Chapter 49: Run, Eve, Run!

The notebook was filled with neat handwriting, detailing a young witch's many experiments in potion-making—hundreds of entries in total. After each experiment, Eve had noted down hypotheses and questions, gradually addressing and resolving them in subsequent attempts. Eve's approach to using raw materials wasn't particularly advanced, but her unique ideas made her efforts stand out enough to catch the attention of a professional potioneer, who found them rather valuable. "When did she start working on this?" Nolan asked in surprise as he flipped through the pages, glancing at Snape. "Early March," Snape replied coldly after some thought. "Von Draugr, if I were you, I'd check with other professors to see if your little girlfriend has been getting extra tutoring from them as well." "Oh... I'll be going now." "Get lost." Snape pulled open a cabinet of potion ingredients once again, seemingly preparing to test the new recipe Eve had developed. "Don't forget the two liters of your Ancestors' blood." ... From then on, Nolan began keeping an occasional eye on Eve's activities. It wasn't long before he noticed how incredibly productive Eve had been these past few weeks. One early morning in mid-March, as the pale dawn light filtered through the castle and the owls were still wide awake, Eve stepped out of her dormitory wearing Muggle workout clothes. She appeared in the Slytherin common room, stretching her body with a series of warm-up exercises before jogging out of the room. "Good morning" she said as she exited, greeting the Mobius snake carved on the dungeon door. "Good morning, Miss Stock. Safe travels," the snake-shaped door knocker responded politely. Eve had tied her silver hair into a ponytail, which bounced with each step as she ran. Like a little rabbit, her ponytail hopped along as she jogged through the dungeon corridors, climbed the moving staircases, and passed Argus Filch, who was cleaning up dungbombs from a late-night prank. "Good morning, Mr. Filch," she greeted him cheerfully. Filch, caught off guard, seemed flustered. Very few students ever greeted him. He stood frozen for a moment, and by the time Eve had run far ahead, he murmured softly, "Good morning..." but she was already out of sight. When Eve passed through the gates of Hogwarts, Peeves the Poltergeist spotted her and decided to cause trouble. Peeves, who had taken a liking to the little Slytherin girl, often used mischief to show his affection. "Look, look! A little Slytherin Muggle-born is out for a run! Scrub her with water, shoot her with slop, make the Mudblood cry nonstop!" Peeves sang a nonsensical rhyme while hurling water balloons at her. "Peeves, I'm warning you—I'll get mad!" Eve puffed up her cheeks and cast a Levitation Charm, freezing the water balloons mid-air before sending them back toward Peeves. "Don't call me a Mudblood, and don't bother me. I'm busy in the mornings!" She jogged out of the castle, following the lakeside path as the mist settled on the soil, turning it into sticky mud that clung to her shoes and pants, making her steps heavier. As she ran, her small face turned bright red, and every breath came out as a puff of vapor in the cool morning air. When the sky started to lighten, Eve passed Hagrid's hut. The Keeper of Keys and Grounds happened to be stepping out, carrying a massive bow on his back, with his reeking hound Fang by his side. Upon spotting Eve, Hagrid grinned broadly. "Mornin', Eve! How about some roast rabbit for breakfast? Fang caught one yesterday—I always knew he was a good dog!" Eve returned his smile warmly. Hagrid was a new friend she'd made since starting her morning runs. Though a bit intimidating, she genuinely liked him. "Good morning, Hagrid. Are you going hunting?" "Aye, seems there's a new neighbor in the Forbidden Forest. Been dodgin' me so far, but they can't avoid me forever. Eve, when you're headin' back, drop by for some rabbit. If I'm not here, it'll be in the fireplace—grab one skewer, no, two skewers!" Hagrid waved his large hand and set off toward the Forbidden Forest with Fang in tow. Eve ran along the lakeside, occasionally greeting the merpeople who poked their heads above the water. By the time the sun was fully up, she had circled Hogwarts once, her body lightly glistening with sweat. She cast a charm to freshen herself up, then stopped by Hagrid's hut to enjoy two skewers of roast rabbit. In return, she made a Muggle-style salad for him before finally heading back to the Slytherin dormitory. By then, some of the younger witches and wizards were already awake, reciting key points of magical history for their upcoming exams. Others, particularly couples, were taking advantage of the cozy warmth near the common room fireplace to get some early-morning cuddles. As Eve entered the room, she was immediately met with strange and hostile gazes. Lowering her head, Eve avoided any conversation with the older students. She knew better than to expect anything but ridicule from Slytherin upperclassmen. Back in her dormitory, she changed out of her workout clothes and sat at her desk to review her coursework. "Good morning, Eve... You're up so early," a voice greeted her warmly. If anyone in the dormitory were to speak to her kindly, it would undoubtedly be Alicia. "Good morning, Alicia," Eve responded with a sweet smile. "Tch, just a filthy Mudblood. No matter how hard you study, what good will it do?" The sneering voice belonged to either Camille Smith or Laura Cook, who always delighted in calling Eve a "Mudblood." "I'm not a Mudblood," Eve whispered timidly, her voice trembling. "Oh, but you are!" "Camille, don't bother with her. She's just trying to play the diligent student to win Nolan's favor. But we all know Nolan doesn't care about her type." "Exactly! What a waste of effort. Pathetic!" The two roommates giggled as they left to begin their elegant and cheerful day. Eve, however, sat quietly for a while, her shoulders drooping in sadness. Poor girl—every time she was called a Mudblood, it stung deeply. After a brief moment of dejection, she refocused on her studies. By around eight o'clock, she would rouse a still half-asleep Alicia to head out. At the same time, Nolan would often be dragged out of bed like a lifeless corpse by Miles. The group of young Slytherins would head to the Great Hall for breakfast together. After classes, Eve would join the Slytherin Quidditch team for practice, sweating it out on the field. She had quickly become the team's rising star, their secret weapon, and everyone was thrilled to have her on board. After practice, Eve would dive into her homework. On days when she finished early and had extra time, she would visit various professors for additional tutoring. Her packed schedule often stretched until eleven o'clock at night. Only when she felt utterly exhausted would she finally collapse into bed. ... Watching Eve's busy, determined routine, Nolan muttered under his breath, "She really works hard." From the side, Alicia, usually absentminded, made a rare, pointed comment: "And who do you think she's working so hard for?"