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Chapter 468 Shut Your Mouth!!
Darren noticed Hermione pressing her lips together in clear irritation.
She looked as if she wanted to scold Ron and Harry again, but she forced herself to hold back.
"Forget it, you two can come too… I just found this place, I didn't expect it to be so good, and…"
Hermione gave Darren a mysterious wink.
Darren stared back, confused, which made her grin even more.
"Hurry up and say it! What are you laughing at?"
Ron urged impatiently from behind.
"Why are you suddenly speaking in riddles?"
Hermione snorted sharply.
She glared at Ron and snapped, "You won't follow properly. If you don't want to see it, go back and wait for Darren to tell you!"
Harry and Ron exchanged looks.
They whispered to each other that Hermione must be "going through something".
"Professor McGonagall doesn't act any different from her," Ron muttered.
Harry nodded quickly.
Still, neither dared say it loudly. They only whispered while keeping a safe distance.
Hermione walked quickly, and Harry and Ron finally understood where they were headed.
A long stone corridor stretched before them.
Bright torchlight illuminated everything, and the walls were painted with murals of delicious-looking food.
"This is… the kitchens?"
Darren asked, curious.
A place straight out of the books.
"Yes! Darren, you're amazing, you guessed it right away! I brought you here because—"
Before Hermione could finish, Ron blurted out in horror:
"No way! You're not giving them that vomit badge, are you?"
"What vomit badge? It's the House-Elf Welfare Society!"
Hermione rounded on him angrily.
"It's the same thing… Hermione, listen, you are not telling them anything about elf rights! If they all go on strike, Hogwarts will shut down!"
Ron sounded panicked now.
He clearly feared for his meals.
Darren shot him a disapproving look.
"Ron, you shouldn't speak to a girl like that. You should apologize."
[Ding, Holy Father Value +50]
[Ding, Holy Father Value +80]
[Ding, Holy Father Value +100]
"I'll apologize! I'll apologize! But she does hold the fate of Hogwarts!"
Ron nearly cried.
Darren silently agreed with him.
But the character of the Holy Father required him to say seriously, "If the house-elves really have difficult lives, this issue must not be ignored."
[Ding, Holy Father Value +100]
[Ding, Holy Father Value +100]
[Ding, Holy Father Value +100]
"Yes! Darren always understands best!"
Hermione said proudly, twirling with satisfaction.
Then she shot Ron a look of pure disgust.
"And I didn't do anything wrong. If you don't even know what I'm doing, shut your mouth and follow me!"
She turned toward the mural and tapped one of the painted pears.
The pear giggled, wriggled, and transformed into a bright green doorknob.
Hermione grabbed it, pulled the door open, and dragged Darren inside.
"Hurry, before it closes!" she called back to Harry.
But the door shut before Harry and Ron got through.
"Oh well… they can open it themselves. I hope they remember what I did. Anyway—Darren, I wanted to show you the elves!"
Hermione happily pulled him deeper into the kitchen.
Dozens of house-elves were busy at work.
Darren felt a pang of envy.
If all these elves worked for him…
Even one Paige made him happy; an entire kitchen full would be like a vault full of Galleons—
No, not Galleons. Elves.
"Ah! It's Mr. Darrenport!"
One house-elf shrieked.
A swarm of house-elves rushed him.
"Oh my goodness, it's really Mr. Darren Potter—alive!"
Alive? What did they expect?
"Mr. Darrenport! Do you remember me? I washed your clothes! I'm Susan!"
Darren almost froze.
How could he possibly remember?
So many elves.
But he smiled warmly anyway—he quietly checked with the system which elf she was.
"Oh, I remember you. I didn't know your name, but I knew you washed my clothes in first and second year."
[Ding, Holy Father Value +100]
[Ding, Holy Father Value +100]
[Ding, Holy Father Value +100]
[Ding…]
"Paige was right! Mr. Darrenport is the kindest wizard in the world!"
"Yes, so gentle, so noble, so caring!"
"Even Mr. Harry Potter is not as great as you, sir!"
Darren nearly burst out laughing.
Paige must have praised him endlessly down here.
"That's natural! It was Darren who fought for your treatment. He went hungry for days because of it!"
Hermione said proudly.
Well.
That was not accurate.
Even if he acted like it, he only pretended to be starving.
"We know! When Mr. Darren didn't eat, we punished ourselves! We wanted him to eat something…"
Punishing themselves so he would eat.
House-elves had strange logic.
As the contractor of the Holy Father System, Darren frowned seriously.
"I don't eat, and you punish yourselves? I'm trying to fight for your rights. If I'd known you were hurting yourselves, I would've been heartbroken."
[Ding, Holy Father Value +100]
[Ding, Holy Father Value +100]
[Ding, Holy Father Value +100]
[Ding…]
"We're sorry to upset Mr. Darren… we didn't know what we should want. When we heard you were asking Professor Dumbledore to give us wages, we were terrified."
"But Paige said you always do what's right.
Mr. Darren said that all life is equal…
So… if we had a small salary, would that really make us like wizards?"
"And… would a paid elf become a bad elf…?"
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