Chapter 537: Tata, the House Elf
Chapter 537: Tata, the House Elf
Ludovic Bagman chatted with Krum for about ten minutes. When he returned, his expression looked somewhat gloomy, and he muttered to himself, indicating that the conversation had not been a pleasant one.
Soon after, he hurried out of the Three Broomsticks, with the fairies following close behind.
The fairies' expressions were menacing, so Fred and George refrained from approaching Bagman to collect their one Galleon. Instead, they huddled together, intrigued by the unfolding events.
"I wonder why Bagman wanted to talk to Krum," Fred mused.
"Could it be related to the Triwizard Tournament?" George speculated. "As one of the judges, Bagman should be well-informed... He must know what the second task is."
"Do you think he might deliberately leak information to Krum..."
"Probably not..." Cedric frowned slightly. "It's strictly forbidden for a judge to aid a champion in cheating, and Bagman, as the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, is surely aware of that."
"I know..." Fred said, "but it's just too suspicious, isn't it? Meeting privately with one of the champions right before the tournament—it just doesn't seem right."
"Krum probably turned him down," Autumn said after some thought. "You saw how unhappy Bagman looked when he came over."
"Or maybe he's just pretending," Cedric said quietly. "They could have planned it all along, putting on a show for us..."
Kyle raised an eyebrow, suddenly sensing a strong hint of jealousy from Cedric.
At this moment, Cedric resembled someone who had accidentally entered the wrong password into the common room, resulting in a drenching shower of vinegar.
Fred and George noticed this as well, and they leaned in close, unable to resist teasing him.
"Why don't you go to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop?" Fred drawled.
"Yeah," George chimed in, "that's where you two belong. Go have a cup of syrup, why don't you?"
"No, it should be coffee, actually..."
"Okay then, coffee-disguised-as-syrup..."
The two twins burst into sniggers.
Of course, in the end, Cedric and Autumn did not go to Madam Puddifoot's. After leaving the Three Broomsticks, they headed back to Hogwarts together.
As they strolled through the gates, chatting and laughing, their eyes fell upon a curious sight—a house elf.
"How odd..." Connie, who had been chatting with Kyle, suddenly spoke up. "Look at that house elf over there. He's dressed differently from the ones in the kitchen. Could that be Dobby?"
"What?" Kyle followed her gaze.
Connie was right. Standing in the empty space beside the castle was indeed a house elf.
And unlike the kitchen house elves, who wore only tea towels and pillowcases, this particular elf was dressed in a rather fashionable manner.
He sported a pair of long boots, a brown leather jacket that made him look like a racecar driver, a cowboy hat, and a pair of wind-resistant glasses.
"Oh, how cool..." Fred couldn't help but exclaim. "This house elf has so much personality! Do you know where he works in the kitchen?"
"No," Cedric shook his head. "To be honest, I've never seen him in the kitchen before."
That was to be expected...
A smirk played at the corners of Kyle's mouth as he recognized the elf's unique attire. Aside from Tata, who worked for the Nicolle-May family, he couldn't think of another house elf in the magical world who dressed like this, not even Dobby could pull off such a trendy look.
But how could Tata be here? Wasn't he supposed to be at the Nicolle estate?
Unless... Had Nicolle arrived? Could it be because of the tiara?
Kyle's heart skipped a beat.
Just then, the house elf approached them and stood before them.
"Are you... Tata?" Kyle asked.
"Yes, sir. Tata greets you," Tata removed his hat and bowed slightly. "Master Dumbledore and my master are inside the castle. They sent Tata to find you, sir."
"Oh, Kyle, you know this house elf?" Fred asked, surprised.
"Yes, he works for the Nicolle family," Kyle replied.
He then turned to Connie and said, "I apologize, but I need to go and find Professor Dumbledore first. I'll see you at dinner, and if all goes well, I might have a surprise for you later."
"That's what I heard, too," George said, scratching his head. "I wonder if ghosts need house-elves to serve them, too?"
"Use your brains, you two," Autumn said impatiently. "Obviously, he wasn't talking about the ghost you know."
"Now that you mention it, I do recall someone," Cedric said quietly. "Remember when Kyle went to France during one of the holidays?"
"France..." Fred exclaimed, lowering his voice as well. "You mean... Nicolle-May?"
"Most likely," Cedric said. "And don't forget that the house-elf mentioned the Headmaster's name as well."
"If that's the case... he's quite a big shot," Fred remarked. "Now I'm curious about what this surprise Kyle mentioned could be."
...
Meanwhile, Kyle and Tata had arrived at the Headmaster's office on the eighth floor of the castle.
The spacious office was occupied by Dumbledore, seated in his usual spot, and across from him was an elderly man with silver hair.
It was none other than Nicolle-May, dressed in a yellow striped shirt, with a pair of horn-rimmed glasses tucked into his breast pocket.
"I was just saying that you should have been back by now," Dumbledore said with a smile.
"It's been a while, Kyle. How have you been?" Nicolle greeted him warmly.
"I'm doing well," Kyle replied. "Nicolle, did you come here for that item again? I must say, you didn't need to make a trip to Hogwarts for it. A letter would have sufficed."
...
Perhaps it was his imagination, but Kyle sensed that Nicolle's expression became slightly unnatural after he said this.
"Oh?" Dumbledore's azure eyes turned towards him. "I presume this is not the same item we are about to discuss."
"Ahem, it's nothing, Albus," Nicolle said. "Kyle had merely asked me to help repair a trinket for him."
"I see," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Kyle always manages to find such intriguing curiosities, and I've witnessed this on numerous occasions."
"You can say that again," Nicolle agreed, nodding vigorously.
The Crown of Ravenclaw was indeed a novelty in the wizarding world, and Kyle's means of obtaining it remained a mystery.
"Let's leave that topic for later, then," Nicolle said, changing the subject. "I had considered inviting you to the estate again, but Albus suggested that it might distract you from the Triwizard Tournament, so I decided to come here instead."
"That wasn't necessary," Kyle shook his head. "The competition is still some time away, so there's no question of being distracted."
"I disagree," Nicolle said with a smile. "The Triwizard Tournament is a grand event, especially for those participating. Every second counts in their quest for the championship, and distractions must be avoided."
Kyle remained silent, feeling that Nicolle's reasoning was somewhat forced. However, since he had already come to Hogwarts, there was no point in arguing further.
"I'm glad they revived the Triwizard Tournament," Nicolle continued, seeming to lose himself in his thoughts. "The first task was spectacular, far surpassing the previous tournament... In my opinion, they shouldn't have held it at Durmstrang. Their organization of the tournament has always been lacking."
Nicolle went on, reminiscing about the previous Triwizard Tournament and its shortcomings, for over ten minutes until Dumbledore finally interrupted him.
"While the history of the Triwizard Tournament is indeed fascinating, let's get to the main matter at hand, Nicolle," Dumbledore said.
Upon hearing Dumbledore's words, Kyle couldn't shake the feeling that Nicolle's visit to Hogwarts was not solely about the crown, but something else entirely.
"Very well," Nicolle said, bringing the digression to a close. He turned to Kyle and said seriously, "The main reason for my visit is to borrow something from you."
"What is it?" Kyle asked.
"The ashes of the phoenix's rebirth."
(End of Chapter)
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