Many Thanks to Niaagara-san for becoming a new Patron!♥♥
_______
In the Forbidden Forest, Fawley cast the Killing Curse at Dumbledore, a streak of green light rushing toward him.
Dumbledore didn't move from his spot. With a simple gesture, a broken tree trunk flew into the path of the curse, blocking it.
Fawley attacked wildly, his wand continuously shooting curses, but none of them caused Dumbledore much trouble.
Dumbledore barely shifted his position. He elegantly waved his wand, effortlessly deflecting every one of Fawley's attacks.
If earlier it had been Fawley toying with Eda, now the situation had completely reversed.
Fawley was the one being toyed with. However, Dumbledore wasn't mocking him; he wasn't the type to do such things. The difference between the two was simply too vast.
Fawley was still standing on the ground, while Dumbledore had already soared into the stratosphere. The gap between them was so immense that it rendered Fawley's every attack powerless.
This realization was hard for Fawley to accept.
He had always been called a genius, recognized by Voldemort and given the opportunity to join the Death Eaters.
But before he could officially join, Voldemort had fallen.
Fawley had always blamed himself, believing that he had joined too late, unable to help Voldemort. He thought that if Voldemort had taken him in earlier, personally training him as a confidant, everything would have been different.
"Haa.. haah.."
Breathing heavily, Fawley was overwhelmed by a growing sense of helplessness.
He knew he wasn't a match for Dumbledore, but he had never imagined the gap between them would be so vast.
However, after fighting with Dumbledore today, Fawley finally realized how childish all of his schemes had been. In front of Dumbledore, he was like nothing more than a child.
Of course, he had only fought against Dumbledore. If it had been McGonagall or Snape here instead, he would likely have had the same realization.
Dumbledore began his counterattack. As an old man, he needed his rest, not to be standing in the Forbidden Forest in the cold wind after all. With a slight turn of his wand, a dazzling white light shot toward Fawley.
Fawley swung his wand wildly in the light, but no matter what he did, the light continued to envelop him. Whip-like tendrils of light struck him repeatedly, and Fawley let out furious howls.
The brilliant white light illuminated a large part of the Forbidden Forest. When it finally faded, Fawley reappeared. He was on his knees, tightly bound by vines that had seemingly sprung from nowhere.
No matter how much he struggled, the more he fought, the tighter the vines wrapped around him.
Exhausted, Fawley shouted, "Are you going to kill me, Dumbledore?"
Dumbledore looked at Fawley, who was firmly bound. There was a hint of regret in his eyes. Purely in terms of magical ability, Fawley was indeed a talented wizard. Even during wartime, his combat skills would have been quite formidable.
But Fawley had taken the wrong path, choosing a road from which there was no return.
If he had taken the right path, he could have achieved much more. Instead, he had fallen into dark magic, becoming nothing more than an executioner who relied on the Killing Curse.
"No, I won't do that. But you will pay for what you've done," Dumbledore said calmly. "For Daniel Bell, and for Eda—you will answer for both attacks."
"Pay? You're sending me to Azkaban?" Fawley sneered. "They'll welcome me like a hero when I arrive."
Dumbledore said, "Perhaps. But I think the Dementors will welcome you more warmly. Though I don't like those creatures, they are the true masters of Azkaban."
"I'll be watching you from Azkaban, waiting for the day my master kills you! I'll celebrate that day properly!" Fawley cursed venomously.
"Even if I die, there will always be others to stand against Voldemort. Someone will defeat him," Dumbledore said, pausing thoughtfully before continuing. "This world has never lacked heroes. They will always appear when they are needed."
"I have no intention of debating this with you. You'll see that day come. Darkness has never been able to fully obscure the light," Dumbledore added.
He raised his wand and cast a Stunning Spell at Fawley. Bound tightly, Fawley immediately fell unconscious.
...
Eda lay on the stretcher, staring blankly at the dazzling white light. She didn't really want to leave. She wanted to see Dumbledore teach Fawley a lesson with her own eyes.
