The room was very quiet, with the only sound being the creaking of the old chair uhe weight. It was ioo old.

  "She used to be a very good child, even when she was just born, she rarely cried. A well-behaved, good-looking child is very likable," Mrs. Mary recalled.

  Hearing Mrs. Mary's words, Magall frowned slightly. "You say she used to be?"

  Seeing Magall frown, Mrs. Mary felt uneasy. She wasn't sure if she should tell this woman about Eda's story and she was worried.

  After thinking for a while, Mrs. Mary anxiously asked, "Is Eda definitely able to attend your school?"

  "Of course." Magall was unclear why Mrs. Mary suddenly raised this question, which piqued her curiosity.

  "No matter what I say about Eda, it won't affect her admission?" Mrs. Mary cast an inquiring look at Magall.

  "Whether Miss Twist attends Hogwarts depends on her personal will, nothing else," Magall reaffirmed.

  "Alright."

  Mrs. Mary exhaled a long breath, and the worry on her face disappeared. "She's a bit of an unusual child."

  "Unusual? Did you notiething?" Magall asked, thinking it must be due to the magical fluctuations others had observed.

  Seeing no ge in Magall's expression, Mrs. Mary tinued, "It wasn't us who noticed first. Initially, it was a couple ted her."

  "Adopted?"

  "Yes, that was when Eda was four. One day, the Greens came to the orphahey had lived together for many years but hadn't had children, so they decided to adopt," Mrs. Mary recalled.

  "They iss Twist?"

  "Yes, I asked about their preferences, and they wao adopt a younger child. Eda was among them. She was very quiet, n or making a fuss, blending in with the other children, but the Greens still noticed her. A girl who looked like a little angel is hard to miss, so they decided to adopt Eda. After pleting the paperwork, the couple left happily with Eda in their arms."

  "But they eventually brought Miss Twist back?"

  "Yes." Mrs. Mary's expression turned pained.

  "I thought Eda would leave the orphanage food, but three months ter, they returned her. The Greens seemed terrified, standing far away from Eda as if she were a monster…"

  "I asked them what happened. At first, they refused to say anything, but eventually, to finalize the termination of the adoption, Mr. Greeantly told me that Eda was a monster!"

  Mrs. Mary took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears before tinuing.

  "They said that ever sihey adopted Eda, things in the house would mysteriously ge pces; animals frequently appeared around their home; and Eda would unsciously move objects without toug them. The most frightening thing was that despite going to bed in their bedroom, they would wake up on the living room sofa. So, scared out of their wits, the couple decided to return Eda…"

  "Have you ever withese occurrences yourself?" Professonagall asked.

  "Never, not once." Mrs. Mary shook her head repeatedly.

  "I've never seen anything like that happen. Back then, I thought the Green couple had just made up a poor excuse to return Eda."

  "Such a heartbreaking child."

  "After that, Eda remained a well-behaved child, never pining eveher children occasionally bullied her. When she was seven, she ted again."

  "Again?"

  It was clear that the oute wasn't favorable, otherwise, Magall would be meeting Eda's parents in their home, not in an orphanage.

  Despite not having children of her own, Magall felt a pang of sympathy for the little girl.

  "This time, it was by the Taylor couple, both doctors and successful professionals. They were deeply fasated by the occult, enjoying the study of various legends. Though I had never witnessed any of those strange occurrences, Eda seemed like a fitting choice, didn't she?"

  Mrs. Mary said, clutg her handkerchief even tighter.

  "This adoption sted six months. Afterward, the Taylors came back looking much thinner and more terrified than the Greens."

  "I suppose they were scared by Miss Twist as well?"

  "Yes, but the Taylors said it was Eda who actively demonstrated her abilities to them. Sihen, Eda has not been adopted again. People who e here usually don't choose older children..."

  "I imagine she tried to please her adoptive parents, who were ied in the occult… You've never seen her abilities yourself?" Magall asked cautiously.

