Chapter 374: Visitors
Chapter 374: Visitors
The notice in the entrance hall had a noticeable impact on the school—it informed all students that the Triwizard Tournament was no longer just a topic of discussion but was truly about to begin.
On Friday night, just before midnight, Felix woke up, put on his pajamas, and pushed open the door to the office.
The corridor was pitch black, with no visible light. By the faint moonlight, a few small figures huddled together, forming a wobbly and eerie silhouette—they were the house-elves of the castle.
"Do you need help?" Felix said, approaching them silently, standing less than two feet away.
"Ah—"
A muffled scream was stifled in their throats. The three stacked house-elves were about to fall, but Felix quickly reached out to steady them. It was a funny scene—
The house-elf at the top greeted him respectfully, still holding various cleaning tools: "Mr. Heap, good evening!"
"You too, Winky", Felix replied.
The middle house-elf covered the mouth of the one at the bottom to prevent him from making a noise, trying to bow. Winky hurriedly patted his head, jumped down from the top, and the middle one followed suit. Finally, they all bowed together.
"I heard some noise... What are you—cleaning the portraits?"
Felix looked at the cloth and brush in Winky's hand, and in the corner, there was a large bottle with glowing letters in the dark, labeled "Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover."
"And the castle's armor... Sir! We're using scouring charms to make them shine, so the guests can feel the charm of Hogwarts! Mr. Heap!" Winky said.
"Ah", Felix nodded, curious, he asked, "I don't see you carrying any lights. Do you work in the dark like this?"
"We are used to it, sir!" Winky answered, proud and confident, "Our eyesight is very good; a little light is enough for us to see."
"Is that so?" Felix hadn't known this about house-elves. "But it would be more convenient if you used magical lamps. I remember the school purchased a large batch..."
"Yes, the kitchen has the latest, very large magical lamps, bigger than Winky!" Winky stretched out his thin hands to illustrate the size of the lamp in the kitchen, "The other house-elves are very interested, and Dobby—"
The house-elf next to him nudged Winky, who opened his mouth but said nothing.
"What's the matter? Dobby is one of my employees. Is there something I don't know?" Felix asked. Dobby came every month to report on the company's progress.
The middle house-elf replied respectfully, "No, sir. Dobby... he is fine. He even gave the kitchen some small magical lamps, which are very convenient..."
Felix smiled, "You're not just saying that. We can talk about it."
"Sir, Kaka is not a talkative house-elf. Ten years ago, the master passed away, with no heirs, and Kaka was donated to Hogwarts... Kaka has always served the master's family..." The house-elf named Kaka bowed deeply.
Felix listened quietly, knowing there was more to come.
"Kaka is proud, whether in the master's house or at Hogwarts... always doing his duty, but... but..." Kaka's eyes widened, "Dobby! He is spreading dangerous ideas. Some of the weaker-willed ones are starting to agree, and this is not a good sign. It will bring disaster to the entire race..."
"What did he do?" Felix asked.
Kaka lowered his head, and Winky interjected, "Dobby didn't do anything, he just talked about his new life. He... he puts himself on equal footing with wizards, saying he met this person today and will meet that person tomorrow. The key is, he has some followers, all under his command..."
"Is that so bad? I asked him to do it."
"Sir, Mr. Heap!" Kaka said, "That is not a blessing, but the beginning of a curse. He wields power that does not belong to him, and this power is growing..."
Felix gave Winky a look, and thanks to their frequent midnight snacks in the kitchen, they had developed a good understanding. Winky understood and pulled Kaka away, saying in a high-pitched voice, "We'll go now, sir, we still have work to do! Must finish before dawn!"
Felix returned to the office, sat for a while, and then heard a knock on the door. Winky slipped in through the crack.
"Please sit, Winky."
"Oh, thank you, Mr. Heap!" Winky said excitedly, sitting on the edge of the sofa.
A teacup and saucer floated over to him. Even though this had happened more than once, he still seemed uncomfortable, and the teacup and saucer clattered noisily.
Felix smiled, "Winky, you know I need a neutral perspective on this whole situation, and you are the best person for it."
"Yes, sir", Winky replied, thinking seriously for a moment before speaking respectfully, "Kaka and Dobby are very different... Kaka is a traditional house-elf, serving only the master in the past. But the wizard had no children or heirs, and in his will, he donated all his property to Hogwarts, so Kaka came here... He has always been proud of his identity."
Felix nodded.
"Kaka is traditional, even among the over a hundred house-elves in the kitchen, he is one of the most conservative. Dobby, on the other hand, is the opposite. Some of his views... are very new..."