She also wanted to see what it was like when Dumbledore, the greatest wizard, fought. She was curious about how he did it.
Eda wanted to watch, but she couldn't. She could only lie on the stretcher. After having her life threatened, enduring extreme mental stress, and repeatedly casting spells, Eda was now utterly exhausted. She couldn't muster any energy, and even her hair had lost its usual vibrancy.
Usually, Professor McGonagall was very perceptive, but this time, she didn't notice Eda's desire to stay. Instead, thinking that Eda was in pain, McGonagall sped up her pace rather than slowing down.
The three of them, along with the floating stretcher, quickly exited the Forbidden Forest.
Outside, they were met by a fully armed Hagrid and the anxious Weasley twins, who had been pacing in circles.
As soon as the twins saw the group, they ran straight over.
During the time Eda was in danger, the twins had been tormented with worry. If Filch hadn't delayed them, perhaps Eda would have had someone to consult with. She might not have gone to the dungeons alone and wouldn't have been kidnapped by the sinister Fawley.
Worry and guilt had been tormenting the twins' hearts. If Hagrid hadn't forcibly held them back, the brothers would have followed Dumbledore and the others into the Forbidden Forest.
""Eda, are you okay?"" the two called out loudly, their concern evident. The moment they saw that Eda was alive, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Keep your voices down, Weasleys," Professor McGonagall said with a displeased expression. "She needs rest."
The twins nodded repeatedly, but they didn't leave. Instead, they stayed by the stretcher, holding tightly to Eda's hands, afraid of losing her again.
"I'm fine. I'm sorry for making you worry," Eda whispered, smiling at the twins to signal that they needn't worry anymore.
Seeing Eda's smile only deepened the twins' guilt. Fred said, "Next time, we'll stand in front of you. No, wait, there won't be a next time. You'll never be in danger again."
George added, "You won't be alone anymore. We'll protect you."
"Unless we're dead, we won't let anyone hurt you again," the twins said together.
"We're not going to die. We'll all live well," Eda smiled again, even though the effort took a lot out of her.
Snape, observing the trio comforting each other, seemed to recall some unpleasant memories. He spoke up, interrupting their warm moment. He had a knack for playing the role of a disruptor or mood-destroyer.
He said, "Weasleys, you better stop talking to her, or I don't mind giving Twist another bottle of Silence Potion."
Threatened by Snape, the twins and Eda fell silent. The twins were afraid of disturbing Eda's rest, and Eda herself had no energy left to speak.
"Professor, how is she?" Hagrid approached and asked in a low voice, though even when he lowered his voice, it was still loud.
Professor McGonagall replied, "Nothing serious. Eda just needs to rest. You stay here and wait for Dumbledore; he'll be out soon."
"Alright, Professor," Hagrid said. He gently patted Eda's head before leaving the group to return to the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
All of them quickly returned to the castle, taking Eda to the hospital wing and entrusting her to Madam Pomfrey's care. The moment Eda touched the bed, she fell into a deep sleep.
The twins wanted to stay and watch over her, but Professor McGonagall firmly drove them out, forcibly escorting both of them back to the common room.
Just as Professor McGonagall had said, not long after they left, a figure emerged from the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
"Who's there?" Hagrid raised his crossbow, aiming at the figure.
"It's me, Hagrid."
"Dumbledore, Professor!" Hagrid recognized Dumbledore's voice and saw his figure emerging from the forest.
Behind Dumbledore floated Fawley, bound tightly and unconscious. Hagrid quickly hoisted Fawley over his shoulder and asked, "What do we do now?"
"Professor McGonagall should have already written to Minister Fudge. Once he arrives, we'll hand Fawley over to him," Dumbledore replied.
"Will he be sent to Azkaban?" Even someone as strong as Hagrid shuddered at the mention of the notorious prison.
"Perhaps," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "It all depends on how Fudge chooses to handle it. The Ministry hasn't captured a Death Eater in a long time."