  Mrs. Mary tio shake her head, "No, not even then. I ongrily questioned her about it, but she still never dispyed such abilities. The only ge was that this once well-behaved girl started fighting with the other childreemper grew worse, and she became increasingly withdrawn."

  "It must have beerauma from being adopted and abawice," Magall pondered aloud.

  "I agree with you. The impa her i brain must have been too great, she started to feel like a strao me. Two years ago, the other children in the orphaopped daring to bully her. Although I don't kly what happened between her and the other children, I'm certain something occurred that made them very afraid of her," Mrs. Mary said, speaking more to herself than to Magall.

  Dryiears, Mrs. Mary spoke early, "Please believe me, Eda is still a kind child. She is growing up now... Oh, I think it would be best if you met her yourself. She truly is a good child." With that, Mrs. Mary stood up.

  "No trouble at all," Magall replied, also standing.

  She had e here to see Eda, after all.

  Following Mrs. Mary, they exited the offid climbed the stairs to the first floor.

  As they walked down the corridor, children pying and running about would politely greet them, showing they had been well-mannered, at least outwardly.

  "This is the room," Mrs. Mary said as they reached the door at the end of the hallway.

  She kwid entered.

  "Eda, this is Mrs. Magall. She's here to see you."

  With that, Mrs. Mary left the room, closing the door behind her but not going far.

  "Hello, Mrs. Magall." Eda offered the room's only chair to Magall and then picked up a kettle to pour her a cup of water.

  Magall looked at Eda, earing clothes that didn't quite fit.

  Eda was undeniably a very pretty little girl.

  Magall had often used her Animagus ability to transform into a tabby cat aly observe Eda.

  When you stare into the abyss... No, when Magall was looking at Eda, Eda was also secretly Magall.

  When Mrs. Mary had mentioned Magall's name, Eda had reized the stern-looking woman with her meticulously tied hair—Deputy Headmistress Minerva Magall, as stated on the acceptater.

  "Hello, I am Minerva Magall." Magall stepped forward aended her hand.

  Eda reached out to shake it, thehe previously poured water oable. "I'm sorry, we don't have any tea here. I only offer you water."

  "That's quite alright." Watg Eda, who was ag so grown-up, Magall said, "I believe you've already seeter."

  "Yes, Mrs. Magall, but I have a hard time uanding..."

  "You ask about anything you're unsure of," Magall said, notig that Eda was still standing. She then sat down on the chair.

  Seeing Magall sit, Eda moved to sit on the edge of her bed.

  Adopting a puzzled expression, Eda asked, "So Mrs. Magall, I saw that your school is fic, but I'm sorry, does that mean stage magic?"

  Pying dumb, Eda wasn't pnning to reveal too much about herself, so she asked a straightforward question.

  "No, it means real magid you call me Professonagall."

  "Magic... Could you show me?"

  Eda's tone was filled with anticipation and a hint of pleading.

  Magall drew her wand and poi at ay cup oable.

  The cup transformed into a delicate snuffbox, and then into a wine gss.

  "Incredible!"

  Eda tio act like a child who had never seen anything so amazing.

  "Hogwarts is a school specifically for those with special talents, a magic school that only witches and wizards attend. If you wish, you will be able to start iember."

  Magall reverted the wine gss back to its inal form as she spoke.

  "So, some of the strahings happening around me, are they... magic too?"

  "I've heard some things about you from Mrs. Mary, ahey are indeed magic. These occurrences are ong young witches and wizards who have not yet started their formal education. At Hogwarts, you will learn to trol these abilities and prevent them from going awry. If you choose to attend Hogwarts, of course. No one will force you if you decide otherwise."

  Magall spoke while carefully Eda's rea.

  Eda's expression shifted from excitement to a suddeion, her pale face evoking even more sympathy.

  "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I 't go..."

  ______

  A/N: Hehe, what does she mean by that?