Chapter 111: April 1st and Elective Courses
April 1st—April Fool's Day.
On this meaningful day, the so-called "Great Gods of Pranks," the Weasley twins, Fred and George, celebrated their thirteenth birthday.
Of course, the title of "Great Gods of Pranks" was entirely self-proclaimed by the shameless duo—Eda would never acknowledge it.
In many ways, the twins embodied the traits of Aries. They were highly creative, had little regard for rules, and loved a carefree lifestyle. Though their pranks could sometimes be quite annoying, the brothers also had a knack for bringing warmth to others now and then.
Aries is the first sign of the zodiac and of spring—a season where the lingering cold still bites, yet life begins to flourish with boundless energy. Fred and George were the same, always brimming with vitality and filled with an insatiable curiosity for discovery and adventure. Because of this, both the castle and the Forbidden Forest had suffered at their hands more times than one could count.
Looking at it this way, astrology did seem to have some truth to it.
But when it came to Eda, the logic completely fell apart. Libra, an autumn-born sign, was supposed to be gentle, kind, and easygoing—but these words had absolutely nothing to do with Eda.
If anyone ever thought Eda was gentle and kind, she wouldn't mind giving them a firsthand lesson in what "kindness" truly meant—Evan Avery, Marcus Flint, and Theophilus Toller could certainly testify to that.
As for being easygoing?
That was pure nonsense!
While Eda was always polite in her interactions, her politeness carried a distinct sense of distance. Anyone hoping to befriend her first needed a thick enough skin—only then could they attempt to take the next step.
On top of that, Eda's temper was far from mild. Among all the Gryffindor students, the one Professor McGonagall worried about the most was Eda.
The twins, despite constantly losing points and breaking rules, at least did so in small, steady increments. Eda, on the other hand, wasn't like that at all—McGonagall always feared that one day, Eda would cause some major catastrophe, leading to a massive point deduction of dozens at once.
Fred and George's birthday this year wasn't like the previous one, where only a few family members and close friends gathered to say a few words of blessing and share the cake Mrs. Weasley had sent.
Just a few days after the twins' birthday came the Easter holiday. During the Easter feast, the house-elves prepared a grand meal, featuring ham, roast lamb, pancakes, and chocolate eggs.
A bunch of wizards celebrating not only Christmas but also Easter—wasn't that odd? In the Middle Ages, wizards had been burned at the stake in his name, yet now, they celebrated his birth and resurrection even more enthusiastically than Muggles!
Eda had considered the possible reasons behind this. Perhaps, once upon a time, wizards didn't celebrate these holidays at all. But then, one day, someone took the lead, and everyone realized that celebrating was actually quite fun.
As a result, the wizarding community split into two factions: one that embraced the festivities and one that stuck to the old ways, refusing to celebrate Muggle holidays. Over time, those who didn't celebrate failed to pass on their lineage, leaving only the wizards who enjoyed the holidays to carry on.
Of course, there was another, more plausible theory: Muggles were too busy celebrating on these holidays to organize witch hunts, making Easter and Christmas the safest times of the year for wizards.
Over the centuries, these holidays were gradually accepted into wizarding culture, and wizards started celebrating them as well.
Compared to Eda's own rather cynical speculation, the latter explanation was clearly more reasonable, well-founded, and convincing. It was based on logical deductions from wizarding history, whereas Eda's theory was nothing more than baseless conjecture.
Meanwhile, in Twilight Shack, the twins were busy with their latest invention. They had modified part of a Filibuster Firework, replacing a section with a component of their own design. Now, they were testing their creation, trying to ignite the newly assembled firework.
Eda sat in the armchair by the window, basking in the warm afternoon sunlight, idly toying with the elective course list in her hands. Second-year students needed to select their third-year electives during the Easter holiday and submit their choices after the break so the school could schedule their classes accordingly.
Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, and Muggle Studies—Eda had to choose at least two of these subjects. Of course, if someone had enough time, they could take all of them.
Ancient Runes was a theoretical subject focusing on the study of magical texts written in ancient runes. This was a course Eda was absolutely determined to take.
Many magical manuscripts were written in runes, and Eda hoped that by studying them, she could uncover some powerful spells. At the very least, she might finally decipher the inscription on her ring.
As for the remaining subjects, Eda didn't particularly want to take any of them.
Muggle Studies?
That had nothing to do with magic—it was all about Muggle culture, history, and technological advancements.
Did Eda really need to waste time learning that?
Absolutely not! Not even the teachers at Hogwarts know more than she does.
Taking that class would be a complete waste of time, practically slow-motion suicide!
Care of Magical Creatures sounded somewhat interesting, but the trauma Hagrid had inflicted on Eda was too deep. Even though the class was taught by Professor Grubbly-Plank, Eda figured the two probably had a lot in common—both likely adored magical creatures.
The thought of spending every lesson surrounded by a bunch of "fluffy little darlings" sent a chill down her spine. Eda didn't want to know where magical creatures lived—she only wanted to know if they could be cooked! After all, her soul came from a culture that could turn The Classic of Mountains and Seas into a cookbook.
The last two subjects were both related to divination. Whether wizard or Muggle, humans shared one common trait—an intense obsession with foreseeing the future. It was an instinct, a way to seek fortune and avoid disaster.
The Divination professor was Sybill Trelawney, who spent her days hiding in the small attic of Hogwarts, drinking wine. She looked more like a mad, delusional fraud than the great-granddaughter of the renowned Seer, Cassandra Trelawney.
Many upper-year students disliked this sherry-scented professor as well. Could such an eccentric and unreliable teacher really instruct students in a subject as mysterious as Divination?
Unlike Divination, which involved reading crystal balls, tea leaves, or palms, Arithmancy was based on a strict set of rules and rigorous mathematical calculations. It reminded Eda of the street-side fortune tellers in her past life, who interpreted written characters to predict people's fates.
At first glance, Arithmancy seemed like a way of using science to predict the future, somewhat akin to numerology. But to Eda, it still felt more like pseudoscience, and the professor who taught it seemed like one of those self-proclaimed "folk scientists."
"Fred, George, what electives did you choose?" Unable to decide, Eda turned to the two little "charcoal figures" for help.
"Cough, cough. Care of Magical Creatures and Divination," Fred replied, wiping the black soot from his face. Their experiment with Dr. Filibuster's Fireworks had fizzled out but still managed to cover them both in ash.
Eda drew her wand and cast Scourgify on the twins and their surroundings, then used Evanesco to clear away the remnants of the failed fireworks.
"I heard you can make up anything for Divination homework and still get credit, and Care of Magical Creatures is the only elective taught outdoors," George explained their reasoning.
"What did you choose?"
"Ancient Runes," Eda replied. "I haven't decided on the second one yet."
"Then just pick the same as us. What's there to hesitate about?" George asked, puzzled.
Fred, being more direct, grabbed Eda's elective form and quickly scribbled down the choices before handing it back to her.
Looking at it, Eda saw that besides Ancient Runes, Fred had also added Divination and Care of Magical Creatures. Now, instead of just two electives, she had three—meaning much less free time.
Maybe it wasn't too late to ask Professor McGonagall for a new form…
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