Chapter 137: Charlie on the Journey

Since it was the summer holiday, Eda decided to give herself a break and didn't rush to the Leaky Cauldron. Although old Tom had already written to ask when she would return to work, Eda wanted to enjoy a few more days of relaxation. 

The money Snape had given Eda last year remained untouched.

Her second-year expenses had all come from the two months she had worked at the bar. Now, with this additional sum, the money in Eda's pocket was roughly equivalent to three or four months of Mr. Weasley's salary. 

Mr. Weasley had a family to support, while Eda was just a child.

With enough money on hand, Eda could easily support herself. She didn't have any major expenses — unless she lost her mind and decided to splurge on a broomstick. 

Typically, attending school would be a significant financial burden, but Hogwarts didn't charge any fees. Tuition, meals, and even the tickets for the Hogwarts Express were all covered by the Ministry of Magic. Eda only needed to set aside money for purchasing school supplies. 

Every year, Eda bought second-hand textbooks. Once an item was used, its price would drop significantly. And since Hogwarts rarely changed its selected textbooks, buying second-hand copies didn't affect her studies. Sometimes, they even came with helpful notes and annotations. 

Her remaining expenses were mostly day-to-day living costs, along with gifts for Christmas or birthdays, which were unavoidable. As long as she was mindful of her spending, Eda didn't need to be too harsh on herself. 

This financial stability was precisely why Eda could comfortably stay at the Burrow without rushing back to the Leaky Cauldron. She no longer felt like the girl from last year who went door to door looking for a job. With enough savings to rely on, she was calm and at ease. 

Every morning, after enjoying one of Mrs. Weasley's hearty breakfasts, Eda would take Garlon for a walk. By the time she returned, the twins would usually be awake. The three of them often spent their time fishing in the small river outside the village or playing a game of Apple Quidditch up in the hills.

Everyone would also take time to feed the chickens and pigs together. Of course, the twins wouldn't dare let Eda do the feeding — they were afraid she might treat the animals like her herbology projects and accidentally feed them to death. 

So, Eda could only stand aside and watch. But she wasn't entirely useless — her job was to hold onto Garlon and prevent him from chasing the hens.

It wasn't for the chickens' safety, though. It was to keep Garlon from getting pecked too badly. 

Garlon was already over a year old, yet despite his size, he couldn't win against Mrs. Norris, nor could he stand up to the fierce hens of the Burrow.

Eda had long since accepted the reality of Garlon's lack of combat prowess.

She couldn't exactly force a dog to lift weights, could she? 

Sometimes, Eda would join the others in clearing the garden of gnomes, flinging the little creatures out of the yard. But Mr. Weasley was far too kind to the gnomes — he found them amusing. As a result, the gnomes that were thrown out would return to the garden within a few days, eagerly awaiting the next round of tossing. 

Eda had initially wanted to help Mrs. Weasley prepare dinner in the evenings. Mrs. Weasley had been delighted at first, but after seeing the way Eda handled a knife, her enthusiasm quickly waned. 

It wasn't that Eda seemed like she was chopping vegetables — she looked more like she was preparing to hack someone to pieces.

Her intimidating stance was enough to even make Mrs. Weasley feel uneasy. With a gentle and diplomatic tone, Mrs. Weasley kindly ushered Eda out of the kitchen. 

After dinner, Eda would often play a few rounds of wizard's chess with Ron or drag the twins into a card game. Only once the games were over would she return to her room to do her homework or read, living a rather leisurely life. 

This peaceful routine lasted for a week before Eda, feeling like she was becoming "ruined by pleasure," suddenly came to her senses. Resolving to turn over a new leaf, she swore off her days of laziness, determined to quit card games and wizard's chess.

To prevent herself from succumbing to the temptation of laziness, Eda decided to return to work at the Leaky Cauldron. She was determined to fill her somewhat deflated purse once again.

The next day, Eda woke up early. When she arrived in the kitchen, she was surprised to find Charlie already there.

