In the spacious yard of the Burrow, fourteen people sat around a dining table made by pushing two tables together, raising glasses and passing dishes in a lively, bustling atmosphere.
Eda sat beside Fred and George, but the twins still held a grudge over Eda's latest "betrayal."
The two of them would rather turn their heads and listen to Mr. Weasley and Percy discussing cauldron thickness than say a single word to Eda, even though the three of them hadn't seen each other all summer.
Watching the twins sulk like children, Eda could only laugh helplessly and let them be. In a couple of days, once they got over their anger, everything would be fine.
Percy was speaking at length, and two out of every three sentences were about Barty Crouch. Percy had joined the Ministry of Magic this summer, and Barty Crouch was his superior.
As for the remaining one sentence out of those three, it was usually Percy talking grandly about his own work, putting on an air so impressive that anyone unaware might think Percy was head of some department.
Before Percy graduated, Eda had once asked him if he needed her help. Through the Rosier connections, Eda could have arranged a better job for Percy.
But Percy had refused Eda's help. He was grateful to her, but he wanted to carve out a future on his own, rather than rely on someone else's power.
The idea was a good one, but reality was cruel. Mr. Weasley had worked conscientiously and responsibly at the Ministry for so many years, yet he was still firmly stuck in a harmless, insignificant position.
Was it because Mr. Weasley lacked ability? Of course not. It was simply because Mr. Weasley had no money, no one looking out for him, and he himself refused to go along with the crowd.
Even though Percy had graduated from Hogwarts with excellent grades, he was similarly not valued at the Ministry. Cauldron thickness? How many people would care about that issue, or bother reading reports on cauldron thickness?
Henry Rosier had also entered the French Ministry of Magic after graduating, but he certainly wasn't put in charge of petty matters like "cauldron thickness."
As for Percy constantly bringing up Barty Crouch, Sirius showed no reaction at all. He made no comment about the man who had sent him to Azkaban; he seemed far more interested in the elderflower wine Mrs. Weasley had brewed.
On the other side of the table, Mrs. Weasley was fussing over Bill's long hair and his unconventional earring. She very much wanted to turn into a barber and give her eldest son's hair a good snip.
Charlie was discussing this year's World Cup with Ron, Harry, and Ginny. Before long, Fred and George joined in as well, and they all began heatedly debating who would win the championship.
Although Bulgaria had Viktor Krum, everyone seemed to favor Ireland. Compared to Ireland's powerful team strength, Bulgaria looked more like a one-man team centered around Viktor Krum.
"…Dad, you know this—after the World Cup, we still have to organize a major event," Percy said proudly, showing off his work. "It's top secret."
Percy cleared his throat with great seriousness, turned to look at his younger siblings, and continued, "The World Cup plus this top-secret event—that's why our department has been so busy this summer!"
Ron rolled his eyes and muttered in a low voice, "Ever since he started working, he's been trying to get us to ask what this event is. Probably some exhibition on thick-bottomed cauldrons."
"So if your department is so busy," Fred and George said in unison, "then Percy, why are you researching cauldron thickness?"
That instantly made Percy blush bright red. He could only lower his head and hide his embarrassment behind a drink. Sirius, meanwhile, made a "well done" gesture to the twins from across the table.
Of course, Eda knew what this top secret Percy kept talking about was—the Triwizard Tournament, just a three-school competition. What was there to make such a mystery out of?
But Eda didn't say it outright. Whenever Fred and George started speaking to her again, that was when she would tell them about the Triwizard Tournament.
In the afternoon, led by Bill and Charlie, the whole group marched grandly toward the paddock on the hill behind the house. Before the World Cup final began, the Weasley family held their own Quidditch match first.
One side was led by Bill, with Fred, George, Harry, and Hermione as teammates. The other side was led by Charlie, with Percy, Eda, Ron, and Ginny on his team.
For the sake of fairness, Bill and Charlie had originally wanted to split up the twins, but the twins were still sulking and neither of them wanted to be on Eda's side, so in the end, this was the lineup they ended up with.
Bill's team won the match in the end, but their advantage was not large. It wasn't because Hermione dragged the team down—Percy offset part of that handicap. The main reason was Ginny's performance.
Ginny was the youngest child in the Weasley family, and all her brothers doted on their youngest sister. Strangely enough, though, they never took her along to play Quidditch.
But who was Ginny? She was the owner of a yew wand—did anyone think she was some easy mark? Ever since she was six, Ginny had been sneaking into the broom shed and secretly stealing rides on her brothers' broomsticks.
In today's match, Ginny was the only one who really helped Charlie, keeping their team close in score. And after switching to Eda's broom, she became even more unstoppable, leaving her brothers staring in shock.
Compared to Ginny's outstanding performance, Percy and Ron were practically reduced to nothing.
As for Eda, she rode an old Shooting Star broom, lazily floating between the two trees being used as goalposts, wildly cheering Ginny on.
Charlie's team lost, but Ginny didn't!
Harry even suggested that Ginny try out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team this year, and the twins agreed. Unfortunately, Hogwarts was destined not to have Quidditch matches this year, so if Ginny wanted to join, she would probably have to wait another year.
As evening fell, the children returned to the Burrow in high spirits. Candles floated in the yard, lighting up the darkening sky, and the warm air was filled with the scent of fresh grass and honeysuckle.
The Burrow had never been a luxurious place, but it was always full of laughter and joy—this was what home felt like. Cream-colored Garlon and ginger Crookshanks were chasing gnomes through the garden, darting through the rose bushes while shrieking madly.
Dinner was just as lavish as ever; Mrs. Weasley truly was a master of household work. Eda also brought out many bottles of wine she had brought back from France. These wines had originally been intended as gifts for Mr. Weasley.
After learning the prices of the bottles, Ron carefully set the wine in his hands back down, afraid that one careless move might make him drop and break it.
Charlie joked that they ought to find a way to keep Eda at the Burrow permanently, so that in the future, even if no one went to work, they could still eat and drink in luxury.
Bill, whom Eda had only just gotten to know properly today, also teased her, asking if she had any interest in opening an account at Gringotts and applying for a vault. Though Bill was a curse-breaker, he felt that if he brought Gringotts such a major client, he would surely earn a handsome commission.
Every one of the Weasley children was interesting—except Percy. Bill even joked that if Eda weren't several months younger than Percy, he would have thought Eda was actually the Weasley family's third child.
The twins immediately burst into song: "Poor Percy, boring Percy…"
The lively dinner did not last very long before everyone was sent off to bed by Mrs. Weasley, because they had to wake up before dawn tomorrow to go watch the match.
Bill and Charlie went to Percy's room, the three of them squeezing in together, while their old room was given to Sirius and Lupin. Harry stayed in Ron's room, and Hermione shared a room with Eda and Ginny.
Before going to sleep, Eda also learned from Hermione that Harry's scar had started hurting again. The last time Harry had felt pain in his scar, it was because he had seen Voldemort.
That made Eda think of Dumbledore's words. The headmaster had said that Voldemort was growing stronger and stronger.
And now, of all times, Harry's scar had started hurting again, along with that nightmare he had about Voldemort.
Troubled times indeed…
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