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  Eda kept tossing and turning in bed, repying Snape's words in her mind.

  Snape was highly displeased with her nighttime wandering and even her daytime roaming around the castle, and his displeasure went far beyond what was typical for a professor.

  The first time she entered the secret about Fluffy while wandering at night, it was Snape who had led her away from Fluffy.

  Now that she thought about it, it seemed Snape roteg her—proteg her as a student.

  This realization suddenly made Snape appear much more admirable.

  Despite his sharp tongue and unpleasant demeanor, Snape was indeed proteg her, and not just once.

  As she restructed Snape's as in her mind, Eda found her impression of him improving. She still disliked him, but it wasn't with the same intense irritation she had felt before.

  On Sunday, Gryffindor tiheir "hunt" for the thief, though they were much more discreet about it.

  They no loood guard openly around the castle; their as were much more covert, yet they still found no trace of the thief.

  During dihe older students pined, believing the thief was too cowardly aainly not a Gryffindor student raduate.

  True bravery meant fag a harsh reality head-on, pushing through despite the obstacles. Of course, if roles were reversed, they wouldn't be foolish enough to walk into a trap either; their pints were just expressions of frustration at their futile efforts.

  The following week, Eda heeded Snape's advid stayed put in the dormitory. Whenever she left, it was with the twins elina and Aliever alone.

  This obedient behavior didn't result in another summons from Snape. Even during Potions css, Snape went easy on her. It was the most rexed Potions css Eda had ever attended, with no harsh remarks and no one causing trouble for her.

  It was the st week of February, a very ordinary week with n attaysterious thieves. Eveerrible weather had improved.

  However, while it was an ordinary week for most at Hogwarts, it was an exceptionally unlucky week for Professor Fawley.

  On Monday, a student actally set his robe on fire. Although he wasn't harmed, his expensive robe was ruined. Eda felt sorry for that robe for a long time after hearing about it.

  On Tuesday, he was actally injured in the right leg by audent and had to be taken to the hospital wing by a group of students. On the way there, a careless student actally bumped his head, causing him to pass out. Thanks to Madam Pomfrey's meticulous care, Fawley left the hospital wing on Thursday, fully recovered.

  Thinking the worst was over, Fawley hoped the rest of the week would be uful. But on his way downstairs, he slipped and fell, rolling doweps. Just twenty minutes after leaving the hospital wing, Fawley found himself bader Madam Pomfrey's care.

  Luckily, Fawley was young. If it had been st year's seventy-year-old Professerard, such a fall might have been fatal. Professerard had an act in April of the previous year and was still bedridden at St. Mungo's, though fortunately, he survived.

  Students whispered about Fawley's streak of bad luck, speg that the rumored curse on the Defense Against the Dark Arts position was taking effect. The curse seemed to be showing its power, and everyone wondered how long Fawley would st and what his ultimate fate would be.

  Some sympathetid soft-hearted girls began praying to Merlin day and night, hoping he would protect the ill-fated Fawley and help him through this rough patch.

  Others, rather unkindly, started betting on when Woolley would leave Hogwarts and just how disastrous his departure would be.

  The twi all their pocket money on the fact that Woolley would st until June. If Woolley mao hold out until then, the Weasley brothers' pocket money would skyrocket.

  Driven by financial greed, the Weasley twins joihe group praying for Fawley's health.

  March arrived quickly, bringing a long-awaited spring to Hogwarts. Amid the chill of early spring, Professor Fawley was discharged from the hospital wing once again. This time, he did not suffer any new mishaps aurned healthy, to the cheers of many students and the disappoi of others.

  While those at Hogwarts focused on how long Professor Fawley would st, the magical world outside was more ed with who would be the Minister of Magic. Millit Bagnold had officially announced her resignation and would step down after the new minister was elected.

  During this time, the Headmaster's chair in the Great Hall was oftey. Dumbledore, who held many titles besides being the school headmaster, frequently left Hogwarts to atteings.

  While Dumbledore was away, ahief" i occurred at Hogwarts.

  This time, the Slytherin house was the victim.

  Despite being visited by the "thief," the Slytherin ke-view room lost nothing. The ke creatures and the Bloody Baron saw no sign of the "thief."

  This "thief" overshadowed Professor Fawley, being the number oopic at Hogwarts. Eda wondered if there was a saying in the magical world about thieves never leaviy-handed, but this "thief" clearly didn't know it.

  Hufflepuff and Gryffindor were not spared either. The "thief" visited both on rooms using differehods.

  In Hufflepuff's case, it was evident that the "thief" had improved. The intrusio almost unnoticed. If not for a house-elf deteg a minor anomaly, the infiltration would have been a plete success.

  The thwarted "thief" seemed to give up oh after that. Instead, they reverted to their previh tactics when dealing with the Gryffindor on room. Wheudents returo find their on room in plete disarray, they immediately informed Professonagall.

  Upon arriving at the on room, Professonagall first calmed the students down, preventing the riled-up Gryffindors from turning the entire castle upside down in search of the intruder.

  She also questiohe portrait of the Fat Lady, who guarded the entrance, but learned nothing useful.

  If the students hadn't informed the Fat Lady, she wouldn't have even known that the on room had been infiltrated!

  Fred and Gee publicly cimed that their homework had been taken by the "thief," thus they couldn't turn it in.

  An annoyed Professonagall khey were lying and puhem with detention, though the twins showed no remorse during their week of fi.

  All four houses had now been forcibly "visited" by the thief. This brazen behavior, as if mog the four houses, incited universal ahe thief hadn't stolen anything but had succeeded in uniting the four houses in their hostility.

  The students took to setting up makeshift traps in their on rooms, hoping to catch the thief. Unfortunately, these traps didn't catch the thief but instead caused injuries to several students, leading to a crowded hospital wing. Even Professor Fawley, who usually enjoyed VIP treatment there, had to queue in the hallway.

  The fact that this "thief" had mao provoke such a unified response from the four houses was, in a way, quite an impressive feat.

  pared to Fred and Gee, Eda's ability tnize and correct her mistakes was endable. She hadn't gone on any nighttime excursions for quite a while. She even refrained from joining the twins when they went scouting around the Forbidden Forest.

  However, she still frequently received summons from So help process the materials needed for Potions csses. In fact, a signifit portion of the materials used by Hogwarts students were prepared by Eda.

  With her increasing iions with Snape, Eda grew bolder. She even dared to ask Snape questions. Although his attitude was aloor when answering, he still respoo her inquiries.

  Whenever she asked a question, Snape's expression seemed to say, "How you be so dumb? This is so simple," or "Is your brain the size of a raisin? The answer is so obvious."

  Fag such a demeanor repeatedly, Eda felt her resilience had been thhly tested. She had learo endure Snape's sarcasm without letting it affect her.

  Under Snape's "kind" guidance, Eda was making great strides toward being a better version of herself. This was something Snape had never anticipated. He had never expected Eda to be so "resilient" under his torment. It had been a long time since he used poiions as a threat.

  Days passed, mostly uful but occasionally interrupted by small disturbances. Before long, the twins' birthday roag.

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