Usually, at this time, only Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Eda would be present.

But when she noticed the luggage by Charlie's feet, Eda immediately understood. After greeting Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, she turned to Charlie and asked, "Leaving today?"

"Yeah," Charlie nodded, setting down his knife and fork. "Dad will take me there soon. I'll be heading to Romania with a friend."

Then, as if remembering something, Charlie reached for a neatly wrapped box and handed it to Eda.

"This is for you. I originally planned to have Mum pass it on when you would wake up, but since you're here, I'll give it to you directly."

Eda opened the box to find a collection of Charlie's study notes inside.

"These are all my notes and summaries related to the O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. exams. You and Percy might find them useful."

Charlie smiled, then added with a playful grin, "I actually wanted to get you a copy of 'Common Opening Strategies in Wizard's Chess,' but the price at Flourish and Blotts was ridiculous..."

"This notebook is perfect," Eda replied with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. If looks could kill, Charlie — dark humor and all — would've been long gone.

Leaning in slightly, Charlie lowered his voice and whispered to Eda, "At school, keep an eye on Fred and George for me. Don't spoil them too much. If they keep causing trouble like they usually do, I'm worried they won't even make it to their seventh year before getting expelled."

"If they dare not listen to me, I'll give them a good beating," Eda said, clenching her fists. "Even if they had the guts, they wouldn't dare fight back."

Eda would never let the twins get expelled. After all, wasn't there a famous painting called "The Three of Us"? If there were to be any expulsions, it would have to be all three of them together. Clearly, Charlie didn't know Eda well enough if he thought it was a good idea to leave the twins under her watch.

After a while, Mr. Weasley left the Burrow with Charlie. Mrs. Weasley stood at the door, watching them walk away. She remained there until their figures disappeared from view, then slowly returned to the kitchen.

Absent-mindedly, Mrs. Weasley leaned against the sink. Even as the water overflowed and splashed onto her, she didn't seem to notice. If Eda hadn't quickly spoken up, the Burrow might have been flooded.

Though Mrs. Weasley had supported Charlie's decision to go to Romania and encouraged him to chase his dreams, it was clear that her heart ached. Eda thought it might be best to find a way to distract her, to lift her spirits.

When it came to cheering people up, the first thing that came to Eda's mind was the twins — followed by cheering potions and happiness charms. But since those potions and spells tended to have side effects, Eda decided that the twins would be a better choice.

After getting dressed, she headed to their room.

Eda knocked on the door, but the deeply asleep twins didn't respond.

Left with no choice, she barged in. The two boys, still groggy with sleep, barely managed to open their eyes as Eda gave them a quick lecture. Then, satisfied, she went to the fireplace and used Floo Powder to travel to the Leaky Cauldron.

After the familiar spinning sensation, Eda emerged from the fireplace in the pub.

The staff were busy making their final preparations for the day's opening. Old Tom stood behind the bar, lazily polishing a glass with his eyes closed — a familiar sight, as he had often done the same last summer.

Eda gestured to the other waitstaff to stay quiet as she tiptoed toward the bar. Old Tom still hadn't noticed her.

Bam!

Suddenly, Eda slapped the bar counter, and the startled old man's eyes flew wide open, his back instantly straightening. Yet, even though he had been scared, Tom hadn't let go of the glass in his hands. 

Once he recovered, Tom saw Eda grinning mischievously at her successful prank. She wore a sky-blue wizard's robe embroidered with delicate patterns, her golden hair tied back with a ribbon, and her bright eyes gleamed with playfulness. 

"That's not very nice, frightening an old man like me," Tom coughed, trying to cover his embarrassment. "If that glass had shattered, I would've docked your pay." 

Eda slipped behind the bar, picking up a glass of her own and starting to polish it. "Oh, please. You treasure that glass more than your own life. I don't believe for a second that you'd let it break. You'd sooner drop yourself than drop that glass." 

The frail, gaunt old man broke into a toothless grin. "Welcome back to the Leaky Cauldron, Eda."

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