The Flight Affinity wasn't of much help to Eda at this stage—but Curse Affinity, on the other hand, was a significant upgrade to her immediate combat power.
Spells were generally divided into seven categories: Standard Spells, Transfiguration, Jinxes, Hexes, Curses, Counter-Spells, and Healing Spells. Among these, Standard Spells were the most numerous and most commonly used in daily life.
Jinxes and Hexes were broadly classified as Dark Magic, though their level of malice and destructiveness was lower than that of curses. They could also be dispelled by counter-spells or deflection charms.
Ordinary witches and wizards might use jinxes and hexes under certain circumstances—for example, the Impediment Jinx (a jinx) or the Bat-Bogey Hex (a hex).
Curses, however—no matter how you looked at them—belonged entirely to the domain of Dark Magic. They could cause extreme pain, injury, or even death to the target.
Among known curses, the Unforgivable Curses were the three most evil and were favorites of many dark wizards—such as the recently escaped Voldemort and his followers.
To Eda, this was just another way of saying she had an affinity for Dark Magic. Perhaps it stemmed from a subconscious shift in her perception of Dark Magic, or perhaps it was her contact with top-tier dark wizards (Grindelwald and Voldemort) that gave rise to this new talent.
Curse Affinity allowed Eda to learn and master curses more quickly. It let her cast them without needing intense negative emotions and reduced the toll cursecasting would normally take on her.
This meant Eda could cast curses at will—without having to stir up any inner darkness, and without worrying she'd end up mentally unhinged.
While Eda still couldn't ignore the negative effects of Dark Magic the way Grindelwald could, the appearance of this talent brought far more possibilities to her in battle.
Casting Unforgivable Curses without emotional or magical backlash? Even Death Eaters would laugh in their sleep at the thought.
Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster sir… never mind. No more explanations. Whatever happens, happens!
After reading her yearly evaluation, Eda felt the best way to describe herself was "one foot in each world." Whether to be a hero or a dark witch—it all came down to a single thought.
Of course, she could also be a bit of both. What mattered was the path she chose to walk, not the one others told her to.
At the staff table, Dumbledore rose to begin his end-of-term speech.
Every single Slytherin student lifted their heads, faces full of smiles—because Dumbledore's speech meant it was time to announce the winner of the House Cup.
And they had already won it for seven years in a row.
No matter how they'd achieved it, seven straight victories were more than enough for Slytherin to feel proud.
"Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin," said Dumbledore. "However, a few recent events must also be taken into account."
As soon as Dumbledore's voice fell, the Great Hall fell into complete silence. The smiles on the Slytherins' faces faded considerably, and a tense, dangerous air filled the room.
"I have a few last-minute points to award. Let me see. First—Mr. Ronald Weasley. He played what is quite possibly the finest game of wizard chess Hogwarts has seen in many years. For that, I award Gryffindor fifty points."
Ron's face turned bright red, looking very much like a sun-dried carrot. Percy once again forgot all about maintaining the dignity of a prefect and loudly told everyone nearby, "That's my brother, you know! My youngest brother!"
When the excited Great Hall finally calmed down, Dumbledore continued, "Second—Miss Hermione Granger. She kept her head and used brilliant logic in the face of fire. I award Gryffindor fifty points."
Hermione buried her face in the crook of her arm. Unlike Harry, she was just a clever young witch, and losing fifty points that had knocked their house out of the House Cup race had been a huge weight on her.
"Third—Harry Potter. He showed outstanding bravery and courage beyond measure. For that, I award Gryffindor sixty points," Dumbledore went on.
The Great Hall erupted into deafening cheers once again. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw students all began to realize what was happening.
"Fourth—there are many kinds of courage," Dumbledore said with a smile. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. Therefore, I award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom."
Neville was so shocked his face turned pale. He had never earned a single point for Gryffindor before, and now the crowd cheering around him left the little crybaby completely overwhelmed.
Just moments ago, the Slytherins had been strutting proudly, but now they all lowered their arrogant heads. Though they didn't want to admit it, Gryffindor was close to catching up to their score—and they didn't believe for a second that Dumbledore was awarding points just to comfort the losers.
"There's one more student," Dumbledore said slowly. "She endured misunderstanding and doubt from everyone, yet still chose to step forward in a moment of crisis. Her kindness, her courage, her choices—all are as admirable as her magic itself."
"Esmeralda Twist," he announced, "for that, I award Gryffindor sixty points."
Eda: "..."
The twins ruffled Eda's hair, turning her sleek, smooth locks into a mess. Eda saw Professor McGonagall clapping for her, saw the short Professor Flitwick climb onto the table, and even the always-gentle Professor Sprout gave her a wink.
Eda didn't bother wondering whether this was some new tactic from Dumbledore. In that moment, all she wanted was a good drink.
"And finally—Fred Weasley and George Weasley, our ever-familiar Weasley twins. Yes, they're always breaking school rules, always causing trouble," Dumbledore said with a smile, "but they are also the best friends anyone could ask for."
"When their friend needed them most, they never wavered. They gave without concern for cost, without asking for anything in return. For that, I award Gryffindor twenty more points."
The twins looked at each other in utter confusion—We actually got awarded points?
They hadn't misheard, had they?
Seeing Percy clapping vigorously, his prefect badge gleaming on his chest, Fred and George suddenly felt that maybe they ought to try a little harder next term. If they didn't, they might end up turning into Percy.
The Great Hall erupted once more in thunderous cheers. Everyone was celebrating Slytherin's sudden and crushing defeat. No one cared about the psychological damage to Slytherin; at this moment, the students just wanted to rejoice in the fall of the 'dark lords'.
Slytherin's lead of over two hundred points was erased in an instant—and then overtaken. Gryffindor was Gryffindor once more.
Dumbledore descended like a god from the heavens, defeating the "evildoers" of Slytherin and rescuing the beleaguered Gryffindor house.
At the staff table, Snape's face looked like he'd just swallowed a dead fly. He was still too young—when it came to favoritism, he wasn't even in the same league as Dumbledore. He didn't stand a chance.
Dumbledore had just proven with actions what the phrase "old ginger is spicier" really meant.
"This means," Dumbledore said, "we'll need to make a few small changes to the decorations here."
He clapped his hands, and instantly, the green banners turned scarlet, the silver became gold; the massive Slytherin serpent vanished, replaced by a majestic Gryffindor lion.
Slytherin's table was filled with dead silence—it was a terrible night for them. Gryffindor's table, meanwhile, was livelier than New Year's. For them, the entire school year felt all the more wonderful because of this one evening.
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