Hogwarts Emerald

The Shrieking Shack had been abandoned for who knows how long.

Just the slightest movement inside would stir up a large cloud of dust, making it hard to breathe.

With the doors and windows sealed by wooden boards for years, the house had developed a strange, unpleasant odor. 

Over the years, the ghostly rumors about this place had grown more and more detailed. The decrepit Shrieking Shack seemed perfectly suited to hauntings. A "remote" mountain village, a long-abandoned old house—everything about it screamed to people: Want to see ghosts? Come to the Shrieking Shack! 

Eda, whose curiosity was always in overdrive, had been drawn in by this allure. Foolishly, she had spent time researching everything about the Shrieking Shack, wasting her limited free time. 

Who would have thought that plans couldn't keep up with reality?

What started as a casual exploration of an unvisited secret passage unexpectedly led her to the Shrieking Shack! It should have been a pleasant surprise, a case of "search high and low only to find it effortlessly." 

It could even be considered a "double blessing." But the Shrieking Shack turned out to be nothing more than its reputation.

There were no ghosts at all, leaving Eda excited for nothing and feeling naturally disappointed. 

"So... what do we do now?" George waved his hand, trying to clear the dust in front of him. "Should we head back?" 

"There's really nothing worth seeing here. Everything's just old and broken," Fred said as he paced back and forth in the room. His footsteps kicked up more dust, forcing Eda and George to keep waving their hands to clear it away. 

"If you keep walking back and forth like that, I'll break your legs!" George said irritably. "Eda, why don't we head back? I feel like my lungs are about to explode." 

Eda's mind was racing, bursting with countless ideas and inspirations. She hadn't studied British wizarding laws, so she wasn't sure if her current thoughts would be permissible or not. 

"Eda, what are you thinking about?" Fred waved a hand in front of her face. "Come on, let's head back."

"If you're really so attached to haunted houses, we can find another one during the summer holidays," George said, reaching out his right hand to help her up.

"What do you think about me tidying up this place?" Eda stood up, imitating Fred from earlier as she began pacing around the room.

The dust, which had just settled, started swirling through the air again.

Fred spread his arms and spun around in the room. "This place isn't small. Cleaning it up would be a huge task. Besides, don't you already have that underground room? What do you need this for?"

"I'm not sure what Eda's planning," George said with a grin, "but the ghost stories about the Shrieking Shack are definitely about to make a comeback."

"You know, I come from—"

Fred raised his hand to cut her off. "Stop! I know about your background. Just tell us what you want to do."

"My idea is simple: I want a house of my own," Eda said with her hands behind her back. Her obsession with owning a home was deeply ingrained, something she couldn't shake.

For someone like Eda, who owned next to nothing, buying a house was no small feat. Without the safety net of a vault in Gringotts to fall back on, she had to rely entirely on her own plans and efforts.

The shack, though dilapidated, could be made livable with proper renovations. This would save a significant amount of money.

Moreover, the villagers, scared off by the haunted house rumors, wouldn't bother anyone living there, ensuring peace and quiet.

The problem Eda now faced was how to acquire ownership of the Shrieking Shack.

The house had been vacant for many years, and no one ever mentioned its owner. Even if she wanted to buy it, she wouldn't know whom to approach. And, of course, Eda didn't have the Galleons to afford it.

Although Eda was broke, the fact that the house had been left unattended for so long meant she could simply move in secretly and deal with the money issue later. Besides, this was a "haunted house," the kind of property that typically couldn't fetch much of a price.

"You can live at the Burrow! Mom has already said the Burrow is your home!" Fred shouted, his chest burning with frustration. He was angry now.

"But I can't live at the Burrow forever, right? Moving out is only a matter of time, just like Bill did, and Charlie will, too, before long," Eda explained. She was deeply grateful to the Weasleys for treating her like family, but she couldn't stay there her whole life. Kids grow up, and eventually, they have to become independent.

"It's not the same. Bill is an adult already. How old are you?"

George's tone wasn't much better. Eda's words felt distant to him.

Eda silently held up four fingers. The white fingers were very dazzling to the two brothers. They were one year younger than Eda. No, only half a year. The twins would not admit the one-year difference.

The twins knew Eda was right, but they couldn't swallow their pride. Fred muttered, "We're not going to help you. If you want to fix it up, do it yourself. Exhaust yourself!"

After finishing their conversation, the sulking twins left the shack without another word, disappearing back into the tunnel. Eda lingered in the room, wandering around one last time before leaving. In her mind, she had already drafted a renovation plan worth a thousand Galleons, but since she didn't have that kind of money, the plan would have to wait for now.

On the way back to the castle, the twins walked far ahead, clearly not waiting for Eda. She followed behind at her own pace, not bothering to catch up. She figured they were just being stubborn for the moment and would come around in a few days.

Eda thought to herself that cleaning up and renovating the shack all by herself would indeed be a daunting task. The house was in such an unlivable state that fixing it up would require a massive effort.

However, she had already decided whom to ask for help—someone who could assist without leaking a word about her plans.

Once back at the castle, Eda headed straight for the kitchens.

She wasn't there for food but to find a helper: the house-elf Winnie, whom she had in mind as the perfect assistant for cleaning up the Shrieking Shack.

House-elves were creatures long ago subjugated by wizards. From the moment they were born, they were taught to obey their masters unconditionally. Traditionally, they served as slaves for ancient and wealthy wizarding families, and being cast out of a household was considered the greatest shame for a house-elf.

Hogwarts had many house-elves. Thanks to their tireless work, the castle remained clean, and the students and staff enjoyed delicious meals every day.

Eda never saw herself as Winnie's master, no matter how often the elf addressed her as "Miss." This wasn't an order but a request—Eda was asking Winnie to help her tidy up the Shrieking Shack.

The house-elf Winnie was overjoyed to learn that she could help Miss Eda. Her tennis-ball-sized eyes were filled with delight, though she showed a bit of apprehension when she realized the task involved going to the Shrieking Shack.

Even though she was somewhat scared, Winnie was determined to go. A house-elf's deep-seated servitude was ingrained in her very being. Eda understood this, so she repeatedly assured Winnie that the rumors about the Shrieking Shack were untrue. She also promised to accompany Winnie there and not leave her alone.

At dinner in the Great Hall that evening, the twins were still sulking. They neither spoke to Eda nor looked at her, choosing to sit far away from her.

This situation left everyone puzzled.

Eda and the twins had always been inseparable, constantly seen together. Now, after a single Christmas holiday, it seemed as though the three had "gone their separate ways."

Angelina and Alicia, sitting next to Eda, were full of questions. They, too, wanted to know what had happened between the trio to cause things to end up like this.

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