Whether it was a threat or a warning in the spider cave, it was all a rehearsal for Eda's future. The road to success is always covered with thorns—besides cutting through them with force, negotiation is also indispensable. She couldn't possibly clear every obstacle with sheer power.
Even Voldemort, whose mind had become unstable because of splitting his soul, understood the importance of uniting pure-blood families and using their influence to eliminate his enemies. Since he could grasp such a principle, there was no reason Eda wouldn't.
If ten points were full marks, Eda would give herself seven for today—not just because of her fondness for the number seven, but because her performance wasn't exactly flawless.
Eda hadn't managed to gain Aragog's cooperation through words. In the end, she had to use force to make him bow his head and sign a humiliating truce.
Though not perfect, she had achieved her main objectives—and even gained an extra profit—so she rated herself above average.
A person cannot grow rich without extra income, just as a horse cannot grow strong without night feed. Having earned a large amount of Galleons, Eda was naturally in an excellent mood.
As she walked out of the Forbidden Forest, her steps were light, and she hummed an unfamiliar tune. What she carried in her bag wasn't Acromantula venom, but piles of gleaming Galleons, new clothes, pairs of comfortable shoes, and the startup funds for the joke shop.
The twins walking behind her, however, were far less carefree. Fred and George looked at Eda with concern—they feared that the powerful magic she wielded might corrupt her, that she would become as unreasonable and terrifying as the dark wizards.
Fred and George made a decision—they would have an honest talk with Eda.
So the twins stopped Eda in front of the castle and dragged her all the way toward the Shrieking Shack—their secret base where no one would disturb them, perfect for a private talk.
Eda was utterly baffled as she was hauled off, one twin on each side.
One moment she had been humming a tune and daydreaming about the new clothes she'd been eyeing for ages, and the next she was being kidnapped. Who could she even complain to about this?
Under the bright moonlight, only two sets of footprints and a long dragging trail were left behind. The prints and the drag marks stretched all the way to the Whomping Willow before disappearing.
Inside the Shrieking Shack, George lit the fireplace. He knew Eda was sensitive to the cold, so after the fire flared up, he set a kettle of water to boil.
Fred tossed a blanket to Eda, who was sitting on the sofa, then fixed his gaze on her. His stare was so intense that even someone as thick-skinned as Eda felt a little embarrassed.
Once George sat down beside them, Fred finally spoke. "That fire just now—it was dark magic, wasn't it?"
Eda nodded blankly, not quite sure what this was leading to.
"You should know the drawbacks of dark magic better than we do," George said. "When did you start using it?"
Of course, it had been after returning from Nurmengard. Changing her perception of dark magic hadn't just been talk—Eda had genuinely started experimenting with it, and it turned out to be incredibly effective.
Naturally, dark magic had some influence on her too, though compared to most dark wizards, the effect on Eda was almost negligible.
If other dark wizards knew about Eda's situation, they'd be jealous to death. If they could even just be near her, they'd probably be so overjoyed they'd start blowing snot bubbles.
Even in the brightest sunlight, shadows still exist. As long as Eda's will remained firm, dark magic would never become her inner demon—it was all a matter of mindset.
Besides, even when surrounded by darkness, Eda still longed for the light. That was what set her apart from those dark wizards, and one of the reasons she could remain untouched by the corruption of dark magic.
What's more, Eda had two radiant "little suns" by her side—the twins—along with Professor McGonagall and the entire Weasley family. They were all obstacles on her road to turning dark.
As the saying goes, "Once blackened, power increases tenfold; once purified, it weakens by three." On her path to becoming stronger, those people were constantly holding Eda back.
Seeing that Eda didn't respond, George continued, "It was after you came back from your trip last term, wasn't it? We don't know where you went, but ever since you returned, something about you has changed."
Eda nodded again, a little confused about how George could tell.
Seeing her nod, Fred took a silver Sickle from his pocket and, looking pained, placed it in George's hand. Clearly, the twins had made a bet behind Eda's back—a single Sickle on the line—and George had won.
"We're really worried about you, Eda," said the loser, Fred. "You know better than anyone the downsides of dark magic, and you know how Cecil left this world. Yet you still chose to practice it. Tell us why."
"Dark magic is certainly terrifying," Eda said, "but not as terrifying as people think. It depends on who's using it. I have confidence in myself—I believe I won't be consumed by it."
"Every dark wizard must have thought the same as you," Fred said. "They all believed they were different, but in the end, they all fell under the lure of dark magic."
A low whooshing sound filled the small house—the water had come to a boil, momentarily interrupting their conversation.
George got up and brought over the steaming kettle, while Fred fetched three cups. Eda, meanwhile, sat lazily on the sofa like a queen, not moving an inch.
Cradling the warm cup in her hands, the heat slowly chased away the chill from her body. "But I have you two," Eda said, "and that whole big family, and Professor McGonagall. We all share the same dream."
"Be serious," George said. "We're talking about your problem—don't change the subject. Promise us: if you ever notice anything wrong with yourself, or if we notice something off about you, you'll immediately stop studying dark magic."
The twins knew Eda must have thought long and hard before making this choice. They couldn't change her mind in a few words, but they couldn't just do nothing either.
Eda took a small sip of the hot water. Even though she'd cooled it a bit with a Freezing Charm, it was still quite hot.
"I swear," she said, her tongue slightly thick from the heat.
Then she gave an embarrassed little laugh, the gold rims of her glasses fogging up. Gone was the fierce figure from the Forbidden Forest; instead, she looked soft and adorably mischievous.
Men's promises can't be trusted—and neither can women's. Women lie too, especially the pretty ones.
Eda had just sworn an oath in the Forbidden Forest using her own name, and now here she was making another one in the Shrieking Shack. If the twins actually believed her words, that would be the real miracle.
This was the first time the twins had ever seen Eda use dark magic—and it definitely wouldn't be the last. All they could do was keep a close eye on her, guide her when they could, and make sure she stayed in the light, stayed herself, and didn't turn into a lunatic consumed by darkness.
"If—and we mean if—you really do become like those dark wizards, a mad killer who knows nothing but blood and death," Fred and George said in unison, "we'll never forgive you. We swear it!"
Their tone was more serious than ever before. There were harsher words they left unspoken, but every one of them came from deep worry and fear for Eda.
They were afraid she'd fall back into the shadows again—just like in the orphanage days, when she hid from the world, shunning the warmth of the sun.
Eda lifted the blanket off her lap and stepped down from the sofa, sitting instead on the edge of the small tea table before them.
She took each twin's hand in hers, her voice steady and sincere as she said, "Believe me. My world will never be swallowed by darkness again. Even if one day I stand in the dark, you two will always be the light that guides me."
In the little house, the fire in the hearth was the only light source. Outside, moonlight glistened on the snow, painting the world in silver and white.
Fred and George couldn't tell which of them she was looking at through the corner of her eye—but to both of them, at that moment, Eda was something rarer and more beautiful than moonlight or snow.
Outside, snow began to fall again.
And on that Christmas night, their friendship deepened once more.
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