_____________
Read 12 Chapters ahead of WN:
Patreon.com/Dragonel
While Eda was sound asleep in the hospital wing, Benedict Fawley received the punishment he deserved.
After escorting the twins back to their common room, Professor McGonagall sent a letter to the current Minister, Cornelius Fudge.
Upon receiving the letter in London, Fudge wasted no time and immediately traveled to Hogwarts, accompanied by a few Aurors.
Fudge and Professor McGonagall went straight to the Headmaster's office to meet with Dumbledore. The current Minister spoke with Dumbledore for less than half an hour before leaving.
The new Minister had no doubts about Dumbledore's words and even asked for his advice on how to handle the situation, almost as if Dumbledore was the Minister and he was merely a senior assistant.
However, Dumbledore offered no suggestions, leaving the decision to Fudge.
Dumbledore had no intention of usurping power. While he could help Fudge secure his position as Minister, he didn't want to make decisions for him.
Dumbledore's abilities far surpassed those of Fudge. If Dumbledore had wanted to be Minister, Fudge wouldn't have stood a chance. But Dumbledore had no desire to be Minister, nor did he want to turn the Minister into his puppet.
Power is a tempting thing, but it can easily consume a person.
Dumbledore had once been deeply entangled in it, and now he had no desire to repeat the mistakes of his youth. He couldn't afford the cost of making such errors ...again.
Fawley was held in his former office, his wand confiscated, and the magical vines still binding him tightly. Inside the office, Hagrid stood guard with his giant crossbow, assigned by Dumbledore to watch over the unconscious Fawley.
The Aurors sent by Fudge took custody of Fawley from Hagrid and, without any trial, sent him directly to Azkaban.
Awaiting Fawley were the fearsome Dementors and a long prison sentence.
In Azkaban, many prisoners lose their sanity due to the Dementors, and dying there isn't uncommon. It's a place that instills fear in everyone.
Benedict Fawley might wake up during the flight to the North Sea, or perhaps only after being locked up in his Azkaban cell. But regardless of when he wakes, the "hero's welcome" he hoped for will not come.
As a devoted follower of Voldemort and the attacker of two Hogwarts students, these charges alone would be enough to keep him in Azkaban for the rest of his life. If he had any other hidden crimes, he might as well pick out a grave plot within the prison.
While Eda was asleep, the twins stayed by her side whenever they weren't in class or sleeping.
Attending classes was by Professor McGonagall's order, and they didn't dare openly defy it. At night, when curfew came, Madam Pomfrey would firmly usher them out.
Their time in the hospital wing was limited. They skipped Quidditch practice and even gave up their beloved pranks just to stay close to Eda.
When Eda finally woke up, it was the evening of the third day. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw the twins by her bedside.
"Good evening, brave Miss Twist," Fred greeted her with a smile, handing her a piece of apple pie from the small table next to the bed.
"Yeah! Brave but foolish Miss Twist, would you like some water?" George poured her a glass and set it on the table.
After sleeping for so long, Eda was naturally hungry; her stomach was already growling in protest. But what she wanted more than food was water. She downed the glass in one gulp before reaching for the apple pie.
"Good evening, Mr. Weasleyes," Eda said after finishing the pie, finally feeling like herself again.
Fred handed her a copy of the Daily Prophet, saying, "Take a look—you made the papers."
George handed Eda a sandwich and continued, "Though it's not very noticeable."
Even though she already knew about Fawley's identity, Eda opened the newspaper, eating as she read. However, after flipping through the entire paper, she couldn't find her name anywhere—not even her last name!
As if anticipating this, George pointed out a small section to her: *"A student from Hogwarts assisted in the capture of a Death Eater..."*
"Are you angry? You nearly died."
"It was Dumbledore who caught him with you, but they didn't even mention your names."
"That's The Daily Prophet for you. It's why we hate the Ministry of Magic," the twins said together.
