The pear squirmed as if it were ticklish, giggling as it transformed into a green doorknob. Theo grabbed it and pulled hard—everyone filed in one after another.
It was a very spacious room.
The room had the same layout and size as the Great Hall above. There were four long tables here as well, though they were completely bare. Around the stone walls were many gleaming kitchen utensils. On the far end stood a brick fireplace with roaring flames, giving off the savory scent of roasted meat.
Inside the room were many strange-looking creatures. They had large, bat-like ears and bulging eyes that stuck out like frogs'—nearly the size of tennis balls. Their noses were long and thin like pencils, and their limbs were slender and lanky. Each wore a tea towel stamped with the Hogwarts crest as a robe.
When the creatures heard the noise, they all turned toward the group. With eager and expectant gazes, they looked at the students, though none of them rushed forward. Wherever the students looked, the little creatures bowed and curtsied respectfully.
"My goodness!" Michael exclaimed in awe and envy. "So many house-elves!"
"Welcome to the Hogwarts kitchens!!" Theo declared, arms spread wide. "This is the best place in all of Hogwarts!"
"You can ask them for anything to eat. The elves are super enthusiastic," Lyan added.
"Hello," Wade bent down to speak to the nearest house-elf. "Could you help us get something to eat?"
"Of course! Of course, sir!" the house-elf squeaked. "It would be my great honor."
The elves joyfully brought over pies, steaks, roasted potatoes, egg tarts, raisin pudding, and many other delicious foods—along with orange juice, pumpkin juice, vegetable juice, and even two bottles of butterbeer. After the group had eaten their fill, the elves served up desserts, determined to satisfy every last craving.
"I can't eat another bite," Neville said weakly, holding an ice cream cone and licking it with effort.
"Most Hufflepuff students know where the kitchen is since our common room is nearby. So, it's kind of an open secret," Theo told Michael. "Our common room always has something good to eat—Hufflepuffs never go hungry!"
"That sounds wonderful," Michael sighed as he sipped butterbeer. "Why wasn't I sorted into Hufflepuff?"
"What are you talking about?" Lyan mocked. "I clearly remember someone saying he'd rather drop out than be put in Hufflepuff."
"Ravenclaw isn't that great either," Michael groaned. "The Ravenclaw Tower is too high—really way too high—I feel like dying every time I have to climb all the way back after class. It takes so much willpower…"
He seemed a bit tipsy now, speaking with pitiful frustration.
Wade, on the other hand, had restrained himself from overeating. But being his first time drinking alcohol, he clearly couldn't handle it. Just two rum-filled chocolates and one butterbeer had done him in. At this point, Wade's head was spinning, and everyone appeared doubled in his vision.
He leaned on his elbow, yawned lazily, and began identifying the house-elves one by one—
"Coco, Amy, Becky, Hubby, Lola, Phil…"
For the house-elves, having a wizard call them by name seemed to be a tremendous honor. They lined up eagerly to tell Wade their names, as if participating in some solemn ceremony.
"Hmm, Zoe? You're a girl?" Wade recognized the first elf who had spoken to him.
Truthfully, all the elves had faces as wrinkled as eighty-year-olds. Other than their names, it was hard to tell their genders based on appearance or clothing.
"Y-Yes, Mr. Gray," Zoe replied nervously, twisting her fingers with excitement.
"Are you the ones who usually clean our rooms and do our laundry?" Wade asked.
"Yes, sir," Zoe nodded earnestly, her large eyes fixed on him. "Zoe, Hubby, and Phil are responsible for Ravenclaw Tower."
Looking more closely, Wade noticed a tiny flower embroidered on Zoe's tea towel—she really was a girl.
"Do you clean the rest of the castle too?" he asked.
"Yes, sir."
"And you brought our luggage down from the train?"
"Yes, sir."
"You've worked so hard," Wade said with a sigh. "That's an awful lot of responsibility."
"N-No, not at all!" Zoe quickly said. "We love working! Work doesn't make us tired—not working is the truly scary thing!"
The other house-elves chimed in, expressing how devoted and hardworking they were, never lazy. They cooked with all their heart to make sure everyone enjoyed dinner, polished every piece of silverware until it gleamed, scrubbed mud-caked shoes until spotless, and always appeared and disappeared silently, never disturbing anyone. They were, without a doubt, excellent house-elves.
Wade watched them quietly for a long time, saying nothing.
…
By the time they finished dinner, it was nearly curfew. The elves enthusiastically stuffed their hands with cream cakes and jam-filled donuts, then the group made their way back to their respective common rooms.
Wade and Michael climbed the shifting staircases upward. When they were both gasping for breath, a suit of armor nearby suddenly rattled. Out of nowhere, a white figure leapt out, screeching like a wild beast.
"Ahh!" Michael yelped and collapsed onto the floor.
"Hahahaha…"
The white figure clutched its belly and laughed uproariously, feet kicking mid-air.
Michael, both annoyed and amused, said, "Peeves! You were hiding here to scare people again!"
Peeves was a special kind of ghost at Hogwarts—he could float like other spirits, but also turn physical and touch objects. He loved causing trouble. Just as his name implied, he was a notorious prankster.
"Look here! Two little wizards wandering about at night instead of sleeping!" Peeves cackled, circling Wade and Michael with a wicked grin. "Just wait—I'm going to call Filch! Let him catch you little troublemakers!"
This was his favorite game: scaring students caught wandering at night, chasing them all the way back to their dorms, and sometimes tugging their robes or pulling their hair along the way. But this time, he miscalculated.
Wade waved his wand, and a row of golden text appeared in mid-air, displaying the current time.
"Ha!" Michael laughed, still catching his breath. "There's seven minutes till curfew! You can't trick us this time, Peeves!"
Peeves' round eyes spun mischievously. "Seven minutes—not enough for you to make it back to Ravenclaw Tower."
"Sure. But by the time you get Filch, we'll already be gone," Wade said coolly.
Peeves pouted and grumbled, "Hmph! Boring Ravenclaws!" Then he floated off to prank someone else.
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