Chapter 37: After School Starts

Several male students were passionately discussing the candidates for the next Minister for Magic, but none of the options seemed to satisfy their picky tastes.

"What are you guys talking about?" Charlie Weasley walked over and sat down next to the twins.

"Politics," Fred said. "We're talking about who the next lucky Minister might be."

Charlie Weasley said, "Since when did you start being interested in that? Aren't you planning to open a joke shop?"

"It's not that," Eda said, having finished her meal and ready for class. "Their dream is still to open a joke shop. They don't really care who sits in the Minister's chair."

The twins nodded in agreement. They couldn't care less who the Minister was, as long as it wasn't Arthur Weasley.

As for Eda's "prediction," the twins treated it as a joke. A Weasley becoming Minister for Magic seemed less likely than the Dark Lord returning.

"Charlie, who do you think has the best chance?" Eda asked, curious about his opinion.

"Who have you mentioned so far?" Charlie asked.

"Cornelius Fudge," George said. "And Bartemius Crouch."

Charlie thought for a moment and said, "Among the candidates, Fudge seems the least experienced, although he's done a good job in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. He still has a chance."

A student who had been part of the discussion said, "I heard he's a bit weak? Seems easy to bully."

"If he becomes the Minister, does that mean we'll have a weak Minister?" Fred laughed.

"The wizarding world has been pretty calm these past few years. It doesn't matter if the Minister isn't strong, as long as he doesn't mess things up," Charlie's friend Rupert said.

"As for Barty Crouch, he's unlikely to get the position," Charlie said.

"Why? He seems much stronger than Fudge," asked Eda, who had been quietly following the conversation. She had read about Barty Crouch in the Daily Prophet, and her first impression of him was that he was very strong.

"It's true, it's unlikely. Many people still remember his past deeds," Rupert agreed with Charlie.

Charlie Weasley thought for a moment and said, "He used to be the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and was considered one of the top candidates for the next Minister of Magic. He was very close to the position."

"Wait, Charlie, isn't Barty Crouch the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation?" Eda asked.

"That's his current position. He used to be in charge of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He was known for being a hardliner," Charlie explained. "He gained a lot of prestige for openly opposing the Dark Lord."

"His approval ratings don't seem that good, though. It doesn't look like he was ever that close," someone questioned.

"Yeah, he was very hopeful at one point, but then some things happened, and his reputation plummeted," Charlie recalled. "Barty Crouch lost people's trust, and that's when he was transferred out of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

"It's normal that you don't know about it. At that time, even we were quite young," Rupert added to Charlie's explanation.

Lee Jordan, with a gleam of curiosity in his eyes, asked, "What happened? It can't be that..."

"It's not what you're thinking, Lee," Charlie shook his head and denied it. "Those things are a bit too heavy for you to know right now. When I first heard about it, I felt sad for days."

Rupert said, "I hadn't started school yet, but when my mom read about it in the Daily Prophet, she was furious. She's a very gentle woman, but she cursed old Barty Crouch for days."

"Alright, the position of Minister of Magic is far away from us. Let's not think about these things anymore," Charlie said. "If you don't hurry up and finish eating, you'll be late for your morning classes." With that, Charlie and his friend Rupert left.

"What about Dumbledore?" someone suggested a new candidate.

Hearing Dumbledore's name, Angelina and Alicia, who had shown no interest before, also joined the conversation.

"He can become Minister any time..." Fred looked at the person with an expression as if they were an idiot.

George had the same expression and added, "...if he wanted to."

The children from wizarding families all agreed with the twins' opinion.

"Wouldn't he have to stop being the headmaster if he became the Minister?" the person continued to ask.

Eda also wasn't sure if the Minister for Magic could also be the headmaster of Hogwarts. If he could, that would be a bit terrifying, though quite...

"He probably doesn't want to be the Minister," Eda thought for a moment and said. "With his reputation, if he really wanted to be the Minister, he probably would have been one already."

The discussion continued, now focusing on Dumbledore. Eda didn't want to participate or continue listening.

Seeing that the twins had also put down their food, Eda said, "Alright, it's time to go, gentlemen. I don't want to have to run to class right after breakfast."

Due to the heated breakfast discussion, Eda barely sat down in the Charms classroom when the bell rang. If they had talked for a few more minutes, Gryffindor would have had a collective tardiness incident, and Professor McGonagall's expression would have been quite something.