But Eda didn't see it that way. Dumbledore didn't need something like this to bolster his reputation, and she certainly didn't want that kind of "honor" either. She would have preferred if that entire mention had been left out. She doesn't want to place a target on her back for the Voldy-supporters.
Compared to such hollow recognition, Eda would have preferred a more tangible reward, like a bag of Galleons. After all, Fawley was still a dangerous Death Eater, even if he was only an apprentice—surely he was worth some money?
"What are you looking for?" George asked, noticing her searching around.
"Galleons. I helped the Ministry catch a criminal; they really have nothing to offer as a reward?" Eda said, glancing around the small table.
"Don't bother looking; there's nothing on there except food," Fred said. "No mention, no reward."
"Even though the *Daily Prophet* didn't name you, everyone's pretty sure it was you," George added.
"Oh, well..." Eda murmured.
Fred explained, "After Fawley's crimes were reported, everyone started speculating who the student was, but no one at school admitted to it..."
"And since you were in the hospital wing and missed classes, they put two and two together," George continued.
"It's just assisting the Aurors, and the fact that it was a first-year student doesn't surprise anyone," the twins said together. "Now all that's left is for you and Dumbledore to confirm everyone's suspicions."
With no tangible reward and being figured out by everyone, Eda found herself in the spotlight. She felt a bit upset—definitely not because of the lack of Galleons, but because she didn't want to be a glaring target.
"Haah~"She wasn't sturdy enough to handle all the attention.
"Let them guess all they want; I'm not admitting to anything. This kind of empty fame is useless, and having that label would just be a hassle."
"If they really gave you Galleons, I bet you wouldn't be lying here so quietly," Fred said with a grin.
"I'd wager Eda would've run off to find Professor McGonagall by now," George agreed confidently.
Eda nodded in agreement with George's view and said, "Of course! Not just Professor McGonagall, I'd raise a fuss all the way to Professor Dumbledore. It's what I deserve, and I won't settle for even one Knut less!"
The twins' expressions were perfectly synchronized—they fully believed Eda's words. After all, she was a witch who valued Galleons as if they were her very life.
"Just after taking office, our dear Minister managed to catch a hidden Death Eater. He must be over the moon; his speech made today's headlines," Fred said, flipping through the newspaper.
George sneered, "And now all the newspapers and magazines have changed their tune, praising the new Minister, as if they weren't the ones questioning Fudge before."
Instead of joining the discussion about the *Daily Prophet's* inconsistency, Eda decided to make a joke, "What if I became Minister one day?"
Who hadn't dreamed of becoming Prime Minister as a kid, just like the childhood dilemma of whether to go to Cambridge or Oxford? It was the kind of boast you made when you were too young to know better.
"Then the Ministry of Magic would have the shortest-serving, most money-grubbing Minister in history," the twins quipped without mercy.
Eda, dissatisfied, asked, "So in your eyes, I'm just some greedy, stingy miser?"
"Should we put it another way?" Fred looked to his brother for input.
"Let's put it another way," George replied.
"The good-looking, money-grubbing miser!" The twins continued to tease Eda, not changing their tune at all.
Eda had a habit of meticulously recording every penny she spent, and the twins were poking fun at her for it.
"If I were Minister of Magic, I'd definitely give Mr. Weasley a promotion," Eda said. "How about Senior Deputy Minister of Magic?"
"If you did that, Percy would absolutely adore you!"
"He might even be so moved that he'd offer to marry you."
The thought of Percy's ambition gave Eda an involuntary shiver. Percy was so different from his brothers that if it weren't for his freckles and fiery red hair, Eda might have thought he was a child adopted by the kind-hearted Weasley couple.
"On second thought, let's not. I couldn't be Minister if it means dealing with Percy," Eda said, pretending to be horrified.
"I heard someone say they wanted to be Minister of Magic, is that right?"
As Eda and the twins were joking around, Dumbledore walked into the hospital wing.
______________
Read 12 Chapters ahead of WN:
Patreon.com/Dragonel