https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-569-No-Mercy-Just-the-Dominance-of-the-Victorious-Over-the-Defeated/13449227/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-571-The-Disappearance-of-Barty-Crouch-Jr-/13449229/
Chapter 570: What? You Spoke About House-Elves All Night?
Chapter 570: What? You Spoke About House-Elves All Night?
Ivan's words made Hermione pause. To her, seventy to eighty thousand Galleons was undoubtedly an astronomical amount.
After a long while, the young witches stammered, "But the hard work of House-Elves is worth that much, isn't it? Hiring Wizards would be even more expensive!"
"That's true; they take meticulous care of all the students and staff at the school, something ordinary Wizards can't do!" Ivan laughed, not entirely dismissing Hermione's point.
However, before the young witches could feel too pleased, Ivan continued, "But have you thought about what would happen if all these House-Elves were freed from their masters? No Wizards would be willing to hire them!"
"Moreover, you should go to the Kitchen and ask the House-Elves for their opinions before making any decisions. If you truly want to protect them, you should listen to their thoughts more often!" Ivan advised.
In fact, he did not want Hermione to waste her time on such a thankless task. As a group of Magical Creatures that had been enslaved by Wizards for centuries, House-Elves had long lost any sense of resistance. All that remained was a distorted slave mentality, with their loyalty to their masters deeply ingrained.
If a House-Elf made a mistake, they would often punish themselves before their masters even had to intervene.
Ivan's words reminded Hermione of Winky's plight. After being abandoned by her master, Crouch, no Wizards were willing to take her in. It was only Sirius Black's suggestion that she stay with the Black Family that resolved the issue.
"Also, if you really want to make a change, why not look at this!" Ivan suddenly remembered something and pulled a book from his pocket, which had been extended with an Extension Charm, and handed it to the young witches.
"From Lowly Clerk to Minister of Magic," Hermione read the title aloud, her expression puzzled. She didn't understand why Ivan would give her such a book.
"Once you become the Minister of Magic, you'll be able to truly change the situation for House-Elves!" Ivan said seriously, offering his advice.
He thought that Hermione's concern for House-Elves, besides a sudden surge of sympathy, was ultimately due to her having too much free time. So, giving her something to do, like setting a lofty goal, might make her forget about this issue after a while.
"I don't need you to tell me, I'll become the Minister of Magic!" Hermione hugged the book to her chest, speaking with confidence.
Over the years, she had seen too many things in the Wizarding World that needed to be corrected, such as the unfair treatment of House-Elves and the discrimination of Pureblood Wizards against Muggles.
Looking at the spirited young witches before him, Ivan remembered that in the original timeline, Hermione had indeed become the Minister of Magic!
Liberating House-Elves was not just a casual thought; Hermione was genuinely determined to put her ideals into practice!
Of course, from what Ivan understood, even if Hermione did become the Minister of Magic, completely liberating the House-Elves would still be an impossible task.
This means going against most of the powerful figures in the Wizarding World, and even then, it would be a success if she could pass some laws to improve the living conditions of House-Elves.
"You'll have to work hard for that!" Ivan said encouragingly to Hermione. He didn't agree with giving House-Elves the same rights as Wizards, but he didn't oppose improving their living conditions. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been willing to pay Dobby a wage.
In comparison, some extreme Pureblood Families enjoy the convenience provided by House-Elves while routinely beating and abusing them, treating them like pests. It was indeed bizarre.
Even Muggle slave owners knew to occasionally look after their slaves to ensure their private property lasted longer, yet some arrogant Wizards failed to grasp this simple concept.
As Ivan was thinking this, a faint noise from upstairs caught his attention, interrupting his thoughts.
Ivan instinctively turned his head and looked towards the stairs.
"What's wrong?" Hermione, who hadn't noticed anything amiss, looked at Ivan curiously.
"Shh," Ivan put his finger to his lips, signaling for silence. With a thought, he pulled out the Marauder's Map from his pocket and glanced at it.
"Figures!" Ivan's lips twitched as he saw the names piled up next to the Gryffindor Common Room on the map.
Hermione leaned in to take a look, and her face immediately turned red.
Ivan stood up and pointed his wand at the dark staircase above.
A bright red beam of magic shot from the tip of his wand, hitting the stairs and exploding with a loud crackle, sending sparks flying in all directions in a dazzling display.
George and the others, who had been crouching there eavesdropping, were thoroughly frightened and instantly fell into chaos. Several of them tumbled down the stairs in a disheveled mess.
"What are you doing, lurking around and spying on us at this hour of the night?"
Ivan looked at the bruised George and Fred, along with a few other male Wizards he had only seen in the Common Room, and asked with a sigh.
"We were just passing by!" George rubbed his still sore chest and said sheepishly.
As he spoke, George shot a glare at Fred. If it weren't for the discomfort of crouching and the need to change positions, they wouldn't have been caught.
"Right! We were just really hungry and were heading to the Kitchen to find something to eat!" Fred quickly chimed in.
They had heard that Ivan and Hermione were going to have a date in the Gryffindor Common Room that night, so they couldn't sleep and decided to observe out of curiosity.
But Ivan and Hermione ended up talking about House-Elves all night!
That was too strange!
If he had known it would be like this, Fred thought he might as well have stayed in the Dormitory and slept!
The other young Wizards also came up with various excuses to prove they were just "happening" to pass by.
"House-Elves need rest too. I advise you not to bother them at night!" Hermione glared at George and the others, then looked at Ivan, hesitated for a moment, and finally whispered, "I'm going back to sleep now!"
With that, Hermione hurriedly gathered her books and rushed to the Girls' Dormitory without waiting for Ivan's response.
Seeing there was no more entertainment, George, Fred, and the others quickly scattered, running faster than rabbits, afraid of being caught by Ivan.
(End of Chapter)
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