In the afternoon, the sun was blazing, and cicadas droned nonstop.
Yet the small living room of the Burrow was packed with people — the whole Weasley family, Eda, Dumbledore, and Professor McGonagall. Naturally, everyone had gathered because of the Rosier matter.
The letter now lay on the table in the middle of the room.
Silence filled the living room. As Henry Rosier had said, everyone with half a brain knew what pure-blood families were like — aside from looking down on Muggles, they also despised half-bloods and Muggle-born witches and wizards.
Eda hadn't even gone yet, and danger was already looming over her. Wouldn't going to France be like a lamb walking into a tiger's den? But no matter how many arguments were made, her relatives were over there.
They couldn't keep stopping her forever, could they?
From Dumbledore, everyone learned an even worse piece of news: the Rosier family had served two generations of Dark Lords, and Evan Rosier had been utterly loyal to Voldemort. Hearing that made the Weasleys even more uneasy. Mrs. Weasley and the twins even had reddened eyes.
Professor McGonagall was equally worried. Going alone with no one to look after her was undeniably dangerous. She contemplated whether she should go to Paris with Eda, and only return after Eda was settled safely.
When she first learned that Eda's family had come to find her, Professor McGonagall had felt both happy and sad — happy that Eda finally had someone to rely on, and sad that she might be "losing" her. But that complicated feeling hadn't even lasted half a day before pure worry took its place.
Dumbledore, however, sat calmly on the sofa, completely unconcerned about Eda.
Instead, he felt a faint sympathy for the Rosier family. Bringing such a little girl back… he wondered whether the Rosiers could handle her.
The headmaster was also not worried that Eda might be swayed by the Rosier family's pure-blood ideology. Even assuming they accepted her at all, Eda had met Grindelwald — if she could be talked into submission within a few words, that would be truly embarrassing.
Besides, Eda wasn't some clueless little brat — she already had her own views on this world.
If not for the fact that the sunnier side of her personality was stronger, Dumbledore might have suspected he was witnessing the rise of another Tom Riddle. Fortunately, this time he hadn't repeated his old mistakes; on Eda's path of growth, he had indeed played a positive role.
Seeing that no one else spoke, Dumbledore asked, "Eda, what do you think? Your opinion is the most important."
Her own opinion, huh? True — after living in this world for so many years, they were already intertwined with one another, inseparable. Besides, Eda wanted to uncover the truth.
She had been abandoned at an orphanage's doorstep, yet now her grandmother had come to find her. She couldn't let this hang over her forever — it was better to uncover the truth, at least to know whether someone was still lurking in the shadows, watching her.
No matter how far away home was, one had to return eventually.
"I think I still have to go to Paris," Eda said solemnly. "Even if it's a dragon's lair or a tiger's den, I'll break into it." Moreover, judging by how Thierry Rosier and Henry Rosier treated her, things might not be as bad as they seemed.
If she didn't even dare to face a Rosier, how could she ever dream of standing alongside Dumbledore or Grindelwald? She might as well stay hidden at Hogwarts and be nothing more than an echoing yes-girl.
Fred and George suddenly stood up and headed upstairs together.
Mrs. Weasley asked, "And what are you two doing?"
"Packing."
"Going to Paris with her."
The twins replied. They wouldn't stop Eda from meeting her family, but they simply couldn't feel at ease.
"Do you plan to stay by her side every moment of every day?" Dumbledore said. "There are many things in life one must face alone. If one day you're not there, will she be incapable of doing anything?"
These words were directed at the twins, but also at Professor McGonagall.
Trust was fine, reliance was fine — but excessive reliance would only hinder one's journey. Life was a solitary road; if you always needed someone to lean on, how far could you possibly go?
Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall did not stay long at the Burrow. Since Eda had already made her decision, they took their leave. As reluctant as McGonagall was, she could only wait until the new term began.
Today, the Burrow was nothing like its usual noisy, joyful self. No explosions came from Fred and George's room, and everyone's mood was weighed down.
Mrs. Weasley helped Eda pack her luggage. She folded clothes in silence, saying nothing. Perhaps this was how she had sent Bill off to Egypt, and Charlie to Romania.
Eda didn't know how to comfort this kind woman — words seemed useless at such a moment. She sat behind Mrs. Weasley and wrapped her arms around her, pressing her cheek against her warm back.
Mrs. Weasley still said nothing. She merely lowered her head and continued folding the robe in her hands.
The next morning, Eda, dressed in a light green dress, tiptoed out of her room.
She hated goodbyes, so once again she chose to slip away without a formal farewell.
After last night's overly extravagant dinner, everyone in the house had come to say goodbye to her, as if she were heading to her doom. She really didn't want to go through that again.
The youngest, Ginny, had given Eda her favorite doll; Ron, true to his nature as a devoted eater, handed over all of his snacks; Mr. Weasley even took out his private stash of money and pressed it on her "just in case"; even Percy had offered something.
Only the twins were uncharacteristically silent, doing and saying nothing.
The morning sunlight was always pleasant — it drove away the darkness without being harsh. But when Eda pushed open the Burrow's door, she saw Fred and George waiting for her in the yard.
Her attempt to leave unnoticed had failed once again.
"I knew I couldn't fool you two," Eda said with a smile.
"With those little tricks of yours, who could you possibly fool?" Fred said. "Next time, try leaving in the middle of the night."
"Come on. You won't let us go with you, but at least let us see you off," George said, walking toward the road. "If we don't leave now, Mum will wake up."
On the road of the small village of Ottery St Catchpole, the three young people felt no sorrow in parting. Mr. Weasley had brought Eda to the Burrow along this very path, and today she would leave along it again.
When they reached the end of the long road, all three fell silent and stopped walking at the same time. Even friends who walk together a thousand miles must part in the end.
Eda spoke first: "Maybe we'll meet again at Hogwarts. Or maybe I'll come scurrying back here in a few days, tail between my legs."
"Don't you dare. Let's just meet again at Hogwarts," Fred said with a look of utter distaste. "Do you have any idea how annoying you are to us?"
"Mm-hmm. I found out today," Eda nodded with a bright grin.
"Go to Paris and fix that awful temper of yours," George added. "No one there is going to pamper you. If you get yourself thrown out, that'd be embarrassing beyond words."
"Mm. Got it." Eda nodded again, still smiling.
The moment of parting arrived at last. The three of them wrapped each other in a tight hug, and the twins whispered softly into Eda's ear:
"We'll miss you. Don't forget to write."
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