Eda settled into life at the Leaky Cauldron, w at Flourish and Blotts during the day. Her job was straightforward: after receiving owl orders, she would go to the warehouse, pack the ordered books, ahem back through the owls. This was the ey of Eda's duties.

  While pag the books, Eda would often flip through them. She read quickly, and her brief perusals didn't interfere with her work at all.

  However, stantly handling owls meant that she iably picked up some of their st. Eda had to discreetly cast ing charms on herself to avoid being pgued by unpleasant odors.

  Around four iernoon, Eda's work at the bookstore would be done. But her day wasn't over yet—she would return to the pub to help out.

  Dave, who had been injured, wasn't ing back to work anytime soon. The healers at St. Mungo's said he'd be hospitalized until October.

  Tom had inteo hire another waiter to cover for Dave, but he hadn't found a.

  Eda took advantage of this situation, stepping in to help at the pub after finishing her work at the bookstore. In exge, Tom provided her with free meals and a dist on her room.

  It seemed like Eda was getting the short end of the deal, but iy, she didn't do much work at the pub—three or four hours at most each day—saving herself quite a bit of money.

  Evenings were Eda's own time, which she could spend as she pleased—whether doing her summer homework or reading. Aside from the small size of the space, everything else was just fine.

  A week passed by quickly this way.

  Though tiring, it was fulfilling, and Eda learned many things that Hogwarts couldn't teach her.

  Oernoon, due to a low number of orders at the bookstore, Eda finished work early. She returo the Leaky Cauldron by 3:30.

  Eda skillfully greeted the regurs at the pub. After w there for a few days, she had bee quite popur, and no one dared to mess with her.

  "Eda, guess who I saw today?" slurred a tipsy Dedalus Diggle.

  "How could I guess that? Why don't you just tell me?" Eda replied, carrying over a bottle of firewhisky. "If you tell me, this drink is on me."

  "You'd never guess, because I saw Harry Potter today! I spotted him in a Muggle shop!" Diggle excimed excitedly, raising his gss. "I reized the scar on his forehead and bowed to him to show my utmost respect!"

  As Dedalus Diggle's excitement peaked, he took off his hat and waved his hahusiastically, reting the se to the surrounding patrons.

  "You're missing out today, Eda. Dedalus has told that story dozens of times this afternoon!" said a young wizard who frequently came in to enjoy single malt whisky.

  "My ears are getting calluses from hearing it!" a nearby wizard joked with a ugh. "I'm starting to have halluations, thinking that I was the one who saw Harry Potter, not Dedalus."

  "He's about to start school soon, isn't he?" someone asked.

  "Yes, year he should be heading to Hogwarts. We'll get to see him then!" another er responded excitedly.

  "Hehe! By then, he'll be my junior. I ask him for an autograph and send it to you all for free," Eda said with a smile. She kept her promise to Dedalus and poured him a free gss of firewhisky.

  "That's Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the one who saved the wizarding world!" Dedalus Diggle excimed excitedly, spilling the freshly poured drink all over the floor.

  Yes, that was Harry Potter, a legend in his ht, the boy whose name oken of everywhere, even if he himself was out of sight.

  Most of the people in the pub were eager to meet this famous figure, but they weren't as lucky as Dedalus, who happeo cross paths with Harry Potter just by walking dowreet.

  "You know, maybe he'll be in the same house as me~" Eda ughed, p another drink for Dedalus. "But this one won't be on the house, lucky Diggle."

  Eda walked back to the bar and asked Tom for a butterbeer. Tom wasn't sure what Eda to, but he ha to her anyway. Over the past few days, Tom had grown to view Eda in a new light.

  Raising her butterbeer, Eda loudly addressed the pub, "To Harry Potter!"

  "To Harry Potter!"

  The witches and wizards in the pub echoed back, lifting their gsses and drinkiily. Those who could hold their liquor had another round.

  Eda took a big gulp of her butterbeer, enjoying the way the bitterness of the beer was softened by the rich butter, whi turn was mellowed by the beer's lightness.

  Ahh~

  No wonder young witches and wizards were so fond of this sweet drink.

