Dumbledore's words genuinely surprised Eda. She had already been prepared to rush downstairs, capture "Moody" alive, and cement her title as the killer of this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Instead, Dumbledore told her to remain still. What the hell?
Since all the clues pointed toward the Crouch father and son, and toward this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, why were they still supposed to remain still? Shouldn't they act immediately, expose the other party's identity, and minimize any potential losses?
Just sitting here and waiting for the other party to complete his plans step by step and expand his gains, wasn't that simply waiting to die?
But Eda knew that Dumbledore must have his own calculations. She forced herself to calm down and carefully considered the Headmaster's intentions, as well as the deeper meaning behind remaining still.
After thinking it over carefully and going through every known detail, Eda understood Dumbledore's idea.
In fact, there was nothing particularly profound about Dumbledore's "remaining still." Even if Eda had really run downstairs just now, she would have figured it out halfway there.
The reason for remaining still was very simple: watch the situation develop. At this point, taking action really was worse than staying put.
Even though they could already be certain that there was something wrong with the Crouch father and son, or rather, with Barty Crouch Jr., they still did not know what their true objective was. They did not even know whether Barty Jr. was acting alone or whether there were other people hiding behind him.
The Crouch father and son, or Barty Jr. alone, had entered Hogwarts to accomplish some objective.
If he was isolated and without assistance, like Fudge, they could naturally capture him at any time and minimize their losses. But if Barty Jr. had accomplices behind him, then he was merely a tool for accomplishing their objective, a tempting bait deliberately placed in the open.
Swallowing the bait might stop their current scheme, but it would also mean alerting the enemy. Even Veritaserum would not change that.
Any disturbance could cause the person already hiding to conceal themselves even more deeply, making it much harder to find them again.
There was only the principle of thieves having a thousand days, but never of guarding against thieves for a thousand days. They could not possibly remain on guard every year against the possibility of the other side infiltrating Hogwarts.
Even the wisest person could make mistakes. Even Dumbledore could not achieve perfection. He would have oversights, places where he could not prepare for everything.
Once the other party seized upon one of those oversights, even a tiny mistake could potentially deliver a fatal blow. A thousand-mile embankment can collapse because of an ant hole. The wisdom of the ancients was not merely something to look pretty in books.
Now, Barty Jr. had already surfaced and was no longer mysterious. Even if he still had unfinished tasks, this hidden piece had already lost its intended purpose.
Rather than swallow the bait, it was better to keep Barty Crouch Jr., whose identity had already been exposed, under watch. That way, if another unidentified hidden piece came to Hogwarts to cause trouble and scheme another plot, they would be prepared.
Since Barty Jr. had already exposed his identity, they could keep him under close surveillance and follow the clues. They could use him and the task he carried to trace everything back to its source and uproot the entire scheme.
The purpose of doing this was to turn a passive position into an active one. Instead of merely defending against the enemy, they could use the enemy's actions to find an opportunity to strike first.
Remain still and make Barty Jr. believe that he was still safe, that he could continue leading Dumbledore around by the nose. When the other side activated their plan, Dumbledore could then jump out and capture them all in one sweep.
This was the reason Eda could think of. Perhaps Dumbledore had other considerations, but Eda genuinely could not think of them. After all, the two of them were in different positions, so what they saw and what they knew were naturally different.
This strategy of waiting and watching certainly carried the risk of drawing water with a bamboo basket, and it might also put the four Triwizard Tournament champions in danger. It was essentially treating Harry like a piece of meat, a piece of cheese, throwing him out to lure the other party into taking the bait.
Going from being the one being fished to becoming the fisherman.
This approach required taking enormous risks, but everything was for the greater good.
Eda finally understood. No wonder the old man in Nurmengard and the old man at Hogwarts got along so well. The two of them really did share the same interests. Calling them birds of a feather would not be wrong either.
For the greater good, there was nothing that could not be sacrificed, including themselves.
Eda did not say things like "This is too dangerous" or "We should consider the lives of the champions," nor did she make any such sanctimonious remarks. Even a child understood the principle that compassion could not be used to command an army.
What was interesting was that Eda not only never considered that this move might endanger the lives of the champions, she instead let her imagination run wild and began thinking about another impossible possibility.
If there had been no earth-shattering duel back then, and Dumbledore and Grindelwald had instead joined forces, what would this world have become?
Perhaps there would be one fewer person in the world named Esmeralda Twist, but that world would certainly have been interesting too. Of course, that was only true from a wizard's perspective.
"Have you figured it out?" Dumbledore asked.
"I have." Eda said, "It was my oversight."
By now, she had obediently sat back down on the steps and was no longer bouncing around, eager to challenge the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor to a one-on-one fight.
Dumbledore did not criticize Eda for her recklessness. He merely said in a calm tone, "This is a common problem among young people. They tend to be more energetic and hot-blooded, but that is also their advantage. It is precisely because of this that young people are often the ones who drive the world forward."
If you aren't hot-blooded, can you even call yourself young? Haven't you noticed that the protagonists of hot-blooded anime are almost always teenagers too?
"Being impulsive at an age when you can afford to be impulsive may still be forgiven, and you may still be given the opportunity to correct your mistakes." Dumbledore continued. "But when a person reaches a position of power, even if they are still young enough to be impulsive, they can no longer act on impulse whenever they please. Because every decision they make may have far-reaching consequences."
"Understood. Think twice before doing anything, and don't act recklessly just for the sake of temporary satisfaction." Eda responded woodenly. This was Dumbledore teaching her a lesson, using what had happened this time to educate her.
Dumbledore nodded and continued, "For now, you can still be impulsive and reckless, because there will be people to stop you, and there will be people to clean up your messes. But one day, you will stand in a position where a single word from you can determine whether someone lives or dies. At that time, no one will be able to stop any of your decisions. They will only echo your decisions."
"Some people will try to read into every word and action of yours, twisting every sentence you say. Some will smile and flatter you to your face, only to raise a gleaming blade behind your back. Some will place all their hopes upon you, and you will have no choice but to carry that burden and keep moving forward." Dumbledore spoke slowly, then suddenly let out a soft sigh.
That single sigh expressed countless troubles and sorrows. Some had said that it was lonely at the top, while others had said that kings were always alone.
No one knew how exhausting and bitter it was to stand in Dumbledore's position, yet all living beings yearned for that position, wanting to become the foremost person of their era.
Wasn't Eda also walking along the road toward that position? She could even be said to be one of the few people closest to Dumbledore's position.
In terms of personal strength alone, even if Eda was not second to one person, she was still above countless others. If she wanted to, she could also obtain the support of the Rosier family through exchanges of interests, as well as the support of some pure-blood families.
To wear the crown, one must bear its weight. Clearly, Eda did not yet possess the qualities necessary to bear the "crown," and her neck was not yet strong enough to support its weight.
"That must be exhausting, Professor?" Eda said softly. "It looks exhausting just thinking about it."
Dumbledore smiled without answering. He stood up and picked up the candies piled on the plate. They looked strange and oddly shaped, but they must have been delicious, because the Headmaster's expression was filled with indescribable delight.
Dumbledore replenished his energy, enjoying the pleasure brought by sweets. Eda sat on the steps, holding the unfinished cup of apple juice in her hands, wondering what she was thinking about.
When the setting sun cast its afterglow over the castle, Eda rose from the steps, placed the empty cup back on the desk, and left the Headmaster's office without saying a word.
Eda really was a fortunate person. Along the way, she had met many people who were willing to help her.
...
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