Chapter 89: The Kitchens
A cool breeze drifted through the open window of the hidden classroom. Sean sipped the pumpkin juice Justin had somehow procured. Outside, a few thin clouds, like strokes of white paint, drifted across the blue sky, and the sunlight felt warm on his skin.
He reviewed McGonagall's notes on the ancient concept of the Doppelgänger. Understanding these ideas was apparently helpful for mastering self-transfiguration into animate forms. Further mastery might even open the path to becoming an Animagus, as described in Intermediate Transfiguration. While becoming an animal might not offer huge practical advantages, the unique experience held a certain appeal for Sean.
The notes discussed the connection between dreams and the Doppelgänger:
Sleep allows the spirit, the ghost, the doppelgänger free movement; distance presents no obstacle. Instantaneous communication can thus be established between those far apart, sometimes manifesting as a semi-dialogue state.
Sean felt a flicker of recognition. He remembered Harry's dream in Goblet of Fire, featuring Cho Chang, Cedric, and his Firebolt. Later, the dream had shifted, and Harry had become a snake. Perhaps this related to the notes:
Those unaware of possessing a doppelgänger… interpret what they see as a dream. But those who know are aware they were not dreaming, but manifesting their double.
Harry, Voldemort, and Nagini were, in a sense, doubles of each other through the Horcrux connection. Dumbledore, understanding this, had later told Harry he had been keeping a close watch on Nagini for a long time.
Magic, developed over millennia, was never simple. It often felt like an arcane tome, impossible to decipher without a qualified guide. If McGonagagall hadn't shared her personal notes, Sean would have been left scrabbling for clues in the vast, labyrinthine library. Just as James and Sirius, having mastered the Animagus transformation themselves, had been able to teach Peter Pettigrew, direct, hands-on instruction remained the most efficient method of learning in the wizarding world.
Leaves rustled outside the window. A gust of wind snaked through a crack, only to be chased back by the fierce heat radiating from the fireplace. Sean noticed Neville using a Levitation Charm to send a rolled-up parchment floating towards him. Neville's face was beet red with concentration, not daring to waver until the parchment landed gently on the table. Only then did he let out a long sigh of relief. A genuine smile spread across his face as Justin exclaimed, "Brilliant, Neville!"
"Left hand gesture needs to be wider—I mean, great progress, Neville," Hermione added, correcting herself mid-critique.
Sean unrolled the parchment. The handwriting seemed to warm under the firelight:
Oh—Sean, I've been meaning to ask.
When can we talk about Chocolate Frog cards again? Or the ever-changing ceiling in the Great Hall?
Do you know what those toads in the Potions classroom jars remind me of?
That Chocolate Frog you caught for me.
Would you like to see the Hogwarts kitchens?
Just you, me, and Hermione.
Alright, Sean, I know you're busy.
But I wanted to tell you, it's not just the amazing magic that needs you. We do too.
Sean paused, looking up. Justin and Hermione were both watching him – Hermione peering over the top of her book, Justin offering a sincere, open smile.
"House-elves?!" Hermione gasped as they walked down the corridor leading from the Great Hall towards the kitchens. "You mean the kind that can perform magic without wands? The ones usually bound to ancient wizarding families in grand manors?"
"Yes," Justin confirmed, looking intrigued by her excitement. "Are you curious about them, Hermione?"
"Of course!" Hermione pulled out her copy of Hogwarts: A History, pointing to a passage. "The book says Hogwarts has the largest population of house-elves in Britain, but I've never seen them… It says they usually stay hidden from wizards, so—" She tilted her chin up skeptically. "Are you sure you found them?"
"If… this counts—" Justin stepped up to the painting of the fruit bowl and tickled the green pear. It giggled, squirmed, and transformed into a gleaming brass doorknob. "'The Never Go Hungry Club' welcomes you," Justin announced grandly. "Go on, Hermione, open the door."
Hermione looked nervously between Sean and Justin. Justin gave an encouraging nod. Sean simply offered a slight inclination of his head.
With a soft creak, the painting swung inwards.
The first thing they saw was the high, vaulted ceiling, nearly as grand as the Great Hall above. Four long wooden tables, identical to the house tables upstairs, stood ready, ensuring the elves could send food directly to the correct location. A massive stone fireplace dominated one wall, large enough to roast an ox, copper pots bubbling merrily. But the most striking feature was the constant, silent hum of magic.
"Vanishing Charms, Levitation Charms, countless food-preparation spells… all wandless, non-verbal… So this is the Hogwarts kitchen," Hermione breathed, her quill already scratching furiously across her notes.
"The food you magically produce," Sean asked quietly, "the house-elves bring it to you?"
"Guessed it," Justin grinned, unsurprised. "Oh, Sean, you can ask them for anything you want. By the way, for some reason, they all seem to adore you…"
Just then, a tiny, wizened house-elf approached Sean hesitantly. It had large, bat-like ears, bulging green eyes the size of tennis balls, and a long, flat nose. It seemed to have been pushed forward by the others.
"Welcome, welcome, Mr. Green, sir! Is there anything you would be needing?" the elf squeaked, wringing its spindly hands.
Sean looked down, puzzled. "Um, do you know me?"
"Of course, Mr. Sean Green, sir! We have been hoping you would visit!" the elf replied nervously, baffling Sean completely.
"May I ask your name?" Sean inquired gently, sensing the elf's anxiety.
"Oh! Oh! It would be my greatest honour!" the small creature squeaked. "My name is Ila, Mr. Green, sir."
"Ila. Alright. May I ask you a question, Ila? Why… why do you know who I am?" Sean couldn't imagine why the reclusive house-elves would take any particular notice of him. He certainly wasn't popular among the student body.
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