Chapter 267: "Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare"
Chapter 267: "Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare"
Sherlock had a very leisurely day today.
Naturally, he had little interest in the students' enrollment. He skipped breakfast and, early in the morning, ate a few leftover cookies from yesterday.
After that, he sat at his desk, playing with the four wooden boxes that contained Fidelius's soul.
Once he had the boxes from Silke, Sherlock could truly appreciate their intricate design.
It was clear that the four boxes were initially crafted as a single alchemical artifact, later divided into four parts using special methods. However, this division was only superficial.
The runes on the boxes remained a single, cohesive unit, and any one box being affected would prevent the creature inside from escaping unless all four boxes were opened simultaneously.
After being split into four parts, even if they were once a single entity, they now functioned as four separate individuals of Fidelius, making it impossible to coordinate and free them all at once, effectively trapping them.
However, as long as Fidelius kept trying, there would eventually be a lucky moment when one of the attempts succeeded. That's why Sherlock specifically mentioned this to Silke last night.
The method developed by the German Department of Mysteries to fully control Fidelius was highly compatible with Sherlock.
Due to the compatibility of the two souls and the use of Voldemort's residual soul as a binding agent, Sherlock didn't dare to claim that no one else could achieve this, but throughout the history of magic, no wizard had ever surpassed him in terms of soul strength.
So, while the method was impossible for other wizards, Sherlock had a real chance.
However, this information came from the German Department of Mysteries, and Silke had spent over a decade there. These secrets weren't something she could easily disclose. Sherlock didn't want to put her in a difficult position.
If there were no other options, he would proactively approach the German Ministry of Magic with Silke to discuss the matter.
After all, there was no other wizard in the wizarding world with such soul strength as his, and the chances of success were high.
As he was stacking the four wooden boxes like building blocks, feeling the vibrations from Fidelius's resistance, a knock sounded at the door.
Sherlock raised an eyebrow, put the boxes in his pocket, and then called out, "Come in."
Hermione entered the office with a determined expression, though her eyes betrayed her nervousness. Behind her was a witch with striking silver hair and piercing blue eyes.
Seeing Fleur, Sherlock couldn't help but smile.
He could easily guess why the young woman had come to see him. In her letters, she had often mentioned that once she arrived at Hogwarts, she wanted him to be her guide and show her around the ancient castle.
However, since the end of the last semester and the start of the summer break, she hadn't written to him again. Sherlock assumed she had forgotten about it, especially since he hadn't replied to many of her letters.
The enthusiasm of a young girl often wanes after a while, and she would likely forget about it if they didn't stay in touch for a long time.
But to his surprise, she had prepared a "surprise" for him. She had used the re-opening of the Triwizard Tournament as an opportunity to actually come to Hogwarts.
Alright, it's not that Sherlock didn't want to keep his promises. It's just that this girl's enthusiasm made him a bit worried, fearing she might develop some unrealistic ideas.
Sigh, having too much charm can also be a curse.
With a troubled heart, Sherlock chose to temporarily ignore Fleur and instead focused his gaze on Hermione.
"Do you need something, Miss Granger?"
Hermione, who wouldn't feel much discomfort even when standing before Professor Mcgonagall and Dumbledore, found herself unusually nervous under Sherlock's scrutiny today.
She fumbled in her pocket and pulled out a simple small badge, showing it to Sherlock.
"Professor Forrest, I, I want to invite you to join the S.P.E.W. organization I created."
Sherlock looked at the small badge in her hand with interest and asked.
"S.P.E.W.? What does it stand for? You should at least give me an introduction, right?"
Noticing her nervousness, Sherlock smiled gently and waved his hand. Two chairs that had been in the corner slid out and stopped beside Hermione and Fleur.
"I'm sorry, I don't have any snacks to offer you today. The biscuits from yesterday were all finished when I had them for breakfast."
Fleur, who had been silent since entering the room except for a brief exchange with Sherlock, was waiting for Hermione to finish speaking to the professor. She wanted to see how this young professor, whom she hadn't seen for over a year, would guide his student.
Would he tell her bluntly that this was an absolutely impossible reality, or would he be more gentle, explaining where Hermione's current ideas came from and revealing that wizards are wizards and house-elves are house-elves? Even if house-elves are oppressed, it doesn't change the fact that there is no issue with the wizarding community itself.
Fleur never considered the possibility that Sherlock would agree with Hermione's ideas or support what she was doing.
Any mentally sound adult would understand that liberating house-elves is both impossible and meaningless.
In Fleur's mind, Sherlock was certainly not a fool but one of the smartest people in the entire wizarding world. She didn't think Sherlock would utter such nonsense.
"The full name of S.P.E.W. is 'Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare.' It's an organization dedicated to ensuring house-elves receive the rights they deserve."
As she explained her ideas, Hermione's tone became more confident.
"Professor, you must know about the existence of house-elves in the wizarding world. They serve various wizarding families, places, and schools, including Hogwarts Castle, where a large number of house-elves work tirelessly without pay. They have no holidays, no wages, no private space, and only follow the orders of wizards, making them no different from medieval slaves."
"Although house-elves are not wizards and can't even be considered human, they all have their own thoughts and consciousness. Many of them are kind, honest, and absolutely loyal to wizards. In a civilized society, even in the wizarding world, slavery should not exist. That is the foundation of why I created this organization!"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
