review of her first year.
The system always had a sharp tongue, which Eda had long gotten used to.
The system displayed:
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Name: Esmeralda Twist
Gender: Female
Age: Thirteen
Height: 5 feet 1 inch (about 154.5 cm, finally no longer looking for the host on the ground!)
Weight: 86 pounds (about 39 kg, better but still just a little more wid and the host can seen flying!)
Wand: Yew wood, phoenix feather, 14¾ inches (With this wand combination, shouldn't the host be doing something significant?)
Occupation: Hogwarts Student (First Year)
Best Subjects: Transfiguration, Charms, Potions (Dumber than a Troll in Herbology! The host seems a bit biased in her studies, huh?)
Talents:
Magic Reserve: (Your magic reserve has exceeded that of an average adult wizard, lifting you from cannon fodder status, but you're still a novice.)
Quick Learner: (You have strong learning abilities, you learn good things quickly, but bad things even faster.)
Empathy: (Don't you want to learn some skills? Highly recommend the two unparalleled manuals: Tea Talk and Two-Faced Speech.)
Recklessness: (Acting without thinking, or striking out when angry, with a chance of double-casting spells. Let's see how long you will live.)
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Eda felt a bit frustrated when she saw her new talents displayed by the system, Even though she was born in Europe in this life, it hadn't changed her nature.
Relying on luck and chances felt too uncertain. It could be the cherry on top, but it was unreliable when you really needed it.
Eda continued reading, noting the system's evaluation of the spells she had mastered. For instance, the system described her mastery of the Lumos charm as "Expert: You said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light."
Spells she frequently used, like Stupefy, Bombarda, and Expelliarmus, had all reached the level of mastery. Even those she used less often were at least at a basic level.
However, Eda noticed three spells on the long list that she had never actively learned:
Avada Kedavra: (Barely proficient. While others use a green flash to claim a life, your green flash might just give someone a nosebleed.)
Cruciatus Curse: (Barely proficient. A thumb clip might be more effective for you.)
Imperius Curse: (Barely proficient. It's recommended that you learn to brew Amortentia; it might have a higher success rate.)
The familiar tone of the system continued to relentlessly criticize Eda. But for a system that could provide her with help without forcing her to complete tasks, wasn't this little flaw tolerable?
Eda could tolerate it, but after reading the evaluations, she quickly exited the system without any hesitation.
"Hmph! " After all, nobody enjoys being belittled.
Eda hadn't actually studied the Unforgivable Curses. She couldn't access such books at this stage. It seemed that Fawley had used these curses on her so frequently that they had somehow been copied into her system.
Any spell that appeared in the system could be successfully cast by Eda—that was the benefit of having a "cheat." However, the effectiveness of the spell depended on Eda's own abilities.
For example, with the Stupefy spell, whether it just knocked someone down or completely knocked them out, and how long the target remained unconscious, all depended on Eda's skill level and her mastery of the spell.
The three Unforgivable Curses not only required magical power but also a strong emotional drive to maximize their potency. So, while Eda could technically cast them, she couldn't achieve the same level of power as Fawley or other Death Eaters.
Although the system's evaluations were harsh, they were honest.
On the last day of the term, the exam results were finally released.
The previously joyful atmosphere in the common room was replaced by a chorus of groans and complaints.
As expected, Eda's Herbology grade was an "E," while all her other subjects received "O"s. In her heart, Eda once again prayed to Merlin, hoping he would bless the kind Professor Sprout with a 'long' life.
The twins' results were quite decent; they passed all their courses and even got an "O" in one. Their faces were full of excitement, knowing that with these grades, they would at least escape a scolding from Mrs. Weasley during the holidays.
Angelina and Alicia's results were also better than they had anticipated.
The two had already begun discussing which brand of broomstick they should buy. The one who performed the worst was Lee Jordan, barely scraping by in every subject.
Even with his grades in hand, it was still a nail-biting situation.
Early romance can be detrimental to studies—though, on second thought, Lee Jordan was just nursing a crush, so maybe it wasn't so bad...
Throughout the week, Eda kept running into Snape in the corridors, almost as if she were stalking him. Every time they crossed paths, Snape's demeanor was peculiar.
He would press his lips together, looking as though he wanted to say something to Eda, but up until today, he hadn't uttered a word.
In the evening, Eda went downstairs with the twins to attend the end-of-year feast.
By the time they arrived at the Great Hall, it was already packed. Everyone was talking loudly, eagerly discussing their holiday plans.
The hall was adorned with green and silver decorations, the colors of Slytherin.
Though Dumbledore had yet to officially announce it, everyone was certain that Slytherin had won the House Cup.
A massive banner depicting the Slytherin serpent hung on the wall behind the head table. For the fifth year in a row, Slytherin had secured the House Cup.
Snape sat at the teachers' table, his sallow face brimming with satisfaction.
He was doing his best to keep his emotions in check, but if he let go, he might just float away, turning into Hogwarts' latest landmark—the flying bat in the sky.
The Slytherin table was the rowdiest part of the Great Hall. They had won, so they had every right to celebrate, and the other three houses could do nothing but silently endure it. Victory gave them the privilege to revel, after all.
After a while, Dumbledore appeared in the hall, and the noisy chatter around the four long tables gradually died down.
"Haah~ Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "Before we indulge in these delightful dishes, I must ask you to bear with an old man's tedious speech. This year, your little minds have surely grown richer than before... Ahead lies an entire summer for you to absorb the knowledge you've gained..."
"Now, as I understand it, we must first conduct the House Cup awarding ceremony. The scores are as follows: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with 404 points; in third, Hufflepuff, with 410 points; in second, Ravenclaw, with 446 points; and in first place, Slytherin, with 482 points."
The Slytherin table erupted in thunderous cheers, and Snape clapped his hands so hard they turned red.
On the Gryffindor side, however, it was quiet.
They had long since fallen out of the race for the House Cup, and their Quidditch performance had been disappointing, leaving them in fourth place—dead last.
For Gryffindor, it was a year of failure. Even though their head, Professor McGonagall, was clapping, everyone knew what she truly felt.
Professor McGonagall had wanted to dethrone Slytherin from the champion's seat for a long time, but with a gap of 78 points between the two houses, her desire to bring them down was far beyond her ability to make it happen.
"Everyone performed quite well, especially Slytherin," Dumbledore said. "Let us congratulate Slytherin for winning this year's House Cup!"
There was no suspense, no last-minute twist.
Slytherin celebrated their victory with unrestrained enthusiasm, making so much noise that it felt as if an explosion had gone off.
The other three houses clapped perfunctorily.
This was the fifth consecutive year of witnessing such a scene, and everyone was longing for a hero—someone who could finally defeat the serpent.
After the banquet, Professor McGonagall handed out a notice to each student, warning them not to use magic during the holidays. Fred Weasley was tempted to tear the notice to shreds, but under Professor McGonagall's stern gaze, he ultimately decided against it.
Eda didn't completely empty her wardrobe. She planned to pick out just a few appropriate outfits to take home, leaving the rest of her trunk's space for next year's belongings.
However, when she opened her trunk, she discovered a small leather pouch inside.
"Hmm?"
This wasn't something that belonged to her, but it had the inscription "Esmeralda, E.J.T." on it.
"Oh.... OHHHHH!"
Opening the small pouch, Eda's eyes gleamed as a small pile of Galleons came in view, probably around thirty or forty.
Eda now had many questions. Who had sent this? Professor McGonagall? Professor Dumbledore? Or perhaps the annoying Professor Snape?
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