Chapter 19: Zoe and the House-Elves
Chapter 19: Zoe and the House-Elves
Pear seemed ticklish as she squirmed and giggled, transforming into a green doorknob. Theo grabbed the doorknob and pulled it open, allowing the group to enter one by one.
It was an incredibly spacious room.
The size and layout of the room were similar to the Great Hall above, with four long tables, except these were bare. The surrounding stone walls were lined with gleaming cookware, and at the other end was a brick fireplace with a roaring fire, emitting the mouthwatering aroma of roasting meat.
The room was filled with peculiar creatures. They had bat-like ears, large round eyes that protruded like frogs, as big as tennis balls; and pencil-thin noses, along with slender limbs. They wore tea towels emblazoned with the Hogwarts crest as robes.
The little creatures turned their heads at the sound of the students entering. They gazed at them with eager, expectant eyes but did not swarm forward. Wherever the group looked, the creatures bowed and knelt respectfully.
"Wow!" Michael exclaimed in awe and envy. "So many house-elves."
"Welcome to the Hogwarts kitchen!" Theo said with arms wide open. "This is the best place in Hogwarts!"
"You can ask them for anything you want to eat. The elves are very enthusiastic," Ryan added.
"Hello," said Vid, bending down to address the nearest house-elf. "Could you bring us something to eat?"
"Of course! Of course, sir!" the house-elf said in a soft voice. "I am most honored."
The house-elves happily brought over a variety of delicacies, including pies, steaks, roasted potatoes, egg tarts, raisin puddings, and more. There were also orange juice, pumpkin juice, and vegetable juice, and even two bottles of butterbeer. After the group had their fill, the elves brought forth an array of desserts to ensure they were completely satisfied.
"I can't eat another bite," said Neville, holding an ice cream and speaking with difficulty after a lick.
"Most Hufflepuffs know about the kitchen's location because our common room is nearby. So, it's an open secret," Theo told Michael. "Our common room always has all sorts of delicious food—Hufflepuffs never go hungry!"
"It's wonderful," Michael sighed, sipping his butterbeer. "Why wasn't I sorted into Hufflepuff?"
"What are you talking about?" Ryan teased. "I remember someone saying during the Sorting that if he were sorted into Hufflepuff, he'd rather drop out."
"Ravenclaw isn't that great either," Michael sighed. "The Ravenclaw tower is too high up—it's really too high—I feel like dying every time I climb those stairs—it takes a lot of willpower to return to the common room after class..."
He seemed a little drunk, his words carrying a hint of lament.
Vid, on the other hand, had managed to stop himself from overeating, but as this was his first time drinking alcohol, his tolerance was low. It didn't take much—just two rum-filled chocolate hearts and a cup of butterbeer—to knock him out. Vid's head was spinning, and he saw double of everything.
He propped his chin on his hand and yawned lazily, lazily recognizing the house-elves one by one.
"Coco, Amy, Becky, Happy, Lola, Phil..."
Being named by a wizard seemed to be a great honor for the elves, and they lined up to tell Vid their names as if performing a ritual.
"Hmm, Zoe? Are you a girl?" Vid recognized the elf who had first spoken to him.
And to be honest, the house-elves all had wrinkled faces like eighty-year-old elders, and aside from their names, one couldn't tell their gender based on their appearances or clothing.
"Yes, yes, Mr. Grey," Zoe said, her voice a nervous yet excited squeak as she twisted her fingers together.
"Are you the ones who usually clean our rooms and wash our clothes, too?" Vid asked.
"Yes, yes, sir," Zoe nodded vigorously, her large eyes fixed on Vid intently. "Zoe, Happy, and Phil are in charge of Ravenclaw Tower."
Upon closer inspection, there was indeed a tiny flower decorating the tea towel of this house-elf—she was a girl.
"Do you also clean the other parts of the castle?" Vid inquired further.
"Yes, sir," Zoe replied.
"And you were the ones who brought our luggage down from the train, too?"
"Yes, sir."
"You must be very tired," Vid sighed. "It's such hard work."
"No, no—not at all!" Zoe quickly interjected. "We love working! Work doesn't tire us; it's having no work that's truly scary!"
The house-elves all chimed in, expressing how dedicated they were to their work and how they never slacked off. They explained how they put their heart and soul into preparing meals that would satisfy everyone, polishing each piece of silverware until it sparkled, and washing the students' muddy shoes spotlessly clean. They always moved quietly, appearing and disappearing without a trace, never disturbing anyone. They were exemplary house-elves.
Vid observed them silently for a long while without saying a word.
...
After dinner, it was already close to curfew. The house-elves enthusiastically stuffed the group with cream cakes and fried jam doughnuts before they bid each other farewell and returned to their respective Houses.
Vid and Michael climbed the moving stairs, and when they were both breathless from the exertion, an armor on the wall suddenly wobbled, and a white figure pounced out with a beast-like roar.
"Ah!" Michael was startled, his legs giving out as he sat down hard on the floor.
"Hahaha..."
The white figure held his stomach and burst into laughter, floating in the air while kicking his legs wildly.
Michael was both angry and amused. "Peeves! You're up to your tricks again, scaring people!"
Peeves was a unique ghost at Hogwarts who could float, take on a physical form, and interact with objects. True to his name, he was a mischievous and playful character.
"Look what we have here! Two little wizards wandering around instead of sleeping at night!" Peeves circled Vid and Michael in the corridor, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Just you wait, I'll call Filch! We'll catch you little troublemakers!"
Peeves loved to scare students who were out after hours and then chase them back to their dormitories, sometimes tugging on their robes or pulling their hair as he teased them. But this time, his plan backfired. With a swish of Vid's wand, a row of golden letters appeared, displaying the current time.
"Ha!" Michael laughed, catching his breath. "Curfew's still seven minutes away! You can't fool us, Peeves!"
Peeves' round eyes spun mischievously. "Seven minutes—that's not enough time for you to get back to Ravenclaw Tower."
"True. But by the time you bring Filch here, we'll surely be back in our dorms," Vid said confidently.
Peeves stuck his tongue out. "Hmph, boring Ravenclaws!'' With that, he turned and floated away to find other students to prank.
(End of Chapter)
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