This Charms class was the first lesson after the holiday, and the students, not yet adjusted, performed poorly. As Professor Flitwick lectured on theory, many students' heads were nodding off, as if they could fall asleep at any moment.

Because everyone was too sleepy to listen properly, their performance during the practical charms practice was even worse. Professor Flitwick had to rush around the classroom, "putting out fires." It was hard work for the diminutive professor.

However, Eda's performance was as consistent as ever, much to Professor Flitwick's relief. He generously awarded Gryffindor five points.

The more Professor Flitwick noticed Eda's excellence, the more he envied Professor McGonagall. But he only saw McGonagall's happiness, not the times when she was so frustrated she ground her teeth. It was a classic case of seeing only the good side of things.

Actually, it wasn't just Gryffindor students who were out of sorts; students from other houses were the same. The entire morning at Hogwarts was spent in a foggy haze.

Fortunately, Gryffindor had a reprieve in the afternoon. Professor Binns' History of Magic class allowed everyone to catch up on sleep, giving the students a chance to replenish their energy.

Professor Binns, who never looked at his lesson plans, droned on at the podium while students, who never opened their textbooks, slept soundly below. Both sides were undisturbed and coexisted harmoniously.

However, there was a downside to this arrangement. Sleeping too much in the afternoon could lead to insomnia at night, and a bad night's sleep could affect the following day's classes, creating a vicious cycle.

Two weeks into the term, all four houses had lost a significant number of points, causing headaches for the heads of houses. Even Madam Pomfrey, known for her miraculous healing, had no cure for this particular headache.

As the classes progressed, the students adjusted during the second week. Hogwarts returned to its regular rhythm, and the heads of houses' headaches disappeared without the need for potions.

Eda and the twins also took some time to check out the remaining secret passages. The Marauder's Map's records were completely accurate, and the three of them managed to avoid detection. Roaming around Hogwarts at night without worrying about being caught made this the most relaxing night excursion they had ever had.

Besides scouting the passages, Eda had been using the Marauder's Map to monitor Fawley and Snape. This not only satisfied her curiosity but also ensured her safety.

Snape's behavior was quite normal; he frequently visited the headmaster's office and would engage in long conversations with Dumbledore, who liked to pace in his office.

Initially, Eda didn't notice anything unusual about Benedict Fawley. This professor was exceedingly well-behaved, always either in his office or his quarters, until an unexpected situation revealed Fawley's abnormal behavior to her.

That day, Eda drank a lot of water, causing her to sleep restlessly and get up once during the night. After addressing her personal needs, she returned to bed and absentmindedly opened the Marauder's Map. This unintentional action allowed her to see Professor Fawley wandering the castle in the middle of the night.

Over the next few days, Eda discovered that the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was unusually active late at night. He always chose to move around when it was quiet, making it difficult to be detected. If it weren't for the real-time monitoring capability of the Marauder's Map, Eda wouldn't have noticed this behavior.

On the weekend, the weather was exceptionally cold and damp, so much so that even the twins were reluctant to leave the castle. Compared to her "hometown," Hogwarts' weather was relatively mild, but Eda still preferred to cozy up by the fire in an armchair, unwilling to leave the fireplace.

Eda was absentmindedly reading a book, not even noticing the twins waving their hands in front of her face.

"Hey! Hey!" Fred snapped his fingers near Eda's ear.

"My homework is in my bag; get it yourself," Eda said, snapping back to reality. "Don't disturb my wandering thoughts."

George laughed and asked, "Where have your thoughts wandered off to?"

"To Tahiti, where it's always warm and spring-like."

"Where is that?"

"Tahiti is the largest island in French Polynesia," Eda said with a smile.

"Have you been there?"

Fred and George asked simultaneously.

"Muggles say it's the closest place to heaven, and the people who live there call themselves 'God's children.' I've always wanted to see it for myself, to know if it's as good as they say."

"They probably wouldn't welcome you..."

"...yeah you're Merlin's child, after all."

After giving the twins a fierce glare, Eda said, "For the next week, don't even think about borrowing anything with words from me."

Eda refocused her attention on her book. Now, every time she thought of Tahiti, she couldn't help but associate it with the witch hunts of the Middle Ages. The pleasant mood was completely ruined.

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