During dinner, Eda sat on the Gryffindor bench with a depressed look on her face. She was sitting in a position where she could see every studeering the hall.

  The Gryffindors who walked into the hall were initially angry about losing so many points, but when they found out it was due to a fight with Slytherin—and that they had won—they weren't as upset.

  In Gryffindor, this could almost be sidered 'politically correct behavior'.

  However, sihey had lost so many points at ono one would go up to the youudents ahem "well done" or anything like that.

  The atmosphere at the Slytherin table was pletely different. Losing points and losing the fight—there was no way they could be happy.

  Professor Snape, sitting at the staff table, had a very long face, lookiremely displeased.

  Everyone was silently praying that their Potions css wouldn't put them in Snape's crosshairs. Wouldn't it be o stay alive?

  The Ravencws and Hufflepuffs, full of curiosity, looked unsurprised after learning the reason for the i. But they still grabbed their seats, ready to watch the drama unfold.

  Professonagall had punished both houses, so the matter was sidered settled from the school's perspective. But for those involved, it wasn't over.

  Eda had bee famous in all four houses again, following her previous reputation as "Miss Know-it-All."

  Eda herself rejected this notoriety. Now, if she parted her hair down the middle, someone might even e up and call her "Big Boss."

  The other main character of the i—Cody Avery—was now a ughingstock, fuhan anything from Zonko's Joke Shop.

  His insults toward Campbell, the Weasleys, and Eda before the fight had also spread, making him look even more like a brainless vilin from a children's story.

  Some students, with a strong sense of justice, even thought about going to the infirmary to beat him up again or waiting until he was discharged to send him back.

  That's just hhteous and proactive Hogwarts students could be.

  Avery had bee a joke. When students chatted about him, they always mentioned how he got sent to the infirmary by a girl.

  Fet about sneak attacks or any such details—people would only remember Avery being ko the ground while his cssmates "valiantly fought," and all he could do was lie there and wail.

  Is there anything more embarrassing in this world?

  Yes, fist fighting with a muggle-birl!

  Is there anything even more embarrassing than that?

  Yes, losing the fight!

  Is there anything more embarrassing still?

  Yes, beien so badly you end up in the infirmary!

  However, Avery, lying in the infirmary, didn't yet know how the other students were reag.

  He also didn't know that some were pnning to beat him up again. In fact, staying in the infirmary was a lucky break for him. At least he didn't have to show his bruised and swollen face to everyone, which would only t his reputation as a .

  Cody Avery, whose mouth had gotten him into trouble, probably didn't expect that his idle boasts uhe suhis afternoon would lead to such a beating...

  When they returo the Gryffindor on room, the other two Weasley brothers, Charlie and Percy, didn't ignore Eda and the twins.

  Charlie and Percy walked ether. Charlie sat down in an armchair o his twin brothers, dragging a hesitant Percy along.

  "You fought and broke the school rules!" Charlie said sternly.

  The twins didn't argue with their sed brother. Charlie held a lot of authority in their minds.

  The two brothers resignedly lowered their heads, waiting for their brother's scolding.

  After Charlie, Percy would be waiting to lecture them too.

  However, Percy... well, Percy could say whatever he wanted, but ime they'd make sure he got what was ing to him. The twins shared the same thought.

  "Uh, Charlie, they fought because of me. It's my fault they got involved," Eda quickly expined. I, Esmeralda Twist, would always stand up for my friends.

  Who wouldn't call me a just and noble person?

  "I know, Eda. You don't o cover for them. They were already looking for a fight; you just happeo get there first," Charlie said.

  Then Charlie added a few more critical remarks toward the twins, making them bow their heads even lower.

  Suddenly, Charlie burst into ughter. Realizing he shouldn't be ughing, he quickly put on a serious face again and said early, "These criticisms are from Charlie Weasley, Prefect of Gryffindor House at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Now, I want to say a few words as your brother Charlie."

  The twins finally looked up, curious about what their brother had to say.

  "Well done, you should have given those kids a good beating. That's the spirit of a Weasley man!" Charlie said, patting his two brothers on the shoulders encingly. "Don't worry too much about the points; we earn them baext time those Slytherins dare to cause trouble, you keep on giving them what they deserve! But..."

  As soon as he said "but," Fred and Gee's expressions, which had just brightened, visibly darkened again.

