Chapter 127. House Elves in Hogwarts Part 1.

Under everyone’s watchful gaze of interest, Hermione frowned, glancing at Chiara. She was already building something special with her, and wasn’t interested in anyone else besides Lucas; someone she knew for a fact would never pull a stunt like this. ‘Besides, his Transfiguration is average at best.’ She thought with a small scoff, knowing she was better at him in at least one more topic.

“You’re laughing? I guess the poor sap doesn’t know you’re a seeker for the other tea- Ow!” Ron spoke up, only to have his shin kicked by Hermione herself. “Do you mind if I open this?” Hermione asked Chiara, ignoring the comment from Ron, as well as the sharp gasp of air with shared pain from Harry. Chiara smiled innocently at Hermione, her face blushing a bit with her own thoughts she was too shameful to say in front of others.

Hermione smiled back, squeezing Chiara’s hand gently before breaking open the seal of wax over the letter. Taking the parchment out from its protective shell, Hermione’s calm expression soured into confusion and soon turned worse. “What does it say?” Ron asked, jumping over the table while Ginny and Luna walked around to see for themselves. All of them froze at the crooked and creepy handwriting while Hermione continued to read back the single statement as the answer to a single question she had never given so much as a thought to. ‘house Elves make The Food in Hogwarts’

If the words on the parchment in her hands were to be true, than she as well as all other students at Hogwarts were eating via slave labor. As her stomach churned, she heard Ron behind her hum in confusion. “Why would someone send you this?” She glanced back at his squinting frown, filled with lackluster and ruined expectations. “Does Hogwarts really use house elves?” Ginny asked, Ron scoffing at her teasingly as an older brother. “Of course they do. How else do you think such a massive place is cleaned?”

Hermione’s eyes darted around at everyone’s expressions in the Great Hall that were previously intrigued by her letter, now uninterested as if they also knew of such a fact. Hermione then moved her gaze towards Chiara, meekly staring at Hermione with almost equal fear and confusion, but for a much different purpose. “I- I thought you knew…” She whispered, her words shaking with unease. Hermione’s frown deepened in disbelief at Chiara’s assumption. “How could you think that I’d be okay with this?” She then looked to the rest of the students all merrily talking with one another after filling their bellies with food made by house elves. “How is everyone okay with this?”

“Clearly not everyone…” Harry’s voice spoke out while everyone else remained silent with unsure answers. Hermione looked back down at the letter sent to her, and the idea of who might have sent it came to mind. With a deep breath, Hermione stood up, pressing her hand against Chiara’s shoulder, stopping her from standing before she had the chance to the leave the table. “I need to think.” She announced, still staring at the letter as she walked out of the Great Hall.

***

“Has he really?” I asked with a small chuckle, hearing Abarrane’s loose explanation of Valdemar’s friends under the surface. “I wasn’t aware that merpeople lived in these waters…” I muttered while giving Abarrane another helping of food she happily retracted down under the surface with one of her many tendrils, her others excitedly feeling my arm I was speaking to her with. “I’* n*t cl*s* wit* th*m, h*w*v*r Val s**m*d v*ry happy.” She explained, her voice garbled but I grew better understanding over the years, better able to know the meaning behind each word now, despite the warped bits.

I winced a smile, troubled by the emotions inside my chest at odds with one another. I was more than ecstatic to have Val make friends, but it was without me, he had pulled away. Abarrane said that Val wished he could see me, but needed time with his new friends for longer. Hence the reason I was asking her about him as some semblance to retain my closeness with him. “Seemed happy… How does he look now? Is he still growing?” I asked, imagining Val matching Gaynor’s length of diameter. ‘Now thinking about it, they haven’t seen one another in a long while as well…’

Holding back a sigh, I heard the sound of someone stepping on one of the stone steps nearby and gasped. Abarrane, sensing my shock, instantly let me go, giving me a silent wave goodbye with her last tendril before it sank under the moonlit depths. Snapping my head towards the direction of the noise, I heaved a sigh at the sight of Hermione’s noticeable outline of raggedy hair approaching me. “Hermione… Nearly gave me a heart a-” “Did you know about this?” I was in the middle of complaining, but Hermione ignored my pretense and pushed her own agenda.

I raised a brow at her, shoving a letter in my face, pulling my head back a bit to focus on the image of scrawled writing that reminded me of the sanity draining penmanship of Ekrizdis. “House elves make food in Hogwarts…?” I mumbled the words before glancing at Hermione to ask if I read it correctly. She nodded at me with a scowl. I could only shrug while shaking my head, confused at the person that must have written that. “Of course. Everyone knows something that trivial.”

***

As Pansy winced a bit at harming the relationship between Hermione and Chiara, after seeing Hermione going towards the lake where Lucas was, she took a quick look at the table Hermione and the rest of her friends sat together; watching them all comfort the silver haired girl silently cowering in anxiety. But things were already in motion, and she needed them to continue to taint the affection Hermione held for her Lucas. ‘She’ll forgive you in hate of Lucas…’ She silently reassured the silver haired Hufflepuff while rushing towards the black lake to see Hermione and Lucas fight with her own eyes.

Creeping her way through the courtyard and down the soft grass laden hills towards the lake, Pansy made sure to look near the large tree Lucas normally stood behind to avoid others from seeing him. Moving closer, towards the tree and the small thicket surrounding it, she jumped from the sudden yelling of Hermione. “How could you call this trivial!?” Taking a small sigh, she crouched onto the ground, content with just listening to avoid Lucas from spotting her.

“Why are you troubled by this?” Lucas asked, genuinely confused from Hermione’s outrage, just as Pansy planned. She heard Hermione gasp almost amused at Lucas’ words. “How could someone who claims to care for all magical creatures be content with the slavery of elves staining even Hogwarts? I suppose that you have a house elf too considering your background. Wouldn’t want to speak out on behalf of this in fear of losing a slave of your own?” Pansy’s lips trembled upward at Hermione’s words, so easily stabbing Lucas’ hypocrisy. Hypocrisy Pansy was okay with, everyone was a bit selfish, and Lucas most likely hid the idea of house elves in the back of his mind to avoid thinking of something he couldn’t fix or change.

However, after a few moments of silence, Lucas spoke in a calm tone that confused Pansy. “Come with me.” It must have confused Hermione as well, considering Lucas had to urge her. “It’s hard for me to explain the answer in words. Showing it to you is much more effective.” Pansy squinted her eyes in disbelief, he never had shown her the answer to why he was hypocritical towards house elves; given she never asked, but still.

Pansy’s stomach sank in anxiety as both Lucas and Hermione began walking, Hermione quickly asking a question, her voice distrustful of Lucas. “Where are we going to see this ‘answer’?” Lucas paused, and Pansy finally peaked her head out from behind the large tree to see him pointing off towards the large dense trees every student knew to steer away from. “The forbidden forest.” Lucas answered, without a hint of fear or aversion. Pansy felt a bit of relief knowing the reason Lucas never showed her was because it lay in a dangerous area, as well as that Hermione would never break a rule so she wouldn’t see it either. However, to her shock, Hermione caught up with Lucas without another word, matching his pace, now walking by his side, leaving Pansy alone at the lakeside watching them both walk off together into the darkened trees.