  As for Harry Potter, Eda wasn't too ed. She'd meet him eventually. What mattered to her was that tonight, every guest had ara drink, which meant a little more money for the till.

  Tom, standing behind the bar, was delighted by the se before him. His toothless grin stretched wide, almost reag his ears. He discreetly gave Eda a thumbs up.

  Over the past few days, Eda had found various ways to boost the enthusiasm of the pub's patrons, and whenever she was helping out, the ers ordered more drinks than usual.

  After pg her gss ba the bar, Eda leaned against it, satisfied as she watched everyone around her raising their gsses and drinkiily. She had a sudden urge to cast a Sonorus spell and shout out to everyoonight's drinks are on Mr. Potter!"

  Tom handed Eda another butterbeer, filling her gss once more. He regretted havily written to Professonagall earlier. If he had known things would turn out like this, he would have kept Eda hidden in the pub, treating her with the best food and drinks.

  "Keep an eye on the bar, I'm going to grab some more drinks from the back," Tom said.

  Eda stepped behind the bar, taking the gss from Tom and tinuing to polish it. If she could sck off while w, all the better—after all, what's more enjoyable than taking it easy on the job?

  As Eda was diligently polishing the gss—or rather, sg off—she suddenly noticed a shadow falling over her. A figure had appeared in front of her.

  " I help you with something?" Eda asked as she looked up, only to see a thin, slightly balding man standing before her. His hair was a fiery red.

  "You must be Eda. Just as they said, you're quite lovely," the balding man said kindly.

  "And you are...?" Eda felt that the man looked somewhat familiar, but she was certain they had never met before.

  "Ah, I fot to introduce myself—I'm Arthur Weasley, Fred and Gee's father," Mr. Weasley expined.

  "Oh! Hello, Mr. Weasley! Fred and Gee talk about you all the time. They say you're the best father in the world," Eda replied, feeling a bit foolish for nnizing him sooner. With his distinctive appearand red hair, she should have knht away.

  Mr. Weasley didn't quite believe that his mischievous sons would say such a thing, but he leased to hear Eda's pliment heless.

  "Mr. Weasley, would you like a drink?" Tom, who had returned with some stored alcohol, asked.

  "No, not today. I have to head home soon," Mr. Weasley replied. "I'm actually here to see Eda."

  Tom led Mr. Weasley ao a small private room behind the bar. Ihere was a small table and two rather unfortable-looking chairs.

  "Is there something you o speak to me about today?" Eda asked, p a drink before she sat dog the gss in front of Mr. Weasley.

  "Here, take this." Mr. Weasley pulled an envelope out of his robe and ha to Eda.

  Eda took the letter and began reading it.

  She immediately reized Professonagall's handwriting.

  After spending a year readiransfiguration notes, Eda would have needed gsses if she couldn't reize it by now.

  "Professonagall was very upset when she found out you were staying here," Mr. Weasley said. "Oh, and there's also this. Professonagall said you could use this money, but you shouldn't spend it frivolously."

  Mr. Weasley handed Eda a small leather pouch, the same one she had submitted before the holidays.

  Eda tinued reading the letter, which was filled with Professonagall's s. From the letter, Eda also learned why Mr. Weasley had e to the Leaky Cauldron to find her.

  After disc the situation, Professonagall had inally po e ach Eda herself. However, Dumbledore did not agree with her pn. Instead, he wrote a letter to Mr. Weasley, instrug him to take Eda to stay with his family for a while.

  "Oj my gosh! I finally rex now! I'll be in your and Mrs. Weasley's care from now on," Eda said, holding her butterbeer.

  "Yeah, Molly is very fond of you. She kept insisting that I bring you over to visit," Mr. Weasley replied, eyeing the gss in front of him with some hesitation.

  Notig his expression, which she reized all too well, Eda reassured him, "I won't tell Mrs. Weasley."

  "Oh! Such a great child!" Upon hearing this, Mr. Weasley immediately lifted the gss and dows tents. "Pack your things, and we'll head home to give them a surprise!" he said.

  _________

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