"Is it about accepting payment or pursuing freedom?"
Winky's body trembled, and he said shakily, "Both, sir, both... He once spoke ill of his former master, but it wasn't really bad; it was all true... But Kaka thought he was disloyal, and they had an argument..."
Felix nodded slightly. "Then what happened?"
"Later... Dobby didn't talk much about the past. He likes the present. Every time he comes, he brings some gifts. Some house-elves accepted them, but Kaka refused! There are quite a few house-elves like him, mostly older ones..."
"Dobby introduced us to life outside and his own work. He even said he found some wild, stray house-elves and provided them with jobs. They are all free, just like him."
When freedom was mentioned, Winky shivered hard.
Felix smiled. "I did ask him to find some companions, and it seems he did a good job."
Winky glanced at him cautiously and asked, "Sir, what do you think?"
"Me?" Felix shook his head. "Let it take its natural course. When facing new things, it always takes some time to observe. It might make you uncomfortable, but decades later, it could become a significant force in the 'future world' company."
Winky looked at him with a puzzled expression.
Felix continued, "Do you know Ilvermorny? Its founder, Isolt Sayre, formed a deep friendship with a goblin named William. To this day, many goblins still work at the school, much like the house-elves at Hogwarts. The difference is that Isolt Sayre's family and William's goblin clan have a more equal relationship, even establishing a protective treaty—goblins protecting students."
"You should know, this is quite a rare thing. Goblins don't particularly like humans; instead, they love to play tricks and act independently with cunning... This history is often talked about."
"In the early days of Ilvermorny, it was William and his goblin clan who protected the students. Now, hundreds of years later, the situation has reversed. It's Ilvermorny that protects this goblin clan from outside interference... The goblins at Ilvermorny, despite their complaints, still claim they are just fulfilling an ancient agreement, but they continue to appear mysteriously around the school..."
...
The next day, when the students woke up, they were surprised to find the castle looking brand new. The portraits were spotless, and the armor had suddenly become polished and shiny. As Ron was absorbed in these new changes, he inadvertently stepped into a trap on the spiral staircase, getting his leg stuck in a gap.
The armor next to him chuckled and mocked him. Ron punched it, and the armor spat out a few blue bubbles.
"Ugh!" Ron said, "It smells like cleaning agent!"
In the afternoon, Hermione went to the library again. Reluctantly, Harry and Ron dragged Neville along for an adventure in the dungeon, accompanied by the young Felix Hepworth.
When Harry questioned how there could be a pub in the dungeon, a group of Aurors suddenly burst in and engaged in a battle with the Dark Wizards inside. The three of them were caught in the crossfire and had to flee.
"This is a disguised black market; the secret password on the door is proof", Felix Hepworth's memory said, following behind them.
They escaped to a chamber filled with irritable Golden Snitches. The Golden Snitches didn't need to be caught; they flew at the trio on their own, each one enchanted with a fire spell, aiming for their exposed skin.
The three of them held up Shield Charms and slowly made their way out of the chamber, wincing from the burns. The only consolation was that Felix Hepworth's memory taught them the Human-form Armoring Charm...
In the evening, all the selected students were called to the Deputy Headmistress's office. Professor Mcgonagall spent two hours giving them etiquette training. When Harry lay in bed, he could still hear Ron's mutterings in his sleep—
"Damn Snitches, stay away from me..."
The next Sunday morning, after breakfast, the students wandered around the castle as if in a daze until a special bell rang. They gathered in the entrance hall next to the Great Hall—
"Line up! By house..." Filch, wearing a moldy suit, shouted hoarsely. He suddenly grabbed a young wizard and growled, "You! Where's your uniform?"
The young wizard, terrified, screamed and ran away.
The students lined up by year, led by their Heads of House, and walked out of the castle, excitedly scanning the empty grounds.
"Here they come!"
An observant student called out. The students and professors squinted as the air suddenly burst into flames. A bright fire appeared, extending long, thin tongues of flame to form a flower with four petals. Each petal was imprinted with a magical creature.
"Cough, cough! Is anyone there?" a voice said from the fire.
"Aegelbert", Dumbledore said gently from the front, "the school has temporarily lifted the restrictions. You can come over."
"That's good... I was afraid I got the location wrong..." The voice faded away.
The students stared with wide eyes. After a moment, a hand suddenly reached out, holding a box. Soon, a round, somewhat naive face appeared. It was a young student. He wore a robe of blue and cranberry, with a golden, intricate knot on his chest.
Seeing the sea of Hogwarts students and professors, he was startled and scratched his head. "Uh, hello, I'm Byers, Byers Bach."
(End of Chapter)
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