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Chapter 534: You're Going the Wrong Way
Chapter 534: You're Going the Wrong Way
Farlanze's words greatly shocked Hermione, leaving her speechless when she had planned what to say.
"So, do you understand now?" Kyle turned to look at her and said, "In the eyes of a Centaur, us wearing clothes is like constantly punishing ourselves in the harshest way... Isn't this exactly the same as your view of house-elves?"
"No, it's not the same." Hermione shook her head, attempting to refute Kyle's perspective, "What I mean is, Centaurs have nothing to do with us. Their preference for not wearing clothes is just their nature, right? But house-elves are part of us, and they are also in school."
"There's no difference. You're just unwilling to admit it."
Kyle said, "I've met Centaur members of the expedition team in Romania, and they're the same. They didn't change their habits or force their teammates to accept their ways just because their teammates were wizards. They got along harmoniously."
"No... I think this is different..." Hermione stammered, unsure how to refute him.
She somewhat missed Harry and Ron. If they were here, perhaps they could have said a few words in her defense... Oh, no, Ron had also mocked her badge, so he might not have helped even if he were here.
"What are you guys talking about?" Hagrid asked, a bit lost.
Although he had been present the entire time and had even called Farlanze, he didn't understand a word of what they were discussing.
Centaurs, clothes, house-elves... He understood perfectly what they were talking about, but he was utterly confused.
"It's like this..." Autumn immediately walked over and explained the general situation to Hagrid.
On the other side, Kyle, seeing Hermione's conflicted expression, continued, "There's something else I must tell you, Hermione.
"You may not have realized this, but your act of rushing into the kitchen to persuade the house-elves to demand wages is, to some extent, like a Centaur rushing into the castle and demanding that everyone remove their clothes.
"This demand is one of the greatest insults to them, if not the greatest. Honestly, I'm surprised the house-elves didn't throw you out."
"They almost did..." Hermione paused for a moment, then whispered in a barely audible voice, "When I was leaving, I saw some house-elves going to get pot lids and firewood..."
"So they were quite restrained, able to wait until you were about to leave before taking action." Kyle shrugged, "If a Centaur came to persuade me not to wear clothes, I'd probably end up in the hospital wing."
"Pfft."
Cedric couldn't help but laugh out loud... The image of Centaurs persuading everyone not to wear clothes was hilarious, and just thinking about it was amusing.
The next second, he was harshly stepped on by Autumn, who had just returned.
"Oh, right, what about Dobby?"
At this moment, Hermione seemed to suddenly remember something, regaining some of her confidence.
"Dobby is the house-elf who sealed the platform entrance in second year, causing Harry and Ron to miss the train. He demanded wages from the wizard."
"This shows that house-elves don't entirely enjoy servitude; they just haven't realized it yet."
"I don't deny it... But this is just an exception." Kyle said, "There are similar situations among wizards too. Remember at the Quidditch World Cup, there was a wizard who enjoyed letting the healthy breeze blow on his buttocks."
Cedric laughed again.
He remembered that wizard, who wore only a not-too-long floral nightgown and refused to put on pants.
"And speaking of Dobby..."
Kyle thought for a moment, "He's very happy with Newt Scamander. He spends half of his weekly ten Galleons on various magical creature snacks and the other half on Nifflers... And he does this voluntarily. Sometimes, when Newt stops him, he buys them secretly."
"And then there's the weekly day off, where Dobby would take the Galleons and go out to buy things, then change into his own clothes and continue working."
"For Dobby, what he needs is not the Galleons, but the freedom to work with more autonomy... The reward of hard work, the right to refuse tasks he dislikes. That's all he wants."
"Hogwarts has done everything else except for that."
"Yeah," Cedric said, "If you still go to the kitchen often, you'll find that they're always happy. Sometimes, I just want to get some cookies, but by the time I come out, I'm carrying enough snacks for a week."
"I have to say, they're sometimes too enthusiastic."
Hermione fell silent, her face growing paler, biting her lip, and sinking into deep despair.
The centaur's words hit her hard, and she once doubted if she was wrong in her actions, but the stubbornness in her heart kept denying this thought.
Hermione's mind was in turmoil and confusion.
"As I said, you're heading in the wrong direction."
As if understanding her thoughts, Kyle looked in the direction where Farlanze had left and said, "What you should do is find a way to change most people's attitudes towards house-elves. Don't force them to demand wages.
I know an old house-elf who, because his previous master treated him well, remembers and is grateful."
"Are you saying I didn't do anything wrong?" Hermione asked, raising her head in excitement.
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"If you don't rush into the kitchen and demand wages for them again," Kyle said with a smile, "If there's a next time, you'll probably be the first person to be kicked out of the kitchen."
"Then what should I do?" Hermione asked anxiously. "How about distributing pamphlets or writing a letter to the Daily Prophet?"
"I can't help with that," Kyle shrugged, "It's your decision, and you have to carry it out. I need to focus on preparing for the second task of the Triwizard Tournament. I'm busy."
"If I don't demand wages for house-elves, will you buy the badge?" Hermione seemed to still hold on to hope.
"Well..."
Kyle recalled the badge with the word 'Vomit' on it and reached into his pocket, "Unfortunately, I was in a hurry today and didn't bring any money.
Next time, I promise I'll buy it."
Cona, standing beside him, glanced at Kyle.
She knew that Kyle's belongings were mostly kept in his suitcase, so it was impossible for him not to have any money.
Of course, she wouldn't say this out loud.
After a while, Hermione prepared to leave, but she no longer had the confidence she had when she arrived. She walked forward with her head down, deep in thought.
"Oh, right."
At this moment, Kyle suddenly called out to her, "Although I can't help much, I can give you a suggestion.
If you have time, you can go to the school library and read more about house-elves to gain a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of them.
"At least familiarize yourself with their history and know their personalities. Only then can you better convince others.
"Instead of making all the decisions based on... I think... I feel... That won't work."
...
(End of Chapter)
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