  "But, the fact that her of you mao throw the first punch before Eda, a 'little' (Malnutritioned) girl, did—I'm very disappointed! Very disappointed!" Charlie said seriously.

  Eda, caught in the crossfire, looked speechlessly at Charlie. In her mind, she thought: Look at my fists wanting to make tact with your smug head, Charlie Weasley, I'm giving you a ce to rephrase that.

  "This i happened so suddenly, Charlie—" Gee began.

  "It won't happen again, Charlie," Fred added.

  "We just didn't expect Eda to be so fierce. She usually seems so gentle and weak..." the twins said, but upon seeing Eda's threatening look, they swallowed the rest of their words.

  "Those are just excuses, don't use excuses as reasons," Charlie said, then put on a curious expression. "I didn't expect that, you usually seem so well-behaved."

  Charlie's inquisitive gaze made Eda get goosebumps. The way Charlie looked at her now was just like how he looked at his dragon books.

  Uo stand this "fiery" gaze, Eda started gring back. Her small eyes cut at Charlie like little knives.

  Unfortunately, Charlie was oblivious aalking to himself: "I heard about the flict. Your bravery reminded me of my younger days! But... Eda, you should be more careful. Ag like this could get you hurt. ime, leave this kind of thing to Fred and Gee."

  Charlie then looked at the twins, waiting for their response. Fred and Gee nodded eagerly, like chis peg at grains.

  After receiving the twins' dual promises (to try not to break school rules and to throw the first punches in future fights), Charlie nodded in satisfa, then stood up and pulled Percy, who had been standing to the side the whole time, over.

  "I won't tell Mom about this, aher will Percy," Charlie promised, giving Percy a warm smile. "Right, Percy?"

  Percy forced a smile that looked worse than a cry aantly said, "I won't tell Mom either, Fred, Gee."

  Percy, what's wrong?

  If you're being kidnapped or threatened, just blihought to herself.

  She had expected Percy to write to Mrs. Weasley to tattle.

  But Eda misuood Percy. Percy didn't think the twins fighting was such a big deal, especially sihey won.

  He just couldn't stand their rule-breaking and poiing behavior. He didn't like such destructive and unruly as, which is what bothered him the most.

  Satisfied with the answer, Charlie dragged Percy away. Fred and Gee said in unison to Eda, "So, you saw it. ime something like this happens, you let us go first?"

  Eda nodded dumbfoundedly.

  She didn't have mutera with Charlie Weasley and had assumed that, with his nice-guy face, Charlie would be someone like Percy. But now she realized she was wrong.

  "Charlie seems pretty iing, unlike Percy," Lee Jordan mumbled with his mouth full of snacks.

  "Bill and Charlie are both iing! They're both prefects, and Bill was even Head Boy," Fred said.

  "Charlie is also the Quidditch captain. And they aren't as rigid aic as Percy, who's such a stickler for rules," Gee added.

  "Unpopur Percy!" they said in unison. "Percy the prefect!"

  Eda nodded in agreement, and even Angelina and Alicia expressed their currence.

  Although it had beehan half a month since school started, Percy's reputation among his peers wasn't great.

  Percy stantly tried to manage his twin brothers, making them behave and avoid losing points fryffindor.

  But his methods were hard to accept, and his stubbornness only straihe retionship between the brothers.

  Imagine having an elder brother like that—it would be quite frustrating.

  After chatting a bit more, everyouro their dormitories to rest. However, before parting, Fred took Eda's homework notebook.

  Lying on the soft bed in the dormitory, Eda felt waves of soreness wash over her body.

  She turned over and tightly gripped her wand.

  The yew wood wand seemed very upset with Eda fn it today, strongly expressing its protest to its owner.

  Feeling the wand's distent, Eda gently stroked it, calming it down.

  In fact, after calming down, this was something that made Eda very dissatisfied.

  In that moment wheook a, Eda fot her identity as a witd instinctively chose to punch like a Muggle!

  A witch should act like a witch!

  Swinging fists is not magical at all!

  Eda hoped to cultivate the act of waving her wand and casting spells into a natural instinct.

  She wao ehat when danger came, her first response would be to solve the problem with magic, rather than throwing punches like a brute or standing helplessly.

  Life had been too fortable, causing pcy! Eda silently reflected on this.

  _______

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