On the surface, Britain and France seemed to have a good relationship, but in truth, the two countries had been in constant conflict throughout history. One claimed itself the true heir of Europe, descendants of Rome; the other was an island nation, isolated from the continent.
With William the Conqueror's takeover of England, England's king became a Frenchman. In addition to the crown, he also bore the title Duke of Normandy. The two nations entered a new era and became far more intertwined.
It was during this time that many wizarding families came from France to Britain, such as the Malfoys and the Lestranges.
Back then, there was no Statute of Secrecy for wizards, and Muggles had not yet begun large-scale witch hunts. Armand Malfoy used the lands granted to him by William the Conqueror to build Malfoy Manor, and his descendants lived there for the next ten centuries.
After that, tensions between Britain and France erupted into war. What started as a political struggle over the throne evolved into a century-long war.
Both sides had their victories and losses — but the ones who suffered were always the common people.
After a brief period of peace, the people finally had time to recover. But soon the Second Hundred Years' War began, this time for an even greater prize — dominance over Europe.
It wasn't until Napoleon was exiled to Saint Helena that the Second Hundred Years' War came to an end.
When Prussia unified and Germany rose, Britain and France, these old enemies, finally shook hands and signed the Entente Cordiale, later joining forces in two world wars to defeat Germany.
Fortunately, the present was a time of peace.
Even if Eda came here alone, no one would give her a "warm" welcome. However, what Eda did not know was that her Muggle mother had once come to this country alone as well — and here, she met the pure-blood wizard Louis Rosier.
Magical transportation was indeed convenient and fast, but its comfort level was absolutely atrocious.
Even though the journey hadn't taken much time, traveling such a long distance still left Eda completely exhausted in both body and mind.
Despite this, Eda had no time to rest, no chance to see whether the Phantom truly lingered in the Louvre, whether the underground ossuary really led to the underworld, nor to enjoy a cup of coffee on the Left Bank by the Seine.
The moment she arrived in Paris, dusty and weary, she headed straight for Place Furstenberg — the smallest and most romantic square in Paris. The entrance to the French Ministry of Magic was located right here.
The roots of the trees surrounding the fountain at the square's center would rise from the ground, forming a birdcage-like elevator around visitors that descended underground to the Ministry headquarters. This method was far more pleasing to the eye than Britain's telephone booth or that dreadful toilet entrance.
Truly worthy of the title "land of romance."
The Ministry's main hall was richly artistic, the circular dome covered with paintings of constellations.
At first glance upward, one felt as though they were gazing at the night sky. The tricolor emblems of blue, white, and red were everywhere, each bearing the motto of the French Ministry of Magic: Cast, Conjure, Summon.
Eda was here to register her entry at the Department of Administrative Affairs — after all, she was entering France legally, per Dumbledore's instructions. Her wand inspection revealed no issues whatsoever; if anything had shown up, that would've been the system's fault.
Although Eda's French was still a bit clumsy and communicating with the gentle clerk was somewhat difficult, her registration was completed once her wand passed inspection. She could now proceed to the address listed in the letter.
As dusk approached, dressed in a sea-green gown, Eda appeared in an upscale residential district of Paris.
She had hesitated before coming — but in the end, she came straight here.
Following the address written on the letter, she passed one upscale residence after another, finally stopping before an old-fashioned house. Roses grew in the small front garden.
Eda halted at the gate, uncertain.
If the person living inside—like the other Rosiers—considered her a disgrace, things would be simple. She could just barge in, force the truth about her origins out of them, and be done with it.
But...
But if the person inside treated her kindly, Eda genuinely had no idea how she was supposed to face that.
Crossing the yard and climbing the stone steps, Eda gently knocked on the oak door.
Immediately, the oak door creaked open by a narrow crack, and a house-elf poked its head out. The moment it saw Eda, tears filled its tennis-ball-sized eyes.
The house-elf, Agnès, bowed so deeply that its nose touched the ground.
Agnès was so excited that its voice trembled as it said, "Miss, welcome home!"
The house-elf looked very clean, and even the old pillowcase it wore had been washed to a spotless white. It seemed her master hadn't mistreated her the way the Malfoys mistreated Dobby.
"Uh… hello…" Eda responded stiffly. This was far too enthusiastic—something felt very off. Shouldn't they be looking down on her?
Guided warmly by the house-elf, Eda entered the house. The décor, the furniture, every detail was styled like something from the 1920s or 30s. Eda felt as though she had stepped into an old film.
On some tables and cabinets sat photographs of a young man—the same face Eda had seen in the Mirror of Erised.
Only here, his features were younger, and his eyes held none of that weary sorrow she'd seen before.
Eda sat down on a sofa. The house-elf Agnès handed her a photo album with both hands and then poured her a cup of English black tea.
Agnès said, "Miss, this is your father, Master Louis Rosier."
Having said that, the house-elf left the room, leaving Eda alone on the sofa, flipping through the album. The young man in the photographs had a warm smile—completely unlike the pure-blood wizards Eda was used to imagining.
Well, that made sense. Just look at Thierry Rosier and Henri—this whole family didn't exactly give off the traditional pure-blood vibe.
After a while, the door opened again. Vinda walked in wearing a military-green robe. Her face was covered in wrinkles, but her back was perfectly straight. She stared fixedly at Eda, and two lines of tears slipped down her cheeks.
Eda stood up. A sudden urge to flee surged through her; the old woman's tears left her completely at a loss.
Vinda strode toward Eda at a speed no elderly person should possess. She pulled Eda into her arms, holding her tightly, as though afraid Eda might disappear if she let go.
She whispered into Eda's ear, "I finally found you, Eda, my child… I'm sorry you had to suffer so much…"
The house-elf Agnès wiped her tears on her pillowcase, then quietly turned and left the room, closing the door behind her.
Eda still didn't move. Her mind was blank—no book had ever taught her how to deal with a sobbing grandmother she had never met.
Stiffly, she lifted her arms and placed them around Vinda's back, patting her gently.
Perhaps Eda didn't even notice that her own eyes were filling too. Years of bitterness and grievance surged up all at once.
"I.. am.." Her voice trembled slightly as she whispered, "..back, Grandmother."
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Damn, I'm not crying, you are!.·´¯`(>▂<)´¯`·.
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