For second-year Gryffindors, Wednesday was a day full of contradictions. Their schedule included History of Magic and Potions, two subjects that couldn't be more different in both content and the professors who taught them.
If the morning History of Magic class was a blissful chance for everyone to catch up on sleep, bringing feelings of happiness, then the afternoon Potions class was a plunge into the depths of hell.
In the History of Magic classroom, Professor Binns hadn't arrived yet, so no one had witnessed his impressive skill of phasing through walls. Even if he did, no one would really notice, since most students would already be asleep by then.
Eda hadn't even bothered to take out her History of Magic textbook from her bag yet, while Fred and George were already eagerly resting their heads on their desks, adjusting their sleeping positions.
The textbook, written by Bathilda Bagshot, was now serving as a pillow for the twins.
The classroom was devoid of any energy, with nearly everyone preparing for a nice nap. The most outrageous of all was Lee Jordan, who had brought an actual pillow to class, looking the most comfortable of everyone.
The bell rang, but no student sat up straight or even lifted their head from their desks. Professor Cuthbert Binns floated through the blackboard into the classroom, but unlike a year ago, it didn't elicit any gasps of surprise.
Professor Binns, shimmering with a pearly ghostly glow, hovered behind the podium and began his lecture for the day.
As his dry, monotone voice droned on, one by one, students drifted into sleep. If anyone had started snoring or grinding their teeth, it might have been enough to bring Professor Binns back to life out of sheer annoyance.
According to Nearly Headless Nick, wizards could leave behind a mark on the world that allowed them to linger in the places they had lived or walked, becoming ghosts, rejected by both the afterlife and the world of the living.
It was a choice one could make on the road to death, but very few wizards ever chose to walk that path.
If Eda had the choice, she'd rather face death head-on than live in such a void—no blood, no flesh, just "existing" forever like that.
Eda cast a Silencing Charm on herself, a spell that functioned like Muggle earplugs, blocking out most of the surrounding noise. She did this to shield herself from the hypnotic effects of Professor Binns' voice. His "magic" in putting people to sleep was unparalleled, and Eda simply couldn't resist it.
She propped up her History of Magic textbook in front of her, hiding behind it as she worked on her Charms essay. Most of her assignments last year had been completed during History of Magic class, a method that had worked very well for her. So, she continued this practice, making productive use of the class time.
Eda focused intently on her essay. Not only did she complete the nine-inch Charms essay, but she also almost finished Professor McGonagall's assignment.
Buried in her work, she didn't even notice when the bell rang to signal the end of class. It wasn't until the twins swiped her quill that she realized she'd been writing for so long, still engrossed in her essay titled The Dangers of Incomplete Transfiguration.
The twins had called out to her several times after class ended, but Eda, with her Silencing Charm in place, didn't hear a thing and remained unresponsive. Finally, Fred took matters into his own hands and snatched her quill.
From Eda, the twins had learned about the advantages of the Silencing Charm and were eager to master it themselves. They joked about using it whenever Mrs. Weasley scolded them, so they wouldn't have to endure the full brunt of her shouting.
There are many ways to discipline children, and Eda thought Mrs. Weasley could certainly choose a gentler approach. However, she suspected that Mrs. Weasley's scolding of the twins was more about venting her frustrations than anything else.
During lunch, first-year Katie Bell joined them. Hanging out with older students had its perks, even though her "big sisters" were only a year or two older than her.
On the night Katie Bell moved in, Eda gave her a prized possession: a map of Hogwarts. This was a hot commodity. The map covered most areas of the castle, with special emphasis on classrooms where lessons were held, making it incredibly convenient.
Eda had started making these maps back in August. By the second day of the school term, the twins had begun selling them to first-year students or anyone who frequently got lost.
Eda handled the production, while the twins took charge of distribution. In just three or four days, they sold out of the maps. Initially, Eda's goal was to make a bit of pocket money, but she hadn't anticipated just how extensive the twins' network was.
They even managed to sell maps to Slytherins.
Almost every first-year student at Hogwarts ended up with one of these navigation maps. This not only significantly reduced the number of students arriving late to class, but also allowed Eda, as the CEO, and Fred and George, as the heads of sales, to rake in quite a profit.
Some students who missed out on the first batch of maps even placed orders with the twins, offering to pay extra. For these VIP customers willing to pay more, Eda generously added a few features that weren't included in the standard version.
Eda's map was inspired by the Marauder's Map, though hers was far from the same level. The two maps had different purposes.
The Marauder's Map was great for monitoring the castle and ensuring the user could safely get away with mischief. Eda's map, on the other hand, was purely a navigation tool, without any hidden passageways or secret features.
Of course, Eda wasn't the only one in school capable of making maps, so after her navigation map became popular, a wave of imitations started popping up.
These knock-offs were cheaper, but they had various issues, such as poor quality or inaccurate directions, which led to a flood of negative reviews.
This situation actually ended up boosting support for the original product. It's true that in any business, competition often highlights the value of quality.
In reality, you couldn't blame the imitators too much. They were copying Eda's map, which itself was a simplified version of the Marauder's Map. From the very beginning, they were at a disadvantage, so it was impossible for them to compete successfully.
Eda even thought Dumbledore should award the three of them a Special Contribution Award in recognition of their noble efforts to help their fellow students.
In the afternoon, Professor Snape "warmly welcomed" every student entering the dungeon classroom. Standing in the shadows, with his perpetually black robes, he looked just like an old bat.
As Eda passed him, she whispered a quick greeting, though it was unclear whether Snape heard her or not.
Potion-making was actually quite difficult. Though it seemed like just a few simple steps, once you started preparing them, it became clear that it was much more complex.
The order of ingredient addition, precise measurements, technique, and control of heat were all essential skills.
And Snape wasn't the kind of teacher who would walk you through each step. This class required students to rely more on their own talent, comprehension, and intuition.
For someone like Snape, a potions genius, it had probably never occurred to him that anyone would need instruction piece by piece—he likely believed such people didn't even exist.
The subject was already tough enough on its own, but with an ever-present, sharp-tongued bat hovering over your shoulder, Potions class with Snape felt like double the agony.
Take Patricia Stinson from Gryffindor, for example. This poor girl had been reduced to tears multiple times by Snape's sharp remarks, sobbing as she added ingredients to her cauldron, only for the potion to turn into a complete disaster.
Once all the students had entered the classroom, Snape stood at the podium.
He scanned the room, his hollow eyes betraying no emotion, leaving the students unsure of his next move.
'Would he start teaching immediately or launch into one of his scathing tirades?'
"Once again, I see you all in this dungeon classroom, though there are some among you I'd rather not have to lay eyes on," Snape said.
"I hope none of you let a troll feast on your brains over the summer break. If I discover that anyone here is an empty-headed fool, don't expect to set foot in this classroom for the rest of the term."
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